“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Tannya said, looking around the assembled representatives of a staggeringly large portion of the sentient population of the galaxy. “But unfortunately, I must tell you of the Jix.”
The meeting seemed to stretch forever as Tannya relayed what she had already told Nyla and Cal. Cal was not paying attention as she tried to take in all the different species and cultures represented in this room. After she had given up, she then tried to conceive of how a room as massive and grand as this could be built.
Cal sat next to Nyla. He was paying attention, but whenever he saw her looking at him, he flashed her a smile. Cal was wondering at what point they would ask him to commit some atrocity or another. He hoped that they would choose to elevate rather than exterminate. His mind began to wander as he thought over the options, and then he heard Tannya call out.
“Bearer of Sin. I would ask you to witness the vote.” Tannya said, drawing her prepared speech to a conclusion.
Cal stood, looking imperious with his hand clasped behind his back. “I will witness.”
Tannya nodded and looked around the room. “Ladies and gentlemen of humanity and of the races represented here, I offer you three choices. The first is to do nothing and respond on a case-by-case basis. The second is to begin the process of elevating every race that we can to the point that the Jix would be unable to interfere with them. And the last…”
Tannya paused, letting the room adjust as if she expected what would happen next. Every set of human eyes and many of the eyes of the more advanced-looking races turned to lock on Cal. Nyla shrunk down in her seat. She knew that they were looking at Cal, but she swore that she could feel the weight of their collective gaze crushing down on her. She looked at Cal and saw that, if anything, he looked at home under the intense scrutiny. He seemed to revel in it. Tannya spoke once more, “The last option is to unleash the Bearer of Sin once more.”
The room remained silent for a moment and then a voice that was quite mechanical spoke, seeming to emanate from everywhere.
“Please take the pad from the chair in front of you. On it, you will find the three options presented for vote. Please select the option that you wish to happen. You have exactly 60 seconds to register your vote beginning now.”
Nyla looked and saw that the language on the pad was in her language. “How is this possible?” Nyla asked Artie.
“I am translating from Earth Common to your language.” Artie said, and Nyla accepted the answer before reading the three options and selecting the one that she felt best suited what she wanted.
What felt like an eternity passed in silence before Nyla once again heard the strange disembodied voice speak from everywhere. “The votes have been registered. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Tannya stepped up to the podium. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our answer. Humanity will now undertake the task of elevating the 1,739 known species of our galaxy. I put forth this call to all the peoples of Earth: Come and share your knowledge, your skills, and your passions with those who need them. All are welcome. Peace, prosperity, and perseverance guide you.”
The humans in the room echoed that thought back to Tannya. “Peace, prosperity, and perseverance guide you.”
Nyla climbed down from the chair she was in and followed Cal from the room. He led them out of the building and into a transport, as soon as Cal got on, everyone else quickly vacated. Cal chatted mindlessly with Nyla until he finally directed her to step off of the hovering platform.
She continued to follow Cal and entered the building, following behind him. Inside, another human led them to a private room where they took a seat and Cal spoke quickly to the person who had led them there. They nodded and left, leaving Cal and Nyla alone.
“Welp, I don’t know about you, but I am starving.” Cal said, taking a seat in one of the well-appointed chairs.
“I am quite hungry as well.” Nyla said, wondering if this would be the last time she spoke with Cal. “Cal, what happens now?” she asked, climbing up into one of the seats across from him.
“Now…” Cal said thoughtfully. “Now the real work begins. Individuals and teams will be assigned to different races. Those teams and individuals will begin the work required for the different peoples to be uplifted…”
Cal took a breath as if to continue explaining the process. Nyla interrupted him. “I mean, what happens to me, and what happens to you?”
Cal smiled and held up a data-pad. “I have just listed my intent to return to your world and uplift your people.”
Nyla was surprised to feel how relieved she felt knowing that Cal would be returning to her world. The remainder of the evening was uneventful as the staff of the building they were in brought them plate after plate of food, and they talked about nothing of importance. When Nyla felt as if she could no longer keep her eyes open, she and Cal were led up some stairs and into a suite of rooms with two bedrooms and a common room. Without any prompting, Nyla walked into one of the rooms and collapsed onto the bed for a night of fitful sleep.
The next morning Cal and Nyla ate food left outside their room for them and discussed what would happen today.
“So firstly, I want to go shopping,” Cal said, “it’s irregular for me to get back to Earth very often, so I have some things that I need and some things that I want for what we have to do. I also want to get you some things as your role on your world has just changed drastically.”
“What does that mean?” Nyla asked as she finished her second plate of something called hashbrowns.
“It means that you will be working with me.” Cal took a drink and paused his eating. “Nyla, do you realize what is about to happen to your people? Do you understand that this process is generally not painless? This will change you and your people in ways that none will be able to foresee.”
Nyla thought about what Cal had said in silence as they both finished their meal. “I can only think that whatever fate awaits us is better than the extermination the Jix offer.”
“That is a fair point.” Cal said as he thanked the server who was clearing away dishes. “So let us get to it.”
Nyla nodded, standing up to follow Cal out of the building. After successfully navigating to a different part of the city, he led her into a store where young men and women worked to bring boxes, bags, and other goods to people waiting in small alcoves that seemed to display an astonishing variety of goods.
Cal led them to the back and into a private room where several small plush chairs waited. Cal looked even more giant than usual in the chair. Nyla, however, seemed to fit perfectly. A young woman came in and missed Cal, who sat with his back to the wall that held the door.
“Hello?” The young woman seemed hesitant. “I am sorry we can wait for your parents…”
She was interrupted by Cal. “That woman is not a child.”
Nyla watched the woman jump slightly in surprise and turn to face Cal. Nyla expected more of the cold shoulder that Cal seemed to accept stoically. Instead, the young woman let out an excited squeal and threw her arms around Cal.
“Uncle Cal!” The woman said with a big smile giving Cal a big hug. “I take it that they are going to make you work?”
“Nope,” Cal said, letting the young woman go. “They decided to uplift everyone.”
That got an eyebrow raised from the young woman “Everyone?”
“All known races.” Cal said, his tone serious. “So I will be working but not in an official capacity. I will be working to uplift Nyla’s race.” He gestured to Nyla, who was still sitting.
Nyla stood and smiled at the woman. “Hello, I am Nyla.”
The young woman looked surprised. “Oh, I am sorry for calling you a child. I am Karla. Cal here is my uncle.”
Nyla smiled and was about to reassure Karla that she was not offended, but the woman suddenly took on an almost giddy smile and continued talking. “You just looked so cute in the chair, and now that you are standing up, you are even cuter.”
She looked like she would have continued on her rant had Cal not stepped in and cleared his throat. “Karla, we all know that you love cute things. But we are here for business, actually, so…”
“Oh!” Karla blushed, nodding apologetically. “Of course, so what can I do for you?”
“Well, Nyla here will be working with me to uplift her people, so she needs the works.” Cal said, noting the confusion on Nyla’s face.
“I mean, I’ll get her what I can on the allotment from the…” Karla started to say but was cut off once more.
“No, just bill it to my expense account, I doubt that even the council would dare resist me with the potential for a call-up should their current course of action fail.” Cal continued to talk with Karla as she began tapping away on a screen.
Nyla thought about what he had just said. Cal was expecting the uplifting of the races to fail. But he pushed forward with a smile and grim determination. He was alien. Nyla’s people would enact a plan but once they had selected a path, they would not even consider another possibility until their primary plan had utterly failed. It was one of the reasons that the strongest clans operated the way that they did.
“You all right?” Karla asked, placing a gentle hand, giant though it was, on Nyla’s back.
Nylas nodded, and refocused on what was happening. “Yes I am fine, what is it that I am doing?”
Karla smiled and excitedly took her hand and led her to stand on a pedestal that had risen from the floor. “You are going shopping on my uncle's dime!”
The words elicited such excitement from the young woman that Nyla could not help but feel excited as well as she asked what shopping was, then saw Karla’s eyes light up.
Seeing that things were well in hand, Cal stood and excused himself. “I have something to attend to, Karla. She is your responsibility till I get back.”
“Oh, don’t worry I’m sure the two of us can find plenty of ways to spend your money,” Karla said mischievously.
Cal smiled and nodded to Nyla, who watched him walk from the room as images of dresses filled her vision.
