Origin of the Species
Jul. 30th, 2005 03:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSet in the early days of Peta Hewitt's Terinu universe (www.terinu.net). The point of origin of one of the future Galactic Sapiens Alliance's enemies comes from closer than it thinks...
“Beastly hot day,” the grey-muzzled fox man noted, panting as he raised a water bottle to his lips. Pilar, standing beside him, would have agreed, except she wasn’t about to show any weakness in front of a servant of the robed extranjero del Diablo standing two meters away.
He wasn’t displaying any signs of the heat. The horned, green skinned alien was dressed in heavy robes, but even though the temperature had to be above 36 C, he wasn’t showing any signs of sweating as they stood on the rocky beach of Santiago, in the Galapagos chain.
“So this is where your species developed their theories of genetic mutation and species improvement?” the robed alien asked.
“Si, Lord Genemage. The English naturalist, Charles Darwin, was a member of the crew of the Beagle, the sailing vessel that first surveyed the islands.” Pilar replied. The alien was just another tourista, she told herself again. She wasn’t even sure how high up he was in the Varn Dominion hierarchy he was. Not that it mattered to her. Every Varn was a jefe, to be obeyed and not crossed. “He saw how similar species of animals developed differently in isolation, and used this informacion to write The Origin of the Species, which developed the theory of Evolution.”
“Yes, I have read it,” the Varn said absently. He kneeled down briefly, observing a tiny finch that landed on a nearby rock. “A primitive and woefully incomplete understanding of the true process, but not without merit.”
It would be so terribly easy, to reach down, snatch up a rock, and bash the alien’s head in, Pilar thought. The fox-man beside her was older and smaller than she was, and unarmed, and his other servants, two tall men with white bird feathers for hair, were some distance away.
I want to see my husband and son again. That wasn’t going to happen if she got killed attacking the alien conqueror kneeling before her. They, and almost all of the rest of Ecuador’s population, had been taken off-world, to a ‘re-education camp.’ Pilar had been left behind, presumably to indulge this eccentric Varn’s interest in the Galapagos, the island chain she’d helped manage for most of her life. But they were alive at least, she hoped, which was far better than what had happened to most of the population of Europe and the east and west coasts of North America.
“Sam-aneus, you should rest,” the alien told the fox-man. “You may stay here with Ranger Gutierrez, while I make some observations.”
“As you command, Milord Genemage,” Sam-aneus bowed deeply to the Varn, and settled down on a boulder to sip more of his water. “Care for some, young lady?” he said to Pilar, holding the bottle up to her.
“I have my own, thank you,” she said coolly. The fox-man, Sam, shrugged and clipped it to his belt once again. Meanwhile the Varn moved away, holding a scanner no bigger than Pilar’s wristwatch out in front of him, observing the birds and the occasional lava lizard.
“He’s really all right, you know,” Sam said conversationally. “Very polite.”
“Polite, si,” Pilar answered neutrally.
Sam sighed, and gave her a hurt look. “Honestly, he is. Very much the academic, that one. Disappears into his labs for weeks at a time, then when he comes out he spends an hour apologizing to everyone for leaving them without orders.”
Goaded, Pilar snapped, “Si, because Heaven forbid any other species should be permitted to live their own lives, rather than follow the orders of devils who come from the sky and declare themselves God.”
“Oh, that,” Sam said, waving his hand. “Mustn’t take it too seriously. Bit of an act, for the less, er, advanced races. Myself, I say my prayers to the Holy Den Mother every morning, and even if I have whisper them sometimes, she still hears.”
“I say my prayers to God and Mary. That will not change,” Pilar said. Was the fox man trying to draw her into some kind of trap? No, she thought. He didn’t look down at her like the bird men had, as if she was a worm not even worth stepping on. He seemed friendly, God help her. Remember who he serves, she told herself sharply. “They will learn the sin of cloaking themselves in the robe of a false prophet.”
“Ah, you might want to pitch your voice a bit lower when you say that, milady,” Sam advised. “Frankly, you wouldn’t be doing yourself, or the rest of your planet, any favors if you bunged a rock at Milord Genemage.” He smiled at her startled expression, “I’m rather good at reading other races’ body language. It was all you could do to keep from kicking Milord on the bottom of his robe when he spoke of your Darwin’s little book, eh?”
“A billion and a half of my people are dead, and twice that many enslaved and transported off-world” Pilar said through gritted teeth. “Do they really expect us worship them and give thanks for their benevolence?”
“Some of them do,” Sam admitted. “Some play at it, and some like Milord take their responsibilities towards the ‘lesser races’ quite seriously. And then there are some who just wish to be obeyed, and care little what goes through their subjects’ heads. I know you won’t believe me, given what they’ve done to your world, but the Varn aren’t the worst possible conquerors. If you obey them, and do not question, they are actually quite willing to let people conduct their lives without too much interference.”
“They nearly destroyed us!”
Sam shrugged again. “They asked you to give up politely, more than once. Given the odds you faced, I can’t really understand why you didn’t give in immediately. Was it really worth all the suffering?”
“Si,” Pilar said firmly. “Even now, we won’t give into them. We will fight. Even if it means our destruction we will fight. Humans don’t just give up.”
Sam smiled. “So I have noticed.” He rose to his feet and bowed to his master as the Genemage approached them again, a grey-scaled lizard perhaps a foot long held in the crook of his arm.
“Ranger Gutierrez, what is the human name for this creature?” he asked.
“The Galapagos Lava Lizard, Lord Genemage,” she replied. “Latin taxonomic designation Tropodurus albemarlensis.”
“Galapados Lava Lizard,” the Genemage repeated.
She almost corrected him, but stopped herself. He pronounced it wrong, Pilar thought, a sudden joy entering her heart. Up until now, the robed Varn hadn’t shown any sign of weakness at all. He got it wrong. They aren’t as perfect as they attempt to be.
We’ve got a chance.
“I wish to be supplied with as many genetic samples of this creature from the local population, and the surrounding islands, as is possible,” the Genemage continued.
“Si, Lord Genemage. I will be more than happy too.”
The End
“Beastly hot day,” the grey-muzzled fox man noted, panting as he raised a water bottle to his lips. Pilar, standing beside him, would have agreed, except she wasn’t about to show any weakness in front of a servant of the robed extranjero del Diablo standing two meters away.
He wasn’t displaying any signs of the heat. The horned, green skinned alien was dressed in heavy robes, but even though the temperature had to be above 36 C, he wasn’t showing any signs of sweating as they stood on the rocky beach of Santiago, in the Galapagos chain.
“So this is where your species developed their theories of genetic mutation and species improvement?” the robed alien asked.
“Si, Lord Genemage. The English naturalist, Charles Darwin, was a member of the crew of the Beagle, the sailing vessel that first surveyed the islands.” Pilar replied. The alien was just another tourista, she told herself again. She wasn’t even sure how high up he was in the Varn Dominion hierarchy he was. Not that it mattered to her. Every Varn was a jefe, to be obeyed and not crossed. “He saw how similar species of animals developed differently in isolation, and used this informacion to write The Origin of the Species, which developed the theory of Evolution.”
“Yes, I have read it,” the Varn said absently. He kneeled down briefly, observing a tiny finch that landed on a nearby rock. “A primitive and woefully incomplete understanding of the true process, but not without merit.”
It would be so terribly easy, to reach down, snatch up a rock, and bash the alien’s head in, Pilar thought. The fox-man beside her was older and smaller than she was, and unarmed, and his other servants, two tall men with white bird feathers for hair, were some distance away.
I want to see my husband and son again. That wasn’t going to happen if she got killed attacking the alien conqueror kneeling before her. They, and almost all of the rest of Ecuador’s population, had been taken off-world, to a ‘re-education camp.’ Pilar had been left behind, presumably to indulge this eccentric Varn’s interest in the Galapagos, the island chain she’d helped manage for most of her life. But they were alive at least, she hoped, which was far better than what had happened to most of the population of Europe and the east and west coasts of North America.
“Sam-aneus, you should rest,” the alien told the fox-man. “You may stay here with Ranger Gutierrez, while I make some observations.”
“As you command, Milord Genemage,” Sam-aneus bowed deeply to the Varn, and settled down on a boulder to sip more of his water. “Care for some, young lady?” he said to Pilar, holding the bottle up to her.
“I have my own, thank you,” she said coolly. The fox-man, Sam, shrugged and clipped it to his belt once again. Meanwhile the Varn moved away, holding a scanner no bigger than Pilar’s wristwatch out in front of him, observing the birds and the occasional lava lizard.
“He’s really all right, you know,” Sam said conversationally. “Very polite.”
“Polite, si,” Pilar answered neutrally.
Sam sighed, and gave her a hurt look. “Honestly, he is. Very much the academic, that one. Disappears into his labs for weeks at a time, then when he comes out he spends an hour apologizing to everyone for leaving them without orders.”
Goaded, Pilar snapped, “Si, because Heaven forbid any other species should be permitted to live their own lives, rather than follow the orders of devils who come from the sky and declare themselves God.”
“Oh, that,” Sam said, waving his hand. “Mustn’t take it too seriously. Bit of an act, for the less, er, advanced races. Myself, I say my prayers to the Holy Den Mother every morning, and even if I have whisper them sometimes, she still hears.”
“I say my prayers to God and Mary. That will not change,” Pilar said. Was the fox man trying to draw her into some kind of trap? No, she thought. He didn’t look down at her like the bird men had, as if she was a worm not even worth stepping on. He seemed friendly, God help her. Remember who he serves, she told herself sharply. “They will learn the sin of cloaking themselves in the robe of a false prophet.”
“Ah, you might want to pitch your voice a bit lower when you say that, milady,” Sam advised. “Frankly, you wouldn’t be doing yourself, or the rest of your planet, any favors if you bunged a rock at Milord Genemage.” He smiled at her startled expression, “I’m rather good at reading other races’ body language. It was all you could do to keep from kicking Milord on the bottom of his robe when he spoke of your Darwin’s little book, eh?”
“A billion and a half of my people are dead, and twice that many enslaved and transported off-world” Pilar said through gritted teeth. “Do they really expect us worship them and give thanks for their benevolence?”
“Some of them do,” Sam admitted. “Some play at it, and some like Milord take their responsibilities towards the ‘lesser races’ quite seriously. And then there are some who just wish to be obeyed, and care little what goes through their subjects’ heads. I know you won’t believe me, given what they’ve done to your world, but the Varn aren’t the worst possible conquerors. If you obey them, and do not question, they are actually quite willing to let people conduct their lives without too much interference.”
“They nearly destroyed us!”
Sam shrugged again. “They asked you to give up politely, more than once. Given the odds you faced, I can’t really understand why you didn’t give in immediately. Was it really worth all the suffering?”
“Si,” Pilar said firmly. “Even now, we won’t give into them. We will fight. Even if it means our destruction we will fight. Humans don’t just give up.”
Sam smiled. “So I have noticed.” He rose to his feet and bowed to his master as the Genemage approached them again, a grey-scaled lizard perhaps a foot long held in the crook of his arm.
“Ranger Gutierrez, what is the human name for this creature?” he asked.
“The Galapagos Lava Lizard, Lord Genemage,” she replied. “Latin taxonomic designation Tropodurus albemarlensis.”
“Galapados Lava Lizard,” the Genemage repeated.
She almost corrected him, but stopped herself. He pronounced it wrong, Pilar thought, a sudden joy entering her heart. Up until now, the robed Varn hadn’t shown any sign of weakness at all. He got it wrong. They aren’t as perfect as they attempt to be.
We’ve got a chance.
“I wish to be supplied with as many genetic samples of this creature from the local population, and the surrounding islands, as is possible,” the Genemage continued.
“Si, Lord Genemage. I will be more than happy too.”
The End
