The sun had not yet risen, but Kane clearly saw the silhouette of a tall figure. In his hands he held a strange device that emitted a crimson glow, casting light across the clearing. The man was dressed oddly – in a heavy, leather-like cloak of a dirty green color, trousers of the same shade with ridges of some matte, dark-blue-tinged metal, and massive boots to match the rest of the outfit.

With a gesture he motioned for Kane to stay on the ground. Still feeling weak, Kane thought it unwise to remain lying in front of a stranger and tried to stand anyway, but his head spun and he nearly collapsed. The stranger caught him, helped him sit, and placed in his palm a small plate the size of a coin, indicating with his hand that it should be pressed against his temple.

The plate was perfectly smooth, pleasant to the touch, and somehow clung to his palm like a magnet. It shifted its hue to match his skin, becoming almost invisible and weightless. No sooner had Kane pressed it to his head than he distinctly heard a powerful voice.

«Greetings, Earthman!»

«Hello», Kane replied politely and cautiously, once the nausea had subsided and the dizziness had passed – too astonished by everything happening to say anything more coherent. «Yeah… hello», he repeated uncertainly. Or rather, he thought it.

«How convenient», he muttered. «If it’s not too much trouble, could you briefly explain what just happened here, and who you are?»

«I came from afar», the alien answered, pointing to the sky. «From a very distant star.»

«Wonderful», Kane replied, a little resentfully, suddenly feeling like a native from the time of Columbus. «For such a highly intellectual conversation we could have done without this mind-gadget. And by the way, it wouldn’t hurt if you turned the volume down a bit!»

«My apologies, native», the alien caught the word from the torrent of Kane’s scattered thoughts. «You were seriously injured by the shockwave of the teleport. That… mm… happened by accident.» There was a trace of embarrassment in his thoughts. «I had to heal your injuries while you were unconscious.»

«All right», Kane said, taking a deep breath and exhaling. «First of all, my name is Kane. Second… thank you for patching me up – my knee doesn’t even ache anymore. Ever thought of applying to a local clinic? You’d be priceless there», he tried to joke. «And what’s your name? Where are the rest of your…»

Kane wanted to say «alien people», but it didn’t seem polite or appropriate. «…I mean, the others – the ones our news channels are buzzing about?» he finished with difficulty.

«I came here alone», the stranger replied. «My name is Maarv. And what is a «clinic»?»

«Oh», Kane perked up at last. «It’s a place where specially trained people try, in cases of urgent need, to do what you just did, but usually without success. Well, yes, sometimes someone gets lucky – in exceptional cases. There are still doctors with a real gift, but they’re very rare.»

«These ‘doctors with a real gift’», Maarv repeated in surprise. «They can regenerate organic matter?»

Kane scratched the back of his head, thinking. Of course, part of him wanted to exaggerate a little for this seemingly pompous guest – out of pride and solidarity for his planet and his people. But on the other hand, his conscience and common sense told him it would be wrong to mislead Maarv, whose large golden eyes radiated sincerity, openness, and a kind of childlike wonder. Kane felt ashamed of his sly thought, coughed awkwardly, and looked away.

«I think humanity is still very, very far from such abilities. To us, it looks like a miracle. Probably no person has ever lived who didn’t dream of wonders like teleportation, regeneration, or eternal life.»

Maarv paused, lowering his gaze for a moment as if weighing each word, then looked back at Kane. «We have been studying your emotional nature for quite some time», he said slowly, «and have concluded that humans are not yet ready to live long lives – you lack the necessary experience, for you have never had such opportunities.» He lifted one hand slightly, as though brushing aside an invisible objection. «On the other hand, human psychology remains a great mystery to us precisely because of this brevity, and perhaps if your lives were much longer, your values and perceptions would become clearer to us.»

He let out a quiet breath, his golden eyes narrowing in thought. «With your current priorities, a long life could become a difficult burden, a heavy load, losing its sharpness and meaning.» A faint, almost apologetic smile crossed his face. «One of the reasons I came here is to learn to understand you – to discover what drives you, and whether we can cooperate in the future. Much depends on this.»

His expression grew more intent. «I would very much like you to take me to your keepers of wisdom, or your elders.»

Kane tried to make sense of everything Maarv had said, realizing he meant contact with some high-ranking government official. But, he thought, what good would come of those long-since complacent bureaucrats, equally distant from real people, their daily needs, and reality itself? The only true «elder» he could think of was the old man at the stadium. Yes, in fact, he really was the perfect version of an elder – a genuine «keeper of wisdom.»

«But it’s going to be quite a walk», Kane said, glancing regretfully at his mangled car. «Unless, of course, we use some of your miracle-tech and, shall we say, teleport straight to where we need to be?»

«You see…» Maarv hesitated, a trace of embarrassment on his face. «In theory it’s possible. But to open a portal requires such an enormous amount of energy that it would make my location immediately detectable. My visit was not sanctioned by my command. No doubt by now they’ve realized I’m missing and want to bring me back. That would be extremely undesirable before I’ve completed my mission.»

He folded his hands together, as if trying to steady the thought. «It is far safer to try repairing your transport – that will not require much energy.»

Through the telepathic device, Kane caught all of Maarv’s unease and anxiety, and he realized just how much the alien was risking by taking such a dangerous yet noble step. Of course, Kane thought, I have to help him, no matter what! We need to get to the old man at the stadium as soon as possible and get Maarv into different clothes.

«Looking like this», Kane said aloud, «you’d better not be walking around here.»

At Maarv’s questioning look, Kane explained that it would be wiser not to attract too much attention – just in case. Showing up in public dressed like that was the same as parading down the street banging a drum and shouting, «I’ve come from another planet on a secret mission!» He smirked. «And surely you don’t want to spend the rest of your long life giving out autographs, do you?»

Chapter 5

The car dissolved into the now-familiar crimson glow. Before Kane’s stunned eyes, the wreck of twisted metal began to transform: smoothing, unfolding, stretching into place, until familiar contours reemerged. From some unseen distance the hood and part of the engine came gliding back, settling neatly as though they had never left. The windows followed—splinters gathering into delicate webs before vanishing altogether. Moments later, a flawless car stood before him, without the faintest trace of damage.

«How… how is that even possible!» Kane cried, overwhelmed. «This is beyond belief!»

«There is nothing unusual about the regeneration of matter», Maarv answered almost indifferently. «Everything that exists carries what we call a memory. The device merely restores the molecules to their given state. The real danger lies in overreaching – or, in certain cases, in missing the mark.»

Kane gave a crooked smile. «I wonder, do you still have any ruins left in your world? Ancient monuments, crumbled stones, anything to remind you of history?»

They reached the stadium with the first rays of dawn. A soft pink sunrise spread across a clear sky, promising a beautiful day. Maarv, struck by the colors, stopped instinctively, staring in wonder at the rising sun. «Seldom have I witnessed such beauty», he murmured.

«Yes», Kane agreed. «Moments like this can almost redeem the sheer pointlessness of existence which, in our parts, is not so rare. The average citizen doesn’t get many chances.»

«One must never despair», Maarv said, this time using his voice. It was strong, resonant, and unusually deep. «The future always holds new and uncharted horizons.» He gestured toward Kane as the man handed back the small plate. «The confluator is no longer needed. The analysis of your language is complete, the upload finished. Now I can speak almost fluently, though without sophistication.»

Kane smirked. «That’s already a strong opening. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like once the sophistication comes in.»

The old man greeted Kane with his usual warmth, though with a hint of puzzlement. «Back for another run? And you’ve brought a friend?»

«I’m not that obsessed with my health», Kane said with a crooked grin. «Allow me to introduce my… er… yes, my new friend! That’s right. And he’s come to us from very far away», he added, casting a meaningful glance at the ceiling. «Practically dropped on my head – no better way to put it. And he’s very eager to change clothes!»

The old man, who even at his age caught on to things at half a word, jumped from his chair in surprise. «Well then, any friend of my friends is a friend of mine», he said with a smile. «Let me introduce myself – I’m John. John Bozen. Once a physicist, now retired.»

He opened a locker and pulled out several bags of clothing. «As it happens, only the largest sizes are left. So far, they haven’t fit anyone.»

Dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie, the massive Maarv now looked like a serious athlete straight out of a bodybuilding magazine.

«You could make quite a sporting career here», John remarked.

«Perhaps here – yes», Maarv replied, studying the shoes with curiosity as he pulled them on. «But by our standards I’m fairly average physically. I was always drawn to science rather than a military path. With us, it is mainly the warrior caste that devotes itself to heavy physical training, and to a much lesser extent, the long-range space explorers.»

«Well then, that’s just as well», the old man said with a smile. «Otherwise, I can’t imagine where we would’ve found clothes big enough to fit you if you were any larger. Now, we need to get something to eat. After that, we’ll head over to my shack.»