Chapter 35: Proposition

The woman’s bodyguard, Loi, grabbed Cadonif and they took him to an empty room.

“Here, we can talk freely,” she clapped her hands together and smiled creepily.

Loi let go of him and walked a few feet away. Cadonif was now face-to-face with the lady who’d caught him.

“You’re not going to handcuff me?” Cadonif asked.

“We don’t have handcuffs on this ship. Besides, if you were to try to run away, where could you escape to?” It seemed she wanted to emphasize that he was cornered and there was no escape. “Not that it matters in any way. There’s no way a Sartoogian would have the brains or courage to try to escape.”

Cadonif was wide-eyed.

“Surprised? The cargo ship you were stowed away on was from Sartoog, after all. Want to know how I knew you were on the ship? A crate of a precious chemical called Castignome was unfastened from the straps holding it to the floor. Its lid was open, too. There was a possibility that it was due to the neglect of incompetent cargo loaders at Sartoog Interplanetary Spaceport. But when I noticed that the thermals sensors were going off in rooms in this ship that no one was supposed to be in, and that food was disappearing from the kitchen, I began to suspect you were here, my little rat.” She looked at the back of her hand haughtily. “Leaving your little planet and sneaking onto other people’s property isn’t a good thing to do, you know. I don’t know what you were doing on that ship, but Castignome is very expensive. I hear the penalties for your people are quite high,” she threatened.

Cadonif clenched his teeth and looked down. He was at her mercy. She could send him to the authorities. Sartoogian law would bear strict judgment on him, and he could end up worse than his brother.

The woman looked up from her hand. “Oh, right. I still haven’t introduced myself. I am Tocarris, of the House of Kardusi. This is my bodyguard among other things, Loi.”

Cadonif hesitated for a moment, before saying, “Cadonif.”

“Well, Cadonif,” Tocarris sat down on a nearby cushion, “I see that you’ve seen that video made by PVC about our purpose here. You may have gotten a little idea of what we’re doing. I’ll explain further:

“Have you ever seen an animal commit suicide? Me neither. Only a few do so and under extreme conditions. They have an extraordinarily strong urge—an instinct—to live. I created a virus that uses this fact to its advantage. It gives animals an insatiable hunger, with the only definition of food to them being humans. They don’t die, and they must eat humans endlessly in a meaningless attempt to fill their bottom-less belly. I’m planning on releasing this upon Earth to rid the magnificent planet of that pestilent species. Fabulous, isn’t it? If only you could comprehend the true beauty of the virus and what it does.

“Even if you can’t, you can be a part of this massive, planet-restoring project too. Ordinarily, you’d be handed over to the authorities and given a life sentence in prison, but I am generous enough to offer you a position here.” Tocarris was aware of the utility of Sartoogians, who were known to blindly follow their bosses and toil well when you lured them with reward. “How would you like to help us remove the pernicious humans and make the planet safe for the future tourists that will visit here? We’ll make it a relaxing paradise that anyone can come to and enjoy.”

No matter how you looked at it, it was an extraordinarily favorable offer. Sure, PVC would get free expendable manpower, but his benefit of getting a job and not being imprisoned for life was much greater.

Cadonif considered the offer carefully. Even if he didn’t like the job, after it was done, he could find an opportunity to escape and live life afresh on a planet like Earth, for example, whereas declining the offer meant no opportunities for freedom and his life was doomed. Trying to escape to Earth while working, perhaps even sabotaging PVC’s malevolent plan, would be suicide with the dangerous humans down below, and leaving on another ship wouldn’t be possible with the tight inspections. For him, to whom all hope seemed lost when he’d come aboard this ship and realized he couldn’t escape nor go back to his family, this was the one ray of hope that arose as a golden opportunity. Any sane person in his situation would choose to work with PVC. This Tocarris lady seemed to know that and was openly looking down upon him; she didn’t need to do much to get him to accept and could show scorn. However—

“No, thank you,” Cadonif declined.

Tocarris stared at him with confusion. “Really…? Are you sure? Maybe you didn’t understand…” She tried to explain again, assuming he was just too stupid to understand unless it was given straight.

Cadonif shook his head to stop her. Sartoogians may have been known for having little intelligence, but he was an exception—known to be the smartest in his town.

“I fully understand what you’re offering, but I don’t want to help your company kill a whole species.”

Tocarris thought. “So it’s a moral dilemma. You’ve seen the video. You know how evil humanity is. You don’t need to feel guilty about it.”

She never understood morality in people. To her, it was courageous to break free of moral bindings and do her duty. Not many could do it; those that couldn’t were weak-minded slaves to their conscience, an evolutionary trait that was created to work together. But those at the top broke free of it and achieved greater things. They were the ones that emplaced the shackles of morals and laws on those below to prevent them from rising up. Of course, even if they could break free, most would remain at the bottom as low-level thugs and the like. The simple-minded crowd without ambition or talent couldn’t accomplish nearly as much.

“I don’t think anyone has the right to determine the fate of a species, no matter how bad it is. I don’t like humans from what I’ve seen, but given a few thousand years, they may evolve into something better. Who knows? They’re still young. We can’t cut off their potential and judge them early.”

“In a few thousand years, they’ll be extinct. They’ve been destroying their own planet—their habitat. In a few hundred years, they won’t have anywhere to survive in their toxic environment and will die alongside many other animals and plants in the ecosystem. We will save these others by removing them. Besides, even a few hundred years are too much for PVC to wait.”

“Then we can educate them. We can go down to Earth and tell them what to do. We’ll teach them how to prevent the environment from deteriorating by using the technology we…”

“Cadonif, humans are well aware of the problems. They have been for nearly two centuries. They simply don’t care. They stopped trying to solve them after their third ‘World War’, about eighty-five years ago. Their hope is that they’ll continue to advance their technology by destroying the environment, and eventually, they’ll somehow reach a point where they find a magical solution to the problems. However, especially now that they’re in an unending economic stagnation after their ‘Space Wars’, they’re focused on their short-term survival and comfort and have given up on the long-term survival of their species. There’s no technological advancement, and that means slow but inevitable destruction as they don’t realize the changes happening around them.”

“I don’t want to cross out possibilities without thinking hard. If we can somehow convince them, maybe through our superior technology and the fact that we’re intelligent aliens, and then we show them the technology used on UnIF planets, and they adopt it, the problem could be solved over time. It’s not too late to turn things around. We might be able to change them. They won’t be a threat to PVC’s customers then.”

“They’ll panic when they see aliens.”

“Excuse me,” Loi stepped in. “I just wanted to add to this conversation.” He produced from an inside pocket a metallic ring. “This is a morphing ring. It’s a rare and expensive gadget…”

“I know,” Tocarris recognized. “My family developed it.”

“Well, for Cadonif, here…” he turned to Cadonif. “—By altering your DNA structure, it allows you to change form into an animal of similar size.” He squeezed it and it opened up a holographic screen above it displaying a list of human bodies along with names. “We’ve downloaded onto the few of these we have some human body samples scanned from Earth. Us… guards use these when we go to Earth to blend in for reconnaissance and resource collecting. We can assume the form of humans.” Loi was not too keen on resorting to genocide either.

“See?” Cadonif said. “There is a way to reach them without them panicking. If we can discuss with major governments and subtly reveal…”

Tocarris interrupted: “If we were to go down there, assuming they believe that we’re thinking in their best interest and assuming they’re capable and willing to hear us out, do you think they’re willing to suddenly stop all the systems of theirs that harm the environment and each other to replace them with foreign inventions? That they’ll decide to throw away their luxuries and live in peace with each other and aliens they don’t know and be one with nature? As I’ve said, the last attempt to solve these problems died back in World War III. But let us assume, in the most idealistic scenario, that PVC is willing to fund this operation to educate the species and the humans are willing to change. There’s a population of fifteen billion human beings down there. Can you imagine the scale of change needed? It would be bigger than that of the Federation’s Cultural Integration Programs when it took over planets back during the Expansion Era. And the violent creatures could still pose a threat to tourists. Other animals are manageable, but humans have destructive weapons more powerful than UnIF’s, thanks to their focus on weapon development for their wars. You can’t guarantee that they’ll all become good and leave behind their past knowledge and technology.

“So tell me now. Thinking realistically and in the company’s best interest, why shouldn’t we exterminate humanity? And what’s keeping you from joining us? You just need a little change in mindset. No need to show mercy for pests.”

Cadonif clenched his teeth and thought. She was right that he had to start thinking from the company’s perspective. “Can’t you leave some humans alive? They can repopulate and learn from their mistakes. They can rebuild properly and create systems that are more like ours…”

Tocarris shook her head. “Humans never learn from their mistakes—from history. They’ll instead come back for revenge. It’ll only come back to bite us and they’ll harm innocent visitors to the planet. The best option is to get rid of any future problems right now.”

“You’re right there, but it feels like there has to be a better way. How can you just exterminate an entire species just like that—without trying for any other solutions?!? You’re playing God!”

“While I do find their behavior interesting to observe, and I would have liked to research them further, someone like me doesn’t have the time to do so. I only care about doing my job and getting promoted, and I will dedicate all my effort to doing so. Maintaining my family’s reputation is my duty. If you, too, were to stop caring for these evil creatures you’ve never met and did the job that’s being offered to you, you’d have a better life.

“You’re not killing billions of people. You’re working for PVC to stay safe. PVC’s actions are not of our concern. Nor are those of the animals down below.”

Cadonif was finding it difficult to follow her line of thinking. Could a person be so heartless?

Tocarris saw the confusion visible on his face. “Let me make this clear for you. Even if humans weren’t this bad, I would still go through with this mass genocide. I simply don’t care about the species. The fact that they’re so bad and pathetically bathing in their own trash, oblivious to the ticking clock signaling their demise and that of the planet, just makes it easier to do it.” No matter how much you try to kill it, the conscience exists in some amount.

“That video you saw was made just to ease the consciences of the workers here. It selected only the bad things about humanity to portray them as an ‘evil’ to be slain, though I doubt there’s much good. Genocide is still genocide; no matter how much you try to justify it, it’s still ‘morally wrong’.”

Welp, Cadonif thought in defeat, all my arguments failed miserably. Wow, I suck at debating!

“Now that I’ve explained to you the job and why I’m doing it, I see that you’re still uncertain and hindered by your conscience. It’s no use spending any more effort trying to convince you to join us.” She started getting up. “We should just lock you in here and call-”

Before Tocarris could continue, Cadonif suddenly reached into his pockets and pulled out the vials of Castignome he’d stored back when he was at the Dock. Before the other two could react, he threw the vials onto the floor. They broke open upon impact and the chemicals, exposed to air, started fuming. Thick clouds of smoke quickly filled the room.

Cadonif had only been using part of his brainpower to debate with Tocarris. He’d been doing that to buy time for himself to think of a way to escape from his two detainers. While he was using poorly thought-out arguments against Tocarris, he’d remembered what Geenud had told him about the chemical, which he’d still had with him: “Take care not drop the vials: the chemical is volatile and reacts with air to produce toxic fumes.” He could use this property to stun the two and escape.

Cadonif ran for the sole door leading out the room, which was behind him.

* * *

Tocarris instantly recognized, from the fumes, what Cadonif had released. Loi started coughing.

“Don’t breathe in the air!” Tocarris warned him.

She covered her face and stopped breathing. The fumes blocked her vision. She’d been gotten. She’d underestimated Cadonif and had forgotten to check him for weapons. She should have remembered that vials of Castignome were missing from the crate delivered a few days ago.

If the Sartoogian was smart, he’d use this opportunity to attack us. Tocarris braced and waited, looking around expectantly. She heard the door to the room open. Wait, what am I thinking?! Sartoogians aren’t smart! They’re cowards! He’d lock us in the room to suffocate us!

Tocarris signaled Loi and the two ran for the door, hoping to stop it before it closed. When they reached it, they found it was left open.

He ran?! Well, the fact that he avoided being seen somehow the past few days must mean that he thinks that he’s good at hiding. She smiled. Then, he’s a fool.

“Let’s go!” Tocarris ordered.

She and Loi left the room, took a deep breath of fresh air, and started running through the maze of hallways, searching for Cadonif.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Cadonif was hiding in an air duct coming from the room now full of poisonous gas. Just moments ago, he’d flung open the door to make it seem as if he was running through the corridors, and then ran to a nearby air vent in the room. Over the past few days, he’d been discretely unscrewing the vents to allow easier travel and so that he could access them in case of emergencies. The one in this room was not an exception. He’d recognized the room when he’d entered and accounted for this escape route in his plan. Tocarris and her guard could search for him in the halls and rooms of the ship all day and they wouldn’t find him.

Cadonif traveled quickly and quietly through the ducts, something that he’d become a veteran at by now. He stopped at a distance he thought would be safe. He sat down in the cramped space and panted.

Cadonif didn’t know what had become of his family and was far away from home, in danger, and with no purpose or foreseeable future. He’d just turned down the opportunity to, if not get his old life back, survive and try to establish a new one. Choosing genocide was just too difficult; it was the most immoral thing he’d heard of after all his life on the planet of crime.

He should have given up. There was no chance of him succeeding in stopping PVC and no reason for him to fight for these creatures, just as Tocarris had said. His fate was uncertain if he did try. If he were to stay long enough on the ship stealthily, he might get a chance to escape somehow. Yet, something deep inside him told him not to stand by and let PVC massacre billions. He felt a deep urge to fight, despite the chances and dangers. He was uncertain of what to do.

Cadonif took a deep breath. He was choosing a path of uncertainty and danger. He didn’t know why at the moment, but he would do it. There was no turning back. He would fight PVC.

MAYHEM ON EARTH: Volume 6. / End.