In the Name of Earth

Chapter 26: Offspring

Now that the motion for intervention against humanity was scheduled to be judged and the EDS—along with its Chief-Ambassador—had been properly taken care of, the Globian development board could finally start discussing their new project. Earth was a vast and fertile planet, which meant plenty of opportunities in various fields!

Marketing, development, engineering and architectural sectors had spent the last three days brainstorming and pitching ideas for the resort grounds. The cost with post-its in that project alone had gone over the budget, but it was for a good cost. HR had to intervene with a group dynamic between engineers and architects on the second day, and every night the interns had ordered Nikali food in. And the results were showing!

Magnor Rastall had not expected to take part on those meetings until much later on, but since the mercenary commander from his three o’clock meeting had flown into a blackhole coming from Trovlen, he had a free slot in his schedule. Fortunately, the development team was scheduled to meet at three o’clock, so the CEO decided to stop by and check on the progress!

It was both fun and preoccupying to see how much anxiety his presence caused on the interns.

Rastall had sat on the very end of the long meeting table, surrounded by project managers, analysts and frightened trainees. The lead developer was currently standing before a holographic mapping of Earth.

“…Therefore our conclusion is that we should start by demolishing all of the human infrastructure and buildings!” the man keyed a command and all the buildings on the map vanished. “Aaaall of them! Wipe the planet clean, start with a blank canvas.”

“Well, not all of the structures,” the leader of the marketing team spoke. “Our survey shows that the economic elite of the Orion Delta Quadrant is really fond of primitive-cultural tourism! We believe preserving some key human landmarks may prove attractive to this niche! I mean, it’s nothing too complex, just a bunch of statues and towers. One of the towers is literally tilting and the humans are still all over it! And then there is a really big wall. I mean… seriously? A wall?”

The employees cackled around the table.

“Guess we have four monuments around us right now!” one of the junior analysts added to the joke, but this time nobody laughed.

“Moving on, we believe maintaining their primitive monuments will be very cost-effective.”

“Have we allocated any xeno-psychologist to this project?” Rastall asked while fiddling with a pen.

“No, sir.”

“Then verify these monuments won’t incite the remaining humans to resist,” Rastall said. “We can’t afford another Trovlen incident.”

“Uhh…” the workers around the table exchanged uneasy glances until the marketing leader spoke up. “Sir… We believe humans are counterproductive.”

“Counterproductive?”

“We know you have a human pet, sir, but with all due respect… They’re repulsive! We don’t want them greeting and waiting on our guests!”

“And we can’t use them elsewhere either,” said the engineering leader. “Too fragile for the factories, too weak for the mines, too ugly for commercial!”

“So what do you propose? Exterminate them?” Rastall chuckled.

“Actually, sir,” said the legal representative allocated to the project. “Based on human genetics and the current bioengineering technology, we need as much as 150 humans to ensure the species continuity. We could maintain that much in a controlled colony or cryogenic pods and it would still be better than allocating them to work.”

Rastall united the tips of his fingers before his glowing yellow eyes, sinking in his chair, deep in thought.

Suddenly, the door of the meeting room sprung open, a breathless Globian barging in. It was Girry, Rastall’s personal secretary.

“Sorry! Profit, everyone! Mr. Rastall, I have a message pertaining the human case!” said the newcomer.

“You can speak. It is probably relevant to this project.”

“Sir… Compliance warned me this should be to your ears only!”

Rastall raised his shiny eyes to the intern by the door, then gave the room a once-over.

“Leave us!” the CEO ordered, and in less than a minute the room was empty save for him and the breathless secretary. “So?”

“The pirates who sold us the human Chief-Ambassador have been killed. Their ship was destroyed by a Nikal Patrol on Orion Beta,” Girry reported. “We have reason to believe the future Nikal Pact-Sealer and the female human were still onboard.”

“Hm, that might complicate things. We should have bought the female too…” Rastall stood up and started pacing, cape fluttering behind him. “Communicate the resort staff, make sure the Chief-Ambassador does not find out about this. Should we worry about being compromised?”

“I doubt it sir. The ship was damaged beyond salvaging. If there was anything onboard tying us to the pirates, it’ll have been destroyed.”

“Good. You’re dismissed.”

“There is more, sir!” Girry did not move. “Our assets in the Nikal capital of Muchikak have reported the arrival of the new human Chief-Ambassador!”

“The new Chief-Ambassador?” Rastall truened around like a wary reptile.

“Yes, sir. The offspring.”

“Then he lives…” Rastall muttered, a brief smile curling his black lips. “That is great news, Girry. Mobilize our assets, we need to bring him in alive. No more pirates, we need professionalism!”

“Our outsourcing budget is stretched thin with the Trovlen revolt. May we employ company assets?”

“Yes, but no Globians. Deniability is key!”

“I know right the man, sir!”

***

“I lost 36 of my 72 brothers getting those ships,” Reel’s voice wavered, his fishy lips shaking. “I saw a lot of good men die, and when we get home our people decides they don’t want to fight anymore. Because they believe the Globians can take better care of our world than we can. It’s our world! Our damn world and they labelled us extremists and terrorists for trying to defend it!”

“I understand,” the echoey voice of Fey, the insectoid in front of Reel, was a mere illusion given how the alien communicated through bioluminescence. Each word he spoke filled the room in a purple color that contrasted with the artificial underwater paradise projected at the walls. “And how did that make you feel, Reel?”

“I didn’t make me feel!” Reel scoffed. “It is what it is. I mean, if they want to believe some environmental marshmud and submit top to those horned glowing-eyed freaks in their silk capes… All the power to them! I don’t give a drought!

“Reel, I do not need to be a millenary hyperdeveloped hivemind with mild telepathy potential—which I am—to know you are lying,” Fey spoke as mellow and mystically as ever. “You clearly harbor strong feelings for this episode.”

“I don’t!” Reel chuckled, then in an instant erupted in compulsive sobbing. “Okay! I do! I feel cheated and betrayed and powerless and Crazy-Corn was the only way to forget! There! Are you happy?”

“We are making progress. Acknowledgement is the first step to forgiveness. Your eyes seem dry. Would you like a water sprayer?” the insect offered Reel a gardening spray.

The fish hurried to get the water bottle and started sprinkling his face. “Sorry, I got emotional!”

“That is nothing to apologize for. Let us go deeper. If you could tell anything for your people, what would it be?”

“‘Good riddance, you cowardly geckos!’ That’s what I’d tell them!”

“I can sense your resentment, but isn’t there something more? Deeper?” Fey leaned in. “Isn’t there… hope?”

“No,” Reel, eyes dry once more, allowed his head to drop. “The galaxy forgot about us, our resistance hero and leader became a spineless addict and my people conformed. Nobody believes anymore. Why should I?”

An alarm beeped and the walls turned from the relaxing ocean to white screens.

“Our mandated therapy session is done, Mr. Reel. I look forward to continuing our exploration of your psyche tomorrow,” Fey headed for the exit, but when the door slid open he bumped into two humans.

“Humans?!” Reel jumped from his chair. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re bailing you out!” Jade announced.

“I negotiated your release,” said Marvin.

“What? No, no! This place is great!” Reel protested. “I have my own pond, five meals a day, meditation, arts and crafts… Not to mention the huge TVs! I’m off to watch GalacTalents with these Juloxor cattle robbers right now!”

“Are you saying you want to stay in prison?!” Jade asked.

“Excuse me,” Fey interfered, “we prefer the term Spiritual Rekindling Haven for Non-Pact-Breaker Subversives. Or SRHNPBS, for short. It could really benefit your friend to be here.”

“Yes! Yes, it could!” Reel was emphatic in his agreement.

“Sorry, Fey,” a Nikal guard appeared beyond the door. “But the charges against your patient have been dropped. Orders of the Master Pact-Sealer. He can’t stay here anymore.”

“What?! No!” Reel grabbed one of Fey’s insect legs. “Let me stay! I’ll commit other crimes! I can steal, get in fights… Vandalism! I can do vandalism!”

“Sorry, buddy, you’re going with the humans!” the Nikal guard pulled Reel away from the therapist, and both the staffers left.

Reel turned to Marvin, his huge black eyes burning with rage.

“I hate you, bigger human! Now come on, we can still get GalacTalents if we hurry.”