Chapter 2

“So what you’re saying is my chupacabra video was so popular on other planets that it started a movement to preserve the species. Now, you’ve taken me into your spaceship because you want me to do the same for other endangered creatures?”

“That is… correct.”

That exchange was between me and the golden space suit person. Or, I guess, it’s me summarizing what they just said to me prior to that and asking for confirmation because they were speaking in a weird way. Not only were they speaking slowly, there were pauses in between so it was a bit hard to piece the words together even if I understood them individually.

I couldn’t identify their gender through their voice either. It wasn’t too low to be a guy’s, but it wasn’t too high to be a girl’s either.

“Alright, I get that, but…” I made a dramatic pause. “Did you have to strip me naked?!”

Before the explanations, the first thing the space suit person did was point some gun-like object at me, which shot some sort of light that caused my clothes to disintegrate. Basically, while all the talk was going on, I was in my birthday suit in a weird pose with my hands covering my private parts.

“Do not… fret… We will… reconstruct… your clothing”, they replied.

“What about stuff? My bag, my phone, my keys and my wallet?”

Those were disintegrated, too.

“They will be… reconstructed… as well”, they said.

“Wait a minute! If you reconstruct my cash, wouldn’t that be counterfeiting?”

“They will be… the same… as the real thing.”

“‘Same as’ is not the same as the real thing when it comes to money! That’s the rest of my allowance this month! Now, I can’t use it anymore! Why would you do that anyway?!”

“That is… to prevent… the planet we’re heading to… to be infected… by any… Earth microbes… you carry.”

“Can’t you just use a disinfectant…” I had that complaint ready regardless of their answer. But, then I realized what was just said and switched my question to, “Wait, what do you mean by ‘the planet we’re heading to’?”

“Exactly… as I meant”, they replied.

They then produced some sort of device from their back pocket and pressed some buttons on it. An object shaped like a showerhead appeared above me, and, at the same time, a glass-like tube came from below and rose until it reached the ceiling, enclosing me in.

“What-” I tried protesting.

But, the golden space suit person pressed another button before I could finish what I was about to say.

Like clockwork, the showerhead reacted by opening its mouth. Some liquid, which I hoped is plain water, gushed down from it like a waterfall and quickly filled my small enclosure.

As soon as the liquid reached the ceiling, the floor started spinning. I tried pressing against the glass in front of me for something to hold on to, but it was in vain as I was caught in the whirlpool it created. It felt like I was a rag in a washing machine.

I thought I was done for, but, fortunately, it lasted for only a few seconds and the water quickly drained before I drowned. However, my ordeal seems to not be over yet as the golden space suit person pressed another button.

This time, it caused the showerhead above me to retract. In its place, small holes appeared above and below me, which blasted hot air. The temperature wasn’t scalding, but the force of the winds was like being blasted by jet engines on both sides.

That lasted for only a few seconds as well, for better or worse. But, the tube glass that trapped me returned to the floor, so it seemed to be over. I couldn’t help but fall on my knees due to how dizzying the experience was.

At least, until I sensed the golden space suit person standing above me.

I looked up and noticed they were holding some bulb-shaped object and a small tube.

I realized what it was for, so I pleaded to them, “No, not that. I promise I’ll clean my behind thoroughly by myself.”

“...Rejected”, they said.

And the rest is now repressed memories.

The next thing I knew, I was still in the same room, dazed, as the golden space suit person brought a tray containing my stuff. Wordlessly, I dressed myself up and collected the rest of my stuff, only checking my wallet to see if it did have the same amount of money as before.

It did.

Once all my belongings were in my hands, the golden space suit person led me out of the room, then towards some sort of meeting room. It was a dimly lit room unlike the one I was in earlier. There was no table nor seats, but there was a holographic screen on the other end of the room which displayed texts and graphs in a language I don’t know.

There, there were three other people. Or, rather, I wasn’t sure if they were people.

On the left corner was a lanky man. Too lanky to be a normal human, in fact. He probably stood at least two meters tall as he slouched from being unable to fit in the room. But, his torso only accounted for maybe a quarter of his height as his slender legs took the rest. He was in a tanktop and shorts, so it accentuates how long and thin his limbs are. His head wasn’t like a human’s as well as his face was flat, he had no hair, and his eyes were like giant red gems attached to where the nose was supposed to be.

On the right corner was a feline-like bipedal creature, who I also assume is male. His head was like a lion’s, complete from having a light brown fur, a large reddish-brown mane, round ears, to the cat-like facial features including whiskers. He was wearing a space suit as well minus the helmet, but his color was maroon unlike the gold suit person. And despite his outfit, you can clearly see his muscular build bulging from beneath. He seemed to be around the same height as me, but he gives an aura of someone you wouldn’t want to mess with.

Next to him, it was the third person, who was the least human-like and looked like a giant pillbug. They sat on the floor beside the door slouching forward, although I’m not sure if that’s their actual posture. They seemed to be only wearing a lime green apron to cover their front, although I'm also left wondering if their shell counts as clothing.

“Everyone… is here”, declared the golden space suit person as they marched toward the front. “We will now… begin… the briefing.”