Log 156, 15th December, Year 3393

No one survives the crash. I am all alone here in this swamp, eating something like meat. I do not know what this is, but it tasted like bacon and reminded me of my favourite bacon burger. I am pretty sure that despite all these months, the Burgerteria in Mars is still available. Right? Alright, back to the point. All our specimens are destroyed. There isn't any left, but I do notice something strange here on this planet. Something rather human-like. I have sketched some of them in the book here so that if any of your kind souls have decided to come and save my ass here, I would be able to tell you the whole story. They look almost like an angel. Their voice as sweet as angels, harmonizing with the sound of crashing waves. I have tried getting some blood samples from these...

= xxx =

"It's been hours you are awake and listening to this, Captain Halton. I need you to explain to me what happened during the crash. How can all the other members be dead, except for you? What did you do to them?" Captain Ranveer questioned as he plopped himself in front of Captain Halton, switching the camera off, snatching the book away from his ex-colleague.

Captain Halton looked towards his old colleague with a soft chuckle escaping his lips like a young child awaiting for more ice cream to be fed to him. He giggled and began mumbling gibberish on his own. "Yeah. Why? Why? Why am I not dead?" He chuckled again as he patted onto the seat next to him. "Come, buddy, sit here with me. Let me tell you a secret. Shh..." Captain Halton looked into Captain Ranveer's eyes deeply and placed his finger on his lips gently, tapping them. "Oh, they are so smooth like fish scales." Halton giggled.

Ranveer sighed, reaching out to hold onto both Halton's rough palms tightly. "Stefan, look at me. Look in my eyes," he said gently. "Stef..." Ranveer started again as he looked around, making sure that there isn't anyone else listening. 

"Look, we are on our way back now. You are safe now. You can tell me anything. What is it that you saw? Why are you like this? None of them will hurt you again."

Stefan's grey eyes looked towards Ranveer's black ones, tilting his head to the side and grabbed onto his palms tightly as he hissed softly, clicking his tongue multiple times. "Can you sing, Ranveer? Sing for me."

"Stef, this is not a game..."

"Sing. I want you to sing for me! Do as I say!"

Stefan's voice was stern and strong, yet at the same time it sounded childish. Hearing his old friend's request, he started singing an old traditional song he had once learnt back in Earth before mankind disappeared and was transferred to Mars. After about half the song, Stefan clicked his tongue again, shaking his head with dissatisfaction in his eyes. He tapped his fingers onto the soft mattress below him, humming an unknown melody on his own. Ranveer studied his friend's features.

They had been colleagues ever since the first mission was given to them. Stefan was a gifted student. Thus, he was sent out with a team of other top score researchers to study on a new-found planet. Instead of having a talkative and knowledgeable Stefan, he returned, partially in daze, mad and staring at his notebooks and logs about some kind of creature Ranveer couldn't put his finger on. Stefan made another clicking sound on his lips, once, twice and then laughed at Ranveer who looked out at one of the guards who were guarding their sleeping chambers.

"See, that is the difference, Ranveer." Stefan started, waving his fingers in the air before pointing on his ear. "They sing differently. As soft as the ocean waves yet as thunderous as the storm. Lips as soft as dandelions and sound as sweet as honey. No one could be compared to them. No one would be able to have their voice. Beautiful. Strong. Fearless and...." Stefan stopped and added. "Magical."

Ranveer squinted his eyebrows before reaching out to massage his forehead. He stood up from his spot, turning to look out at the window of their spaceship. "Stefan, I need facts. Facts which I can explain to our superior, including the reason why the whole team is dead. Magical..." Ranveer stated pointing onto Stefan's nose. "Is not the right word. This is life and death situation, Stefan! There is no time for fairy tales!"

"Ah..." Stefan chuckled. "Why do they have such magical voice, yet a body as horrifying to look at as a rotten mouse? Why, Ranveer, why?"

Stefan immediately stood up from his spot, heading towards the window as he pointed at the planet he had escaped from multiple times, forming an unknown rhythm to Ranveer. He circled his palms on the planet. "Eyes round and large. Scales all over their body. A tail as strong as the crashing waves of the ocean. Gills on the side of their cheeks. Skin almost similar to the silver linings in the skies." Stefan mumbled twice and at the third time, he turned it into a song Ranveer never heard before.

"You are saying that they are aliens? Because that definitely doesn't sound like a human to me. Unless you are telling me, this is a mutated species." Ranveer stated earning a glare from Stefan who was already shaking his head vigorously.

"No. They are angels."

"Angels?!" Ranveer scowled. "That would be the last thing I have in mind. The way you describe them, they do not sound like angels to me!"

"Silence!" Stefan barked out of a sudden causing the man to startle. "If I say it is an angel, then an angel it is!"

Ranveer stood rooted in his spot. His palms tightened into a grip in his pants as he felt his hair stand at the sight of his older friend's looks. Stefan's grey eyes were large with determination that Ranveer was pretty sure if there was a knife right in front of them, he would have to fight the man to safe his own life. Whatever happened in Planet 14, Ranveer was pretty sure it left a strong effect on Stefan. For someone who seemed to be sane, yet drowned under his own insanity, Stefan seemed to know what he is talking about. Stefan had lost contact with their main station for almost five months. It is unlikely for a human to survive in a totally new planet, alone and unharmed, except for a bullet which they shot to drug him so that Stefan would stop running naked in the swamp he had been living in.

"I am sorry." Stefan whimpered as he tightened his fist, his eyes unfocused. "I am sorry, Ran. I am really sorry. I do not know what is going on. I do not know where am I."

"You are on BT 21-95 and we are on our way to Mars. We saved you, Stefan. You do not have to worry." Ranveer assured, clasping onto Stefan's palms tightly, massaging them.

Stefan shook his head violently before nodding again. "Yes. Safe. No. Ah, yes. First, they will smile, a smile like the crescent moon in the sky. Then, they swim around you, curling you in comfort with their tail. Charming you with their eyes, they begin to sing again. A melody so sweet that you can never forget. That is how they do it. That is how they swallow your tempting heart and shower you with their love and attention too. A love too great for humans to bear. A love too strong from those who are still crawling under the cracks of pain." Stefan explained whilst balling his eyes out as soft sobs began to fill the air.

Ranveer squinted his eyes. "I think that is enough for one night. Get some rest, Stefan. I will come and wake you when we are almost there. Probably in another six hours."

"You do not trust me, do you, Ranveer?" Stefan questioned as he looked at Ranveer.

Ranveer paused his tracks. "Captain, it is impossible to believe what you said at this state. I must assure you that, something as 'magical' as you say cannot be reported back to the headquarters. You might need to explain it yourself. You speak of love as if you had been in one. I am pretty sure you are tired, and I have pushed you too much." Ranveer assured as he scanned his card at the door which opened, and he stepped out. "Rest, Captain. I will meet you tomorrow. Thank you for your time."

Stefan watched his friend exited the door as he chuckled softly on his own. Once he was left alone, he knelt down onto the ground picking up the book. His fingers traced the drawings on his own notebook as he hummed a soft melody from his lips. His grey eyes studied the outlines of his own messy drawing. Tossing it onto the ground, Stefan laid his back on the comforting sheets before letting a laugh escaping his lips. He recalled the sight of her blue eyes, her gills on her neck and also her soft scaly skin. Stefan spent hours, tracing in the air, patterns he had never seen before.

"Mayday! Mayday! Captain Halton! We are... Captain...."

The voices of his other colleagues were clear to his ears as he ran frantically through the bushes of water. Droplets of water splattered to the sides of his trail, while the grasses moved away at each step he took. Stefan halted three hundred meters away from his spaceship when he heard melodious voice echoed in the air. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted two young females by the rock, each whispering unknown words to each other. Curious at her features, Stefan walked towards them. The grey lady jumped into the water, disappearing from his sight while the others stared at him, with her gills moving and her fishtail curling on the rock.

"Come here, my dear." Her soft voice whispered in the air melodiously. "Return to me."

Everything around Stefan became inaudible. He seemed to not recognize anything except for her extraordinary beauty. His eardrums were filled with a melodious harmony which keep repeating multiple times. Each step he took allowed him to get a closer look at the lady. Her fishtail slowly curled around him, her scaly fingers traced across his bearded chin gently, whispering language he had never heard before. Slowly, Stefan leaned into her touch willingly, ignoring the fact that his spaceship had exploded in the background. He only saw those beautiful bulging fish eyes with the gills at the corner of her neck flapping at each breathe. Gently, he reached up to touch her scaly cheeks and lips, drawing himself into an unknown dimension he had personally created.

"Beautiful." It was all Stefan muttered. "What are you? Do you have a name?"

"Sa'ne. Sa'ne. Sa'ne."

Stefan jolted up from his sleep, tossing his pillow right towards the door as he breathed in heavily and began ruffling his palms in his hair. His grey eyes were unfocused as he looked down at the drawings in his book and picked the book up. Sighing, Stefan picked it up as he went to the door, punching in some buttons. The guards outside turned to face him once he had walked out of the chamber.

"Captain Halton." They bowed. "Please stay inside the chamber for your safety, Captain. We are about to reach Mars soon in about an hour. What do you need?"

"Sa'ne"

The familiar voice repeated again in his mind. Stefan turned around as he looked towards the hallways filled with other men and women, holding files. The man waved his hands in the air, clicking his tongue again.

"Sa'ne. Stefan. Save me."