by Luis Robles
“Bullshit,” I hissed under my breath, practicing my human dialect.
I remembered when we first arrived. We were gracious as hosts. We expected fairness and cooperation, nothing more. Now, the crew was tired. We were here for too long, watching the planet for ten years slowly deteriorate into the wreck that it previously was. Now, they wanted to make the problem just go away and put no effort into its correction. What laziness had befallen the station?
I shifted my coverings, discomforted. What would be the point of ten years of hard work? All that research. I had even considered having a secondary home here once the planet was cleared. I could stare at Sol for hours at a time, watching the bubbling flaring surface of the near star, or perhaps even working on one of those 'buildings' myself. The whole planet, sure, was a fixer-upper, but I felt that it wasn't impossible. I was falling in love with the planet and its people. Even with their many defects as a species, I knew that they could do better, that they could change their ways and do good by it.
I recalled easily my many days behind desks, logging into our collective memorial database every record from our observations and making trips down to the very surface that they now wished to simply destroy. I had so much hope then.
Perhaps I was just used to it. I had grown attached to the green and simple hues of the grass, the strange boxes that humans had called 'buildings', which by the way, from research and reading that I had done, only meant 'things that were built'. How funny and simple these humans were.
The evil ones were interesting, as well, in how they operated so detached from the rest. They did not seem to have the same pack mentality that would have been expected for their growth. Instead, they acted as predators among their own, hurting others for their own gain—like a wolf entering a new pack, or a fox amongst hens—just to gain power among themselves. These creatures were also interesting to read about.
I went to the mess hall, thinking about all of these new words I had learned in each human language in order to help our collaboration. I had hoped that this would be a successful mission, that we would reckon this planet approachable and colonize with it peacefully. It didn't seem to be going so well after all. Such opportunities and cultures destroyed by such thing as our own selfish inconvenience? It didn't seem the Miriu way. No, the Miriu way was long lost and forgotten. We were doing wrong.
I brought with me to the mess hall our key law slate, refreshing myself on the fundamentals of our people. I hoped that this uneasy feeling within me would dissipate.
I couldn't be the only one who felt like this. There had to be more.
Enter
Jaika
The Hsus took us directly below the massive ship. I could see it for days over the city, but now I was directly under its epicenter. Never did I think I would be doing this, but yet here I was. I felt like an idiot, I felt reckless but I was angry and I had more than enough courage. Here, when looking up, it seemed to encompass the entire sky, that complete blackness with the strange stripes in seemingly random patterns. I felt my skin spot with goose bumps. As the massive ramp began to lower to pick us up, eight of the so called Keepers also lowered. The Hsus walked us up the ramp and then turned away frightened. They first began to walk away slowly and little by little they began to run away. “Cowards,” I thought, “They were always so brave when they were facing humans, even bullied them, but when it came to facing those who were enslaving them, they’d ran.”
We were brought up to the entrance of the ship. It was just over where Yangmingshan National Park once was. Now the place had become little more than a rocky volcanic wasteland. There had been some expansion out in this direction once and the evidence of old high-rises and a few quarries to try and get materials for more Dragons seemed to be underway but must have halted altogether when the Keepers came.
I looked up to see them, and my eyes watered from the beauty of them. I hated myself for thinking that, but something about them made me think that way and it scared me also that I felt that way. I tried to make myself believe that it was something in the air that they were using to make me feel like this, but with no proof, I couldn’t be sure. At a distant though, I wondered what Railgun thought of them, but I didn't look back at him to see his reaction, not that I could have even been able to tell with his visor.
Railgun stood as the android that I had created, the android my grandfather and I had designed as the final hope so that humanity might survive. It was easy to belittle myself as being capable of changing the tides of things when I saw so much might before me. What if they could destroy him? What if Railgun can only take out a few of them before they gang up on him? What if they separated us? I tried to think about something else and clenched my fists.
These Keepers were tall, taller than Railgun, with long bodies and long arms. They had what would have been the perfect human body; each joint of their bodies constructed perfectly, and they were terrifying at the same time. Some kind of hunters from a distant place, I was sure. I felt a weakness looking upon them, like my eyes would water and burn, like a deer caught in the headlights and knowing that the end was closer than ever.
Nothing was showing outside of what seemed to be their armor skin. No, I was sure it was an armor skin the closer I got to them. Two oversized lenses were just about in the same place where regular human eyes would be. They seemed to wear a thin draping sheet of fabric, but not so much to wear it, as it draped and arranged itself over various parts of their body. Sometimes, it didn't even cover them at all as much as orbiting around them. Their voices when amongst one another were like singing in the mind, though outwardly guttural, basely, and shuddering. It somehow sounded comforting. I grimaced at that. In all their amazing beauty, I began to see their weakness, the weakness that no one saw in them before.
“You are the human who has pitilessly murdered our people. You are the gods among men, some say,” they stated. Their hands moved like spiders, elegantly weaving a web, making the images of their fallen comrades appear before us.
I thought I could see them smile through their helmets after saying those words.
“You're the cowards who are systematically murdering mine,” I bit back.
“That attitude is not welcomed inside our ship. We can very well just pass judgment on you now, if you wish,” one of them threatened as he getting closer but stopped as he heard Railgun’s core humming louder and taking a step closer to me.
“You can try, and let’s see what happens,” I said, not backing down.
I was angry, and I was saying things that I was not supposed to, but half of me wanted to get it all over with. I wanted all of this to end.
Within a second, Railgun’s arms extended and interlocked into two separate cannons on each side, already taking aim. Sparks of electricity danced on the floor and all around Railgun’s cannons. The Keeper that was approaching me took a step back. The other seven Keepers reacted, drawing out their weapons but only to glance at them as they were blown away from their hands by Railgun’s cannons. Even the weapon of the Keeper that was talking to me got blown even while still attached to its leg, taking a big chunk with it. The Keeper made a loud screech in pain.
They seemed to panic. I was sure that nothing like this had ever happened to them. I was sure that they had never witnessed anything like Railgun.
“We are not here to play any games. Now, if you can please take me to your leader… There is no need for violence. As long as I feel safe, he will not do anything to you,” I said as Railgun’s cannons retracted back into his hands.
“That was just lucky of you. We’ll see how lucky you are inside the ship,” the Keeper wept in pain.
From up above us, one of them descended from the ship to the lower platform. This Keeper was different. But what set this Keeper apart from the others despite his obvious rank were the six wings on his back. No, they were not wings; they were translucent beams of light that enabled him to fly. At his presence, the other Keepers stiffened and returned to their origin
al posts. His presence carried weight and gave me the chills. I started to feel the reality of the situation sink in.
“Now, now, this is not the time and place for all of that, this is not the way the Miriu treat their guests, is it?” the most senior of them mischievously asked as he settled in to the raising platform.
“No, Sir,” the others answered all at once.
“Everyone will be judged in time, there is no need for bloodshed,” the most senior of them added as his six extensions disappeared back into his body.
“Are you their leader?” I asked without a care in the world. Railgun’s core sped up once again behind me, awaiting his response.
“You flatter me, but I am not the Captain or even a member of the judicial council. I am just Prize-Lieutenant Nuvsef, at your eternal service,” the lieutenant said, with a voice that gave me the chills.
“Who is your boss? I need to speak to him. Take me to him,” I demanded.
“You misunderstand. That's fine. You are not the only one of your species who misunderstood,” the lieutenant said, waving us away as we kept walking deeper into the ship.
The rest of the way, we walked in silence, and I fixed my glasses at the same time managing to turn on my HUD display to start analyzing the ship.
The ship looked like it was built in the likes of many cultures from all over the world. They were all here… The thought made me feel uneasy. Have they been to earth before?
Judgment
Railgun
Once inside, the Prize-Lieutenant Nuvsef left us, and we were escorted by three other Keepers. We scanned and observed the interior of the craft. I could not comprehend the material that my sensors were scanning and picking up. Nothing on earth seemed quite like it; although similar components existed, nothing quite matched right. I was surprised at how many things my glasses were able to recognize. I felt lost and unsettled at being unable to calculate something of this magnitude. How could I defend Jaika against something I didn't understand?
Thankfully, I knew that I could take out the beings. That was something I felt pretty confident to do, though I knew that the number in this structure would make the likelihood of me surviving the encounter unscathed, roughly zero. I knew the risks, but I also knew the purpose that I was here. On her order, I would get her out. It was only when we entered the ship that my cerebral computer began to elevate the danger level to moderate, and my core kept a steady flow of energy to my body. My body was set to react the moment it would notice something repulsive to happen. I was calculating and re-calculating, the massive pressure that my core would generate on my body at full power.
I would do whatever she asked. I realized as I walked behind her the reason for that. It was not just the order that Dr. Liu had given to me, nor was it that she was my creator, although both of those features indicated immediate loyalty to my charge. More than that, she was trying so awfully hard to win back this planet for her people—so that she and her kind could keep on living, so she could live out her life as it was intended to be lived the day she was born. As foreign an idea that was to me, I was beginning to understand it. I could also understand that determination because I felt for her how she was feeling for humanity. I could equate that with my own programming and felt as though we were alike.
We were led down a hallway, or a chamber. It was hard to categorize exactly what it was. Some kind of passage, I could say.
There was a room with a few strangely organic chairs growing out of the floor, for lack of a better word, forming perfectly soft crystalline structures. Geometry played a pivotal role in the location of the rest of the furniture as well. Projections seemed to disappear and reappear from the walls like ghosts sending strange messages. I could not interpret them, even if I had tried. Instead, I focused on the job at hand.
One of the Keepers had Jaika sat down. He asked, and she complied. I was eyeing his vital points for potential strikes. I didn't trust them in this room, especially after seeing everyone on the streets and how people reacted to their mention. There was no way that this was a safe place for her. I watched her like a hawk, ever vigilant to rip this ship to pieces if it meant getting her out of here. I calculated every possible scenario, paying attention to every bit of information that my sensors allowed me to receive.
But she had ordered me not to do anything. I couldn't rescue her unless something went very wrong. I remembered what she had told me. I tried to hold myself back and gave it all a chance. Trust her, I told myself. I had to trust her.
Soon, one other Keeper joined us, but this one seemed to be a member of the judging council of Miriu. It wore a grand robe of some sort, covering its body in its entirety. It didn't take very long before ten more walked into the room, some male, some female, by looks of their bodies.
“Never before has anyone actually killed one of us,” the judge stated matter of fact. It voice had a calm, softer tone that if they had genders may have been associated with someone more feminine. “And never before have we allowed a machine in the chamber of life. However, due to the complexities of this particular case, this machine will be exempt from the rule. Judging will take place in an orderly fashion.”
Jaika didn't even look at them. Other Keepers came in and put me in restraints made of whatever strange flat material the ship was made in, only it had some kind of orange field around it. They clearly didn't know what I was capable of. That was acceptable, and although I hated them touching me, I could let it be for now, as Jaika was yet to truly be threatened.
“What is it that you are fighting against?” the Keeper judge asked her. Jaika did not answer.
“Is it control?” Again, no answer.
“You hide yourself away with that scientist for 10 years. Don't think we didn't notice. We, the Keepers, see everything that ever happens in this world. It is part of our duty and that is how we come to a fair judgment,” they continued, “All those people you didn't feed. All those people you didn't let into your house for safety. Technology you had, you could have used to help your community. Where was your goodwill? Where was that of your grandfather?” they asked.
Jaika looked at her, eyes wide and beginning to shake. Her heartbeat increased. I worried for her and considered my restraints.
“How do you know how I've lived?!” she demanded.
There was only silence.
“You brought this upon us, in the first place. You are not welcome in this world. None of you are welcome in this world. Take your ship, your keepers and leave! We can figure things out on our own. You are responsible for the death of my parents, my grandfather, most of my family by now and even my cat! You don’t know what I have been through, what kind of suffering I have endured to be able to be here. We did what we have to do, to help humanity survive. You don’t know anything about me or my family,” Jaika said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“They are responsible for their own deaths,” the judge said.
“Leave now! This is your last chance,” Jaika said in a low voice filled with anger.
“You dare threaten a judge of the Miriu? A Judge…the only person that can pardon you and your machine?” the judge asked, indignant.
“I did not come here to surrender. I did not come here to be pardoned…I came here to tell you face to face to leave Earth! Leave, and never come back!”
They just looked back at her and glanced down the chair that she had been tied to. She, too, glanced down at the device touching her skin.
“Well, I think it's obvious that we cannot let you survive. You are not Pure, nor are you destined to go through trial to become Pure. You are an especially dangerous mind. Your technology will be crushed and recycled. You will be made into compost. I hope you understand that we will make the best use of you. Do not be afraid. This is the right path for you.”
“FIRE!” she cried. At her words, I chose the caliber of my attack. My back panels split, separating arms locking together, breaking the restrains with ease in front and the meter behind me extended fr
om between my shoulders. The lights along my arms lit up to the brightest green. Jaika covered her ears as the whistling sound increased to inaudible levels the moment before the charged released.
The blast shattered through the bodies and the door, leaving a hole branching at least three bodies wide. The restraints holding Jaika unlocked with the commotion.
“Stay with me, Jaika,” I insisted. She ran along behind me. My arms separated once more and the charge was down for the moment. My core ran with a hum within my chest, bringing my power back to normal again. Alerts rang out around the entire ship. They were not like sirens, but like singing, a choir of synchronized voices without a tune. Or perhaps it was a tune that I could not perceive with my limited audio input equipment.
Jaika grabbed at my hand. It was still hot from the charged blast, but she didn't seem to care. “Let’s go, we need to take them all down,” she said between her teeth.
I followed as instructed. Of course, I would do whatever she asked... However, I felt something I couldn't put into words. Something I didn't feel comfortable talking to Jaika about, even if I could phrase it appropriately, maybe.
I scouted ahead just three feet from her at any given time, ensuring that the path ahead was clear. I doubled back to check behind us as well. We carried on, finding numerous signs in every hallway in a strange script. No language in my database had anything like what I was looking at. I was going to leave it be.
Jaika paused however and adjusted a few settings on her glasses. “This is catching a lot of matches... It's like a combination of a lot of older languages...” she said, matching up various letters from the database located within the GEL network within the frames.