68. Persei
1804 Words
The next day, I make everyone go to the conference room. Elek managed to get me more of every kind of mine I need.
I stand at the head of the table. "I would like everyone to work on something for me. I need ideas and the kings are busy. And Elek is busy. I still want more mines."
Jenny sits back. "Sam is coming home tonight, and we need to be there. Animals need to get off the ship too."
Alden looks up from his paper. "Elek, can you get us back before Sam gets there?"
"Yea. That's not a problem."
"Great."
"I need a base list of what I'm going to require for each planet. Right now I mean shelter, shoes, clothes, fire, a way to eat, gardening skills, trapping, fishing, things like that. What should I require for every planet? I know a lot of planets have this already, but after yesterday, we can't assume that anymore. What should I guarantee each planet has after submitting? What will I give them? It will change later, but I need a start. Does everyone understand what I'm asking?"
"Basic human needs and rights." Tera gets out a paper. "You need to make sure all their needs are taken care of, and they have basic rights. I've worked with this on earth before. I can for sure help out with this."
"Great. That would be amazing. Thank you."
Collin smiles. "What else are you doing with them?"
"As of right now, we're only sending them 25,000 brains and making sure the leaders know how to contact their king. Which reminds me, make an additional 100,000 brains."
"Of course."
"Should something happen, you'll go back to help?"
"Yes, like if another big snake appears, we will go back and deal with it. I'll help where I can, but I need them to be at a basic evolution. I don't want my people sleeping in the dirt."
"That makes sense. And they can get a hold of you. It sounds like a good start."
Elek says, "Kehlani, I don't think we're going to want to mine here."
We are watching a planet with a shield around it. It's very visible.
"Incoming transmission."
"Accept." Elek is still in the captain's chair, staring at the screen. An old man shows up on it.
"Welcome, what is your business here?"
"Um, mining?"
I sit in the seat with him. "Hi, I'm High Queen Kehlani. We were searching for some metals to mine and your planet coordinates popped up in our search. So here we are."
"What are you mining?"
Elek gets the paper out. "Iron ore."
"We have something stronger than that. We don't use it anymore. You can have our reserves. High Queen implies you rule multiple planets?"
"Correct. I have kings that rule under my name."
"Do you seek submission?"
"I don't believe I could offer you anything. I'm just getting started. You're more advanced than we are, I believe."
He chuckles. "Yes probably. We have put everything we have into science. Come down and we'll talk."
"Will your shield eat us?"
"I will lower it."
"Thank you."
Alden motions at a brain, "Can we land here?"
"Yes sir."
"I will send you the coordinates to the landing zone, sir."
"Thank you." The man goes away and the desk in the front lights up. Elek stands up. "I guess we're landing here."
Alden takes his spot and puts the headset on. Elroy, Elek, Tim, and Victor step up to the front desk.
The boys land us in a big landing area. It's on a white surface of some kind. The shuttle bay opens up like a ramp, and we walk right out onto the ground.
"Welcome to Persei. I am planet ruler Frank." Frank seems completely human.
"Hello Frank. Thank you. I am High King Alden. Seems we ran across your planet and are a bit shocked. Persei is very advanced. We're not used to this."
"What are you used to?"
I smile. "The last planet we stopped at, has fire now."
He chuckles. "Yes, we're a bit more advanced than that. Do you have a list of the ores you're searching for?"
"Yea." Elek hands it to him. "I'm Elek."
"Not a king?"
"Kind of. Not under Kehlani's throne."
"He's under my sister's throne. But things are being worked out."
"Oh yes, that I can understand. I have a wife as well."
Everyone with a mate laughs, except me. I give Alden a dirty look and he kisses my head.
"We don't use these. You can have reserves of them. We will also show you how to make our building materials. I don't think they would work for space travel, but they are good for planet buildings."
Alkawn comes over. "Anyway we could learn about your shield technology? We're researching shields to put on her planets."
"Of course. I will show you that. We also have our anti-meteor system. You may be interested in that. Agent F, load these materials onto the ship for them. Have them sent from the reserve area."
"Yes sir."
"Come with me sir, we may be able to help each other." Alkawn, daddy, and Alden leave with Frank.
The rest of us stare at each other.
"Hello I'm Shanee. We never had visitors to our planet. I apologize if we don't have the proper etiquette. We do not mean to offend you."
"We are not offended. We are surprised. This is the most evolved planet we've ever visited."
"I am pleased to hear that. We have worked hard in science and technology. We pride ourselves on that."
"And you should. This is amazing. You should be so proud."
"Thank you ma'am. You are so kind. We wish to see space someday. We are not there yet. We will be someday."
12 brains get in a shuttle.
"What are they?"
"Artificial intelligence or AI. We call them brains."
The shuttle takes off.
Victor watches people coming with big ass crates. "I'm moving the shuttles to the storage bay with the animals."
"Yea, that's a lot."
"I'll run up and make sure the animals aren't by the bay door before you open it." Tim takes off.
"OPEN IT WHEN THEY'RE CLEAR."
"ALRIGHT."
"Where were they going?"
"The brains? I have no idea. My king is out there somewhere. Probably to him."
"That would make sense."
I nod at Shanee. She does seem nice. Then something else lands beside us. It's not a ship like mine, more like a ship that flies around on the planet. A man gets out and runs up to us. He drops to his knees. "How can we assist you?"
Elek rubs his hair back. "You can get up. You don't have to do that."
"Thank you sir."
"Ambassador Teek. Welcome." Shanee goes over and hugs him. "The visitors came in search of ore. We were lucky enough they decided to stop in and visit."
"Amazing. Where are you from?"
Me, Elek, Starlet, and Tera look straight up. She smiles, "Up there somewhere sir."
I check the ship, there is massive crate after massive crate being moved into it. The brains are trying to organize it. I don't know if it's going to fit.
"Yes, I suppose it would be difficult to point out. You're all from 1 planet?"
Tera shakes her head. "No. Some of us are from Earth, others are from another planet named Terros."
"Could we have an elected official travel with you and learn?"
"We'd have to talk about that, sir. We can't make that decision without our high king."
"That gives me an idea though." I run for the ship.
Elek grabs my waist and doesn't let me go anywhere. "Later."
"Ok."
Another flying thing lands and Alden, Alkawn, Daddy, and Frank get out.
They've got a crate of something with them.
"Did 12 brains go to you in a shuttle?"
"Yea, they're coming back in a minute. The planet submitted to Alkawn."
I put an eyebrow up. I didn't see that coming. Alkawn smiles. "Can you send out 25,000 brains to this planet too?"
"Bring them down."
"Of course."
"The brains are going to study everything here. This is a completely clean planet. No waste. We need to learn that. They also use clean energy. We can learn a lot from this planet."
"Sounds good."
Another ship lands. The back opens on this 1 and a couple of large crates get wheeled out.
Me and Elek glance at the shuttle bay. It's nearly full.
"I think I might have enough ore now sir. Good search."
"Yea that was."
"They want to send someone with us, Alkawn."
"Who?"
"No idea."
Alkawn goes over to Alden.
Shanee smiles. "Would you consider my son? He's a smart boy and has just taken a bride."
"Taken a bride?"
"Wife."
"Oh sorry. I've never heard it said like that. I think they're talking about it now. I'll go ask."
I walk over to Alden. "She wants to send her son and his wife with us."
"Yea, they are fascinated with space baby. What do you think?"
"Might as well. We can bring them back in a week or 2."
"Yea, that'll be fine. Let her know they will return in 2 weeks. I think Sam's home that long."
I go back over to Shanee. "We will take your son and his wife for 2 weeks. They will see space and my home planet."
Her eyes get so big and she runs off.
"Alden, we can't even get to the elevators."
"Have the brains make us a path. Where are the shuttles?"
"Had to move them to the storage bay. We had no room in here for them. We need to go to the mining planet."
"Fine. We'll land on the mining planet. Brains can sort this out."
"We seem to have everything except the guests."
"There they are now." A very little ship lands. I don't think they have cars here. Everything flies.
3 people get out. Shanee is 1 of them. She is smiling so big. She nearly shoves her son at us. "This is my son Ed and his wife Brelane. They are honored to take a voyage with you."
Alden watches them and laughs, they appear all sorts of freaked out. She seems like she could cry. He's about to start shaking.
"We'll bring you back in a couple of weeks. It's not forever."
"And you have each other if it is." Shanee shoves them towards us.
Me and Elek try not to laugh.
Tobias nods. "Parents are annoying on every planet."
Elek smiles. "You should invite Tobias's parents for a trip with you."
"Like hell. I'll make her bring yours next time."
"Never mind."
I shake my head. "Alright, let's squeeze in my ship."
- Writer
