Aboard a mothership evacuating species from all over the universe, creatures with 6000 teeth, one eye and, most commonly, tentacles, were to be distributed to living, thriving planets as each refugee was categorized into the environment that suited them best. 

 

Among them, Chanyeol’s anatomy consisted of 4 limbs and belonged to the recently extinct species called Spectrums.  He was told early on that he would be placed on planet Earth, which he knew to be the home of humans.  Spectrums were the closest to them in physicality, since they were descendants of Earthlings who began an expedition in space from hundreds of Earth years ago.   They reached another galaxy migrating as humans but had since evolved to adapt to their new living environment.  Having acquired higher tolerance for the elements, the inhabitants became exposed to the radiation caused by prisms of their Sun. 

 

Exoplanet 1485 was home to a flourishing and progressive society, building their own infrastructure, government and universally accepted form of currency, until a massive meteor collision caused the unprecedented obliteration of Chanyeol’s world.  The young Spectrum managed to get into an escape pod just in the nick of time, but failed to see if anyone in his community was able to survive at all. 

 

He crashed into a nearby uninhabitable terrain to check on his engine when the Black Pearl Mothership happened to pass by and he was rescued.  Quickly learning to co-exist with creatures on board, Chanyeol found most of them generally peaceful.  Time went on, and the Spectrum was now fully grown.  The other species began to notice what was different about him, and so they taught Chanyeol to use it to his own advantage.

 

A Spectrum’s hair changed color, which revealed one’s current emotion.  In Chanyeol’s normal state, his hair was ash gray that turned into silver when it needed to be weaved.  Older spectrums from Chanyeol’s planet used their valuable weaved hair for trading, which was the cornerstone for their stable and enviable economy.  Since having matured, it was time for Chanyeol to harvest his hair when needed.  He used it to barter for materials to fix his pod, or to sample new cuisines from other creatures.  Some food might deem poisonous to other species but so far, he hadn’t been killed yet. 

 

When his hair grew lusher, he would cut it himself and keep piles and piles of silver weaves in a safe box in his pod, simply maintaining his ash gray hair in a comfortable length. He was given a helmet by the captain of the ship, who frequently looked after the Spectrum, as Chanyeol might very well be the last survivor of his kind.  Taking the captain’s advice, Chanyeol wore it at all times, for his own protection. 

 

He was just about to retire to his quarters when alarm bells started going off, as the captain announced the mothership had been infiltrated.  Lasers were fired at all directions and screams could be heard everywhere.  Chanyeol was being dragged to the front of the ship by other refugees when he twisted himself out of their grip.  Most of his possessions were in his pod, parked at the back end of the ship.  If gargantuan Ruffians—space pirates of the Red Force—were already onboard, it was likely they were all going to get killed.  A huge explosion from several meters away had Chanyeol shielding himself with his bare arms but made him even more determined to make his escape.  Just as Chanyeol dashed to a corner, a group of Ruffians spotted him and aimed to blast him into smithereens.

 

Only he was quick to his feet, and jumped into a nearby shoot, where no Ruffian would ever fit.  He effortlessly slid towards the basement, running to where the pods were, discovering that most of them had already disappeared. Just as he was activating his pod, his pointed ears tuned in to some frantic mumbling somewhere in the area.  He instinctively followed the source of the sound, becoming more and more desperate by the second, until he found a twitching creature on the floor with his hands and feet bound by a thunder-like chain—signature Ruffian confinement—and mouth clamped by a kind of sticky substance. 

 

Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide as he turned the creature over, which was somewhat smaller in frame but looked so much like him…  “A-Are you a Spectrum?”

 

The creature’s eyes also become round in surprise, but somewhat tinged with incredulity, as if Chanyeol had just spoken alien language to him, which he probably did.  In his disappointment, Chanyeol noticed that the creature’s hair remained black and did not turn white to indicate shock or yellow to manifest relief or joy.   The smaller creature only struggled even more, trying to wriggle free from his constraints but to no avail. 

 

The sound of firing and explosions were getting closer that Chanyeol did not have time to think.  He lifted the bound creature in his arms, lighter in weight than he anticipated, and deposited him onto the passenger seat of his pod, with the smaller creature landing on his side with an indignant “Oomph!” 

 

Chanyeol did not pay any mind, immediately taking off as a number of livid Ruffians wreaked havoc in a blinding flurry of lasers in their wake. 

 

The Spectrum engaged several buttons on his dashboard, triggering the pod’s warp speed capability, as the smaller creature’s muffled terrified scream echoed through the cosmos.

 

***

 

When the pod was stable enough to activate into auto-pilot mode, Chanyeol turned to his unexpected passenger who had fallen unconscious on the seat next to him.  The Ruffians used a harmless plasm to shut the smaller creature up.  With a little hesitation, Chanyeol decided to remove it, which jerked the smaller creature awake and glared at the Spectrum for the intrusion.

 

Only Chanyeol blinked upon staring at this kin-like stranger, who looked so much like a Spectrum and yet he was not.  With thick black hair, thick eyebrows, round, dark brown eyes and thick lips, this creature was so… pleasant to behold. 

 

Temperature rose to Chanyeol’s cheeks, until he could feel his face feeling hot.  He wondered what color his hair had turned now.  Was it yellow?  Or white?  This was definitely a new sensation.  Or perhaps this Spectrum in front of him had not matured yet, so his hair changing colors hadn’t quite manifested?

 

“WHAT?” The smaller creature retorted, sounding angry. 

 

Chanyeol tried hard to imagine this smaller creature’s hair turning red, like his own would if he were aggravated.  Still, Chanyeol thought black hair suited the smaller creature best, for some reason.

 

“WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE?”

 

In the deepest recesses of Chanyeol’s mind, with hundreds and hundreds of years of Spectrums trading with other worlds, that they were able to adapt of other creatures’ basic languages in order to build connections.  It was part of a Spectrum’s education and he easily accessed this smaller creature’s language, initiating it at will. 

 

“I…” Chanyeol replied slowly, this language feeling unfamiliar in his tongue.  “I didn’t want to leave you.”

 

The smaller creature stared back at him, large eyes blinking in confusion that Chanyeol found himself fascinated with miniscule variations of the other’s expressions. 

 

“Where are you taking me?” The smaller creature’s tone was quieter, calmer, which would have translated to a green hair color if he were a Spectrum, which would eventually turn to ash gray. 

 

“I’m… headed to Earth.”

 

“What?!” The smaller creature’s tone was escalating again.  “No, let me go!  This is worse than being kidnapped by Ruffians!  Are you working for LSM?  Are you?!”

 

Chanyeol, panicking, was vigorously shaking his head.

 

“I was going to 1485.  I wanted to move there.  I feel like I can contribute to…”  The smaller creature’s voice trailed off when he felt the other’s warm large hands land on his arms. 

 

“Exoplanet 1485 is gone,” Chanyeol told him sadly.  “My planet was destroyed by a meteor that was belatedly detected by our security systems.  It shattered instantly.”

 

“You’re a Spectrum?” The smaller creature asked in shock, his big eyes immediately gazing at his obstructive helmet.  “And you survived?”

 

“I’m always tinkering with my pod, and the moment it happened, I was already inside,” Chanyeol swallowed, closing his eyes at the memory of his world disintegrated before him.  “I had no choice but to fly away.”

 

“Then I have nowhere to go now,” the smaller creature told him forlornly.  “1485 was my last hope, and just my luck to meet who possibly might be the last Spectrum to exist, only to tell me that I have to return to Earth…”

 

“Return to Earth…?” Chanyeol inquired then, curiosity piqued.  “You’re human?”

 

“Yes, I’m human,” the smaller creature—human—confirmed finally.  “I thought a Spectrum would have already figured that out.”

 

It seemed as if Earthlings had presumptions about his species too, and they were aware of their existence. 

 

“Will you reach into my front pocket?” The human was eyeing towards the pocket on his own left chest. 

 

Chanyeol tentatively did, revealing an ornate, bronze key about the size of his palm. 

 

The human presented his bound hands and gestured for him to use that key to release him. 

 

It confused Chanyeol, however.  If the human had the key on him in the first place, then why had he let himself remain chained?

 

“I’ve been kidnapped by Ruffians a few days ago… Earth time,” The human clarified.  “Yes, I’m still aware of my planet’s cycle as my body is still acclimated to it.” 

 

Then Chanyeol heard a strange sound, seemingly coming from the human’s torso, somewhere below the ribcage… perhaps from his stomach…

 

It resembled the growls of a hostile Ruffian, which he believed to be twice, if not thrice, the size of this human. 

 

“Sorry about that.”  The human looked away, somewhat defiantly.  “I’m starving.”

 

Of course, humans needed fuel, as did Spectrums.  Chanyeol then determinedly unlocked the human’s wrists from their laser chains and apparently, the key worked for the ones on his ankles too.

 

Just then, Chanyeol went over to the back of the small pod, the tall Spectrum slightly bending over to open a small cupboard.  He returned at the pit with two white capsules. 

 

“What’s that?”

 

It took a moment for Chanyeol to find the right human term.  “Food.”

 

The human studied them in aghast.  “Are you sure?”

 

“This is the first time I’ve seen and met a human, and from what I’ve been taught, Spectrums have the same genetic make-up.  We consume these capsules when we feel depleted or empty, which might equate to humans’ hunger?”  Chanyeol took one and popped it into his mouth, swallowing, and feeling satiated immediately after.  “Try it.”

 

“Will I die?”

 

Chanyeol bit his lip.  Actually, he didn’t know.  One capsule worked for a Spectrum just fine, developed by Spectrums for their species.  There weren’t any studies of these capsules being tried by others before, especially humans.   “Maybe ingest just a small portion.”

 

Overlooking the disgusted expression on the human’s face, which honestly, Chanyeol did not find unappealing at all, he gave the human about 1/8 of the capsule’s contents just so the growling of his stomach would abate.

 

Surprisingly, the human’s round eyes softened as the powder was absorbed by his tongue.  The maddening rumbling of his tummy gradually stopped. “It… doesn’t have any taste.”

 

Which was true, as Chanyeol had consumed “food” from other worlds, which didn’t really affect him, but it was being offered so he thought he would try them for the experience.  “How are you feeling though?”

 

“I don’t feel… parched or hungry anymore,” the human divulged, sounding mystified… until his mouth suddenly burst open, nostrils flaring, as if taking in more air.  “But so… sleepy…”

 

And before Chanyeol could ask another question, the human’s big, dark brown eyes fluttered closed, long lashes fanning his round cheeks.  His small body slumped on the seat, his breathing stabilized and steady.

 

Chanyeol concluded that the human needed to rest and silently watched over him the entire time.

 

***

The human’s name was Kyungsoo, whom Chanyeol couldn’t help feeling an immediate affinity to. Chanyeol was enthralled by their similarities, such as in expressions and morals and emotions, and Kyungsoo was flabbergasted at their differences too, like Spectrums did not require sleep but hibernated only on