Chameleon by Otto Gramm (new reading .TXT) 📕

– Now you believe my words I’ve spoken to you on the cliff. – Captain approached and laid his hand on Alex’s shoulder. – I’m sorry for that shock. Things not always go smoothly here.

– Indeed! – The man exhaled, quieted down. – You were truthful about that. – He nodded toward the window.

– Don’t worry. You’ll get used to. – Kyle shook him lightly and walked away. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Alex glanced to the floor and then to the ceiling.

– Is there a place here I can take a shower? – The newcomer asked.

– In your room, first door on the right. – Diego replied.

– And the second one?

– Emergency exit.

– M-m, – Alex got the joke. – I’ve done some mess there. I hope I didn’t send your friend out that way.

– It’s fine, Dr. Strange! – Skorvi’s velvety voice sounded from the bridge. Then the boy himself appeared.

Calmed, Alex slowly went back. At the stairs, he turned around.

– How come I couldn’t see such a huge machine from the cliff?

– Welcome to “Chameleon”. – Was the captain’s reply.

Twenty-eight years!

“He said the new millennium had already begun... Should it bother me now since I’m so far away?”

Cool water poured over Alex from his head to toe, washing the old thoughts away, revealing new, unknown or... forgotten? His mind hardly accepted the reality even after the shower temperature had been switched from minimum to maximum several times. The white skin on his legs and arms flushed, Alex could feel heat and cold on his body, and yet... A strange fear grew within. What was that flash of light?

He turned off the water and went out through the automatic dryer in the doorway. In the room, he mechanically pressed the switch in the wall. Another person suddenly appeared. Seeing him, Alex froze... The stranger had white skin and ashy hair to his shoulders; his eyes were full of surprise, as if they beheld an old friend, or a forgotten ghost of the past. His own past.

Alex stood naked in front of the mirror and couldn’t believe his eyes. Trembling fingers touched an unshaved face, ran through a faded hair. Once it was copper... He attentively examined his body: for long years of his imprisonment it had gained sharp and rough contours, vein pattern drew clearer though a white skin. However, not a single scar, which was strange since just a week ago he had laid on a surgical table. Alex perfectly remembered all his feelings, when he was opened without anesthesia. He touched his chest where the scalpel pierced his flash, but the skin there was smooth and sleek. What if... Could Shad had healed his scars?

One more thing he couldn’t explain; the thing he casually and jokingly had mentioned during his conversation with Kyle. For 28 years, he almost didn’t age, only a few small wrinkles around his eyes and rough contours on his cheekbones and jaw. Other than that, he faced the same Koldoum he knew since the war. As if there were no scientific colonies, endless experiences, pain, despair, fears.

What was real then? Maybe that was a dream, a long and tedious nightmare? Torture, experiments, everything was an illusion. “Now I’m totally confused.” Realizing that these reflections were not helping, he turned off the mirror.

With a deep sigh, Alex sat down on the bed. The rags that used to be his clothes now lied on the floor where Alex had left them before the shower, totally torn. Now he wanted the most to burn them, like a last memory of the laboratory. He’d better walk naked than... “Though maybe I was a little hasty”, he thought, puzzled. Then he again noticed the package on the table, got up and opened it. Its content made Alex smile. In the bag were couple of T-shirts, pants, several pairs of socks, all carefully wrapped and a tag with his name. His military uniform! Then he felt something hard on the bottom. Alex laid out clothes and took out a book of Goethe’s “Faust”.

”Oh, gods! How did they know?” He thought with amazement. “How did they know I hadn’t finish it?”

He set back on the bed and began to leaf through eagerly. Finding the page on which he stopped, Alex was no longer able to restrain himself and, with his face buried in the book, burst into tears.

– Hard memories, huh? – Mitch’s voice pierced through his thoughts.

Alex sat on the soft bench that he had removed from the plinth, and examined the stellar spaces. Apparently, he had again withdrew into himself and didn’t even hear the Briton knocked softly and squeezed into his room. Washed, shaved and changed into clean clothes he now hardly resembled that savage who had wandered through the jungle for three days and had made some mess here.

– So, how it feels to be a man again? – Mitch grinned and sat on the edge of the bed. Alex’s transformation impressed him.

– Fine! – He chuckled. – I just can’t get used to my shoes.

– Wrong size?

– Size is just fine, but... a bit uncomfortable inside. I’ve been barefoot for ages.

– That okay, you’ll get used. Come, Kyle’s waiting.

Alex nodded and tightened his bootlegs with metal plaques. The shoes he found under his bed looked unusual. It was evident that every crewmember preferred his type of clothes, but the shoes were out of competition. Made of durable and elastic material, they gently enveloped the feet and were hardly felt either on the walk or on the run. Nevertheless, Alex was uncomfortable, as the skin on his heels had lost its thickness and roughness, became soft and tender. His toes were dump so he had to stretch them all the time. Even these shoes would give him blisters.

Rose, he hesitated for a while.

– I guess I have to apologize for all I’ve done here. I don’t know how that happened. Maybe I got scared or something.

– Well, your file’s not lying. – A smirk spread across the boy’s face as he scratched his head. – That’s fine. I’m easy-going. And you looked spectacular, I must confess.

– Still, I’m not getting. – Alex pushed the bench with his foot to make it slide back. – How come I know all the room and shower systems and these wall stripes functions?

– Have you moved them?

– Yeah.

– Have you tried to move the walls?

– No. Is it possible?

– Not for ordinary users. – Mitch chortled. – Truly, even without additional bonuses this ship is full of bells and whistles.

– That’s your thing, isn’t it? – Alex asked on his way out.

– What exactly?

– Intrigues and boasting.

– What...?! – Mitch stopped and stared at Koldoum. – Spanish rat! – Seeing his comrade confused, he explained. – It’s a “dream-time-coach”. To avoid basics-telling and welcoming routine we’ve made here special progs that do it well for us while the newcomer has sweet dreams. This is what Diego took care of. You probably didn’t even notice that you’ve said the last words with a Spanish accent, right?

– I guess not. – Alex knitted his brows. – What a cunning lad!

– That viper likes to upload beautiful epithets into our heads. Once he did it before one task. That was a mess! Will responded to “Lassie”, Nicole and Lin to “Belka” and “Strelka”, and he was “Hatiko”... He always nags that we are slow turtles. Such a dog hunt it was. Cap then cut off all the automatics in his room and Diego had to clean it with his hands... This way. – Mitch said, taking Alex to the side door and then up the spiral staircase.

– It would be faster through the hall.

– You’re a quick learner!

– And who were you on the dog hunt? – Alex returned to the topic.

– Scooby Doo.

They passed the second tier. Like the pilot cabin, it was covered with a massive transparent dome, beyond which a spacious starry sky stretched, like in a planetarium. On the center of the room stood three steel poles from floor to ceiling. How they were attached to the glass, Alex could not see. The entire floor and walls (about one and a half meters in height) were striped with familiar barely noticeable patterns of slots and holes. “What a specter of design options!” Alex thought.

– Gym?

– Yup! My favorite place. – Mitch turned toward Alex and walked back. – I was told that Diego screwed up, forgetting to download you with the ship plan.

– He told me more about you than about the ship. Probably it was Kyle... after that occurrence... he showed me... – Newcomer shook his head to get rid of troublesome thoughts. – I should ask him not to do that again.

– Your business. – Mitch shrugged and turned forward.

They came out on the bridge.

– Life in the space is quite boring so I have to entertain myself. – The boy took out from under his raglan an oblong piece of plastic, put it on the railing, jumped on it and shouting “hee-haw” slid down.

– Mitch, you do it again and I’ll tear your head off! – At once Vivy yelled.

– And that’s my favorite. – Skorvi purred when Alex slowly walked down the stairs.

Except for the pilot seat, the cabin was empty. Mitch went straight there.

– Hello, my sweetie... – Beaming, he leaned over the chair and then his smile was gone in an instant.

– Hey. – Kyle said chilly, as he sat in the pilot seat and looked ahead. Vivy was in the second pilot chair with her legs curled up. Mitch did not see her behind a broad seat back.

– Busted! – He muttered and stepped back.

– Leave your “skate” here and take you place. – Captain ordered quietly. – Getting used, Al? Felling no pressure?

– I’m fine. – Alex replied. He liked that abbreviation. – I’ll wear it in with time.

– I’m not talking about your shoes, but about the walls.

– Still fine. – It seemed to Alex that Kyle looked a little pale.

– Well then... – He stood up. – Vivy, take another seat please. And you get in here. – He gestured to Alex at the chair.

– If you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed. – The girl said.

– Sure.

She stood up, looked at the new with a quick glance and froze for a second. Full lips stretched in a mischievous smile that made Alex blush and step behind the pilot chair.

– Cute boy, isn’t he? – Mitch asked poignantly.

– You’d better to avoid Lin and Nicky for now. – Passing by, she playfully patted on his chest. – And don’t play strip poker with them.

– Thanks. – He uttered hoarsely.

– And what are you up to, Kyle? – She asked on her way.

– Exam. – Captain replied, as he took the mate place.

– The rest can wait! – Vivy spun around and sat cross-legged on one of the sofas near the stairs.

Kyle’s reply was not of Alex’s liking, as well as the excessive curiosity on the girl’s face.

– What kind of exam? – He asked warily.

– Vessel control. Take the helm. – Captain said quietly as usual.

– Are you out of your mind? I don’t know even how to lose the hand brake here!

– You won’t have to. Don’t worry. Everyone passed it unprepared. – For the first time during their dialog, Kyle lifted his gaze at Alex. His eyes once full of sea azure now barely flickered with faded sparkles.

“What’s wrong with him” Newcomer stared at him, surprised.

– Well, if you are dreading... – Captain shrugged and turned forward.

Alex mumbled some curses and set in the chair next to Kyle.

– What must I do? – He fidgeted in a massive seat and glared over the panel.

– Don’t be nervous so for a start.

– That’s not gonna be easy.

A host of lights, devices, screens and three-dimensional images with unknown symbols brought him in a complete stupor.

– Hold the control column.

Alex saw