Clubmates

I found myself sitting beside the campfire of that couple. They looked at me with a mix of curiosity while I warmed a piece of meat over the flames as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

—“So…” —I said, breaking the awkward silence—, “what were you doing camping in such a remote place?”

The boy, his hair still messy from the blast wave, replied:

—“We’re… well… fans of astronomy and ufology. We wanted to see if we’d get lucky and a UFO would show up in the skies tonight.”

The girl nodded eagerly, though she still hadn’t completely taken her eyes off me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, and with a theatrical gesture, arms wide open, I declared:

—“Well, congratulations. Your investment in tents and mosquito repellent paid off… because now you’ve got an alien right in front of you.”

They were struck dumb. The only sounds were the crackling of the firewood and the constant ringing in my ears from the explosion.

The boy blinked several times, as if trying to process what he had just heard, and finally muttered with a trace of nervous excitement:

—“Prove it.”

The girl glanced at him, surprised, but then timidly nodded.

I gave them a daring smile.

—“You sure?”

With a slight motion of my hand, the metallic surface of my suit slid down my right arm, reshaping into an energy cannon. A bluish glow lit up their gaping faces.

—“Well, just remember, you asked for it.”

I aimed at a nearby rock, big enough to impress, and fired a beam of pure energy. The flash cut through the air with a sharp hum and, upon impact, the rock disintegrated into a cloud of glittering dust that the wind carried away.

The boy dropped his notebook to the ground, and the girl adjusted her glasses with both hands, letting out a small gasp of amazement.

Meanwhile, I shook the cannon as if it were a freshly unboxed toy.

—“Happy? Or do you want me to roast marshmallows with this too?”

The boy blinked again and again, trying to process what had just happened. Finally, he asked in a low voice:

—“Are you… proof of extraterrestrial life?”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice as if confiding a very delicate secret:

—“Shhh… only if you promise not to sell my story to the Men in Black.”

The couple looked at each other, and I swear I saw in their eyes that spark of thrill fans get when the impossible becomes real.

The silence broke when I decided to introduce myself with a touch of formality:

—“Well, since we’re sharing a campfire like good neighbors… I’m Anna. Specialist in accidental explosions and in falling from the least appropriate places.”

The girl let out a small laugh, while the boy adjusted his glasses.

—“I’m Adam” —he said, pointing at himself with a shy smile—, “and she’s Sara.”

Sara tilted her head politely, her eyes still glowing as if she had found pure gold in this place.

—“Adam and Sara, huh?” —I said—. “Looks like you’re not from around here either.”

They glanced at each other, and the boy nodded.

—“Indeed, we’re not. I’m from the United States of America. She’s from Japan.”

—“Aha… international. No wonder you look more like tourists than forest explorers.” —I teased.

Adam scratched his hair and continued:

—“I met her in Japan. You see, I had the chance to study there because… well, I was one of those high-grade students who suddenly get scholarships that feel like winning the lottery. Anyway, back then I joined a ufology club. Although… technically it wasn’t a club.”

—“How come it wasn’t a club?”

—“Because Sara was the only member.”

Adam went on:

—“I was interested in the subject of UFOs, so I joined. Since then, we’ve kept sharing this passion… and now, whenever we can, we travel the world looking for signs, lights, any trace that might bring us closer to something…”

I raised my eyebrows and extended my hands as if awarding them a prize.

—“Well, congratulations. The club of two has now just added an honorary extraterrestrial to its list of members.”

Sofía commented:

—“Great, boss. Now you’re the official mascot of a urology club.”

—“Shut up, Sofía. At least they’re giving me free coffee and campfire.”

Adam quickly pulled out a small notebook, almost as if he’d been waiting for this moment his whole life.

—“First very important question: do you have chips implanted in your brain? Because the Internet says some aliens do.”

—“Chips? No, the only thing I have implanted is trauma from seatbelts.” —I replied casually.

Sara leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

—“Do you know the reptilians? Is it true they secretly rule the Earth?”

—“Pffft… please. If they ruled the planet, they wouldn’t be hiding in tunnels. They’d have fast-food chains and cooking shows. Much more profitable.”

The two of them exchanged looks, torn between fascination and confusion, while I settled closer to the fire.

At last, it was Sara who threw the most direct question, her tone more serious than his:

—“Anna… why do you look so much like humans? And why are you on this planet?”

I sighed, and for a moment the firelight gave my face a somber air.

—“Mmm… good question. You see, apparently I come from another reality, an alternate one, but… similar. And though my species shares genetic kinship with humanity, we’re not the same.”

They both nodded slowly, as if trying to take it in.

I went on, lowering my voice:

—“And as for how I ended up here… well, the truth. One day I started blowing up moons for fun. The problem was… apparently those moons were private property. And their owners weren’t thrilled about someone using them as fireworks.”

Adam asked:

—“Did they… arrest you for that?”

—“Exactly.”

I leaned back and looked up at the sky for a moment, recalling that confinement.

—“Truth is, when they surrounded me, I could have tried to escape right away. But… those ships were crewed. They were soldiers just doing their job. I’d rather avoid harming those who haven’t done me any wrong. So I let myself get caught.”

Sara pressed her lips together, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

—“Luckily” —I added with a mischievous smile—, “the prison they put me in was guarded almost entirely by old robots. And those I had no trouble getting rid of. So I ended up escaping with my… let’s say… new cellmate.”

I crossed my arms and let out a dry laugh.

—“The problem was, in the middle of the escape, my ship broke down. And here I am, sharing a campfire with sci-fi fans, in a forgotten forest on Earth.”

I leaned toward them, hands clasped over my knees, and told them with complete naturalness:

—“Well… since we’re among friends now… would you mind if I stayed with you for a while?”

Adam and Sara froze. Only the crackling fire filled the silence.

—“W-with you…?” —he asked, notebook trembling in his hand.

—“Of course. I promise not to blow up your campsite, or drop an asteroid on your tent. I just need a quiet spot while I wait for someone.”

Sara tilted her head, intrigued.

—“Wait for someone?”

I leaned back with a long sigh.

—“Yes… after I arrived on this planet I sent out a signal through space-time. It was my way of leaving a trail for my cellmate… well, my friend. I told her where I am.”

They both looked at each other, eyes glowing like kids who had just heard a secret.

—“And… do you think that signal reached her?” —Adam asked softly.

I smirked, glancing at the starry sky.

—“Oh, it sure did. I know because she answered. She told me to wait… that she’s about to arrive. So… don’t freak out if the sky suddenly lights up like a fireworks festival.”

Sara covered her mouth with her hands in excitement, while Adam scribbled frantically in his notebook.

Suddenly, they both stared at me with a mix of thrill and nerves, as if wanting to ask something but too shy to say it.

—“What is it?” —I asked.

Then they exchanged glances, the kind people share when about to ask for a huge favor. Finally, Adam gathered courage:

—“Well… this might sound a little… crazy… but… do you think that… one day… you could take us on a trip… to space?”

Sara instantly looked at him, red as a tomato, and added quickly:

—“It’s not that we want to bother you or anything! It’s just that… it would be…”

I watched them in silence for a few seconds, letting the tension grow. Then I smiled broadly and nodded calmly.

—“Sure. Why not?”

The couple was left open-mouthed. Adam’s eyes shone as if he had just discovered life on Mars, and Sara pressed her hands against her chest as if trying to contain her excitement.