With no phone or watch I had no way to tell the time, but by my estimations, at least an hour had passed before Ms. Alin returned.

Too busy contemplating my existence and missing memories, I didn't notice her until she stood in front of me. It was only then that I saw the strange object she was carrying in both hands.

“Umm… what is that?”

If I had to describe its appearance, I would say it's a watermelon shaped like an apple. I guessed it was some type of alien fruit, but when I looked at Ms. Alien for confirmation she appeared as confused as me.

“This? According to the catalog, it’s a papaya.” She said with a straight face.

Of course, that thing didn't look anything close to a papaya if you ask me.

“… it seems… different from what I remember,” I commented while rising to my feet, still trying to understand what part of that was the papaya.

"I saw it for the first time when I arrived here, but I can confirm it is a papaya." She took a step in my direction. "Though since it's still raw, one has to co-"

Ms. Alien froze in her place for some reason and the fruit slipped out of her grasp. I was quick to react and caught it before it could hit the ground, but when I looked up at Ms. Alien I saw her hold a hand to her face and retreat a few steps.

"Um... I..."

"You stink!"

And just like that I was forced to shower again. My clothes were washed and dried on the spot as well.

~[ ]~

We began preparing breakfast soon after I came out of the shower. I gathered the wood for the fire, careful not to go too far of course, while Ms. Alien prepared the watermelon-apple-papaya fruit thing.

She took out a knife from her bag and started pilling the fruit, which took some time thanks to its size. The huge watermelon apple turned into a bunch of small cubes which Ms. Alien dropped into a pot.

Reaching into her bag once more, she took out something that looked like a cylindrical-shaped thermos with a shiny black surface. Of course, there was no way it was just a thermos.

My first guess was that it was some kind of alien high-tech device, but then I saw her remove the upper part and tilt the object toward the pot. To my utter shock, nothing but pure water spilled out.

Hm? That's weird...

"What's the matter?" Ms. Alien asked, having noticed my confusion.

"Ah, maybe it's just me seeing things." I smiled wryly. "That thermos sure can hold more water than it seems at first."

Ms. Alien glanced at the black cylinder then her eyes widened as if she understood something.

"Is this your first time seeing an Artifact?" She asked. "This one is pretty common, though. It's called the Dry Well."

I couldn't help but tilt my head.

"The... what now?"

"The Dry Well." Ms. Alien repeated. "It's an E-grade Artifact that can store large amounts of water despite its size."

"Ooh..."

It's a magic item!

I could feel the excitement ignite inside me as I heard the familiar terms.

"So it's not just any device, right?" I asked, probing for more information. "Would it be okay if I asked when and where it was created?"

The look I got in return made it clear that my questions sounded outrageous. Ms. Alien looked at me as if I was the alien, which wasn't entirely wrong.

"Say, are you just pretending, or do you seriously not know?" She asked.

I stare at her for a moment then feel embarrassed for some reason.

"I... haven't been outside for a very long time."

I barely knew anything about my current situation. I was missing most of my memories and even if I were to remember most of them it was doubtful whether any would be useful when it comes to this topic.

I was just a normal guy from Earth before waking in that underground structure. There is no way I could have known anything about aliens and their artifacts.

"That's strange." Ms. Alien muttered. "Even if you were to..."

After a moment of thought, she shifted her gaze back to me and raised her so-called Artifact.

"I will explain it to you as plainly as possible so listen well." She said. "Artifacts are special items created by the Ancients in the very distant past. They hold special status because of the difficulty of recreating them even with current technological advancements."

"The... Ancients?"

Oh boy! A mysterious civilization that left behind technology modern science can't replicate? Classic!

"That's odd." Ms. Alien said. "Even kids who can't yet read know about Artifacts."

She took another item out of her back and proceeded to use it to light the twigs I gathered earlier.

"Is that an Artifact as well?" I asked, earning myself another confused look from Ms. Alien.

"This is a simple lighter." She said.

As I hung my head in embarrassment, Ms. Alien placed the pot over the campfire. After a while, she took out a simple ladle and began steering the contents. Time passed as I observed her work and I soon began to notice something strange.

“… is... that it?” I asked.

“Hm? Yes." Ms. Alien said with a blank look. "Were you expecting something else?"

As I look down at the pot and see the contents slowly heat up, I couldn't help but wonder if this even counts as cooking.

Can’t we at least add some salt?

~◇~

“This is… amazing!!!!”

Thirteen minutes later the papaya fruit melted in the water entirely, turning into a thick creamy soup. The smell was nice, and once Ms. Alien served me a bowl and I took the first spoonful, I was bashed by a strong potato and cheese taste.

HOW!!!?

I gulped down the first bowl in a flash then went and asked for a refill, making Ms. Alien blink in surprise.

“Is it that good?” She asked.

“Mm! Really good!”

“Hmm…" Ms. Alien looked down at her bowl then brought a spoonful to her mouth. "Indeed, it has a stronger taste than any papaya-themed product I have ever tried.”

What kind of biology made an apple-shaped watermelon taste like potato and cheese? I mean, I can accept the potato part, but how the hell does a fruit taste like cheese?

Seeing me eat with full disregard for manners was probably why Ms. Alien kept observing me while forgetting about her portion.

Don't tell me she's still bothered by my smell...  I look her in the eyes while putting another spoon in my mouth. I just showered, you know?

Of course, I was unable to maintain eye contact for long and had to look away. As I wolfed down my food I heard a faint chuckle.

“It’s just plain soup, you know.”

Whoa…

I was stunned. Petrified. Sitting opposite, Ms. Alien, elegant as ever, was giggling with a hand to her mouth. I found myself captivated by the sight, my breath taken away.

My throat moved as I swallowed, but as was completely distracted It all ended up going down the wrong pipe, causing me to go into a coughing fit.

“A-are you alright?" Ms. Alien was startled and quickly rushed over. "Here, have some water.”

She handed me the lid of her Dry Well artifact which was filled with water.

“N-no, I’m alright… thanks.”

That smile… that smile is dangerous!

As I drank the water I found myself wondering if survival was an option for me if she kept using that smile on me.

“You don’t have to rush," She said, going back to her seat. "Just take your time.”

"Y-yeah..."

As I focused on my food once again, I found myself stealing glances at the mysterious alien girl. Her charm was enhanced several folds under the morning sun. The gentle rays reflected against her golden hair adding to its luster, and the brown horns on either side of her head seemed particularly endearing.

The glances I took increased in length and before long I found myself staring. I had emptied my bowl at some point, and as I continued to ogle her, Ms. Alien suddenly stood up and picked up the pot.

“Sorry, I know you like it but... we have to leave enough for later, okay?”

I was confused for a couple of seconds before I realized that she had misinterpreted my looks as asking for more food.

“Oh, it's alright." I plastered a smile and tried to hide my embarrassment. "Thanks for the food."

“You're welcome."

Washing the dishes was left to a device inside the ship. As I watched Ms. Alien take them inside, I was suddenly reminded that there wasn't much for me to do now that we were done eating.

My worst nightmare became a reality when I found myself having to endure the oppressive silence and awkwardness of sitting across from an otherworldly beauty while having no idea what to say.

Ms. Alien remained silent as well. Her gaze was turned to the sky above, the blue color of which merged with her azure pupils. She seemed to be deep in thought for quite a while, uncaring about the strange atmosphere between us.

After some time she closed her eyes and heaved a long sigh. I saw her take a deep breath, my eyes glued to her rising bountiful chest like a starving child looking for milk.

Fortunately, I was able to avert my gaze at the last moment before she opened her eyes and fixed me with a stern look.

"Say,"

For a moment I feared that she might have caught on to the lecherous thoughts rampaging in my mind and stammered a response.

“y-y-yes!”

“There is something I wanted to ask you for some time now.”

Though her tone had no hint of anger in it, I didn't believe I was out of danger yet, or so I thought until I saw her twirling some strands of her hair around her finger as a faint pink color painted her cheeks.

“Is… something wrong?” My Adam's apple bounced in my throat twice and I felt heat slowly spread through my face.

Considering we were complete strangers there was no end to the questions she could ask me. Despite knowing that, I couldn't stop my expectations from heading in the least likely direction Ms. Alien would have chosen.

The seconds seemed to stretch on forever and the wait was starting to grow unbearable. I didn't know why but I felt that Ms. Alien thought the same, seeing that she was trying her best to gather the courage to speak, or so it looked to me.

“Well, it's just that..." Forcing those words out, she appeared to find the courage as she looked me in the eyes and said. "I already told you my name but… T still haven’t heard yours.”

==========

Author's note: 

This series is currently being edited so the following chapters might have inconsistencies with the ones that came before this.

You can read the newly edited chapters by subscribing to Nomanalive on P.A.T.R.E.O.N. Also, since the book is listed as completed on this app/site, the continuation will be posted there. If you're interested in the series and want to see it continue, please consider supporting me over there. Or you can just join for free.