A huge thank you to @xazraex for the amazing cover, the more I look at it, the more I love it.

xxx

M.

PS: I will delete any spoilers comments. You are more than welcome to comments #rr but please don't ruin this book for the #ftr.

And I don't believe I'm saying this but... STOP BICKERING, Lord, some of you are worst than toddlers. It's ok to hate Kate and it's fine to like her, no need to argue people!

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I open my eyes and find myself in a foreign space. My neck bends in an uncomfortable angle and I see different lights dancing in front of me. For a moment the strange sight almost get me a heart attack, but then I remember the last 12 hours, or what felt like the last 12 hours of my life.

I guess here the time ticking differently than at home.

I guess here space has a different meaning than at home.

I sit up straighter and look around me, the sea of creatures with different colors and shapes are all over the place. Some of them are sitting down, some are standing, and some are floating.

I look at my right side, as a female made a noise but all my ears can catch are some static noises. I guess the translator is still loading...

"Do you understand me?" The female tilts her royal blue head to me. She has three perfectly round eyes and they blinking one after the other. Her tentacles like hair floating around her head as if she is under the water. She has a round shape face and flat nose with two lines as lips.

But still, what a sight to see.

"Yes, I understand you," I reply to her.

"What?" Well, now I guess her translator still loading to catch my language.

I clear my throat, preparing to speak a bit louder, although I know my voice wasn't the issue. "I said, I understand you, perfectly."

She is eying me with her three different golden color eyes, "Well, what are you? I have never seen your kind before."

"I—I'm Kate, I'm human, from planet earth," I extending my hand to her, as a normal human reflex for meeting a new person for the first time. But the three eyes lady just look at my hand confused.

"Huh, never heard of that planet before. I'm Qe, Where are you going?" her eyes are looking at three different directions, at the same time.

"Tzar," I reply simply.

"Ahh... are you the first of your kind?"

"Yes," The first, and probably will be the only.

"Tzarians are good male. Too stiff, but good. At least you don't need to fight for your honor, or to keep your limbs intact."

Well, what good news. "Thanks, where are you going?"

"I don't know yet. I'll go to Ymel'isgyt Hor'gewsh and see where my adventure takes me." I can never repeat the name of that planet.

"Ahh... That's great." That was the only thing I can say.

She looked behind her and stood up. "Next station is Tzar, you better gather your belongings and get ready."

I stretch my legs and drag my overnight bag from under my chair. "Thank you. Good luck with your adventure Qe." I told her.

"You too, human." I lined up to the exit.

Next stop: TZAR. Please see yourself to any available pods. The launch will be initiated in... FIVE MINUTES

Few females are starting to sit down in what's called pods. It looks like a gigantic oval white rock with no windows, as I was shorter than most of another species of female I don't have to duck my head inside.

I took a seat across another species of female, there are three seats in each pod. In front of me is a dark yellow skin female. She has two eyes and a lot more human-looking than Qe. She has no hair, and no breast, but her somewhat delicate features give away her sex easily. She is about 30 cms taller than me and has very long arms, with two sets of elbows.

Beside me sits a dark grey skin female and she is big. She is tall and very muscular. Even her neck has muscle. She looks like she can fight a gorilla and a bear at the same time.

I don't even dare to look at her face.

I don't feel like I dare to breathe next to her.

As soon as they clip their belt—which I copy immediately—the lights inside the pod turn on. I can see a big screen on my side with some buttons on the sides and some smaller looking screen underneath.

The lights blink blue a few times before a voice from the screen comes.

"Welcome to Tzar. On behalf of Tzarian, I'd like to welcome our visitors and guest to our planet. Each person is obliged to follow our laws and rules and to respect our planet. Any violation against our law will be proceeding straight to our council. Please do not take any Ushk from its natural habitat. Please do not consume any Dahrak or Sahrak in public places. Please contact our law enforcement if you notice any suspicious individual. Please contact our law enforcement if you feel threatened. Please contact our ground staff if you need any further assistance. Thank you."

As soon as the voice stopped talking the lights inside turned red.

"Initiating launch. In 5...4..."

I closed my eyes and pray to any God.

"3...2..."

I will have a different life, as a different person. Leaving all my heartache, betrayal, poverty, and difficulties behind.

"1."

It feels like the pod fell for a few meters before floating—or flying, I don't know—to our destination. There is no window so I cannot see what color is the planet, how big it is. Does it look any similar to Earth?

Earth.

I don't miss my life there, but Earth was the only mother I have. She sheltered me, fed me, and taught me, there will be nothing like her, her generosity, her wrath, her patience, or her temptation. And we ruined her beyond repair. We failed her when all she did was giving her best to us, her ungrateful, spoiled, children.

My hands are fisted tightly beside me, I closed my eyes to try to calm my breathing.

It's over.

It's over.

I'm free.

At last.

The ride lasts for what feels like 15 minutes before the lights back to normal. I heard a soft clicking noise and the two other female unbuckled their belt and the door parted open. Cold air entered our pod. The other females grabbed their things and walk out, I follow them.

We line up in front of what looks like a row of round glass doors. Inside I can see a camera and a screen. Each person who gets behind the door facing the camera, they stand still for a few seconds before the screens light up and their pictures along with their data showed on the screen. And soon enough comes my turn.

I place my bag next to my feet and faced the camera. For a while nothing appeared on the screen but then my face and my details come on the screen, but then a red light started to flashes from inside of the glass door.

Is something wrong?