The Chief General of Candaerica, Vincent Cogengone, stood up to answer the President’s question. “Colonel Zahera Vuloom is presently in charge of securing Roswell, Madam President.” he said professionally, “She was Ambassador Blackshade’s second in command before the Omegas came to Earth, and I have full confidence in her ability to carry out this detail.”
As the Chief General sat down, Blackshade saw the word, ‘Hope’ appear on his forehead. Blackshade didn’t know much about the Chief General, other than the fact that the man had achieved the highest rank an officer could obtain. He knew his military career had been exemplary, and that he had served with distinction and honor throughout it. He knew the Marines he had served with had given him the nickname, “Darkness” but he had never heard the story about why. He assumed it had just sounded cool at the time and stuck, like most nicknames do, but it didn’t really matter. The man was intelligent and kept his mind and his ego firmly grounded. He was the kind of man that a person could proudly follow.
President Novatrix nodded at her Chief General and looked around the room, “I don’t think it needs to be said that getting the deceased to Roswell is our country’s…No, the world’s top priority. Spare no expense, deny no one, and see to it that every deceased member of South America has their remains moved to Roswell as soon as possible. If the families of the deceased don’t wish to allow it, that’s fine. It’s their right to make that decision, but for everyone else, we move them there ASAP. Anyone found not utilizing every resource at their disposal to help with this endeavor will answer to myself and President Silvia, in this very room, with the consequences of complacency or incompetence extremely severe. Anyone found outside of this room to be inhibiting this endeavor will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and given the maximum punishment tantamount to murder.” she said, rising to her feet. Blackshade watched as Novatrix swept the room with her gaze. He wasn’t surprised to see the word, ‘Disgust’ appear on her forehead.
A small man stood up and cleared his throat. Blackshade recognized him as the Representative of New York, Brexil Lamcoose. He wasn’t a bad representative as far as he knew. He was a bit entitled, as most Representatives were and when he spoke to someone, he usually did so in a condescending manner, but through his leadership, New York had flourished. Due to this fact, his constituents continued to reelect him into office every election cycle. Now he stood, almost glaring at the President, the words ‘lying bitch’ dancing across his forehead.
“How do we know any of this is true? How do we know we’re not about to give a lot of people false hope and empty promises?” he asked snidely. “You want me to return home and order my state to pay extraordinary amounts of money to desecrate burial sites, and move those that are eternally resting to the open sky of the desert? All on the vague promise that the aliens responsible for their deaths are going to raise them from the dead. What assurances do I have that this isn’t a horribly cruel lie and that the Omegas can actually do what you claim they can?” As he finished asking his questions, the Representative Lamcoose folded his arms in front of himself and tried to look down his nose at President Novatrix.
President Silvia stood up to answer, “Representative Lamcoose, I appreciate your questions, and I too share your concerns. However, as the man that was disassembled and reassembled by the Omegas, I think I am uniquely qualified to attest to the technology and knowledge that they have over us. That being said, yes, I do believe there is a chance that the Omegas are lying to us about their ability to resurrect the South Americans, but I also believe there is a better chance that they can do exactly what they claim they can do, and that any chance to save the lives of those lost is a chance worth taking.” he replied, an angry glint forming in his eyes. Before Lamcoose could respond, President Silvia continued, “I understand your concern of the Omegas lying and not being able to resurrect the dead. I too would hate to have to tell our people that after they made their promise that they failed to follow through, but you know what I’d hate to tell my citizens even more? That the opportunity to bring their loved ones back from the dead was there, and because I was afraid to take the chance, they missed out on that opportunity. Seems to me like the latter choice is far more heinous. What do you think, Brexil?”
The little man went pale at the President’s response. He spluttered once before finding his voice, “I never said that the great state of New York wouldn’t participate in this worthy endeavor, I simply asked what assurances we had that this wasn’t a cruel hoax!” he retorted, now playing the victim. It seemed to be a common tactic for politicians as far as Blackshade could tell.
President Silvia smiled at him, there was no warmth in it, “Well, Brexil, the only assurance I can give you is that if the Omegas are found to be liars, then no fault will be laid at your feet for your participation. However, if you refuse to support this endeavor, and the Omegas are found to be trustworthy, I can promise you will be brought up on charges, as President Novatrix just outlined, and your trial will be broadcast in full, ultra-high definition via the internet.”
Representative Lamcoose’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond right away. Blackshade could see the man knew the President had him and his respect for the President went up a notch. He saw the words ‘little prick’ run across Silvia’s forehead, and the word ‘asshole’ run across Lamcoose’s. The representative puffed out his chest before responding, “The state of New York will always be there when Candaerica needs us. You have our support, of course.” he said tightly.
President Novatrix stood back up, “Does anyone oppose this?” she asked, her tone practically daring someone to do so.
No one spoke up, Blackshade wasn’t surprised. “Good. Then we are all in agreeance. I expect everyone to make this their top priority and devote all of the required time and resources to this immediately. Use your chain of command if you encounter any problems or require any assistance. We are trying to save millions of lives here, my fellow Candaericans. Please give this situation the respect and devotion it deserves. Dismissed!” President Novatrix finished.
The moment they were dismissed, the hundreds of people inside the room sprang into action. Aides were summoned, given orders, and quickly dismissed. Communication channels were opened and instructions barked at the recipients. Very few questions were answered, as far as Blackshade could tell, but the orders made were generally the correct ones. As far as he could tell, everyone was on board to recover South American lives. He saw no reason he should remain in the room and made his way to the transference cubes. As he reached them, Soearth caught up to him. A thin, middle aged woman with light brown hair, a pale complexion, and a large, thick notebook accompanied him. The woman was dressed in a light green business suit that screamed ‘no nonsense’. Her notebook had the outlines of pine trees all over it and looked very well used. A young man was also with him and seemed very uncomfortable. He was wearing a very fine brown suit that was a little too tight and had his hair styled with far too much gel. He reminded Blackshade of a failed internet salesman.
“Bill! That was quite a story you told in there.” Soearth said as he moved to join him. Blackshade was glad to see Soearth. He had so much he wanted to discuss with him.
“Most amazing experience of my life so far!” Blackshade said honestly. He motioned toward the people behind him. Clearly they were some kind of new interns, but Blackshade didn’t think Soearth was the kind of guy that took on interns. “Who are your friends?”
Soearth smiled as he motioned towards the woman, “This is Ms. Tricia Yodabel. She is Candaerica’s lead environmentalist and contacted me shortly after the Omegas terraformed South America.” he explained.
“They didn’t terraform South America, they destroyed it.” Tricia corrected, “They raped and pillaged the land like they were some sort of savage conquerors out of the medieval times. What they have done is an atrocity I equate to the holocaust, and they should be brought up on charges for the murder they’ve committed against
Mother Earth!” Tricia spat, outraged, “What’s more, the deal the Omegas made with President Novatrix was illegal. She has no authority to make deals for the sovereign countries that made up South America and therefore the terms are null and void. We should be suing them to return the land to its natural state and demand compensation for the land and the people that they’ve horribly abused!”
Blackshade couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He looked at Soearth to see if this was some kind of bad joke, but the embarrassed look on his friend’s face let him know this woman was serious. Blackshade looked at the woman and saw the word ‘Outrage’ appear.
“Ma’am, what would you have me do? What possible argument can be made that will change anything? What makes you think the Omegas can repair the land or make it the way it was before they terraformed…”
“Destroyed!” Tricia interrupted.
Blackshade sighed, “Yes… before they made the land the way they wanted it? Also, if they refuse to return the continent to us and change it back to the way it was, what do you think we can do about it?” he asked, annoyed. The woman said nothing at first, she just stood in front of him in a sort of stupor as she processed his reply. The words, ‘confused’ and ‘NO’ scrolled across her forehead before she finally responded.
“Well, I’m sure I don’t know! We were here first, and South America should have been left alone, and if the aliens can’t respect that then they…” was as far as Blackshade allowed her to go.
“Ma’am!” Blackshade interjected sharply, his patience was at its end, “While I can appreciate your passion, I do not have time to entertain your nonsense. We are not dealing with dignitaries from another country on Earth. We are dealing with an advanced alien race that we have no authority over. So far, they have treated us fairly and honored their agreements with us as they perceived them. What happened to South America is a travesty. I do not disagree with you there, but for you to have the audacity to think that any judgement or sanction we could impose on them would change anything shows me that you are living in a delusional world full of rainbows and unicorns.” he spat back at her while motioning for two nearby guards to join them. Once the guards reached them, they both turned their attention to Tricia. Blackshade was pleased to see how quickly the guards assessed the situation and knew the woman was the problem. “I don’t know where you have been the past two weeks, but in case you missed it, the Omegas were able to destroy an entire continent without firing a shot. Now, they’re creating the most massive city in history using technology that is mundane to them. So please, explain to me what exactly you would like to see us do to stop the Omegas from doing whatever they want to do while they’re here?” he asked her, pausing in order to give her a chance to respond.
“I…uh… but… it’s not fair!” Ms. Yodabel stammered. Her response was so childlike that his disgust with her was more than he could stand.
“No, it’s not fair, and for you to think that the world should be so is a failing on your part, not the Omegas. They have the upper hand, and they are well aware of that, yet they still came to us and negotiated in good faith with our Presidents. Then, after we brought our grievances to them about how the events of that deal played out, they immediately agreed to recover the lost lives of those wrongly killed by the situation. What more penance would you like to see them pay, other than returning the continent to humanity’s control? Which is not an option.” he asked her again, challenging her with his question.
The woman looked at the guards, then to Soearth, and then back at him, “It’s not right…” she whimpered, beginning to see that her argument was foolhardy. The words, ‘Not what I wanted’ scrolled across her forehead.
“Ma’am,” Blackshade began, intending to end this conversation so he could get on with his day, “It’s not right, but it’s not wrong either. Mistakes were made on both sides, and because of that, both sides, human and Omega, are working to rectify the situation. Which is as right as it’s going to get.” he motioned to the two armored Air Soldiers flanking him, “Please see Ms. Yodabel to her room.”
With curt nods, the soldiers each placed a hand on Tricia’s arms and escorted her away. The woman looked flustered and tried to call out about something he had to see, but Blackshade had already redirected his attention towards Soearth.
“Why would you bring that woman to me now?” he asked irritably.
Soearth put up his hands apologetically, “She has some interesting information you should take a look at after the Roswell resurrection is done. The environmental effect the Omegas are having on our planet could prove to be significant.”
Blackshade shook his head, he could only deal with one crisis at a time, “Fine, but until our business in Roswell is over, keep her away from me. Her narrowmindedness is offensive!” he told him. Looking up he saw the young man with the odd hair still standing behind Soearth. He looked a lot more uncomfortable now, and Blackshade was glad to see it, his patience for fools was at its end.
“And what do you want?” he asked the man coldly.
The young man seemed to be waiting to be acknowledged, because as soon as he realized Blackshade was addressing him, he stepped forward and held out his hand. Blackshade shook it briefly. “Hello Ambassador, my father is Andy Sommers, of Sommers’ Conveyance. He is also the Governor of Kentucky, where our largest manufacturing plant resides.” he answered professionally.
Blackshade didn’t understand why he was talking to the son of a conveyance manufacturer. He knew of Sommers’ Conveyance. They were Candaerica’s largest and most successful conveyance manufacturer, but he would be lying if he said he knew the owner of the company was Kentucky’s Governor. “It’s nice to meet you. Why are we talking?” he answered curtly, not in the mood for games.
The man seemed undeterred by his answer, the words, ‘fair question’ ran across his forehead, “My father asked me to come here once he heard about the situation with Roswell. He couldn’t stay to meet you in person, due to his priorities with getting the deceased to New Mexico, so he sent me. I’m to offer our company’s full line of civilian and industrial conveyances for the purpose of transporting the dead to Roswell, and hopefully transporting the resurrected South Americans to their new homes, shortly thereafter.” he replied confidently.
Understanding struck Blackshade like a kick, and he was suddenly very pleased to be talking to this young man. The offer was more than he could have hoped for, and he was very grateful for it, but he wasn’t a total fool, knew there had to be a catch, “That’s a very generous offer, and one I’m inclined to accept, but what does your father want in return?” he asked warily.
The young man shook his head, “Nothing at all, except for the resulting drone coverage of what will surely be a massive event, be directed in a such a way that our company logo is shown prominently. They’ll be easy to spot, since they’ll be printed across the body of every conveyance used in this endeavor.”
Blackshade rolled his eyes, he knew there had to be an angle somewhere, but the price was right, and if the company profited off their pseudo generosity then so be it. “Deal, umm, what did you say your name was?”
The young man, who had to be in his early twenties, blushed like a child, “Umm… you can call me Mr. Sommers if you’d like.” he replied sheepishly.
Blackshade didn’t understand. He knew some people, especially those from the younger generations, were occasionally embarrassed by the non-traditional names their parents gave them, but this man looked well-bred and well to do. To see him balk at giving his first name piqued his curiosity. “Why don’t you want to tell me your name?” Blackshade asked.
The man sighed, “Because I hate it and can’t change it yet.” he answered glumly. All of his previous professionalism was gone, and all that was left was a pouting child in a fine suit; the change was concerning.
Blackshade couldn’t help himself, “Tell me your name or the deal is off, and we’ll contact your closest competition to fill your role.”
The young man’s face turned red, but Blackshade was pretty sure it was due to anger and not embarrassment. His assumption was confirmed when he saw the word ‘Asshole’ appear on the man’s forehead. Blackshade smiled, Mr. Sommers wasn’t wrong.
“If you must know, my name is… Mister Awesome.” he answered shamefully. He explained without further goading, “I made some mistakes in college, and as punishment my father had my name legally changed. He said until I’ve earned the right to my real name, I will go by my internet persona instead.”
Blackshade wanted to laugh. The name and story were hilarious, but instead he held his hand out to shake the man’s hand again, “Well, you can report to your father that today you may have earned your true name back. I accept your offer and look forward to working with you.” he said as Mister Awesome gratefully shook his hand.
“Thank you, Ambassador! You won’t regret this, I promise!” he said as he tapped a few commands into his arm communicator. “I’ve sent you my contact information, please accept my business friend request, and contact me with your conveyance needs. I’ll see that they get fulfilled myself!”
Blackshade was very pleased by this, “Go get a fleet of large capacity conveyances ready. When we need them it’ll be fast and in high volume. We’re on a real time crunch, so the sooner you’re prepared the better our outcome and the more lives we can recover.”
Mister Awesome nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, sir! I’ll be ready!” he said and then entered a transference cube that had just opened up. As the doors closed and whisked him away Blackshade looked over to Soearth.
Blackshade exhaled sharply, “Jesus… anything else you want to throw at me?” he asked, half-joking.
Soearth smiled, “Well, I hear that the Omegas removed your nipples, and possibly, your navel… is that true?”
Blackshade didn’t even try to hold back his laughter in response.
Original Design Page 32
