Across The Universe With A Giant Housecat (The Blue) by Stephanie Void

conversion as we went. I learned that there were ten aliens total here. Their names were N, M, K, B, T, C, D, E, G, and J. They were the only aliens on the planet, though the village where they lived had been built to hold at least three times their number.
    The planet Coriolanus, where we had crashed, was entirely barren. This one single oasis was the only spot on the planet that held life, and it was only a few miles across. But it was a paradise: it held every type of fruit tree, several varieties of songbirds, and a wealth of hot springs. My aching muscles rejoiced at that last one—I couldn’t wait to have a long soak in one of the springs.
    We reached their village, a collection of huts. Though the huts were made of nothing but stone and wood, with thatched roofs, there was nothing primitive about them. Instead, they had been constructed in a way that was more reminiscent of a luxurious resort than a barbarian village.
    At the center of the village was a black obelisk which was taller than most of the trees and covered with runic writing. I saw Samantha’s eyes light up when she saw the obelisk—doubtlessly she would be studying the writing on it at the first opportunity.
    Several other aliens were out and about among the huts. Upon seeing us, they came closer and gathered around us, staring.
    M showed me to one of the empty huts as another alien led Samantha to a different hut.  
    The inside of my hut was fully furnished; most of the furniture was made of some sort of bamboo and the floor of polished wood. The bed was heavily cushioned and strewn with brightly colored pillows.
    I couldn’t wait to collapse into it.
    “Please, put your things down in here,” beckoned M. “Then we would love for the three of you to join us. It is almost time for our midday meal. We are all curious about you and have many questions, as I am sure you have for us as well.”
    The other aliens murmured hearty agreement.
    “I’d love that,” I answered. “I’m sure Leo and Samantha would, too.” The idea of having fresh fruit after days of rehydrated protein packs, followed by nothing at all, made my mouth water.
    M and the others led us to a much larger hut in the center of the village. Inside was a long wooden table, set close to the floor, with a jumble of cushions set around it. Some of the aliens sat down on cushions around the table; I joined them. Samantha, having been shown to her hut, joined us at the table a few minutes later with the rest of the aliens.
    A few of them began bringing in trays of fruit, pitchers of water or what looked like fruit juice, nuts, and what I guessed was a bowl of edible flowers.
    “We always eat together at midday,” said an alien sitting next to me, whose name was J. “We take turns gathering the food for it, but we always have a feast. There is always something growing and fruiting here.”
    As soon as the table had been set, everyone sat down to eat.  
    The fist thing Samantha, Leo, and I did was drink our weights in liquid. It didn’t matter if it was water, fruit juice, or fruit wine: it went down my throat so quickly I didn’t even taste it.
    It was nirvana.
    After I had slaked my thirst, I turned my attention to the food. I tasted all manner of unusual fruits and nuts; they ran the gamut from smooth and sweet to sharp and acidic. A few even tasted salty. I also tried the edible flowers that were heaped among the other foods: they were milder than the other foods. Perhaps the aliens used them as a palate cleanser in between fruits.
    As we ate, the aliens conversed with us. They asked question after question about us and the worlds we came from. I answered as best I could, being careful not to give too much military information away. As kind and good as these aliens seemed now, they could always turn hostile later.  
    For our part, we asked questions about this place. The aliens had names for every fruit and flower, and M promised to show me the hot springs later.
    “What is