<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #008040"><div style="text-align: center;">Tessa</div></span></span></span><br/><br/>Tessa wondered what David had said in French to cause Echo, that was the voice's name, to chastise him. She couldn't blame him though for sounding as incredulous as he did. She felt that way too, but wasn't certain how to express it.<br/><br/>“Uh, hello Echo.” Then the voice, Echo, said something in an incomprehensible language. Tessa went to plug her ears, but she was done speaking the word, and just when Tessa thought Echo was done she spoke another word in that language. “Ow” She mouthed at David, who looked as uncomfortable as she felt.<br/><br/>“So it has been translated into the dominant language of the current time. The After Image is a metaphysical plane, beyond existence itself. No one really knows exactly what it is, not even me. However, what we do know is that it is a crucial turning point in the activation of Cosmonauts. It sets your destinies in motion. The creatures you both saw are Óvinurinn. But we don’t have time to get into it now.”<br/><br/>“Isn't Chinese the dominant language? Or are you suggesting that other planets speak English as well? Actually not important, Óvinurinn, let's focus on those things for a moment. They tried to kill David and me, trapped us in the After Image, which has something to do with activating us as Cosmonauts. If we weren't Cosmonauts before the After Image how do you know so much about us? Like our favorite dishes?” She pointed to the dish next to her, “Or that David does Savalt, or whatever it was called.”<br/><br/>“We knew that you could be Cosmonauts.” The caretaker spoke now. “There are few that are born to your world that can be, and you all feel... out of place. Like you don't belong, because your true home is among the stars, saving them.” The caretaker seemed to fill up with pride as he looked at the two of them. “Together you two could save all that it means to be a Cosmonauts, you could bring the ancient laws back, and save the whole of reality.”<br/><br/>It was true that Tessa had never felt like she really fit in anywhere, but she had a perfectly good reason for that. Did David feel that way too? He didn't look like he did. "I'm no hero." She mumbled.