The Job of a Lifetime
Chris Vennettilli
Mobius was a planet of peace, its inhabitants, anthropomorphic animals named after their home, had only known war a few times. Overall, they were very environmentally minded with little to no outlook about anything beyond their world.
That is, until the Humans arrived.
In 3234, a mysterious supercarrier appeared in orbit around Mobius. It was not of Ovrlander design and the symbol of a proud eagle over a globe with the letters scrawled 'U-N-S-C' on it even furthered the mystery. Only a few of these people knew the magnitude of what they were seeing.
Their roots were getting back to THEM.
Antoine D'Coolette was one of these people. He was highly intelligent, very insightful, slightly cowardice, but overall, a natural person in an unnatural position. He was unnerved by the arrival of the Human beings, but he was eager to jump at the opportunity to learn more about them.
He had been covertly present when the Humans arrived at the palace. He was watching from behind the curtain of the Main Hall, not fifty feet from Their Royal Excellencies. These Humans were trained, efficient, a military force of power beyond theirs.
Antoine was impressed, as his family had a deep military servitude to the King and Queen, but he knew a force when he saw it. Their weapons were different; a swarm of rails, scopes, digital readouts, and magazines. Their faces were similar yet different. All of them were weathered by the training of their drill instructors. All of them had seen war. All of them had seen death. He knew this because whenever he looked at his father, as loving as he was, he wore the same death.
"Mon dieu..." Antoine had breathed. He was grossly unprepared for First Contact.
Then, he steadied himself, and analyzed the Humans further. They spoke in English, wrote in English, and their motions were similar. Their hand gestures were on par with Mobians and their salutes were identical, down to the raised arm.
So, who had copied who?
Then, one of them, who was wearing a flat-topped cap with the eagle on it stepped forward and announced his rank and name. Antoine couldn't pronounce it. Not right away. Ven...Venny...probably Italian. What bugged him though was that the princess, Sally Alicia Acorn, the woman he HOPED to marry, was regarding him, studying him.
This angered D'Coolette. He wanted to confront the Human. Tell him what was going on, that he wasn't going to stand for it, but he was afraid. The man was taller than he was, more muscular, shaped by training. He also had no fear, something that Antoine had in abundance. So, he was unable to do anything.
It happened a couple times. He tried to talk to the Human, tried to get his point across. One time, Antoine saw the man patrolling the halls with a very large pistol on his belt.
He's such a vulgar person, carrying around a weapon like that in the castle. Antoine thought. He marched up to him, wanting to say something yet again, but was at a loss for words. He bumped into the Human, who, to his surprise, looked a little concerned.
"Sorry sir. I apologize for my behavior." He actually saluted him.
Antoine's mouth hung open, but he realized why the Human was being so formal. He was wearing his father's military uniform. He always found it comforting to have a piece of the man who had made him who he was near him. In his case, his father helped him train with swords and other weaponry, tried to make him brave. Antoine missed his father very much.
He cleared his throat. Nervous, he slipped into French. "Ah...Excuse moi, monsieur. Je ne parle Anglais."
The Human seemed to understand. "Ah...Tu parles Français?"
Once again, he was taken aback. They speak the language of my people?
"Uh...oui, je parle français. Et vous?" the coyote answered. Was he making conversation?
"Petite Français. De tout façon, Excuse moi pour l'accident, monsieur." The Human saluted again, smiled slightly, and continued down the hall.
What had just happened?
A few weeks passed. He saw more Humans, but didn't talk to any of them. His encounter with the Lieutenant had a lasting effect on him. They seemed so intent on talking to him, so intent on making nice, yet he had no idea about who they were, where they came from, and more importantly, if they had an agenda or not.
So, he sought out a person that had spent a good deal of time with the Humans.
"Princess, ma cheré, I must ask you a question about ze Humans."
Sally was sitting in the courtyard with a piece of literature in her hands. "Oh, Hello Antoine! How have you been?" She seemed to be immersed in the book.
"Ah, I have been, how you say, up and down."
"Well, what's wrong?" Sally asked.
"I have to ask about the Humans. You know a lot about zem?"
Sally smiled. "You came to the right person. You know, I went to their home planet, you know."
Antoine's ears perked. "You have? What is it?"
"Earth."
"You mean, Mobius."
"No, Earth." She showed him the title of the book she was reading.
It was titled, 'A Detailed Catalogue of Earth and Inner Colonies'.
"You know," She continued, "Those guys that are my Protectors?"
"No. Who are zey?"
"They are men from Earth, and a far-away planet called Draco II!"
"How many planets do they have?" he asked eagerly.
"Over a thousand."
A thousand! A thousand worlds!
"And there's more." Sally said lifting an even thicker book. It was titled, 'The Adventurer's Guide to Alien Races'.
"Aliens." Antoine breathed.
Sally nodded. "These Humans are technologically advanced, they have survived where others have fallen and ensured their survival. Just think, wouldn't it be great to see those worlds?"
"Yes." Antoine said. "Wouldn't it be something?"
Sally looked at him, then back into space and smiled.
Seven days later, Antoine was approached by two men in business suits. "Antoine D'Coolette?" One of them asked.
Once again nervous, he looked at them. "Yes?"
"Could we talk to you for a second?"
"Uh...Yes, I can spare a moment."
Antoine went with the men into what was known as 'the Den' in the castle. In it was the Sword of Acorns, an ancient weapon locked in a near-indestructible glass case. All around, there were medals, photographs and maps of Mobius. Antoine was struck with a bit of pain as he saw a picture of his father on the wall.
"Mr. D'Coolette, we would like to discuss a proposition with you."
"Yes..?"
"We were informed by a source that you are curious about the universe."
"Aren't we all?"
That made the men smile.
"You can see where we're going then. My name is West Crowley. I work for the United Earth Government. This is my associate Ryan Ulmun."
Ulmun nodded in greeting.
"Uh...zis is so very zudden. What is it you wish me to do?"
"We have been looking into your personal accomplishments. Your family has been quite close to the king and queen over the years."
"Oui monsieur." Antoine said, trying to figure out what these men wanted.
"You are also intelligent. Top of your class in historiography, geology, and in sociology."
"Thank you."
"You are also curious about Humanity and the rest of the undiscovered universe. We want to make people more aware of the ever-developing cosmos. That's where you come in." Ulmun said.
"W...what?"
They smiled. "Mister D'Coolette," Crowley said. "How would you like to see the universe?"
That struck Antoine wild for a second.
"I am sorry...I do not understand this..."
"Allow me to explain." Ulmun said. "We need a writer, someone with a thirst for adventure and curiosity for the unknown. That person is you."
"You want me to see ze galaxy?"
"Yes, we wish to document new things that will help people, and we will finance the whole thing. You name it. First-class tickets, equipment, materiel, interpreters, we will get it for you."
Something awakened in Antoine D'Coolette that day, something that was buried deep inside his heart. A hunger for knowledge that had been with his kind since their Awakening all those long years ago. For the first time in his life, Antoine was brave.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't afraid.
"I will do it." He said with a sparkle in his eyes.
He was back at his home, packing for his first trip. Sally and Bunnie came to his house to wish him good luck. Antoine looked at Sally.
"It vas you who told them to look me up, eh?"
"It was something you wanted to do."
"I know." Antoine said. "I am about so zee so many vonderful things. I am sure of it. Thank you Sally." He kissed her twice on the cheeks.
"Where are you off to first, shugah?" Bunnie asked.
"To Earth." Antoine said with excitement he could barely contain. "I can only dream of vhat I will zee!"
"You will love it." Saly assured him.
"I know I will. I am brave. I can do zis."
"That's our boy!" Bunnie said.
Antoine was strapped in for his flight, a set of books next to him and his computer in his lap. The flight attendant made sure he was buckled in and announced the flight would be leaving in ten minutes. Antoine looked out the window at his beloved Mobius, a blue orb. Sunlight started to shine over the horizon. He smiled and opened up his laptop. He cracked his knuckles and started typing.
'THE UNSC GALACTIC CODEX: A COMPLETE ACCOUNTING OF SENTIENT LIFE AND CIVILIZATION IN KNOWN SPACE'
He hesitated, and underneath that, he wrote,
'By Antoine D'Coolette'
It was the job of a lifetime.