In a cold dark alley down the street, I can see a bony alien every morning and night. It has no clothes on its back or legs or even its feet. Their nose seems smaller than humans. Their skin is as white as the clouds on a summer’s day or the homes it leans on. Just like the clouds the alien is stained with blue, yet its face is bright red and the air that it releases from its mouth is visible. It must be cold. I haven’t felt the cold in a while I wonder what it feels like. On my way back from work I see it wrap its arms around its body when it’s cold revealing the thin layer of skin on the whole rib cage. Its eyes are glassy like its soul was never there to begin with. Recently, it’s become cool random of blues, greens and purples. I thought it was getting colder and once again I passed the fair cool rainbow alien and handed it my scarf. It stared at me like it’s the first time it had anything. It takes my scarf from my hands, and its hand brush mine for a split second and I feel the cold it feels. The alien copy’s how I had previously worn it around my neck. I go home as usual after that. That night I kept seeing its cold glassy eyes while I try to sleep but it’s like it was asking for my help. Walking to work the next day I see it and give it a shirt I no longer wear. I thought I would try to talk to it as well. “What are you?” It looks up at me and opens its mouth and says something but all I can hear is silence, I offer it my water, it politely accepts it and sips the smallest amount of water and tries again this time a raspy croak is revealed. I tell it “Keep the water you can answer me tonight.” I nod goodbye and leave for work. The entire day I daydream what the alien will say and what its voice sounds like or if it even speaks the same language as me? I watch the clock for what feels like hours going: tick-tock, tick-tock. 18:00 is finally here it feels like it never would. I scramble for my satchel, coat and hat and pace my way out of work. The walk seemed longer than usual but I see it in the dark alleyway this time with the t-shirt over its thin layer and the scarf, it looks familiar. I stand above it and ask, “How was the water?”
It grins, Woah, didn’t know it could do that. Then the sensation hits me like a fresh breeze during springtime caring the scent of flowers and happiness, “Wonderful!” The voice was so human. It must have seen my face stunned as it continues, “You asked me the strangest question this morning I was a bit shocked as you are now.”
I compose myself upon hearing it again. “How so?” I wanted to know so bad. What was it? It was pale, covered in blue and a red face. It has small features and thin skin. Its legs were bony and thin but just a bit smaller than mine it’s the same with its arms and hands.
It giggles a bit. “I’m like you only nothing like you.” it continues to giggle. I have no idea what it’s talking about. Is it the kind of riddle that a troll tells you so you can cross the bridge, is it a test of some sorts? “I’m a human like you but I have a different gender. That’s why I look like you but don’t.”
“What are you called?” I blurt as soon as it finishes.
“My gender is female; they call us women. My name, however, is Delphina.”
“Delphina?” What is a name? What is female? Why am I only finding out about this now from an alien, no not an alien, a female? “Wait. you said ‘us’?”
“We have been excited because men created a new way to find life and we were deemed useless.” It explains. Life?
I pause for a moment and think about what it was talking about. “Are you talking about the Ζοιε Project? That was like a hundred years ago and you look like a young adult!?”
“Not every man agreed with the Ζοιε Project and women still exist example A.” Delphina points to is smiling, “I’m the product of rebellion.”
I am extremely confused now. “So, let me understand this. You’re a man only with a wo at the beginning and because of that wo you have different features and body functions than the normal man. And even to you are this wo-man you are called something else”
“Not at all but if that’s what you need to understand it then, yes, that’s exactly how evolution works.” It laughs with a sarcastic tone. “I forgot that modern men don’t have names,” It laughed again. Speaking of which this must be the first time it’s talking to somebody in a long time. Based on the body of the woman it is just like me, but everything is thinner. I don’t see how it could be lying at this point but that’s what makes it harder to understand. “What’s a name?”
“A name is something that separates you from others and is a part of you. It’s how people refer to you, it’s a personal word that others refer to you by.” It explains this time no laugh just pity. A name must have been important before the Ζοιε Project.
“I guess if that’s the definition man does have names just not as pretty as Delphina.” They giggle, which makes me confused.
They look up at me from the spot they’ve been sitting in for years, “Watch yourself, mister, if I didn’t know better, I would say you’re flirting with me.” No giggle just a smirk of sorts.
I sigh, “This is too much for me I don’t even want to know what this flirting thing is.” They laugh again. It seems very bubbly, surprising what a bit of water and male interaction does.
I feel myself age ten years within the hour I’ve been here I feel my eyebrows furrow and my eyes squint in the obvious confusion I have. How am I meant to figure this out this is a political and ethical problem wiping out an entire species? The Ζοιε Project is meant to make the perfect men. So that everyone can carry out living a chill, peaceful life. Everyone does their fair share this way and now I’m being told because of its people like Delphina died. “What are your pronouns?”
“Her, She, Hers and Herself. Like Him only Her.” She replied with a grin and then I notice her body
“Oh my! You must be freezing. You’re naked!” She giggled again; this poor creature has a sad sense of humour. It’s like she just laughs at other’s confusion and her pain and conflict. I chuck my coat over her bony, for the first time she stood up using the wall to help herself up.
The shirt I had given her this morning falls onto her thighs and the coat at around shin length. The scarf even looks bigger on the female’s petite body. She was still cold though as her breath escaped her lips like a cloud.
It was visible in the air like a puff of clouds rising towards the night sky. Her face stained red from the cold. Every feature about this woman was beginning to make sense now, how could mankind be so blind. “Would you like to go home with me, I work and early job and get off early so no one will see you.”
Her eyes look up to me still glassy and cold. “How could I say no.”
ns 18.68.41.175da2
