Nick
Nick was enjoying his lunch on a quiet Monday afternoon, alone when Dr Desai appeared out of nowhere and sat opposite him.
"Did something happen when I sent you to Dan with the meds?" Dr. Desai's voice cut through the chatter in the common area, drawing everyone's attention.
She leaned over the table, her sharp eyes fixed on him, as if she suspected he was hiding something.
Nick froze, the fork halfway to his mouth, as a few of his peers exchanged curious glances. Rita, seated few tables across from him, smirked, clearly enjoying his discomfort. She always seemed to find amusement in his struggles at work, as if his mishaps somehow validated her own sense of superiority.
Nick's mind scrambled to replay the scene with Dan. He was nervous when delivering the meds, sure but that was normal. Dan had a way of putting him on edge without even trying. Still, Nick couldn't recall doing anything overtly wrong that would have warranted reporting. Unless… unless Dan had told Dr. Desai about their brief collision in the hallway. That had been an accident Nick was certain of it.
"Uh, no, nothing happened," Nick said. If anything Nick should be the one reporting Dan's unnecessary rude behaviour. "I just gave him the meds and left. That's all. Why what happened?" Nick asked with dread. The Grosh alien was starting to piss him off. The way he was hell-bent on making his life difficult was unacceptable. He had been nothing but polite to him.
"Don't worry about it," Dr. Desai said with a sigh, and a wave of her hand dismissively before walking away, leaving Nick drowning in confusion. Her casual brush-off did little to ease his growing anxiety. If Dan had made up some complaint or exaggerated an incident, Nick's position at the NEAE could be in jeopardy. He knew how precarious his situation was; a single mistake could lead to termination, and Dan's bad temper only amplified the risks.
Nick racked his brain, trying to recall if he'd done anything to upset Dan. If he had accidentally angered him, he wasn't even aware of it and that ignorance gnawed at him. Apologizing, no matter how unjustified, seemed like the safest option. It was the last thing Nick wanted to do, but he had no choice. Dan was in a position of authority, and Nick was just a lowly intern.
The imbalance of power was crushing. If Dan decided to end his career out of spite or irritation, there was nothing Nick could do to stop him. Walking away from NEAE might have been the noble thing to do, if Nick had the luxury of being noble. But outside these gates, there was nothing for him but poverty, endless struggle, and hopelessness.
He couldn't afford to throw away this opportunity, not to protect his pride. Survival meant swallowing his ego, even if it tasted bitter.
Finishing his food quickly, he walked through the metal corridors to Alien Residence Tower. He flashed his employee card and the double door opened with a woosh. Dan occupied the top most floor of the tower. From what Nick had heard, Dan had the biggest apartment of all the aliens. However, it didn't have as much life-sustaining equipment as the others because he didn't need them.
The transparent glass walls of the hallway leading to Dan's apartment door had overwhelmed his the last time. It almost felt like the place was floating in the sky. It was disorienting to say the least. Giving the illusion that one misstep might send him plummeting into the void. It took all his effort to keep his focus on the narrow path ahead.
The transparent glass walls of the hallway leading to Dan's apartment were a marvel of architecture, offering a dizzying view of the sprawling city below. At night, it felt as though the hallway floated in the sky, suspended among the stars. For Nick, however, the experience was more unnerving than awe-inspiring.
Reaching the elevator, Nick swallowed the lump of anxiety forming in his throat. The short distance to Dan's door felt like an eternity. Every sound, from the soft hum of the overhead lights to the faint tap of his shoes on the floor, seemed magnified in the cavernous silence. He consciously lightened his steps, as though even the smallest noise might draw Dan's ire.
Nick exhaled shakily as he neared the door. If he ever achieved his dream of becoming a permanent physician at the NEAE, he swore to himself that he would never, ever work for someone like Dan. The man might have the face of a god and the body of a sculpted warrior, but his personality left much to be desired. Still, Nick knew that his current position didn't afford him the luxury of choice.
Squaring his shoulders, he raised a hesitant hand to knock on the door. The sound echoed faintly in the glass corridor, and for a brief moment, Nick allowed himself to hope that Dan wasn't home.
He knocked firmly on the door once again, waiting for a response. Nothing. He knocked again, louder this time, but was met with silence. He stared at the sleek, intimidating door, debating his next move. Dan wasn't in, clearly, but Nick wasn't about to leave. He needed to apologize, needed to clear the air. His career at the NEAE was hanging by a thread, and he couldn't let one bad-tempered alien ruin everything he'd worked so hard for.
He decided to wait.
Minutes turned into hours. Nick paced the corridor at first, his nerves fraying with each passing moment. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and he sank onto the cold, gleaming floor, his knees tucked to his chest.
When Dan finally appeared, the sleek elevator doors sliding open with a quiet hiss, Nick scrambled to his feet. The sight of Dan, tall and imposing, his jaw set in that perpetual expression of annoyance, sent a jolt of nerves through him.
Dan's brows shot up when he saw Nick. "Are you stalking me?" he asked, his tone dripping with irritation.
"No!" Nick blurted, his voice a bit too loud. He quickly lowered it, his hands clenching at his sides. "I just wanted to apologize. For yesterday... and today. For, you know, crashing into you." His words tumbled out in a rush, his heart pounding like a drum. This was his last shot, and he knew it. "I just…please don't let this ruin my career. I've worked very hard to get here. Please."
Dan's eyes narrowed, the lines of his face hard as he studied Nick. "I specifically asked Ira to keep you away from me. So how…" he gestured to the spot where Nick had been sitting, "were sitting on my floor?"
Nick flinched at the words, his mind racing. Dan had actually asked to avoid him? Why? What had he done, besides being a bit nervous? And that wasn't even his fault anyone would feel anxious around someone as intimidating as Dan.
"I... I didn't know," Nick stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to upset you. But please, just give me one more chance. I'll stay out of your way, I promise. Just don't let them kick me out. I can't—I can't go back out there." His voice cracked slightly at the end, and he hated how desperate he sounded. But it was the truth.
Dan frowned, his expression shifting as a flicker of something softer crossed his face. "Throw you out?" he repeated, his tone less sharp, almost confused. "I didn't ask anyone to throw you out."
Nick blinked, his breath hitching. "But—"
"For fuck's sake," Dan sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "Listen, just... don't sit on the floor like that again. It makes me uncomfortable. It's filthy." His eyes flicked to the spot Nick had occupied, as though it physically offended him. "And go to your room. No one is throwing you out. Not over something so stupid."
Nick stood there, stunned, as Dan brushed past him to unlock his door. Before stepping inside, Dan paused, glancing over his shoulder. "And please just stay away from me."
Nick sighed, nodding his head as he walked away. He decided he would keep his head straight and be in his best behaviour. He didn't need to let Dan's words get to him. He was an alien, an asshole sure but still an alien who was a guest at New Earth, who didn't know how civil human interaction happened. He decided to zct professional and not get offended. And not let Dan intimidate him.
-
Nick sat back in the uncomfortable chair, staring at the screen, mentally bracing himself for the family call. Family Day at NEAE felt more like a formality than a true connection. They were allowed to speak to their families, but the conversation was always monitored, and they couldn't share anything about their work or their lives within the facility. The setup was more like a video surveillance session than a heart-to-heart with family.
The lab technician stood behind him, watching him like a hawk, as if one wrong word could jeopardize everything. Nick knew the drill; he wasn't allowed to say anything too revealing, nothing that could hint at secret life of extraterrestials. It was suffocating, but he had no choice but to comply.
Then the video feed clicked on, and there was his step-sister's face, her bright eyes shining with excitement as she practically screamed his name. He put on a smile, trying to mask the exhaustion that weighed on him. Behind her was his step-mother, who greeted him with a stiff smile, a facade that always left him feeling like an outsider. His step-mother never approved of his decision to work in alien medicine, and it was clear from her narrowed eyes that she still saw it as a waste of his potential.
"How are you, Nick?" his father asked, his voice surprisingly gentle yet distant. Nick could tell the question was more of a polite formality than an inquiry into his well-being.
Before he could respond, Sonia piped in, "Did you see Dan?" Her excitement was palpable, and Nick could feel the weight of the question hanging in the air. His sister had always been more interested in the glamorous side of his life, and right now, she was caught up in the aura of the famous Grosh alien.
Nick hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much he could say. He didn't want to get into anything about his interactions with Dan especially not the arrogant, domineering side of him. He simply nodded. "Yes," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Her eyes practically popped out of her head. "Is he as handsome in person?"
Nick forced himself to nod again, though inside, he was cringing at the thought. "More handsome," he added, wishing he hadn't seen him the way he had.
Sonia let out a dramatic gasp. "Holy hell."
Nick could almost hear the thoughts running through her head, imagining how her brother was rubbing shoulders with the infamous alien. But Nick knew the truth Dan wasn't just a pretty face. There was darkness underneath the facade, and Nick couldn't bring himself to admit how much it unsettled him.
His step-mom, who had been silent up until now, interrupted. "Enough with that, Sonia. Did you get your salary?"
Nick chuckled to himself, knowing exactly where this was going. His mother was always fixated on money, always worried about him sending enough back home. She didn't care about his struggles, his mental exhaustion from working in NEAE—no, it was all about what he could send back to her.
"Yes, Mom, I'll send the check next week," he replied, keeping his tone flat.
She smiled, satisfaction playing on her lips. "Thank you. You know how hard it is for me and your father, it's the least you could do."
"I know, Mom," he gritted out, his jaw clenching. There was so much unsaid between them, but it was always about the money. He hated it.
The conversation shifted again as Sonia asked, "Can the family visit?" Nick's stomach churned at the thought. NEAE was off-limits, especially for people like them. He'd never be able to explain it to her.
"No, Sonia, outsiders are not allowed," he replied quickly, trying to shut down that line of questioning before it went any further.
He waited for his father to say something—anything—but there was nothing. His dad, like always, remained distant, almost like he didn't know how to show affection. Nick could feel the invisible wall between them, and it hurt more than he liked to admit. He tried not to dwell on it.
He glanced at the technician standing behind him, signaling that he was done with the call. The technician nodded, silently acknowledging the end of the conversation.
"Okay, we'll talk later. I have to go now," Nick said, his voice more curt than he intended.
The technician bent down, disconnecting the call without a word. The screen went black, and Nick was left alone again, the emptiness of the moment settling over him. There were no real connections here, just expectations, distance, and the harsh reality that his family couldn't…or wouldn't understand what he was going through.
Talking to his family left Nick feeling emptier than before. The brief connection only reminded him of everything he tried to forget…the way he felt like an outsider in his own home, the way his father had moved on so quickly after his mother's death. Nick had been left to carry the grief alone while his father buried himself in work and the company of a new partner. It was a life that made him feel like a burden, as if his pain wasn't worth acknowledging.
Growing up, Nick had always struggled to fit in, even within the walls of his own house. The love he longed for seemed to vanish the moment his mother was gone. His father's attempts to move on had only pushed him further into isolation. It was one of the reasons Nick worked so hard, why he fought tooth and nail to make a name for himself on this new planet. He didn't want to be the son who was always in the way, always reminding his father of what he had lost.
But as much as he wanted to escape, to build a life of his own, New Earth proved far harsher than he expected. The planet was unforgiving, especially to people like him those without money, without connections, without status. It was as though the moment you were born poor, you were doomed to stay there, clinging to scraps and fighting for survival.
Nick had heard stories of Old Earth, how the government would provide assistance for the poor, how people who had nothing could rely on the system for health care and support. He didn't know much about the old world, but he knew enough to understand that the poor were treated differently there. They had something, even if it wasn't much.
Here on New Earth, it was every person for themselves. If you couldn't afford to bury your dead, they weren't buried. They were discarded like trash, thrown into the volcanic craters of Novaterra, and some left to rot in the inhabitable places of the planet if they couldn't affort the transport fees to the crators, a sad and violent end to a life that had meant something to someone. Cremation was a luxury that few could afford. The government didn't care for the poor here. They were simply forgotten, their lives left to fade away without ceremony.
The reality of it all made Nick feel small, like a speck of dust in an uncaring world. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how much he tried to climb up the ladder, it always felt like he was two steps behind, constantly fighting just to stay afloat. There were no handouts, no safety nets. Just the harshness of the world around him, constantly pushing him down.
The feeling of loneliness, of being trapped in a cycle of poverty, of feeling like a burden, hung over him like a dark cloud. His family's disinterest, their emotional distance, only reinforced that sense of abandonment. It wasn't just them who didn't care. It was the whole world, this new world he was now a part of, that didn't give a damn about the poor.
Later that night Nick lay on his bed dreading tomorrow and day after tomorrow and days after that. Coming to NEAE was one battle but the bigger battle was staying here.
***
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