Original Design

by William Latoria

  “Lord Tremendous…”

  “Why do you people keep trying to give us a title?” Tremendous interrupted, exasperated, “Tremendous is fine.”

  The President, clearly not accustomed to being interrupted, was at a loss for a moment. She cleared her throat to try to cover up her momentary lapse. “Please try to understand that in our society it is a sign of respect to address each other with a title. Not to do so is considered, too familiar, and gives the impression the person does not respect the other. You’ve already stated that you do not wish to be referred to as Mister or Miss, because the idea of gender is foreign to you. I can and do respect that, however, please try to understand it is our custom to do this. I understand that the title of ‘Lord’ is masculine in nature but not nearly as strongly as the title ’Mister’. If Lord or Lady doesn’t please you then I invite you to help us to find a title that you find agreeable, so that we may continue our negotiations in a civilized and proper manner.” she answered smoothly.

  Tremendous looked at Artificer and Blackshade could see an unspoken question pass between the two. Artificer grinned before shrugging. Minder was studying President Novatrix. It was the first time Blackshade saw anything other than boredom on the Omega’s face since the Secret Service Agents were dispatched.

  “This one may address me as Lord.” Minder said stoically. The Omega’s twin voices rumbling across the room.

  Everyone looked shocked that Minder had spoken. Even Tremendous and Artificer seemed surprised. The Omega leader regarded Novatrix with a new respect, “There you have it then.” Tremendous said humorously, “My companion clearly approves of the title. You have your concession, President Novatrix.”

  Novatrix smiled politely and nodded curtly, “And I thank you for it.” she said, as she added something to her notebook, “Now, back to the matter at hand. You require 3.5% of our land in order to set up a base to perform your research. I’m not opposed to this, but I do have concerns. Where exactly do you plan to locate your base of operations? What if people already live in the area? Will you give us time to evacuate them? How much time, if so? If not, what will happen to the people already living there, if any? How long will your base be standing, and what will the environmental impacts be? And finally, what do you offer us in exchange for eight hundred and sixty-five thousand square kilometers of our land?” she asked skillfully.

  It was Artificer that replied. “As Tremendous has already told you, we are not here to harm anyone. We will move any indigenous humans out of our selected area. No human will be harmed by the relocation. You will not have to evacuate anyone; we will move them for you. The base will be permanent, and no human will be allowed inside of it without our express permission. To be honest though, and I mean no disrespect, you could not find a way in unless we wanted you to. The environmental impact will be minimal. The planet will barely notice we are here, and we can fix any unforeseen anomalies should they arise. As for what we offer in exchange…?” Artificer drifted off motioning towards Tremendous.

  Tremendous picked up where Artificer left off smoothly, “… What do you want?”

  Novatrix thought it over for a moment, “Your technology is vastly superior to ours. We ask that you share a portion of your knowledge with us.” she said shrewdly.

  Artificer laughed, “I thought you were going to say that. Oh, but I do like this species! So curious! So greedy!” the Engineer chuckled, “Most of our technology is far too advanced for you to understand, little one. This is not an insult; it is simply a fact. However, we will share our findings on your race as we discover them, if that is any consolation.”

  Novatrix frowned, “We would greatly appreciate that. Thank you, Lord Artificer.” she said disappointedly. “I must admit I was hoping for something more. We are giving you a large portion of our land, is there nothing more you can offer us in return?”

  Tremendous took a step towards Novatrix and raised its hand at her; she didn’t so much as blink. This time, she did scratch at her head and shudder slightly. Tremendous lowered its hand. “You have a lot to teach your kind about being respectable, President Novatrix, now you can impart your knowledge as we do, through Cerebri Doctrina.” Tremendous told her. “You are only one of two of your kind that has this ability now.”

  Novatrix looked up at the Omega, “Who is the other?”

  “Blackshade, of course.” Tremendous replied.

  The President looked confused, “Who?”

  Tremendous pointed at him. “Blackshade, your representative. Our first contact of your species. A good choice.”

  A rush of confidence flowed through him when Tremendous said he was a good choice, although he did his best not to show it. Standing up, he addressed the President, “Colonel Bill Blackshade, Madam President.” he said with a salute.

  Novatrix flipped through her notebook. “Ah yes, the Colonel we sent to assess your intentions. How forgetful of me.” the President said dismissively. Blackshade wasn’t surprised she snubbed him. Superiors typically did look down on their subordinates; this was not new.

  President Novatrix looked back up at Tremendous, “What did you mean, I can teach people through… what did you call it…” she asked as she flipped back through her notebook, “Cerebri Doctrina… is that Latin?”

  Tremendous smiled, “I do not know what Latin is, but it is a language of my species.” Tremendous answered patiently, “I gave you the ability to transfer knowledge to others of your species in the same manner I transferred the ability to understand our language to you.” he said happily, “Essentially, you can program other Scrappers like yourself.”

  Novatrix jotted down some more notes. “How?”

  “It is simple.” Tremendous chuckled, “Think about the information you want to impart to another human, point at them, and then the information will travel through your arm, and into their cerebral.”

  Novatrix wrote all of this down in her notebook and then pointed at the same man she had consulted before. This startled the man, and by reflex he ducked and covered his head with his arms. Blackshade was pretty sure that wouldn’t stop the Cerebri Doctrina from working, and was not surprised when the man began scratching at his forehead.

  “What number did I just put in your head?” Novatrix asked in her most authoritative voice. It was a good one, the man stood up and answered at once. The number scrawled across his head as he said it.

  “Twelve thousand, two hundred and twenty-one, Madam President.” the little man chirped. After answering her question, the man paled as the fact that he was just used as a guinea pig began to dawn on him.

  Novatrix nodded and returned her attention to the Omegas. “I thank you for this gift, Lord Tremendous, I will use it wisely.” she said, “However, I have one more request, if you would indulge me.”

  Tremendous looked entertained by this, “I will indeed, President Novatrix.”

  She ignored his obvious amusement, “What you showed us before when you dismantled and then reassembled President Silvia, is that something you could do to any of us?” she asked inquiringly.

  Tremendous nodded, “Yes, of course.”

  “Can you teach me how to do it so that I can teach others?”

  Tremendous nodded again, “Yes, I could, but why would I? What would you use that knowledge for?”

  Novatrix regarded him coolly, “With that knowledge, our surgeons and doctors could perform operations, replace limbs, and examine patients in all new ways. That knowledge would usher in a golden age of medicine and save countless lives. If you would share this knowledge with me, I will agree to your request for land.” she said almost desperately. Blackshade couldn’t tell if the President really believed what she was saying or if there was an ulterior motive. No words displayed across her forehead to give him any hint of what she was thinking. He found that very interesting.

  Tremendous thought it over for a moment before raising his hand towards her. “I accept your terms.” President Novatrix leaned towards Tremendous as the Om
ega performed the Cerebri Doctrina process, transferring the requested information into her brain. When the process was complete, President Novatrix smiled a genuine smile. Blackshade thought she had been beautiful before, but when she smiled, the woman was ravishing. Her joy seemed to jar something because in big letters the words, “THANK YOU” danced across her head. Blackshade had to admit that maybe President Novatrix really did have humanity’s best interests in mind.

  Turning a page in her notebook, she wrote a few notes down before ripping the page out of the book and holding it behind her. Two of her aides her went for the paper, and the one who got to it first read it greedily before rushing out the exit.

  “When will you begin construction of your base, Lord Tremendous?” Novatrix asked, feigning interest. The words, “I will be a legend, no other President will ever out-do this, they will build monuments to me”

  “Very soon, little one, very soon.” Tremendous answered, “Now, I have one more request.”

  Novatrix looked up interested again, “Yes?”

  “Blackshade,” Tremendous said, pointing at him, “I want you to appoint him as your official ambassador to us. He is to become our primary point of contact and aide. He is to be granted all the powers and privileges that are common for one of such a position. In return, we will not have to bother you directly with any future requests we may have. He will know your ways better than we do and how to get into contact with the right people to make things happen.”

  Novatrix’s eyes narrowed into slits. She looked at Blackshade like he was a plague bearing insect. “Why him?” she asked warily.

  Tremendous shrugged, “Blackshade was the first human we made contact with. Your Colonel showed incredible courage when no other human did. Out of the four humans that greeted us, Blackshade was the only one that kept its courage, and we respect that above all else. We would consider it an act of good faith, President Novatrix.” Tremendous replied honestly.

  The words, “I do not believe you”, ran across her forehead. Blackshade winced as he read them. If Tremendous saw the words, the Omega did not react to them. “So be it.” the President said finally, “Let the records show that Colonel Blackshade is hereby appointed Ambassador to the Omegas. All rights, privileges, and accesses shall be granted to him from this moment forth, until he relinquishes his title or he is relieved of it. All in favor?” The room boomed with “Aye!” from the delegates in the room.

  “All opposed?” The room was silent. Novatrix nodded and wrote something down in her notebook, “So be it. Ambassador-Select Blackshade, please stand.”

  Blackshade, completely dazed by the unexpected turn of events, stood as he was instructed. Novatrix fixed him with a disapproving look. “Do you accept the title and responsibilities bestowed upon you by your government? Will you abide by our laws and represent your country to the Omegas to the best of your abilities? Will you remain loyal to the citizens you represent as Ambassador, and keep their best interests in mind?” she asked formally.

  His mind reeled as the realization of what he had just been offered, and what he would have to give up in order to accept this opportunity, hit him. He had spent the vast majority of his adult life earning his position as a Colonel in the Army Air Corp. It was all he had ever wanted, it was all he had ever known. He realized that his only real ambition in life, was to achieve the rank of Chief General and retire with honor sometime in his late fifties. It occurred to him then, somewhat to his horror that he hadn’t made any plans that extended past his military career.

  He cherished his military career. The honor, the discipline, the professionalism, and the direction the military had provided him had shaped him into the man that the Omegas had chosen to be one of their own. The men, women, and non-binaries he has served with were the finest people he had ever known, and he knew that he owed it to them to accept the position as Ambassador so that he could fight for them, and ensure that the bridge between Omega and Human was as strong, and reliable, as he could possibly make it, and there was no way he could do that as a Colonel. He could only do that as an Ambassador, and he realized in that moment that he wanted no one else in that position but him. He would miss his military position and career deeply, but this opportunity was too important for him to pass up.

  He confidently met the judgmental gaze of the President before nodding at her solemnly, “I will.”

  “We will see…” blazed across the President’s forehead after he answered. He barely noticed, his mind was racing as the reality of what he just accepted began to occur to him. “Then it is settled. Ambassador Blackshade, you are hereby appointed to the Omegas as their official Candaerican representative. I expect you to live up to the title. You may be seated.” she said, turning her back on him once again.

  Blackshade sat back down as the mantle of responsibility hit him like a five-ton anvil. He had no idea how to be an ambassador, let alone what was required of one. He was going to have a lot of homework to do once this day was finally done. It felt like it had been days since he had last slept, yet he didn’t feel tired in the least. He assumed it was all the excitement; once everything died down and he was home again, he was sure exhaustion would overwhelm him.

  President Novatrix was addressing the Omegas when he finally started paying attention again, “… and I have a lot of doctors to teach. I thank you again for this meeting and look forward to working with you in the future. And… at the risk of sounding silly, welcome to Earth.” she said with another one of her amazing smiles.

  “Thank you. We are glad to be back.” Tremendous said and saluted the President as the meeting was adjourned.

  Chapter 7

  By the time Blackshade and the Omegas were escorted out of The Unification Foundation, hundreds of Candaerican citizens had surrounded the entrance to see the aliens themselves. Local police, military, and Secret Service agents had erected port-a-cades to prevent the Omegas being swarmed by overzealous citizens, and from the looks of things, they had set the barriers to deliver a massive shock to anyone that got too close. As they came out of the building, the mob of humanity rushed the barricades, with those in front immediately knocked unconscious by the barriers. This quickly deterred those behind them, which was good. After seeing how easily the Omegas had dispatched the Secret Service Agents, Blackshade hated to think what would happen if the Omegas decided they needed to defend themselves against civilians. Even with some of their numbers electrified into unconsciousness, the gathered citizens were still very excited to see the aliens. Massive signs of welcome peppered the crowd. A cheer rang up as Tremendous raised a hand in greeting. People began shouting greetings of their own and mimicking the Omegas’ salute. Blackshade was very pleased to see this. Part of him had been worried that the citizens were going to feel hostile toward the aliens. Judging by the swarms of coma-drones that flew around the area, he wasn’t the only one that had been worried about that.

  Three massive transport aircraft awaited them about two hundred yards from the entrance of the Foundation. Blackshade made his way toward them without much thought. Due to the crowd, he really didn’t have any other direction to go. As he made his way toward the aircraft, a massive finger gently tapped his shoulder. Blackshade turned to face Tremendous.

  “Blackshade, we must part ways for now. You cannot be with us for the manufacturing of our base.” Tremendous told him. Blackshade couldn’t be sure, but he thought Tremendous seemed upset about the fact they had to be separated.

  Blackshade nodded his understanding, “You will honor your promise, won’t you?” he asked, concerned, “No one will be hurt wherever you decide to build, right?”

  Minder shot him a look that was so full of malevolence that Blackshade took two steps back. Tremendous only grinned, “You have nothing to worry about, Ambassador.” Tremendous told him reassuringly, “No humans will be harmed by our actions. You have my word.”

  Blackshade believed him. He didn’t think Tremendous was lying to him. Not that he could focus his who
le attention on the subject, as Minder was glaring at him, looking ready to tear him to pieces for his question. It irked him that Minder became so prickly every time he questioned Tremendous, but rather than cause a scene, he decided to change the subject.

  “How do I contact you?” he asked, trying hard to pretend the look on Minder’s face wasn’t causing his stomach to twist up in knots.

  Tremendous shook his head, “When we are ready for you to rejoin us, we will summon you, my friend.”

  Blackshade didn’t like that he wouldn’t be able to contact the Omegas, but again, what could he do about it?

  Resigning himself to the situation, he nodded once again. “Well then, my friend,” he began, smiling as he referred to the Omega as his friend yet again, “it has been the greatest honor of my life to meet you, Lord Artificer, and Lord Minder. I look forward to your summons.” he answered as professionally, and honestly, as he could. He felt like he should say something meaningful and was proud of his choice of words.

  Tremendous seemed pleased with his words as well, “So do I, my friend.” Tremendous paused, looking at the other two Omegas, “So do we.”

  With that, the Omegas gave him their salute, which Blackshade returned immediately. It relieved him greatly to see the murderous look on Minder’s face had vanished and was replaced by one of mild disapproval. He watched as the Omegas boarded one of the transports and stayed until the aircraft had flown out of view. Then, with no idea what else he could do, he boarded another transport and directed the pilot to take him back to Barksdale Army Air Base. He did have to clean out his desk now that he was an Ambassador, after all.

  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Blackshade exited the conveyance that had picked him up from his former office and made his way into his home. He carried a large box full of his personal possessions, mostly old awards, souvenirs from missions, and a handful of odds and ends he had accumulated over the years. He also made sure to keep his SMM weapon, a decent amount of ammunition, and his advanced combat armor. With everything that was currently going on in the world, he doubted anyone would notice the items missing. If someone did? Well, he was an Ambassador to the Omegas now, he felt pretty confident that he could make a convincing argument on why he had kept the military gear if it someone inquired.