Tentapocalypse

[Pink Bubble]

It was a liquid darkness that enveloped Ella in frigid despair, upon opening her eyes. The atmosphere was cloudy and smudged, like paper worn with salty tears. She blinked rapidly in a vague attempt to clear her eyes of the murky film that covered her abnormally violet irises. She couldn't quite identify where she was, or how she got there-- her memories were as blurry as her vision. One thing was certain; she was definitely not on Earth.

She stretched her pale, bare arms in an arc, trying to loosen the tension that throbbed in her upper-back. Unfamiliar vegetation thrived around her, filling the air with a whistling sound that made her uneasy. Despite the heat that the fear lurking within her generated, Ella shivered at the touch of a freezing yet soggy breeze.

Her clothes were in tatters, reflecting the disorganization of her mind. There was just enough fabric to cover from below her collar bone to above her knees. She pulled the soft fabric close to her skin, curling into a ball to protect herself from the ethereal coldness.
Ella watched as her toes turned to a sickly bluish-white hue, along with her fingers and nose. She stood up, running around in a vain attempt to warm her body. She only felt colder as the arctic-like air graced her skin.

With a tired sigh, Ella pulled the fabric over her shoulders, and began working her way through the dense foliage. Realization hit, that she would most likely die in this repulsively bitter and alien terrain-- if not from pneumonia, then from being eaten by an extraterrestrial species.

After hours, it appeared as though she were merely walking in circles; everything looked the same, dark and intimidating. Waves of exhaustion broke her down, where she once again folded herself into a pile of fragile skin and bones, preparing to die.

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

Rustling in the foliage.
Not being a predator, but rather, sentient plantlife, a Fornicus Tentaclus (as its species was referred to by scholars) ducked instinctively down, knowing that an angry being bigger than it was more than likely to tear it asunder. It stopped, upon hearing the displacement cease, peeking out in order to ascertain safety in the immediate vicinity. And there, she lay – the barely clothed human, a member of a species that it had learnt much about from the scholars that came to study the area, on one of their many expeditions. It knew enough to know that this was not a healthy state for a human to be in – and, with its sentient mind, came the urge to help. It was not a dumb animal, but rather, a slightly bestial human, who preferred a home in this harsh environment.

Six feet in height, give or take a bit, the plant-creature did indeed resemble a human, albeit a stark naked one. However, you would not be blamed for thinking it a weak human, given that it appeared thin. Not malnourished. Just thin. The most remarkable thing, however, was just how green the creature was. Unkempt, stringy leaves resembling hair hung down from its head, while its entire body seemed to be a paler green in colour, with scratched patches appearing paler still. Not that this was unhealthy. It was, in fact, quite healthy – healthy enough to help revitalise the human in front of it.

Breathing in deeply, a multitude of spores were released from its body, bioluminescent seeds that glowed a gentle orange, unaffected by the wind, directed by a paltry telekinetic link. They clung to Ella like children to their mother, each one radiating heat – an adaptation, to make sure the seeds managed to remain able to maintain themselves during bitter winter months. They made excellent – if temporary – sources of heat for the cold and weary, when a kindly Fornicus allowed them to have such things cling to them. It smiled, as the little seeds did their work, gradually becoming the normal human body temperature, trapping heat within themselves, in order to keep Ella warm.

The seeds, if ingested, were also known to act as an aphrodisiac, though the effect was highly uncommon in humans – and even then, it would take at least a few days for the spores to even release the active ingredient causing the rampant sexual desires.

 

[Pink Bubble]

It felt as though hundreds of petite petals were being dusted on her body, adhering to the microscopic pores that every human was cursed with. Soft, although evident, warmth seeped into her skin, restoring her rosy undertones. She sat up; surprised to find radiant orange spores tickling her arms and legs.

With a vigilant finger, Ella stroked one of the gleaming spores, finding that it was rather malleable and downy. The feathery feeling invoked a memory of a meadow back on Earth, plush grass bursting with vividly-colored flowers. Ella sighed, reluctantly pushing the memory away. She knew that recollection would only pull her further into depression, as she would never relive those memories again.

Glancing up, Ella saw a green-tinted figure, appearing to be a male. He had a diminutive, but convivial smile on his face, with an unrecognizable sentiment loitering in his eyes. Somehow, she knew that the spores were a part of him; it was like the fluttery little objects were tapping into her mind and sharing their knowledge.

Ella wasn't sure whether to be grateful or afraid; this creature had saved her life… But could he have alternate intentions? Perhaps the spores were filled with poison, and she was slowly being murdered! Her voracious curiosity overcame her apprehension and she stood up, careful to conceal her body from view.

"H-hello?" She murmured, her eyes widening as she approached. The spores tingled ferociously the closer she got to the emerald –toned being. Was it now that she was eaten? Or was it now that she prospered?

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

"Spores. My spores. Generate heat. Looked cold."
Seeing how nervous Ella was, it spoke in what English it had picked up, hoping that she would understand. Though it had taken in the information, its knowledge of the language was basic, and it had taken it years to develop an understanding of the terms it was hearing. Nevertheless, its rudimentary understanding and knowledge was sufficient enough for most purposes, and hopefully enough for reassuring the crash survivor. Its hand extended in a manner that seemed friendly enough, its pale hand awaiting a handshake. He had been taught that was how humans greeted each other, on parts of Earth. Perhaps the gesture would be recognised?

"Is fine. Am friend. Will not hurt."
The voice was deep, and slightly airy – like the forest. Intimidating, on one hand, but provides a sense of wonder that only the rawness of untainted nature provides. Whether to trust this voice or not, was something that only Ella would be able to decide. Its voice was the kind that went either way. Its eyes were unreadable – they were merely black orbs in the places where eye sockets would be on a normal human, shining in the light of the planet's day. It tilted its head slightly, a reaction it thought natural, awaiting a response. Excess spores flitted bout its body, seeming to orbit it, awaiting any further commands.

 

[Pink Bubble]

Ella slowly reached out to shake his hand, she was surprised at the smoothness of his touch that left her feeling empty as she withdrew her fingers. She allowed her self a tender smile in his direction, but her eyes remained cast down in respect.
"Likewise," She replied, having no intention to hurt this creature, or his habitat. It didn't occur to Ella that this creature may not fully understand her dialect. But when he spoke, his voice was like a symphony, challenging both the happiness and the sadness that resounded inside her.
"Thank you, for the... spores." She said shyly, amused as she watched the orange organisms circle the green creature. It was a dance, accompanying the music that was his voice.
In this moment, she noticed that the whistling of the foliage had stopped, and a buttery sun shone in the distance. The atmosphere seemed different, forgiving even, so unlike the hostility she'd felt upon her arrival.

"Um, where are we?" She asked the obvious question that had been clawing at her mind since the second she opened her eyes. She absentmindedly twirled a vine-like plant around her foot, sneaking a peek up at the creature.

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

"Where? Home. Your people give it different name. Call it Aletrius-5. Studied life here, interacted with species."
Withdrawing its hand, the creature had given its response fairly neutrally. It was not as if there was much for it to be excited about, anyway – it had helped a person out, and was now engaging in formalities with the same person. This was how it had been told humans interacted with each other, and would continue to act in the manner that it had been instructed to until such time that a need not to arose. The spores around the creature danced at the sun rising, its rays and nutrients flooding the tiny seeds with energy.

"Sun rising. This good. Can find fresh water and food. Show you where explorers made camp."
The sun gave it energy, and this meant it could fend off most of its potential predators. Carnivores wouldn't bother with it – it was a plant. It was when they got aggressive, that it would need to engage defensive measures, and it itself would become aggressive. This was not, however, the issue at hand. The issue was making sure that Ella could survive until such time that a rescue party would arrive. However, this was unlikely. They were in a pretty remote corner of the galaxy – this wasn't the kind of place visited by tourists.

 

[Pink Bubble]

Ella wrapped her cloth around her, the way one might wear a towel after a shower. She felt herself relax, this munificent creature was helping her survive in the unfamiliar territory. Without him, she'd be a cold, dead corpse decomposing in the light morning sun, by now. If only humans were more like him, welcoming and humble. She followed the creature weakly as he effortlessly worked his way through the vegetation, she admired the way he avoided every thorn, snapping branch and small creature with an ease. She found herself having trouble maneuvering over large log-shaped objects, and each time he'd grab her hand and help her over, her fingers lingering longer with each touch.


Even if she never quite made it back to Earth, Ella thought she could be content here, on Aletrius-5, provided that the spores continued to moderate her temperture. The sky, although obnubilated by a cloud-like substance, was bright, and the foliage was beautiful... and the creatures, well, they were sweet.

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

After much walking and insect-swatting, a clearing came into sight. Given just how many trees there were in the area, the chance of a clearing being found was minimal, leading to the conclusion that it was, in fact, man-made. The fact that the clearing was a perfect square didn't hurt the argument either. Remains of the human camp that couldn't be taken back still remained, along with things that would have been impractical to take along. A rudimentary conical tent made up of animal pelts and long branches, and the remains of a long-dead fire sat in the middle. A pile of animal bones sat in one corner, picked clean – no meat had been wasted, it seemed, though they hadn't the foggiest how to dispose of the bones without burying them.

"This remains of human camp. Friendly people. Studied lots. Flown away now."
They had simply been another band of explorers, wanting to document the planet, hoping to find something new and interesting. They found new things – new to them, anyway – but hardly any of it was of any interest. As such, once they had given up, they had flown off. It hadn't seemed to particularly care about it, seeing the visitors as people who came and went, nothing special. Though, given that he had been cleaning water for them, there were times when one of the group had to volunteer to have the impurities cleansed from him, lest he fall sick and just generally feel rubbish. "Well underneath here. Can clean water."
Clearing away some of the dirt, a wooden circle was uncovered, a plate used to cover the submerged water source. Reaching its hand in, water was absorbed, and deposited into a nearby water skin left by the visitors – they had only made it because their other ones frequently needed cleaning when they were in one region, and had dumped them once they no longer needed them.

Of course, the impurities had to go somewhere, and they were stored inside it. There wasn't enough for it to really care, but repeated water cleansing – or ingestion and absorption in general – would take it to intolerable levels.