Strangers in the Night - Part I

Posted on Sun Jul 20, 2025 @ 3:36am by Civilian Mathias McPhee & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca

1,393 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: Pangaea

Mathias managed to make his way to his bedroom, after having drinks with his good friend David Scarlet. His slumber was deep, he was smiling, and there were dreams. His smile slipped away as one dream came up. It was that of him becoming a conduit for two entities who saved a planet that was in the midst of destruction. He thrashed about, clutching his pillow against himself. Tears streamed down his cheeks, this though wasn't a dream, it was a memory that had been made into a dream. He was locked inside the dream, curling up in a ball, until he heard a voice or more like a whisper, ethereal in nature calling him from the nightmare.

A gentle touch and a whisper, "A luaidhit [my dear] it is time to awake" Then a gentle kiss upon his brow from unseen lips... almost like a mother does to her child for comfort.

Slowly Mathias opened his eyes, rising to a sitting position, looking about, and seeing no one. He could hear the soft whispers, but couldn't make out the words, yet. He whispered, "What do you want?" There was some soft laughter, then near his ear. "Come, come to the planet below. Come to Pangaea." a brush of unseen fingers against his cheek along his ruddy short beard.

He rose from his bed, pulled up the covers to straighten things. Mathias walked over to where his clothing was kept, picked out an outfit one reminiscent of medieval times. Dark blue long sleeved tunic, dark brown trousers, a pair of well-worn dark brown boots. A dark grey hooded cloak completed the outfit. The hood was down leaving his head bare. Slung across his shoulder was a satchel, which held drawing items as well as pan pipes. Upon his back was a mandolin snuggled inside its protective case.

He couldn't ignore the call, it was as if something were pulling him that way. With purpose, Mathias left his quarters, and walked towards where the shuttles were, the cloak rippling with his movements, furling along his legs.

Upon the shuttle, Mathias marveled at the planet, a beautiful, verdant jewel amongst the sprinkles of the diamond like stars. The shuttle landed gently upon the landing area, kicking up some dust, small leaves and twigs. He stepped out, taking a deep breath of the fresh air, catching the scent of the sea, and... something else. A brief scent of pine, flowers and something else.

Away from the landing area, the capricious wind swirled around him, making the cloak billow out. Then it settled, the cloak drifting downwards. "Which direction do I go?" he whispered to his unseen guides. A slight tug upon the sleeve of his tunic, he looked, not seeing anything though, took it as the direction he needed to go. The guidance was at times a nudge, then as the sky started to darken it was something that seemed like a firefly or even a willow -wisp, beckoning him on. He came upon a tall hedge, which seemed to barricade the way of his path. He wondered once again which way to go, when a moonbeam touched the ground and to his left appeared a path of silver, reflecting the moonbeam which revealed it. This was something he was familiar with, the silver trod. Where this was going to lead him, Mathias knew not where.

Brianthe enjoyed walking through the grove of white trees in the twilight when the bark and leaves seemed to glow with inner light. It faded with full dark, but for now, it felt almost magical. But then, so had the trees when she found them at the top of the beanstalk. The trip felt more like a dream now, but the tree's very presence reminded her it was real.

Once again the unseen escorts directed Mathias as he traveled the silver moonlit path, a few twists and turns some through a hidden entrance of another hedge, Mathias found himself in a place beneath trees with pale trunks and branches. Their leaves having a glow underneath the moon's light. He was filled with awe at the beauty, something gained his attention, a woman moving amongst the trees. He found her steps graceful, her beauty ethereal. He was transfixed wondering if she was the fairy queen of this mystical forest and he had stumbled somehow into her realm. As she neared him, Mathias went to one knee, his head bowed low.

"Forgive me, your Majesty for intruding into your forest."

Brianthe turned, surprised that anyone else was here. When she saw Mathias, she chuckled. "I'm afraid you have the wrong person." Then, looking at him more closely, she added. "I don't think I've seen you around here, have I?"

Rising slowly from his bent knee to his full height, Mathias gave a sweeping graceful bow. "This is the first time I've been here, upon this planet." He responded, with a slight smile. "My name is Mathias McPhee," His voice was a rich baritone, with a lilt to his words, a bit of a Scottish burr. "I thought you were Queen Mab herself, walking amongst these enchanted trees."

She didn't think the queen of the fae was named Mab, but she also didn't think the queen was on Pangaea. "Queen Mab? I don't think I've heard of her. Perhaps Alyssa will know. She's the archaeologist here."

An apologetic smile appeared, "Queen Mab is a part of the fables of a Faerie Queen in New York City. Someone beautiful and ethereal. Though Titania in Shakespeare's works is Queen of the Faeries.. There are Queens and Kings in different countries who have their own fae courts." Mathias paused, realizing that he was rambling, as he was wont to do. He was a bit of a storyteller. Not one who lied, just one who loved to tell stories to those who liked a good tale.

"Ah. I've heard of Titania. And Shakespeare, of course," Brianthe replied. "My grandmother believes in the fae."

"And do you believe in the fae?" Mathias finding it interesting, the piece contains information about Brianthe's grandmother. He leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, one arm encircling it tenderly.

She noticed the way he leaned against the tree, which made her curious. "The Fae here? Yes. Although they're best described as an advanced race with temporal abilities. My grandmother's fae? I'm not sure. I never saw evidence of them back home."

"Where I am from, the town I grew up in, was and still is steeped in the folklore of the Fae. Aberfoyle, Scotland. Doon Hill which is said to be the doorway into the land of the Fairies. The town is magical, and they have festivals, and there is an inn which has things of the fae in it. Quite enchanting." Mathias moving from where he stood, he removed his mandolin from around his shoulder and then removed his cloak.

Brianthe's grandmother would have loved that place. Or, rather, she would have tried to encourage the inhabitants to move to Solaria. She watched him take out his mandolin with curiosity. "You carry a mandolin?"

"I do at times, not always, but tonight yes." a pause then Mathias queried, "Do you play an instrument?" he propped his instrument against the tree trunk, then sat down upon his spread out cloak. "Back in the day, I used to play, for children both young and old." His eyes lit up, along with a smile, thinking of those times.

"No. I'm more of a dancer." She usually didn't admit as much, but she'd been away from home for a while and she was in her garden where she occasionally danced among the trees.

"A dancer, it shows in the way you move. Graceful in your movements, like that of a butterfly or bird in flight." Mathias having a smile. "I dance as well."

That caught her interest. "What sort of dancing?"

"I do love folk dancing, and dancing to just celebrate life and the surroundings. I dance to the sound of the wind in the trees or the music of the sea when it caresses the shore. Or even at times the song that the stars sing to the moon." A carefree smile appeared, "Shadow dancing is fun as well."

(To be continued...)


Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist
Deep Space 5

Mathias McPhee
Civilian
DS5

 

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