by Lea Tassie
Elvin, Eve, and six of their friends had been the first to be given Tasker bodies. The control of existence on New Eden shifted to their hands.
Eve remembered being both fascinated and revolted by the idea of being combined with a Tasker. They didn't look like humans, being a mix of alien biology and mechanical constructs, similar to a cross between a spider and a bat. They had multiple limbs for motion and dexterity, mechanical wing structures that operated like a hummingbird's wings, and a head without eyes. They used hearing for guidance, as well as sensors, cameras for sight, and radio frequencies for speech.
The eight original Taskers found in the ship were vibrant blue in color. These eight were redesigned to be merged with the elders of the original Maven group. The Taskers made from the supply ship materials, larger and less colorful, were merged with the Mavens most learned in science, medicine and engineering. The remaining eight Mavens decided to go into stasis and await some other solution to the toxic effects of the cicada bacteria.
On Earth, the Mavens had been bred to fill a role in problem-solving the alien space craft, not in the art of survival. However, the Great Eight, as the eight elders became known, soon realized that their blended bodies were stronger, faster, and better at dealing with all things on their new world.
Eve glanced down at the 'hand' holding Elvin's. Her revulsion had long since evaporated, replaced by a welcome strength and contentment. She might eventually even forget how it felt to have flesh touching flesh in affection.
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Years passed and the colony flourished, expanding to cover the planet, roughly the size of Earth's moon. Millions of inhabitants were cloned from the eight Mavens in stasis and were now biomechanical drones answering to the Great Eight. Each city was led by one of the twelve constructs, all loyal and devoted to the betterment of New Eden. The vast resources of this world, so long plundered by the so-called alien invaders of the past, were now plundered again by the brilliant children of Earth.
The tragedy of losing their children to the cicada scourge meant that all hope vanished of a democracy for humans, except for the Great Eight and the twelve constructs. For the Taskers, the biomechanical drones, their life of blind servitude would continue until technology improved enough to provide them with fully competent human brains.
Then everything changed. One day late in the year 2090, a ship from Earth entered the orbit of this small world and sent a landing party to make contact.
The meeting went badly. The conversion of the Mavens to biomechanical constructs had come with a serious departure from the human form. The lack of eyes and a mouth was the most obvious, but the many limbs were nearly as shocking. Speech between individuals was done through radio frequencies, as the Taskers were never designed to express language. Over time, conversations had evolved into a series of efficient binary bursts of information. No one regretted the loss of eyes because the Tasker form made more efficient use of light through the infrared and ultraviolet bands. But, to the landing party from Earth, the Taskers were completely unrecognizable as human.
As the small landing craft flew over the cities of New Eden, several large Taskers flew up to greet it, forming ranks around the craft and guiding it to the main building of the Great Eight, which was covered with thick, green, ivy-like vegetation. The craft landed in a big open area before the building. Many of the city's inhabitants rushed to the site to get a glimpse of these visitors and soon the small craft found itself surrounded by curious onlookers.
The humans remained in the ship for some time, not sure if leaving the vessel was a wise idea. Finally, the occupants of the ship decided that since they hadn't been attacked so far, they would venture forth in hopes of discovering what had happened to the kids from Earth.
Three humans in encounter suits left the craft and cautiously walked toward the building, watched closely by the remaining crew members huddled in the main window of the ship. Elvin and Eve came down the long steps from the main building. They were highly decorated and colorful as befitted regal leaders of this new world. The Earth leader began communicating in English to Elvin, asking if the Mavens had landed here in the distant past.
Elvin understood every word spoken to him, but he could not answer any of the questions put to him in a way that the humans could understand. All they heard was a series of clicks as a response to their questions.
The confusion went on for some time as the small groups faced each other, trying to find ways to communicate. Pictures were shown that Elvin could not see, questions were asked that Elvin could not answer. Body language and math equations were tried, which all led to dead ends. Frustrated, the humans decided to return to the small ship to try to find another way of communicating. Several hours passed before the three re-emerged to try again, this time carrying a blank piece of paper and some colored pencils.
Elvin and Eve had also spent time trying to find a way to communicate and decided that the only way was to wake one of the eight humans in stasis. They chose the best preserved member of the original group to revive.
Elvin and Eve came to meet with the humans, guiding a confused and bewildered young girl struggling with the effects of many years in suspended animation. Blurry-eyed and groggy, the young girl stumbled forward to meet the three humans in encounter suits. Shocked at what they saw, the three humans began yelling about the discovery of a survivor who had obviously been held prisoner.
When the mother ship broke orbit and headed back to Earth, it carried video footage of the entire encounter. The overwhelmed young girl screamed at the sight of the Taskers and the confused humans opened fire on the Taskers.
The response of the planet's inhabitants to aggression from the small band of humans was total and absolute. Footage of the complete destruction of the small landing craft and its crew had been transmitted to the mother ship in orbit, and thence back to Earth.
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