Untitled

As the air stops swirling and the dust settles around me, I open my
eyes.  I am standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking a wide, forested
valley.  In the distance I can see my ship as it impacts the side of the
large mountain.  Damn it all!  I should have been paying closer attention
to the readings on the nebula I was trying to hide in.  At least I reached
my destination alive-which is more than I can say for the filthy beasts
that were tailing me.  Well, this place looks well enough like home-or at
least the nature preservers I've been to.  Now what?  I can forget about
charting the place unless I want to draw all the maps.  I can see smoke
rising in the distance from what looks like a village of sorts.  I should
probably go back to my ship and salvage what I can.  In the very least, I
can use the hull for shelter.  I also need to get there before the natives
do.  Who knows what they'll do to it if they get there before me?  I
decide to check the homing device in my gear, but suddenly I hear a rustle
in the trees behind me.  I whirl around and find two luminous green eyes
staring out of the trees at me.  Slowly I back away, forgetting the cliff
behind me, when I step on empty space.  I start flailing wildly, but lose
my balance and plummet to the earth below...

"Owwwww...." How did I get here?  Oh, that's right, I fell off that
cliff. I put my hand down for leverage to get up and feel something soft beneath
me.  What?  It's a person! How is this possible?  This planet was supposed
to be uninhabited!  And even if it was, why does the indigenous dominant
species look exactly like humans?  I don't have time to further
contemplate this new discovery.  Quickly, I scramble to my feet next to
him and try to assess the damage I've done.  "Are you all right?  Hey!"  I
don't get a response.  I rummage through my survival kit and find the
medpack.  The diagnostic says he has a concussion and a fractured
fibia.  I kneel down next to him and immediately begin treatment because
although these things don't take too long to patch up, they can cause
major problems if left untreated.  I study him awhile after treating his
wounds.  He is of about fairly average build and height, although
well-muscled.  He looks about 22 or 23 years of age.  He's pretty
good-looking, too, except for that scar on his forehead.  His brown hair
hides it pretty well, though.  His clothes look something like I've seen
before, but I don't know where.  Oh!  He seems to be regaining
consciousness now.

"Ooooo, that hurt!  What happened?  Who might you be?"  He speaks Galactic
Standard?  How?  He starts to get up, but I stop him.

"Don't move.  You might break it again.  It will take a couple of hours
for that leg to completely heal."

He sits up and looks completely confused.  "Huh?  What are you talking
about?"

"You broke your leg when you... ummm... broke my fall."

"Who are you?  Where did you come from?"

"My name is Meloine Denalie.  You can just call me Meloine.  I guess I
just fell from that cliff up there.  Umm.  Well.  Thanks for saving me."

"Saving you?"  He still looks dumbfounded.

I'm starting to get a little annoyed by this game of "50
Questions."  "YES.  I fell on top of you.  You broke your leg and I fixed
it.  Now it's MY turn to start asking questions.  What is your name?"

"Me?  I'm Toulain.  Toulain Amanon, hunter extrordinaire from the village
of Destol," he says as he gives a little bow as best he can without
getting to his feet.  "Oh!  The hunt!  I don't have enough yet!"  He tries
to get to his feet again.

"Not yet, I said!  You won't catch anything if you can't walk.  Besides, I
think your bow broke when I fell on you."

"But-!!"

"But what?"

"I'll lose my bet with Jorgan if I don't come back with more hides than
him!"

"That's IT?  Sit down!  You're not going anywhere!"  I guess male egos are
the same everywhere!  Oh well...

We spend the next two hours in the clearing, talking.  He told me about
his village and some of the local flora and fauna.  Apparently that
creature I fell off of the cliff for wasn't even a carnivore!  But when he
asks me where I'M from, I'm stuck for an answer.  I have to think of SOME
way to answer him without telling him everything.  Rule #11 of the
Journeyman Code states: "Don't give your trust to anyone until they have
earned it."  There's also another rule that has something to do with not
giving technology away to less advanced civilizations.  I end up telling
him that I'm from another village far from here (I suppose that's true in
a way,) but then he asks me why I came out so far from it.  Desperate for
some excuse, I give the classic "I didn't want the arranged marriage so I
ran away" spiel.  It's worked before on other planets, so I didn't see why
it wouldn't work here.  He seems to accept this explanation, but he gives
me an odd look before nodding.

When I'm sure that his leg is fully recovered, I get up and start on my
way.  "Thanks for your help, but I've got to go now."

"Where are you going?" he asks me.

"I have friends who live in the village beyond here.  I must go see them."

"By yourself?  It's dangerous for a woman to be out in these woods
alone.  I'll take you there."

"No, I'll be fine.  I can take care of myself, you know."

"I can't let you go all by yourself.  I know these woods better than
you.  You could use my help."  His tone is rather insistent.

"NO.  I have to go alone."

"Why?"

I'm running out of excuses and I'm getting tired of making up new
ones.  "I just HAVE to."

"At least let me take you back to Destol.  You can eat and rest for the
night.  The nearest village to it is more than a day's journey from here."

"All right, all right.  Lead the way."

We make it to the village without incident.  I swear I've heard the name
"Destol" somewhere before, but where?  As we walk into town, I try to
think about everything I've seen, ignoring the villagers' stares at
me.  This place is a bit strange.  Almost everything about it feels
somehow familiar.  The village looks exactly like a picture from one of
the historical factpages I had to read in secondary school.  I think it
might be the feudal age or whatever passes for the feudal age here.  I
can't be sure history was never my strong suit.  Toulain then interrupts
me when we arrive at the doorstep of a smallish, poor-looking cottage.

"This is it.  Welcome to my humble abode.  I have to take care of some
things in the back, so go ahead and make yourself at home."  He then walks
around to the back of the cottage, presumably so he can take care of the
fresh-killed wild game he caught.

I step inside and have a look around the cottage.  The sparce furnishings
look like museum pieces on the wooden floor.  I'm beginning to get less
and less surprised by the similarities of this world to mine.  I put my
gear down on the floor next to a fireplace and sink down into one of the
chairs.  They're not very comfortable, but they sure beat standing
around.  Toulain walks into the room and heads toward what looks like the
kitchen.  "So.  Are you hungry?  I'm always famished after a hunt, good or
bad."

A knock sounds from the front door.  "Who is it?"

"It's me, Jorgan.  The village council wants to see you.  There's been
another demon scare," he says as he walks in the door.  "Who is this
woman?"

Toulain scratches his head and replies, "ANOTHER one?  Geez, you'd think
these things were popping up like daisies, the way it's been
lately.  Ah.  This is Meloine.  I found her out in the woods during the
hunt today. She's the reason I owe you those thirty sondai."

Jorgan nudges Toulain's ribs with his elbow.  "Ah HA.  So that's how it
is..."

"Hey, it's not like that at all.  She'll be leaving tomorrow at first
light."

"Whatever.  We need to go to the council now."

"Meloine, I'm sorry.  I'll be back as soon as I can."

"There's no need to rush on my account...  Take all the time you need."

I decide that I'd better stay put.  I have no need of any more trouble
than I'm already in, what with being stranded on this strange planet in
the middle of nowhere with no way to fix my ship, because they obviously
don't have the alloys I need to patch the holes in it.  I check the homing
device to see how much farther I have to go.  It's about a 10-kilometer
hike through the woods.  Not too far, but then far enough to get eaten by
one of those predator felines Toulain told me about.  Maybe I should ask
him to guide me through the woods.  I don't think that he's the type to
turn on me and steal my ship.

The sleepiness suddenly hits me like a wave.  Falling off a cliff and
hiking through the woods is more exhausting than I thought...

I wake up in a bed in the corner.  Toulain is spread out on the floor,
using a small pile of spare clothes for a pillow.  I step over him and go
outside for some of the unspoiled air of this planet.  A slight breeze
whispers through the trees as the sun beams down on the village.  It looks
like nice weather for a forest hike.  Toulain steps out the door, looking
concerned.

"Ah, there you are.  I was worried that you left already without telling
me."

"I couldn't leave without giving my host a proper thank-you."  I follow
him back inside for breakfast.

After the meal, Toulain notes, "I noticed that your pack isn't very
large.  You don't have very many provisions, do you?  We should stop by
the marketplace before we leave."  I think his suggestion makes sense,
because I although I have plenty of rations in my gear, I absolutely HATE
the taste they leave in your mouth.

At the marketplace, Toulain insisted on paying for all the things I
wanted.  As an afterthought, I suppose this is a good thing, because I
didn't have any of the local currency.  We were about to go our separate
ways, but I couldn't let him do all this for me without at least doing
something in return for him.  Rule #4 of the Journeyman Code
states: "Never stay in anyone's debt for long."  But this goes a bit
beyond the Code.  I know nothing can happen between us, but...

"This is for all you've done for me."  I kiss him.  But, he seems
surprised, like he doesn't know what I'm doing...

The villagers around us gasp and stare in horror.

"It's a demon!  She's got Toulain and is siphoning out his soul!"

WHAT?!

I break our lip-lock and look around wildly in confusion.  Did they just
call me a demon?

I grab Toulain's wrist and start we running out of the square.  He looks
astonished.  "I know you're not a demon, but why did you do that?"

The villagers are now assembled in a mob and chasing us.  "No time to
explain.  Your friends don't look very happy with us"  He continues
running with me out of town into the woods.

"Quickly, this way!"  Toulain takes the lead and we dodge past trees and
over rocks.

When we gain enough distance from the mob, he leads me to a small cave
next to a stream.  "Alright, why did you do that to me, whatever it was?"

"That was called a kiss.  Where I come from, it's a sign of
affection.  What was everyone chasing us for?"

"The demons do that when they claim a soul.  The victim afterwards either
falls dead or is possessed.  Now I can't go back!  They think I'm a demon
now!"

"I guess you're stuck with me, then.  But, if you're coming with, there's
something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I'm not actually going to another village."

"If you're not going to another village, then where can you be
going?  Jyuko?"

"Jyuko?  What's that?"

"I suppose not.  Jyuko is the capital of Tuvya."

"TUVYA?  This place is TUVYA?"

"Well, yes.  I thought you knew that already."

"That's not possible!  The capital of Tuvya is Destol"  A suspicion weighs
down on me heavily.  I KNEW something wasn't right about this place

"I need a minute to think."

"We don't have that much time.  You can think later.  That mob won't be
fooled for long.  We'd better get going, wherever it is," he says, getting
up.

I pull out the homing device.  By a stroke of good fortune, we were
running right towards my ship.  There were only a couple of kilometers to
go.  "It's not too far now.  We need to go that way," I say, pointing
towards the mountains.

"You're not going OVER the mountains, are you?" he says, looking
concerned.

"No, I don't think so  I think we just need to get to them."

"Alright...  It should be safe just as long as we stay on this side of
them."

When we reach the "clearing" made by the ship, he and I are both
astonished, but for different reasons.  He is amazed that such a thing
like my ship even exists, but I am amazed that it is still somewhat intact
after that impact.  I run up to it and open the hatch, but Toulain is
still standing there, eyes wide open.

"Well, don't just stand there.  Come inside and I'll explain everything."

I head to the bridge, Toulain trailing behind like a lost puppy.

"Computer, damage report."

"All systems functioning normally except propulsion and weapons.  Drive
engine number two has been destroyed."

"Computer, display location on my viewpanel."

The coordinates have the exact location of Velosia.  This can't be
possible!  This can't be the Velosia I know!  This ISN'T the Velosia I
know, with its vast, spiraling cities and fouled air.

"Computer, display date and time on my panel."

The panel changes.  The date reads Delya 12, 1642.  This confirms all my
suspicions.  When I left Velosia, it was Onrae 3, 3004.  I didn't actually
go someWHERE.  I went someWHEN.

"Holy...  Toulain, I'm not actually from anywhere near here.  I'm from the
FUTURE.  I'm from the future, and I've got no way to get back!"