Energia
Page 5
CHAPTER FOUR: RETURN
The anger the Earthlings directed at each other for 'spooking the Energians' and losing such a rare opportunity knew no bounds and only intensified their blame and violence toward each other. The fighting raged on. But not three months later, still consumed in their hatreds and despair, a communication came that the Energian fleet was turning around. The inhabitants of Earth only would learn afterward that a large faction among the Energian fleet's population had formed in favor of returning. It seems there had been strong debate on the wisdom of abandoning their connection to the only known and nearby alien species in exchange for the mere hope of finding a better level of intelligence around another star. An agreement was struck that the fleet would return and, as long as the Energians opposed to the idea were shielded from the consequences and any obligations to participate, an attempt, by those advocating to return, would be allowed to try and reach the Earthlings one last time. It was their choice and what they wanted. They would be allowed their experiment by Energian Command. “It won't work. They're not ready”, a representative on the side opposed to returning had said at proceedings considering the return. “It will. They just need a little push”, a representative of the faction advocating a return had responded. "If we don't return they will never figure this out. They are as clumsy in our eyes as their lower animals are to themselves. They will destroy themselves."
"That is their choice," another representative opposing the experimental intervention shot back.
"And this is ours", came the final reply. "We understand your concern but we will bear the burden and the consequences. Now please ready our acoustic ships. If I am going to become a martyr I shall want to hear my planet's music when I die, not the alien wind of this alien world. They know how to die for war. We will show them how to die for peace."
Although Energian belief allowed for a natural law of reincarnation, it was no small undertaking to which the faction leader and her followers had resigned themselves. According to Energian belief, it would be an incalculable number of years before the Universe reanimated her as another intelligent species. A massive robotic contingent of browsers were suggested as a substitute for actual Energian participants in the bold scheme but quickly ruled out due to the danger of humans hacking their programs and using them for still more warlike and nefarious purposes. The experiment had to be performed by a voluntary selection of Energians themselves. If the experiment failed, the Energian fleet would depart, never to return. The Energians were going to attempt to stay but if they remained they were not going to put up with humans the way they were. They would have to change.
As soon as the Energian fleet reached near Earth orbit, they put their plan into action with a fire and conviction that would leave a mark on those who would witness it. They mapped out the major conflict zones of Earth-- Iraq, Syria, the West Bank, Afghanistan, Crimea, Chechnya, Libya, Yemen,-- and then down they came in thousands upon thousands. Walking unarmed in every possible configuration-- alone and in long processions-- their solemn, expressionless faces peering through their elegant black spacesuits emblazoned with the Energian flag. They marched to the heart of the fighting, straight toward the stunned and sometimes unwelcoming arms and guns of the combatants of all sides. There was much confusion among the Earthlings at first over what the Energians were trying to accomplish. They weren't surrendering but seemed to be pushing the Earth factions to either shoot them or surrender themselves. Some started to catch on, however, and many dropped their weapons immediately, never to pick them up again, so mesmerized and shaken they were by such silent and dramatic appeals for the cessation of violence. And many of these joined the Energian crusade. The more hard of heart responded with more violence. The Energians, now accompanied by their human allies, died in droves, faces revealing nothing but a calm focus of purpose, slowly approaching and reaching out to their killers as if trying to teach them something, they knew not what. What could be the message? On and on the Energians marched toward the last stubborn holdouts, converting hundreds then thousands, sacrificing their preciously long lives only to be replaced by another marcher. Music of unfathomable alien inspiration and melody cascaded down from their ships from the lower atmosphere, encouraging their tattered lines to press on, until something finally clicked in the human combatants. Then, with all the advantage and all the firepower, the aliens and their allies posing no military challenge, these last armies of Earth abandoned their weapons, raised the blue lined flag and falling to their knees, surrendered in tears to the unarmed Energian lines. Complete collapse of morale came sometime in the dead of night. A line of holdouts, arms raised above their heads, shuffled along a burning dirt road leading out of their last stronghold to surrender to the Energians. The head officer of a particularly blood-thirsty patrol was brought to the front of the procession, while the leader of the presiding Energian contingent, her suit oddly pristine and civilized for a war zone, stepped forward to address him. She spoke something in Energian and the nano-fabric of her suit responded with a burst of light, illuminating the charred and cratered ground around her as she walked toward him. She stopped.
"I have a message for you from beyond the grave. From those you've killed.", she said.
Sweating under the fires of the ravaged world around them, the officer slumped to the ground, awaiting some kind of verdict.
The Energian official crouched down to examine the broken fighter's face more closely. As if soothing a frightened and bewildered animal she knew could not yet fully understand, she tried to reassure and console him, "Don't worry now…It will be alright…You are forgiven".
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the following online communities for keeping me sane:
The online progressive community, the resource based economy community, the tiny house community, the off-grid community, the science community, the hydroponic agriculture community, the 3D printing community, the open source community, the get-advertisers-out-of-my-face community, DuckDuckGo, StartPage, ProtonMail, RiseUp.net (thanks for accepting my registration so quickly!), the self-publishing community (especially SmashWords), cooperative Left leaning life forms off and online everywhere! and my brother, for telling me to write a book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Centra was born in 1967 and raised on the East Coast of the United States. He is an advocate of a resourced based economy, low impact, self-sufficient living models and maintains an active twitter account at @michaelcentra. He can be reached at michaelcentra@riseup.net. A sequel to Energia is in the planning stage.