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"A mother thinks about her children like an oar to a canoe. Children think of their mother like the Buddha who turns his back."
---Khmer proverb
The city lay in a haunting stillness, its once vibrant streets now swallowed by silence. A delicate veil of dust had gracefully descended upon the intricate carvings of sandstone and the weathered walls, lending an aura of abandonment to the entire expanse. High above, a handful of stars shimmered faintly in a sky that swiftly transformed into the deepest hues of amethyst and onyx. It felt as though the cosmos itself grieved for the tragedy that had befallen this ancient square adjacent to the Sanctuary of the Lunar Lotus.
In this alien realm, remnants of an illustrious past whispered their tales through every stone. The ruins bore witness to a grandeur long gone, their timeworn surfaces etched with ornate motifs depicting celestial beings and mythical creatures. The sculptures, once resplendent with vivid colors, now wore faded robes of moss and lichen, as if nature herself sought to reclaim what was once hers.
In this desolate setting, a figure emerged from the shadows, their presence barely noticeable against the backdrop of decay. The figure appeared to be human, yet there was something otherworldly about them. Their steps were hesitant as they stumbled wearily over the worn pave stones, their movements betraying exhaustion and a heavy burden.
As the figure drew closer, it became evident that they were adorned in tattered garments. The fabric, once vibrant and richly colored, now faded and threadbare, told tales of a forgotten era. Their face was obscured by a delicate silk veil, intricately embroidered with symbols that held mysterious meanings lost to time.
With each weary step, the figure's surroundings seemed to transform into an alien world steeped in Asian influences. The crumbling buildings took on the architectural style of ancient pagodas, their intricate details now eroded by years of neglect. Overgrown trees twisted and contorted under the weight of centuries-old secrets.
This weary traveler was not just any ordinary person; she possessed a unique aura that hinted at her extraordinary origins. Her eyes shimmered with an ethereal glow, reflecting both wisdom and sorrow
Her slender, graceful figure moved with a quiet elegance, reminiscent of her people's ancient traditions. Adorned in traditional attire, her clothing draped in vibrant hues of deep blues and rich purples, she exuded an air of spiritual reverence. The intricate patterns woven into her garments told stories of resilience and faith, symbolizing the struggles endured by her people.
Her eyes, the windows to her soul, were pools of intense obsidian. Within their depths lay centuries of history and profound knowledge passed down through generations.
She stood there, her eyes scanning the surroundings, taking in the ethereal beauty of this alien world. The buildings towered above her, their intricate designs reaching towards the heavens. Each structure seemed to possess a story of its own, whispering secrets that only she could hear.
As she walked through the deserted streets, the cool air continued to caress her skin, carrying with it a sense of mystery and anticipation. It was as if this place held untold wonders waiting to be discovered. The echoes of distant footsteps reverberated through the empty alleyways, amplifying the solitude that enveloped her.
Her heightened senses allowed her to perceive things others couldn't comprehend. Colors danced before her eyes, vibrant hues that painted a vivid picture of this enigmatic realm. The infrared vision bestowed upon her by her ancestral lineage revealed hidden patterns and concealed energies pulsating beneath the surface.
Having lost everyone the first day, she had listened fearfully to every echo, standing motionless for a heart-stopping moment, then running frantically with her heart thumping. During that first day and night, she ran often, ran from the service robots who stalked relentlessly through the city, ran from a fall of stone, ran from the wind keening through the corroded metal in a narrow alleyway. Her small boots scratched on the street-stones as she plodded onward, used to the sounds.
When she heard a faint noise from a shadowed alcove, she slowed and watched as the service robot trundled into the street. While it inspected for debris, fallen stones, cracked paving, the machine creaked along its well-worn path oblivious to her. A small machine with faded panels and blinking lights passed in front of her. Despite her greeting gesture, it ignored her. As she stepped toward it, its steady clanking did not slow down or speed up. In this empty city, nothing could see her. Defeated, she watched it leave.
The young girl, whose thoughts was filled with helpless anguish, thought, "I might sit down if I so desired." The robot's voice, like all the other sounds here, faded into stillness as it turned into a low doorway across the street.
She had quickly left the game that the other children were playing three mornings before when she seen a dazzling, multi-winged insect on the edge of the Starship clearing. Since they were still engrossed in activities in nearby buildings that bore little interest to her, the adults had overlooked her departure. She had shouted and laughed as she chased the shiny creature, inviting it to play. She had devised her own game of hopping and turning when it disappeared from sight over a large building. She was fascinated by the opportunity to run and leap in this open area that was so different from the tight corridors of the black-hulled Starship, her home. The weather had tormented her unrelentingly, and the sunlight was seductive, warm, and engulfing.
Every street connected to the next, leading eventually to a spacious square that was 100 times longer than the Starship and 100 times wider. She had never before seen such a huge area with the entire sky overhead. She had run around the bases of enormous sculptures that towered over her head while playing in the square for hours, enjoying the warmth of the day and the bright sunlight. After that, she had slept in the shadow of a tall leonine statue that stood guard with the others over the plaza, its teeth bared in threat against anybody who might disturb its charge's sleep.
She had returned to the Starship clearing later, but the Starship had vanished as reddish shadows crept into every street and the first stars appeared. It was gone, despite the fact that she could see the scorched earth where it had once stood, and the dents left by its metal feet. She searched frantically across different streets, expanding her search area into the evening, but she was simply not able to locate the Starship. Not anywhere.
Since then, she had searched frantically for it while walking aimlessly around the lonely city, stricken with grief over her loss. Her legs were trembling so violently that she could barely stand as she began weakening. The fear of this weakness had started in her thoughts and slowly expanded, obscuring memories and terminating needs. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve before pulling her beautiful hair away from her dust-covered face. "I could sit down if I wanted to," she reasoned. Her gaze scanned the reds of the night, looking for something.
She first heard the music when she sat motionless in the pitch-black night, a gentle chime carried on the air that beckoned her yet was distinct from the sounds that had been pursuing her from every cave and crevice. She waited, holding her breath, for the sound to end like all the other sounds did, which caused an odd jangling in her senses. But the singing kept going and called out to her. She took a step forward, lost her equilibrium due to her frailty, and then took another step.
Where?
She stumbled down the street and paused at the intersection, her head turning from side to side as she sought the direction of the sound. To the left, she thought: through a carved gate at the end of the long street, shadowed by the deepening night. She stumbled forward down the street and rushed into the garden, crushing the first flowers in her haste, then took greater care, moving deep into the frost-flower glade and its shimmering light.
The bulbflowers glistened in beautiful colonnades, swinging in complex, glistening patterns like a fairy city touched by the breeze. They continued to sing, their airy melody bending and sinking in unlikely arpeggios just outside the range of her hearing. As they sang to her in joyful greeting, she cocked her head to the side to listen and smiled, forgetting her fear and forgetting the loss. She moved from bloom to flower, responding to each one with a melodious, lisping voice as she touched each fresh crystalline blossom to hear its reply. Their attention caused her to get more and more enmeshed in memories that weren't her own, but that didn't sting or serve as a reminder of her loss----and were instead replaced. As their spell expanded, her pain lessened even further. She grinned before bursting into loud laughter.
She introduced herself to them all as Kira Nerys. "Who are you?" They also sung to her of a faraway place, her home that she had once known but had since lost.
She let out a sigh and continued walking, her palms caressing the shimmering flowers. She stumbled on a clump of soil while walking through the glade, surrounded by thousands of humming flowers, and fell to the ground with a thud, laughing to herself. The bulbflowers gave her a solemn nod as they encircled her in a web of chiming, glistening light and lulled her to sleep with their whispers. "Dream of us, little one."
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She was discovered by the humans, there in the extraterrestrial garden. They saw her dozing off in the old Dalek city and captured her to keep in captivity.
