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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Nemo__404 on 2024-09-07 17:45:50+00:00.
Luna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.
Not a problem!
Luna VI query: How did the meeting about the Zandrid incident go?
***
Nathan felt like a piece of a puzzle that didn’t fit anywhere. The chamber of intricately decorated rock where the elders would meet the humans was filled with tension. A colossal wooden table dominated the center, around which a heated discussion raged. Amara, her eyes twin embers, clashed verbally with Queen Khala, their tails pointed at each other as accusations were exchanged at a dizzying pace.
Flanking them were the elders—their bearing confident, though their colors were not as vibrant as they once were—each siding with either the mother or the daughter. Yet, amidst this storm, their argument’s absurd core was unbelievable—the placement of their chairs around the table for the upcoming meeting with human leadership.
It was a scene of such dramatic dissonance over something as trivial as seating positions that Nathan found himself glued to a distant corner, a silent observer of his girlfriend in an argument he had no say in and no intention of getting involved in.
Overwhelmed by the exchange and unfamiliar historical references, Nathan felt a growing sense of isolation. His gaze drifted to the only other human in the chamber, Ryo, who stood silently in another corner with his arms crossed.
Aside from the tension between Earth and Mars, Nathan and Ryo had never been best friends. An overly enthusiastic botanist and a soldier were hardly kindred spirits, and their interactions since the mission began had done little to bridge the gap. Yet, as he observed Ryo now, he wondered if their shared predicament might have created common ground. After all, they now shared the dubious honor of being the only humans with alien girlfriends. Considering that Amara and Elysira were in the process of repairing their friendship, perhaps they too could have a chance at, at least, a surface-level friendship.
Before he could overthink it, he found himself strolling toward Ryo, who was already tracking his movement with a mix of curiosity and mild annoyance.
“A bit dramatic over who sits where, don’t you think?” Nathan’s attempt at conversation was as cliché as they come.
Ryo glanced at him with a look that suggested he had just proposed a duel at dawn. Like a seasoned guard at Buckingham Palace, Ryo returned to his silent vigil, completely ignoring the unwanted intrusion.
“Amara and I visited Elysira in the hospital a few times.” Nathan’s strategic shift was deliberate. “She said she misses you.”
Ryo took a moment to process his words, his rigid posture softening slightly. “And what does that have to do with you?”
“Nothing,” Nathan replied calmly, anticipating Ryo’s sharp response. He could have easily retorted or walked away, but instead, he broke eye contact, leaning against the wall. His gaze drifted towards Amara, engaged in conversation with an elder. “I just thought her feelings might matter to you.”
Time ticked by as Nathan endured the elders’ curious glances, their hushed whispers a constant background noise to the escalating argument between Amara and her mother. Just when he had accepted Ryo’s silence, the soldier spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. “She’s better off alone.”
Nathan was taken aback by Ryo’s assessment. He’d heard Amara mention Elysira no longer needed to leave the planet, but the reality was stark—a severely injured woman with nothing besides Amara’s friendship. To suggest she was better off alone seemed not only callous but foolish. Even Nathan, with his limited political understanding, could grasp the absurdity of the statement. Mars would likely pay for the R&D of the procedure to recover her tail just to prove they could do it.
“At the very least, she could use some reassurance and someone by her side to help her communicate with the doctors,” Nathan argued, convinced Ryo was allowed to do that much, regardless of the limitations imposed by his on-duty status.
“Easy for you to say.” Ryo punched the wall. “You blew that piece of shit’s head off and saved your princess.”
Nathan’s eyes widened as he realized the commotion Ryo’s outburst had caused. Even the queen was staring at them, her gaze fixed and intense. Regret for the conversation washed over him as he straightened from the wall, his focus now solely on Ryo.
“Amara was grilling Elysira about you in the hospital,” Nathan began, his voice low. “How was she captured, why did you leave her behind, that sort of thing. Elysira kept going on about how brave you were, how you did your best.” He paused, turning to leave. “Just remember, you might not find another woman who can tolerate that temperament of yours, alien or not.”
He returned to his previous corner, the urge to question his place in this upcoming meeting momentarily eclipsed by the queen’s unwavering gaze. He forced a nonchalant demeanor, but his mind raced. Was this his life now? Forever haunted by what he did to save his girlfriend? His thoughts stirred into absurd scenarios—a stiff, awkward family dinner with the queen, for instance.
Just as he was conjuring a cartoonish image of Queen Khala surreptitiously slipping poison into his food, a gentle squeeze on his hand brought him abruptly back to reality.
“You cannot sit beside me, and I will not be allowed to sit in the middle,” Amara declared, her voice low. Her attire, while formal by Irisian standards, was almost translucent to human eyes.
Nathan noticed subtle spots of gray at her neck but dismissed the sight. “I think we can manage to be apart for the meeting.”
Amara stared at him, a trace of red creeping up her neck. “This means the elders do not accept our relationship and doubt my leadership abilities.”
“So, that’s what all the fuss was about.” Having someone who could effortlessly decode the argument for a human was a game-changer, a luxury born from their long night talks. “How serious is this ‘they don’t accept us’ thing?”
Her skin tone remained unchanged, but her grip on his hand tightened slightly. “They are not as direct as you humans,” she explained. “Their true opinions will only become apparent when they are forced to make a decision.” Her gaze locked into his. “Do you think your species will bring up this subject in the meeting?”
He was caught off guard by her question. The idea of their relationship becoming a topic of discussion during a meeting about the Zandrid attack was almost inconceivable. “I’m not sure,” he replied slowly. “It’s more likely to be brought up privately afterward.”
Amara turned, her eyes scanning the elders who were already taking their seats at the table. “That would be better,” she replied. Her tail disengaged from his hand, pointing toward the vacant chairs on the opposite side of the table. “You and Ryo will sit on the other side. We will use those three screens on the wall for the meeting since none of the elders have integrated translators.”
Nathan could already see the Irisians clustering together on one side of the table while he and Ryo would have their backs to the screens, where some important people would appear. After this meeting, they might finally let him prove his worth as an ambassador—if Earth shows any interest in Irisa after discussing the suspected Alliance ties to the revolutionaries.
Aldrinch and his guards approached Amara as Nathan pondered his role in the upcoming meeting. Before he could process the situation, she was drawn into a small huddle for a briefing, while another Irisian guided him to his seat. Events unfolded rapidly thereafter. Ryo took a seat at the opposite end of his side of the table, and finally, Amara and the queen joined the elders, mother and daughter fixing him with intense glares, though for vastly different reasons.
This was Nathan’s first close encounter with Queen Khala. Unlike the elders, whose age was evident even to human eyes, hers was masked by an almost supernatural youthfulness. Compared to Amara, subtle lines around her eyes hinted at a maturity beyond her daughter’s years, and even the tips of her long ears seemed to drop slightly, perhaps due to gravity. Still, there was an aura about her, a possible glimpse of Amara’s future—that of a short, elegant alien woman whose presence commanded absolute attention, maybe even fear for those whose lives could be determined by her whims.
He swallowed hard, avoiding Queen Khala’s gaze and turning toward the screens to mask his discomfort. Only one screen was active, displaying the large face of a man with a neatly trimmed beard. In a small square in the bottom left corner, he spotted a familiar face—Zara. As soon as she noticed his gaze, she waved enthusiastically.
He waved back shyly, and then the middle screen activated, revealing an elderly woman. She wore glasses, and her silver hair cascaded over her shoulder. On her desk was a peculiar setup—a wooden keyboard and a tiny, pink mouse. It was an archaic interface. Given the ubiquity of modern ocular technology, even the glasses were equally baffling, leading Nathan to believe they were some sort of fashion accessories.
The final screen lit up moments later, and Nathan instantly recognized the figure. With a deceptively youthful appearance, an obvious overuse of nanotechnology, the Martian Prime Minister, Ezekiel …
Content cut off. Read original on https://old.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/1fbcpng/deathworlders_should_not_be_allowed_to_date_ch_48/