I told myself, after my first few hours on Earth, I would petition to the overlords to make it a requirement for those within the Cosmic Government to visit the "old and ancient" planet. There was something about it, so captivating. I felt it in within my body the moment my feet first stepped onto its hard soil.

Earth can humble you. Make you value every part of your life.

And yet, the thought of bringing others here with me to sight-see and enjoy the surroundings vanished the second I lay eyes on her.

Luz was the first human to approach me when I first appeared through my dimension portal. She didn't need to, but I suppose a man staring blankly at a large science fiction movie poster wasn't alarming, but curious. While she assumed as I was a fan, I was simply hiding my horror.

How wrong were humans to believe "aliens" were so grotesque. The animals could be, but people? Like me? I always thought I was handsome.

And I think she thought so, too. There was a look in her eye. A need for conversation pulling at her smile.

That's why I talked to her that day under the burning sun. And made sure I could communicate by acquiring a cell phone to save her number. To text her. Call her. Become acquainted with the human that took my breath away.

But looking at her through the outside of Larry's Diner, standing in the pouring rain, I find I can't walk inside. She's found a table near the far wall. A server has approached her, taking her order, only to return to her table with coffee. As water runs down my face, my hair sticks to my forehead, I just watch her drink. And scroll through her phone.

I smile as my phone buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see her name as a notification at the top of the screen. With my thumb, I push it open. Her text has more emojis than words, and I can't help but laugh.

"Are you late again?" her message reads, followed by umbrellas, rain clouds, and upset faces. The very last emoji is a double heart, bright pink. Just like the sweater she wears.

Looking back at the diner, I watch the server return to the kitchen area. Two people to the right of the door stand to leave their table. When they exit, pushing the door open, they look at me, wide-eyed. I can't argue with them. I can only imagine how horrible I look.

Soaking wet, like a sad dog in the straight. Truthfully, I don't care what they think of me. I am only here to see one person.

My hand reaches for the diner door.

And a chirp goes off in my ear. "Franklin Cog—"

I freeze. No. Not now.

"—You have an incoming communications request from—"

I thought I would have more time. Normally, a request for a new clockwork piece took hours. Not minutes...

Inching away from the door, I let my eyes settle on Luz within the diner as she continues to scroll through her phone, sipping her coffee.

"Accept communications," I grumble, though I don't want to answer my call. I had made a date. And I am late.

"Call received."

"Franklin," Leader Mikel's voice echoes in my ear. He sounds cheerful, hopeful. All while I mentally want him to get on with what he has to say. "I've managed to get the Sector to send the piece faster than normal. They have already delivered it."

My mouth slowly opens. Raindrops land on my tongue. The breath I take in is slow, filled with regret. Why did I ask for another piece?

"Oh?" I clear my throat, my eyes still on Luz. I felt if I look at her long enough, my feeling of dread would slip away. She had the ability on me, even though I only knew her for a few days.

I believe humans call this feeling love at first sight. I wasn't sure if that is what I've experienced since being on Earth, but I think it's fitting. Considering I can't push myself into the diner to say the words I need to.

If only Leader Mikel will end this call.

"Well, yeah." Leader Mikel chuckles on the other end. "You've overstayed your welcome on Earth. Not that you aren't allowed to stay, but you understand. We've gone over this."

Luz runs a single finger over her left ear, pushing black curls behind it. I can't help but smile as I see the ruby red earring dangling from that ear. Despite the rain, it picks up sunlight. From where I'm not sure. The light has to be hers and I have no other way to explain it.

"After explaining Earth's current situation, the Sector agreed to expedite the order," he says.

Closing my eyes, I tilt my head up towards the sky. I let the water slide over every inch of my face, hoping the cold moisture will cool my emotions. "Where is the piece?" I finally ask, though I care not to know. I already had the part I need right next to the clockwork machine.

"I've sent the coordinates to your sensor," as Leader Mikel speaks, I open my eyes and look down at my wrist. What may look like a standard watch to the untrained eye is a device that helps me locate portals. And what they send through them. "According to my location radar, it is... well, it looks like you're closer than I thought."

The watch glows brightly, pulsing quickly with the part's location. And I widen my eyes because I know what my Leader is going to ask.

"Franklin, why have you left the clockwork machine?"

Lifting my gaze, I glance back at the diner. Luz hasn't moved. She's staring out the window beside her, at the rain. I can't help but frown as I wish more than anything to run inside and apologize.

"Aren't you working on Earth's malfunctioning second?" Leader Mikel's voice is stern. "Didn't you tell me yourself, with such urgency, that there is more than a single year at hand? There is a decade?"

I take in a deep breath and push my hands into the wet pockets of my jeans. "I did, Sir," I say. Then I proceed to lie, "I thought I would step outside to ensure I'd be closer to the second-hand's location."

"Ah, you did." According to his tone, he doesn't believe me. "Maybe that's smart."

My feet move forward. Two steps. But I do not open the diner's door. "I suppose it is," I say, my voice dropping just above a whisper. "And I will go straight to the delivery and retrieve my item."

"That's a good Cog, now." I can hear Leader Mikel's smile. "Hurry on, fix the Earth, and head off to Poms. I've already heard Maester Rollie has been asking if you'd return. Seems to be the little fuzzball is smitten with you."

Was he? I can believe he is. The last time I was on Poms, even though I was simply a trainee, he seemed to be at my side at all times. A furry companion, in a way. I could say that I do miss him and his family.

But I know I'll miss Luz more.

With a long, hard sigh, I turn my back away from the diner and look down at my phone. I open the text thread between Luz and me, and with sad thumbs, I reply, "I'm sorry. I am running late. Forgive me."

In my ear, I hear Leader Mikel say, "Do hurry. And call me once you're done. I'll make sure your portal is still open and waiting for you."

The small, bubbling ellipses appears below my sent message. Luz is replying. I gulp, not sure if I want to see what she has to say.

But as I walk across the street, hurrying past a car impatient at the stoplight, I turn my attention back to Lead Mikel. "I will let you know, Sir," I say, "and I won't be long."

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. But I refuse to look at it. Not yet. If I can replace the defective hand before it's too late, I'll still have time to truly apologize and say my goodbyes. But until then, the duty I've been neglecting since my arrival calls. And I can't ignore it a twelfth time.

|||

Sector Three is the most trustworthy of delivery quarters within the Cosmic Government. Sure, there were thirty-nine of them, but many failed to do their orders on time. Some Sectors would accept the request of a missing clockwork piece, but take days to fill the request. Others would simply ignore the orders altogether and look shocked when they're questioned as to why nothing had been done.

But Sector Three was never like them. Always precise. Always on time. Dependable.

Unlike me.

My watch's signal leads me to an old abandoned building not too far from Larry's diner. It's rundown enough that no one but the occasional homeless person would pass by. Luckily for me, they weren't around. I think I have the weather to thank for that.

With the rain still pouring around me, I stop just outside the building's door and look up at its broken windows. A crow sits on the far left perch, cawing at the wing that blows, eyeing me. I glance at it, make a face, and clear my throat. Like humans, Brigon's believe crows to be bad omens. Only, on my planet, we called the birds something else.

Oh, what did we call the tiny, little shits?

"All right, now, Frank." Lifting my watch near my face, I press the buttons on its side to shut off the signal. The light within it dies and the face returns to normal, telling time as it should. More precise than Earth's internal soul. "We've got a job to do."

As I step forward, I extend my hand and push open the front door. It creaks under extra pressure. And inside of it is just as wet as the world outside. Rain is pouring in through a hole at the top of the building's roof.

"Oh, sad," I say with a frown, tightening my jacket around me as I look at the building's interior. I'm not sure what it was at one point, but there were stairs to my left; most of them were broken and cracked at each step. Above that was a second floor with connecting rooms, but I can smell the mildew in the air, stronger from that direction. I make a face and scrunch my nose, silently gagging.

"To send the piece here." I shake my head and search for a box with the Comic Government's symbol on its side. "What if it's damaged?"

After I make my comment, I remind myself it doesn't matter. I have a piece. This replacement wasn't needed at all. And that's when I see it, the box. It's beside the stairs, tucked away from the rain falling in from above. But even in the shadows, I can make out the picture of double planets surrounded by stars.

Without wasting any more time, I approach it and quickly pull open the wooden cover. The silver nails keeping it closed spread across the floor near my feet. And within the box, the golden second-hand glows, as if it calls to me.

"Hello, there," I say to it, listening to its quiet hum. The tips of my fingers brush against it before my hand wraps around it, lifting it in front of my face. I turn it twice, left, then right. If I squint, I can make out the engraving on its side:

Property of the Cosmic Government. Planet Earth, circa 52.

My brows lift high on my forehead. "Wow," I whisper to the piece in my hand. "I knew this planet was old but born at the beginning of our time? And it hasn't perished at all?" Laughing, I open my jacket to tuck the essential piece close to my chest and out of sight. "I guess we should all thank the Cogs for that."

Turning around, I'm suddenly filled with pride. I place my hands at my sides, my head tilts up towards the ceiling. My eyes close as I beam inward, absorbing my sudden happiness. "Cogs like me. Franklin Cog."

"Cog?" a woman's voice speaks. And my eyes snap open, terrified.

At the open door stands Luz. There's a brown paper bag in her hand. I look at it, then at her, unsure of what to say. I want to ask her how was she able to find me? Did she follow me?

Or worse... did she see the glowing metal in my hand.

But before I can think of the right words to say, Luz lifts the bag and uses it to point in my direction. "Your last name is Cog? I thought it was Dominguez."

*

A/N: Woo Chapter two! Word count: 4231. <3