(A/N: I suggest reading the prologue again if it's been a while for you, because everything has now caught up to the present and that short chapter is what Tao types on his laptop.)

Tao's POV, present

I'm at peace here, visiting an alien's home.

Tears slid down my cheeks as I typed these words on a dinky little laptop computer that couldn't hold a charge, twelve years old and still functioning. Chen had helped me out when I told him that I accidentally grabbed the wrong device from my home planet and revamped it to not only never need a cord to charge again, but also make it faster and more efficient with just a simple replacement of a couple pieces inside the hardware.

Somehow, Chen understood when I told him I didn't want any of their alien equipment to type my stories on. I needed this little piece of home, this little piece of memory. Having this laptop made creating a world with Kai in it a lot easier.

Again, Kai was gone. I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. How could he leave without even saying goodbye?

I swear to god, if he dies-

A choked sob rose from my throat and a little hyena from my shoulder wiped a gorilla-like hand over a new tear. This was the perk to writing in the creature lab.

After eating a strange dinner consisting of big round, black-ish fruits and something else that seemed weirdly starchy, everyone else began learning about the kinds of changes the pods went through over the years. I snuck out after hearing the gist of it. The upgraded pods didn't have to be outdoors to teleport and could deal a good amount of healing during an emergency. There were other changes too: they could hold more fuel, they could send across live video messages, they could hide their signals when stealth was needed.

We couldn't reach the group out there until they had their signal up, and so far we haven't heard anything from them. It was infuriating, all of it.

Right now, the group that left had only one pod on them. It sounded stupid to me, but the aliens said something about not wanting their technology to get in the wrong hands. Whose hands? Whose hands did they fear? Something was up that they weren't telling us, something that made them afraid.

I was already scared enough. There were so many horror stories of the creatures outside this building. What will happen to Kai while I'm not there to look after him? He was so little compared to everyone else-

Setting down the laptop next to me, I put my wrists to my eyes, blocking out the bright light in the near-darkness. My head hurt a lot, my eyes tired of crying. I couldn't help it though, I needed to write even if it tore at my heart.

Writing was the only thing keeping me sane.

I stared back at the words I wrote, the joyful lies I wrote to carry me through another long case of denial. It's pitiful, how much longing they showed even as I tried to fake like he was still at my side.

I'm at peace-

If peace meant frustration, pain, and heartache, then yes, peace it is.

***

I'm rooming with Kris now. It's weird, being the only two whose partners have gone. We're both moody and never talk to each other. During visits and lessons in the creature lab, we both get pelted with hyenas instantly. At least they stopped trying to tickle us.

I haven't said anything to the others, but I think I can feel myself changing. Every day, I felt like I typed a little faster and I processed things with more and more ease. It can't be a coincidence. Was this the result of being on an alien planet: becoming more and more alien myself?

How was I ever going to go home? My parents would already freak from my hair - they certainly did after I'd once dyed it a bright turquoise in my teenage years. They don't know about the aliens at all. They think this is a business trip for research and that I'll be coming home any day now.

A lot of what I wrote was true. I did think of my old Earth home a lot and there were specific things that were beginning to feel like pieces of a movie after being here for so long. But I couldn't go without seeing that Kai was safe first. There was no way in hell that I was leaving.

Again, I ditched one of Xiumin's lessons to write in a (relatively) quiet corner of the creature lab. Sometimes I felt like the hyenas could understand what I typed, as they gather around, pat my head, and hug my thumbs, going from watching me to watching the screen.

They don't always like it when I type, mostly because it jostles my thumbs around uncomfortably for them, but also because my emotions change so quickly when I'm getting them all down on a previously blank document.

Right now was one of the rare times I didn't need to cry. I was empty of all thoughts and feelings, typing something- anything out mechanically.

My head throbbed and I rubbed at it, sighing.

“Tao?”

“My head doesn't hurt-” I said instantly, recognizing Kyungsoo's outline against the glowing plants. “I was just wiping off hyena poo.”

“Nice try.” he said sardonically, gently nudging one of my new friends over and putting that stupid sticky thing I hated so much on my neck. It seemed to be one of his favorite devices. “We trained them better than that. Actually, Kai did. He and Chanyeol were always the best with animals...”

Kai?

“He really did that?”

“The hyenas were one of his favorites.”

I wasn't sure whether to feel better or not hearing this. Deciding on not, I closed my laptop and set it aside.

“You might need another injection.” Kyungsoo murmured, looking at the readings displayed on the wall by my head. “Oh? What is this?” Enlarging a picture that looked to be a brain scan, he hummed in thought.

“Should I be worried?” I asked without much feeling. This kind of thing happened often with Kyungsoo.

“No, it's just fascinating. Your body is changing much faster than all the others-”

“So we are changing. What are we changing into?”

“It's nothing bad.” he shrugged. “It's the food we created years back. That vegetation we all eat, it's a very useful plant. Anything you see that is purple or black is likely to contain at least some amount in it. It's been genetically engineered to improve our natural bodies. You will find yourself learning and moving like never before. Although, we don't really know how to get rid of the glowing. It's interesting, we can tell exactly what kind of nutrients each creature needs by the color of it's glow...”

“Oh.” I really thought that the aliens were like that because they were built differently. You are what you eat, I suppose.

But how fascinating. A whole planet exists with humanoid creatures that were like us in every way. What are the chances? No, that's stupid. The universe is infinitely expanding; chance has nothing to do with it when new chances are continually made.

How did they find us? How did the aliens even know that our planet exists?

“Kyungsoo,” I began, but my questions started blurring together when my head throbbed painfully. “Why Earth?” I managed, rubbing my temples. “Out of everything out there, why? How?”

“It's a long story and I think it might be better if you hear it some other day.” he replied and I hiccuped when he began to smile. His smiles always meant something painful-

“Why do you do that?” I squeaked. “You enjoy pain or something?”

“Who would enjoy pain?” Kyungsoo blinked and it made me realize that he hadn't been blinking before. My own eyes watered just at the thought of keeping them open for so long. “I smile for my patients.” he said, pressing buttons in the walls until one of his portable storage cases melted through the material of the floor to sit right next to him. “Smiling helps relieve some of the tension and reduce the pain of some of my worse procedures. I learned this on Earth. Everyone knows that smiles are contagious and even fake smiles release endorphins and serotonin.”

“I think your smiles cause more stress.” I admitted as he pulled out a long, thin needle and grinned. “Like I've been conditioned to feel fear when the corners of your lips move even slightly out of place.”

“Really?” he asked, putting needle down in favor of a new device that he waved over my chest and throat as he pulled a number of different faces. This was a whole new level of weird for him.

But strangely enough, it was a little endearing. Somehow, his intentions were good; he was just creepily curious.

“You seem to have slightly increased endorphin levels. My theory appears correct.”

I didn't have the heart to tell him that it just because he was being a little cute. Already a rare event, the cuteness disappeared under the big grin accompanied by a needle poised on my arm. Now he was back to being kind of creepy. Maybe a cute creepy, but creepiness paired with medical issues is just terrifying in any case. Even the hyenas were slowly backing away and giving us space.

“You may hold my hand if that will make things better for you.”

“I-I'm good.” I said, trying not to look as the first needle dug into my skin.

“Suit yourself.” he shrugged and with the second needle, I felt the same rush of blood and liquid gold pulsing through my veins in waves. Under the straining and discomfort, I grabbed one of his hands to squeeze the life out of. My teeth clenched in an effort not to cry out; the hyenas were shaking enough already and I didn't want to scare them further.

This injection followed by the black fluid was becoming a weekly thing for me. I always wondered how Kai put up with it, since he was even younger and probably got the injections outside in the wild with even shorter times of rest between shots. I hoped Suho took care of it well so there wasn't any pain or creepy smiles.

“You know the drill.” Kyungsoo said as my squirming and hand-squeezing died down. “Stay lying down for at least ten to fifteen minutes before doing anything. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and even though you don't feel hungry, eat your dinner anyways.”

He started to get up when I gripped the hand I held harder. I'm not too sure what made me do it, but I could feel that some part of me thought of Kyungsoo as my only anchor to Kai. They were good friends and he knew the most about him out of everyone else of the EXO division.

And so I asked, “Did he really come to you for advice often?”

I didn't mean to speak vaguely, but he understood anyways. “A lot.” he said with emphasis.

“Yeah?” I chuckled, imagining him getting annoyed at my snuggly alien's intrusions to his lab, armed with many questions.

“He was so worried he'd lose you for the stupidest reasons,” he went on and I laid there and listened to his stories for as long as it took for the hyenas to crowd around and playfully fight over control of my thumbs.

***

He's been gone for too long.

I'm going crazy, not knowing how he is or if he's eating or if he's hurting anywhere or lost or scared or-

Why the hell are they not setting up the pod signal? They promised to do so once a week as long as they deemed it safe to do so. It has been three and a half weeks and we haven't been able to send in a video call in all that time.

If there was one thing I missed from Earth, it was cellphones and texting, because this was just ridiculous.

And no one is telling us anything! How could they keep us in the dark for so long? Every time I asked about the mysterious threat that has everyone on edge, they say something vague about citizens and needing to check something in a room far away.

I've had enough of this. I'm this close to taking matters into my own hands. Kris would probably agree; he looked just as concerned about all this.

No, I am taking matters into my own hands. Forget waiting. I'm going out to see Kai, no matter what it takes.

Whether I get approval or not, I am busting out of this building.