Watching the SRO (Species Rights Organization) envoy disembark from his aircraft, I count the reasons why leaving isolation was integral for the future development of my species. Then after, I read over my mental list of other equally important reasons it was necessary to develop diplomatic relations with the rest of the world; and why it was such an honor to receive the attention of so many world powers despite the small size of our nation, not a burden.

Unsurprisingly, the list was so short it failed to quell my chagrin at this situation.

"This is insulting."

Zyl, my youngest advisor mutters next to me. Hopefully low enough to escape being caught by the gaggle of high-definition cameras floating above. Another scandal erupting so early before the fallout from the last interview could be properly forgotten would be annoying at the moment.

The unlucky group of advisors accompanying me on the third SRO inspection this year were picked after a truly epic game of rock-paper-scissors. Friendships were broken, allies were made, money was lost, and favors were traded. But a week later the list of ten stuck being broadcast worldwide at an event of national shame was finally picked.

I also contemplated sending a clone in my place, but the contract signed to join the world union required the presence of the country's leader.

I suspect these conditions were made with the belief that sending an envoy would never be a frequent occurrence, but here we are, only in our third-year post isolation and my country has been inspected twenty-six times already. We're even eagerly anticipating the next visit before October!

"Envoy Nick! A pleasure to see you again." I exclaim the moment the regretfully familiar face comes into view, moving in to hug him tightly. Maybe, If I say it with enough force I'll feel the same.

"Igetis Cyl! The pleasure is all mine." He replies, returning the hug despite his polite smile saying the opposite.

He does not like me.

I don't think he appreciate being hugged either but nevertheless, the advisors around me copy the action with his team, two even going off to hug the cameramen in the distance, all wearing the same grin to convey how truly glad we were to see them all.

This unfortunate visit came as a backlash from my previous interview on what has now been dubbed crack-head candy. Although my councilmen all confidently assured me that the interview had perfectly conveyed my care for my children in a way that would be impossible to be misunderstood; others living across the continent did not get that message. In fact, I would argue that they not only failed to understand the message but somehow learned enough from that one interview to support a claim that I drug my citizens to keep them compliant. Once Again alerting the SRO on the topic of species rights abuse.

"I assume you know why we were sent for another inspection, so early in the year." Envoy Nick intones after the introduction, brown eyes flitting through the blue barriers that have separated my nation from the horrors of the outside world for three millennials.

Merely the creation of one of the four barriers left me demobilized for over a decade; so obviously, they were one of my greatest points of pride.

Although... the population of my children did significantly- diminish during that period and the surviving few can only be attributed to pure dumb luck; I am glad to have spent those few decades all alone in the void. Best sixty-five years of that century, I'd say.

"Why yes! Of course! Of course." I shoot a wide grin at the cameras. Why are there so many? "It has come to my attention that some of the um-words! Yes. The words I used during that interview could have easily been misunderstood by any of the good folks on our continent. But don't worry! Really! Don't. This visit is sure to placate any doubts you might ever have about the rights of my citizens. Every single one of them." Else it'd be your last visit.

Haha.

"Nyla, be a dear and explain our exciting itinerary for today to the Envoy and his crew," I call over my council member from her important activity of grinning widely at the camera; Hopefully with enough joy to show that they're not being mind controlled.

Like a flipped switch she reaches into her storage dimension to pull out the presentation board like we planned. The item as a whole is four feet wide and cream in color. After hours of discussions and input from various groups, the color chosen for the ink was sparkly pink for the small letter and glowing blue for the capital letters; while leaving every bulleted point to be painted in a soft pastel green in order to fully display the colors of our flag. Every space available on the board was then carefully embedded with shiny little crystals to illustrate the affluence of our beloved nation; then all four corners were decorated with pink ribbons made from one of our country's most expensive exported fabrics to symbolize our national pride.

Although a firework display would have been much less time-consuming and taxing on our finances, my design team advised that it would be better to bring out the fireworks at the end of the inspection when we are truly feeling emotions of joy.

Everlyn and Henry hold the presentation while Nyla begins her explanation with truly unneeded levels of enthusiasm.

"Ohh-hh de-ar~!!!" She squeals excitedly. What. "I can't even wait to begin this marvelous wonderful road trip~!" Void be praised. "So many many new memories to make-" Of second-hand embarrassment, "Buuutttt! Our first stop for the day is somewhere we've all been to at least once in our many many years of revisions! Can anyone take a guess?~" She asks the inspection team and is understandably met with blank stares.

Should I knock her out? Is this her revenge for being picked for the trip?

"Ooookkaayyy~ I bet you auug-" I just- I couldn't do it. We have a really long itinerary and she was going to keep talking and talking in that strange accent-

Immediately Henry and Evelyn carry hurriedly carry her limp body behind with embarrassed expressions and we all adjusted our formation to hide her, deliberately ignoring the bewildered gazes of the congregation.

"What just- Wait." Envoy Nick begins before massaging his temples, "I don't even want to know- tell me more about the memory lane on this list of yours."

"What do you mean by leaving behind memories?" One of the suited men accompanying Envoy Nick asks, suspicion lacing his voice.

One of my most frequently encounter emotions since post-isolation has been suspicion. The whole point of this trip is to kill it, not fertilize it.

I hurriedly reassure. "Don't worry, it's all very harmless."

"Yeah right."

"It really is." I’m not sure why they’re so doubtful. "Think of saving it as a video for your future self,"

"From.... your... past self...~" Nyl loudly groans before being knocked unconscious by anther embarrassed council member.

Gosh.

"Yes. It's a very common tradition. Citizens are generally much happier after seeing the memories of their lives before their latest revision." or before being shattered but-Haha! tomato toma-to.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Mutters of disagreements arise from the crowd but I persist, "Although in your case it might be left to your next of kin, it’s a part of our culture I'd love to share. And I had thought that since your previous inspections have all been very brief and concise, some time spent experiencing little aspects of our culture might…soften your impressions of my people."

The crew glance lifts from one to another, a silent conversation passing between themselves. After a couple of seconds, one of the formally dressed ladies with curly black hair steps ups, her lips stretching into a polite smile.

"Igetis Cyl, I would be honored to experience such an …interesting aspect of your culture, but you'll have to pardon my colleagues' for having to decline on concerns of personal privacy." She says.

Which is a reasonable concern to have with a stranger, I suppose. Nevertheless, a withering olive branch is still an olive branch at the end of the day.

"Please, don't worry about it. We hope you enjoy your visit."

I grin at them before snapping my fingers to call our ride for the inspection.

I'm not offended they chose not to walk memory lane. I'm sure they'll change their minds after further communication.

=================

Our vehicle drove three hours through the sparsely populated valley closest to the barrier gate before reaching the second barrier. Then we took a two-hour long flight to the most populated city in Cryla, Cl1.

A title I'm sure would have been much more impressive had the number of cities in the country been more than three; and the difference in their population not stopped at a few thousand… However! the time spent alone with the head envoy Nick and his two assistants Sasha and Creed from earlier, and their four assistants including their cameramen would definitely have been more pleasant had they acted less uncomfortable by my presence.

"Envoy Nick," I try again, ten minutes after our previous conversation fizzled into thin air, "I've read a lot of your reports and my children are curious about your experience with food across the places you visit. Do you have any particularly memorable-"

"Why do you say that?" Creed interrupts.

"Say what?"

"Your citizens, you sometimes call them your children. Is it more of a metaphorical term? Like an affectionate name or…"

"No."

"What, it's metaphorical right?"

"They are my children. I just thought it common knowledge since we've had a lot of media coverage on many parts of our history." A bit too much, in my opinion.

"So it's biological?" Asks Sonia, glancing up from her phone." How does that even work? No offense, but your appearance is very...unique. According to your history books you 'fell from the moon and rose with the sun', whatever that means. Most people just think you're an alien mind controlling the species you invaded."

And once again the topic of aliens comes up.

"That’s an interesting was to interpret that sentence.” I laugh, “And I'd known, I wrote it. However, no. I am definitely not an alien. My first citizens broke off my body the day after my first evolution, thus the reference to the sun. It's like taking a nap but when you wake up there are suddenly ten smaller versions of you, bizarre! But I gained awareness at night, thus the moon."

"So where exactly did you come from?" She squints, green eyes narrowed inquisitively.

"Cryla, of course." I feel my head tilt in curiosity, "Why do you ask?"

She shrugs, returning to her phone.

Creed hums in thought, "So you've been ruler for what, over a millennium now right?"

"Yes."

"You don't ever wanna…take a break? Let the someone else rule for a change?" He asks with hesitation. An understandable emotion to feel when you ask stupid questions.

"Haha."

Do I seem incompetent as a ruler? why do I keep getting asked similar questions?

"That's not funny." Also a bit negative, to be honest. All the billboards we've passed saying 'positive thoughts only' were not placed there for fun.

The atmosphere becomes awkward at my words and Creed's lips thins. He looks very uncomfortable. Almost as much as I felt when he alluded to my future demise.

"So what, there's no one to take over if something ever happens to you?"

I pause,

"There is."

"So then what's the point of denying-"

"Me." Death is not somthing I can experience at this stage of my evolution.

However my answer seems to displease Creed even more as he mutters a quiet "never mind" And returns his attention to his phone.

Maybe he thinks I'm joking?

Although it wasn't my first time interacting with the people sent by the SRO, it is my first time spending hours alone with them in an enclosed space.

A habit I've noticed from every single one of them was the amount of attention they paid to their cellular devices.

It's a bit unsettling, to be honest.

Of the five hours we've spent together, they've all spent four of it on their phones and less than thirty minutes interacting.

Is this normal?

Do they just not want to talk to me?

I'd understand If it were the latter, many people don't want to speak with me either; but the former is very odd

"Does your government not limit the amount of time you spend on your phone?" I ask curiously after a while, breaking the prolonged silence.

I don't appreciate the silence very much.

Nick hums, eyes still glued on his screen, "Why would they ever do that? Your phone is your personal device, the government doesn't care how much time you spend on it." His words earn mutters of agreement and nods from his equally distracted group.

"How would the government know your status if they don't care about your cellular device? Even biological trackers can be sometimes faulty depending on the physical status of their occupants, cellular devices can make up the difference and keep citizens safe all times of the day." I've tried many methods but excluding witchcraft, phones have proven to be the most effective.

Our vehicle stops at a parking spot five streets away from the C'nL building, a large number of cars from other diners already occupying the closer parking spots.

"…."

"Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything." I quickly clarify as the tense silence grows longer, belatedly realizing that I must have said something wrong.

"But hypothetically, in that situation, would your government not be predisposed to monitor your cellular devices?"

Nick turns to glance at the camera, brows raised incredulously.

"No. " He drones out slowly,"Not even then. Never-actually. 'Cause that'll be ignoring your citizens' natural rights to privacy. Makes it illegal and just plain immoral…hypothetically."

it does?

"Of course! Yes." Should I ask? Was I expected to know that?

I grin at the group "Good thing I'm not your government …haha."

"…."

No one else laughs along.

No one else laughs along because I just indirectly admitted to their suspicions- Of all the things I could have said-

I take a deep breath.

Maybe lunch will make it better.

Everything gets better with food.