Beyond The Glowing Whirlpool

Chapter 6: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Today was another boring, uneventful day for Stacie. She's been stuck at the dining hall for the past three days now and hated every minute of it. Besides the work by her specialty, Stacie was also given a side job. She was stationed to work at the dining hall for the time being. A first job that was given on Atlantis to every newbie. Since, besides the chef they didn't have a hired help, all crew members were responsible for taking on different chores and maintenance, which were scheduled and rotated by turns. 

All-day she's been running around serving drinks, brewing coffee, passing around plates, and picking up empty dishes. 

"Good thing at least we have that industrial dishwasher because I absolutely hate this ordeal!!" Thought Stacie, as she prepared empty dining ware for its bath. 

She wasn't alone helping Mr. Stephen with food prep, there was one other person, whose shift had ended much earlier than Stacie's and it was her turn to clean up the dining hall after dinner.

                                                                                         ⚜️

The long and tiring day was slowly shifting to its end, and the dining hall was finally starting to look emptier and emptier. Tired by now, she finally had a chance to sit down for a bit at the bar counter. Stacie plopped her head on the top of the counter, cushioned by her folded arms, and watched the espresso machine brewing a new batch of black coffee for the night owls that might pop in last minute demanding it. She couldn't wait for her shift would be over soon, so that she can get back to working on that one stone shard with some ancient writing on it, which Melinda's group found on their recent expedition to the island. The intoxicating aroma had filled the air around her and the intense craving for some of that energy as well, hit her hard. She pulled out a large mug and poured some. 

"Ahhh!" Ahe let out a long sigh. "Best part of this day so far!" She inhaled the sweet steam, as she gripped a hot cup with both hands, bringing it closer to her lips. "I know it's rather late for coffee, but I myself might end up working on that shard probably all night at this point..." she sighed hopelessly. "Why on earth did captain put me on the evening shift here, when he wanted me to get that thing translated as soon as possible, since it may contain some critical info, as he said so himself." She mumbled to herself frustratingly.

As she sat there, sipping her coffee, absentmindedly watching the room become barer and barer, she noticed a tall, stern-looking figure suddenly walk into the dining hall, dressed in deep blue, that it seemed almost black from a distance, snugly fitted to the body warlord-like outfit. The looks of which resembled a futuristic ninja, or assassin of some sort. The stranger made his way to the furthest side of the hall, sat at one of the empty tables, and absentmindedly stared out the large window. Stacie was hit with a shock-wave of realization as she followed him with her eyes. 

"Hey, that's a..." She froze to the counter suddenly forgetting all about being tired and her coffee. 

The stranger's appearance was so striking and majestic, that it would be hard not to notice him, and yet to Stacie's astonishment, only some of the few remaining crew members there, turned to glance at him, and others didn't pay him any attention. At the back of her mind, she knew it must be because everyone around here was used to seeing Satterans by now. And yet still, she couldn't help her surprise at their passive reaction. 

"So that's what the aliens here look like..." Thought Stacie, gawking at him with a mouth drop open. "Yeah, totally nothing in common with Earth's depiction of them. Especially the little green man version." She chuckled to herself as she pictured a short, n***d green creature, with a large head and black eyes standing next to this tall and majestic specimen."Alice's right... That is one heck of a good-looking alien! And here I thought Frank Traversi was hot!" 

This man had tall, well-built stature, perfectly fit but not overly muscular. With a raven, silky hair that gave out a bluish luster when light hits it. Stacie gazed at him for a good few minutes. 

"Why's he in a dining hall?" Wondered Stacie, as she recalled how unsocial they are, according to everyone around. 

Everyone said that their visits are strictly business, and they never mingle, spending most of their time in the headquarters with the captain.

"So, what brings him into the most packed with people..." She looked around the room and realized it literally was empty now, and the only guest remaining was the Satteran stranger. "...Oh... Never mind." 

She was so distracted by him, that she didn't even notice everyone vacate the dining hall one by one, leaving her alone with the alien. And Mr. Stephen, who was busy, bustling around in the kitchen. 

"Oh! I'm such a..." Suddenly she gasped smacking herself on the forehead. "Maybe he's hungry, and is waiting to be served! And here I am, sitting around and just gawking at him like a total dolt." She sprung up to her feet, made few steps and... stopped for some odd reason, feeling how her heart suddenly skipped a beat, remembering Alice's advice. " But... Everyone seems to be so wary of them. Are they really that scary?" She thought to herself with hesitation, unsure of what to do at this point.

As she stared in his direction, for a moment, sitting there, in that remote corner, she thought he seemed rather lonely and somewhat sad even. That puzzled her... was it just her imagination? She deliberated for a moment, trying to decide whether to come up to him or not. 

"I guess I best go check on him anyway, just in case. The worst that can happen at this point, is him saying no. It's not like he's gonna incinerate me or anything, so what the heck am I so afraid of..."  She made up her mind, and with a deep breath, started to make her way to the beautiful stranger's side. 

She stopped a couple of feet away from his table and felt how her heart was starting to race. Up close he looked even more dazzling and looking at his perfect face so close, she felt her heart thump and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Suddenly all her courage ran for cover, and she froze on a spot, feeling all tongue-tied. Though he knew she was standing there, he did not pay her any attention and just continued to stare out the window. After a moment of hesitation, she somehow gathered her thoughts and introduced herself.

-Hi.., I'm Stacie... I'm on catering duty today... Is there anything you'd like for me to get you?... - She asked timidly.

He slowly turned away from the window and scanned Stacie from head to toe with a long, careful, cold glance and Stacie felt a chill run down her spine. As soon as their eyes met, her gaze got lost in his amethyst eyes and she froze up, staring into their depth. The unusual color of his eyes caught her completely off guard. She's never seen purple eyes before, and it was hard to believe they were real. They stared at each other like that for what seemed like forever to Stacie, and his silent, grim expression was starting to make her feel a bit uncomfortable and for a second, she thought he couldn't understand her.

-You must be new around here. - He finally said turning back to his window, jolting Stacie out of that hypnotic trance of his gaze, nearly making her jump.

"Oh, wow... he really can speak our language!" She thought with surprise. "And so perfectly too, though with a slight accent."

-Heh... is it really that obvious? - She gave out a nervous laugh, trying to ease the awkwardness that was starting to slowly creep into the air around them.

-Yes. Quite. - He replied rather sharply without looking at her.

His reluctance was starting to make Stacie feel uneasy, and she wondered if maybe it wasn't such a good idea to start a conversation with him after all. But then he neither answer her question nor refused her services, so she was a bit confused and it felt awkward to just walk away without clarifying it first.

-Sooo... um... is there anything you want to eat... or drink maybe? - She asked again.

-Absolutely not! - He snapped - I don't have much of a taste for anything that's of the earthlings.

Wide-eyed and taken aback, she blinked, staring at him with a stun.

-I... get the feeling, you're not the biggest fan of the earthlings... - she said, with a nervous smile.

-Your feeling is correct. - He coldly replied.

-What's... wrong with being an "earthling"?... - She looked at him with confusion, genuinely struggling to understand their disdain towards people, who are willingly cooperating with them. 

-What's wrong with being an earthling... - He scoffed - Take a really good look at your selves. Your level of advancement, technology, and strength. Your kind is Primitive and weak. You don't even realize how inferior you are.  - Was all that he said to that, annoyed and unwilling to engage in small talk.

-Is... that all?... Simply because we're technologically not as advanced, and physically much weaker than you? And that's... bad? Enough to hate us? Just for that...? - She summed up with surprise, after expecting more solid reasoning, like they stole something from them, or concealed somethings... But her crew shared every bit of finding on Atlantis with them, and the captain held them in highest of regards from the way he referred to Satterans.

Her response caught him slightly off guard. Getting pretty familiarized with those transparent earthlings in the past year, and learning their quite simple language, he fully expected a different kind of reply. Just like all the rest who considered themselves also "brave" enough to stand up to him before, he thought she, too, will protest and start arguing with him, especially since she is new here, and knows nothing yet. Then it would be easy for him to diminish her confidence by pointing out all their incompatibilities, making her walk away in total defeat, realizing her own insignificance. Just like he's done it to many others. But to his surprise, she didn't deny it. And actually agreed with him! 

"That's a first..." he thought with astonishment "A first inferior to admit to their faults...". He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

-I may be new here, but I'm not ignorant, you know. - She said, reading his thought process written in his quizzical expression like an open book. It really wasn't hard to figure what type of reaction he was expecting from her. - I am well aware of our vulnerability in comparison to your mighty kind. - She admitted honestly - But, why, in your opinion, is it so bad to be the weaker one? - She demanded an answer.

Suddenly all that nervousness of hers was replaced with a strong drive for justice influenced by her upbringing, and her "defense" mode automatically kicked in. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest strategies of hers to challenge a powerful being at who's mercy her entire team was in this part of the world, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that, but she was too determined sometimes, to listen to that tiny voice of reason. Unfortunately...

Her plainness stunned him, and he was trying to collect his thoughts. Did she just... see right through him and figure what was on his mind? Now he was genuinely astounded. She pretty much solved him like a puzzle. Who is this girl? How is it that she's not afraid of him? Does she even realize who she's talking to? She is just a puny earthling female! How could she dare to challenge him like that?! He frowned and said in a cold and ascetic tone, trying to intimidate her;

-This is a tough world, little girl. Yes, you are ignorant. You must have been quite sheltered all your life. In this world, survive and prosper only those who are strong enough and worthy. Weaklings are nothing but a hindrance. A nuisance. They just get in the way. Does that answer your question?

Mind-blown, she blinked, trying to process his words. The Satteran smirked a little, seeing how stumped she was at that moment, continuing to stare her down with a very smug expression.

-Go back home, little girl. To your cozy life. This is no place for you. This is no place for any inferior at all.

-What makes you think, I had a sheltered life? - That remark of his struck at her still aching scars. - One glance, and you think you got me all figured out. You know, I can do that too. Prejudge someone based on first impressions, and I don't even have to be superior to possess that kind of ability.

-One glance is enough to see that you are even more feeble than the rest of your kind here. At least some of them have some sort of combat training, and you have absolutely none. No, you haven't even seen a battlefield in your life. Am I wrong? - He sneeringly scanned her from head to toe.

-No. You're right. I haven't. And I suppose it is obvious. But... - Suddenly she paused. - Wait!... How did you manage to twist this conversation out, to make it about me? I wasn't trying to prove anything here. Especially when I know I don't stand a chance against you.

"Wow, she caught on pretty fast!" He noted, taken aback by her timely slip from his provoking attempt. "Smart girl. And very peculiar too... Especially given how she's addressing me... As if I were her equal." 

He studied her with genuine curiosity. She had a quite petite physique. Delicate, youthful facial features with fair skin adorned with tiny specs* around her cheekbones and nose that made her face seemed almost child-like. Framed with soft-looking, light-brownish hair that was pulled into a messy side tail and fell a little past her shoulder in light curls. Her eyes, he had to admit to himself, were quite captivating. They were the color of clear sky and sparkled with genuine sincerity. She looked like she was far too young and yet spoke in such a decidedly mature way. Far too mature for her youthful appearance. This puzzled him. Though he never cared to pay close enough attention to earthlings in order to learn their individual characteristics, yet somehow, he couldn't help but get this strange feeling, that this particular girl is unlike any other earthling here. She was surrounded by this... air of enigma...

-Then why did you start this pointless conversation? - He replied with more intrigue than a desire to bring an end to it.

-I had no intention of starting anything... - She answered defensively - I was simply trying to do my job of being a good host. This is a dining hall, in case you didn't notice. People come in here for the food.

-And I said, very clearly, I do not care for your food. But you demanded to know why, instead of just leaving it at that. - He scoffed, giving her a mocking look.

-See, again! You are twisting it. I didn't demand to know why you hate our food. You probably never even tried it, to begin with. I simply wanted to know why you guys, hate us so much. And it looks like you can't give me even one good reason.

-I clarified that as well.

-Oh right, it's because you find us primitive. - She shook her head sarcastically - Yes. You're right. We are a much weaker race, there's no denying that. But, we're not entirely as weak and useless, as you may suggest. That's one. And two; you have the advantage in this "tough" world because you were lucky enough to be born into a superior race. But that doesn't give you an automatic right to dismiss those who weren't so fortunate with their heritage, because in case you didn't realize this, we don't get to choose what we're born as, you know. It is something that can not be helped. I didn't ask to be born an earthling, as much as you didn't ask to be born a Satteran. That's one thing we have in common for a fact. Well, whether you like it or not, you are what you are, and at the end of the day, you have to take what you've got and, make the best of it, for better or for worse. Win or lose, the true fulfillment comes from knowing that you gave it your very best shot. And that's exactly what we're doing here. Giving our best shot. And thanks to that, you guys were able to gain easy access to Atlantis, am I wrong? - She paused for a moment, looking at him with conviction. - So you see, not entirely useless. Therefore, don't go around misjudging even the smallest of creatures. You never know what may come to your aid at the most desperate times. Superior or inferior, we all depend on each other one way or another. - She concluded

He was at a total loss for words. It was hard to even pretend to be unimpressed at this point. There was nothing he could say. Even he knew that much was true. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The Satterans did benefit from the alliance with the earthlings. Though they offered earthlings protection in this unknown to them and a hostile environment in exchange for information, they didn't have to do very much, because their intergalactic region was in the middle of a peaceful time. The only posing threats were the pirates, a rogue group of alien outcasts who roamed the space in their spaceships and caused menace here and there. And sometimes the native inhabitants of the surrounding planets they ventured out into for exploring and supply gathering. That job was very easy for Satterans. But other than that, earthlings practically gift-wrapped them with everything they learned and uncovered on the Atlantis. Well, whatever was available to them. And they were doing it at a great pace too. He had to admit, perhaps he did underestimate earthlings a bit after all. The Satteran was completely staggered. No one has ever been able to render him speechless before, but this inconsequential, scrawny little earthling female not only totally blew his mind but actually managed to make him feel a little uncomfortable about his prejudice. He was amazed at her confidence and wit. Most of the other people are either in denial or suck up to them, but she just boldly declared her true mind without even as much as an eye twitch! Despite her frail appearance, she's pretty daring.

There was this awkward silence, and Stacie suddenly felt a queer turning in her stomach as the gaze of his purple eyes pierced hers and she was instantly reminded who was sitting before her, making her realize that she might have gotten carried away.

-P-please forgive me... - She dropped her gaze, turning bright red, hating herself for caving into her impulsiveness. - None of what I said meant any disrespect. I'm just not used to false pretense you see...

"Oh no... He must be furious..." She thought with alarm when he didn't answer "W... what have I done? That's it... I'm in huge trouble..." She burned with embarrassment from guilt, not daring to lift her face.

-W... well I... have to get back to my duties. I bid you goodnight sir... - She mumbled awkwardly, wanting to hide from the burning gaze of those eyes, and turned to walk away.

-Ivar. - He suddenly said, stopping her in her tracks.

-What? - She turned to glance at him with a stun.

-That is my name. You gave me yours, and it is not in our nature to appear uncivilized. - He said as he slowly rose from his seat, and suddenly she was overpowered by the magnificence of his towering, perfectly shaped, and strong looking figure, feeling very small in his presence - Stacie... - He repeated her name with a glance that told her he'll be remembering it and it sent a chill of shiver down her spine.

She blinked at him with a shock frozen to the floor with a fluttering chest, watching him gracefully walk away.

Tiny specs* - Freckles from Satteran point of view since their kind don't have freckles.