Published: December 6th 2022, 7:13:24 am
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Two blue otter attendants stood at attention, fully diapered as Daddy marched out of the spaceship onto the rocky outcropping overlooking the gigantic field. In front of him stood one million humans organized in ranks and regiments like a military parade. The elevated position gave Daddy and his brethren a clear view of everyone, and it gave everyone a clear view of Daddy and his brethren as they towered above, though they didn't need a raised platform to do that - at 10 feet or taller, the bright green muscular mustelids would tower above any human crowd easily.
The scene was masterfully laid out - The natural curve of the giant red sandstone crater meant that the everyone could easily see and hear Daddy speaking, though not all of them would understand him. That's where Schnookums came in. With his powerful voice he made a much more powerful mouthpiece than I could ever do. I looked out at everyone standing there and it was hard to even perceive - they looked more like bits of detritus or sand than people. A where's Waldo scene gone wrong. And yet, the massive ship behind us and the fleet of impossibly large ships in the sky, large enough to be hazy at their upper reaches, would easily hold this mass of people or more.
Daddy spoke, and Schnookums and I repeated what he said by reflex. Was it the nanobots?
"Welcome, pets. Welcome to the universe! You are the first humans to leave this earth and venture to parts unimagined by your people. You are the price of security, advancement, and prosperity for your planet, and you come to us willingly! This pleases us. Those of you who came of your own volition will be rewarded handsomely. I can promise you the best lives a pet can have. We will see to it that your desires are fully explored and realized as we match you to your new homes.
"There are many wonders for us to show you... and firstly..." Daddy raised a hand up and opened his massive palm to release a swirling gyroscopic mass which rose up into the air and atomized, shiny silver gas zooming out toward the crowds. "A gift from me to you..."
The brothers also lifted their hands and extended them to release these clouds of atomized mercury. I wondered what was happening.
"Nanobots," said Daddy, as if to answer my question. "They will allow you to understand my speech. And do so much more."
My awe was somewhat distracted by the fact that I was standing in front of a million people in nothing but a diaper. But at least I wasn't alone. Schnookums was there in his diaper too, as were Laffy and Maffy. I could see that all of them looked a bit abashed at the situation, but they hid it to varying degrees of success. Daddy smiled down at me and picked me up, cradling me in his arm and tickling my belly.
"Aww, look how cute! I'm sorry but I can't resist! I can't be serious all the time, you know."
The chatter of the crowd grew louder. Excitement? Amusement? Endearment? I could hear so much more than my human hearing would normally allow. It was like some sort of nano-induced synaesthesia.
"Oh, you may be noticing," said Daddy, grinning up at the crowd. "There's something else that those nanobots are giving you. Empathy. That's right, not only can you hear each other's' words, you can feel each other's feelings. And mine too. And if you had any doubt of my intentions. Now you know..."
He was right. I could feel his feelings, and I felt nothing but love coming from him and his brethren. And I felt it riding on the backdrop of the feelings of a million others around us. It's impossible to articulate the symphony of feelings I felt, but to put it in inadequately simple words: a million is a large number.
"Now before we continue... those of you who are here as punishment... and those among you who came with ill intentions... should please come forward. Oh, I'm sure the rest of you can help with that, now that we can see who everyone is for ourselves," he said, touching his head, then his heart.
The indignant yells and clamor of those being forced forward arose. I could see and feel what was happening - to a person, every single plant, every single secret agent, spy, and would-be assassin in the lot was instantly seen and seized, passed forward by the hands of those around them until a new regiment formed at the front of their ranks. The punished ones. I was shocked to recognize the faces of some prominent world leaders and infamous criminals among their ranks. They were angry. Belligerent. Hardly able to believe that they could be in such a position.
"Welcome to you as well," said Daddy, his face taking on a more vicious expression. "Our people believe in leaving the places we come better than we found them. Your power and privilege will not protect you now. But don't worry, pets. In time, you too will come to appreciate your new place in life. We don't believe in cruelty, even to the cruel. We just want to keep everyone safe - from you. I'm sorry to say you won't have the same experience as those who came willingly and with good intentions, but I promise you will not be treated poorly either. You will no longer age. You will no longer get ill. You will, however, work for your keep. Oh, and one more thing..."
He snapped his fingers, and they all looked at each other, confused.
"You are now all sterile."
Immediate outrage from the regiment of convicts selected by Daddy and his kin. Several grabbed at their crotches looking stricken. Others dared not believe what they had heard. Some even hurled insults his way.
"It's a condition of your journey. For you, and anyone else who chooses to come with us so that no one may have children in captivity. The human governments requested it. Anti cloning technology. Encrypted genes. And a finite number of kept humans to populate the galaxy. To the rest of you - if you change your mind, you may leave now and take back the nanobots. More willing pets are waiting to take your place. But if you stay, I can promise you a long, happy life, and the adventure of a lifetime.
Needless to say, the rest all stayed.
*****
I recalled the scene of the gigantic ships scooping up all the humans in their space beams, almost like giant vaccuum cleaners. I recalled seeing the crater floor cleared of all human detritus until it was left clean and red, as if no one had been there at all. Coming back into the ship, I could still feel all those feelings. Daddy said that this ability would normally be cloaked or dampened. A secret way that all of us could communicate, but one which outsiders needn't know about.
I thought it was brilliant. The Beringas were truly tactical geniuses. Nowhere was that more apparent than on our off times when everyone was just relaxing. That first night as we celebrated from well outside the solar system in what seemed to be an alien living room - big sweeping couch-like furniture cushioning the top Beringer brass and their pets - Schnookums's knowledge of military tactical history became apparent.
"Alexander the great at the battle of Gaugamela?" asked Lissenger, smiling at the adorable soldier. "What an interesting sounding battle. What was the strategy?"
Schnookums's face lit up as he went into the details of just how the great Macedonian army outflanked the even greater army of the Persians and won.
"Sounds like the ancient battle of Barakas at the Kaye," said Beringer, who soon launched into a story of his own. They began to talk about more modern battles and more modern still until Beringer was explaining the implications of more advanced technologies on the battlefield. It was well beyond me, but at least Beringer and Schnookums seemed to be having fun.
"Berenger the history buff," chuckled Lissenger, taking a seat beside me and Daddy. It was nice that we could all just relax like this even in the midst of a momentous occasion like the subdual of my entire planet. From my perspective, little really changed, except I saw quite a few more humans whenever I was carried or wheeled around the ship.
I asked Daddy when we would be home.
"We've got some stops to make," said Daddy, in his sometimes cryptic way.
"So, not home?"
"You don't think we'll be bringing all these humans to homeworld, do you?"
"You could certainly fit them," I said.
"Be that as it may, they have other destinations - other destinies. And as for you, you little munchkin. You are going to have a special adventure of your own."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You've met us and the ailurians, but you have yet to meet the rest of the great houses. It's high time that changed. And I know just the place," he said with a chuckle that set my tummy aflutter.