The mutation

Where I come from, we call it science," I said.

He looked at me curiously. "What's that?"

"It's when you discover facts that explain why things are the way they are," I explained.

He looked at me, puzzled, so I continued.

"Like how the body functions—why you feel hungry after a certain time, what happens to the food you eat, how trees grow and come into being. All of these things can be explained through science."

He nodded slightly, as if he understood, though I couldn't be sure. His eyes held a quiet interest, but no clear expression of comprehension. Still, I kept talking, trying to bridge the gap between our worlds.

But in the middle of my sentence, I suddenly stopped. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, searing like fire. It spread rapidly, tearing through my insides as if I were being burned alive from within. I screamed in agony, unable to contain it.

Adrian immediately stood up, taking two quick steps toward me. I dropped to my knees, blood pouring from my mouth. In that moment, the realization hit me like a final blow—I was dying. Of all the ways I could have imagined dying, I never thought it would be like this.

Without hesitation, Adrian scooped me into his arms. His movements were swift but careful. He carried me to a stone bed and gently laid me down on my side. Blood dripped from my lips and pooled on the floor of the cave. My vision blurred. Everything felt distant.

Adrian raised his hand, and with a strange gesture, a small pouch appeared in his palm. From it, he pulled out a deep blue crystal, glowing faintly with an ethereal light. I was confused—why was he holding a gemstone? Was this for my burial? Some kind of ritual?

He knelt beside me and held out the crystal.

"Swallow it," he said firmly.

I looked at him, bewildered. Was he serious? I couldn't even gather the strength to speak, let alone chew a stone. The pain was unbearable, and blood was everywhere. I wanted to protest, to ask how he expected me to do such a thing, but no words came out.

Seeing my hesitation, he gently pressed my cheeks to open my mouth and placed the crystal inside. Despite my doubts, the moment it touched my tongue, it began to melt instantly. A cool liquid slid down my throat, soothing and smooth. As it reached my stomach, the burning sensation vanished, replaced by a calming, icy wave that relaxed every fiber of my being.

My body finally settled. The pain was gone.

Adrian, noticing my relaxed posture and steadied breath, began to turn away. But I reached out and held his hand weakly. He looked back at me.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice faint but filled with relief.

"It's okay," he replied softly.

Gathering what little strength I had, I looked at him and asked,

"How did you know that the crystal could save me?"

He looked at me calmly and replied, "It always happens to the newborns here. Shortly after birth, they must be given the crystal—immediately. If not, the mutation that begins in their bodies can kill them. The transformation is too much for the body to handle without the crystal to stabilize it."

I stared at him in disbelief. So the same thing that nearly killed me was something these people were born prepared for? A painful realization crept in—my body must have started to mutate, to adapt to this world. And without that crystal, it would have destroyed me from the inside out.He then turned and left, taking his prey with him. He murmured that he was going to clean it up, and then walked out, saying I should rest.

As he stepped out of the cave, I immediately called for Tinny. It disassembled from my wrist and transformed into a small robot before activating. I instructed it to scan the surrounding air and provide me with a full, detailed report. A soft blue light began to emit from its eyes as it conducted the scan, then it started reporting.

"According to my evaluation," Tinny began, "the air contains the usual atmospheric gases—namely oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. However, there is also a peculiar red substance present in the atmosphere, making up approximately one percent of the total air composition."

"What is its function? Is it harmful?" I asked, growing slightly concerned.

"Not quite," Tinny replied. "But if it is inhaled or absorbed over a period of time, it could potentially trigger a reaction in your body. Whether that reaction is harmful or not depends on the mitobiotic system of the species exposed to it."

"What else can you detect?" I inquired further.

"That is all I can analyze from the air at the moment," Tinny responded. Then, after a brief pause, it asked, "Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"Yes," I said. "Perform a full diagnostic scan on my body."

Tinny immediately complied. After a few moments of silent analysis, it began to speak. "Your internal organs are not functioning normally. They are reacting differently than expected. Your body is producing an unusually high number of white blood cells."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, now more alert.

"I need to conduct a few more tests before I can provide a clear answer," Tinny explained.

I gave it the go-ahead signal. It carefully took a few blood samples from me, then opened a small compartment in its chest and placed the samples inside. After processing them briefly, Tinny stated, "You will receive the results by tomorrow morning."

With its task complete, Tinny reassembled itself into a watch and slipped back onto my wrist.

Could the atmosphere be the reason for the mutation?

I wasn't born here. I'm from another planet. I never received the crystal—maybe that's why the mutation is unstable.

If I hadn't met Adrian… if I hadn't accepted his invitation… I might have died in that hole I was hiding in.

My mission seemed simple: learn about this world—its climate, seasons, agricultural capacity, inhabitants, military power, social structure, and standard of living. Then report back to my superiors.

But nothing is simple when you land in an unfamiliar world, alone and exposed. When you don't know the rules, the language, or the dangers—anything, or anyone, can end you.

I realize now: I need allies.

Perhaps even a tribe. Maybe if I meet others—people or even beasts—I can interact, learn, and survive.

While I was still plotting my next steps, Adrian returned. The sun was low on the horizon—night was closing in.

He knelt and started a fire. On it, he roasted meat from the prey he had brought in: a massive antelope. But what he cooked now was only a small, tender portion.

Where was the rest? I wondered.

But I didn't ask. Adrian was silent.

So was I.

I hesitated, a quiet war raging inside me. Should I speak? Would I risk too much?

What's the worst that could happen?

Finally, I asked