Bestial Planet

Chapter 36: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

The councils had been doing exactly what I initially hoped they'd do; help the people who had questions and needed some sense of normalcy. There was one thing I hadn't heard about since returning though, crime. No one had been murdered, attacked, robbed or anything else that used to land you in jail. There were fights and disagreements sure, but nothing serious. It felt Utopian in a sense, which made me wary. I couldn't shake this feeling that the world was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Heck, I was too. The bright side though, after a week of training with Barton I'd gotten comfortable enough to walk without looking for something to grab onto every few seconds. It's the little things.

Small groups of people would still gather outside Section 6 everyday. Some just wanted to say hi, others wanted to talk. I wasn't thrilled, but if they felt like they needed me I guessed I should be there until they didn't. While talking with them I constantly had the image of me sitting out front Section 6, trying to starve myself to death, pop into my head. Remembering that feeling is what kept me talking to people. I knew what it felt like to have no hope, no will to live... At times that feeling crept up on me and I'd do my best to fight it back down, that nothing - sitting inside me. I used to think I kept on living to spite it, every breath I took since then was me laughing at that feeling, showing it I was stronger. Talking with Mei-lin about it made me see she felt similarly. Anyway... I wasn't the only one who had small groups of people coming to them. Catty and Nik, even Barton had people going to them with questions about; how to control their abilities, what they could expect if they transformed, could life ever be the same, etc. If there was one thing to say about Barton, he was great at managing people's expectations, even if he did come off as heartless.

*****

Friday, nearly a month and a half after I returned from the Stadium was when they came back; Mom and her crew. We had to declare caretakers for them before they arrived, the Seven of us who woke up first felt obligated to do so. For nearly a year before everyone else started waking up, they were our family. Not many people showed up for their return but in retrospect I think that was for the best.

The dock door opened and a male Android was the first one out, he looked familiar but I didn't know why. He waved at me through a forced smile, as though he were in an immense amount of pain but trying his best to hide it. A female Android followed and she looked like she was in the same mental state as the first one. They walked out of the ship, four massive containers were off-loaded behind them and another Android, wearing a military uniform walked out.

"I take it you're Ambassador Panzer Steegle?"

"That is indeed who I am Miss!" I said with a joking tone but she wasn't having any of it.

"I'm to inform you that though we've done the preliminary medical procedure, the war criminals Roisin, Yora Centaul, and Lancieta Steegle will still be going through a period of discomfort..."

She looked as though she didn't agree with what she was saying but continued as if she were one of those customer service representatives in a call center who never actually helped.

"They each have all their belongings that were at their residences on their respective home planets. They also have the medical devices, machinery and supplies they will need to live on a, pardon my saying, less advanced world."

"It's fine, humans really are just cavemen compared to everyone else aren't we?"

"I wouldn't say that Ambassador!"

She looked uncomfortable with my joke so I moved past it. "As an Android and not an official one, from one sentient being to another, why do they still look like they're in pain. I was told it was temporary."