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

cool surface.
    At first I heard nothing. Then, slowly, I became aware of a low hum coming from deep within the stone.
    “What is that sound?”
    “I don’t know. I’m studying it,” she answered.
    “It has always made that sound,” said E. “We don’t know how to stop it, but it hasn’t hurt anything.”
    “Is it a machine?”
    “We tried to dig the obelisk up once, or at least find the bottom of it. We gave up twenty feet down—it just keeps going.”
    “No wiring or anything?”
    “No. Smooth sides, no writing on the underground part.”
    “Are there any files around here? Or books, even? Anything that could be a clue as to what it does?”
    “Nothing. Just what you see here. Why are you curious? This place is a wonder and has been good to us,” said E.
    “Where do you come from?” asked Samantha. “You weren’t born here, were you?”
    E shook her head. “None of us were. We came here a long time ago from another world on a damaged ship. This place has been our home since then and saved us from death. We’ve had great happiness here.”
    My stomach started to growl, so I left in search of food, leaving Leo with his adoring populace.
    Inside the food hut I found M and K, who were seated on cushions, playing flutes.
    “There’s food for you on the table there,” said M, pointing to a bowl heaped high with the same colorful fare as yesterday. I dug in happily, savoring the exotic tastes.
    “Has anyone else ever come to this world?” I asked between bites.
    “No, but we have met your kind before, long ago in passing.”
    “When?”
    “A long time ago. We don’t really keep track of time here. It flows lazily by us as we enjoy our days.”
    That much I could easily understand. It was my second day among these aliens and it had all flown by in a pleasant instant.
    “What are your days like?” I wondered. “What do you do here?”
    M smiled, then she and K launched into a long explanation of everyone’s hobbies. D loved carving, and would often carve dead wood and repair any huts that needed it. B and T were in charge of finding new fruit trees and knowing when each ones flowered so that the fruit could be harvested. C made pottery using clay she found by the waterfalls and a kiln she had made. We had eaten from some of her pottery last night, even. Everyone played music, usually at night together.
    M herself liked to cook and create new foods from the fruits and other things they ate. “But no one has been doing much of anything since you came here,” she said. “Everyone is far too abuzz with curiosity about you. How long are you planning on staying among us? You are welcome, of course.”
    “Well, maybe only a few weeks. We’re not sure yet.” That was the truth: we weren’t exactly sure when the rescue ships would get here.
    “We took a vote this morning before you, Samantha, and Leo awoke. We have decided to invite you to stay with us—permanently.”
    I froze in astonishment, an orange berry halfway to my lips. “You want us to stay?” I asked. “Really?”
    “Our little tribe would love to have you as new members, provided your intentions are pure.”
    “They are,” I blurted. “We didn’t even think we’d find anyone on this planet, honestly. We thought we would die out there on the barren rock.”
    “You would have been right,” she said solemnly. “There is nothing but death out there. We tried to go out there once, several years ago. We nearly died. There is no running water, no plants or animals. Just rocks and wind.”
    #
    I got more excited with every step I took.
    I had followed M’s instructions exactly, but they were hardly necessary. The aliens had made a wide path leading to the spring. The path was marked with little wood carvings every few yards, probably the work of D, the carpenter.
    I heard the water trickling before I saw it. And when I did see it, I broke into a run in my excitement. The hot spring!
    There were several pools, all lightly steaming