Meeting

It wasn’t exactly the best kind of morning to wake up handcuffed, but there I was, wrists bound together with Adán and Sara.

They didn’t say a word, but gave me those amusing looks full of both worry and that silent “we told you so” that screams louder than any words.

The truth is, I hadn’t lied to them. I really did plan to recover my ship and then wait for Maia.

But all the smile on my face vanished the moment I finally saw it: my ship—or what was left of it.

Dismantled, torn apart by the curious, cables dangling like metallic entrails. Years of construction, of painstaking adjustments… all reduced to a sad, soulless jigsaw puzzle.

A click of anger escaped my lips, and the only thing I heard was Sofía’s laughter echoing in my ears. In a blink, I materialized my suit, silver metal covering my body, and then snapped the handcuffs as if they were cheap plastic.

—“Bad luck for you…” I said, raising my voice with a mischievous smile on my lips, “…I’ve seen the entire movie of Kung Fu Hustle.”

The government agents barely had time to exchange a confused glance. I thrust my hand toward the ground—one sharp strike into the air left a massive handprint etched into the floor, and immediately a shockwave ripped through everything around me. Adán and Sara were hurled back, but I activated the durable space suits I had gifted them while they were asleep.

The ground quaked, the walls cracked, the agents were flung around like carnival dolls.

And yet, instead of fear, some looked like they were letting out years of pent-up workplace stress. They fired their guns into the air, emptying cartridges nonstop.

The bullets, however, never arrived. Neither did they.

Everything froze in an instant. Air stilled, sound died, and a sudden light descended from the sky, flooding the entire place.

Sara and Adán lifted their gaze, while I turned with a weary smile, just in time to see it: a massive, gleaming silver saucer descending over us.

Their expressions were priceless—eyes wide, mouths agape, as if everything they had dreamed for years had suddenly materialized right in front of them.

For the first time, they were seeing a real UFO.

The entire place vibrated as though reality itself had just sneezed.

I floated among the remains of my dismantled ship, metallic pieces and circuits suspended around me. With a gesture, I grasped the glowing core of my vessel—the heart still pulsing with intact energy.

—“Paco!” I shouted, raising my voice outward.

And as if he truly understood, there he was: my little yellow canary, balancing on an electrical cable like a professional tightrope walker. He flew toward me.

Once inside, the ship tilted and bent the very light around us, and with a leap that twisted space itself, we shot up into the sky like a lightning bolt.

The world was left behind in the blink of an eye.

When the ship stopped, we were orbiting near Saturn, the ringed giant glowing in the sunlight.

Adán and Sara looked like kids on their first school trip. Their noses were squished against the glass of their helmets, their faces lit up with dumb, happy expressions.

Suddenly, a familiar sound echoed through the ship’s corridors.

I saw Maia running toward me, arms wide, light tears spilling from her eyes. She didn’t say anything at first—she just hugged me tight, pressing her face against my cheek like a lost child finally reunited with her mother.

I smiled softly at her and lifted my hands to pinch her cheeks.

—“Your ship is amazing,” I said calmly, admiring the panels stretching beyond what should physically fit. “I find it very interesting you integrated dimensional engineering… this multiplies the interior space absurdly.”

Sara, who was still glued to the window, turned around.

While I spoke with Maia, in the background I could hear Sara and Adán running around like children in a toy store. One was pressing buttons on an empty food machine, the other opening hatches that revealed corridors, laughing as though inside an amusement park.

I settled beside Maia, whose eyes were still a little wet.

—“So… tell me, how have you been?” I asked.

She sighed.

—“Terrible.”

She lifted her gaze to me, and her words began to flow.

—“After you went missing, I did everything I could to track your signal. I barely picked up a faint echo in time. I decided to jump… and I did it, I arrived in the same world you fell into…” she paused bitterly, “…but not in the same era.”

I stayed silent, letting her continue.

—“To my misfortune, the hive that was chasing us found me too. I don’t know how, but they fell on me like a storm of ships.”

—“And what happened?” I asked.

Maia clicked her tongue.

—“I annihilated them. Their technology was inferior to mine… so I managed to eradicate them all. But during the battle, one last ship rammed me. Crashed directly into me.”

I brought a hand to my chin. A thought flashed across my mind like lightning.

Then… was she the source of that event in the skies over Nuremberg?

Maia, with a hint of irritation, continued:

—“The collision hurled me onto a remote island. I spent months there, repairing my ship with what little I had, waiting for it to recharge. I survived as best I could… until one day, I sensed another signal.”

As she spoke, I felt a little guilty for making her go through all that. Still, I prefer to avoid bad emotions, so with a light pat on her back, I told her it was fine now and that they could all relax.

At that moment, Adán and Sara’s footsteps approached from down the corridor. They had finally calmed from their play, now walking with that mix of respect and curiosity only shown by those who know they are standing before someone not of their world.

Sara, with the solemnity of her culture, stepped forward first. She stopped before Maia and bowed in an elegant reverence.

—“An honor to meet you. I am Sara.”

Adán, for his part, extended his hand with a slightly nervous smile.

—“And I’m Adán. Nice to meet you.”

Maia observed both gestures with a serene air, as if the contrast between the formality of the bow and the simplicity of the handshake was delightful. She placed her hand on her chest, acknowledging both greetings.

It was then I noticed Sara’s eyes widening. She looked at Maia with a mix of surprise and fascination.

—“That look…” she murmured. “You… you’re from the race that lives in the Pleiades star cluster, aren’t you?”

Maia confirmed.

—“I see you have a keen eye.”

—“I knew it… the descriptions always spoke of beings beautiful and radiant, with fair skin, blond hair, and deep eyes… I never thought I’d meet one in person.”

Adán, meanwhile, simply watched.

As for me, I crossed my arms and let out a smile. Maia smiled too.

She took a step forward, inclining her head slightly in respect toward the pair. Her voice was calm, almost melodic.

—“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Maia… and as you guessed, I come from the Pleiades. Though I suppose labels are unnecessary.”

Sara straightened up with contained excitement, as if she had just received a long-awaited confirmation.

Then, a yellow flash streaked through the air. Paco had left the wires where he usually perched and was now circling around Maia, chirping with enthusiasm.

—“What’s up with the little bird?” Adán asked, raising his eyebrows.

Before anyone could answer, Paco landed naturally on Maia’s hair. He nestled right in the middle of her fluffy bun, as if that hairstyle had been created solely to serve as his nest.

—“Well, Maia… looks like you’ve got yourself a new partner. Or rather, a limited-edition feathered hat.”

Maia simply observed.

—“I suppose it’s an honor that he chose me as his throne.”

The canary puffed out his chest, as if confirming his royal position.