Beyond the Blue Sky

“I’m back. Inertia, this is Luna,” Chefe said as he arrived.

Luna looked like an adult woman, probably around 35 years old. Her hair was white and so long it reached past her hips. As she approached me, I noticed her eyes were cloudy, like those affected by cataracts, yet she could see me perfectly well.

Her gaze was like that of someone in love, and her body seemed to yearn to come closer to me.

Then, while I was still sitting on the bed, she asked for permission to test my humanity.

“Silva told me about you, Inertia Nowak. At first, I couldn’t believe his story, but he insisted I see you with my own eyes. I’m not sure how to ask this without sounding strange, but... could you show me your tongue?”

What?! A handshake, maybe a touch on my arms... I expected anything but that. I don’t think Chefe expected it either, he seemed outraged.

“Luna, please...” he said, trying to stop her.

“Hydration! If she’s human, her tongue will be hydrated!” she responded.

A touch would’ve been more invasive, so what harm could come from showing my tongue? So, I did.

“Incredible! She’s human!”

What a strange woman. Was she really convinced just by looking at my tongue? Chefe seemed uneasy with her enthusiasm.

“Inertia, don’t worry. Luna was a great doctor in the past and is now an incredible scientist for us. Even though she’s like this, she’s trustworthy and knows more about our bodies than we do,” Chefe said, trying to reassure me.

Luna continued examining every part of my body without touching me, probably to avoid making me uncomfortable. Then she turned back to Chefe.

“Silva, this is dangerous. If she falls into the wrong hands, she wouldn’t survive a single day with the kinds of experiments we’re capable of.”

I felt what she really meant was that if I ever ended up in her hands, I wouldn’t last a single day.

“Luckily, we have you, Luna. You’re the right person for her,” Chefe replied.

What?! Chefe... I thought you were on my side!

“The right person for her? Does that mean Inertia will stay with me?” she asked.

“No!” I blurted out loudly by accident.

She looked at me with disappointment. Luna was very expressive, and somehow I could understand her intentions even without her saying them aloud. I think she tried hard not to come across as odd or off-putting, but it didn’t quite work.

“Oh... it’s not that. It’s just that Alba said I should stay with Dom,” I said, trying to fix my mistake.

“Don’t worry, Inertia. You’ll stay here for now, but Luna will visit you. She’ll help both you and us,” Chefe reassured me. Still, I had my doubts.

“How can she help me? I don’t even know what to do right now,” I said, my tone tinged with pessimism.

She’ll help you get out of here. If you step outside now, your body will probably disintegrate, or someone will notice you instantly. You’ll have to stay locked in here for a few days until we figure this out, he explained.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from Dom. He messaged me?! I guess the phone was still linked to him.

The message said, “Inertia, is it okay if I tell them about your phone and about Rei?”

I don’t think Dom gave it much thought before sending that message, since both of them noticed the phone right away.

“A phone?!” Luna sounded even more excited now, almost losing her polite tone.

I replied “OK” to Dom. I had no other choice, they were the only ones who could help me here. If I tried to leave the room, I’d just turn to dust. And if I went back to my old life, I wouldn’t have one anymore.

“Chefe, I’ll fill you in on everything that happened while you were out,” Dom said.

Then, the three of them went into a trance, just like Alba and Dom had before.

Come to think of it, these connections are pretty useful, right? They prevent any miscommunication and even spice up our lives with timely gossip.

When they returned to normal, they all looked thoughtful. Luna seemed worried about the best course of action in this situation.

“Is it selfish to keep you here, Inertia? Your presence in this world could be far more meaningful with Nowy’s technology and knowledge,” she said.

Chefe interrupted her. “Do you really think those selfish, heartless people would share with us what they’re so desperately seeking? Do you really think they would treat her well?”

They all remained silent, seemingly in agreement. But what were they seeking? What was Nowy after?

“What are they seeking? How could I help with that?” I asked.

Luna explained, “Everyone misses the senses that only a human body can provide. Of the five senses, we’re still missing taste and smell. We have touch, but it still needs improvement. Flavors, scents, touches, warmth, pain — they’re seeking all these sensations. They want to be like we once were, even though they already have stronger, longer-lasting bodies.”

In other words, I’d be a subject for study, or maybe they’d spare me for being a Nowak? Probably not. Chefe was right, this is the safest place for me, and I want to stay here.

“I’d rather stay here… if that’s not a problem for you. I don’t want to risk ending up as their guinea pig,” I said, taking the chance to share my preference.

Dom, who had been quiet during the discussion, spoke up in my defense. “You’re more than welcome here, Inertia. Right, Chefe?”

“That’s right. You’ll be their roommate until we find a solution,” he said.

I hope they’re not deceiving me, because I have no idea who they are, let alone what this Nowy is. It seems like my time locked in this world won’t be wasted, I have so much to learn.

“There’s one more thing we’re forgetting. Is Rei still on the call?” Luna asked.

To be honest, I don’t think she ever forgot about Rei. She was just waiting for the right time to bring it up.

“Yes, I’m still here...” Rei replied.

I was glad Rei stayed connected; he was one of the pillars keeping me sane. I needed his opinion, as a fellow human.

“Good to hear. Nice to meet you, Rei! We’ll have plenty to talk about later, but for now, that’s it. Silva, we need to head back. Some ideas are forming,” Luna said, hurrying to leave.

Chefe didn’t hesitate and followed suit.

“Alright, Dom, stay here and wait for Alba to return. Get the room ready for the three of you. Once we have news, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. And Inertia, thank you for trusting us. We’ll do our best to make sure everything works out,” Chefe assured.

“Thank you,” I said.

Then the two left.

I think I understand part of Rei’s silence during all this time, he was probably tired too. It was already past midnight, according to my phone’s clock in 2024, but it was still afternoon here in 6025. Once they left, my shoulders relaxed. I felt relieved, but also utterly exhausted. 

“What’s wrong, Inertia? What’s bothering you?” Dom easily noticed something was off with me; he seemed to be good at reading body language. Could their mechanisms detect emotions through microexpressions?

“Nothing... I’m just tired. So much happened in such a short time. Rei, how are you holding up? It’s already late over there,” I asked.

“Don’t worry about me, I was going to stay up all night anyway. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” he replied.

Dom stood up and said, “You both should try to rest until Alba gets back. In the meantime, I’ll set up Alba’s bed for you, Inertia.”

As he adjusted the bed for me, I tried to sneak a peek out the window.

The view outside was so different from what I’d expected. The sky was still blue, but if I shifted my focus, I could see an invisible shield in a hexagonal pattern surrounding the area. The buildings were tall and appeared to have a lot of vegetation, trees and vines grew around them, but I had a feeling my eyes were being deceived.

“Dom, I expected the year 6025 to have no vegetation left, with lots of visual pollution like in the movies. How did you manage to reverse the environmental situation?”

“That’s how it is. We didn’t reverse anything. Everything you see is audiovisual. Almost nothing you see here is real, not even me, haha.”

And it was true. I was seeing a human, but... technically, he wasn’t one anymore. I couldn’t wait to get a closer look and see everything more clearly. Dom then closed the window, and the room shifted to mimic nighttime, with only the bedside lamp still on.

“All done. I’ll leave you two alone. Call me if anything happens,” he said as he left the room.

I lay down on the bed, completely drained.

“Do you have school tomorrow, Rei? What day is it, anyway?”

“It’s already Tuesday, but I’m not going to class… not until I’m sure you’re safe. I’ll keep the call going as long as I can. I don’t know what might happen to you.”

“Thank you, Rei, truly.”

I was mentally exhausted, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

End of Report 06.