“Oh lord!” Sharon’s shriek bounced the walls, “It’s you! It’s been forever.”

“Thanks, never knew I was missed that much.”

“Where are you?”

“A place far, far away from my best friend in the whole wide universe .”

“Charming,” she said, fixing her old style glasses, “I miss your dumb fish stories that lead to no where.”

“I miss you throwing stuff at me when I start.”

"Good times, yeah.” Something caught her attention and I looked over beside me to see Hayden in view. I tried to swat him away but it was too late. His dots glowed with curiosity. “Are you…” She watched Hayden who did the same, daring the other to blink first. “Are you kidding me? Is this that guy? Your alien. He’s so out of your league.”

“What did you expect?”

“Green skin, big head, lanky arms--”

“Thanks, Sharen,” I rolled my eyes. Ignored, I moved so she got a better look, pulling his hair back so she could see all the brilliant dots and his matching eyes. “Hayden, meet the other me. But more Asian.”

“Hello, you son of Aphrodite,” She flashed a grin that future confirmed our similarities. I’m the super cool best friend any gay man needs in his arsenal. He knows what gay means, right?”

Hayden cocked brow gave her an answer.

“Alright, fine. Did he mention Earth at all?”

“Trees,” he said softly.

“Huh, what an upgrade.”

“I need to ask you something,” I say, before she could maneuver to her share time modes. “Ever heard of a planet called B.O.B?”

She adjusted her glasses again. “Hmmm, can’t say that I have. Is that where you are now?”

I nodded. “It’s human made.”

“Humans don’t make worlds. It’s like a golden rule among creators. It’s a mess!”

“Then, were anyone missing in the program over the years? Like explores who were off finding...something.”

“Of course there was. In the beginning it was an epidemic. Left and right people were dropping off like flies, deadlined and assumed dead. So maybe a few made it where you are, hence the “human made” world. But how did they get the ability to do so?"

"By aiding those who committed sins against their own race," Glen interjected in the background, staying far away from Sharen's view as possible, "Simple as that."

She cocked a brow, "I see... well, I'll take a look at what we have. Don't expect much though."

"Anything will be useful, boo." I tell her with a small wave before ended the chat.

It was hard to believe I was on a different planet the moment the door of the spacecraft opened after we were all suited up for the harsh weather the icy planet promised us. On our backs were equipment just in case everything went south during the journey. As our protection from the ship peeled away, I already started to feel the cold piercing through the many layers the suit had. In the far distance were mountains, jagged and white capped in their wide reign over the snowy tundra. Some of it reminded me of Denali and Mt. Hunter back in Alaska. Beyond that, there was only white in the sea of fluff. Our special boots kept us from sinking into the snow that began to pool the further we got.

Glen took lead with the digital map from his wrist computer opened. Hayden I followed a few paces behind, figuring that he knew where he was going well enough not to argue.

After a moment or two, I began to notice how much Hayden’s leg was bothering him from the weight the boots gave. So I stopped and slipped off the pack I carried.

“Take this, Glen,” I tossed the pack before the alien could respond. Barely catching it, he looked over at me with his expression hidden behind smooth black glass of his helmet.

“What are you..?”

“Come on, Hayden,” I knelt so he could get on. Hayden hesitated.

“I can walk,” he says.

“Those stitches won’t last and you’ll start bleeding out,” I insisted, “I got you.”

He let out a breath and hopped on, his arms around my neck as I rose to continue walking. Glen watched until he realized we were waiting for him to continue as well, giving me a nod to what I guessed was aprovel.

We tracked the sea for the next hour or so, studying the weird day and night cycles that lasted only five minutes each. “Night” was merely twilight, similar to summers in the cold state.

“Is this really how your day goes on Earth?” Hayden asked.

“Transitions are a bit longer,” I tell him, “Summers in Alaska are almost nightless. I see what they were going for.”

“Is it this cold?”

I shrugged, “I don’t remember. It’s been a decade since I last visited.”

There was a cabin. Fishing poles on the walls or near the door. Furs were the carpet and rabbit stew was the staple for those few nights. It was a place to stay while the parents went off to settle things and for the chance to know a grandmother. I imagine it would be close to this weather if I was in any other season but summer. Dead of winter perhaps? Nana (she liked to be called) often took me fishing, believing I was never too young to start. I remember the hike up to one of the rivers, catching glimpses of nature that stuck around; her telling me their names and how to avoid the dangerous ones that ended up sending her six feet under when I skipped a summer to meet the other side of the family. I still had the fishing pole she gave me back home.

“How long does a day last?”

“Twenty-four,” I shifted Hayden’s weight.

There was a snort from the other alien, “That’s not long at all. It’s Thirty-eight where we’re from. Two suns, two moons. Forests. It’s a beauty.”

“Shame that you’re here, then.”

“Fate dragged me here. Not that I’m happy about it either.” Glen went back to burying himself into the map. “The base should be appearing soon. Keep your guard up.”

Hayden:

“You see nothing of their suffering, Emol. Blinded by the pretty words of the Elite. You don’t see the chains they wrap around your neck. Such a good emol you are! Yes, doll up for those…’future bringers’. What consequences will you endure for this illusion of right and wrong? What future will you give to our race? Say it, Emol! There’s no use in running anymore…”

I rested my chin on Kohl’s shoulder, my wounded leg still throbbing from the cold and effort I put it through. Do I dare to say that I’ll walk the rest of the way?

“What are we looking for exactly?” Kohl asks.

“It’s not large. At least the surface isn’t. Look for a dome,” Glen hurried ahead, making Kohl jog to keep up.

Peering over the edge of the horizon, the dome he mentioned bounced off the fleeting sunlight, giving us a point to aim for. Must be a mile or two wide. Within was green, a harsh contrast to the white world.

A storm was brewing, I sensed. But I was wrong. The sinking feeling was never to the sky. It lingered below. As Kohl picked up speed, my eyes drifted to the once fluffy snow that started to become too solid under his feet. Too uniform in lines that (in the right angle) sparkled just above the surface. "Kohl," the feeling grew heavier, "Stop!"

But it was too late. It had already begun in the distance, right in front of Glen.