Kwai kwai nidobak! For many years, I've wanted to write this story, but I kept pushing it aside in favor of other projects, and I wasn't sure if there was going to be a District 9 sequel to contradict the ideas I had for this story. But I've decided that even if a sequel does happen, I'll write this story anyway. I hope everyone enjoys this story. Remember to leave a review or send me a PM!
Chapter 1: Sympathy
February 28th, 2009
All over the world, everyone knew of the alien mothership that floated over the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. When the infamous ship first arrived back in 1982, every country took an interest in it. The USSR and NATO requested to study and examine the ship's new arrivals, but the South African government denied the two superpowers access to the non-humans. The country's government, along with its allied private military company, kept the creatures locked away from the rest of the country and did their best to keep the non-humans out of sight of others.
The USSR debated invading South Africa in order to get their hands on the non-humans, but the Cold War and their military operations in the Middle East prevented those plans from being acted out. The United States were not only focused on the Cold War, but their own political agendas disallowed them from interfering with the plans of South Africa. But there were rumors that both superpowers sent investigators to South Africa. No one could confirm or denounce that however.
In the end, self-interests and military struggles prevented the world outside of South Africa from learning much about the non-humans. This was the case until the late 2000's. At that time, a single non-human not only managed to salvage a working computer, but it also managed to connect to the internet. No matter how small or even insignificant someone was, they could always be heard through the powers of the human internet. It was the great digitized spider web of information and social media.
Within a small household somewhere in the United States, a twelve year old girl sat by herself in front of an online computer. It was late at night and way past the girl's bedtime, but she liked to watch videos and browse the interwebs at night. Her insomnia saw to that. Normally, she searched for funny videos or amusing posts on various social sites.
The curved face of the old monitor lit up the girl's dark skinned face. She sat comfortably in her one piece pajamas and she kicked her legs in the air as her chocolate colored eyes skimmed across the screen.
The young girl just discovered a blog post on some website titled MNU Spreads Lies. Something about the title caught her interest. She's never even heard of anything called MNU before. She was tempted to skim over the link, like she usually did, but something forced her to click the link. The website was apparently created by someone named Christopher. This man didn't have any profile pictures, but his description explained that he was a non-human from a District 9. The only reason she was familiar with this name was because she heard about it once on the radio while her mother drove her to school.
The young girl read over the non-human's plight. He described how he had two children and how the entire district acted as a slum for his people. Not only that, but his people were constantly abused and that MNU spread false propaganda to show that the non-humans were living peacefully and were being taken care of. That the district's purpose was to protect non-humans. BUt none of that was true. The young girl was horrified reading these things. Her young mind couldn't even process why anyone would treat anybody so poorly. Then she started reading the comments.
Almost every single comment on the web page was a human resident of the neighboring Johannesburg. They all either called Christopher a liar himself or mocked him, calling him a "prawn." Some even went as far as to threaten his life. The few others were fellow non-humans who told him they respected his enthusiasm, but informed him that their people had no hope. Not a single comment praised Christopher for speaking the truth.
All this negativity and words of pure hatred broke the little girl's heart. She had to stiffen a sniff and she briefly looked up towards her bedroom door, making sure that her parents weren't awake to check on her. When she was sure they were still asleep, she looked back at the screen and she scrolled all the way back up to the top. She looked at the profile again and noticed that the blog's creator was actually online. There were also two options she was able to choose right below the profile. She could either leave a comment or send a private message to him.
Online, the young girl always had two rules given to her by her parents. Never leave comments anywhere and don't talk to strangers. But after reading the nasty comments, she forced her mouse over the PM link and clicked the left mouse button. The link quickly brought her to a page that asked her for her name. She bit her lower lip as she debated whether or not to write her real name or a fake one. She inevitably decided to at least type out her first name. Then she started writing her message in the white box to the right of her name. She then pressed the enter key with her heart pounding in her chest.
Kelsey: Hello
Christopher: Hello, Kelsey.
Already, Kelsey knew she could get grounded for what she was doing. Her head kept whipping to her door just to ensure herself that her parents weren't going to burst in. Her school and her parents told her horror stories of kids being taken away by scary men on the internet. A quiet sigh escaped her lips and she started typing again with shaky fingers.
Kelsey: I just red the stuff you wrote and what others said. Im sorry that so many people are mean to you. Im a human in america and I think MNU are jerks
Christopher: That is very sweet of you, Kelsey. That truly means a lot to me.
Kelsey: I wish there was something I could do to help you and your ppl
Christopher: Sadly, there isn't much a single person can do. Especially when they live so far away from here. But it's good to know that my message is reaching places like America. People like you brighten up my day.
Kelsey: I promise one day when I grow up I will do something to help
Christopher: Live your life, child. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. But I must thank you, Kelsey. You've reminded me that there are good humans out there. Now, I must go and tend to my children.
With that, Kelsey was notified that Christopher went offline. She sat back in her chair as she read over the conversation at least three times. She wanted so desperately to help this non-human, but even she knew that there wasn't much a little girl could do for someone who lived on the other side of the world.
The young girl made sure to bookmark the website before she turned off her computer. Now in complete darkness, she got out of her chair and blindly climbed into bed. She pulled the covers over her small body and looked up at the black ceiling. Maybe one day, she could honor her promise. Until then, she closed her eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.
October 2nd, 2018
Almost a decade had gone by since the non-human mothership left South Africa. When the ship was gone, many of Multination United's ill treatment of the non-humans was exposed for the world to see. And it was all thanks to a now jailed employee named Fundiswa. Public opinion of the military company degraded rapidly outside of Africa. For a while, millions of people demanded the non-humans be freed from their slums and treated better. Unfortunately, public opinion within South Africa itself barely changed, especially in Johannesburg. Violence and acts of terrorism by the so-called prawns greatly hurt the possibilities of compassion for them within the country. And before other countries could step in, talks of global terrorism and political strife quickly distracted the rest of the world. Even with everything exposed, little changed for the non-humans, other than them being forcibly moved to a new district. Like always, the plight of non-humans was ignored by the masses. After all, how can something that isn't even human be treated with human rights?
To one individual, all it would take was a simple reminder that these alien creatures were still suffering. And that they still lived horrible lives. If people were reminded of these tragedies that were taking place, then surely, someone would act.
A plane from the United States had just arrived in the Johannesburg airport. The plane attendants announced to all the passengers that they had landed and were free to leave. As everyone exited the plane, a twenty one year old Kelsey stepped out and into the airport.
Kelsey sported straightened brown hair that reached past her shoulders, and her cheekbones had become more pronounced since she was a little girl. She was a bit short for her age, but she was proud of herself for keeping her body relatively fit with little fat. She wore a simple white tank top with blue jeans and white sneakers. She also donned a light olive green windbreaker jacket during the flight, but she knew the climate of South Africa would make her take off that article of clothing due to the heat. She carried a small carrying case over her shoulder that held her laptop, and she dragged a crimson red bag behind her that was filled with her luggage.
The lone girl chose to travel lightly on her weeklong trip, mostly because her parents didn't approve of her traveling so far away by herself, even though she was old enough to do so. At home, she quickly packed her things and left for the airport early in the morning. She only texted her concerned parents after the plane took flight. They were worried sick about her and demanded she come home as soon as possible, but she explained to them how she needed to do this.
Kelsey sighed softly when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She didn't bother checking it now, since it was more than likely a text from her mom or dad. She worked hard for months saving up money simply to purchase a ticket. She wasn't going to waste all that work just to immediately go home.
The airport was crowded with people and more than a few of them accidentally bumped into her. Kelsey just wanted to leave as soon as possible. She wandered through the large building and followed the signs until she reached the exit. She took in a lungful of fresh, yet humid, air. Anything was better than the stuffy atmosphere of the plane.
This was the first time the young woman has ever traveled by herself. Not only that, but she's never been outside the United States before. Today was full of firsts for her and she found herself smiling at herself for her accomplishments. The wheels of her luggage bag noisily dragged over the sidewalk she travelled on while she walked. She didn't bother to call a taxi or an uber, for she always preferred to walk anyway.
To her, the city of Johannesburg was beautiful. Many of the buildings seemed to grow taller the further she parted from the airport. Of course, that was to be expected. There were also many people walking the streets, like herself, as well as numerous drivers. If she didn't know any better, she'd say there was never an alien ship hovering over the city almost a decade ago.
A soft grumbling escaped Kelsey's stomach, which brought her out of her sightseeing. She looked around and spotted some kind of dinner across the street from her. She didn't recognize the brand, but she always preferred more independent restaurants over the more well-known places. Plus, there was a red neon sign on the window that read "OPEN." Looking both ways to make sure it was safe, she quickly crossed the street and entered the diner, which caused a small bell to ring above the door.
The diner was a nice, cozy looking place. The floor was tiled in a white and red checker style and the walls were a light gray, almost white shade. There were numerous posters and other memorabilia on the walls. But then Kelsey's brown eyes settled on the only other customers in the diner. There were two men sitting at the counter and eating hamburgers. One had pale white skin and the other was a dark shade of brown, even darker than her own skin tone. They both donned black combat uniforms with bullpup rifles hanging from their backs and pistols holstered at their sides. They also had "MNU" printed in white on their upper arms and shoulders. The girl frowned as she looked at the soldiers. These were the people that made an entire race suffer since way before she was even born.
"May I help you?" a thick African accent caught her attention.
Kelsey looked away from the soldiers and at the man behind the counter, who was bald and wearing an apron. The man looked indifferent to her staring. She slowly walked up to the counter and in an attempt to ignore the soldiers, she looked up at the menu above the cashier's head. Everything available was conveniently written in both English and Afrikaans.
"Um, I'll have a meatball sub, please." she requested as she leaned her bag against the counter.
"Will it be for here or to go?" he questioned.
"Here, please." came her reply as she pulled her wallet out of her pocket.
"That will be eight, ninety nine." the man behind the counter spoke.
"Do you accept credit cards?" she asked hopefully since she didn't deposit any rands from an ATM.
The cashier nodded and pointed at the scanner to the left of the cash register. She quickly pulled the card out of her wallet and swiped it through the scanner before she typed in the PIN number. Once the money went through, she placed her credit card back in her wallet.
"You're food will be ready shortly." the cashier informed her as he handed her a small strip of paper with a number on it.
She pocketed her wallet and took the paper before she looked away to find a seat. She didn't like the idea of being anywhere near those soldiers, but she came here to remind the world how horrible MNU was. So perhaps, she could start by interviewing them. She mentally sighed and pulled out her phone before she turned to tap the pale skinned man on the shoulder.
"Excuse me. Is it alright if I ask you some questions? I'm making a documentary." she asked once the two men turned to look at her.
The pale man had a pair of sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt and he looked at her with his blue eyes. His black hair was shaved in the style of a mohawk and he had a neatly trimmed goatee. He was a lot more burly looking than his partner. In fact, he almost looked like a body builder. The dark skinned soldier who sat next to him also looked strong, but not nearly as strong as the one with the mohawk. His head was completely shaved bald, but he had fairly thick eyebrows.
"I'm not answering any questions. Blur my face out in post." the bald soldier spoke sharply before he returned to eating his burger.
"Well, I don't mind answering a few questions for you." the man with the mohawk spoke in a thick accent that was quite foreign to Africa.
Kelsey was actually rather surprised by the man's accent. It sounded almost Scandinavian. Still, he granted her request, so she sat down next to the soldier. She then held up her phone so it was facing him and turned on the camera before she tapped the record button on the touch screen.
"Let's start by introducing ourselves. My name is Kelsey Cavot and I will be interviewing you. What's your name?" she asked him.
The soldier flashed a toothy smile as he set down his hamburger and fully faced her. She couldn't help but smile at this; he seemed to have a much friendlier aura around him compared to his partner. But then she reminded herself that these were not good people and they did horrible things to non-humans. Still though, that smile was contagious.
"I'm Private Jim Faliks and I work for the MNU security force." the muscular man introduced himself.
"How long have you been working for MNU?" she questioned.
"Oh, I'd say the better part of two weeks now." he answered politely as his hand briefly rubbed his chin.
It seemed that this man was full of surprises. Kelsey had to wonder if this man was even aware of the horrible things his company was doing, but she didn't want to anger these people. At least, not when she just arrived.
"Have you ever been inside of District 10?" the short girl decided to ask him.
"I'm actually going there for the first time after I'm done eating. I'm a little nervous, to be honest. But under contract, I'm not allowed to talk about what goes on in the district." he spoke apologetically.
"Why is that?" Kelsey almost demanded, and she mentally scolded herself for speaking so brashly.
"It's for safety reasons, mostly. You see, back in District 9, there was a lot of human gang activity in the district. We're trying to keep crime out of District 10 to protect the non-humans. I should also add that only non-humans and MNU personnel are allowed in the district. I'm sorry, but you won't be able to film the inside of it." the soldier calmly explained, ignoring her outburst.
Kelsey wasn't sure how to feel about that response. It seemed like a bunch of lies and propaganda to her, but that voice seemed way too genuine. She frowned for a moment before she cleared her throat.
"How do you feel about the non-humans?" she questioned.
"I haven't met any yet, but I have nothing against them. I give everyone a fair shake before judging them." Jim replied as his smile returned.
"We should get going now." the private's partner spoke up before he began to stand.
"Alright. Sorry for cutting this short, but I have to go. It was a pleasure, Miss Cavot." the pale man smiled as he held out his hand.
The short girl was a bit hesitant to, but she accepted the gesture and shook his large hand. She turned off her camera and watched as the soldier stood up. She thought he was big before, but now that he was standing, she realized just how tall he was. He easily stood a whole head taller than his partner. He quickly finished the rest of his burger with two large bites before the two of them walked off.
As the two soldiers left, Kelsey's own meal arrived. The man behind the counter stated her number and placed the food on the counter. She looked at the meatball sub in front of her and contemplated what she just heard. That guy didn't seem too bad, but his partner seemed like a bit of an ass. She shook her head and put her phone away before she picked up her sub. Even though she had a lot she needed to get done for her documentary, she wanted to experience some pleasantries here in Johannesburg. So, she ate her food in solitude.
