Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Humans are Absolutely Infuriating

The chief medical team for the Galactic Assembly was nervous, very, very nervous. They shifted against their biohazard suits and masks waiting, staring towards the large, pod entrance enclosing the decontamination unit. They could hear movement from within just under the sound of the fans and the sprays.

The assembly had contacted them shortly after news of the humans had begun spreading. The first encounter had been kept under wraps as they attempted to establish communication with the deadly new predator species. Months had gone by before rudimentary communication could be perused, and the strange creatures verbalized their desire to take the galactic hand of cooperation and join in peace talks with the Galactic Assembly.

Presidential representatives of the UN on Earth (the current ruling power) had spoken shortly with the Assembly chairman through intermediate channels expressing her hesitation as well as her excitement on eventually meeting face to face for talks. She made a surprisingly trusting first offer to them asking what they would require for humans to eventually become members of the alliance.

So, first thing was first, they requested visitation from a human to be examined, cataloged, tested, and genetically fingerprinted for reference in their system. If they were to join the alliance, humans would be given the rights to be treated in medical facilities within the assembly's sphere of influence, so they would need all the information possible additionally they would be forced to create new immunizations against unknown disease that the humans would likely bring with them. At first, the humans had been hesitant and skeptical about this, but after a few days, a volunteer had assumable stepped forward.

They had taken a brave step, walking onto an alien ship alone to be carted across the galaxy to an isolated medical facility surrounded by creatures, alien to them, and trust that he would be safe and respected while they did so. Luckily translation speed had increased since rudimentary communication was established, so they were relatively sure communication wouldn't be much of an issue.

Just then, the pod doors opened with a hiss releasing a waft of vapor into the room.

They all held incredibly still as the creature ducked out of the doorway one hesitant footstep after the other.

It was.... Horrifying, and incredible at the same time. At least seven unit's tall, it somehow managed locomotion on only two limbs. Its body rose and fell from inside expanding and contracting a layer of glistening skin cream in color. Both upper and lower limbs had a single major bending join in the middle and were topped by five separate digits. Those on the feet where shorter than those on the hands.

Its face betrayed its predatory nature with wide, forward-facing eyes green in color and containing a single aperture. The protrusion in the middle of its face flared tasting particles on the air. A slit below this protrusion opened to reveal a line of sharp teeth and a tube descending downwards into its body.

It stood before them watching them with eyes. A quick jerk of flesh over orbs, serving to lubricate the eyes which glistened in the light of the bay room.

"Um..... Hello? Is.... This thing on?"

The translators were slow to boot up as the creature hummed and hissed at them, but the translation finally booted up. The room relaxed a small bit doing their best to identify the body language of the strange creature.

The head medical operator greeted him with a traditional movement,' Greetings, human, we as your permission to begin our procedures."

The human stepped further into the room. Analysis of its movements indicated a series of minute micro movements in the feet, the legs, the posterior and the back as it moved. Somehow, the creature was unconsciously balancing itself using micro spasms of the fibrous muscle and connective tendon.