Knowledge and Choices
Sevai hadn't been joking about how comfortable the beds were.
Laes was pretty sure he'd slept for at least a full day, and even then he didn't want to move when he finally woke up.
The blankets and pillow covers were so soft, they could easily outdo the Universe's most comfortable couch... the mattress somehow left no pressure points at all. It almost felt like he was floating, but without the fear of falling.
He'd been so content he only vaguely wondered how an advanced race of people from a far away galaxy used such similar sleeping objects like beds and pillows and whatnot.
Oh well. He didn't really need to think about that. There was probably a very simple explanation for it anyway.
Lard Nar must have fallen asleep. There was no way anyone could stay awake on such a perfect bed.
He was even thinking of going back to sleep despite not being tired at all anymore just because he couldn't imagine leaving such a cozy place.
Then he remembered his parents probably didn't know where he was...
"Hey, Lard Nar..." he mumbled, cracking open an eye.
When he realized the other Vortian wasn't there he quickly sat up and looked around the small dimly lit room.
Lard Nar wasn't here anymore... oh cripes. What was going on now?
Then the door opened and Sevai stepped inside.
"My readings indicated you would be awake..." The Invader told him. "How are you feeling?"
"What readings...?" Laes questioned.
Wait. He needed to ask about Lard Nar first before asking about their technology.
"I've connected the computer in this room to my head-piece," Sevai explained. "I set the computer to monitor your consciousness levels so I would be here when you woke up, although I was a little late."
That made sense... it was still a little worrying how paranoid Invaders were though. Even Sevai who seemed more level-headed, and even willing to break some of the rules, was still cautious about quite a lot of things.
"Where's Lard Nar?" he asked.
"He's currently receiving treatment for his missing eye and fingers."
"So... you guys are ok with him now?"
"My superiors are relatively ok with him, yes. I allowed the counsel to review a portion of our session, and they granted him permission to be in the common areas as long as I keep a close eye on him... they are not sure how fragile his state of mind is. I suppose they have some concern he may suddenly lose his rational thought by suddenly experiencing an intense feeling of fear or grief, however, they do not believe he will pose a significant threat to us."
Lard Nar could be very vociferous when it came to protecting those he cared about. He even gave the Tallest a serious tongue lashing, but Laes didn't think the former captain would ever be needlessly violent or anything.
"Now back to my question," Sevai said before repeating it, "how are you feeling?"
Laes rubbed the back of his head. "Pretty good I guess..."
He wasn't in any pain anymore. He also felt well rested now too, although he was a bit hungry.
"Good. Then perhaps you would be interested in trying some of the other foods we brought with us on the journey?"
Laes smiled. Of course he was! Only... wait...panna was bread... but what else did Invaders eat besides... well... Vortians?
He felt a shiver pass through his body, and he was pretty sure the colour just drained away from his face.
"While we do incorporate meat into our diet, I assure you it isn't taken from any as intelligent as yourself," Sevai seemed to be trying to console him, but it wasn't helping.
They hadn't considered Vortians intelligent way back when either... but Vortians, or whatever they called themselves at the time, had been conscious of themselves and the world around them.
Vort's people back then were a thinking and feeling race who knew how to read, write, build shelters, grow and store food, and many other things.
The Invader who visited them had been considered a goddess, so they had thoughts about spirituality and the abstract. They might have even started putting numbers together, though no one was entirely sure when the first formula was written.
"Um...I'm just curious but... how do you guys define intelligence...?" Laes questioned.
He definitely wanted to find this out before he ended up eating something, or someone, he'd regret.
"Well," Sevai placed a finger to his chin. "We were not concerned about such things a thousand years ago... We assumed if a dominant species was easily killed by their planet, and were in that sense bound to their planet, that they were not intelligent enough to survive without assistance.
This is why we offered our technology to them in exchange for what they would call 'sacrifices.' These 'sacrifices' were used for scientific research and as food and protection for our offspring."
Laes gave a slight nod to show he at least somewhat understood.
That was back then... but what did Invaders think about intelligence now?
"As we are now, we have a few more rules about what is considered a lack of intelligence... conscious creatures who are overly hostile or violent, those who knowingly or unknowingly make their planet unlivable, those who cannot figure out a way to protect themselves from their planet's weather patterns, those who allow members of their own race to starve or be killed for convenience... this along with the inability to travel outside of their planet.
We look at all of these things before determining whether or not a species is intelligent."
He smiled as he dropped his hand back down to his side.
"Of course we aren't trying to be unfair. The ability to learn is one of the key components of intelligence after all. In exchange for their 'sacrifices' we are willing to offer them our basic technologies and some new ways of looking at the same problems... we offer solutions and perhaps even a partnership if the selected are cooperative and willing to communicate.
If they are not deemed worthy of being given our technology or spending our time on them however, well, it isn't completely uncommon, but we have taken what we wanted and left races with nothing before."
Laes stared at him wordlessly. "So... you kill and eat... like... violent, selfish, ignorant people...?"
"When the opportunity arises," Sevai answered. "My people can eat a very wide variety of foods once we have reached our adult stage. While meat is a staple in our diet during our developing stage, we do not require it afterwards."
"Couldn't you eat animals instead?"
"Animals...?" Sevai questioned; his eyes widening slightly. His smile vanished.
"You are speaking of those sentient creatures who are often dominated and eaten by a planet's most predominant species? Why would we wish to consume something that cannot be given a choice? They operate on such a basic level of understanding that it would be a pity to eat them... it would be like consuming a planet's newborn child... no... my people would much rather harvest those who are aware of their choices and are able to make them for themselves."
"But animals... They don't have the same level of intelligence or self-awareness... they are preyed on by other animals and are completely dependent on the planet, so doesn't eating them kind of make the most sense...?"
"Perhaps our understanding is a little different... you see, animals feel pain just the same as any other creature does. However against a planet's dominant species, they are often unable to defend themselves," he explained.
"Besides, if we think about it in terms of predators and prey, the top predators get to choose what their prey is going to be."
He gestured to himself.
"My people are predatory in nature... it has been a part of us since before the time of remembering, and we have always chosen to consume the most dominate species." He nodded down at Laes. "Your people also eat meat, though it seems you have decided to prey upon the weaker easier prey. This isn't surprising. Most races tend to do this as the personal risk-factor is far less than hunting for something that can reason and thus pose more of a threat."
Laes was clutching the blanket tightly. Then he drew it up to his chin.
"Sevai... this topic of conversation is really starting to make me uncomfortable..." especially since his people had once been 'prey' for the Invaders.
"I see... then I suppose we should change the topic..." he paused. "If you are fine with fruit, we have some of those."
"Ah... yeah... that'll work."
"Are you sure? Your teeth don't appear to be shaped for eating fruits or vegetables."
"Between eating fruit and maybe getting sick, and eating a person and definitely getting sick, I'll choose the former, thanks."
"I see... but you can handle eating bread just fine it seems?"
"Cake, chips, fries, and most sweets too actually," Laes responded, lowering the blanket down.
"That was the Irkens' influence... of course we can't eat it all the time like they can or we'll get fat and probably die of a grease induced heart attack."
"Oh..." Sevai frowned, and his antennae lowered a bit. "There is nothing resembling greasy or overly sugary food on board this ship... I would not recommend that kind of diet to begin with, however, I do have some more bread if you would like."
Laes wanted to say he didn't recommend the Invaders eating people, but then he would be bringing up a conversation he really wanted to drop. Instead he managed an uneasy smile.
"Sure. That sounds great."
A thought suddenly occurred to him... Zim was used by the Invaders to destroy Irk's alliance with Vort... the Invaders must have known the Irkens wouldn't just leave Vort alone after their Tallest was killed on a Vortian research station... so the war... the destruction... the deaths... had the Invaders wanted that to happen...?
"While we were not completely sure how the Irkens would react after the alleged betrayal, our goal was to make sure your people no longer had an alliance with them... casualties were expected..."
Somehow Sevai was reading his mind again. Laes' smile faltered. Was it the room?
He felt his head to make sure he wasn't wearing one of those helmet things.
It would be strange if there was one there if he couldn't feel it, though with their technology they could probably do that.
"My room contains an echo," Sevai told him. "It amplifies your thoughts and makes it possible for my device to pick up on them without you wearing a head-set."
"Sevai... could you maybe not read my mind?" Laes asked, rubbing his former bad arm.
It was creepy and weird, and Sevai could hear everything he was thinking right now too, so the Invader knew exactly how creepy and weird he thought it was.
"I apologize..." Sevai responded, and he appeared to press a few buttons on his head-piece although it still wasn't visible. "This device automatically syncs with echoes. I meant no disrespect."
"Do you guys read each others' thoughts too?"
"Only as a disciplinary action."
"Oh..." so only criminals and outsiders had their minds read then. That made sense... but the whole thing was still a little unnerving. "I see..."
"The counsel wishes for us to extend an official greeting to your people by the end of today. After we are finished helping the Vortians rebuild, we have several other planets that were rearranged by the Irkens, and some that were ravaged by the worms, that we will restore. We also have our hunting group tracking the Irkens. It is only a matter of time before they're found."
"After you guys are done fixing things, are you going to go back to your planet?" Laes questioned.
"No. There is another planet we wish to see."
"Ah... you want to see it?" Which planet was it...? Hopefully it wasn't one of his former coworkers' planets...
"Zim has been sending us from very interesting reports from the planet the Irkens sent him to. We were disappointed with his banishment at first, but it seems to have been a potentially beneficial assignment after all."
Laes was a bit scared to ask what the Invaders wanted with the planet Zim was currently assigned to. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that it was probably something not very good for the inhabitants...
There was nothing he could do about it though. Hopefully the inhabitants would be able to prove themselves intelligent enough to be given a platform to speak with the Invaders.
The Irkens didn't even have that... but they were also considered machines... faulty machines.
"Is Darden still ok?" Laes asked.
Who knew what was happening to the former soldier right now...
"He is being detained, but he has yet to be altered..." Sevai sighed and his antennae drooped. "I'm trying to convince the counsel of my plan to simply observe the Irkens who are currently on Vort, but they are very reluctant to agree."
"Is it because of what happened to your family...?" maybe bringing up this topic wasn't a very good idea... but after learning about how Invaders still ate people, he was feeling very apprehensive.
Maybe if Sevai shared a bit more about himself, the whole eating other people thing wouldn't seem as bad... although he doubted that he'd ever be able to fully trust or understand the Invaders since them eating people was a pretty gross and frightening thing.
Sevai grew quiet. His eyes shifted from Laes to the floor.
"My family were scientists... they made a mistake... it is not uncommon for mistakes to happen in our line of work... however, other families were affected. The project was not only considered a failure, but a disaster. This is why those not directly involved in the project, but shared similar genetic sequences, were also punished."
"Punished? How?" Laes repeated as he slid off the bed.
He was really going to miss this bed... he was already missing it.
"There was a mark placed on us..." Sevai grasped his upper arm. "It is not visible under most circumstances..." he shook his head and managed a smile as he let go.
He was even more curious now, but he really shouldn't keep asking so many questions...
"It's very shameful... it marks me as a criminal..." Sevai admitted, rubbing the side of his face as he glanced at Laes. "Normally I require direct supervision from my superiors, but I suppose most of my colleagues and superiors are fine with me putting myself at risk in their place."
"I never would have thought you were a criminal..." Laes spoke, and he offered a smile. "Though I guess I am too since I did just spend over a year in prison. I'd probably still be in there if the worms didn't destroy everything."
"Would you like to eat something perhaps?" Sevai quickly and abruptly changed the subject. " I think we agreed on bread? I must insist you only have a little... you still need to have the procedure to correct your organs... eating too much could cause further damage."
"Yeah, um... bread sounds good," Laes agreed with a nod.
"Good... I will leave you with Kosiker then..."
"Ah... ok?" Laes wasn't too sure he liked that idea.
Kosiker wasn't exactly the easiest person to talk to.
"It will only be for a short while. Your friend's procedure should be finished, so I will have him brought back to my room to rest. Then I will go and check on the Irken."
"Can I come with you?" Laes asked him hopefully, but his hopes were instantly dashed when Sevai slowly shook his head no.
"I apologize Laes... they are only allowing scientists to have access to the Irken at the moment."
Well... at least he'd get a chance to eat that tasty bread again...
Darden was sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out and his arms crossed over his chest. He'd been waiting for the Invaders to do something for quite a while... but they had only come to 'observe' him a few times.
It was getting a little annoying.
One of his antennae flicked back in annoyance while the other one bent forward a little. Another Invader had come through the door.
This one looked the same as all the others.
His ruby eyes narrowed when they met the Invader's black ones.
"Have your people finally figured out what they're doing?" he questioned the creature moodily.
"Sorry..." the Invader apologized as it moved a bit closer. "My name is Sevai... I'm acquainted with both Lard Nar and Laes."
Darden stared at the Invader wordlessly for a while. Then he tilted his head back against the wall.
"I'm assuming they are both still in one piece..."
"Yes.."
"Good."
"Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"
"That depends on what kind of questions."
"Alright..." the Invader touched the side of his head, revealing a piece of technology. "I will need to record your answers..."
Darden shrugged. He didn't have a choice but to agree with whatever the Invaders wanted.
"Then... for the first question... what is your relationship with Lard Nar and Laes?"
Darden scowled up at him. "One is an annoying nuisance my Tallest ordered me to watch... the other one is a respectable opponent of the Empire."
"Why did your leader ask you to watch Laes?"
With a scoff, Darden looked away from the Invader.
He didn't know the reason. His Tallest never told him.
"Do you know where your leader is right now?"
"Do you think I would be here if I did?" Darden retorted.
"You have no information on the whereabouts of your people?"
Darden's antennae flattened.
"Again... if I was aware of my peoples' location, why would I come here and willingly subject myself to you and your irritating questions?"
The Invader hummed and rubbed his chin.
"You realize we can access all of the data inside your PAK, correct?"
"Yes, which is why these questions are pointless," Darden concluded.
His patience was wearing thin... if the Invaders were going to reprogram him he wished they would do it rather than bore him with all of these useless questions.
"What do you think about the Tallest?"
"He is my leader. I will obey whatever orders he gives me."
"And if he were to die?"
Darden stiffened, but the bands around his wrists kept him from moving. The thought of the Invaders killing his leader made him angry. He ground his teeth.
"If you kill my Tallest, I will do whatever it takes to kill as many of you as I can."
"I see... this is a disappointing response... but not unexpected..." The Invader sighed and placed a hand on his cheek. "The Vortians under our care right now, what would you think if one of them were to die?"
Darden frowned. "I would be angry," he responded.
"Angry how?"
These questions were becoming even more annoying.
He breathed a sigh and uncrossed his arms.
"Do you want me to describe all the ways I can imagine murdering you?"
"No. That's quite alright..."
"Are you finished?"
"Just one more question... you knew coming here would most likely result in you being reprogrammed, so why did you come?"
Darden rubbed his temples and let out another sigh.
"My orders are to protect Laes, and you took him here without making your intentions clear... I assumed you were a threat."
"Do you still consider us a threat?"
"You are definitely a threat to my Tallest and my people."
"And the Vortians? Do you think we are a threat to them?"
"From the looks of things, you're a threat to everyone you meet..." Darden stated moodily. "Are you finished?"
"Yes... sorry... I suppose I asked a few more questions than I said I would..."
"Sorry?" Darden repeated with a smirk. "Why should you be sorry? Your people are obviously more advanced than either Irkens or Vortians. Advanced races will dominate and try to control less developed races. There is nothing unusual about it."
"This is true..." Sevai remarked as he crouched down so he was eye-level with him. "Darden... you seem like an interesting individual... but as long as you hold on to your loyalty for the Tallest, there isn't much I can do for you."
"I never asked you to do anything for me," Darden stated, scowling.
Why would an alien from a hostile race of advanced people want to help him anyway...? He'd never even considered the possibility.
"Regardless of your opinion, I told Laes I would try to assist you..."
Darden narrowed an eye at him.
"Why bother?"
"Why?" the Invader repeated, sounding confused.
"You are listening to the thoughts and opinions of a lesser race than your own."
"Yes... but Vortians have a lot of potential..."
"Why does that matter? They're still inferior to you."
The Invader's eyes widened. He became quiet and relatively still for a while. Then he stood back up and frowned in thought.
"A colleague of mine just told me the same thing..." he admitted. "I know Irkens retained some of our programming... I've been involved in restoring and updating it... and of course I wish to take a look at your PAK to see how prevalent our old programming is... I believe your people call those operating off of it 'defective.'"
Darden tensed when he heard the word 'defective.' Never would he consider himself defective... it was a shameful title to hold since a defective either needed to be fixed or deactivated.
"Perhaps there is no reason for us to touch the personality drives... all we need to do is to adjust your loyalty..." The Invader offered him a smile. "Well... regardless of what the counsel decides, I'm glad I was able to meet you."
"I can't say the same..." Darden responded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
At least Lard Nar and Laes were both safe for the moment.
He tried to follow his orders as best as he could until now... if he allowed the Invaders to dig through the information in his PAK, they could use it to harm his people.
His data would never be returned to the Control Brains anyway... his planet had been conquered and his people were scattered. The only thing he could do now was try to destroy as much of the enemy as he could before he died.
Laes wouldn't be happy with him, but that didn't matter... would Lard Nar be put at risk if he decided to attack the Invaders though? Shlit... he rubbed his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut.
If they threatened the Vortians he wouldn't be able to do it... but if he died before the Invaders could threaten them...
He watched the Invader step through the door.
Then he waited.
After a few minutes he reached behind him and began to pry his PAK from its connection.
It was too bad he didn't have his self-destruct button anymore. He might have been able to cause more damage if he did.