An ultra-short story about yet another cosmic misunderstanding...ugg. |
Ten thousand shining spheres swirled about in orbit above the planet earth. “All ships are in formation sir. We are ready for decent on your command.” -crackle- “Thank you Ngarphlagck. You may proceed.” The swirling spheres stopped still. Ngarphlagck attempted to compose himself as the burden of his mission began to overtake him. He allowed one last gush of nutrient rich fluid to flow past his gills. It was a sort of underwater sigh. He then switched the intercom to ‘ALL’ and addressed his fleet. “Missionaries of Schluluk 23-B, may your sacrifice never be forgotten. Though many of you may perish, know that your life is given so that many more lives may be lived. Do not waver…” Ngarphlagck was wavering. A lump was growing in his throat. He bit his lip and continued, “But stay the course! Humankind’s one chance for survival may very well be our warning!” He then gave the decent command, released the intercom button and crumpled into his captain’s chair sobbing. Ten thousand shining spheres plunged into the upper atmosphere of earth. They fell silently and smoothly for a few moments. “One thousand kilometers…” Ngarphlagck was relaying the progress back to central command. "Seven hundred kilometers…” The shiny spheres were now beginning to glow from the friction. “Five hundred…’sniffle’…” Inside of the now white hot spheres, many of the Schlulukians were screaming in agony as their nutrient fluid began to boil. “One hundr…eh? ” An urgent message was flashing on the command screen. He tapped it and a video record from the Schlulukian scout mission, a mission presumed lost one year prior, began to play. His jaw hung slack. “Abort! Repeat, abort!” he bellowed into the intercom and ten thousand tumbling spheres suddenly halted in the clear ozone layer. Ngarphlagck broadcast the scout video to each of the ships and listened as great cheers and applause began ringing back to him through the intercom. “They know! The humans know!” he hailed the central command post. “How can we be sure?” crackled the reply. Ngarphlagck broadcast the scout video to the command post and laughed into the intercom, “Those silly suede boots! Their teenage females wear them even in the summer. Humanity is prepared, no matter how ridiculous they may look!” “Such admirable resolution and foresight they must have.” The command was well pleased. “Well done, Ngarphlagck. You and your fleet are ordered to return home immediately and I am grateful to say, safely.” And so it was the day that humankind was nearly warned of the ice age that decimated its population only three years later. |