Chapter 17: The New Face of Mankind
1293 Words
Reel was splashed on the couch of the Exile’s mess hall, eating live starlight-fishes from a jar with his huge eyes stuck to the intergalactic television where an eighteen-legged cephalopod spun fifty-seven plates on sticks simultaneously. Now that was talent. GalacTalents!
“I’ll kill that pink one-eyed gorilla mutterficker! Kill him!” Ludwig ranted on his way back to the ship. “The bastard approached us, gained our trust only to wipe us all out!”
“We’re not sure it was him,” Jade intervened.
“Who else could it be? One of our own? And how convenient is it that heat is vented minutes after we—Qui’Mal included—depart to Deven? A traitor right under our noses all along!”
“By the stars!” Reel stood up on the couch. “Why are humans so damn loud?! Can’t you see I’m trying to watch GalacTalents?”
“Sorry if our species’ doom is on the way of your little alien pageant!” Lud barked back. “You could try helping for a change!”
“How dare you, pale human!” Reel reeled back. “I’d storm out if I wasn’t waiting for the Moxlan singers.”
“Enough you two!” Jade said, leading Lud away from the TV. “When Marvin comes back we’ll need to figure out our next move. Have you heard from him?”
“I’m here,” Marvin entered the ship himself, a gloom expression on his face.
“Great, now there are three of them!” Reel upped the volume of the talent show.
“Guys, you’ll want to sit down,” Marvin told the other humans, and both immediately sat on the kitchen stools. He joined them shortly with the news. “Every senior member of the EDS is dead. No exceptions. The only survivors were a few freshmen who were spending the week on Earth. Everyone else is gone.”
Jade and Ludwig cursed together under their breaths.
“What does that mean?” Lud asked.
“As the highest-ranking surviving member of the diplomatic branch of the EDS…” Marvin took in a deep breath, “…I’m now the Chief-Ambassador of Earth.”
Another round of silent cursing, during which Reel turned off the TV during a chorus of roars that passed for Moxlan singing and sneaked out of the mess hall to his private quarters.
“Okay, that’s not so bad…” Jade muttered. “All we got to do is take you to Sauculs, before the Court of Moderators, and you’ll represent humanity against the Globians. You’ll save the world!”
“I wouldn’t know where to start,” Marvin shook his head. “I’m not ready for this. We need to go back to Earth and warn someone. The president, the UN, the parliament, anyone!”
“And you think they’d be better prepared than you are?” Jade hissed. “Sure, you only had one year of training, but that’s still more than anyone back on Earth has. Just face it: You’re the new face of mankind to the galaxy, and mankind needs you now.”
Marvin lowered his gaze to the polished table before him.
Chief-Ambassador Grant. That was not him. Not at all. They needed the real Chief-Ambassador Grant, wherever he was.
“Good news, bigger human!” Reel returned to the room, head fins wiggling in excitement. “To thank you for your wisdom on the Crazy-Corn incident from last night, I made a few calls. Just heard back from my old fixer. A huge, unregistered shipment of corn has just entered the galactic black-market.”
“The pirates!” Marvin jumped to his feet. “You found them?”
“Not yet, but that’s a lead. We just need to convince The Admiral to point us in the right direction.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Jade rolled her eyes.
“Who’s The Admiral?” Marvin asked.
“Biggest Crazy-Corn maker and mover in the galaxy, that’s who,” Reel was back on the couch, ready for the next block of GalacTalents. “A corn shipment that big, he’ll know everything about it. I’ll take us to him… right after this episode.”
“You better put your big boy negotiator pants, on, Chief,” Jade nodded at Marvin. “The Admiral won’t babble without asking for favors in return, and the guy’s slick.”
“You said he’s a popcorn maker?”
“Crazy-Corn!” Reel shouted from his couch.
Jade nodded.
“Then he’s just another drug dealer, one way or another. We can handle him,” Marvin straightened his torn suit. “Lud, are the teleporters working?”
“They should be. What are you thinking?”
“I need to make some purchases back on Earth before we leave. Can you beam me down?”
Lud pulled his infopad and ran the proper checks. “Can do, but the UN is currently on session, so I can’t get you to New York. How’s Buckingham Palace sound?”
“Anywhere in the USA?”
“The teleporter in Area 51 is available…”
“Anywhere not in the middle of the desert?”
“Oh! Yes!” Lud raised the infopad. “Capitol building just opened up. We just need to print you some visitor credentials and you’ll be good to go.”
“Okay, then, let’s get to it!” Marvin the led other humans out of the ship, finally giving Reel the peace and quiet he needed to watch his show.
***
Marvin and Jade stood in the dark Teleportation Chamber, waiting for Ludwig to initiate the machine. Marvin was in the very center of the room, carrying a large backpack, while Jade looked out through the great windows, her green gaze lost in the distant blue sphere around the yellow Sun.
“Just a minute, guys…” Lud spoke over the intercom. “Gotta boot things up.”
“You sure you don’t want to come?” Marvin asked Jade. “One last look at what we’re trying to save?”
“I’m looking at it right now,” she said without turning from the window. “Just do what you gotta do and be back. Every second counts.”
Marvin nodded. He was well aware of that, but his shopping mission to Earth was important.
“You asked about the Supernova Protocol earlier,” Jade whispered. “Now that you’re Chief-Ambassador, I suppose you should know. In the event of inevitable alien intervention or human subjugation, the EDS armed forces should engage Supernova Protocol.”
“Declare war so we can climb to B-tier Sentience and gain free access to alien technology?” Marvin lifted an eyebrow. “I pieced that together. Not that it matters now that we don’t have armed forces.”
“You still have me,” she spoke without turning to him. “And you may be surprised with what I can get done… sir.”
Jade turned to salute the new Chief-Ambassador, but when she did it was already too late.
He was already gone in a bright flash to the planet he was meant to save.
- Writer
