Lamhirh City, Lakfakalle
It was a normal day for Fairlan Miklan, aside from the fact that his stove was where his sink normally was. He didn't notice of course, nobody ever notices when they see it. For whatever reason, he was incapable of finding his visual aid visor. It should have been right next to his bed, but it wasn't. Perhaps Emily moved it, of course, if it was anybody but Emily then there would have to be a serious problem with the automated security system. Fairlan trusted nobody else with entry into his bedroom, there were far too many times he had to tase some crazy speciesist fanatic. As he walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of cereal he didn't remember picking up, he noticed something else was wrong, namely the fact that his computer was sitting where the television should be.
Wait, wasn't yesterday the day before the launch? Or is it today? Maybe the launch was yesterday.
Despite being the Captain of the ship being launched, Fairlan's brain accepted this as logical and he got up to use the bathroom, his cereal having mysteriously disappeared. Sitting on a piano was his visor, and he put it on without giving any thought to the fact that the piano it was on was sold and shipped to a Dolphin xenophile last month and was no longer in his possession. Walking into the bathroom, he saw himself in the mirror. His appearance was an inexcusable oddity, the man in the mirror certainly wasn't him. He was... human? Pink skin, black hair, no antennae.
No antennae
This was no longer just an oddity, this was horrible! He had no antennae, how could he convey emotion? How could he show affection for his love? How could he feel the thoughts of other crewmembers on his ship? Could a captain like that even function? He'd be kicked out of the service, never to see the stars! Blubbering senselessly, Fairlan began to scream gibberish, at which point another image appeared in the mirror. It wasn't any Child of Lakfakalle. It looked somewhat like a horse, but was obviously completely different. While he had never seen such a creature before, Fairlan felt like he knew it somehow. Shocking him, it opened its mouth and spoke in human English.
"Hello my old friend, it's time to wake up."
"Are you okay? It's time to wake up!"
It was the sound of a voice, a human voice. Fairlan awoke with a start, finding himself soaked in sweat and a flashlight being shone into his eyes. He knocked the flashlight away, and could feel his antennae folded over on their side as a sign of fear. It was surprising to him, such a vision shouldn't have bothered him. Was his self-identity truly more important to his subconscious than the moral values he had held himself to for decades?
"I'm fine." He said to the human woman, Emily, his wife. "I just had a dream, it was nothing."
"I hope so." She said "The launch is today, we can't have a Captain paralyzed with fear while we're moving faster than the speed of light."
Fairlan laughed, half truthfully and half forced. He jumped out of bed and put on his visor, which was in the right place. It was comforting to know that his dream wasn't a vision of the future like those of other, artificially enhanced Delphans.
"Launch is at midday, be ready. There's no reception desk that you can get a free toothbrush at, and you can't instant stream forty light years away from Lakfakalle."
"You're never going to let me live down that incident, are you? I'm telling you, that wasn't my fault, my visor cracked in half! I had no idea!:
Emily laughed, and went off to pack while Fairlan sighed and walked to the kitchen to make breakfast.
It was a normal day for Fairlan Miklan, aside from the fact that his stove was where his sink normally was. He didn't notice of course, nobody ever notices when they see it. For whatever reason, he was incapable of finding his visual aid visor. It should have been right next to his bed, but it wasn't. Perhaps Emily moved it, of course, if it was anybody but Emily then there would have to be a serious problem with the automated security system. Fairlan trusted nobody else with entry into his bedroom, there were far too many times he had to tase some crazy speciesist fanatic. As he walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of cereal he didn't remember picking up, he noticed something else was wrong, namely the fact that his computer was sitting where the television should be.
Wait, wasn't yesterday the day before the launch? Or is it today? Maybe the launch was yesterday.
Despite being the Captain of the ship being launched, Fairlan's brain accepted this as logical and he got up to use the bathroom, his cereal having mysteriously disappeared. Sitting on a piano was his visor, and he put it on without giving any thought to the fact that the piano it was on was sold and shipped to a Dolphin xenophile last month and was no longer in his possession. Walking into the bathroom, he saw himself in the mirror. His appearance was an inexcusable oddity, the man in the mirror certainly wasn't him. He was... human? Pink skin, black hair, no antennae.
No antennae
This was no longer just an oddity, this was horrible! He had no antennae, how could he convey emotion? How could he show affection for his love? How could he feel the thoughts of other crewmembers on his ship? Could a captain like that even function? He'd be kicked out of the service, never to see the stars! Blubbering senselessly, Fairlan began to scream gibberish, at which point another image appeared in the mirror. It wasn't any Child of Lakfakalle. It looked somewhat like a horse, but was obviously completely different. While he had never seen such a creature before, Fairlan felt like he knew it somehow. Shocking him, it opened its mouth and spoke in human English.
"Hello my old friend, it's time to wake up."
"Are you okay? It's time to wake up!"
It was the sound of a voice, a human voice. Fairlan awoke with a start, finding himself soaked in sweat and a flashlight being shone into his eyes. He knocked the flashlight away, and could feel his antennae folded over on their side as a sign of fear. It was surprising to him, such a vision shouldn't have bothered him. Was his self-identity truly more important to his subconscious than the moral values he had held himself to for decades?
"I'm fine." He said to the human woman, Emily, his wife. "I just had a dream, it was nothing."
"I hope so." She said "The launch is today, we can't have a Captain paralyzed with fear while we're moving faster than the speed of light."
Fairlan laughed, half truthfully and half forced. He jumped out of bed and put on his visor, which was in the right place. It was comforting to know that his dream wasn't a vision of the future like those of other, artificially enhanced Delphans.
"Launch is at midday, be ready. There's no reception desk that you can get a free toothbrush at, and you can't instant stream forty light years away from Lakfakalle."
"You're never going to let me live down that incident, are you? I'm telling you, that wasn't my fault, my visor cracked in half! I had no idea!:
Emily laughed, and went off to pack while Fairlan sighed and walked to the kitchen to make breakfast.