//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: To a Strange Place // Story: Through the Aurora // by Starscribe //------------------------------// When Theo had first arrived at Barrow, he’d stepped out of a truck into the village and seen several dogs just lounging out in the snow. He hadn’t understood then how they could be so comfortable in temperatures that drained the life out of every inch of his exposed skin, temperatures that would give his ears frostbite in under an hour. But now that all his clothing had been torn or been rendered near-useless and he had no choice, he was discovering exactly how useful a fur coat could be. The village was not nearby, and the trek through the cold probably would’ve been beyond him if he’d arrived here still human, wearing only the casual clothes he’d lounge in around the base. Granted, it was hard to tell where fur ended and feathers began, not without a mirror and more time to waste than he had right now. But feathers seemed to work well for penguins, so he couldn’t complain there either. But even though he didn’t freeze to death on the trek down, that didn’t mean the temperature was entirely comfortable. Occasionally an arctic gust would rise, lifting the top level of snow and seeming to cut right through his new coat. If this species was intelligent—and it had to be, based on the fact that he hadn’t lost his mind and turned into an animal hunting trout or something in the river—then he guessed he would probably find the arctic-dwelling among them wearing jackets and boots similar to the ones he had left behind. The vest he was using as a harness to drag his belongings was not providing much in the way of insulation. Theo reached the river after a few minutes of trudging down through the snow, stopping right beside it and testing with one claw. It seemed to be frozen at least ten centimeters down—enough to carry several humans at once, to say nothing of an arctic bird. His claws seemed almost made for it, and he stepped out onto its smooth surface with a little relief. There was less snow to be picked up this way, and dragging a backpack along it would be far easier than along the ground. He started walking, and made it all of three steps before he felt one of his back legs slip out from under him. Dammit this is—and he smacked into the ice with his lower body, with a sound like a symphony drum. But where he expected crushing pain from between his legs, and the inevitable consequences of being naked out in the cold, he felt nothing at all. Not even one of the modified, fur-protected structures that most cold-dwelling animals relied on. “That isn’t…” He rose hastily, scrambling off the ice before that thought could get away from him. One mystery at a time. Those villagers are going to help me go right back where I came from, so it doesn’t matter how alien creatures breed. I’ll go right through and this can all be an embarrassing dream. But thoughts of a return trip did not fill him with any more confidence. There was no observatory tower within view, and probably no reactor to power it. He hadn’t even seen electric lights glowing from the village. Which might be nothing. Wood-fired heating can be more efficient when you’re surrounded by trees. The trip took over an hour. Theo had to fight the constant temptation to find an isolated corner of the snow and curl up, but he knew if he did that he probably wouldn’t wake up. Besides—while he’d left Barrow in the middle of the endless arctic winter, the sun was up here. Assuming the temperatures and snow indicated a northerly position on a similar globe, it might be daylight here for months. But eventually the village came into view, and Theo stopped near the treeline to take it all in without being noticed by the inhabitants. They were all four-legged like himself, and unmistakably intelligent even from far away. Few had wings and none had avian features like himself—if anything, these creatures resembled horses, in the same way he might’ve resembled an eagle. Which was to say sharing the same general design, without any of the right colors or proportions. They were also smaller than he was, some by a head or more. Only a handful of the bulkiest, sturdiest creatures were as tall as he was. Many of them wore clothing as he had expected, mostly jackets and boots. Yet none of it made it far enough back to cover up anything that was between their legs. Is this what a nudist society looks like in the arctic? If there was anything to instill a little doubt that he was dealing with an intelligent species, it was the lack of modesty. But that’s just bias talking. There’s nothing to force an alien society to act like the ones I’m used to. Besides, he would need help to get home. For all he knew these natives would be used to strangers appearing in town, and would know exactly where to send him for a swift return home. Theo checked his radio one last time, making sure it was still running, before settling it back into the backpack and shoving off through the treeline. The town itself was built around the river, with homes on either side and a single stone bridge linking the two halves. The buildings were so covered in snow it was hard to see their style or method of construction. The only thing most of them shared were chimneys, where many little tendrils of woodsmoke rose into the air. It made the whole town smell like camping. At a rough guess, there were probably about a thousand horses living in the town, with their homes stretching a little ways away from the river before the snow gradually reclaimed the land. And they weren’t blind—they were watching him. Every one of the aliens that was within sight stopped to stare at him as he approached. A few pointed, whispering things he couldn’t hear to their companions. But Theo ignored them all, focusing on the single figure that hadn’t been part of a crowd. This one was obviously male, he could tell that from how much taller he was than most of the others. Well, and the nudity certainly didn’t help. These sure were horses. “Excuse me,” Theo said, wincing at just how high his own voice sounded by comparison. It didn’t seem like him at all, and he almost stumbled with every few words. But he forced himself to push through. “I’m lost and in trouble, and I was hoping you could help me.” This close to the strange creature, Theo was immediately struck by just how powerful a smell he had. It wasn’t bad exactly, rather it was informative. That particular flavor of barnyard meant… a male, an older and powerful one secure in his position. The horse looked down at him—only an inch or so, but still intimidating. Where several of the other horses had retreated a little further at the sound of his words, this one met his eyes bravely, then answered. “Piprio aie chiouo svepmux? Piprxoo loielo chiouo arioogoo heveioog?” Shit. Of all the details to forget, how could he forget the most obvious detail of all? If this was an alien world, where people were horses and birds, and clothes were more of a suggestion. Why would they speak any languages he knew? Theo switched to German, more out of vain hope than real expectation it would make a difference. “Was ist mit mir passiert?” “Ie loio ewiosu uotxsplo chiouo. Arp chiouo elallooaise Lllieelapr?” The horse only looked more confused. He reached down into a pocket, lifting a monocle and studying Theo closely for a few seconds. He retreated in spite of himself under the pressure, though only a step before he caught himself. “I don’t understand you,” Theo answered. “Is there anyone in town who might be able to translate? Maybe… someone who’s used to visitors?” Even though it seemed he wasn’t being understood, he was in no hurry to reveal much. Maybe he just felt self-conscious to be nakeder than these others. The stallion pointed across the bridge, up towards a distant hill. “Aduse, iehe chiouo yi oadll, chiouo arp muio uoll qxoo.” Theo couldn’t understand a word of it, but that didn’t matter. He was being directed—maybe that was enough. “Thank you!” he replied, and found his wings opening without them meaning to. It took a little more effort to close them, and he turned down the central road through town. It was only a gravel path, though it looked like it was regularly cleared judging by the walls of snow on either side. Horses retreated out of his way as he got close, and Theo caught their scents too. But where the one he’d first spoken to had been confident, these others were fearful and nervous.  Their postures told the same message, with flattened ears and eyes that never got high enough to make contact. The hill he’d been directed to had a house perched on the edge, with a particularly dense cloud of smoke rising from it. But the home itself was concealed by the drifts and swaying evergreen trees. As he walked, Theo became conscious of just how hungry he was. Thank God none of the little horse people smelled like food. But as he followed the path, he noticed what was unmistakably a roadside restaurant, with a huge bonfire burning under a roof and a sign covered in alien writing outside. There were chairs, many filled with little horses eating. I should’ve eaten before I went out to put the sensors in. He couldn’t even identify what they were eating, but the smell… he didn’t much care. Theo stepped up to the counter, shrugging off the vest he was using to drag his belongings. He retrieved his wallet, then dug around inside and pulled out a few notes. American bills, though he removed a few euros that’d been crumpled in back too, in case the shop owner here liked the look of those better. “Hey,” he said, knowing he wouldn’t be understood. But this was commerce, one of the oldest languages of all. He held up the bills, then pointed sideways at the plate of… whatever the horse was eating. The grill marks on the lettuce alone were everything he needed to see. “I want those. Will you take… this?” The money felt strange in his claw, bigger than it should’ve been. The horse beside the cooktop inside had hurried over at first, but she stopped dead when she saw Theo there, and the money he was offering. She shook her head, and said something that Theo couldn’t understand. I mean, should I be surprised? He was about to give up and move on when something moved beside him—a little gray and green that quickly resolved itself into the smallest horse creature he’d seen yet. This one didn’t have a beak or claws, but it did have a set of wings like he did, and an adorable little scarf. She said something—Theo couldn’t understand what, obviously—and settled a little pile of gold coins on the table in front of him. “You don’t have to do that,” Theo offered, but the kid was already scampering away. Before he could return the money, she was already gone, vanishing into the snowdrifts almost as tall as she was. The shopkeeper returned, staring down at the coins, and muttering something. Theo just shrugged, returning the bills to his wallet. The coins were soon gone, replaced with a steaming pile of… well, he had no idea. But the lettuce was surprisingly fresh for the altitude, and the steamed vegetables inside were exactly what he was craving after a long walk through the cold. It was hot, so hot it burned his tongue a little, but he didn’t even care. I’ll have to thank that girl somehow, if I see her again. Theo gathered up his things, once again to the relief of the townspeople as he finally reached the hill. The house waiting at the top was unlike any other he’d seen so far—there were metal fences around it instead of wooden ones, and the gravel path down to it was lit with little glowing… lamps? Whatever they were, they suggested a technology he hadn’t seen anywhere else. A previous victim, maybe? Has anyone else at the observatory gone missing? There was only one way to find out.