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Broken Society
#WritcoStoryPrompt69
The year is 4000, humanity has conquered the stars. Humans have successfully colonized our solar system and beyond.
As I stepped onto the ground I was delighted by its firmness. It was solid not spongy and gritty like it was back home in Flimarg. My colleagues and I had studied planet Earth for years. We were well prepared and excited. All four of us were fluent in many languages including English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. No obstacles would hinder our plans to establish relations with the human race.
Miqris, the youngest of our team blinked his three giant red eyes. "What should we do now, Selphae?"
I looked toward a grouping of snow covered mountains that extended high into white clouds, thus setting the backdrop to the meadow. Tiny wildflowers of various hues were speckled throughout its grasses. A stream ran, twisting and turning at the center of the meadow. Birds flew past, bees buzzed and a woodpecker kept a slow, steady beat as he drilled a hole in a nearby oak tree.
"Do we locate the humans?" Equaks tilted his big metallic green-blue-purple hexagon-shaped head. "We are Flimarg Diplomats. We have orders, do we not?"
Nolveth wiggled his antennae. "Always by the book. Always by the book."
"Silence," I screamed. "No more bickering. The Ambassador sent us as a friendly gesture. He sent us to create a sense of inner peace and harmony to a dying world, remember?" As I was the only female in Flimarg Federation my constituents were obligated to show respect.
We began to shuffle our way across the vast field until we came to a narrow, pock-marked, asphalt road. I noticed a long gravel driveway and an antiquated farmhouse in the distance. The remnants of an old American flag seemed to wave its welcome to us from the front porch.
"Look, a human, Selphae. Look there." Miqris bounced on his bulbous toes.
"Sshh. We don't want to startle the man." I didn't wish to stifle Miqris' giddy enthusiasm but this could prove to be a delicate situation.
A gentleman wearing a beat-up straw cowboy hat, a pair of dirty coveralls and scuffed, brown work boots stood in front of a dented, white mailbox. He was looking down. Something was in his hand.
Closer and closer we tottered toward the human, careful in our sounds and movements. He continued to gaze at the contraption in his hand, almost in a hypnotic trance. What was the thing that captivated him so?
"Do not speak unless eye contact is made." I instructed my men in a whisper. "If he, or others we may come across, fear us all hope of The Ambassador's initiative will be lost."
Equaks, Miqris and Nolveth nodded in silent agreement. We came upon the man. The red letters on the mailbox stated "Humphrey". Was that his moniker? We stood still. Waiting. Watching. Humphrey moved a finger and touched the tiny black machine. He smiled showing a row of brown-stained teeth.
We waited. Nolveth sat on his skinny haunches in the dust and made a mewling sound. The male human never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence. We moved on.
A few miles farther down the winding road we came to a shiny green sign. 'Havenmill. Pop. 104.'
"Apparently there is a town up ahead," I stated. "Surely the occupants will be welcoming and we can report our findings to The Ambassador."
"And then we can colonize and live amongst the humans?" Miqris bounced again. "I would like that. It would be such an adventure."
Just around the corner we walked smack dab into Havenmill. A quaint little place dotted with small houses, rusty tractors and a Stop 'n' Buy. It was home of the Havenmill Hedgehog. Former home of science-fiction author Osman Dunkley. And the most beautiful place I had ever seen.
"Ahhh, humans are gathered at that structure," Equaks said. "What is it, Selphae?"
"According to my research I believe the structure is a place where they trade silver coins for sustenance of little to no nutritional value. Cheeseballs. Pork rinds. Something called beef jerky. We will advance and try to make contact with the Earthlings."
Vehicles of all shapes, sizes and colors stood still in front of the building. A few had somehow captured an Earth person. A yellow vehicle held a female with long pink hair and tiny red dots on her nose, chin and cheeks. She was looking down, just as Humphrey had looked down. A similar black gadget captured her attention. She never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence. We moved on.
A male Earthling person strolled, with long, steady strides, between two white automobiles. Sunbeams danced off his bald head and the gray whiskers on his chin quivered. The wrinkles around his dark eyes deepened as he struggled to read illuminated words on the apparatus in his left hand. He never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence.
Three younger humans came bounding from behind the Stop 'n' Buy doors. Two females. One male. One female had long, curly blonde hair flowing down her back and the other was dark-skinned with a shock of short lime green tresses. The male human wore a backwards baseball cap, black framed eyeglasses and had tattoos up and down both of his arms. All were giggling, howling and pointing at each others' hand-held mechanisms. None of them looked up. None of them greeted us. None of them acknowledged our presence.
"Let us return to Flimarg," I suggested. "There will be no use in relations with these human people. They are not interested in each other or their surroundings. The Ambassador will be told of such in my report. Value of advanced technology is of their utmost importance. This is highly unacceptable."
Disappointment slowed up our journey back to the transport. Miqris, Equaks and Nolveth said they understood my thinking and decision but I wasn't so sure they were being truthful. We were a family-unit species. Close knit. Generations mingling in the same pods. How could we thrive amongst a broken society that valued screens more than faces?
So, we moved on.
© Melissa Andres
#broken #society #technology #travel #lifestyle
The year is 4000, humanity has conquered the stars. Humans have successfully colonized our solar system and beyond.
As I stepped onto the ground I was delighted by its firmness. It was solid not spongy and gritty like it was back home in Flimarg. My colleagues and I had studied planet Earth for years. We were well prepared and excited. All four of us were fluent in many languages including English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. No obstacles would hinder our plans to establish relations with the human race.
Miqris, the youngest of our team blinked his three giant red eyes. "What should we do now, Selphae?"
I looked toward a grouping of snow covered mountains that extended high into white clouds, thus setting the backdrop to the meadow. Tiny wildflowers of various hues were speckled throughout its grasses. A stream ran, twisting and turning at the center of the meadow. Birds flew past, bees buzzed and a woodpecker kept a slow, steady beat as he drilled a hole in a nearby oak tree.
"Do we locate the humans?" Equaks tilted his big metallic green-blue-purple hexagon-shaped head. "We are Flimarg Diplomats. We have orders, do we not?"
Nolveth wiggled his antennae. "Always by the book. Always by the book."
"Silence," I screamed. "No more bickering. The Ambassador sent us as a friendly gesture. He sent us to create a sense of inner peace and harmony to a dying world, remember?" As I was the only female in Flimarg Federation my constituents were obligated to show respect.
We began to shuffle our way across the vast field until we came to a narrow, pock-marked, asphalt road. I noticed a long gravel driveway and an antiquated farmhouse in the distance. The remnants of an old American flag seemed to wave its welcome to us from the front porch.
"Look, a human, Selphae. Look there." Miqris bounced on his bulbous toes.
"Sshh. We don't want to startle the man." I didn't wish to stifle Miqris' giddy enthusiasm but this could prove to be a delicate situation.
A gentleman wearing a beat-up straw cowboy hat, a pair of dirty coveralls and scuffed, brown work boots stood in front of a dented, white mailbox. He was looking down. Something was in his hand.
Closer and closer we tottered toward the human, careful in our sounds and movements. He continued to gaze at the contraption in his hand, almost in a hypnotic trance. What was the thing that captivated him so?
"Do not speak unless eye contact is made." I instructed my men in a whisper. "If he, or others we may come across, fear us all hope of The Ambassador's initiative will be lost."
Equaks, Miqris and Nolveth nodded in silent agreement. We came upon the man. The red letters on the mailbox stated "Humphrey". Was that his moniker? We stood still. Waiting. Watching. Humphrey moved a finger and touched the tiny black machine. He smiled showing a row of brown-stained teeth.
We waited. Nolveth sat on his skinny haunches in the dust and made a mewling sound. The male human never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence. We moved on.
A few miles farther down the winding road we came to a shiny green sign. 'Havenmill. Pop. 104.'
"Apparently there is a town up ahead," I stated. "Surely the occupants will be welcoming and we can report our findings to The Ambassador."
"And then we can colonize and live amongst the humans?" Miqris bounced again. "I would like that. It would be such an adventure."
Just around the corner we walked smack dab into Havenmill. A quaint little place dotted with small houses, rusty tractors and a Stop 'n' Buy. It was home of the Havenmill Hedgehog. Former home of science-fiction author Osman Dunkley. And the most beautiful place I had ever seen.
"Ahhh, humans are gathered at that structure," Equaks said. "What is it, Selphae?"
"According to my research I believe the structure is a place where they trade silver coins for sustenance of little to no nutritional value. Cheeseballs. Pork rinds. Something called beef jerky. We will advance and try to make contact with the Earthlings."
Vehicles of all shapes, sizes and colors stood still in front of the building. A few had somehow captured an Earth person. A yellow vehicle held a female with long pink hair and tiny red dots on her nose, chin and cheeks. She was looking down, just as Humphrey had looked down. A similar black gadget captured her attention. She never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence. We moved on.
A male Earthling person strolled, with long, steady strides, between two white automobiles. Sunbeams danced off his bald head and the gray whiskers on his chin quivered. The wrinkles around his dark eyes deepened as he struggled to read illuminated words on the apparatus in his left hand. He never looked up. Never greeted us. Never acknowledged our presence.
Three younger humans came bounding from behind the Stop 'n' Buy doors. Two females. One male. One female had long, curly blonde hair flowing down her back and the other was dark-skinned with a shock of short lime green tresses. The male human wore a backwards baseball cap, black framed eyeglasses and had tattoos up and down both of his arms. All were giggling, howling and pointing at each others' hand-held mechanisms. None of them looked up. None of them greeted us. None of them acknowledged our presence.
"Let us return to Flimarg," I suggested. "There will be no use in relations with these human people. They are not interested in each other or their surroundings. The Ambassador will be told of such in my report. Value of advanced technology is of their utmost importance. This is highly unacceptable."
Disappointment slowed up our journey back to the transport. Miqris, Equaks and Nolveth said they understood my thinking and decision but I wasn't so sure they were being truthful. We were a family-unit species. Close knit. Generations mingling in the same pods. How could we thrive amongst a broken society that valued screens more than faces?
So, we moved on.
© Melissa Andres
#broken #society #technology #travel #lifestyle
