Chapter 6 - The Closet
905 Words
Mira sat quietly on the edge of the enormous bed for a few moments after the discussion about the sleeping arrangements had settled.
The tension in the room had faded, replaced by a quieter atmosphere as the five aliens moved about their routines. None of them seemed bothered by what had just happened.
Mira, however, still felt overwhelmed.
The ship.
The stars outside.
The fact that Earth was impossibly far away.
And now she was sharing a bedroom with five alien men.
She sighed and slid off the bed.
“Well,” she murmured under her breath, “if I’m stuck here, I might as well see what I’m working with.”
Her eyes drifted toward the open closet.
Curiosity slowly pulled her across the room.
Soft lights glowed inside the closet space, illuminating rows of garments hanging neatly along curved metal rods. The fabrics shifted gently as the ship moved through space.
Mira reached out and touched the nearest garment.
The material slipped through her fingers like water.
Silk.
Or something incredibly close to it.
She lifted the piece from the rack and held it up.
It was a long, flowing robe made from deep violet silk layered with translucent panels. Silver threads shimmered faintly through the fabric whenever the light caught them.
“Okay…” Mira said softly. “That’s definitely not something from my closet back home.”
Behind her, Vael’s voice spoke casually.
“We selected fabrics that would be comfortable for your species.”
Mira jumped slightly and turned.
“I didn’t realize anyone was behind me.”
Vael leaned against the wall near the closet entrance.
“You seemed curious.”
She held up the robe again.
“You bought all of this for me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vael shrugged lightly.
“Humans appear to prefer soft materials.”
“Well… yeah,” she admitted.
She ran her fingers across the silk again.
“I mean, this feels amazing.”
She moved further along the rack.
More garments filled the closet.
Soft chiffon dresses.
Light flowing robes.
Thin layered fabrics that looked elegant and comfortable at the same time.
Many of them were clearly designed to fit a human body.
But the styles were different from anything she normally wore.
The cuts were loose and flowing, some with bare shoulders or open backs, others wrapped in delicate layers that moved with the slightest motion.
Mira lifted a pale blue chiffon garment and studied it.
“…These are fancy.”
“They were selected for comfort,” Rethan said from across the room.
She glanced back at him.
“Comfort usually doesn’t look this elegant.”
Rethan considered that.
“Your species appears to associate comfort with softer materials.”
“That part you got right.”
She held up another garment—a silver silk dress with thin straps and flowing fabric.
“But this is… a lot of clothing.”
“It is practical,” Seyrin said calmly. “You will need garments suitable for the ship’s environment.”
Mira slowly nodded.
“…Right.”
She placed the dress back on the rack.
At the far end of the closet she noticed another door she hadn’t seen before.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“The hygiene chamber,” Seyrin replied.
Mira pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Her eyes widened.
The bathroom was sleek and curved like the rest of the ship. Soft lights glowed along the walls, illuminating smooth metallic surfaces.
A circular basin rested along one wall, water flowing smoothly into it from a thin stream that appeared from a narrow opening above.
Beside it stood a tall glass-like chamber with a faint mist drifting inside.
“Please tell me that’s a shower,” Mira said.
“It performs the same function,” Seyrin explained.
She stepped closer and examined it.
“So I just… step inside?”
“Yes.”
“And it cleans you?”
“Yes.”
“…Honestly that’s better than my apartment.”
Vael chuckled quietly from the doorway.
Mira glanced at the basin again, then the misting chamber.
“At least hygiene isn’t going to be a problem.”
She stepped back out into the bedroom.
The closet full of soft fabrics waited beside her.
“Well,” she said slowly, “I guess if I’m staying here, I should get ready for bed.”
She selected one of the simpler garments from the rack—a soft silver silk robe that felt light and smooth against her skin.
“This one should work,” she murmured.
After cleaning up in the hygiene chamber, Mira returned to the bedroom a short time later wearing the soft silk garment.
The fabric moved gently as she walked.
She paused near the bed again.
The massive mattress suddenly looked even larger now that she knew she’d be sleeping in it.
With them.
Mira exhaled slowly and climbed onto the far edge of the bed, settling herself carefully against the pillows.
Across the room, the five aliens continued their quiet routines as the ship hummed softly around them.
Outside the window, the stars stretched endlessly across the darkness.
Mira pulled the silk fabric a little closer around herself.
“…This is really happening,” she whispered.
And somewhere deep in space, far beyond Earth, the long journey had truly begun.
- Writer
