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I crack my knuckles, contorting my body into a long- awaited stretch as I finally slip the laptop closed filled with the planning of the tomorrows next topic I would be teaching the pebbles. In all honesty, you really have no idea what you get yourself into when teaching a class of BRILLIANT little rocks that can’t help but want to learn more and more about humans and our ‘weirdly wet planet’ … it can honestly even be a struggle to keep up a lot of the time, though I would be lying in saying I’m not the exact same when it comes to learning about Eridians. Rocky, I’m sure is just SICK of-
As if he’d just read my mind, the familiar sound of clanking zenonite against the artificially made wooden door echoes. Id taught Rocky a while back about knocking and the bare basics of human privacy, much to his insistency that yes, I did in fact know that it doesn’t matter and yes, Eridians do still see everything. It’s the thought that counts, and- for goodness sakes I’m COMING!
The continuous banging drives me to actually move my already EXHAUSTED body and let him in. Swinging the door with a bit more force than normal, I see rocky scurry past my side without even a ‘hello’ or a ‘sorry to barge in I can see you’ve probably been up all night working extra hard on your work’. I roll my eyes a little as I see him making himself at home, crawling his little legs onto my couch as per ritual to Rockys very unpredictable boredom episodes. Considering the fact that not only could he keep himself busy for 46 odd years alone back on the blip A and be one of the head engineers on Erid it’s incredible seeing how chronically unstimulated he gets, to which Adrian and I have to bear the brunt of.
“Rocky is bored. Want to see what Grace doing.” Rocky sings bluntly.
Exactly what I had expected. I sigh and push my glasses to my head as I rub my heavy eyes. Despite Rockys persistence for me to constantly be his jester, I can’t help but be glad to see him. They say one must imagine Sisyphus happy while pushing a boulder up a mountain, so if this was the boulder I was punished to push so be it (pun intended).
“Sure bud, I uh have just been planning my next lesson on human evolution. Y’know the usual of how humans live and all.” To that I hear a hum.
“Still wonder how squishy humans survived this long. Always hungry, always tired. Very insufficient life form, yet Intelligent”
I almost laugh, it’s not very often Rocky ever gives the human race grace, let alone call them intelligent,
“Rocky, you DO realize humans are practically the top of the food chain back on earth, we’re not as weak as you make it out to be. In fact, id even say when it comes to factors of survival in hunting, humans most probably take the cake over Eridians by A LOT.” I barely finish my sentence before rocky quips,
“Rocky find this statement very unlikely, Eridians extremely efficient in hunting. Eridians fast and easily ambush prey with echolocation, Eridians hunt in large groups, Eridian body have hard exterior, provide much protection from disease and wounds. Easily superior to squishy humans and their penetrable skin. If humans and Eridians were to compare to hunting and survival strategies today Eridians would win by exceeding amounts.”
To be fair, I don’t really blame Rocky for thinking humans were a little behind on the evolution scale, I mean the longest we’ve ever spent in each other’s company was when I was actively withering away from starvation. So, all and all not the best first impression humans had to offer for Eridians… but still, he had to at least give a little credit, come on both our species have lasted long enough to make it to space that’s a pretty big deal for a species in my books.
“Really? You want to bet on that?” I see Rockys carapace dip in an attempt to nod,
“Tell you what Rock. Since you’re so bored, and since I’m feeling generous enough to entertain this little argument of yours, why don’t we test this hypothesis, hm.”
Rocky trills excitedly, “Yes, yes! We make challenge. You attempt to hunt rocky in weird human fashion to prove how efficient Eridians are when being hunted.”
“Alright, challenge accepted. After my lesson today, meet me by… that tree in front of my house.” I point outside the geometric window to the quickest location point I could find randomly. Yes, I know I’m slowly reaching to middle age, and my body DEFINITELY feels that way with Eridian gravity and all, but it wouldn’t hurt to show off a little and find an excuse to be able move my body a bit more. (not that I’d really had any to begin with)
***
I crack my back as I see rocky waddle his way to the tree I was standing at, he seems well mentally prepared with his stride having a bit more confidence and composure than usual, which, in turn only fuled my motive to win just a tad.
“Alright bud, just a heads up that when I DO catch you it’s no hard feelings.” Yes, I am being cocky about this, I mean I have my entire species dignity on the line hear so I might as well at least sound confident if I do fail miserably.
Rocky responds with what I can only assume is an Eridian scoff, how I had managed to decipher that beats me, “Alright, I’ll stand right here, heck ill even give you a headstart”, I stand straight, resting my hands on my hips as I see rocky get ready to bolt within the timer of his own accord to probably try throw me off, which wouldn’t really affect the outcome but I don’t admit that.
Rocky bolts in a way only described as an exceedingly speedy crab through the lining of the gravel-like replicated beach, I hadn’t even noticed him scuttle away at first, not looking back once. To be honest when I said headstart I don’t think he realizes that I mean a headstart headstart. I just softly whistle, tapping my foot with impatience on the overly coarse sand, checking my figurative watch for more effect. Then do I start strolling down. Rocky is pretty far across the beach horizon at this point.
***
Rocky has ran for what had seemed like forever, his air cycling increasing its process at an extreme rate to combat for his use of energy, he had initially decided the best course of action was to lay low and rest for a while, in fact it had occurred to him that Graces light receptors were the only source of input to mainly acknowledge his surroundings, so that could most probably mean that as long as there was as little light bouncing off him as possible Grace wouldn’t even know he was there.It had seemed although looking back as if Grace hadn’t even given rocky a thought. Rocky couldn’t seem to find his hunter anywhere. Had he forgotten? Why didn’t he care to chase after him? It has only been roughly 20 minutes into their experiment it was almost too easy-
Rockys thoughts come to a halt when the view of a suspiciously alien shaped figure appears. How?? Rocky had ran for what had felt like forever, Grace hadn’t looked like he had even ‘broken a sweat’ as humans would say. Before rocky couldn’t dwell on this weird phenomenon for too long. He bolts from the shadows before Grace reaches close enough to his hiding spot and therefore, be able to conclude where he was. He hadn’t even been able to level out his ventilation system properly before he was back up on his feet, continuing the rhythm of stomping his 5 little stubs in front of him as quick of a pace as possible through the length of the cove surrounding him before he had come to point where had had to stop, laying low against the rocks and giving his little body a well earned rest. It seems he’d finally outrun the meatbag after all…
Ten minutes. Ten minutes of rest well earned just laying before the figure appears, AGAIN. It sort of, for some odd reason filled rocky with a feeling… what was it. Dread? No, no, no of course not. Its Grace, humans have to be the least threatening Earth species on the list of top 10 scary earth species, I mean have you seen cats? Carapace-chilling stuff…
Rocky bottles the off-putting feeling and begins to run again before he can think too much into it, his once confident and energetic demeaner slowly starting to wear down. He had never really considered the fear of being chased, which to that he thought to seem quite pathetic. Yet, why was he so…anxious?
***
It had been a few hours of this repetitive cycle. Rocky was exhausted to put it lightly, and seeing how Grace looked no different from the beginning of this challenge till’ now was frustrating to say the least. Rocky had decided to spend the last of his exceedingly limited amount of reserved energy to get as far away from grace as possible. Pushing his legs once more back into that same cove from hours ago, to finally give in to rest his body desperately needed and just hope he won’t find him. Laying down, beneath the rocks and hopefully out of any ‘visible’ light, gust of heat rushes out his heat ventilators with a hiss.
Rocky lays, and lays. His exhaustion overtaking his finally admitted dread, and before his senses even register ahead for him, he feels the light jab of a stick against his zenonite suit and a sickly smug, familiar voice following,
“Gotcha…”