Paul Tree - Prologue

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+ Fall

One day, the sky over the Highlands opened.
In the early evening, as the clouds above Dunfermline, Scotland turned the color of rusted iron, something like a heated metal pillar pierced the sky - dropping through the clouds like steel plunged into oil, then shooting back upward just as swiftly, tearing the clouds apart like silk.

Foundation researcher Ken Lee, assigned to the northeastern Scotland sector of the UK branch, was investigating the strange phenomenon in the drizzle when his radio crackled to life.

//“Attention all field personnel in northeastern Scotland. Unidentified object detected entering the atmosphere near Dunfermline, longitude ██°, latitude ██°. Any available agents, proceed to investigate.”//

Ken had been about to examine the sudden beam of light that had appeared without any corresponding astronomical event. He raised his radio to reply.

“This is Ken Lee, UK Branch Field Dispatch. Heading out to survey.”

He tightened his raincoat and hiking boots and began walking toward the coordinates.

When he arrived, the scene before him resembled a small circular burn field. Steam rose as the drizzle and dew evaporated from the still-warm impact site, filling the air with the smell of soil and metal. At its center lay a round, birdlike object - its feathers ashen but faintly white beneath the soot.

Ken pulled on gloves and a gas mask, stepping across the edge of the scorched grass toward the strange being.

**Twitch-**

It was alive. Under the blacklight-tinged beam of his flashlight, fluorescent blood was seeping out. Ken raised his radio.

> “The unidentified object appears to be a spherical avian organism, roughly one meter across. Severely injured but conscious-”

Then, its wing brushed against his ankle.

> “Un... i... den... ti... fied...?”

No mistake. Even through the noise of rain and wind, it was mimicking speech - clumsily, but unmistakably. Moments later, it lost consciousness and collapsed.

Whether it was scientific curiosity or human compassion, Ken didn’t know. But ignoring protocol, he gathered the fragile creature into his arms and hurried down the mountain.

-----

+ Awakening

When it opened its eyes, it found itself surrounded by white walls. The lights were just as white, stabbing into its vision. Nearby stood a massive desk, and beside it, a perch with small stairs attached - childlike in design but almost as tall as the desk. Strange, yes, but given its aching body and lack of strength, the structure’s size made it easier to climb.

It closed its eyes and tried to recall what had happened. It had been flying - and then, a flash of lightning - and when it awoke, it was here. It vaguely remembered a long, cow-shaped creature mumbling something, but it couldn’t tell if that memory was dream or reality.

Whatever the word was, it echoed faintly in its mind.

Its wings throbbed. The flight feathers had been cut off, exposing raw skin where a needle was inserted. From a glass vial marked with unfamiliar symbols, a yellow fluid dripped slowly into its body. Whether poison or medicine, it couldn’t tell - but it knew it wanted no more of it. Yet with its flight feathers gone, it was in no position to resist.

Cutting a creature’s flight feathers - what a humiliation.

Then, one wall turned transparent. On the other side stood that strange creature from its dream - now wearing a white coat, accompanied by others.

*Ah. So it was a dream after all.*

It closed its eyes again.

-----

For nearly three days, Ken’s only interaction with the strange organism had been through data - graphs and charts showing enzyme concentrations and ECG readings. The being behind the glass was still, breathing but motionless. Thankfully, the poultry-grade nutrients and antibiotics secured in haste by the veterinary team had worked; they hadn’t lost a valuable subject.

But then came the urgent summons. Ken could think of only two possibilities: either its condition had worsened - or it had awakened. Either way, he had to hurry.

When he burst into the lab, the security officers and junior researchers already there turned in surprise.

“Sir - why are you in such a rush -”
“Forget that. What’s the subject’s status?”
“Stable. Conscious.”

The latter. Ken sighed in relief and turned toward the glass.

On the mattress, the creature rolled its round black eyes, scanning the room. Then, a faint chirp escaped its beak -

“Unidentified...”

There was no mistaking it. It wasn’t a cry of pain or a random vocalization. It was the same word he’d heard before. At first, he thought it might be a hallucination from exhaustion - but then its black tongue moved again.

“Unidentified.”

Their eyes met. Just for a moment. But in those pitch-black, irisless eyes, Ken sensed awareness. Then the creature’s eyelids closed.

Its vitals were normal. Brainwaves drifted slowly from beta to alpha, alpha to theta, theta to delta. It was merely asleep.

Ken, however, was wide awake. A speaking extraterrestrial! He pulled out his PDA and began typing notes.

> The subject appears capable of speech or at least vocal mimicry.
> Repeated the first heard word “unidentified” without mispronunciation. Comprehension uncertain.
> Further experimentation recommended.
>
> Note: The utterance seemed intentional. Possible attempt at communication rather than reflex or mimicry.

Ken left the lab after several hours, yet the word “unidentified” lingered in his mind.

How strange - how the way it pronounced that word made it seem least unidentified of all.

Thus, the first word between them was shared. And its echo did not fade easily.

Paul Tree - Prologue

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