(Authors note! I'm not That bad at formatting, it just made it like this whenever I copied and pasted from OpenOffice.)
Griceron
Here I am called Griceron. This is not my full name, but rather, it is the only portion of my name that is easily pronounced, so this is the name I go by. I have been on Earth for approximately ten years. Six of those years were spent in captivity. I was held captive by the United States Government. When I was first captured I id not understand why, having broken no laws. Later I was told by a scientist that I was being held for study, due to the fact that they had never seen anyone of my kind before. I told him that we had his kind in my land. He appeared to be surprised by this. He told his colleagues what I had said to him, and they, too, appeared to be surprised. They asked me about my history, so I gave them a brief summary of my life up until they captured me. This is wait I said.
“I was born approximately twenty-nine of my years ago and raised by my mother.” At that point I was interrupted and asked where my father was and why I had specified 'my' years. I explained to them that children are raised solely by the mother and never meet the father unless a misfortune befalls the mother and she is unable to continue in her duties. I also explained that in my time on Earth I had noticed a difference in the passing of time which amounted to one of my years being worth one point three of theirs. They wrote this down and asked me to continue the summary of my life. I obliged. “I attended school until the age of 14.” The interrupted again to ask what was taught in our schools. I told them of the primary courses, which were Mathematics, Science, History, and the rules and literature of my language. They asked me to tell them the name of my language, I told them, they asked me to repeat, I repeated. They did not know how to write the name, so they asked me to explain how the name would be spelled using the English alphabet. I told them the name would not properly translate into a word using their alphabet. They asked me to continue my history. “After I graduated I began the mandatory six year term of military service. Because I served in a time of peace I never entered combat with an enemy.” Once again I was interrupted in order for them to ask a question. Their question was about what countries exist on my planet and whether or not war is a common occurrence on my planet. I replied that one country exists on every inhabitable continent, making six countries, and that at any given time there was usually a war between two countries. At that point a scientist brought in a globe and explained that this was what Earth looked like from Space. I told her my planet is identical in physical appearance. This shocked the scientists. They left to discuss what I had said. The rest of the day I was left undisturbed, so I did my daily physical regiment.
The next day I was again visited by the scientists and was asked to continue the summary of my life. “After the completion of my military service I joined a group of abolitionists in hopes of aiding in the completion of their agenda.” I was interrupted in order for them to ask what the group hoped to abolish. I stated that their agenda was to end the forced unpaid servitude of a different race. They informed me that the English word for forced unpaid servitude is Slavery. I was then asked in what way the other race was different from my own. They again appeared to be surprised when I told them the enslaved race was their own, but instead of leaving to discuss what I had said as they had the previous day they asked me to continue. Again I obliged. “Although the group held many gatherings which were considered successful there was a single such gathering which was deemed a failure due to an outbreak of violence. While it is unknown how the violence began, the city guard became involved and began arrest all present members of the Abolitionist Group. I attempted to escape, but was confronted by a member of the guard, who I dueled, and lost to.” At that point the scientists interrupted me to ask what form of weaponry was used to duel. I informed them that I would no longer tell them of my history due to their constant interruptions, but that I would resume my history when I felt the time was appropriate. The remainder of the week was filled with medical tests and physical examinations.
A week later I resumed the telling of my history, but first agreed to tel them the method of combat which was used in the duel. I told them of how all forms of fighting, which extended even to warfare, were fought physically in hand-to-hand combat. I was asked how this was done in warfare, so I explained how on the battlefield all soldiers began fighting in a 1-on-1 duel and then of how the victor moved to a different duel and helped the soldier from his country against the single opponent, and this was repeated until all of one side had been defeated. I was prepared to go into the detailed rules of warfare, such as how territories were captured and why weapons were forbidden, as well as the historical reasons behind them, but the scientists were placated by my simple answer. I continued my history. “I was arrested on the charges of dueling with the city guard and opposing the mainstream.” The scientists interrupted in order to ask me to explain the law against opposing the mainstream. I briefly explained how, while attempting to sway the mainstream toward your opinion was perfectly acceptable, as soon as violence broke out due to your attempts it was filed as Opposing. I continued. “I was put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to Planetary Exile. The other members of the abolitionist group were also found guilty, but their sentences varied depending on their role within the group and on whether or not they fought with the city guard. Of the group, seven, including myself, were sentenced to Planetary Exile. I waited with the others for the period of a year in a holding facility. We were all exiled on the same day. At random a habitable planet was selected and we were sent through the portal. At times two were sent to the same planet, but always to different locations. I attempted to arrange being sent to the same planet as another member of the group, but I was informed that the portal was set to change planets and locations at random, so this could not be arranged. I was sent through before the member I had attempted to stay with, so I did not know if they were sent to this planet as well.” I stopped speaking. After a moment of silence a scientist asked how the portals were created. I informed them that I knew little of the technology behind the portals. I did know that it required massive amounts of energy applied to a particular combination of elements and a number of other factors. At this point it was time for the scientists lunch break, so all but one left the room. The remaining scientist was a female, her name was Jasmine. At the time I was unaware that Jasmine was also a type of flower. She asked me a question she had felt was not appropriate to ask in front of her colleagues.
“Why did you want to stay with that other group member in particular?”
“Because she was a spouse of mine, and I had recently impregnated her.”
“I thought the father didn't help with raising the children?”
“Under normal circumstances this is true, but due to what we were both facing I had wanted to stay with her.”
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
“She could be somewhere on Earth, you know.”
“I know...but it does not matter even if she is as long as I am imprisoned here.”
Jasmine left.
They no longer asked me of my history, they were aware of what occurred after stepping through the portal. I wandered aimlessly, was reported to the police, was apprehended for indecent exposure, and finally was taken by a group which, according to official records, does not exist.
I attempted to escape at one point four years into my captivity. The scientists had wanted to see me fly, so I was moved temporarily to a very large cage. I am told that it would be referred to as an aviary. They had instructed me to fly, so I flew. This continued for over an hour. I was then instructed to return to the ground. I decided I would prefer to be free to fly at any time. I refused their instructions. Instead I flew toward a portion of wall which appeared flimsier than the rest and attempted to break through. The first strike made an extensive network of cracks appear. I was not fast enough to strike a second time. A scientist shot me with a tranquilizer dart. I fell, and became unconscious.
Several hours later I awoke. By that time it was the morning of the next day. A number of tests were run to make sure the tranquilizer and the fall had not created any serious health problems. They had not. The remainder of the week was spent testing my physical limits. The following week they went back to their normal tests. It came as a surprise when they found the tool they used was unable to collect a bone sample from me. I decided not to tell them in what ways my bones were different from their own. After a time they quit attempting to collect a bone sample.
Shortly after the beginning of the year two thousand and nine I escaped. Jasmine had left her key card on the table in the room where I did my physical exercise. I believe this was done intentionally, but I am unable to confirm this. At that moment it was the evening, so less guards were stationed. It was also New Years Day, so a large number of regular staff members were absent. There was a camera viewing the entrance to my living quarters but I was able to disable it using my abilities without the action being seen. I had never let the scientists know of my abilities. I used the key card to unlock the door to my living quarters. There was a guard stationed next to my door. Before he was able to react to my sudden appearance I knocked him unconscious. From that point there was a lack of security, but approximately five minutes after knocking the guard unconscious an alarm went off. I reached my destination, a wall which I believed to be structurally unsound. My suspicion was supported by a large number of cracks. I punched through the wall with the help of my abilities. A ran out of the building. I was shot at by guards, but remained unscathed. I flew away.
Upon my first landing after the escape I removed the tracking device which had been planted under my skin. From that point on I continued in a different direction. I did not count the number of days I spent flying. I flew constantly during the night and rested in the daytime, not wanting to be seen. I did not have a destination so I traveled in the direction of the Jet Stream. An unknown number of days after my escape I found myself flying over another large metropolitan area. When flying over areas with a large population I am often forced to fly lower in order to avoid airplanes. It was not the first I had flown over, but whereas I had passed over the others without stopping I was now forced to land due to the approach of day. As I made my descent I hear a scream somewhere below me. I knew they were still searching for me, but I found myself unable to simply pass by. I descended towards the screams and landed on the edge of a rooftop to survey the scene. Down in an alley a man was dragging a women towards an open door. He was dragging her by her hair, which was long and blond. While from above I could tell that there were two voices, one screaming incoherently and one speaking loudly, only then, being much closer, could I understand what was being said.
“Bitch, this is MY town! Watchoo think you doin' callin' the po~lice on me!? I ain't gunna let a bitch like you go an' fuck up what ah got.”
The woman simply continued to scream incoherently. I had seen enough to convince me to get involved. Unfolding my wings I jumped off the ledge and dove feet first. I fell at such an angle that my feet impacted on the man's back, before driving him down to the ground I kicked against him and flipped away. He was sent flying down the alley, where he collided with a dumpster and slumped to the ground. I did not know whether he was unconscious or simply too overtaken by the pain to move. When I turned to face the woman I had saved I suddenly realized she was no longer screaming. She was staring at me with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes wide. Rather than a scream she was simply stuttering quietly. I took this to be shock, rather than appreciation.
“Are you well?” I am unsure of why, but at my words she passed out. I frowned. It was only then that I realized there were police sirens approaching my location. I was going to fly away, but before I was able to I heard footsteps crunching on the gravel behind me. I spun, expecting an attack, but instead there was only a man checking the pulse of the one I had defeated. He looked towards me, and I noticed his face was entirely covered by a mask, and his eyes were concealed by goggles.
“You knocked him out?”
“I did.”
“He'll be fine once all of his bones mend,” said the stranger.
“That is fortunate for him.”
“You sound like you don't really care what happens to him.”
“I do not want him to die, I do not want his death on my conscience. Beyond death his condition is of no importance to me,” I paused, “However, long-term it would be best for him to recover completely.” This was true, if he were to make a full recovery then the jury would not feel the need to take pity on him when deciding if he was guilty of the crimes for which he would be accused.
“Now I must leave, the police may decide to arrest me for what I have done, and I must find a place to sleep before daylight arrives.”
“You do this sorta thing a lot?”
“What thing?”
“You know, taking down the bad guys.”
“I defeat criminals when I come upon them committing a crime, yes. However, I feel it is necessary to say that it is rare for this to occur.”
“Heh, no problem there. You said you need a place to sleep?”
“I did.”
“Then I may have a solution for you. There's a number of us that do the same thing, that is, take down the bad guys. We have a place where you can sleep, at least for now. Just consider it a thank you for helping our cause.” His speech was muffled due to the cloth covering his mouth.
“I have no reason to trust you.”
“Yeah, I guess that's true, but here's a question for ya, do you have any idea where you're gonna sleep tonight? Uh, today?
I decided his point was valid, and that if he had intended to harm me he would have already done so. At the time I was also very desperate. “Your point is a valid one. Please lead me to the location.”
We left seconds before the police arrived. Because the man, who informed me that his name was Viseur, could not fly I was forced to follow on foot. On the way to the facility Viseur asked me another question. “Um, if you don't mind me asking, why are you naked?”
I looked down at my exposed form while I considered the question. Nobody on my planet wore clothing, as it was not considered necessary. Soldiers wore armor on their forearms and shins, but nothing beyond that. The humans on my planet had worn clothing, although I never inquired as to why that was. I recalled that upon arriving on Earth I had been arrested for a crime called Indecent Exposure. This lead me to consider my past experiences.
At the time of my arrest I did not understand English, so why I was being arrested was a mystery to me. After a period of a year in captivity I had been taught enough English to ask why I had been arrested. The scientists informed me that the official reason for my arrest was the committing of a crime called Indecent Exposure, that is, being in a public area with exposed genitalia. When I was told this it baffled me. That was what the body looked like naturally, why was it necessary to cover it up? Everyone has the same body parts of others of their species and gender and these thoughts I shared with a scientist. Her explanation was that nudity was associated with sex, and sex was considered shameful and should only be seen by those participating in it. This, too, baffled me, but I decided not to question her anymore on the subject of clothing and nudity. Instead I asked what the normal sentence was for this crime. She informed me that the usual consequences for committing this crime was less than a year of imprisonment, or at least, she thought so. Her answer made me believe she was unsure, but I decided not to question her knowledge. My English was still very limited at that time so I considered the possibility that I had not expressed the question coherently, but the next question I asked did not appear to puzzle her.
“Why I still held? Year passed.”
Due to her reaction I suspect that until that moment I had not been considered a person, but a creature to be observed and prodded. She stared at me with an expression I believe was sadness. She looked to her left, and continued to do so, in what I believe was an attempt to avoid my eyes. “Because you're not human.”
“True.”
“Do you.. what's your name?”
I told her my name.
“I'm sorry, I didn't catch it.”
I repeated.
“The only part of it that I caught was the middle name, if that was a middle name.”
“It is.”
“So.. can I call you Griceron?”
“Yes. So my name is Griceron...”
“Hello Griceron, my name is Jasmine.”
“Hello Jasmine.”
She left.
“Um, are you okay?”
I suddenly snapped back into the present and remembered, Viseur had asked me why I was naked.
“I will ask you a question before answering. Why do you wear clothes?”
“Because it's the normal and decent thing to do, it's what everyone does.”
“And that is your answer.”
“But walking around nude Isn't normal, or decent, to the point that it's illegal, except for in certain places.”
“If this is so then what is normal and decent here differs from what is considered so where I am from.”
“I got that much. I'm guessing you're not from anyplace I would now of.”
“Unless the details I shared with the scientists have been made public, your guess is correct.”
We continued traveling in silence. The entrance to the “place” where I could sleep was located in an alley similar in appearance to the one we had left from. The door was invisible unless you were aware of what to look for. Seeing a door open from the brick came as a surprise to me. Before stepping inside Viseur stopped me.
“By the way, what's your name?”
“My name is... Griceron.”
“Well Griceron, welcome to the Underground.”
We stepped into the building and Viseur closed the door behind us.
It has been over four years since then. Having no place to go I now live in the base. I still only come out at night. I am now also required to wear clothing. I find the clothing to be restraining, but the other members of the Underground do not allow me to leave my room without them, so I have little choice in the matter. Because I am living in their facility I also help them to fight criminals in the city. I have no objections to doing so. I find that being in this group is very similar to how my abolitionist group was. There is more fighting involved, but due to the nature of the groups, our, agenda this is to be expected. When I leave the facility to defeat criminals I am required to wear a suit which completely covered my body, including my head. However, the suit does not cover my wings or horns, as doing so would prevent me from flying and my horns would, and did, pierce through the fabric. I am told now the name of the fabric is Spandex. Lillian finds this amusing, although I am unable to figure out why.
Nightfall is approaching so I must now put on clothing so that I may fight criminals. There is an increase in criminal activity between the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas so we are unable to take shifts resting, as we normally are able to. I am told that on Christmas we will all be able to rest. I am also told that I am required to bring gifts to the “Christmas” tree before the twenty fifth and that there needs to be a minimum of one gift for each member who plans to attend. I do not know how I will acquire these gifts due to the fact that I have no money. I also worry that my appearance will startle anyone who may be in the stores, as it tends to do so. I only have four days to purchase these gifts, Christmas day itself the stores will be closed so I am unable to count this day.
-Griceron
