Apocalypse Tales Chapter One: Stella's Story

Hello! My name Stella Terrano and I am come from other planet. I born on mother ship come from other planet other gal-ax-ee I think you call?

We land near this spot, many others died. May-be it is that some others survive, I don't know. Our ship crash (I think word is.) I come to this place and find it is place to learn about your planet. I want to learn everything I can.

Soon I find on this planet is in-stru-ment (I believe you call?) to see other planets and galaxy far away, so I try. Is amazing! I can see stars so little and can not believe our mother planet so far away.

Observing humans is very interesting, and also interesting occurrences on this planet. I never see before this thing called "fire" and the humans reaction very strange. They yell loud and seem afraid of this fire! But soon it stop because of water that come from instrument on ceiling.

My body become custom (is word?) to this planet and I learn how to prepare foods to consume. Very strange to eat reproductive parts of other beings, such as the eggs. But I learn.

Here I make picture of first thing I see when our ship land on this planet. I see dwellings of humans, but is hard to reproduce image.

But soon I learn better and here I make another picture with more lights and better reproduction of memory.

My body becomes tired of much learning and I take rest. It becomes harder to learn after I learn basic knowledge. Advance knowledge is hard!

Also I must learn human "culture" (I believe you call) such as "sports." At first the sports frighten me because I believe they fight-ing (I believe word is?) and will hurt. So others watching sport look at me as if I am strange!

Here I am practicing how to communicate. I find this is most difficult to learn. But it is what I must learn the most. Perhaps you can detect that I am getting better? I hope so!

I must write about my learning in order to continue stay at this place. Is very difficult. I hope I do well and pro-fess-or can understand my writing! (You see picture of mother being on my wall.)

I wish to learn about other beings on planet besides humans, so I get a little creature and food for it. I call it "Extra Terrano" because my name is Terrano and the little being belong to me!

I become very "fond" (is word?) of this little creature!

Mmmm! Such sweet little creature! (I think I get lonely on this planet...)

I also learn about plants on planet, and here I paint picture of plants around this dwelling place. While painting, I discover I have learned everything about rendering such pictures!

I study more. Some of the knowledge is very intriguing. (New word!) You can see picture I make from memory of my ship.

I discover there is exam to see if I learn enough, so I must go to take it. I am nervous and hope I do O-K, but I do not need to be scared, because I do O-K. They even give me money to continue my studies. Is very helpful because I discover money is necessary on this planet.

I have party to celebrate success of exam! Here you see friends I make in this new home. Cherry is sitting and Lyndsay (first good friend) is standing. I ask them if planet is always so hot and dry.

Cherry tells me all about weather on planet, and that different places on planet have much rain and snow. Is very interesting.

She gives warning of something strange that will happen soon. But I am still learning and don't know what she mean by word "handcuffs."

My party is big success!

Same night, just after talking on communication device, a strange person approaches me.

I am very confused. I don't understand yet all human interactions, so I think is my fault I don't understand him. Is very frightening!

He even poke me hard, and I am very sad and confused! I am very scared that I make some big mistake with humans and I am in trouble!

Then he puts the "handcuffs" on me and I am thinking that maybe it is ok, because Cherry is making joke with me! (He is also wearing same type clothings as Cherry.) Sometimes I don't understand human "jokings."

Hmm, I have never before been in human transport vehicle, and this one is very shiny and pretty!

It takes me to big dark house and many people come out of house and yell and cheer! It is very confusing.

They give me same clothings as they have. It is actually very nice clothings.

I talk with nice young person there and I see they are all friendly and it is ok. I am relieved!

I "chat" with nice man name Randy and I ask again about weather. He give me warning that humans have devices that can change weather and do bad things to planet. This make me sad.

I suddenly have strange feelings that I am "attracted" (I believe this is the word?) to Randy! I have learned some human interactions so I try to do the "tickle" interaction. It goes well!

Yes I am attracted to Randy! And I sense that perhaps he is attracted too? However, I do not know how this will go as we are different "species"? How can we deal with this attraction?

While we eat food, he tells me he is attracted!

I can hardly believe it! I feel very fortunate to have good human friend.

I finally returned to home base from the strange house. It was very long evening! (You perhaps noticed I have learned past tense!)

I drink caffeinated beverage and think about strange events. I think over all the occurrences since the mother ship crashed. It has been two human years I have been on this planet and I have learned much. I have met many humans and have even made friends with some of them. And I have even become attracted to one of them! I believe it is time for change.

One friend named Geoffrey had moved from one dwelling similar to mine to another dwelling where he lives by himself. He had invited me to see his new home and I feel I should have a similar home. I have enough money from the "university" (I learned that is what this place for learning is called) to move into small home.

I invited Geoffrey to see my new home and he greeted me with "kiss"! Is very strange that one person can be attracted to another person who is not attracted back to him...

I "distract" him by giving secret greeting of the strange "society" (as it is called.)

Then I invite dear Randy over and give him same secret greeting.

Then I try the kiss interaction with Randy!

I believe he likes it because we spend so much time by street kissing and embracing!

Then we go inside and do more embracing, but I will not write about everything (just will mention that human interactions can be very strange!)

I did not only do fun things in my new home! After Randy left, I learned more about communication and human interactions.

I built up my body to better endure human planet until I built it to maximum capacity.

I feel good about learning so much, and hope to learn everything possible!

I continue to learn not only about human planet but about all planets.

Finally, I have finished my time at the university. I feel so good, and there is only small part to finish learning!

I learn everything about food: preparing food, consuming food and how food nourishes body.

I celebrate by eating a strange crustacean being.

This is the last thing I needed to complete my learning -- the hardest one, communication. But I believe I now can communicate well with humans. Since I have learned so much, I feel that I will succeed on this planet and will be happy here!

I throw a graduation party, and invite some good friends: my first friend, Lyndsay, my friend Geoffrey, and of course my dear friend Randy!

Lyndsay has the same fear as Randy, that humans will destroy the planet by messing with the weather. She is afraid a long winter will come. I share her concern about the environment, but I don't try to predict the future. Who knows?

Geoffrey spent the entire party learning chess. He is so serious!

I gave a gift to Lyndsay, one of the pictures I painted, of the flora on this planet. All in all, it was a great party and a good time spent at the university. Now I must learn to live in the "real world" as the university students call it. I must confess I am a little scared, but I believe I can handle the challenge!