A Better Life

Thane walked over to the counter. He examined the book for what felt like the hundredth time. The information still wouldn’t go in. How was it possible? Life was so scarce in the universe, and here he found himself, with a book detailing one of the most revolutionary findings of not only his lifetime, but probably every generation before him.

Thane had grown up with a certain understanding of the universe, he knew it was harsh, unforgiving and almost intolerable to life. His own home being a prime example of this; Exanimum had long been considered the only planet with any kind of life at all, and even here it was sparse. In the early years, all the beings of this planet fought every day to survive. The barren landscapes and the limited vegetation were closely guarded by those that managed to travel far enough to find it. Thane’s ancestors had been some of the lucky few Exanimites that had managed to find one such place, and as was the way of life on this planet, guarded it ferociously and without mercy. Thane heard the stories growing up, of the battles that raged between the beings that Exanimum managed to sustain. He knew how it ended, and he felt proud of that ending. But now, thanks to the book, he felt that pride dwindle. He began to ask questions of his ancestry, had they done the right thing? Surely they did, without the exploits of his long forgotten ancestor’s, they would have died out, and Thane wouldn’t be here to reflect. He knew he must fight for the things he wanted, he had been raised that way and understood it entirely. But something was awakening in Thane, a new sense of understanding. What if the way he had conducted his entire life was wrong, what if the selfishness of his people was not the only way?

Thane stored the book with care. As he pushed the mirror closed over the safe hidden in the wall, he examined himself in a way he had not done before. Exanimites were the only living beings bar the Roubustas (the hexapod cattle that were farmed for consumption) that Thane had ever seen. Thane had never thought to question a being’s form before. He knew his own form, he knew he had less limbs than the Roubustas, having only two upper and two lower ones. He walked upright with one long bone going down his back. He also knew his fingers were full of small bones which allowed him to work so delicately. But the diagrams that were drawn in the little black book showed an abundance of variety. One of the beings that Thane had been so enthralled by were animals with small thin arms covered in multiple lightweight, air catching ‘feathers’ as the book had described them. What would it be like to have these extremities Thane wondered? To push and pull with them and be freed from the monotony of the land. Dreamlike he envisioned himself using his feathers to soar into the sky and fly effortlessly around Exanimum, speeding towards the highest cliff he could find to gaze out over a horizon filled with life. But then Thane remembered, the only thing he would be able to see, even from the highest of cliffs would be the vast, volatile emptiness of Exanimum. Deflated, Thane turned and walked out of the lab.

Commander Ryla was sat in her chair when Thane entered. She tilted her head at Thane as he hurried past, Thane returned the greeting and sat at his module.

“Tired, Thane?” the Commander inquired.

“Commander?” Thane replied anxiously.

The Commander looked up at Thane. “Are you tired? You look tired. Or maybe distressed, is everything alright? I can up your hormones if you like?”

“No” Thane said, a little too eagerly “I mean, everything’s fine, just had a bad sleep last night”

Ryla contemplated Thane for a second and then said energetically “Well not to worry! Happens to all of us sometimes. Just make sure you’re taking the correct dose. We wouldn’t want you to succumb to the rigours of this mission now would we”

“Of course, Commander.”

With that, Ryla turned back to her computer and Thane swivelled his chair to look back at his monitor.

“What’s on the books today, Commander?” Thane asked

“Not much, we have a couple of mining opportunities and another observation” replied Ryla

“An observation?” Thane enquired “Much hope for this one?”

“As little as every other I fear, but we collect the data anyway.” Ryla sighed and looked downcast “One day though Thane, one day we’ll find what we’re looking for I can almost feel it” Ryla looked out of the Command Modules window hopefully and smiled. “Who knows, today might be that day!” Ryla exclaimed. “We’ll start with the mining duties I think, please alter course to…”

“Actually Captain” Thane interrupted “May I speak freely?”

Ryla looked at Thane quizzically, it was not like him to have any insight into the day’s activity. “Please Thane, speak away” Ryla said relaxing into her chair.

“I’ve been doing some research and believe I found an observation-worthy body”

“Ah Thane, you’re finally waking up to the opportunity you’ve been given! Did the promise of 20,000 credits perk you up by any chance!?” Ryla laughed.

In truth Thane did like the idea. The reward being offered by the High Chancellor to any non-commander that aided in finding their goal was very generous. With those kind of credits Thane could buy some land in the vegetation zone, grow his own plants and rear a Roubusta or two, build a house and be comfortable. But this seemed increasingly less likely as their mission went on. But now, thanks to the little black book that Thane had happened upon from one of their mining missions, he was pushed with a new sense of intrigue into what their mission could offer. The credits were no longer the only thing to gain from his mission.

“Ahem.” Ryla coughed, bringing Thane back to his senses.

“Yes Captain, I have a good feeling about this one.”

Commander Ryla studied Thanes face. The way Thane was looking at her piqued her curiosity.

“OK Thane, we’ll give it a go. But if it’s another dud, you’ll be preparing the week’s food for punishment” Ryla laughed. Thane laughed as well, albeit forced.

As they neared the body that Thane had given directions too, Commander Ryla grew more interested in how Thane had come across this location. Usually, locations of promising bodies were given to the Captain from Science Officers back home. Thane’s location was quite far out of their mission parameters, and when Ryla ran some basic scans she was met with some unusual, but not unheard-of, conditions surrounding the location. The signs looked positive, however, that’s how these missions went, hundreds of observations, thousands of positive signs and not once, had they come close to success.

Thane, meanwhile, was having a hard time concealing how he had come across this information. He gave vague answers and loose reasons to the Commander. By the end of Ryla’s questioning Thane was shaken. His answers had allowed for suspicion to be passed for now, but he knew, if what he hoped to find was indeed found, the questions would no longer be friendly from his Commander, but demanding from the High Chancellor, and Thane didn’t know if he wanted to share those answers, or the little black book. What’s his is his, as he had been taught from birth. Of course, his people worked together when they were certain the rewards would be equal and great. But selfishness was so ingrained into Thane. This is how his people survived, how he had, and would, always survive. Unless… unless there was abundance, then his people could take their fill and share everything they found, for the first time in their history.

*

“You did it” Ryla whispered. “You found one, Thane... h... how? Ryla stuttered. “How is this possible?!” Ryla’s voice began to rise. “Years and years of searching! Hundreds of missions, dozens of Science Officers looking, and you, Thane, manage to find it overnight!” Ryla’s voice was crackling with energy as she spoke. “We’re landing. I have to see.”

“Captain? My credits?” Thane asked openly

“Credits!” Ryla exclaimed “Thane, you’ve made the biggest discovery of our history! Finally, we’ve found one. We finally found a Green world. A life sustaining world, somewhere we can live and make our own, and credits are on your mind?” Ryla laughed.

“Here.” Ryla reached down and typed a command into her computer. Instantly Thane felt his watch vibrate, showing the credit transfer. This made him think. 20,000 credits was a lot of money, and it would help him settle on his home planet. But here he found himself, sitting in the Command module of the ship which had carried him and Ryla around the universe in search of exactly this. Life. Why tell everybody back home? Thane thought. If he did, all the other ships out searching would converge here, his people would migrate from the barren wastelands and come here. And they would take and take and take. Sure, Thane would be revered for a couple of years, but eventually they would take it for granted. Then he would be forgotten. No one would care who led them to this planet. Thane’s thoughts became increasingly more hostile, he could feel his mind fogging and his body tensing. Ryla gazed longingly out of the ship’s window down at the planet. “The scanners we have aren’t adequate for full interpretations, but I’m picking up a dominant species. I think they refer to the planet as ‘Earth’. From what the scans can pick up, they are far weaker than us Thane, we will be safe landing if any of them spot us, even with their weapons” Ryla said confidently.

*

By the time they landed, Thane knew what he must do. The ship’s airlock hissed opened, and Thane and Ryla stepped out. They were greeted with an amazing sight, a thick, dense tangle of green vegetation, from which came a cacophony of sound. The newcomers had never heard anything like it before, the cries and shouts of so many beings running around the vegetation baffled their senses.

“It’s beautiful!” Ryla gasped

“It really is.” replied Thane stoically, as he raised the rock. The commander turned and started a scream that would never begin. Thane brought the rock down hard, over and over.

Once Ryla’s body stilled. Thane stood up and looked all around him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of hormone pills. Thane had stopped taking them a few days ago. Oxytocin they were called, all Exanimites were made to take two a day to make ensure that his people would work together. He dropped them to the floor, there was no need for them now. He had everything he could ever want right in front of him and no one to fight him for it. He also took off his watch, it was too far out of range for Exanimum to pick up, the only useful thing it had now was 20,000 credits. But what use were they here? He couldn’t buy things. He would have to find, and take. Thane looked to the sky as he threw the watch away, and saw them. Birds, real feathered birds circling up above. He could be happy here, he thought, and he knew exactly what to do.

Thane unhinged his jaws sickeningly wide and gave a cruel, harsh shriek as he walked steadily into the thick, dense green, ready to kill and eat every living thing he came across. This ‘Earth’ would be his. And so, unknowingly, Thane continued the work of his ancestors, killing every living thing and laying eggs in every carcass he could not consume. Soon Earth would be full of Thane’s descendants, a new, better Exanimum.