“Well, there has to be a way. What are the problems of the Empire. Can they bring it’s downfall?” said L’el in earnest.
“The downfall of the Empire is imminent. The problems are many. Besides the fact that the Trynds are winning the war, the Brikander Empire is losing its advantages technologically through a failure in education. Knowledge is not being passed down through the generations and so we have made no advances. Maintenance of many of the outposts is not being run properly, we are losing many footholds. There is sickness… I could go on, but the war of attrition despite propaganda to the contrary, will not lead us down the path to victory. But I can tell you this much, rebellion would be impossible. Even the slightest mention of disaffection by any individual is met with a swift penalty, which obviates any group action ever taking place.”
Trevin looked around him.
“We have talked about this too much. We are in danger even now. I can muffle the voice recorders, but if there are electronic lip readers or anyone else picking up our conversation, we will be done for. We have to make sure that we only communicate like this when we sit right behind the panel, away from all the cameras.” L’el was wondering why he had decided to sit at such an odd angle.
“I wish you the best.”
He slid up and left behind L’els food and went on his rounds with no further word. L’el went to bed contemplating the futility of his situation. He looked at the cameras that were watching him, always watching him. Who knows what they picked up. He was scared. He lay back in his cot and stared at the ceiling… there had to be a way to band enough people together all at the same so they couldn’t be singled out and killed. Having spent years as a historian, everything he wanted to recount of his people was now detailed.
He resolved himself to do something, even if it meant paying the ultimate cost and ending his race as the last survivor. He may not be able to fight back with his blaster pistol, with force, but he could plant ideas in people’s heads. He could use his abilities as a writer and instill ideas in enough people to get them to change their ways, but yet the stepping beyond the slightest threshold of what would be considered actionable would lead to the end of all his words. How was he going to communicate to the masses that were listening that change was needed when change was the very thing that was disallowed. He got up off his cot and went back to the terminal. He opened his blog and began writing, he was fighting a different fight now, a fight he could fight with his pen and his mind. He wrote. Each principle he communicated was always on the cusp of infringing upon what would possibly lead to his death. But with each datum communicated, he could then build upon it and move onto the next, like the frog in water slowly boiled to death without his knowing what was happening until it was too late. L’el continued to raise the temperature with word upon word. There have been great cultures that have contributed the current level of technical advance, these cultures evolved because they had been free, peaceful nations endured better than those with cruelty. Always his messages built upon each other at a gradient one upon the next. More and more people began following him, it was now in the tens of millions. Who would be the one to listen? Would it be those of good intentions, or those would bring it all to an end…
* * *
It was night time and L’el awoke to the alarming sound of someone cutting through the barrier of his cell. He was terrified, he had pushed the envelope too far, his time was up and the snake men had had enough and were ready to finish him. He should never have posted that bit about the Brikander wipe out of neighbouring civilizations near his own home system, and what promise they had shown before they were conquered. Quickly he dashed out of his bed and took the sharpest object he could find, an odd statue one of his followers had sent him which came to a sharp point, and held it at the ready as he watched a shimmering incandescent light slice its way into being an entrance way.
“Back off or die!” L’el shouted, hopeful that he could frighten his intruder away.
“Please! You have to come with me before we’re spotted. There’s not much time.” Was what come from the shadow.
L’el was genuinely taken aback. He couldn’t believe it! Whoever this person was, he was speaking his own language, and not only that but he was speaking it fluently. It was the first time he had heard someone talk to him in his own tongue in a long time and the memories of his home came flooding back. He carefully observed the mysterious black silhouette.
“Please hurry, if they catch us we will die!” it whispered.
The intruder turned on a pocket light and shone it briefly on his face illuminating his features for L’el to see. He was not Aelopian, but he was not Brikander either. He looked familiar though, a chiseled stone like face which bore eyes of a considerable intelligence which had yet a refined beauty. The ease at which he carried himself told him that he was likely from a heavier gravity planet and that he carried a strong physical exuberance.
“I am of the Aaryndeel. But if you don’t come with me quick, I am going to be of the Aaryn-MEAL. So let’s go!” said the voice becoming more and more urgent.
The Aaryndeel, thought L’el. His long studies had not been in vain. He knew of these people. As a Level VII society they were a strong, successful and highly advanced race which peppered the galaxy, out of the common roads of battle between stronger forces. Due to cagey political maneuvering, they were able to be seen as a neutral among the two great warring Empires the Briks and the Trynds, belying their true hostility to both.
L’el took a chance and went with the man of stone into the dark corridors of his prison stockade. For the first time he actually saw the structure of the building in which he was held. It was almost pitch black, but the man was his guiding hand through the blinding darkness. Left turn, right turn, left turn, stairs, lift, left turn. This man knew where he was going, the adeptness of his motions divulged the amount of planning that must have gone into the extraction.
“Stay still and don’t make a sound. We have temporarily disabled most sensors but up ahead are some guards and we couldn’t be sure that the motion sensors up ahead were disarmed. We’re going to have to do it the old fashioned way.”
The stone man took a small set of spheroids out of a hidden recess in his black cloth and eased his way up to the guards. In a blur of motion, both of them were disabled. L’el could feel the wind part as his hands had sliced through the air and could feel the grim amount of force in the impact of his stone skin again the reptilians. L’el was glad he had decided to go with him, he was no match for him physically. But it occurred to him that he probably had no choice as it is.
The man then deployed his small orbs and let them fill the area with a dark gas. Now L’el really was blinded, but again a brawny hand led him through the unseen. After a whirlwind of more turns and steps through compact alleys, they finally arrived at their destination, a ship. It was still dark, but L’el could make out the sleek design of an alien vessel which appeared to be built both for speed, passengers, but also for stealth. Without further delay they boarded.
The man of stone led L’el to his seat and barked some commands to the pilot up ahead to depart immediately. L’el looked around to get his bearings. It was what you would think the inside of a ship would look like, a lot of electronic panels and lights but it was built for efficiency. All of which absolutely fascinated L’el. But what was even more fascinating were the other passengers. Not sure if he should be begging for his life or celebrating, L’el finally spoke up at all the people that were staring at him.
“What is the meaning of this? Who are you all and where are we headed?” he implored.
And here was his next shocker, all of the people aboard, again spoke his own language fluently. But they were in all shapes and sizes. They were all looking at him, but from face to contrasting face, they all had friendly expressions. Especially the green skinned enticing and unassuming female dressed in provocative yet elegant finery who eyed him here and there. L’el had never seen real live peopl
e like this. He was enthralled, and he had a hard time taking his eyes off the female.
“Don’t worry, you will see where we are going soon enough.” Said the bald stocky one.
“Hmph! Some thank you for our spending months in planning in breaking you out.” Said the tall one playfully.
“We are going to be late. You’re lucky we came when we did. You’re free now.” Said the blue one.
“Suffice it to say, we are your fans, but really we are simply your friends.” Smiled the man of stone.
The alluring female just glanced at him with a smirk.
L’el had the feeling that he was safe. But he still had a million questions racing through his head. Disoriented from everything that had just occurred, L’el didn’t really know what to say. He ended up asking the first, most trivial question that came to his head. “Uh.. So how fast are we going right now anyways?”
The stone man turned to him. “Pleased to meet you too, I’m Velder. These misfits are Bordic, Anja, Horkin, Miss Trella of Ivtar, Pelmer is the techie in the back and our pilot for the evening is Lt. Draskal.” Each greeted him in their own way. L’el slowly felt his equilibrium returning.
“But to answer your question, since there is no drag in space we are not travelling at a set rate or speed, but are continuously accelerating until we hit the point equidistant between start and end at which time we will decelerate for the rest of our trip. But since you’re interested, at our apex we will be travelling at about 125 times the speed of light.”
“Whoa!” L’el became discombobulated again.
“Yeah, so what you need to know is basically we’re going really (bleepin’) fast” offered Bordic.
L’el was pleased to see that all the swearing he had done in the stockade was not done in vain, as it led very accurate translations of profanity.
“Yeah, but it might not be fast enough, this mission was on a time line. Circumventing the Brik’ sensor alarm systems and their safeties proved to be far more arduous than we had ever planned.” L’el heard a grumble by rear of the ship near the engineers station in what appeared to be almost confirmation of the fact.
“If we hadn’t had someone on the inside, none if this would ever have happened that’s for sure.” Said Velder.
L’el thought of Trevin.
“But where are we going? Late for what? What are we gonna be late for? You said I was free now.”
In response he only got smiles from the crew.
“You’ve lived a hard life my friend. Why don’t you just sit back and enjoy the ride”
* * *
L’el awoke from his brief slumber in the cabin of the ship. They had landed already and he was being ushered outside. What he saw next astounded him beyond words! No enveloping supermassive cloud could measure up to this!
It was his home! He could see the mirror work, the pier glass leading into the interior of the planet, he could see the beginnings of a labyrinthine subterrane and the bright dazzling lights that guided their way through. He saw the beautiful farmland reconstructed complete even with a Nettle habitation. He saw growing fields with all his peoples fruits. It was incredible! But how!?..
The crowd was gathering around L’el now, it was several hundreds of people now, all looking at him. Then the crowd parted way to let him pass. When they had moved aside, L’el saw for the first time why they were late. He saw the banner “The Festival of Sentience” was about to start! It was true, according to the Aelopian calender, the festival was to be today! He was led on by the crowd which seemed to grow further both in size and in contained fervor of excitement. Inside, just like home he saw many young children, still full of the life and vigor of youth showing off their very best in front of the crowds as only eager young children can, all hoping to find their place in life. Many displays even featured L’el himself, sculptures of him hunched over his console, pictures of the great catastrophe which ended his people, cuisine which matched L’els descriptions, several children emulating Mia’s gymnastic prowess and little Dreb’s experiments, inventions much of the kind that L’el used to invent himself appeared. He was awed. Again, no words came forth.
He was amused to come upon the younger than 5 section, where enthusiasm made up for proficiency. He laughed at the youngsters who passionately played their guitars off key or sang and at the disproportioned statues. He even had a “L’elland cookie” much to his delight. One of the 5 year old started following L’el around offering to wash his clothes for him as they looked ‘icky’.
There was one difference which was that the children of his homeland and the people with whom he was surrounded now, represented not only his race, but races of all types and colors and sizes, although there were some children who strikingly resembled an Aelopian. It was truly a multi-planetary, perhaps even multi-galactic event.
The rumbling crowd seemed to quiet to a hush. They again were all focused on L’el. He could sense they were somewhat apprehensive. Even Velder’s mood had changed to one of nervous apprehension.
“So?... How did we do?” he asked in earnest, him and everyone there hanging upon L’els response.
L’el paused, he looked around him and the felt the emotion building within him. With the myriad of faces all upon him, he saw the many banners like lines of poetry, he heard the music like the voices of his past and he looked up at the heavens where the winds howled across a clear sky. Somewhere out there amongst the constellations, where the great deities were said to roam he thought Mia might be watching. Unable to quell the rush of feelings he broke down. Again there were no words to describe how he felt. A fitting epitaph fulfilled, there was good in the universe. Forcing himself to regain his composure, a smile began to play on his lips as he looked at his newfound kin. His jubilation apparent to all, L’el felt their cheers but was lost in the moment. He heard only the laugh of his little girl. For Mia.
-The End
Contact Protocol
“dwia unwedged himself from the inner rods of his craft with a startled grunt. His landing was a little more sudden than he had anticipated. Peeking his head over the canopy he was greeted by the subtle clamor of downtown city traffic blended with the melodious singing of nearby parkland birds to round out what would be as alien an environment as he possibly could have fathomed.
He rubbed his head.
“Well, there was no need for that --- but I deserved that.”
He surveyed his surroundings for any obvious threats, but only a lush verdant atmosphere, replete with exotic floura and fauna was nestled in a suburban horizon of rectangular slate grey. It would take him a moment to be able to discern fully sentient beings from the local wildlife he figured. But intelligent life was very evident, what with all the machinery and structures about.
Hesitating a moment he took his first breath. Sure, all the readouts were in the green and the atmosphere was supposedly oxygen based, but one never knew what nasty surprises a strange new world had to offer, one small deposit of carbon dioxide and he could be bedridden for weeks.
“Hmmm, seems to be very breathable air indeed --- but I’ll have to be careful”
He unhooked his straps and exited his formerly burnished oval copper plate craft, now dust ridden, and slowly took his first few steps onto the earth. The gravity seemed pretty agreeable, but he would have to maintain a strict exercise regimen while planet side or risk atrophy being accustomed to a heavier pull.
A stocky frame well over 1,600 pounds was concealed behind a rich mane of ash blonde and a well tailored suit. At least what would pass as a suit on his own home planet. A face best described as feline, with flowing tufts of gracefully bound hair rounded out a head with ears that were elfinly pointed.
Ahh, the first inhabitants of this planet were exiting their ground based vehicles now. They were holding up strange rectangular objects and pointing them at him. Let’s see, ruffling through his handheld data pad, those were probably “smart phones”. Harmless they were probably, hopefully.
They
weren’t approaching him, probably leery of his appearance. “dwia decided to make the first move.
“KDW_!” were his first words.
He seemed to have put them all into a spell. They weren’t moving. Oh right! He forgot to put on his translator.
“Hi there, nice to meet you --- I hope we don’t engage in combat”
The crowd was taken aback. It could talk! He took a sweeping look at the gathering earth dwellers. So far no one was answering, he checked his settings to make sure it was the correct language, yup, English – American. Set for “North American”
He tried it again.
“Hey there guys. Do any of you speak English? --- I hope my translator is not broken”
After a moment, one of them responded, an elderly man by all appearances.
“That’s a very realistic costume you got there. Are you part of a movie?”
“A movie? --- that’s a strange way to greet a newcomer” dwia made a quick survey of his attire, No, I am a visitor from a neighbouring Star system, Rigel 5 --- you probably don’t know your star maps yet though do you?”
Again a pause before reply, these humans seemed either slow witted or easily startled, or both. dwia stood patiently.
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