Seasons

There was the aura of the rush, clothing beaten back by the light wind as the area was scouted, lab coats lifting in the warm summer breeze.

"I think we've got somethin' over here...!"

The pride of the F.B.I's investigative unit smirked, breathing easy.

"I'll bet we have... "

"Jones... you need to have a look at this..." a light-haired assisstant prompted.

His smile widened as he looked at the small green tissue sample nestled neatly between the pair of tweezers.

"Look familiar?" the man raised a brow as he adjusted narrow glasses.

"Looks quite familiar." He then turned to look back at the short man currently engaged wholeheartedly in a conversation on his cell. "Hey, Gary! Get your ass off the phone! We've got us a winner!"

________


There was little for her to do as she watched the creature in the corner, illuminated by the soft lamp light. She had finally convinced herself that it was okay to put her head on her pillow as long as the thing was preoccupied. It looked like a male, but like nothing she'd ever encountered before. Under the strange fish-net suit it wore, the lamp-light traced the well-built muscles of its abdomen and arms. A necklace of bones was strung around its neck, twisting in the fish-net. Surely it was foreign in origins. Strange panels of armor graced its shoulders and each side of its hips. More were attatched to its legs and folded out to cover its feet. A thick material-like loin hung down between its thighs. There were strange mechanical devices on its arms. What if it was androgynous? It seemed pretty male. Masculine or not, it was still alien and therefore still an it.

The creature had been kneeling in the corner, tinkering with this thing on its arm for nearly an hour, poking at it. It was so utterly absorbed that it hadn't looked her way once for the duration of its prodding.

She watched the predator curiously, finding it was easier to look at it when its mask was on. Just seconds after coming to her conclusion, it suddenly removed the mask, peering closer at its problem.

She shook her head.

Spoke too soon...

It took a small tool from somewhere off of its body and began poking at the device. The sparking startled her for the umpteenth time but the creature paid it no mind at all, gaze fixed on its problem.

She looked up at the clock on her bedroom wall.

4:50 A.M.

How long was it gonna play with that thing? The sudden sparking and mechanical sounds were driving her mad.

One more spark... and she swore she was going to do something about it.

She closed her eyes slowly.

Five minutes. Just five minutes and then she would investigate.

CRACKLE

She jumped up with a start, eyes wide. Her quick commotion caught the thing's attention and it briefly looked up at her, meeting her wide eyes.

To its confusion, her eyes narrowed.

She turned, sliding her legs off of the bed and planting her sneakers firm on the carpet, breathing deep before rising.

"My God... what the hell are you doing?" she frowned as she walked over to it, peering down over the device it couldn't stop picking at.

With its other hand it pointed. She moved in closer to see. It pointed again.

She sighed angrily. It was a complicated little thing, but it still seemed to have a pattern. Where the pattern broke, a little wire seemed to be out of place and apparently out of reach.

"You know what..." she got up, turning to the dresser on the other side of the room and opening a small box resting on the corner. She took something small out and then returned.

It was the thing's turn to be amused.

"Lemme see...maybe I can fix it... my hands are smaller..."

It made its guttural sounding purr as it watched her anxiously. She took its arm gently, little tweezer ready. Now where was the problem here? Almost immediately she spotted the small severed wire. She put two and two together, lifting it tentatively to connect it.

A little signal beeped, signifying the connection.

"Well would ya look at that?" She looked up at it with a smirk as it took its arm back, typing in a little code. She took a seat beside it as she watched.

"So, You got a name?" she inquired, looking straight into the reptilian eyes.

It nodded.

Oh... There was silence.

...and more silence before...

"Umm... yeah... I wasn't asking for the hell of it. I'd like to know what it is. Your name? You see, MY name is Sharon," she said pointing to herself and trying not to stare at its mandibles too hard. "What is YOUR name?"
It lifted a mandible. Making a funny noise.

She raised a brow. Surely that was not its name.

"What?"

It opened its mandibles again and she listened to the strange noise it made. That was more of an onomatopoeia... not a name.

"...Did you say Gwa-ahTch?"

It nodded and she raised a brow.

"Whoa wait a minute. That is ALL of your name? Whole name? No Last name? Family name? My name is Sharon Weyland."

A crease formed between its eyes and it opened its mouth, voice deep.

"Gwa-ah-Tch. Arra... Kitch."

She suppressed a smile. "Okay... I'm not gonna struggle with that one. You're Tch... from now on. Okay?"

It shook its head, speaking once more.

"K-tch..."

"Cha?"

"K-tch."

"Che?"

"K-tch!" it snapped. She jumped, momentarily startled before finding her nerve.

"Well excuse me for not knowing how to pronounce your damn words... Kuh-cha!"

It nodded, to her surprise.

Oh... well that was it.

"Now what was MY name?" she inquired suspiciously.

"Shhaaron..." it spoke, her eyes widened at the sound of its disturbingly low and guttural voice. "On second thought... don't say anything..."

It growled, continuing to punch in what appeared to be codes.

After a few moments of silence, Sharon spoke again.

"So, are you..." she trailed off, thinking it better not to ask. She was doing so well. Why offend it now? She looked up, surprised to see that it's gaze was on her. It was still waiting. She swallowed, continuing. Oh to hell with it. "...What are you?"

It looked confused for a moment.

"...A guy? A male? Man or Woman? Male or female?"

He knew what she was asking. He was just wondering why the hell it was she couldn't tell as he turned back to his devices. He could either struggle with trying to tell her in her language, or he could simply show her.

She had stopped anticipating an answer when it stood. She looked up at it, wondering what it was doing. It fumbled with something on it's hip before pulling the strangely intricate loin cloth aside.

She was shocked for a good moment, staring up at the obvious genetalia. She stared at it...

...and stared at it... jaw dropped.

"Is that a..." her right hand came up, index extended. The dark tampered with her depth perception as she accidentally poked it.

He growled visciously, mouth spread wide, the both loud and aggressive nature of its snarl causing her to jump back, hands up non-threatening.

"Whoa... SORRY!.. Just lookin... God.."
He turned quickly, securing his protection once more with an angry set of clicks and growls.

Sharon shook her head. No doubt about it.

IT... was indeed a MALE. And like any male, very protective of its manhood.

She decided best to leave that subject alone. She stood, surveying her room. There wasn't much for her to be doing right now, perhaps calling out of work for the rest of the month, but the phones were dead.

About the most she was willing to do at this point was take a nap. It would be morning soon anyway. Without a second thought she turned, heading back toward her bed. A hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"What?"

He shook his head, pointing toward the window where her bed sat.

"So, I can't sleep?"

He shook his head once more before putting his mask back on. He motioned for her to follow him, heading downstairs for the exit.

She followed cautiously, praying no more long-skulled creatures were creeping about...