Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist
Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160
After the conclusion of the feast, Lassmin’s government scrambled preparations for what we needed to bring to Earth. In the span of a few hours, Naltor and I were briefed on the administration’s official policy, while the diplomatic corps were left to assist the Sapient Coalition in establishing relations with our other nations. I wasn’t sure what their final assessments and dossiers to the aliens would look like, but with Dustin confirming that our oceanic status was dire, I hoped that collective threat would bring us together to work on the solution. Fishing and water were the gifts to our species, like Haliska said, and watching it slip from our grasp for good would be shameful. If dooming Ivrana wasn’t enough incentive, visitors from another world were an awakening to Bissem similarities with each other as well.
I haven’t been following the diplomatic side of things too thoroughly, but it looks like the Thafki running off has led to wild speculation on social media…and from foreign powers. Even Naltor agrees that repeating what Dustin said to us in public would be ill-advised, yet our silence makes us all look guilty.
The landing party informed us that it would be a three-day ride to Earth, on the edge of our galactic arm. It was mindboggling to grasp that they could traverse what was apparently over three hundred light-years in such a short span—a shorter journey than it would’ve been for us to travel to our moon. I had buckled myself into the seat, trusting the aliens’ technology implicitly; it had ferried them here with success, so there was no reason to mistrust its efficacy. Questions raced in my head about how the warp drive worked (Nulia’s simplified explanation of it bending space was insufficient for my curiosity), what it would feel and look like when it kicked into effect, and whether the technology would be passed along to Bissems.
One day, this could be a normalized mode of travel for us as well, if the aliens were willing to share. I knew that Dustin was mindful about cultural side effects, from interfering with our natural development, but I believed they would gift these wonders to us in time; the human said they wanted us to join the galactic community. There would be nothing I’d delight in more than to wander the galaxy, and gaze upon new civilizations. While I was bursting with excitement and frenetic theories as early as liftoff, Naltor displayed more apprehension. The Selmer general had been mindlessly applying waterproof oil from his tail gland, despite the fact we would be nowhere near water in the stars.
Not even a hardened military man was immune to the majesty of Ivrana from above. The orange expanses of the algae-bloom oceans, mixing with the greens of the landmasses and the whites of the Merlei Huddledom’s polar icecaps, were more evocative than any work on a canvas. General Naltor had never shared my ecstasy at the visitors’ arrival; I believed he signed on to go to Earth out of fear that I was putting myself in danger, as well as a duty to report what he saw for Bissems’ safety. However, ascending up from the globe that encompassed our entire society—the entirety of our lives and knowledge—Naltor’s eyes grew moist. It was breathtaking in a way that would only be mocked by pictures.
The emotions that washed over me, as I gazed out the window at my home, were exactly how the Tseia astronauts who first orbited our world described them. Seeing the stars stretching out to infinity behind Ivrana, I felt unspeakably small, and more attached to Bissems from all parts of the globe than ever before. It was as though, for an instant, my consciousness was merged with everyone who’d lived during my species’ existence; here in this moment, we were one entity. Even our precious world was so small in the infinite blackness! I wanted nothing more than to preserve Ivrana; to avoid destroying the rock that’d given us an abundance of beauty and gifts. Getting each Bissem nation on board with Dustin’s mission was something I would die for.
“It’s surreal to think how far away we are from Ivrana,” I murmured to the obfuscated viewport, still lost in that liftoff experience from days ago. I didn’t know how I’d ever get used to casually chatting with aliens, or playing our board games—Haliska loved the Tseia game “Migration”—with them. “Dustin says we’ll be reaching Earth within the hour; we’re crossing into their system now. Apparently, they get a ton of starship traffic. The amount of people moving through space, coming and going…I could sit and watch them at the spaceport. I could stick around just in that building!”
Naltor fixed me with a hard scowl, trying to disguise his apprehension at our locale. “We have much more important tasks than sightseeing, Tassi. I appreciate that you’re completely oblivious to our helplessness, but we’ve been at their mercy since we boarded this ship. There will be no one coming to rescue us, if they decide to hold us hostage or turn on us.”
“Then what option do we have but to trust them? They trusted us landing on Ivrana; there’s no reason to expect Earth won’t be hospitable. They welcome all sorts of aliens.”
“Not carnivores! You should’ve seen the looks the Lassian generals gave me, when I explained that if we reached out a few decades earlier, the entire galaxy would’ve wished us killed. Dustin’s kind assimilated those same species, with hostile intentions toward us, into their Coalition’s ranks. He can say the threats are diplomatic, but there is nothing more dangerous than prejudice.”
“I’ll agree with that,” the human said from behind us, causing us both to jump. “Uh, sorry to intrude. I wanted to brief you on some technology, and my plans for the tour.”
Haliska trundled up to our huddle sheepishly. “I know I’ve said it before, but I apologize for my behavior at the feast. You shouldn’t have had to grapple with this so soon, and it’s because of my weakness. My…failure to handle this like we all prepared for and agreed upon.”
“With what happened to the Thafki, and our habits bringing you reminders of that, I can understand,” I answered. “If I had known, I would’ve made sure that feast never happened. The last thing we wanted was to put you at the center of negative attention, all because you were under duress during a happy occasion.”
“You’re polite, Doctor, but it’s your planet. Your culture. I thought I was over it from videos and simulations, but in person, with all the sensory input, my mind betrayed me. I failed my entire team, and left them to cover for me; I also wandered on your world without permission. All I can say is how deeply ashamed and regretful I am.”
“They were going to find out sooner or later, Hallie,” Nulia chimed in. “It was inevitable, if they were ever to meet the other SC members. General Naltor, I sympathize with your anxieties, but we haven’t brought you to the galaxy’s beating heart to hurt you.”
Dustin bobbed his head. “You might be on our world, but if you need anything at all, just ask: you’re not helpless. We’re taking you to Embassy Row in Vienna, so that you can catch a glimpse of many different species. We hope Bissems will open your own, in due time. Know you’re welcome and safe here.”
“The humans are proud of the friends they’ve acquired. This is much like the feast the Bissems threw for us, by intention,” Haliska commented.
“It is! We’ve made arrangements in an absolutely top-notch, luxurious hotel…brought in chefs tailored to suit your exact palates…and brought in floatbeds, tightboxes, and smoothbeds, much nicer than the economical options we added here. If you’re not careful, you might just enjoy yourself, Naltor.”
The Selmer scowled. “I doubt that. This isn’t a vacation.”
“It could be. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what you were up to; you can act dutiful with your superiors. Actually, I know just what you need to unwind. Take a scented bubble bath in that absolutely ridiculous-sized tub. I can see you want to.”
“Hmph. You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“I think I’ll get a laugh out of you one of these days, Naltor. No need to hold it back. We humans have a saying, that laughter is the best medicine.”
“Here I was thinking you’d discovered antibiotics. Maybe you need our help.”
“Ha! I like that spirit,” Dustin chuckled.
I placed my flippers on my beak with horror. “I’m glad you do, because Naltor should not be throwing out sarcasm and disrespectful assertions! If that didn’t translate…”
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“Then they throw me out the airlock,” the Selmer general lamented. “It’d be my lucky day.”
“Nobody’s getting thrown out any airlocks. There’s enough space debris around Earth,” Nulia quipped, and Naltor barely muffled his cackle with a flipper. “Now, before we land, why don’t we have a conversation about how you two will communicate?”
I squinted for a moment, before landing on the obvious realization. “With people who don’t speak Vrit. I thought you had separate translator implants though?”
“We do. That’s what we wanted to talk about.”
Naltor’s brief glimmer of personality waned, as Haliska grabbed what looked like a dart gun; the general flinched, finding himself worried once more about the aliens’ intentions. I looked on with more curiosity, not sensing any threats within their behaviors. This must be linked to the translator somehow, so I could venture…they wanted us to receive an implant. The Thafki seemed to be the one who was trained for the procedure; despite how I couldn’t imagine they would harm us, it looked painful. Something as sharp and pointy as that would be a tough sell to any Bissem.
I’m not a fan of needles in general, though who really is; that piercing feeling, after they pull apart your feathers to get to your skin. I want to be briefed on the risks…and how it works before I go along with having that embedded in my neck.
“I know what you’re thinking. That’s the portable ones…the machine at the doctor’s purposefully look much less aggressive,” Dustin said. “Before you freak out, Naltor, you don’t have to; it’s an option. The concise version is, the people on Earth won’t speak your language. They’ll be able to understand yours from our database, but you won’t be able to hear theirs.”
I drew a deep breath. “I believe what the aliens are saying is that, if we go forward without this, it’ll be a one-way conversation. Or these three will have to be our messengers.”
“We have audio translators that can spit out words in another language. It’d be inconvenient and slower, but you can have physical, external machines pass along words in Vrit,” Nulia answered.
Dustin pursed his lips. “The translator implants provide a seamless conversion as you process the words you’re hearing. Instantaneous. You’ll be able to have it removed or turned off at any point. This isn’t a permanent decision, or one that presents any risks to your welfare. The procedure is quick and non-invasive.”
“It’s our recommendation, for the best experience with the multitude of languages, foreign and human, that you’ll encounter on Earth,” Haliska added. “All three of us have one.”
Naltor stared at the floor, face contorted in a grimace. “You can’t be asking me to stick alien technology right next to my brain. You outright said it messes with my brain. You could…control me, like a damn horror movie!”
“That’s not how that works. But if that was our intention, we could’ve done it by force,” Dustin remarked. “We only want to help you with this visit, and all diplomatic interactions. Being able to understand our language means you won’t be shut out from our broadcasts and data.”
“You’re trying to tell me it could be valuable to Lassmin.”
“And to FAI,” I replied. “Dustin’s right. For me, the opportunity to engage with aliens and their media is too great to pass on. It opens the door to watch their movies, listen to their songs, chat with them: everything about their culture, at our flippertips!”
“Tassi, you’re being reckless. Whatever you think of their intentions, it’s untested on Bissems—”
“I don’t care. You can do what you want, Naltor, but I’m here to learn about them. I trust them. Please, just get it over with quickly, Haliska.”
The Thafki nodded, approaching me with caution; I noticed her nerves returning, as she moved into close proximity to me. Was it a genuine concern in her mind, that I might eat her, if she drew too near? I wasn’t sure how I’d ever wrap my mind around that; perhaps I could take a look at historical records after receiving the implant, and see how people from the time spoke about meat-eaters. I closed my eyes, blocking out the alarmed expression on Naltor’s features. There was no telling what this would feel like, and how it’d interface with my biology, but the risks were beyond worth it to me. Other FAI scientists would be envious of the position I’d been placed in!
I just don’t want to see it coming, or have to brace for it. Sit still, so I don’t spook Hallie and have anything go awry.
There was a strange electric sensation, as if something was numbing the nerves; it was unsettling and peculiar, but not painful. I could hear Naltor squawking with disgust, and his webbed feet smacking the floor in alarm. Something tickled right beneath my skin, as though a small piece of film was applied against it. The area went frigid with the sudden absence of any sensation, and it was as though nothing was there. I couldn’t feel anything at all; that couldn’t have been the entire injection, from that giant drill. It hadn’t stung in the slightest, contrary to what I imagined. Haliska pressed a sticky patch to my neck, covering a gash.
Soft digits tapped my shoulder, causing my eyes to blink open. “Hey, Tassi. You did great; it’s all over. Tell me, do you understand what I’m saying now?”
The last words were guttural barks that I’d never heard before, accentuated with hisses and drawn-out sounds. I could hear the distinction between Dustin’s words in Vrit, and these in what must be his native tongue. However, it was as though I understood them retroactively; the meaning was placed into my mind as if someone was editing my interpretation live. It was disquieting to feel an outside force tampering with my experience of consciousness, and it took me several seconds to adjust to that alien sensation. How did the first contact team, or anyone who accepted these machines, get used to this?
“I understand you,” I croaked. “Perfectly.”
“Don’t worry, you get used to it, after a brief adjustment period.” Dustin placed a hand atop my flipper, still speaking in his human language. “You won’t even notice it, after a few hours. Pinky promise. The main caveat is, while it’s decent at semantic translations, it can be a little off at times.”
“What the fuck is he saying?” Naltor spat. “Tassi, is he giving you instructions for your new life as a mindless drone?”
I rubbed the injection site with a flipper. “The feeling—it’s like there’s a disconnect between what I hear and what I think. Dustin just said I’ll adjust to it after a few times, and that it uses semantic translations.”
“He said all that? Really?!”
“Hear for yourself,” Haliska murmured. “Unless you want to spend every conversation wondering what’s being said.”
“I watched you drill in her head like you were boring a hole to Ivrana’s core! I don’t know how she wasn’t screaming.”
My eyes narrowed at that description. “Believe it or not, it didn’t even hurt, Naltor. It just…tickled. I still feel like myself, and it seems to work.”
“How do you know if you’re still you, Tassi?! That’s the entire fucking point.”
“I recognize your fear, but it’s time to move on. Lassmin—Ivrana is counting on us both. We’re representing our whole species, on our first steps off-world, so I’d say communicating is pretty damn important. Like Dustin said, if they wanted to harm us, they could’ve ambushed us. We’re at their mercy.”
“Fine. I guess I won’t bother resisting. But if I turn into a killing machine, I want a note in my obituary that says this was your shitty idea.”
Naltor folded his flippers together, trying to hide how his bulky form was quivering. I imagined the Selmer wished his military greeting party had tagged along on our joyride. Haliska sanitized the injection gun diligently, before walking over to the larger Bissem with a slight boost in confidence. The general flinched as her paw brushed his neck feathers; I wondered when he’d get over his terror of what these aliens might do to us. My bravado froze in its tracks, as the Thafki lanced through his skin. It did look visceral from the outside, enough that Dustin and Nulia looked away. My eyes were glued to the scene, as it corkscrewed deeper, before the metal point rose from the gap.
“Time for your orders, Naltor,” Dustin teased in the human tongue; the Selmer looked both mortified and disconcerted as the meaning hit his ears. “I command you to take that bubble bath when you reach the hotel. You also must think that I’m handsome, charming, and that my expertise in xenobiology speaks wonders to my character.”
The Selmer’s eyes bulged. “Fuck you! Gah. It’s like you’re speaking inside my head. Like I’m lagging behind what’s being said…and like my ears aren’t matching with my mind. I don’t like this. It’s creepy as fuck!”
“Heh, like I told Tassi, it’ll eventually be like it’s not even there. It’ll be just another step in the auditory process. Give it time.”
“It’s already a little less jarring,” I mentioned. “Thanks for your…patience.”
Haliska wiggled her half-circle ear. “Thank you for trusting us…and me, to perform the procedure, especially after my previous interactions with Bissems. I hope it’ll improve your trip to Earth, and your interactions with all species.”
“The more we understand each other, the better. Now, you can people-watch us, like I did with you!” Nulia exclaimed.
The vessel dropped out of subspace, as if on cue, a fluid transition to overlooking a picturesque blue globe; cloud wisps were visible from space, while even its central continents seemed to have more barren patches than Ivrana. From the darkened half of Earth, the orange glow of city lights lit up the landmasses in an ethereal snapshot. It was the unmistakable mark of civilization on a habitable world, far from our own; the kind of planet with biomarkers astronomers spent decades searching for. The automated processes steered our vessel toward the celestial body, in all of its glamor. I watched as we glided toward the atmosphere—the last thing between us, and that tour of the human homeworld. The galaxy’s beating heart.
“There’s no place like home!” Dustin made a shrill exhale, which the translator classed as a whistle, a nonverbal exhale signaling appreciation. “It’s almost time for that tour of Embassy Row. You’ll get an excellent view of the spaceport on the way out too, Tassi; soak it all in. Next stop, Earth.”
I buckled myself into a seat, restraining myself from any excited dances or uncontrollable flipper movements. Naltor settled down next to me, admiring the view in his quiet manner. While I’d all but pushed it into the background, the Selmer wouldn’t be forgetting about the implant in his neck any time soon. The sole factor commanding my attention was what it would be like to walk this alien planet, and take in what our hosts intended for us to witness. No doubt, there would be public attention on our entourage, so I needed my military friend to act presentable. I hoped to make a positive first impression on anyone we encountered here.