The next day Juniper sat in his apartment, his eyes fixed on a holographic pad. His fingers swiping the images from a recent broadcast, he was putting together some informational packs for his viewers with a collection of easy to do recipes when his communicator beeped, interrupting his culinary daydream.
Demetrius, the military officer, paced back and forth in his sleek, high-tech office. His green eyes fixated on a holographic screen as he waited for Juniper to answer the communicator. He knew this was important and confidential.
Juniper sat up, surprised to see a brief message from Demetrius.
Finally, a holographic projection of Juniper's face appeared. his blue eyes held a mix of curiosity and concern. "Demetrius, what's going on? Why the urgency?"
Demetrius took a deep breath, his voice serious. "Juniper, I need you to come to the military base. There's something you need to see."
Juniper nodded, his expression growing more serious as well. "I'll be there soon."
Juniper frowned, his curiosity piqued.
With that, Juniper switched off the holographic display, donned his jacket, and made his way to the military headquarters. He knew better than to press Demetrius for details over the communicator; secrecy was paramount in the military.
At the military base, Juniper stepped out of the transport pod and was immediately greeted by Demetrius. They exchanged a brief but affectionate glance, a silent reassurance amidst the tension.
Upon arriving, he was also met by the familiar figure of Marshal Maynard, a seasoned officer and a friend to both Demetrius and Juniper.
"Juniper, thank you for coming," Maynard greeted him with a nod. "This is a matter of utmost importance."
Juniper nodded in understanding. "Of course, Marshal. What's going on?"
Marshal Maynard got straight to the point. "We've had a rather peculiar incident in Capital Star, Juniper. An unconscious person appeared. It's eerily similar to the energy signature that brought you here."
Juniper's heart raced with anticipation and uncertainty. Could this be a lead to his long-lost brother, Sena?
Juniper's hope was tempered by caution. "I'll see for myself. Where is this person?"
Maynard led him into a secure room filled with holographic displays and advanced monitoring equipment. At the center of the room lay a figure which wasn't clear due to the surrounding sterile white curtain.
Demetrius spoke up "We found this person in Capital Star, unconscious. What's troubling is that the energy signature matches the one when you arrived here, it also happened in a rather public space so not all news was hidden"
Juniper's heart skipped a beat. He'd often wondered about his sudden appearance in this world, transported from his own. Could this person be in a similar situation?
Demetrius exchanged a somber look with Maynard before removing the sheet to reveal the unconscious individual. Juniper's eyes widened in surprise, and his breath caught in his throat. It wasn't his brother, Sena, as he'd hoped. Instead, lying before him was a being he'd never expected to see in this world.
"..Merfolk?" Juniper paused before coming back, whispered in a low voice, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Juniper?" Demetrius voice brought Juniper back to attention
"Huh.. um, I'm not sure if they are from my world. Merfolk were things of myths where I'm from..." Juniper was unsure, although the person on the bed had a striking resemblance to that of legends from earth, it was impossible to know if they may have come from another place.
Indeed, the person on the bed had the upper body of a human with strikingly beautiful contours, his skin shimmering slightly with scattered iridescent scales. Long, silvery opalescence hair cascaded down, and a pair of opal translucent fins replaced legs. They seemed otherworldly, even in this diverse world.
Demetrius nodded solemnly. "We can't be certain how they ended up here, but the similarities in energy signatures are undeniable. Which is why we thought they might be from your world, like you."
"He carries similarities to aquatic females, since they maintain animal characteristics but there is no match for this species in the database." Maynard groaned thinking with his arms crossed
Juniper fell silent, although there was disappointment that it wasn't his brother there was more worry towards the unconscious person, they were like him coming to an unknown place, he already made a decision to befriend this person once they wake to help them integrate here.
"Is he alright? Is there a reason he doesn't wake up?" Juniper asked, concern evident in his eyes as he looked at the unconscious merman.
"We've done everything we can," Maynard assured him. "His external injuries healed quicker than expected, right now his body is in a deep sleep state to heal and hope that he will soon wake up."