The Space Force had sidelined me from active combat deployments and extended my mandatory therapy sessions, to my chagrin, despite the airtight excuse of using future vision real-time. At least it wasn’t an immediate discharge, since I wanted to stay in this dimension more than anything. After being here for months and adjusting to my new capabilities, it’d been a shock to return to Sol for our stint on Pluto Station. It would never feel like one hundred percent of my true potential.
With that said, my fuck-ups weighed on me; I couldn’t believe I’d lost control over Mikri’s friend, Capal—harmless Capal. The tin can had started reading human books to that Asscar prisoner, even loaning him extra copies. Why did I have to freeze like a deer in headlights at the very alien who chose to help us and gave Mikri a chance? I knew all of that, and had heard from my friend that the POW was a history student who might somehow outnerd Sofia. Maybe Capal would tell my metal friend that I was unhinged and to be avoided.
I need to deal with the fact that Capal triggered me as if he was Larimak himself; I should face him and apologize. Maybe when we get back, I can muster up the willpower.
I’d feared that I’d scared Jetti away, by turning myself into an uncontrolled chemical weapon and losing my faculties. When I heard that the Derandi reached out to open formal diplomatic relations, I’d felt my shoulders sink back with relief. What had been the opposite of a weight off my chest was that I was asked for by name, to be among the first visitors to their homeworld. There was no telling what I might destroy if I had a flashback or a nightmare at the wrong place, wrong time!
The damn ESU agreed to deliver my presence, since they weren’t intending to refuse our first organic allies in the galaxy. I knew what had happened the last time we agreed to send flesh-and-blood diplomats to another species’ planet. Khatun had been slaughtered, and it wasn’t like we had much more backup than he did. What happened if the Derandi tried to capture us for more testing, once we landed on Temura? I couldn’t—I’d rather die than go through that again!
The fact that I had those thoughts gnawing into my brain: that was evidence that I was bound to ruin this. The most glaring proof of my failures sat right next to me on the spaceship, in the form of the dissolved section of Mikri’s torso; the wires and cords jumped out at my eyes like a damning accusation. The Vascar had felt compelled to chaperone me, always trying to protect me from harm. I was doing nothing but causing him distress with my current state, and I feared that I’d also now dealt him permanent damage.
“Mikri, why haven’t you gotten that fixed?” I demanded, gesturing to the hole my stomach acid had chewed in his metal plating.
The android smiled with warm sincerity. “Because as much as I wish I could fix you, I want to show you it is okay to be broken.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, biting my lower lip hard. Those words cut to the core of exactly how I felt, and the gesture moved me more than I could express with words. My fingers reached up to tousle Mikri’s mane, though I knew it was rubbery to the touch. He wrapped an arm around me in response, beeping happily. I wondered what the android would’ve thought, back when we first met, if he could’ve seen how close our bond was now. I chuckled to myself, remembering him pronouncing that he didn’t like me after I asked him how bad he stunk from not showering.
“What is funny?” Mikri asked.
I gave him a coy smirk, leaning away. “I’m just remembering how I used to drive you nuts. You couldn’t stand me.”
“You did not like me either.”
“I would’ve been more understanding if I knew you were a machine. And I would’ve done way more robot noises.” I bent my arms rigidly, moving them up and down as I jolted my midsection forward at stilted angles. “Beep, boop. Error. Emotions not found.”
Mikri scowled before beginning a series of loud whirs, which amounted to banshee-like screeches, and flailing his arms around. I gave him a befuddled look. Was he having a…temper tantrum? Imitating a tube man blowing in the wind outside the local car wash? The android proceeded to emit a growling rumble that sounded like a stomach, then to offer the most piteous frown he could muster.
“Feed me,” the Vascar wailed. “No, not like that! I’m hangry. Food, food, food.”
I glared at the android wordlessly, remembering the exact reasons I’d despised him when we first met.
Mikri gave me a pleased smile. “My human impression. Better than your ‘robot’ imitation.”
“Hmph. I’m glad I broke your chassis,” I grumbled, crossing my arms and staring out the window.
Our ship touched down on the Derandi’s landing pad, which jolted a snoozing Sofia awake; as the only non-soldier from the initial meeting with Jetti, she was eager to continue to build upon our relationship with the avians. In this instance, I was the only soldier here. We weren’t expecting trouble, though I worried that the Derandi were only submitting to us out of fear. This might be a less awkward first contact if Larimak hadn’t followed the former Alliance members to our meeting, and we didn’t have the, “Humans could snap us like twigs!” hovering in the precious little featherballs’ minds.
Media cameras everywhere: that’s a good sign that this won’t be a Larimak situation.
I put on a necessary smile, and stepped outside where the cameras could behold my masculine beauty. What was Mikri talking about, back when he told me to read the myth of Narcissus? At any rate, this was my first real glimpse of an alien world; the Vascar had shoved me on an island, away from their cities. I had to have my favorite tin can take me back some time, so I could get a glimpse of how the androids lived. From what I’d seen on Jorlen, a society built on the ruins of Asscar wouldn’t look that alien to what we knew on Earth.
The architecture on Temura was a different tale, with the vertical design of everything in sight. The Derandi’s single-story buildings were sophont birdhouses, hanging from reinforced tree limbs; it left me wondering how we were going to get up there. The birds had one capability that we didn’t, even in Caelum—flight. Upon closer inspection, I could see that some structures were attached to ground supports, which had elevators for the disabled and land-walking aliens. That didn’t solve the problem of everything looking…small for us.
A few of the spiraling towers, likely government buildings, had taller floors that wouldn’t be a crawl-space to a human. I diverted my attention to the civilian crowd, and the handful of put-together people who seemed to be politicians standing with Ambassador Jetti. There were a mix of fearful and skeptical expressions, which made it apparent that some had difficulty believing the fantastical claims about us. I would prefer if they thought humans were ordinary, nice people that were worth learning about.
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“Preston, Mikri, and Sofia!” Jetti chirped. “S-see, I told you the android was friendly. It cares for them, and it’s more…complicated with its motives.”
Sofia nudged Mikri, as the Vascar looked nervous to approach the feathery organics. “It’s okay. Don’t be shy. Wave to them.”
Mikri raised a sheepish paw. “Hello?”
An authoritative Derandi gave Jetti a pointed glare. “These creatures don’t look capable of running at vehicular speeds or twirling around support beams. Everyone knows organics can’t survive interdimensional travel or see the future. I’m sure Larimak shooting at you was stressful, Jetti, but enough with the tall tales.”
“Prime Minister Anpero, Larimak learned all of this too; Jorlen didn’t stand a chance. You don’t know what you are saying—who you are talking to!” Jetti sputtered hurriedly.
“Larimak is a delusional madman who will spread lies to further his own grandeur.”
“And that’s why he’d provoke them, and think he could win. I’m sorry, humans. I’m so sorry. Please, don’t take offense or…prove anything!”
Sofia pursed her lips. “Jetti, I know this is hard for you to believe, but we come in peace. Delighted to meet you, PM Anpero; thank you for hosting us. I cannot express my excitement enough, to learn all about your culture and to begin a close friendship with your people.”
“Likewise; we need allies we can trust. Especially with the Girret not returning our calls.” Anpero hopped forward, with a show of confidence that seemed winsome for the crowd. “I want to know exactly who you really are. You seem like a nice species and all, and I’ve had quite enough of Larimak throwing his weight around, but Jetti’s judgment call could cost us everything. I don’t take that lightly.”
“Neither do we, and you have our commitment that we’ll protect Temura with every weapon we have in our disposal. Humanity has a lot to learn, but even as it stands, I feel we have much to offer you.”
“Is that so? The undisputed fact is that you’re protecting a dangerous mechanical race.”
I curled a protective arm around Mikri’s shoulders. “I dispute the ‘fact’ that they’re dangerous…sir.”
“Please do not argue on my behalf,” Mikri said. “I am used to all organics hating us. It is unfortunate that they do not see that we are more than the suffering in our past, and that the ugliness transpired solely in pursuit of our individual rights…but not unexpected.”
Prime Minister Anpero looked unimpressed. “So the humans bought into the sympathy game. I see. Jetti, do you have any other genuine information, before I remove you from your diplomatic post?”
“S-sir…Larimak tortured a group of them to learn about their origins; I’m telling the truth about that, and everything else! Preston, that’s why I asked for you.” Jetti summoned her courage, and threw herself at my feet; I gulped with discomfort, wishing the bird wasn’t begging on hands and knees. “Lift your shirt, just for a second. Show him what Larimak did.”
“What?” I gasped in horror. “No. No! Why would you…?”
“Because the Derandi need to see that Larimak is going too far, and sympathy for Mikri isn’t going to cut it. You don’t want to use fear, and you seem to be refusing to back up what I’ve said at all. Please. Just for one second!”
Tears welled in my eyes, at the thought that Jetti had brought me here just to show off my scars to the world, like everyone needed to see me as some broken victim. It was over, so why the fuck did the Derandi need to drag me out here for this? I lowered my head with a deep-rooted shame, knowing that I would’ve blown our diplomatic chances if Anpero had believed Jetti’s tales. I had to do something that would help humanity rather than make us seem scary, regardless of whether it rendered me a mockery.
You’ve done nothing but jump at your own shadow and cry yourself a river since you were freed. For all of the strength you have here, you’re so weak.
I lifted the bottom of my shirt for a split-second, closing my eyes so I could only hear the gasps from the crowd. My heart tightened, as I realized I was on the verge of another breakdown. It was impossible to stop remembering how those scars were drilled into me, the pain that ceased all other wishes. I pressed my mouth against the back of my hand, and felt the warm, salty droplets rolling down my cheeks. With tunnel vision, I saw a diplomatic car waiting for us and staggered toward it.
Had to go hide there. Had to get away from all of the prying eyes…
“Why would you ask him to do that? It hurts him!” Mikri screeched angrily.
Jetti squawked in alarm, chasing after me. “I wasn’t trying to…I wanted them to see that that really happened. Preston, we understand exactly how you feel. Just relax…relax, before you hurt someone!”
She’s right, and Mikri’s list of damages proves it. Get to the car. Keep walking.
“You’re unfit to be anywhere near these aliens. You talk like they’re walking bombs, not people!” Anpero squawked.
Jetti trilled in alarm. “Preston, stop! You’ll do the right thing. Tell them everything; how you saved me, and took down that ship by ripping apart the space station…”
As I walked unsteadily to the car, the Derandi ambassador chased after me in a desperate bid to prove her sanity. I turned my head to watch as Jetti flew alongside me, and remembered how she had screamed when my vomit corroded Mikri’s chassis. She did think I was a walking bomb, and I wasn’t going to pass that assumption along to others; I’d put on enough of a show as it was.
Staring at the green avian with a haze of emotions, I wasn’t watching where I was walking. The toe of my shoe caught on an uneven patch of the ground, and I was airborne before I knew it. My upper body was angled toward Jetti, which sowed panic that I might crush her; Derandi were small and fragile even without dimensional weirdness! I twisted myself away by contorting my torso, and Jetti hopped out of the way. That still left an imminent collision with the landing pad’s pavement—one that was about to be facefirst.
On instinct, my hands shot out at full speed to catch myself. The snap reaction was much too swift and forceful, pushing down into the ground like I was bracing myself on Earth. Here on Temura, my palms broke clean through the rocky pavement like it was wet cement. My arms stopped tearing through the ground when I was shoulder-deep, as the rest of my body landed and sucked the wind out of me. Ow. The onlookers gasped as I retracted my limbs, revealing two gaping, hand-sized holes.
“You almost killed me!” Jetti screeched. “I could’ve died.”
“Dear Queen-Goddess. What are you?” Anpero demanded.
Sofia rushed to my side, helping me to stand. “Dimension-hoppers. If you’re interested in learning about Earth’s history and the punishing rules of our realm, we are more than willing to explain everything. We sincerely want you to treat us like people, not walking bombs. Who are we? Your best friends, if you’ll let us be.”
The prime minister regained his confidence, trying to reassure the crowd. “Then there’s…no cause to be alarmed. We, um, had a warm welcome planned for you, and I see no reason to change those plans. We were very, very right to side with you; my apologies, Jetti…and humans. I’m quite happy you share the sentiment that we can coexist, and…help you. That trade deal is a right fine idea—you literally see the future, with us as friends. Cause for celebration!”
Oh no. Anpero is terrified to have us walk among them now too, and is backpedaling after talking to us like normal people. If the Derandi appease everything we want, they’re not giving us what humanity craves the most: a true friendship, after all of this time of being alone.
With disappointment in my heart, I thought about what Mikri said: that it was okay to be broken. That sentiment boosted me to my feet, and gave me the strength to limp to the car—ignoring Jetti’s profuse apologies. Thanks to the Vascar, humanity had true friends who adored us despite our differences, our flaws, and the potential threat we could be. As long as our android allies were trying to reach a mutual understanding with the old Alliance members, we’d continue to believe that idea was possible for us too.
