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Humans are space.. pets?  (Entry 9)

Masterpost

I sat at the window a lot today, trying to observe the changes in the sky that indicate time passing.  The Lumarians left the house while I was napping, so there’s been no way for me to get back outside and study the flora/fauna.  

If you have time to think about it, as I have, the two suns really aren’t all that different than a moon and sun in terms of placement in the sky at specific times.  I just have to be able to differentiate between them, which is the part I’m still struggling with.  Obviously I cannot stare directly at them for any period of time to get an idea of size, shape, minute color differences, etc, and they’re similar enough that at a glance they look the same.  In addition to this, there’s no time when they’re both in the sky and I can see both from this window to compare them.  Because I don’t have a direct comparison and cannot differentiate between them, timekeeping has been a full-time job.  I have to learn the patterns of the rest of the world relative to the minuscule changes in light outside.  I can’t rely on outside patterns to help me forever, so I have to figure out what’s triggering them instead.  So far, I can say with some certainty that the Lumarians leave at noon.  Which noon, however, I am still unsure.  I’ll use that as a benchmark for the rest of my timekeeping though.  From now on, when the Lumarians leave it is zero hour.  The time between this ‘noon one’ and ‘noon two’ may not actually be twelve hours, but given as that is about as close of an estimation as I can make and relates to the cycle I’m used to, we’ll go with that.

Given that standard put in place, right now it’s probably 3 o’clock.  The main difference between keeping time here versus on earth is that you actually have to pay close attention to which sun is where-  the light levels aren’t as reliable of an indicator.  You can’t see it’s dark and say ‘oh it’s nighttime!’ or see the sky is red and decide it’s either sunset or sunrise- and then decide which one based on where the sun is.  Because there are two suns and it’s never dark.  

Also, time is completely made up and is just an idea put in place to keep us organized.  Because nothing ever actually changes with time here.  It’s always day, all the time, and there’s no night or indication of passing days.  I don’t even know how long I’ve been here, really, if you think about it.  I crashed, then slept twice, and now I’m here.  So is that two days?  Three?  Or has it been longer?  Who knows.  What’s the definition of ‘today’?

I’ve been thinking about time way too much, and for far too long.  Staring out this window for so long is making my head hurt.  I’m going to go run around the house until reality feels real again.

Captain Crow, yours truly, having an existential crisis.

Entry 10

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Humans are space.. pets? (Entry 11..?)

Masterpost

Ah, wow, this notebook has been through it, huh?  

This is Captain Crow.  It has been…  Well, as I established in past entries, it’s hard to track time here, but, it has been a significant amount of time since I last documented my findings here.  Some things have changed since my last entry.  I’m unsure how I’ll go about summarizing it.  This notebook is nearly out of pages, and my old pen dried up a while ago.  If I can recall correctly, it ran out of ink shortly after my last entry, while I was trying to illustrate a page for my hashed-together field guide of what I’ve learned of this planet.  I lost this notebook shortly after, much to my dismay.  You wouldn’t think such a thing would be possible, given how sparse the furniture is here, but I made the mistake of taking it with me when the Lumarians took me outside after my last entry, and as fate would have it, I ended up losing it out there.  I was just trying to make documentation easier, but in the end I ended up preventing it all together.  Ironic. 

Now, this whole thing has been transcribed, I’m sure, to be read elsewhere, but if it’s being read in it’s original state, I’m sure you can see that these pages are well worn with dust, and being written on with something akin to charcoal.  I found this notebook just today, blown up against the side of the fence of this yard, and I’m filling these last few pages with a writing utensil I’ve crafted myself with the resources available- It’s not that the Lumarians don’t provide ample enrichment, they just don’t seem to be able to provide specifically the things I actually want or need.  I am lucky it doesn’t rain here, or this whole thing would likely be in a completely unreadable state.

Given how little space I have, I cannot write in detail the experiences I have had since my last documentation.  However, it is safe to say that it has been more of the same of what is written here- Most of my days are spent inside the ‘house’, or roaming the yard (they let me out freely now- the fence is not scalable nor can I go under or through it; I did try), learning what I can about this planet.  Without the ability to document, I’ve been committing what I can to memory and continuing to attempt to communicate my desire for writing supplies to the Lumarians.  Unsuccessfully.

I suppose it could be considered a good thing that things have been uneventful.  It gives me more time to put together a more thought out plan of escape.  Hopefully I will be able to find a new form of documentation, either after I make my way out of this place or by somehow making something from what I have.  The Lumarians are trying to provide me with enrichment, but their idea of that is a stuffed animal of a dog and a ball of yarn.  Also, a screwdriver, for some reason?  I’m not sure where they get their ideas of what humans like from.

Running out of paper, 

Captain Crow.  𓅪

{Authors Note Below}

Hhahaaha heeyyyy guyss..... I have no excuses. But I come bearing an entry! And a lore excuse for the gap in them!

I apologize immensely for the super long wait. However, I do live by the principle that late is better than never! I figured, rather than letting this thing fall to the void out of embarrassment at my absence, you guys would probably prefer something, even if it's been ?? Two years since the last real content?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I have some things planned for the next entries and I do have a projected plotline for this whole thing, I just need to get it written. I appreciate the patience of everyone who's stuck around this long and showed so much enthusiasm under my last post, even though it didn't contain any real content for the series.

See you in the next one!

{Taglist <3}

(you can comment or message me to be added or removed!  Thank you all so much for your support!)

@fishtale88 @anactualvelociraptor @sorcerersucker @ace-cat-nerd @thatquietkid108 @arataya @klltsun-25 @librowyrm @und3rta13tra5h @felicityroth @crystalalice @walk2574 @spindler-spider @automated-engineer @soren1830 @funfey @opened-rootbeercan @sataninsparkles @demon-cat-goes-woof @alwaysaslutforfic @tyltos @wolfdragonzjedimaster @questionmarksys @armourawk @nerdneeniya @princessaurax @leavemealone-s2 @d-cs @the-one-and-only-vic-lociraptor @lavendermenacetime @somesortapunk @villain-obsessed-word-nerd  @cherallasakura  @catvulture @hornethacker @girl-of-the-sea-and-stars  @lesser-lights27 @catslookingforthemanager  @mybigfatspoonielife 

Hello all!! I wanted to thank you for all the support I received on my last post! I do plan on doing more with this idea, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! While I'm working on the next couple of entries, here's my little sapient guy & the mini comic I doodled that loosely inspired this story :)

Captain Crow,

May I ask your ancestory, and how it affects how you look/function?

{Hi all! Sorry for my absence as of late, life caught up to me! Luckily I've got a break coming up soon so I'll be able to dedicate a little more time to this story. In the meantime, if you're interested in my art and other stories, my Instagram is @safiraandocs where I post much more frequently. (Although the humans are space pets story is a tumblr exclusive) Thank you for being patient with me, Captain Crow will be back soon!}

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{Taglist <3}

(you can comment or message me to be added or removed!  Thank you all so much for your support!)

@fishtale88 @anactualvelociraptor @sorcerersucker @ace-cat-nerd @thatquietkid108 @arataya @klltsun-25 @librowyrm @und3rta13tra5h @felicityroth @crystalalice @walk2574 @spindler-spider @automated-engineer @soren1830 @funfey @opened-rootbeercan @sataninsparkles @demon-cat-goes-woof @alwaysaslutforfic @tyltos @wolfdragonzjedimaster @questionmarksys @armourawk @nerdneeniya @princessaurax @leavemealone-s2 @d-cs @the-one-and-only-vic-lociraptor @lavendermenacetime @somesortapunk @villain-obsessed-word-nerd

Humans are space.. pets?  (Entry 2)

Entry 1 

Apparently, humans are in high demand as pets on this planet.  My crew & I were picked up and separated from one another in a matter of hours.  I suppose this isn’t a bad thing, it makes research easier the faster we infiltrate the households of these sapients.  However, it was somewhat surprising.  

The community is close-knit and close together, with no form of transportation other than walking that I can see.  If I had to make an estimation, I would say this species is technologically at the same place humans were around the early 20th century, although it is rather difficult to tell with everything being so different and I’m not sure that comparison is even a fair one to make.  The terrain here is almost entirely flat as far as the eye can see, and the ground isn’t particularly rough or hard to traverse.  I suppose this species may not have any reason for vehicles at this point in their societal evolution.  

The structures they live in are fairly modern in terms of appliances and comfort.  They appear to be a mud brick composite on the outside, but the inside of the building I was brought to is clean, sleek, and modern.  It stands out in stark contrast to the world outside, which is mostly red sand with spots of what resembles grass.  I hope to further study the sparse ecosystem when I get the chance.

Currently I have no such chance, as I am stuck in the human equivalent of a cat carrier.  I agree with the half of my crew that believes this treatment is somewhat demeaning, and I can’t quite get behind those (who shall remain nameless) who think it’s cute that these sapients view us as animals.  It’s all for the sake of science and survival though, I suppose.  

I’m not sure what the two sapients who picked me up plan to do with me, or why they’ve left me in this… box for so long.  I haven’t gotten a good look at these individuals yet either, and frankly, I do feel as though I am failing at my job as a scientist with these lackluster observations.  I can only hope to redeem myself as time goes on.

They’re coming back into the room they’ve left my cage in-  I’m going to hide my journal for now and update as soon as I can.  Perhaps if they’re coming to let me out I’ll find a suitable hiding spot underneath some furniture; just like the cat they seem to think I am.  --Cpt. Crow

Entry 3

Humans are space.. pets?  (Entry 3)

Masterpost

Much has happened since my last entry, though it’s only been a matter of hours.  As I wrote in my last entry, I was sitting in the cage they brought me to their dwelling in when both of the sapients came back into the room.  I had hidden this journal under my uniform and decided to sit safely away from the door of the cage, lest one decide to stick its hand in here with the intent to grab at me.  Thankfully, they did no such thing.  They unlatched the door and then both stood back a respectable distance.  I have never empathized more with the way my own cat must’ve felt when I brought him home.  It really does make you rethink the way we treat pets when you’re put in their shoes.  Paws?  Haha.  

I waited until they left the room to come out of their human-pet-carrier.  I wasn’t going to let them trick me into walking straight into their hands.  As soon as I was out of that cage, I ducked for cover under the nearest piece of furniture - I’d compare it to a couch- and watched to see if they’d perhaps been hiding out of my line of sight.  They weren’t anywhere I could see from this vantage point either, though, so I considered myself safe and began to plot out my next move.  

I did find myself wondering at this point if these sapients knew of our reputation in the Galactic Federation.  But if this species doesn’t have the universal translators, I can make the tentative assumption that they aren’t space-faring yet and therefore haven’t been integrated into the Galactic Alliance.  I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt here that they aren’t just ignoring the fact that my crew & I are an intelligent species.  

I decided it would be a smart idea to stash my tools and resources in a secure hiding spot, in case the sapients tried to take them from me, and began to look for any loose gaps in the underside of the ‘couch’ I was under to maybe use.  No luck.  It appears as though their furniture, much like their houses, is built from a complex compound crafted from the sand that covers their planet, and is therefore built solid.  

Given as this first attempt to stash my belongings was unsuccessful, I began to look for alternate options.  It would be ideal to plot out a way to navigate the space without leaving myself exposed for long.  While the sapients seem docile, they are so far unpredictable.  I don’t want to let my guard down and end up in a bad situation because of it.  I’d prefer to be overly cautious.

The dwelling of these sapients is sparsely decorated.  I’m unsure whether this is a species consistent or just an individual trait.  Either way, there weren’t very many places for me to hide or stash anything, to my knowledge.  It was supremely frustrating.  I decided to just make a run for it and see if there were any places in other rooms I could use to my advantage.  Worst case scenario, I could just run back to under the ‘couch’.

Luck be on my side, the next room over had more furnishings.  Luck be against me, both sapients were also in that room.  I had gathered too much momentum to turn around, so instead I executed an (admittedly clumsy) side slide under the storage unit(?) directly across from the doorway I had just run through.  From my new hiding spot, I could hear both sapients chittering, which I assume is their version of laughter.  This theory is definitely not bolstered by my own embarrassment towards the actions I had taken.  

Thank the stars, though, neither came after me, AND there was a little nook behind the supports for the storage unit where I hid this journal.  It was a perfect fit, and I will continue hiding it there unless compromised somehow.  I also found this to be an ideal spot for my other gear.  I decided at this point to compose myself and take the time to make long-term preparations; who knows how long we’d be stuck here.  I took the batteries out of my translator (it’s no use here anyway) to reserve them for my radio if needed.  I also tucked the majority of my supplies away so I wouldn’t be carrying them and risk losing them.  I kept on me my swiss army knife and radio only, for emergencies.  Both I kept tucked into the hidden pockets built into my uniform specifically for this purpose.  After I had organized myself, I decided it was time to face the sapients.  It had to happen at one point or another, it might as well have been of my own volition.  

Upon coming to this conclusion, I emerged from my hiding spot and stared at one of the sapients right in their three weird eyes.  (They kind of remind me of goat’s eyes.  Their pupils are horizontal)  The sapient peered right back at me for a moment, then looked at the other.  I turned my attention that way as well, giving that one the same stare I gave the first.  Hopefully very cold and intimidating.  They both looked at each other, and then at me.  I tried to stare at both of them right back, but frankly, it’s quite hard to divide your attention between six eyes.  After a moment the smaller of the two got down onto the floor and extended a pawlike extremity in my direction--  I’d call them hands, but they only have four fingers and are quite round and stubby.  They also have the same type of padding seen on the paws of many animals from Earth.  So I’m calling them paws.  

The sapient extended a paw in my direction, turning all three eyes down so as to not make direct eye contact with me.  I do wonder if this is their custom or just a universal ‘non-threatening’ symbol.  I dared a step forward, which earned a peep of excitement from the other sapient, who was watching from across the room.  I found this somewhat amusing.  Cautiously, because I’m not reckless even when all is going in my favor, I came close enough to put my hand on the sapient’s paw.  This really brought more into perspective how big this species is, as if I wasn’t already aware they dwarfed us.  My hand was only about the size of one of their chubby fingers.

Both sapients seemed supremely pleased that I had warmed up to them so quickly, as the second one came over next to the first and also reached its paw out to me.  I eyed them both suspiciously, but then went along with it and touched the second sapients paw as well.  It seemed thrilled, chirping excitedly at the first.  

I don’t think this species is dangerous, but I’ll need to document them further before drawing conclusions.  For now, though, they just seem overly excitable and appear to believe I’m an interesting, or perhaps ‘cute’, commodity.  

After this first contact, I decided it was important to document the situation, so I slid back under the storage unit to write everything down.  They seem disappointed I’m hiding again, but they know enough not to bother me.  I’m thankful that the sapients that chose to take me don’t act the way I’ve seen human children act around new pets.  I much prefer this over being poked or prodded or grabbed at.  That is all for now.  I’m going to see if there’s a way to clean all of the dirt and sand out of my hair and uniform; this planet is very sandy.  

Captain Crow, signing off.  

Entry 4

Humans are space.. pets? {Masterpost}

A little collection of Captain Crow’s entries to his data log so far to make your reading experience a little easier :) 

If you’d like to be added to the tag list for this story & be tagged whenever a new part of the story goes up, just let me know in the comments of this post or message me directly!  

Entry 1

Entry 2

Entry 3

Entry 4

Entry 5

Entry 6

Entry 7

Entry 8

Entry 9

Entry 10

Entry 11..?

Extra 1

Ask 1

Ask 2

Current tag list (Once again let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!):

@fishtale88 @anactualvelociraptor @sorcerersucker @ace-cat-nerd @thatquietkid108 @arataya @klltsun-25 @librowyrm @und3rta13tra5h @felicityroth @crystalalice @walk2574 @spindler-spider @automated-engineer @soren1830 @funfey @opened-rootbeercan @sataninsparkles @demon-cat-goes-woof @alwaysaslutforfic @tyltos @wolfdragonzjedimaster @questionmarksys @armourawk @nerdneeniya @princessaurax @leavemealone-s2 @d-cs @the-one-and-only-vic-lociraptor @lavendermenacetime @somesortapunk @villain-obsessed-word-nerd @cherallasakura @catvulture @hornethacker @girl-of-the-sea-and-stars

Humans are space.. pets?  (Entry 8)

Masterpost

I did not have to enact my escape plan to get outside.  Unfortunately, there is an invisible barrier between the slats of the fence, so my plan was stunted there.  I’ll have to rethink.  Until then, it’s plan B; which the sapients have made a fairly easy task.  They seem to want to teach me their customs and their world.  When I was writing my last entry, I heard them chittering in the main room and decided to investigate once I finished writing.  I did so, and found them having a meal on the couch.  There was a little tiny (relative to the sapients) table set out next to the couch with human rations on it.  It might’ve been endearing to someone with a weaker will than I.  I approached cautiously, and they pretended not to notice me.  I say pretended because although they did not turn their heads or eyes, their antennas were tilted in my direction the enitre time.  I assume these are sensory organs, likely sensitive to sound or vibrations.  I watched them as I approached the little table and sat down on the floor by it.  I ate my ration while watching them pretend not to watch me.  Once I finished the food and stood up, the smaller one actually turned to look at me.  When I didn’t run away, it got up and came over to sit down about eight feet away from me.  I was prepared to bolt if need be, but I figured it would be useful to have friendly relations with the sapients if I was going to try to learn anything about them.  

The sapient chattered at me, reaching one paw out and resting it on the table.  I tried to speak to it, but obviously there was a language barrier.  After a moment of us both chattering back and forth incoherent nonsense to the other, the sapient seemed to decide to change its tune and start to mimic my speech.  It wasn’t very good at it, but it was making slightly more human sounds than before.  It was somewhat disconcerting, to be honest, but it was an effort.  I copied one of the squeaks I’d heard it make previously, and it got extremely excited and began chattering at the other sapient, who was watching intently from the couch.  

After the sapient realized I could mimic its sounds, it began to repeat one over and over again.  It put both paws on its chest and repeated the sound a few more times.  I copied it, and once again it burst into excited chatter with the other.  The sapient pointed at the one sitting on the couch and repeated the same sound.  The word they’ve taught me, which I assume is what they are called as a species, is ‘Lumarian’.  Of course I’m sure it’s spelled differently in their language, but that’s my best translation to the English alphabet.  They seemed thrilled to be teaching me, and they continued with this word until I got it close enough to their pronunciation that they were happy with it.  At this point, the second sapient Lumarian moved from the couch to sit next to the first one.  I tried to teach them the word ‘human’, but they just seemed to want to teach, not learn.  They only cooed at me when I tried to speak English words.  Even so, this was a huge leap in communication level.  After a few more minutes of it, they both got up and went to the second room.  I followed them, and they opened the door to the outside.  I was almost amazed at how easy it was-  I wasn’t even trying to convince them to let me out, they just decided to.  The first thing I did was try to test the fence, and there was some sort of barrier between the slats that made it impossible for me to get through.  It may be electromagnetic.  I think the fence slats are either entirely decorative or hold the power source for the invisible section of fence.  

Once I gave up on the fence, the Lumarians showed me a few of their native plant species; I didn’t learn any of the names well enough to write down yet, but I’m sure upon inquiry the Lumarians will tell me again.  They have a garden along the wall closest to their dwelling, wherein they grow a mix of their plants.  I’m assuming most are food plants, as I saw them eating some similar to ones I see growing here.  They didn’t show me what is in the two enclosures at the far end of the yard yet.  They ushered me inside after showing me a few plants and realizing I was more interested in looking at all the species rather than learning the names of just a few.  Once they got me inside they picked me up and subjected me to another air bath.  I am still searching for a way to show I’m very much capable of cleaning myself given the right tools.  

When they released me from the kitchen again I came back to my little hideout here under the bed to update.  I think my next major goal will be to learn more about the native wildlife and plants, and at the same time see about measuring time.  There are fluctuations in the light levels outside, but they’re so subtle it’s easy to miss.  Because there are two suns, on opposite ends of the sky, there has to be a time when both are on the edge of the horizon, in theory.  I’m not sure exactly how this planet’s orbit works, though, so I suppose I could be wrong about that.  Once I’m out in space again I’ll have to study that aspect more closely.

Captain Crow

Entry 9

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@fishtale88 @anactualvelociraptor  @dyn-mellt​  @ace-cat-nerd @thatquietkid108 @arataya @klltsun-25 @librowyrm @und3rta13tra5h

Humans are space.. pets?  (Entry 4)

Masterpost

Captain Crow here to say, there is a way to clean off the sand, and it is very unconventional and VERY startling when you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.  I’ll start from the beginning, but just know on a planet where water is scarce they will find other ways to do tasks that usually require water.  

After my last entry, I decided it would be a good idea to try to explore my environment some more since the sapients were not posing any immediate threat to me.  I still brought my swiss army knife just in case, and though I will not specify whenever I’m carrying it because that would be redundant, just assume it is implied.  I won’t risk my own safety by leaving it behind anywhere, plus it’s useful for things other than defending myself anyway.  

I emerged from my hiding spot once again to face the sapients, but instead of paying them any mind I just scurried along back into the room I started in.  (It seems to be the equivalent of a living room.)  There really isn’t much to see, unfortunately, at least not from my vantage point.  From the doorway of the room I just left, which I assume is the bedroom, I can see the ‘couch’ I hid under earlier, a table, and a sort of kitchen area.  All these descriptions are generalizations of course, and comparisons to objects that I personally would recognize.  I could be entirely wrong in my assumptions of what these objects are or what they’re for.  The table and couch are relatively uninteresting to me at the moment, as they appear to just be solid blocks of material shaped for their purpose.  The kitchen area captured my interest the most, so I decided to try to explore it first.  

It really is interesting how many ideas are universal.  Drawers, for instance.  They’re simply a tray with holding space and a handle, and they slide into a space that’s out of the way.  They’re also perfect for opening up into a set of makeshift stairs.  These drawers are a little wobblier than human-crafted ones, which gives me the impression that they slide on an alternate system than the wheels & tracks that we use.  If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say some sort of magnet system.  This has its benefits for me though, as the drawers were amazingly easy to slide open.  I managed to climb up onto the counter with little difficulty.  I considered taking off my boots out of politeness but decided against it in case I needed to make a quick escape.  I wandered along the counter and tried to memorize my surroundings to write here; and here is my recollection to the best of my ability.

Knives are another universal thing, though I would’ve had an easier time using the ones I saw as swords, rather than their intended purpose.  There was a set way up high out of reach, on a sort of magnet strip.  It seems like magnets are a cornerstone of kitchen architecture on this planet.  There was cabinet space above me, but I couldn’t open any without the likelihood of hitting myself in the head.  The counters are made of black stone.  I noticed some appliances that I cannot name the use of as I have no idea, but I can tell you there were appliances that were there.  It looked like four, but honestly, a couple of them probably could have fit together somehow.  

That’s about all I managed to commit to memory before one of the sapients came into the room and saw me on the counter.  It looked stunned for a moment (probably at the stairs I had made out of the drawers, mostly), then I assume called for the other, as that one came into the room as well.  I made a run for it, aiming to jump down off the counter and run under the couch again, but the shorter sapient was too fast and caught me in mid-air.  I fussed for a second, trying to pry my way out of its paws, but the struggle was fruitless and its bigass fingers were concealing my knife.  I decided to save my energy to bolt as soon as I got a better chance.  

The sapient seemed as startled to be holding me as I was to be caught by it and looked to the other for guidance.  While they were busy staring at each other in bewilderment, I sneezed at all of the dust that had been shaken out of my uniform when they grabbed me.  My uniform is supposed to be blue, by the way;  at this point it was closer to a dusty reddish brown.  Spaceship crashes on sandy planets tend to do that to clean clothes.  

Neither of the sapients seemed to know how to react to my sneeze at first.  Then the taller one seemed to connect the dots between the dust and me sneezing and began to chatter with the one holding me. --  I still have no idea how much knowledge these sapients have of humans.  Only time will tell if they are able to provide sufficient care or if I'll have to fend for myself entirely.  I only hope they don't keep me holed up in a situation where I'll be unable to care for myself. 

They seemed to at least make the connection that dust = sneeze and sneeze = bad.  I guess that's one way to communicate I need a shower.  They carried me over to the other side of the counter, across from the one I had infiltrated, and set me in a basin built into the stone.  It resembled a sink, but there was no faucet, and the entirety of the bottom had little tiny holes- think like an air hockey table.  I did try to scramble out, as I was not particularly interested in the idea of being stuck in a glorified splash pad, but the sapients stopped me from getting out long enough for me to realize this was probably my only shot at getting a shower, even if I would end up sopping wet and miserable for a while.  I resigned myself to sitting down and looking pathetic as I braced myself to be sprayed with water.  

That is not what happened though, interestingly enough.  It didn’t occur to me until this moment that on a desert planet like this they probably wouldn’t use water to wash things if they could help it;  instead of being soaked with water, I was instead shocked by a burst of air from above.  It did sufficiently get a lot of dust off, to be fair to this odd design.  The basin itself was somewhat of a modified vacuum system, sucking all the dust away as the sapients blew it out of my uniform with an air hose that had previously been embedded in the counter.  

I explain all of this fairly matter-of-factly in hindsight, but I can tell you that in the moment I was not nearly as levelheaded.  I will admit to startling and jumping up, trying to climb out of the basin multiple times while I was still figuring out what was going on.  It’s a very scary experience to suddenly feel like you’re falling and the floor is trying to suck you up when you aren’t expecting that exact sensation.  I wish I could say it was over quickly, but it was not.  The sapients had to pick me up to try to get all of the dust out of my uniform, hair, and beard, and though they were gentle, it was still rather dehumanizing to be handled like a kitten getting a flea bath.  Although I suppose I was behaving like one, so, fair play.

After they had finished with the air-bath, they set me down on the counter.  I stood there bewildered for a moment, still processing the experience I had just had and the scientific part of my brain working out the mechanics of it all.  While I was pondering how my life had led me here, they sprayed me over with what I assume was some sort of disinfectant and then toweled me down.  Oh, the indignity.  As soon as they released me again, this time onto the floor, I ran off to hide and journal all of this.  I am thankful that they have a way to wash me and my clothes at the same time though, I suppose.  Although I would prefer it if they weren’t involved at all.  

So now I have caught up on writing down my experiences thus far.  I will be looking more into this technology and seeing if it’s possible to utilize it myself without the sapients' input, or at least to replicate it for the settling of desert planets in the future.

End of Entry.  Capt. Crow.

Entry 5