Page 81 of Technically Abducted
"It's beautiful," I tell him honestly, and feel his pleasure ripple through our bond.
"The main living spaces are up here," Tev'ra explains, gesturing to the open areas around us. "Kitchen, communal areas, the standard hydration pool, and one sleeping chamber." He hesitates, then adds, "My primary rest chamber is below the waterline. As a semi-aquatic species, Nereidans find comfort in proximity to water, especially during rest cycles."
He guides us toward a spiral staircase that leads downward. "I'll show you the full dwelling first, then you can decide on sleeping arrangements."
We descend the stairs, and I feel a slight tightening in my chest as we go below the waterline. At the bottom of the stairs is a short hallway that leads to a spacious bedroom. The room itself is dry and comfortable, but what makes it remarkable are the walls—entirely transparent on three sides, providing an unobstructed view of the underwater environment just outside. It's like being in an aquarium tank, but in reverse.
Schools of creatures that resemble fish—but with bioluminescent patterns similar to Tev'ra's—drift lazily past.Aquatic plants sway with the gentle current, their colors shifting in response to our presence. Filtered sunlight dances through the water above, casting mesmerizing patterns across a sleeping surface in the center of the room—larger than a human bed, with a subtle depression in the center and a material that seems to shimmer slightly.
"This is my primary rest chamber," Tev'ra says, his bioluminescence brightening slightly as he watches our reactions.
I try to hide my discomfort, but the idea of sleeping surrounded by water on three sides makes my heart rate increase. It's not as bad as being fully submerged but the thought of spending unconscious hours here, with nothing but transparent barriers between me and an alien ocean, sends a spike of anxiety through me that I can't quite suppress.
Alex, however, is captivated. He moves closer to the transparent walls, watching the marine life with undisguised fascination. "This is incredible," he says, tracking the movement of a particularly large creature with flowing appendages that has paused to investigate our presence. "It's like the world's most high-tech aquarium, except we're the exhibit."
Tev'ra glances between us, his bioluminescence shifting subtly. Through our bond, I feel his realization as he notices my discomfort.
"Alex," he says, "would you prefer this chamber? As a Nereidan, I require water immersion for at least an hour each day, but I do not need to sleep below the waterline. There is another sleeping chamber upstairs that I had prepared for guests."
I feel a wave of gratitude toward him. Even now, he's finding ways to accommodate my discomfort without drawing explicit attention to it.
Alex looks surprised, then delighted. "Are you kidding? This is way better than my apartment. I'd love to sleep down here." He runs a hand over the strange bed-like surface. "How does this work exactly?"
"It adapts to your physiology," Tev'ra explains. "The surface will conform to provide optimal support. Temperature regulation is automatic, but can be manually adjusted if preferred. The transparency can also be adjusted for privacy." He gestures to a panel on the wall with symbols I don't recognize. "Simply touch here to increase opacity if the constant movement outside becomes distracting during rest cycles."
I watch Alex take it all in—this room beneath the water's surface, surrounded by alien sea life, the advanced technology that we're suddenly supposed to live with. His face gives little away, but I know him well enough to see he's overwhelmed.
"You okay with this?" I ask quietly. "It's a lot."
Alex meets my eyes, and a slow smile spreads across his face. "I've spent ten years thinking I hallucinated aliens. Now I'm sleeping in an underwater bedroom on their planet." He shakes his head. "It's a lot, but it's also... exactly where I need to be."
He turns to Tev'ra. "Thank you. For the room, and for..." He gestures vaguely, encompassing everything—the rescue, the answers he's been promised, this new chance.
"It is the least we can do," Tev'ra replies, his tone suggesting he means it literally. "There will be many questions about your previous encounter, but that is for tomorrow. Tonight is for settling in."
The interface panel on the wall chimes softly.
"Environmental customization is complete," Tev'ra translates. "The room has adapted to human preferences." He hesitates, then adds, "There are sustenance preparation instructions in the communal area upstairs. If you requireanything, the dwelling's systems will respond to verbal requests."
I feel Tev'ra's eagerness to show me the rest of the house—specifically, to get me alone. But he's restraining himself, making sure Alex is properly settled first. Another small kindness that makes my chest tight.
"You'll be okay for a bit?" I ask Alex, suddenly feeling guilty about abandoning him in an alien underwater bedroom.
Alex rolls his eyes. "I'll be fine, Finn. Go make up with your alien." His lips quirk in a knowing smile. "We've got plenty of time to figure everything else out." He turns back to the transparent wall, where more bioluminescent creatures have gathered, apparently curious about their new neighbor.
"Much later, I hope," he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear.
Back upstairs, Tev'ra leads me through the main living area, past what must be a food preparation space, and to a doorway that opens into a sleeping chamber. Unlike the underwater room below, this one has large windows facing the shoreline and sky, with no water in sight. The furnishings are simple but elegant, clearly designed with thought and care.
"This would be your space," Tev'ra says, his bioluminescence patterns shifting in a way that suggests uncertainty. "If you prefer. I know your discomfort with water is something we've been working on, but for sleep..."
"It's perfect," I tell him, relieved at the absence of water surrounding the room. "Thank you for understanding."
"Of course," he says simply, as if accommodating my irrational fear is the most natural thing in the world.
He leads me further through the upper level to another doorway. When it slides open, I'm greeted by the sight of a second, more private hydration pool—larger and more elaboratethan the standard one in the main living area, with subtle lighting and a design that feels intimate rather than utilitarian.
"My personal hydration chamber," Tev'ra says, gesturing to the space that contains not just the pool but also what appears to be a workstation and some personal artifacts arranged with careful precision.
