Original Design

by William Latoria

  “CRUEL, SO THAT OTHERS ARE KIND!” the Air Soldiers around him repeated. The response startled him, but he was able to contain his shock. He looked up and saw that everyone in the room, even Zahera, were standing at attention now and looking at him expectantly. He couldn’t help but smile at the show of respect, “Thank you. As you were, please.” he told them softly. As one, the Air Soldiers went to parade rest. Zahera was the only one to relax fully, and walk over to stand beside him. Then in a whisper that only he could hear, “I’m at your side.” He looked down at her and saw that the word, ‘Love’ was back on her forehead. He smiled gratefully at her. He thought he understood why that word was there this time. He cleared his throat and pressed the transmit button. Displays sprang up all around the room, filled with small boxes that had the face and shoulders of every Air Solider assigned to this encampment. Hundreds of men and women were now looking at him, expecting the answers to questions they hadn’t had the chance to ask. He saw fear, anxiety, expectation, and doubt in all of their eyes, but he also saw trust and hope as well. It filled him with a sense of purpose; he did not want to let them down.

  “Air Soldiers, I owe you an apology. We’ve sent you here, taken you away from your homes and your families in order to secure a location where in six days a miracle will happen. We’ve given you no explanation, we’ve told you nothing about the situation, and have done nothing to quell the rumors and misinformation we know are flooding the internet. That stops, NOW!” he told them, slamming his fist down on the podium to accentuate his point. The reaction from the troops varied, some laughed, some called out, “Hell yea!”, and some even cheered. The response was overwhelmingly positive, but he saw there were quite a few that didn’t react at all and seemed to be waiting intently for him to get to the point. It was on those people he concentrated on now.

  “Here’s what I know. The aliens are called Omegas, and they claim that they created humanity to use us as resource gatherers from worlds that they found or conquered as they explored the universe. They claim that we are machines that worked with them to harvest the resources they needed from planets they couldn’t spend the time to harvest themselves. Eventually, their technology advanced, and we became obsolete, so they shut us down and brought us here to be broken down so that they could eventually reclaim us as raw resources to be repurposed in their future endeavors. The Omegas claim that the Earth, and the part of the universe we reside in, is one of the most toxic parts of the galaxy there is, which is why they chose Earth as our final resting place. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical of all this myself at first, but the more I look at us, our world, and what the Omegas are capable of, I believe them.” Blackshade paused here to let this sink in. He saw a lot of anger on many of the faces that were watching him through the displays, but he also saw a lot of curiosity and interest as well. A few were openly weeping, but none of them spoke up or questioned him. They were all waiting for him to continue.

  “The Omegas were pushed out of this section of the universe by a race they have been at war with for years, and after being gone for over eighty millions years, they finally pushed their enemies back and returned to our world. The reason they’ve made contact with us is not to conquer us, not to enslave us, but to study and understand us and how we’ve come to be what we are. I have seen our original design. We have shrunk in height and mass by about half. Hair and how we reproduce are completely… well… alien to them and not part of our original design. According to the Omegas, no other species in the universe reproduces the way we do, and it is a subject of much curiosity for them.” He paused here to gather his thoughts. The wicked grins he saw appearing on some of the Air Soldier’s faces at the mention of the Omegas’ curiosity about sex almost made him laugh.

  Once he was sure he had control of himself, he continued, “Our bodies sluff off tens of thousands of cells every day in order to fight back against the corrosive forces on our planet. It naturally seeks to break us down and kill us through its natural processes, and it is only because of our millennia of adaptation and evolution that we survive it, day after day. Sleep was never supposed to be a daily occurrence, and in fact, is an emergency function programmed into us for when other sources of food became so scarce it threatens our survival. Not to mention all the other nuances and traits that make us such a unique species in the universe.” he paused again to give everyone a chance to absorb what he was telling them. He looked down at Zahera to gauge her reaction to his information and was surprised to see her hand on his. He hadn’t even noticed that she had placed her hand there, but now that he saw it, it infused him with confidence. She looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. He saw fear in them, but he saw something else too. He wasn’t sure what it was until the word, ‘hero’ appeared on her forehead. Understanding, he looked back at the troops.

  “Trust me when I say that I don’t fully understand everything the Omegas do. Believe me when I tell you that I am taking everything they’ve told me at face value, but I’m trusting that they are telling me the truth. Know that every time I interact with the Omegas I feel like I come away from them knowing more, not only about our race, but about myself as well. And please hear me when I tell you that I believe, in my very core, that they mean us no harm.” he told them, putting equal parts confidence and reassurance into this statement. He needed these people to understand they were in no danger, and that the Omegas were their allies, not their enemies, or at least, that’s what he believed.

  “So I challenge you to show the Omegas the power of the human spirit. Let’s put aside our petty differences and meaningless squabbles and unite to show the Omegas that they made a mistake when they left us here. That they were wrong when they deemed us obsolete. Let us, as a species, stand up and show them all just what it means to be human and usher in a new chapter, a golden era, in human history. Side by side, with each other, and with the Omegas!”

  Usually when a ranking officer made a speech, a moment like this would cause those in attendance to offer applause that usually felt forced or canned. The more zealous underlings would begin clapping, hoping that since they were the first to applaud, that they would be looked upon more favorably. The rest would hear the clapping and whether they felt the desire or not, would join in, usually with a dead or disinterested look on their face.

  That was not the case here.

  Booming applause and loud cheering erupted as Blackshade finished the opening of his speech. Men, women, and non-binaries leapt to their feet and called out his name cheering loudly in support of his words. The exuberance of their approval, and the volume of it, rendered him speechless, and if it wasn’t for Zahera’s hand on his, he might have retreated from it. The strength the woman gave him just from her touch surprised him. She was looking up at him, still smiling beautifully at him, the word ‘Love’ clear on her forehead. Blackshade smiled back down at her while he waited for the cheering to die down. It took a few minutes, but eventually the troops regained their composure and took their seats.

  “Thank you for that. Sincerely, thank you all for your support and understanding. It makes me incredibly proud to be allowed to speak with all of you like this and to see the determination and drive that you all have. I know that with this collective attitude we’re going to impress the shit out the Omegas.” he continued, swearing for effect. His word choice had the desired effect. A wave of laughter and a few more, “Hell yea!” and “High-tech, high-value!” cheers came from a few random Air Soldiers that were definitely moved by his words. He couldn’t have asked for a better group of troops.

  “That brings me to why we are here.” he said, changing his tone back to ‘Colonel Blackshade.’ He saw the demeanor of the Air Soldiers watching him shift. They were all business now, and the pride he felt for them surged inside him. “You’re all aware that the Omegas have taken South America. Let me be clear about this, they took South America with permission, misunderstood permission I’ll grant you, but permission none-the-less. Please trust me when I te
ll you the Omegas acted in good conscience. The teleporting of the human population of South America caused two hundred million South Americans to die. Some of those deaths were caused by the South American citizens being teleported to inhospitable environments while unconscious and unable to take care of themselves. However, most of their deaths were caused by hostile, evil, sub-humans that took advantage of their vulnerability and either killed them where they found them, or held them ransom and killed them when no one could pay. Candaerica did what they could to stop these murders, and rescued as many South Americans as we could, but our efforts, while substantial, weren’t enough. I’ll carry the guilt of that with me for the rest of my life.” he said, looking down. The pang of guilt he felt at his failing came back sharp. He had forgotten how close to the surface it still was. He took a deep breath before continuing.

  “I have brought their deaths to the Omegas’ attention and driven home the atrocity they directly contributed too. Accidental or not, their actions resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of human beings.” he told his audience, wanting to make sure they had all the facts of the situation that he could give them, “After a short debate, the leader of the Omegas, Lord Tremendous, agreed they held some liability and offered to make amends. In an unprecedented act of reparation and empathy, the Omegas made us this offer: Bring as many of the deceased South Americans to their landing zone in Roswell in seven days, and they will be brought back to life.” he said, pausing for effect. Every one of the faces on the displays were still watching him intently. No one was talking, no one was trying to get a word in. They knew why they were here, and they knew some of what he had told them, but having him confirm everything seemed to be the information they were all yearning for.

  He continued, “I haven’t lied to you about anything, and I don’t plan to start now. I have no idea if the Omegas can resurrect the fallen. I have no idea if this is some sort of trick, a trap, or if they’re telling us the truth…” he checked his tissue ware, “In five days and twenty hours, we will find out if they will be able to keep their word or not, and we will react accordingly. Whether or not they can really cure death, I have no idea. What I do know is that there is a chance they’re telling the truth, and even if that chance is infinitesimal, it’s a chance that every single one of those people deserve, and so we’re going to take it.” he told them definitively. He saw tears form in some of the Air Soldiers’ eyes. He watched as other faces hardened in determination and dedication to their purpose, others smiled or frowned as the details of what was happening were laid out before them. He felt that he had won most of them over, and now he would press his advantage.

  “I know you’re scared. You’re scared, because for thousands of years we believed aliens either didn’t exist, or left us alone because we were too primitive, violent, or not worth the effort. You’re scared, because the Omegas seem to be so far beyond us in technology that a straight up fight against them would be so one sided that it seems like there would be no point in resisting. Some of you are worried, because if the Omegas don’t resurrect our deceased, then that means we can’t trust them, and their motives for being here may be more sinister than initially thought. And I know some of you are scared, because if the Omegas DO resurrect our fallen and can cure death, then it opens us up to possibilities and questions some of you may not be ready to face. I can’t assuage your fears. I know you want me to, but I can’t because I don’t have those answers. What does it mean if the Omegas don’t, or can’t, resurrect our deceased? I don’t know. What does it mean if they can? Again, other than our perception of death being changed, I don’t know. I cannot give you comfort on this subject. Each of you needs to make your peace with whatever outcome occurs, and continue to execute your duties like the consummate professionals you all are. Put aside your selfish concerns, and focus on your tasks at hand. There will be all the time in the world to second guess what happens here in six days, but until then, the millions of people that are being brought here deserve our best efforts, so that if the Omegas do make good on their promise, they can return to life and live those lives as fully as they’re capable.” he told them in his most confident, yet gentle, tone. He saw fear and uncertainty appear on more faces than he would have liked. He felt like he was losing them, so he decided to try a different angle.

  “And if the Omegas don’t come through, and leave our deceased here to rot? If this turns out to be some kind of cosmic joke, and the Omegas are nothing more than mass murderers?” he asked them with anger in his voice, “Then we’ll show those motherless fucks that they messed with the wrong motherfucking species. YOU HEAR ME?!” he finished with a bellow.

  Their reaction was exactly what he was hoping for, roaring cheers, enthusiastic applause, and what he could only assume were vicious vows promising revenge on the Omegas should they prove to be liars. He watched as hundreds of faces lit up and cheered with a hunger in their eyes, for not only their jobs, but to exact terrible vengeance should their trust be betrayed. Looking into their eyes, he no longer saw any fear or doubt. The men and women surrounding him, and on the displays, were unified and motivated to the best of his ability. Seeing them all, he almost felt sorry for the Omegas should they prove to be liars…. almost.

  He let their cheering go on for a while, morale had been low, and this was an excellent form of mass stress release. The Air Soldiers around him were no exception and were also applauding him enthusiastically. He saw the words, ‘Thank God’, ‘That is my Colonel’, ‘Motherfuckin Blackshade’ and ‘YES’ scroll across many of their foreheads. When he looked at Zahera, who had now wrapped her arm around his and had her head resting on his bicep, he saw she was the only one not cheering. She had her eyes closed, and there was a sweet little smile on her face. Placing his hand on hers he squeezed it gently. She looked up at him and said something, but he couldn’t hear her over the cheering. It didn’t matter though, her forehead display told him everything he needed to know when the word, ‘Hero’ flashed across it. He gave her hand another squeeze and smiled at her happily.

  “Fuck it.” he thought to himself as Zahera closed her eyes again and returned the side of her face to his bicep, “I’m going to see where this goes.” he decided, as he interlaced the fingers of his hand with hers. She didn’t resist him and even squeezed back slightly. The feeling of contentment and happiness that filled him was a sensation he hadn’t known since he was a teenager, and he chastised himself for not pursuing Zahera sooner.

  The cheering and applause was dying down now, and the faces in the room, and on the displays, were looking for him to continue. He was in a fantastic mood and didn’t want this moment to end, so he decided to do something he’d never done before as a military man.

  “Do any of you have any questions?” he asked openly. There was a short pause as the surprised men and women on the displays collectively gasped. During an All-Call like this, the presiding officer delivered the information he wanted to deliver, and then the All-Call was over. Questioning authority was not something that was done in the Candaerican Army Air Corp. However, ever since the Omegas had arrived, many things that had never happened before were happening, and this seemed like a small change compared to the others. The collective pause ended quickly as the troops adapted to this new situation. The bravest, or most reckless, in the audience’s display frames began lighting up, indicating they had a question. Blackshade chose a person at random.

  “You, what’s your question, Ma’am?” he said, pointing to a dark skinned woman on the lower right of one of the displays. She was a young woman, proud, with a masculine jaw line and her hair cropped short. She exuded confidence and must have been cheering hard, because she still seemed a little flushed. When she received the notification that he was addressing her, she jumped up and saluted. “Sir! Sergeant Rose Parker, reporting!” she began smartly. It was a textbook reporting statement, a little overly formal given the situation, but Blackshade had the feeling that was just how this woman operated. “Yo
u say the Omegas claim we are machines, and some of us have seen the video of them disassembling President Silvia on the internet. Was that real? Have the Omegas given you any other proof that we’re machines, or are we just taking their word on it?” she asked skeptically. It was a perfectly reasonable question to ask, and judging by the looks of approval he saw on the displays, many people thought the same thing.

  “That’s an excellent question, Sergeant Parker, thank you for asking it.” he began sincerely, “I’m going to do my best to answer your question. The video you’ve seen on the internet of the Omegas disassembling President Silvia, and then reassembling him, is one hundred percent authentic. I was there, and I witnessed the whole thing with my own eyes.” Murmurs of awe and fear began to roll from the display as hundreds of troops reacted to his confirmation. “Also, in order to communicate with them they installed a translation program into my brain with a simple gesture. Yes, that could be explained as just their technology being vastly superior to ours, but it could also be described as magic or programming. I choose to believe it’s what they say it is, and that they were able to improve me by broadening my communication ability through programming, just like we can install a language program into one of our machines. Then there’s the fact that I’ve been to the Omega ship. I was transported inside of it and awoke inside a chamber that analyzed me like a mechanic would analyze a conveyance. It corrected many errors within my body and made me stronger and healthier than ever before. One of the key things the Omegas cured inside me, was early stage pancreatic cancer.” he told them, knowing the bombshell he was dropping as he did so. Deaths due to cancer had been on the rise for over thirty years, and even with all the fund raising and researchers working on a cure, not even the treatments they developed were overly successful. To hear that the Omegas could cure cancer was only slightly less impressive than the fact they could cure death.