Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! Extra 1

Luna VI query: Set the source to the files of project blue sky.

Certainly!

Luna VI query: Narrate the first test Irisa’s artificial sun.

***
When the doors of the Caladris elevator slid open, spatial engineer Elliott Harper found himself face-to-face with his first in-person encounter with an Irisian—a female named Yelara. With a gentle expression and a hint of yellow on her neck, she gracefully coiled her tail around his hand in greeting, executing the handshake with such fluidity that Elliott wondered just how many humans she had welcomed before him.

The journey through the streets toward the royal palace, nestled beneath the massive dome that encompassed the city, proved surprisingly uneventful, almost making Elliott forget the nature of his visit–to elucidate Amara's fears about the de-orbiting of Irisa. The absence of concerned Irisians swarming him the moment he'd stepped out of the elevator left him wondering–either the public remained unaware of their planet's impending fate, or their trust in Amara had evolved beyond mere loyalty into something unsettlingly absolute.

As they neared the palace, Elliott found himself distracted by Yelara's attire—she wore a flowing chiffon blouse paired with crisp formal slacks, an ensemble straight out of any Earth colony's business district. The observation led his eyes to sweep across the bustling streets, where he noticed an unexpected sight, humans were everywhere, walking alongside Irisians with such casual familiarity that his own presence barely drew a glance from the natives.

Elliott halted abruptly. "How many humans actually live here?" he asked Yelara, his gaze darting between passing crowds. "I mean, I came prepared for strangeness—this is an alien planet after all—but seeing all these humans just... going about their day alongside naked Irisians?" He gestured at a group passing by. "That's somehow weirder than anything I'd imagined."

"We don't have time for a full cultural exchange," Yelara said, her tail stiffening with subtle impatience. "Queen Amara is already waiting for you. But I can give you the three most common human questions and their answers in under a minute—I've recited them so many times I could probably do it in my sleep."

Elliott nodded, a wry smile crossing his face as he realized just how naive his earlier wonder had been. Of course he wasn't breaking new ground here—Yelara's mechanical tone spoke of countless receptions, each likely filled with the same wide-eyed humans asking the same predictable questions. Her offer wasn't courtesy; it was routine.

"Sure," he said, gesturing for her to continue.

Yelara crossed her arms over her chest, her long blue strands shifting with the movement. "Yes, there are nearly a thousand humans living here," she began, "Ryo and Elysira even own a liquor store close by that's filled with humans all the time." She paused briefly before continuing. "For the second question, yes, some of us walk around naked—it's for protection since we can easily use our natural camouflage. And lastly," her tone took on a hint of amusement, "we don't mind if you walk around naked, but the other humans don't like it, and you will likely get your ass kicked."

Elliott fell quiet, struck not by any revelation about Irisian culture, but by an unexpected insight into his own species. The fact that public nudity ranked among the top three questions humans routinely asked during their visit to Caladris left him disturbed, embarrassed even. What kind of person would prioritize that query while visiting an alien world? The thought haunted him through the rest of their journey through the palace corridors, his earlier curiosity now replaced by the fear that any further questions might reveal even more uncomfortable truths about humanity's priorities.

His contemplation dissolved as Yelara guided him through a protected doorway, flanked by a pair of muscular guards on each side. Elliott tensed briefly, but his apprehension faded when they passed through without so much as a cursory question—as if his presence had been expected, even welcomed.

The space beyond shattered his expectations. Instead of the alien looking official chamber he'd anticipated for such a crucial meeting, he found himself in an inner garden that drew his gaze upward to the glass ceiling. Alien foliage spread around them in shades of blue, each species weirder than the other—strange, yes, but the kind of strangeness he'd prepared himself for. What caught him off guard were the patches of green scattered among the azure tapestry, Earth leaves that stood out like emerald intrusions in this alien landscape.

Yelara noticed his puzzled stare. "Nathan's work," she explained, "He's a botanist. Likes to experiment" She gestured toward a path ahead, where a strip of green grass thrived between the alien flora. "Amara's on a bench up ahead. She brings her children here almost daily—they love the grass path."

Taking a few steps toward the bench, Elliott found his expectations shattered once again. Instead of finding the Irisian queen with her husband and children as he'd imagined, he saw Amara sitting alone—shorter than him, her hair just long enough to partially hide her long ears. Though 'alone' wasn't exactly accurate; her tail was wrapped around a leash, and at the other end of it was something unmistakably familiar—a golden retriever, happily entertaining himself with the grass.

Elliott found himself grappling with a peculiar unease, one that took him a moment to properly identify. After two years of constant human presence on Irisa, he'd expected alien wonders or even the now-familiar human integration—but this casual mix of cultures struck him as more surreal than either.

Amara noticed his fixed stare at the golden retriever puppy and broke the silence with a regal tone, "A gift from the in-laws during their visit last month." She released the leash with a flick of her tail, letting the puppy bound freely through the garden as Elliott watched in stunned silence. "They would have brought a cat too," she added with a hint of amusement, "but Nathan complained he did not need any more scratches than I already give him and they gave up on that idea."

Elliott stood frozen, not from fear but from the sheer surreality of the situation. No amount of briefings could have prepared him for a casual conversation about pets with an alien queen. Under the steady gaze of Amara's orange eyes, he felt his composure crumbling, and when he finally spoke, the words tumbled out in an awkward stutter.

"I'm—I'm Elliott Harper. I'm here about... about the explanation of the de-orbiting." He rushed to add, the words spilling faster now, "The main fusion reactor and the backup are ready for initial testing, they will be your artificial star. They will run for just a moment since the de-orbiting will still take a few years to complete."

He caught himself before mentioning the Earth fleet waiting in orbit, their ships ready to combine their weak individual gravitational pulls into a coordinated de-orbiting effort. Then again, he realized, such explanation was probably redundant—as Queen, Amara had likely memorized every detail of the operation that would change her planet's course forever.

Amara's orange eyes landed on him with an intensity that made Elliott feel like a prey animal having its anxiety dissected by a predator.

"An explanation could have been handled remotely," she said, her regal tone unchanged. "I summoned you, the chief engineer, to the surface because I need a confident professional beside me in this moment to reassure my people." Her tail coiled slightly as she continued, "They know the de-orbiting will happen, but they need their fears addressed—fears of earthquakes, of a sudden Alliance attack mid-process—and they need to hear it from a human who exudes confidence." She paused, her gaze still fixed on him. "Something you are rather failing at right now."

Elliott recoiled at her not so subtle criticism of his confidence—a nervousness born not from any doubt in the de-orbiting process, but from the sheer peculiarity of his surroundings and Amara's commanding presence. He realized this couldn't continue. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he met Amara's gaze with newfound steadiness.

"The process is completely safe, Your Majesty. Your people have nothing to fear." His voice contained the firm assurance of an engineer who knew his work. "Though I have to ask, if there's such panic, why wasn't I surrounded by concerned citizens when I left the elevator? The streets of Caladris seemed remarkably calm for a population you describe as fearful."

"Caladris is a peculiar city," Amara said, rising from her seat. She watched the puppy playing in the garden as she continued, "Human presence is significant here, as is the trust in your species." She turned back to Elliott. "But there are other cities that have not received the visit of a single human yet. To those Irisians, humans, hybrids, and de-orbiting are just distant concepts. That is the reason your reassurance and presence on the planet will be important when the de-orbiting begins."

Understanding finally dawned on Elliott—this wasn't about entertaining the whims of a queen who demanded his presence in person, but about preventing chaos across an entire planet. Something shifted inside him at this realization. Though he replied with just a simple nod, in that moment he silently committed himself to giving Amara his full dedication.

Amara's gaze shifted at his nod, likely finding something there that satisfied her. But before she could address him again, she turned to Yelara. "Bring the filming crew," she commanded. "I am ready to address Irisa as their queen."

Within moments, the garden flooded with Irisians carrying cameras and equipment, leaving Elliott with a knot of apprehension in his throat as he watched them set up. The energetic puppy bounced between them, seeking attention from each crew member in turn, before finally settling near Elliott. He found himself grateful for the distraction, absently scratching behind the dog's ears while the cameras were positioned, a small piece of Earth's comfort helping to steady his nerves.

Before Elliott could process the sudden shift, Amara had positioned herself in a specific spot in the garden—where green and blue leaves intertwined, a symbolism that even his analytical mind couldn't miss. She began her speech without ceremony, her voice clear and steady, "Today marks the end of a long-lasting era of fear, hopelessness, and uncertainty. These shadows will give way to a future of bright cooperation..."

As she kept going, Elliott found himself drawn into her every word, particularly moved when she spoke of how Irisa would forge ahead with both scientific and economic development, finally unbound from the Alliance's shackles that had plagued their species for more than a century. Her words conveyed such conviction that even he felt inspired.

Yelara approached quietly, gently taking the puppy that had been keeping him company. She leaned close to his ear, "Project seriousness," she whispered. "Just explain the plan and reassure them everything will be fine." Elliott nodded, and moments later, Amara gestured for him to take her place and explain the de-orbiting process.

Elliott swallowed hard but pressed forward. As he took Amara's place in the spotlight and raised his head toward the cameras, the wall of orange eyes staring back at him caused a momentary pause in his speech. He recovered quickly, managing an awkward "hello" before his voice found its strength.

"I'm Elliott Harper, chief engineer of the de-orbiting project," he continued, steadier now. "Along with the construction of the fusion reactors that will power your planet like an artificial star, Earth has sent a fleet large enough to slowly and gently guide Irisa from its current orbit. We'll return it to its original state as a rogue planet—but unlike before, it will remain warm and teeming with life. Though you'll be away from a star, I assure you there will be no change to your climate..."

His explanation stretched on for nearly half an hour, detailed and thorough. Only when he'd covered every aspect did Amara return to finish her speech. Just as she neared conclusion, a floating window popped up before him with a message from the orbital crew: "Ready to activate the fusion reactor. Awaiting your command."

Elliott smiled to himself, realizing Amara must have contacted his crew during his address, her timing was too perfect to be coincidental. He issued the permission with a mental command, then turned his gaze toward the glass ceiling just as the evening sky blazed into midday blue. The brilliance of the fusion reactor slowly dimmed until it settled at a gentle glow, just a touch brighter than the stars behind it.

As the test successfully concluded, Elliott noticed Amara had also finished her speech. A wave of yellow rippled through the skin of every Irisian present as they approached their queen, bowing with tails curled around their legs. Only Yelara abstained from the gesture, though she too had been caught in the wave of yellow.

The filming crew dispersed, and several of them directed their gratitude toward Elliott as well, though their interactions were stilted—uncertain how to approach a human, lacking the easy familiarity that both Amara and Yelara displayed. Once the last of them had gone, Amara and Yelara approached him together.

"Thank you for your assistance today, Elliott," Amara said, her tone now lighter than during her address. "You managed to find your confidence after all."

Only now did Elliott register that he was still in that peculiar garden, caught between the familiar and the strange—yet this time he simply smiled, speaking to Amara with newfound ease. "Just doing my job." He glanced around the garden. "Though I have to ask—where is Nathan? I was kind of hoping to meet the men who made all those guys come here thinking they too could marry a princess."

Amara and Yelara exchanged a look, the yellow fading from their necks before Yelara asked, "Are you one of those guys who came here with this sort of intent?"

Elliott laughed, holding up his hand to show his ring. "Unlike some of my friends, I'm here purely for work. I'm just curious about how you're managing everything, given how different humans and Irisians are." He paused, recalling something. "I remember hearing that your hybrid population actually helped secure full funding for the de-orbiting project."

After another shared glance, this time of relief, Amara's neck bloomed yellow once more as she explained with pride, "We have twenty-six hybrids so far. Everyone calls them the first generation."

Yelara interjected in a playful tone, "Amara and Nathan are the only couple with two. She really took that human motto of 'leading by example' to heart."

Amara threw her a displeased look. "You forget I have an image to maintain in front of the human?"

Elliott laughed but kept his thoughts to himself. After all, nothing this queen could say in private would top the time she'd publicly announced how Nathan and her would do their part to resist the law forbidding deathworlders from dating.

Their conversation was cut short when Amara excused herself for a meeting with the elders. Yelara guided Elliott back through the palace corridors toward the Caladris elevator. As they followed their earlier path, the guards as stoic as before, Elliott found himself with one last question before stepping into the elevator.

"Do you miss how your planet was before we got here?" he asked, wondering if they felt the same unsettling mix of alien and familiar that he did.

Yelara took this question with more consideration than his earlier ones, her tail coiling around her torso and reaching for her chin as she paused to think. "I don't," she said finally. "And it's not just about my sister being healed or our planet being saved. Without humans here, Amara and I would have never learned to set our status aside and just make fun of each other."

"I see," Elliott smiled.

As he entered the elevator and Caladris shrank below him, Elliott thought about the hybrid children who would grow up in this strange new world—a world where Earth pets chased alien tails and queens made jokes about scratching their human husbands. He smiled to himself. The hybrids wouldn't see any of this as strange or in-between; to them, it would simply be home.

***

This was an account based on the first test Irisa’s artificial sun. The previous narrative is based on the events after Irisa's exploratory mission. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.