These events take place just after Unknown Variables: Secrets of Soubos (coming soon), which occurs right after Astra Fauna: Expeditions, so yeah, those books are referenced but I tried my best to keep it light so you could still enjoy this tale. This is a light, stand alone with some mild spoilers for the other two books. I, personally, think it’s safe to read now, but you can make that call.
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Note: These are unedited. Typos and grammatical errors may be present but if/when I turn these into an official book, those will be addressed by my editor. Right now, these serve as little worldbuilding and character development snippets for both me and you to enjoy. I’m just playing here. :)
Only four more meetings before you can go home…
Why did I accept all these meeting invites?
Only three more meetings before you can go home…
I should eat something, but I’m not hungry.
Only two more meetings before you can go home…
At the very least I need to make myself eat a snack.
Only one more meeting before you can go home…
The day Umaii was released from quarantine had been exhausting.
Culturally, Inquiry prides itself on efficiency, but, often, Umaii wished the world would stop trying to move so ruthlessly fast. True, if they’d requested a rest, they’d have been granted it, but it was easier to just click, “Yes” and get it over with, or was it?
They didn’t have a good answer for that one. They certainly felt like every drop of energy had been used up.
In the end, however, they’d done it - endure the seemingless endless stream of meetings about their mission, Graham, and if they’d be comfortable with more testing. Umaii had agreed to it all.
They dozed on the tram home; their head intermittently bumping up against a pole as the train made its scheduled stops. Even Graham seemed too tired to care. Umaii felt it curl up and hide on their head.
Finally, the tram reached the end of the line and Umaii exited. They lived in one the newest developed sections of Inquiry. The building was a new experiment in housing populations with varying living requirements. Arboreal and flighted species were housed near the top, terrestrial species were housed in the middle, and semi-aquatic or high humidity species were housed at the base.
Umaii loved their home. They lived on the lowest level with a few members of their own species plus some others that had similar needs.
The unifying feature of Umaii’s floor was a shallow, temperature controlled pool of filtered rainwater which served as a large communal common area. Everyone living on Umaii’s floor needed to soak for at least a small amount of time daily.
Contrary to what many thought, Umaii liked people, they just didn’t want to be the center of attention - ever. So a place to hydrate and listen to the hum of the apartment was a big reason they'd moved in.
However, today, they’d skip all that. Much as they missed the communal pool with all its features, they had a bath in their room that would be the level of quiet they currently craved. If they were lucky, they could slip in unnoticed and avoid any, “welcome home” sorts of conversations.
They would go home, bathe, and go to bed.
This list of events was the sole promise that kept Umaii going on the short walk home which felt like a full on trek. Their entire body felt heavy and achy, but that wouldn’t matter soon.
Soon, they’d be home. It would be quiet. It would be comfortable. This day could finally end.
They rounded the final corner, and saw Taq with two of Umaii’s roommates standing outside the common area’s door. Taq’s normally smiling face was overtaken by a massive grin and Umaii’s two roommates had similar expressions.
A cold panic gripped Umaii’s heart. “Oh…oh no…” they thought, “whatever, they have planned, I don’t want it near me.” Graham began to stir, and Umaii took a second to breathe. “It’s okay, Graham, quiet now,” they pleaded. Luckily, Graham’s chattering reduced to a dull grumble.
“H….hi,..ummm,” Umaii realized that they had no idea what their roommate’s names were, “everyone. Do…you need to get inside?” They nodded at the door.
Taq, “no troubles there,” she nudged Umaii’s roommates, “My two co-conspirators and I have already gotten everything set up!”
Umaii’s heart sank even further, “set…up?”
Taq continued, “yeah, as it turns out, Lisi and Eahu here, are in my group session at the gym over by the flat bread place, and they said that they love to help do something super nice for your homecoming since they heard from the flat bread place owner that your mission was a rough one. Granted the flat bread place guy heard that from me the day earlier, but he was game for helping out too and as it turns out the flat bread place guy’s sibling owns the tea shop that’s in this part of town, which is the one that you mentioned earlier, so we decided to throw you a welcome home party!”
Umaii took a second to process. They liked Taq, they really did, but they were beyond exhausted, and Taq, well, Taq had a reputation.
Umaii sighed, “How many people are in my house right now, Taqriel?” they asked as they felt the very last shred of patience leave their body.
Graham yipped once before Umaii shook their head a little which quieted it down again.
Taq looked toward Graham’s hiding place before shrugging and turning to open the door. “None,” she said with no small amount of glee. “Well, at least, none on your floor.”
Umaii peeked inside. “Surprise.” Taq said, “It’s not a party!” and true to her word, there was a streamer that said, “Surprise! It’s a Party” with the word “Not” taped on it.
Walking inside, Umaii inhaled at the state of their home.
The lights had been dimmed and a tiny speaker was on the countertop.
“It’s Lisi’s but they said you can borrow it to play whatever music you want.” Taq explained when Umaii looked at it.
The living area was spotless, even some small repairs had been made to a few of the tiles. It was the cleanest Umaii has ever seen the pool which now looked much more like a private spa than a communal living space.
Placed on a small table by the pool was a book of short stories, a box of tea biscuits, and three tiny clay pots, “We had no idea what flavor of leaf water you liked, so these are their three most popular.” Taq explained.
“Oh! And these too,” Taq said as she placed a little fuzzy bed designed for a small domestic animal on the floor along with a bright yellow ball. “For the…” she nodded at Graham, “your new pet?”
Umaii felt a pang of guilt, “you did all this?”
Taq’s big eyes stretched even wider and she put her hands up, “oh no! This is from me, the other three, your roommates, the flat bread guy and the tea house person.” She continued, “my original idea was a huge house party, but everyone made some good points as to why that might be one of your least favorite things to experience.”
Umaii thought the relief she felt came out in the softest of sighs, but Taq grinned when she heard it. “Fair enough,” she said before continuing, “The louder party is at the flat bread place’s outdoor section, if you want to come. It’s all your roommates from this floor and,” she shrugged, “anyone who shows up to be honest.”
Taq nodded upwards, “lots of the rest of them said they’d head down too, so this place should be nice and quiet for at least a few hours, I guess?
“How?” Umaii began, “How did you pull this off?”
“Ahhhh that was easy,” Taq said, “I just organized the massive party I was planning on having here over there!”
Umaii glanced around the quiet room, their gifts, and Graham’s gifts. “Thank you. This is…This is…”
Taq cocked her head slightly at Umaii’s distant tone, “Did we guess wrong about you? Do you actually want to hit the big party?”
“No!” Umaii said, “Ummm, I mean, ‘no thank you’.”
“But…?” Taq prompted.
“This is…perfect, “Umaii said, “for tonight, but, ummm, I can’t eat a box of biscuits on my own…and, ehrm, would you like to maybe stop by tomorrow? Quarantine was awful and I want to stop thinking about it.”
Taq face brightened, “I’d love to! We can eat snacks and,”
“Read books?” Umaii asked.
Taq blinked but quickly collected herself, “Eat snacks and quietly read books, got it! Looking forward to it.”
Umaii smiled, “Same and thanks again. I’ll have to thank the others too.”
“Want me to bring them along tomorrow?” Taq asked.
Umaii thought for a moment before saying, “yeah, if they're not busy.”
“On it!” Taq said, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Rest up, okay? You deserve it.”
“I will.” Umaii said with a tiny wave as Taq left.