The Visitor: Introductions

I fear this entry is a little dry, but it seems to be heading somewhere interesting, doesn't it? In case you are new to the game, this is a continuation of last weeks offering. As always, enjoy!

Tendrils of sunlight caress my eyelids, slowly pulling me out of the dark depths of my dreams. It warms my cheeks as my eyelids flutter open. Different warmth radiates through my left hand. As I lift my hand, it meets with resistance. I turn my head with great difficulty. A long night of sleeping upright in an armchair has taken its toll on my aged muscles. At last I tilt my head far enough that I can see what is holding down my hand. The creature from last night has curled his long legs and arms around my arm in order to rest his head on my hand.

“Let go of me.”

I lift my hand with more determination. Despite his weight, I manage to raise my hand up high enough to shake him free. His furry hands tickle my hand as they slide along my skin. He lands on the floor with a plop. He groggily shakes his head causing the hair on his jowls to stand out from his long nose. I see two of his eyelids slide away from his eyes so that he can peer at me through the third set which creates an opaque shield against the bright light of morning.

‘Is it time for waking?’ The voice bores into my head again.

“Yes. Stop doing that,” I growl.

‘If I stop doing this, I cannot communicate with you,’ he blinks his second layer of eyes at me.

“You have a mouth. You seem to know my language. Just speak.”

‘You don’t understand. I don’t know your language. You do.’ Those large eyes seem to peer into my soul as if to make me understand.

“But you are communicating your thoughts in English.”

‘No,’ his nose twitches as he speaks, ‘Your mind is translating. That is why you are so tired. You haven’t evolved enough to do that efficiently yet.’

I blink my eyes, buying time to process what he just conveyed to me, “So my own mind can translate what you are saying.”

‘It converts my thoughts to the closest equivalent in your speech, yes.’

“And we aren’t evolved enough to do this, but you still want to visit our planet. Why?”

‘We received some of your,’ the voice pauses to seek out the right words, ‘radio transmissions. It took us many years to begin to understand them. Even then, we did not understand completely. Later, we began to receive…pictures in motion. These confused us more. They depicted what you call love, fear, humor, and other…emotions. We do not understand them. We need you to help us understand.’

The words seem to weigh heavily on me as they drain my energy. I do not understand the question. He seems to be aware of this.

‘We just want to understand these emotions. We do not have an equivalent concept. Perhaps we lost it as our minds advanced. Will you help me?’

“I will see what I can do. I am not used to teaching concepts such as those. I used to teach chemistry at the university, but I could quantify, explain, and show data to my students. Emotions are very subjective.”

‘I was sent because I am an adept learner. My people and I will be most grateful.”

He leans in as he speaks to me. His nose almost touches mine as he peers into my eyes unblinking.

“Okay, I’ll do my best,” I hope my answer will make him draw back from my face as his breath has a strange aroma.

‘That is good,’ he leans back to look at my whole face, ‘Shall I call you professor?’

“I’m not a professor anymore. If we’re going to be spending time together, you should call me Wendell. I am more curious about what your name is.”

‘We do not have names as you do. You will have to give me a name if you want me to have one.’

“I’ll call you Ralph then,” I smile at my own joke since he makes me think of a bunch of parts that some wild animal might throw up.

He seems to contemplate this moniker for only a moment, ‘Then I shall be Ralph.’