Part 1

 

"They said it was impossible to reach the Aurelis Galaxy" He stands bead eyed. Left arm missing. A massive plasma in the background with flicking images. He continues

"And now just over 100 years later we have not only reached this galaxy we have landed on a beautiful planet with both feet." A smile broads across his face. The room cheers. Claps. Seventy or so humans and 3 Dwaal ambassadors. The plasma changes pictures from Earth to Gallile, a planet twice the size with a population of 12 billion.

The Dwaal. Peaceful. Look exactly like humans, the same physical form but their minds are of different cognition. That need for conflict is just not in them. No nuclear facillities whatsoever. Peaceful.

In fact the only reason there hasn't been a human invasion is because of finances. The cost. 200 million a mission. Colonies of 30 at a time. Skilled. There have been many and now the humans have traded for land. A small plot with a population of 30 thousand. No war.

Because the Dwaal are not really aliens. Not in the sense you would expect. They look identical to humans. Exact evolutionary similarities. It's the way they smile constantly, so gentle. They almost float on their feet. Content in every way. They never had a hitler.

The colonel goes on

"We have been given this land in peace by our Dwaal friends and I'd like to say on behalf of all us humans, we are grateful'" The room cheers again. Heads turn back to the Dwaal ambassadors who nod their smiling heads.

"Now as we all know" the colonel scratches his nose

"There are those on this planet who simply don't want peace but im telling you all now we can help each other prosper in every aspect of living and nothing will get in the way of that." Another cheer and that's the end of the speech.

"Thank you Colonel Breen, there's refreshments at the bar, everybody have a good evening."

The colonel steps off the stage behind the curtain and lights a cigarette slowly, one armed, in the long corridor. A tall man with skinny brows approaches.

"Breen you prick how are you?" 

"Ive been better."

"You don't look the best you should get a prycore."

"Yeah a fucking android will sort my life out."

"I thought things were workin out."

"C'mon half the people in there are hooked on sile."

"yeah"

The colonel rests a foot on the dying cinders of the cigarette.

"Well, I'll see you colonel." They both walk in opposite directions to their domes.

Evetybody on Gallile has their own dome. A good sized apartment with all nano benefits which means unlike on Earth, every piece of technology is self healing. The nanotechnics are hundreds of years more advanced and the Dwaal are giving it away. For the price of peace.

The colonel sits on a white leather couch and takes a tin from a hollow plastic chest. Tips it open.

Inside are the containers of resile. A purple residuum from the loke plant native of Gallile. It shines with miniscule starshaped crystals. It literally glows as the colonel pours it slowly into a mesh at the end of a transparent rod. He then tips in a few nano enhancers and puts his mouth at the other end. Lights it. As the flame burns the enhancers attach themselves to the heated particles and release a chemical, Thoropene which gives off a deep green glow. A big sturdy inhale.

He puts the pipe down and falls slowly on the satin cloth bed. Within seconds of breathing out the potent purple smoke his mind is transported to any place he desires. It is like a dream but one you are in complete control of. The same intense feelings emotional and physical are experienced for up to 5 hours. The majority of humans on Gallile are severely addicted to it including the colonel. He justifies it in his own thoughts

"On sile my wife is still alive." as he drifts off to his honeymoon again.

 

       Two Dwaal are in their headquarters.

"Cheruk tou lek stariq weh." the other one answers

"Tarri juk aqrin."

He moves a long thin plasic tube across a globe of the Earth.

Then one of them lifts his head

"As the humans say, revenge."