Aleena sighed quietly as she made her way along the busy corridor. It had been a long day at the hospital. Drones had decided to attack the city after nearly a week of peace and silence, and the ensuing chaos had left multiple citizens trampled in the panic. She had assisted the nursing team in patching abrasions and sprains, as well as several concussions and fractured limbs. It had been the perfect finish to a rather lousy week, and all she wanted was to get dinner, visit with her group of friends, then retire to her rooms for some well-deserved rest.

She sensed the tension in the air, recognized the apprehension in the expressions of those she passed on her way to the main dining hall. It was the same after every attack on the city. After four years, it seemed the lost masses would realize that the city’s shields remained as strong as ever and had held back every attack from the very beginning. No amount of reassuring seemed to be able to overcome the traumatic events that led them to this world.

Aleena tried to put the frustration behind her as she caught sight of her friends ahead as they waited near the main entrance. A steady stream filed into the large room beyond as they joined the lines to collect their meal. The expected relief of seeing her friends did not come. She slowed her pace and watched the trio of women. They chatted amongst themselves and occasionally shot sneers toward others as they passed. By their expressions and hand gestures, it seemed as if they were already deep into their gossip. Aleena was in no mood for gossip. She sighed heavily as she slowly made her way toward them. She had almost decided to turn back and go to a different dining hall when the leader of the group, a fiery red-headed Paloan named Jayden, caught sight of her and waved her over.

“Hey Aleena! Come on already, you’re holding us up!” she called.

Aleena tried to contain the fierce scowl that wanted to form as she picked up her pace.

“Sorry guys, it’s been a rough day,” she grumbled as she arrived before them. The other two, a Cassarian named Kit and a Faldaran named Nina, eyed her with mild curiosity.

“Well you’re finally here now. I’m starved-can we finally go eat?”

Aleena’s ears fell back. This was a fairly new group of friends, and she was still trying to decide just how much they really wanted to include her among them, especially with her reputation for trouble. They were the first halfway decent group she’d stumbled across willing to give her a chance, but sometimes, she couldn’t help but feel that they simply tolerated her.

“Yeah, I’m hungry as well. It was so busy in the hospital, I didn’t get lunch,” she replied quietly.

“It’s about time,” Nina mumbled quietly as the group turned to join the flow.

Aleena sighed quietly as she waited to fall in behind them. As they were about to enter the large room, she caught sight of a strange flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. She paused and backed out of the flow. The strange color had come from across the corridor in a dark corner usually used for staging supplies for the dining hall. She didn’t see anything now as she gazed through the gathering crowd. Wait…she thought she saw a darker shadow moving. Another distinct flash of electric blue was seen as the shadow moved deeper into the corner. Aleena’s eyes widened. Could it possibly be…?

“Hey Aleena? Are you coming or what?” Jayden called.

Aleena turned back to the Paloan who stood impatiently just out of the food line.

“Can you guys save me a seat? I need to go check something really quick and don’t want to hold you up any longer. I’ll be there in a few,” she called back.

Jayden simply shrugged and disappeared into the crowds. Aleena turned back and carefully wove her way through the flow of citizens and over toward the corner. She spotted the dark form trying to move deeper into the shadows. At the last minute, she felt eerily familiar charged air as the electric blue glow locked onto her. It had to be that woman, the one she let leave the hospital nearly a week ago. She’d managed to spin a story to clear herself of blame, but Mouser had been extremely frustrated for days. She really hated lying to the older man, but what else could she have done? If she’d told the truth, she would have lost all remaining respect she’d managed salvage. She cautiously moved closer as she tried to recall the woman’s name. The flash of color disappeared as the shadowy form quickly moved deeper into the shadows.

“Sarhea?”

Aleena sensed a hesitation. For a moment, there was no movement so she cautiously stepped closer to the shadows. She felt the air grow tense.

“Sarhea, is that you? You don’t have to be afraid. I didn’t help you only to turn you in now,” she called quietly and paused next to the stone corner. After a couple of minutes, she finally saw movement.

“Aleena,” came a quiet whisper.

A slight smirk formed on her lips as she allowed herself to relax a little. “I’ve been wondering how you faired out here on your own. I imagine you were a bit overwhelmed. It would have been easier had you allowed us to help you.”

“Easier for you, but not for me,” came the reply as the shadowy form moved closer to the light. Aleena began to make out the shape of a cloaked form. So Sarhea had found clothing, though the choice of cloak was an odd one.

“I would have to disagree. It was very difficult for me to lie to my colleagues. But they bought it and at this point, with as chaotic as it has been these past few days, your disappearance has been nearly forgotten.”

The cloaked form cautiously ventured further into the light until Aleena could make out the woman’s slender features under the ridiculous hood of an old brown cloak.

“Are you hungry? There’s plenty of food over here,” she offered, and scowled when Sarhea flinched back and began to slowly retreat back to the shadows. “Sarhea, I assure you, it is safe. No one is looking for you-not that anyone truly knows what you look like anyway. I understand you are afraid and are trying to remain anonymous, but you are sure to be noticed if you keep slinking around in the shadows. With that cloak, you’ll blend in perfectly with the oldsters.”

She watched Sarhea pause once again, and after a moment, she cautiously stepped forward. Aleena could see the worry in the woman’s blue eyes as she paused just inside the safety of the shadows. She could also see the hunger in her eyes.

“Well, come on now. There is plenty for everyone. I can show you all the Paloans have to offer as well as point you to the sections of the dining hall were you are most likely to stay unnoticed.”

Aleena could only wonder what had happened to the woman to cause such distrust and worry to etch her young face. Eventually, it appeared her hunger won out and she timidly stepped into the light. She drew the cloak tightly around herself. Aleena smiled warmly as she turned and ushered her forward. She briefly noticed the scrapes and bruises on Sarhea’s face were nearly gone.

“I’m glad to see that your injuries have mostly healed,” she mused as they slowly joined the flow of the crowd. There were plenty of oldsters in cloaks now among them, though it didn’t seem to quell Sarhea’s hesitance. The comment was enough to momentarily distract her.

“Yes. They are much better now. How…how many creatures are here?”

Aleena raised a brow as they finally entered the crowded dining hall. They were arriving at the tail end of the dinner rush thus the large room was rapidly filling.

“In this room or the entire city?” There was no reply. “Well, this particular dining hall is one of the main ones and I believe it can seat roughly five thousand, more if they sit on the floor. At last count, I believe the population of the city stood at around seven million.”

Sarhea’s eyes widened. “Seven million? And you said that these may be the only survivors in the entire expanse?”

Aleena scowled as they slowly moved along the line. “I suppose when you think of it like that, seven million is not so great a number. We can only hope that when this war is over, we will find other survivors like us.”

There was no response, but Sarhea’s gaze did not share her hope. They finally arrived at the food tables. Platters of various colored thick slurries were laid out before them. She could help but smirk at the scowl on Sarhea’s face as they both picked up a tray.

“It doesn’t look like much, but it sustains us. Anything red is protein based, green is vegetables, yellows are fruits, and, well the rest you sometimes just have to ask. Each one is made in different consistencies from soft to chunky to firm.”

“None of this looks anything like the things you just mentioned. What does it taste like?”

Aleena raised a brow. “What have you been eating this past week?” She saw Sarhea glance further down the table. She eventually pointed to several items. “Really? Bread and cheese?” She shook her head when Sarhea made no reply. “Well, I suppose if you’re not used to this kind of engineered food, it may look a bit unusual. As far as taste goes, it tastes however you want it to. Just think of what you want it to taste like, and the nanites will make it so. It contains all the required nutrients to keep us healthy, so no one really complains,” she said and scooped several items onto her tray. Sarhea hesitantly did the same.

“Nanites? What is that?” she finally asked as they continued down the line.

“Ah, well, I suppose you would not know about that as you never gave us a chance to orientate you. Everyone is given a dose of nanites when they arrive here. The best way I can explain it is extremely tiny machines that help in so many ways. Like right now, without the nanites, you would not be able to understand me nor would I be able to understand you. They help overcome the language barriers that would normally cause major problems with so many different species and races being in such close quarters. They are also very handy in making this food taste like anything you can bring up from memory.”

She saw the questions in Sarhea’s eyes. “I was given these-these nanites?”

“Yeah, but you were still unconscious. It can take several hours for them to do their work, so we try to get them to newcomers immediately. It was just hard with you. We had to try several times, but I’m glad they were working when you woke up. You really kind of scared me. Are you some kind of soldier or something?”

Aleena immediately regretted the question. Even with the cloak’s hood up, she saw Sarhea’s ears fall flat, noticed the hint of light flash in her eyes with the hesitance.

“I’m…I’m sorry. Sometimes I talk too much. I suppose it is none of my business,” she muttered and turned her concentration on getting through the line. At the end, the pair moved off to a corner and looked out over the crowded room.

“I suppose it is up to you where you wish to sit. The oldsters tend to stick to the back here so they can get to the exits quicker. If you wish to blend in and stay anonymous, they are your best choice. You will also hear all sorts of interesting stories. As you can see, the groups pretty much stick together-there’s the oldsters, the young families with their children, the young adults, and the military. You are welcome to sit with my group, though you might get some strange looks wearing that cloak. Normally only the oldsters wear them.”

She watched as Sarhea glanced nervously out over the room. The Cassarian’s gaze seemed to settle on the large group of quietly visiting oldsters in their cloaks. Her gaze also lingered on the families that sat near them. Aleena was about to say her goodbyes when she noticed that her group had not saved her a seat. She felt Sarhea’s questioning gaze as she scowled fiercely out over the crowd.

“Well, if you don’t mind, perhaps I could join you wherever you decide to sit? It seems I have no place to sit today either,” she grumbled.

“I-I suppose I don’t mind, as long as you don’t mind answering a few questions.”

Aleena gave her a half-hearted smile. “Fair enough, though you really should go through the proper channels. But since you skipped the intro, I guess I could point you in the right direction.” She notice the first hint of a smile play at the corners of Sarhea’s lips before the Cassarian turned and headed for a sparsely populated area between the oldsters and the families.

“Everyone seems quite nervous this evening,” Sarhea said as pulled back her hood and sat.

For the first time, she got a good look at the mysterious woman. It seemed she had cleaned up a bit. Aleena had been right about the white fur with tribal-like blue-gray markings. Her long wavy hair was an unusual mix of dark steel blue and white. She glanced out around her before sitting as well.

“That tends to be the case following the attacks. But you really don’t need to worry too much about them. The drones attack at least once a week and have been doing so for four years now. They cannot penetrate our shields. As long as we stay in this mountain, we are safe, and we have one hell of a military force to protect us.”

“Drones? Is that what they are called here-those things that look kind of like giant flying bees?”

Aleena thought for a moment. “Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I guess you have seen them before-well I suppose everyone here has seen them. That and the larger ships we call skidders, but they have not been seen for over a year. There have only been drones.”

The pensive look on the woman’s face struck her as odd. She got a sudden feeling that Sarhea knew more than she let on. But she would keep the thoughts to herself. Sarhea had already displayed annoyance at being questioned. The thoughtful look faded as Sarhea’s gaze fell to a cute little Malkaian girl who sat nearby.

“I am curious about some of the species I have seen here. I’m familiar with your kind, Kalatians, and the Paloans and Faldarans, but there are so many more here that I’ve never seen. Like that child there-the one with the red hair. What is her kind?”

Aleena smiled at the child who bashfully glanced away. She had the triangular shaped head, short round ears, long slender body, and thick, tapered tail that was characteristic of the Malkaian species.

“She is Malkaian. Their kind tends to stick to the city’s lower levels, where it is dark and more secluded. They are known for their hunting and tracking skills, and rumor has it that they are fierce warriors and masters with all kinds of weapons. They tend to keep to themselves as their leader keeps them under tight control, though some have decided to venture beyond the city’s depths and join the general population.”

“What about that one over there-the one with the long neck and scales?”

Aleena’s gaze followed Sarhea’s, but she knew the species without looking. “He is Kreetian. Their species is quite diverse, but they all tend to have that general form-the longer neck, long pointed face and the long tail. The children are usually especially frightened of their clawed, bony fingers. They are known to be incredibly intelligent and very peaceful. There are not many of them here. The tale of their world’s destruction is rather heartbreaking. They did not possess the technology to build ships to escape. The ones that you see here are the ones that were able to bribe their way aboard ships that arrived fleeing from other worlds. You will usually find them in record keeping. It is said they have photographic memories. This city’s keeper of citizen records is Kreetian-you will eventually need to speak with him.”

Sarhea’s gaze returned to her. “Why is it so important for my presence to be recorded? Is it so bad to remain invisible?”

Aleena gave her a blank stare. She hoped that one day, the strange woman would give any clue as to why she was so determined to stay undocumented. What trouble had she released upon the unsuspecting city?

“I suppose there are many reasons. One of the most important is so that everyone can be accounted for in the case of an attack on the city. Everyone is given a unique code. This code gets you into your rooms, allows you access to many areas of the city, and after an attack, you enter your code so that they know you are safe. Also, it helps the Paloans, who are the ones who grow our food, to know how much must be produced to keep us fed.”

The response seemed to give Sarhea some food for thought. Aleena could only hope that she would realize the notion’s importance. Over the next half hour, Aleena found herself describing many of the city’s species. Slowly but surely, Sarhea was loosening up and talking more freely. She never divulged any information about her past, but Aleena got the impression that the mysterious woman had come from a fairly primitive, secluded world, which was unusual for a Cassarian.

“I’m curious, if you don’t mind me asking-what race of Cassarian do you belong to? There are so many, and I never can keep them all straight,” she finally asked when the right opportunity arose.

Sarhea immediately hesitated, that familiar uncertain look entering her gaze, but before she could respond, a commotion erupted at the back of the room.

“Good evening, citizens of Refuge City! It sure is a mighty fine night!”

Aleena’s ears flattened as she lowered her head and scowled fiercely. Her sudden change prompted Sarhea to do the same. The Cassarian slowly pulled her hood back over her head and shot her a questioning glance.

“Just stay low and don’t look at him. That is Kaden, Refuge City’s biggest jackass and jerk. Just to give you a fair warning, he will hit on anything with breasts, and has absolutely no respect for women. I’ve had one too many bad encounters with him and personally can’t stand the little prick. I can’t see how the Alpha Team can stand him. Yes, supposedly he’s the best pilot around, but his attitude…” She exaggerated a disgusted cringe.

Aleena noticed a hard glare form on Sarhea’s face as her acquaintance’s eyes locked on the short Cassarian and watched him move into the room.

“Alpha Team? What is that?”

“The Alpha Team is the city’s elite task force. In a way, they pretty much run all the important stuff around here. They are the head of the military and coordinate all the peacekeeping operations. It is a rather small group, of which Kaden is a member solely due to his unmatched flying skills. I know for a fact that at least one of the members can’t stand him. It is led by Commander Raith, who pretty much is second in charge of the entire mountain.”

Aleena noticed a subtle change in Sarhea’s expression at the mention of the commander. She shot her a questioning glare.

“What is that look? Please don’t tell me you’ve had a run in with any of the Alpha Team, especially the commander. Raith is a well-respected and important man, one of the best men there is, but you don’t want to be on his bad side-believe me,” she muttered.

Sarhea shook her head. “No, I’ve only observed that group from a distance,” came her vague reply, her eyes never leaving the boastful Kaden as he meandered through the eating citizens.

A deep nervousness began to stir in the pit of Aleena’s stomach. She was beginning to question her decision of associating with the mysterious Sarhea. She’d not had the best of luck in choosing her friends lately, and she was trying to turn a new leaf. She could sense some deep and potentially dangerous secrets lurking in the brooding woman, could see it in the almost sinister, piercing glances and the strange flash of light in her eyes when she got worked up. Aleena noticed that flash of light beginning to stir in Sarhea’s eyes even now.

“Sarhea, I know that you do not like me poking into personal matters, but I do have one question I hope you can answer for me.”

Sarhea’s gaze finally left Kaden and locked onto her. “It depends on the question,” came her blunt reply.

Aleena sighed quietly. “Your eyes…These two times we have encountered one another, I have noticed a strange flash of color in them, almost like blue electricity. I notice it when you seem irritated or threatened, like right now as you watch Kaden. Is there anything I should be concerned about?”

The question seemed to take Sarhea off guard. Her blue eyes widened as she stared back at her in confusion.

“They do? Flash, like…energy?”

Aleena scowled at the wording. “Yeah, I guess you can call it that.”

Sarhea suddenly crouched lower. She cast a sideways glance back at her before sighing quietly. “I do not quite know how to respond. I’ve never had anyone inform me of this before.” She paused before sighing quietly again. “I’m sorry I have not been able to answer some of your questions. There are just some things-things I prefer not to speak about at this time. But I sincerely thank you for all the information you have given me this evening. I have much to consider and think about. Perhaps one day, things will change for me and I can tell you more, but for now…”

Aleena smiled warmly. The comment was not much, but it was the first heartfelt statement Sarhea had spoken all evening. “Don’t worry. I tend to talk too much and ask prying questions without thinking. We all have painful pasts here in Refuge City. If you ever want to talk about yours, I’ll always be around to listen.”

A real smile finally formed on Sarhea’s face. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. May I ask a favor of you?”

“Sure, you can ask anything, and if I can help, I will.”

Sarhea looked down at her empty food tray. “If you see my eyes doing that strange thing, could you warn me? I want to figure out why it is happening so I can make it stop.”

The request was odd, but any little hint of gaining the woman’s trust was welcome. “Sure, I think I can do that.”

“Thank you. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think I’m ready for a change of scenery. I do not want to chance being cornered by that Kaden character. He seems to be pausing by every Cassarian female he comes across.”

Aleena snorted in disgust as she glanced over her shoulder. For a split second, she thought she saw him look straight at her. “Um, I think that sounds like a good plan. Do you mind if I tag along? I can show you some of the city’s finer points and answer any more questions you still have.”

Sarhea cracked a mischievous smile. “Let’s get out of here,” she replied and stood.

Aleena quickly followed suit. After dropping their trays with the cleaning staff, they quietly followed several groups of oldsters out of the large dining hall. Aleena paused outside the entryway and looked back to see Kaden taking a seat next to Jayden, Kit, and Nina. She shook her head as she glanced back at Sarhea.

“You know, running into you this evening probably saved my skin. Had I been sitting with my usual group and had to deal with Kaden’s crap tonight, I think I would have completely lost my temper and knocked his teeth in.”

They both shared a chuckle over the statement as they turned and left the area.