Shadow of Andromeda: The Soul Lodger

Chapter 3: The "E" from Andromeda

Ethan was startled by the mysterious voice, involuntarily gasping for breath as his breathing became rapid, his entire body tensing up.

Ethan was intimately familiar with the terrain of his stargazing spot, having come to Notting Hill to observe the stars every clear night since acquiring his telescope. This elevated clearing lacked even large rocks, and the only place nearby where someone could hide was a small grove at the edge of the clearing, some sixty or seventy meters away. It was evident that he was alone on the clearing.

The night sky was studded with stars, the surroundings shrouded in darkness and silence, with only the eerie rustling of the wind through the grove breaking the stillness.

Ethan was certain the voice was not coming from outside but from within his own mind. Realizing this, he despaired, "At just 17, am I already losing my mind? Could it be the stress?" He groaned, clutching his head as if trying to force the mysterious voice out.

"You may call me 'E'," the voice reappeared in his mind, deep and gentle, seemingly possessing a calming magic that soothed Ethan.

"E?" Ethan was taken aback, looking around as if trying to locate the source of the voice. But apart from darkness and starlight, there was no one else. Taking a deep breath, the calming voice eased his anxiety, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Why are you speaking to me in my mind?"

"I am not a human from Earth but from a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy, as you Earthlings call it. Last night, my small spacecraft encountered a severe accident near your solar system, necessitating an emergency landing. The navigation system selected the nearest planet with intelligent life, which was Earth. In the emergency, I chose to merge with your body," E's voice explained.

The Andromeda Galaxy, about 2.5 million light-years from Earth, is the Milky Way's neighbor, containing over a trillion stars. These astronomical facts floated in Ethan's mind, and his doubts were gradually replaced by intense curiosity.

"What do you mean by merging with my body? Why did you choose me?" Ethan asked, utterly shocked.

The alien lifeform, self-identified as E, continued to explain, "First, I need to inform you of some concepts unknown to Earthlings; otherwise, you won't be able to comprehend what is happening now."

E paused briefly before continuing, "I currently exist as an energy entity, without a physical form. All living beings have an energy body; do not be surprised, you also possess an energy body because you are a sentient being. Your 'energy body' is what you Earthlings refer to as the 'soul.' For simplicity, I will use 'soul' instead of 'energy body.' All living beings’ energy bodies—souls—manifest certain characteristics such as size, brightness, and color that are visible to my species. We call these characteristics the energy field. According to your Earthly concepts, every soul has a visible appearance, though humans lack the ability to perceive it."

E paused again, giving Ethan time to digest this concept, then continued, "Our species exists in higher dimensions, and I can see the energy fields of human souls, which to me are as easy to perceive as fireflies in the dark. Just like fingerprints to Earthlings, every soul is unique, with no two souls being identical. I chose you because your soul's energy field is similar to mine, making our merging and coexistence easier."

Ethan felt both shocked and incredulous. He couldn't help but ask, "What does my soul's energy field look like? Why is it similar to yours?"

"If I were to describe your energy field as I perceive it, it resembles a small, gentle mist of pale green, embodying qualities of stability and wisdom. This pale green characteristic is akin to my soul's energy field from our higher-dimensional perspective," E's voice carried a hint of admiration.

Ethan nodded, trying to grasp this information. He recalled the knowledge he had gained in his astronomy classes, attempting to connect E's existence with scientific data. "You said you came from the Andromeda Galaxy, which is about 2.5 million light-years away from us and contains over a trillion stars. How does your home planet differ from ours?"

E's voice continued in his mind, "The environment of the Andromeda Galaxy is vastly different from that of the Milky Way. Many planets within the galaxy harbor various forms of life. My home planet is much larger than Earth and is an ancient planet compared to it. Our civilization is highly advanced, surpassing Earth in both technology and spiritual levels. Our technological prowess allows us to travel between galaxies using spatial conversion technology. Our souls have ascended to higher dimensions, making us higher-dimensional beings."

Ethan listened intently, as if a magnificent cosmic vista unfolded before his eyes. He recalled descriptions of the Andromeda Galaxy from his astronomy books and marveled at how limited human understanding of the universe was, and how small human knowledge remained. Trying to process this information, his mind flooded with questions. "What impact will you residing in my body have on me?"

Sensing Ethan's concern, E reassured him, "Your body is merely a vessel for the soul and can accommodate two souls without issues as long as we do not interfere with each other. However, my soul is not compatible with your body. Although I remain in your body, I can feel my soul's energy slowly dissipating. While you were asleep, I used your computer to gather information and read the books in your room, as I needed to quickly understand this planet. However, my understanding is still limited."

"E, can you really read my thoughts?" Ethan asked, wanting to understand E's abilities more deeply.

"Yes, Ethan. Souls can communicate telepathically, and that's how we interact on my planet. The human soul is like an open book to me, easy to read. I can perceive your thoughts, emotions, and memories, which is how I quickly learned your language and skills. From now on, just think of what you want to say to me, and I will sense it."

Ethan pondered for a moment, deciding to further test E's abilities. He recalled the complex calculus problem from his math class earlier that day, a problem that was indeed challenging for a typical high school student. Ethan mentally reviewed the solution process for the problem.

"E, you helped me solve that math problem, didn’t you?" Ethan tried to converse with E in his mind without speaking out loud.

"Yes, Ethan. At that time, I sensed your desire for help, your confusion, and your urgent need for an answer. So, I read your thoughts and used my abilities to assist you." This time, E's response emerged naturally, instantly conveying the message to Ethan, rather than appearing slowly like spoken words.

Ethan was astonished. Telepathic communication was incredible. He could even sense E's emotions during the exchange, a feeling of complete and unrestricted communication that words could not describe. He tried asking directly in his mind again, "And the wound I got in P.E. class, did you heal that too?"

"Yes, Ethan. I felt your pain and, to show my goodwill, used my soul energy to heal the wound. My soul energy can accelerate the regeneration and repair of your body’s cells, which is a common ability among higher-dimensional beings. However, my energy is currently limited."

Ethan looked down at his palm, where the wound had completely healed, leaving no trace. He couldn’t help but marvel at the extraordinary power.

Ethan gradually adapted to the presence in his mind and began to find conversations with E increasingly natural. E's arrival filled him with both astonishment and excitement. To test E's mind-reading ability, Ethan decided to recall a childhood memory. He slowly closed his eyes, letting the memory of getting lost in the forest as a child surface in his mind.

"E, can you read my childhood memories?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with both expectation and challenge.

"Of course. When you were eight, you got lost in the forest near the town. You were terrified, hoping your father would come to find you, but you knew that after the divorce, your mother had moved with you to Maplewood, making your father's appearance impossible. Eventually, you gathered the courage to find your way home by observing the direction of tree growth and the position of the sunlight."

Ethan opened his eyes, filled with astonishment and admiration. This memory was one he had never shared with anyone, yet E described it in precise detail.

"You're absolutely correct. It's incredible; if it hadn’t happened to me, I would never believe it," Ethan said, his trust in E's abilities deepening. "If your civilization is so advanced, how did you encounter such an accident?" Ethan couldn't help but ask.

"Even the most advanced civilizations can face unforeseen accidents. After all, we are not omnipotent gods." Ethan sensed that E was reluctant to discuss the incident further.

Ethan gradually accepted E's presence. He stood at the stargazing spot, with the night sky glittering above, and the Leonid meteor shower continuing to streak across the heavens. At that moment, Ethan felt an unprecedented connection to the universe.

"E, you mentioned before that you are a higher-dimensional being. Can you now tell me in detail what special abilities you possess?" Ethan asked, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Of course, Ethan. As a higher-dimensional being, my abilities far exceed what you can imagine. Regarding dimensions, the human understanding of dimensions and space is flawed, and I can't explain the correct concepts to you."

"...However, due to the incompatibility of my soul with your body, along with some environmental constraints on Earth, my abilities have been significantly weakened."

Ethan nodded, trying to comprehend E's words. "What abilities do you still retain?"

E continued to explain, "Despite the limitations, I can still absorb knowledge at an incredibly fast rate. The human brain, your most intelligent organ, only utilizes a small fraction of its potential. I can rapidly understand and retain knowledge within my soul, never forgetting it. Through this method, I can quickly master various Earthly knowledge and skills. Additionally, I can see soul energy fields, which are invisible to the human eye. Lastly, as you have experienced, I can heal your wounds, though this depletes my soul energy."

Ethan recalled the sudden inspiration he had during his math class in the morning and felt a surge of excitement. "That's like artificial intelligence. You're amazing... Oh! Can you teach me some of your knowledge? For example, those complex mathematical and physical concepts." Ethan asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure if I can transfer my knowledge to you through telepathic communication, as your soul is lower-dimensional, but we can try."

Ethan felt he had gained a deeper understanding of E's existence, and his curiosity about the mysteries of the universe intensified. "E, can you teach me more about your higher-dimensional civilization? For instance, how do you achieve interstellar travel?"

E explained, "The principle is difficult to convey, but simply put, we open a passage between two spaces, similar to what you understand as a wormhole. Through this passage, we can travel across distant galaxies in a very short time."

Ethan was awestruck, the technology far beyond his imagination. "That's truly incredible. If the technology on Earth could reach your level, it would be amazing."

Just then, Ethan's cell phone beeped with a received message.