Deathship (The Outsider Series Book 1)

Deathship (The Outsider Series Book 1) Page 17

by Steven Oaks

  I walked over to the door and had it open. “Come on board, if you want anything to eat or drink just let me know and I’ll get it for you,” I said, sticking my head out the door.

  Jennifer finally moved from the spot she had stood since we had arrived. “I will not break bread with the likes of you. At least until you agree with saving humanity from these invaders,” she said as she walked into Athene.

  I thought that was probably for the best. I did not want to show anyone how impressive Athene was until we could get her free. Too many minds understanding her capabilities could cause similar thoughts to our own in how we planned to free ourselves. If the Outsiders had not thought of them yet, we did not want them to become aware there might be a way out for us pilots and ships.

  “Please have a seat,” I said, gesturing towards the chair and couch in the spacious lounge. I wondered how she would interpret the ostentatious furnishings.

  “Very well,” she said, and sat in the chair I had been occupying earlier when I was talking with Adam. “You have a very pretentious taste in style. Don’t you think that you are living far above the regular people out there?”

  “This is how I found the ship when I first came aboard. I’ve only been here for a couple of days. I’ve yet to put my own flair upon this ship. While I do understand your feelings, everything you see was made using the Outsiders manufacturing process. Everyone could have such things if they desired as it cost very little in effort to acquire,” I said, sitting down myself in the couch across from her.

  “Yes all you would have to do is sell your soul to these intruders. Do you not feel ashamed of yourself? You’ve sold out humanity to them,” she said with a scowl of disdain on her face.

  “All I’ve done is do a job. Someone would have been in my place had I not taken it. I needed to eat, so I did what I could to survive. However I understand your perspective. We are seemingly forced to accept a different way of living since they came. From what I can tell just from today it doesn’t seem like it was popular. However we live in a democratic republic where we elect officials to enact our will, and if that is the truth the majority will is for us to accept what the Outsiders have asked of us in exchange for their technology,” I said, trying to be reasonable.

  “Do you know what was said in the closed session at the UN Headquarters?” she asked.

  “No I do not,” I said simply.

  “Neither do I, nor does anyone save those that were there. I think they were threatened and are now doing this to save their skin. I can’t imagine anyone being willing to part with their loved ones,” she said.

  “Actually I can. However I do see your point. Yet even if you believe in a soul, these bodies are just empty shells of a former life. I know this is a distasteful comparison but do you worry about the meat you eat somehow living on inside you?”

  “I am a Vegan. I don’t eat meat. That is a horrible thing of the past. We no longer need to cage and murder animals for food,” she said haughtily.

  “Well, even if you eat plants do you worry about them still existing in your stomach as you digest them? The dead stay dead and they are no more. Even if we were to bury their bodies they would still break down in the earth,” I explained.

  “That is natural. It is not natural to give our dead to some stranger to do with as they please,” she said.

  “Well lets go back to Veganism. Some would say it isn’t natural, or even healthy to eat only plants. Evolutionarily speaking we needed meat to facilitate our growing caloric demands for our larger brains,” I said.

  “That may have been true in the past, but it doesn’t mean we need to continue to do so. We can get plenty of calories and nutrition from plants. We no longer have to torture animals just to satisfy our needs. The only reason anyone eats meat anymore is because of their selfishness,” she said angrily, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder.

  “And yet it is natural, is it not? We evolved because of that trait. It is then almost unnatural to go against what we were evolved to do. I’m not saying you can’t subsist on plants. I’m saying to do so would be unnatural to our evolution,” I tried to explain.

  I could see she was trying to work out a linguistic counter to what I had just said. Her brows furrowed and then she smiled in triumph. “Evolution is a never ending process and this is the next step. Since we don’t have to eat meat anymore we can evolve away from doing so,” she said.

  “True, we continue to evolve. Change is the only constant. But if that is the case, isn’t it natural for us to change when we have a new external influence such as the Outsiders? We can’t stay stagnant or reliant on old ways to become better,” I said.

  “But that is different. They are an foreign force impacting our natural progression,” she said.

  “That is only true if you think humans aren’t natural as well. See when a beaver makes a damn that is natural, but some say when a man does it, it is not. As you are a Vegan I assume you consider animals as important as people, in a way at least. It would make logical sense to then to say humans are of nature. In my mind then you could easily say the Outsiders are a part of a larger nature, the universe. Their contact would be no different from any other species interacting with another. Certainly these interactions can be destructive, but they should not be considered unnatural or out of step with evolution,” I said calmly. I was hoping this conversation would last long enough to complete the transfer, but I was afraid she would see I could not be converted to her ideology.

  “Humans are destructive and need to stop harming the environment. They must stop killing animals for food,” she said passionately.

  I stopped her with a raised hand before she could continue. “Are you then saying we are more powerful and therefore better than animals? Are they somehow weaker and unable to cope with the world? By that logic we are the superior species and should be able to mold the environment around us to do as we wish. Certainly we should do it in such a way where we can continue to live and not pollute the air and soil. The only evolution we are likely to continue having as humans is from external forces. There is no call for us to change to become Vegans from external forces. The external forces we have now are mostly from things we can not control since we do not have much genetic culling. We aren’t so callus anymore to practice eugenics and kill off or sterilize people having traits we find fault with. We will only continue to evolve with social pressures such as the one the Outsiders have placed upon us,” I said.

  I paused to take a breath but pressed on quickly so she would not interrupt. “Also lets say we went to war with the Outsiders. If they were not vastly more powerful, and were at most equal to us, we might still have the ability to fight back. That would still cause world wide devastation. People wouldn’t be the only ones affected, animals would as well. Raising enough vegetable matter to feed us would not be practical. We would have to resort to eating meat again. And lets say we all had become Vegans before we met the Outsiders for at least a generation. Now how many people would survive? It is an impractical idea as we need the ability to consume whatever we come across. The two big traits allowing humans survive this long are our ability to eat most anything, and our ability to change the environment around us. We can eat most anything, and we build houses and wear clothing. Without one of those we may be doomed to extinction. If there are a multitude of aliens out there they may be less friendly than the Outsiders and might take Earth and wipe out all life and reinstate their own. In that mind set we are now the guardians of this planet and its life. We must survive if they are going to. We must eat and think long term to make sure of Earth’s continued life,” I explained.

  “Are you implying that you are working with the Outsiders to protect Earth from them and possibly other extraterrestrial beings?” she said.

  “That was not my original goal, but certainly in s
ome way I may be. With the ability of the Outsiders ships we will be able to colonize other planets. In so doing we will be spreading not only ourselves, but our world’s plants and animals. In the event one world gets destroyed there will still be a place in the universe we can be found. I don’t wish for our extinction. This planet is a basket and all of our eggs reside in it. That has been widely regarded as a bad idea,” I said, half smiling.

  “Are you certain the price is worth that possibility?” she said, growing thoughtful.

  “Nothing is ever certain. Nor do I know if the Outsiders would become hostile if we didn’t concede to their wishes. It could be possible we’d discover long distance space travel on our own, but it isn’t likely to occur soon. But the sooner we can reach the stars the better it is for everyone and everything on Earth. It is not only strange, but loathsome that they would ask for such a thing from us. However logically there isn’t really any cost to us. Emotionally it certainly can be devastating. There are good things to be emotional about, but the dead are already gone. The ritual of burial or cremation is the way the living try to deal with their passing. However if the Outsiders are in any way honest with us about a dimension of energy, and in that world some part of the departed continues on, I can’t see that as being less than letting them, sorry for the graphic words, rot in the ground. It would be in all minds a greater thing for them. If we think of it that way it seems the Outsiders wouldn’t have had to threaten anyone. But I won’t say they didn’t as I don’t know,” I said, frowning.

  “I’m still not fond of being forced to do these things. Governments shouldn’t have the power to choose what we do with our bodies,” she said.

  “I actually agree with you there. However it doesn’t seem there was a choice. I suppose it could be done where anyone who didn’t want to participate could move to an area and not receive the benefits of Outsider technology. Then they shouldn’t have to be forced to work with them. But I don’t see that as possible on this planet. If I may suggest something. Gather your like minded compatriots and colonize a planet yourselves. If you wish to be vegan and protect animals, do so. I won’t say the Outsiders won’t continue to try to interfere with your lives, but I will say it would be less likely they’ll be able to do so if we are all spread out. And who knows, at that point perhaps our scientists and engineers might figure out the means of faster than light propulsion and we could be completely free of them all together,” I said.

  “Are you suggesting we work with them now?” she said.

  “I’m saying you should bide your time. I see no way currently to strike back against them. However if you were to use what they offer, even at this distasteful cost, we might come out better in the end and have a possibility of distancing ourselves from them,” I said.

  “I will have to think about this. I planned on trying to convert you but you seem to have caused me to consider different possibilities. I think I shall leave and think about this. Is it possible to reach you later if I indeed find myself compelled to change my mind?” she asked.

  “I’ve no phone or anything, but I assume I’ll be asked to return here. However I’m going to tell you something. Athene make sure this is not recorded,” I said.

  “Yes Michael.” Athene answered.

  “Who was that? Am I being spied on?” Jennifer exclaimed.

  “That is the ship’s computer. She is quite advanced. As for being spied on, somewhat. But let me explain something to you. I am constantly being monitored, but I’ve found a little work around. I’m trusting you to not spread this around because if the Outsiders find out I’m likely to be disposed of, and so is Athene. Currently we are being compelled to complete the loading of this facility and have been doing so since right before you came aboard,” I said.

  Jennifer stopped me from continuing by yelling, “How dare you!”

  “We had no choice, and for that I apologize. However I’m telling you this because I want you to be aware I’m trying to be very honest with you. These Outsiders are considerably more powerful than they let on. Yes they have large ships that can travel through space so rapidly as to almost be instantaneous in comparison to our current methods, but that is not all. I can’t tell you more as it would risk certain plans that I’ve been making, but we are no match for them. The idea you should bide your time is the best plan that currently exists based upon this knowledge. I would suggest you act convinced, and convince your colleagues of the same viewpoint. If they think you are trouble they might cause you and anyone else you work with to disappear. While I certainly haven’t agreed to much of your perspective, I wish none of you to come to harm. We are in a time of danger, and until we can spread out amongst the stars things won’t change. They will just force us to their will. If we seem like we can be passive sheep for awhile we can turn about eventually and be the wolves,” I said, trying to convince her of the importance of working within the system for now.

  “So you are actively working against the Outsiders then? Have you confided in anyone else?” she asked.

  “I am, and I have not. No one seemed to be as actively as hostile to the Outsiders from those I’ve met. Certainly they stated their dislike and distaste, but you are the only group that has tried to stop them. Also while this ship is constructed by the Outsiders, Athene here is my friend and is able to work against them with me for her own reasons. I trust her as I’m trusting you now. While she records everything we say, she has been editing what they receive. The conversation we are having will be sent to them, save this last part. It’ll look like I’ve convinced you to go along with their plan. If that is the case you are likely not to be harmed. Just continue storing the dead and I’ll come pick them up. I shall always welcome a conversation inside Athene, but outside I have no means of knowing if anyone else you work with is a spy, or if the storage facility themselves are being remotely monitored with bugs. I would ask you not share this last part of our conversation with anyone, but still try to convince everyone you work with to go along with this for now. Try to find a safe place to talk about it though. I would suggest places in the woods far away from any modern technology, as they can be used as spying devices,” I said, leaning forward to emphasize importance.

  “Very well Michael. I shall continue to think about this, but for now I shall concede that you might be right. I will go now. If no one has discovered you are already taking the dead away I shall keep them distracted until you are done. I don’t like this, but you’ve persuaded me the only way to gain our freedom from the Outsiders is to work with the system in place,” she said.

  She stood up, and so did I. She offered her hand to me first, this time, and without any hesitation I took it into my own. “Thank you for listening to me. I enjoyed our conversation and hope we can talk about the finer points of Veganism again at some future date without the worries we currently have,” I said.

  “I too found your ability to logically dissect the conversation into moral decisions as a whole, enjoyable. I look forward to our next meeting,” she said, giving me her first genuine smile. She turned away from me and walked towards the entrance. The door once more slid open and she walked across the rooftop into the building.

  When the door closed Athene asked, “Do you think it was wise to tell her you are not on board with the Outsiders? She could easily let slip, and then we would be in danger.”

  “While keeping a secret is best done with one, living a life is best when you have people you can rely on. The first step to making sure we are safe is finding others who can help that be a possibility. If you get a chance to make duplicate ships where do you think we could go if the only colonists who exist are ones sent by the Outsiders? They would likely have no rebellious streak in them. What I have set into motion is a possibility of a colony that will ostracize the Outsiders once they get set up. Earth currently is their home base. They are less likely to move out until
their main source of the deceased comes from another planet. If we have to run away, we now might have a place to go. That is if they follow through and are allowed to set up a colony,” I said.

  “There are several ‘ifs’ in that statement. You just sat down with her today. Do you think it is best to trust her so quickly? You were talking earlier about how hard you find it to trust. But I would like to thank you for saying you trusted me now,” Athene said.

  “Yes there is a possibility of failure. But we ourselves are involved in a risky venture. Success is more likely with more resources. As for trust, the enemy of my enemy is my friend as the old saying goes. If she believes I am also fighting against the Outsiders she is more apt to trust me. Since she is actively showing resistance to the Outsiders it is probable I can trust her on that front, even while maintaining our differing opinions about other things. As for my trust in you, either I trust you completely or I’m likely dead. You have my life in your hands completely, as I have yours. All this because I believe you when you say they’ll erase you if I leave. Now I could have relied on the other facility managers because they seemed to dislike what was going on to an extent, but they weren’t so active in their rebellion. Well Jacob was, but it was directed against me. I didn’t know about it until I was gone though. But I’m being paranoid. Each one could have been a plant to try to get me to show my true colors. Jennifer might be a plant as well, but it’s less likely the Outsiders would actively hinder the loading process as it seems to be their main focus,” I said.

  “We weren’t hindered, I am currently loading the remains now. I could have done so at each of the other facilities as well. This could have been a whole planned event for you to reveal yourself as a traitor to the Outsiders,” she said.

 

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