Challenges: SciFi Short Stories

The Choice of Umoanjah Useshen

The portal opens with a burst of purple lightning at the end of the corridor. A human figure comes out, fast on its toes, reaches the customs counter. Behind the counter dwells a blue fir shaped slimy creature. Her synthetic voice comes from the metallic holes on the gigantic green window. Each of her words are married with a white glow beaming out from the bouquet of rosette brains swimming at the core of the viscosity.

- "Welcome to Index sector. Declare your identity. Declare the purpose of your visit." declaims the creature, spitting light in reflections, painting the wall of the corridor into a kaleidoscope.

- "Hellébore DuPot! Florist! I am on an urgent delivery but a star storm is blocking the way. I wish to pass through the Index sector and get around it.", spouts Hellébore while she put her right hand on the glass.

The floating brains twinkle passionately. An endless rain of symbols pours out on the glass.

- "Identity confirmed. Hellébore Dupot, florist. As of today you are eligible for a two cycles visit authorisation. But before you can access the Index sector you need to make a choice."

- "A choice?", mutters Hellébore while the voice, intangible, continues her speech.

- "As defined in L-1753 law of Index sector. On access, every living entities must be attributed a unique name and registered. Thus access to the sector is prohibited until you choose a unique name for yourself. Waiting for user input!"

- "Hellébore Dupot!"

- "Already Taken, please choose something else."

- "How? Why? It's my name!"

- "Every living is allowed to choose the name he wants. FIFO."

- "Helleborus Niger!"

- "Taken"

- "Renonculace Dupot!"

- "Taken"

- "Topud Erobélleh"

- "Taken"

- "xXx Hellé2424 xXx"

- "Taken"

- "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

- "Taken"

... minutes passed, tensions grew, Hellébore's mind reaches madness, starts shooting unintelligible words, denied systematically by the glacial voice.

Exhausted, she takes a long pause, reminiscing all the events of her life, cherry picking letter by letter among her flourish memories.

- "U-m-o-a-n-j-a-h... U-s-e-s-h-e...n!" she enunciates. Her body breaks out in a cold sweat, on the verge of tears, she gazes desperately toward the creature.

- "Available. Do you want to choose it?"

- "Yea... Yeah! Do it! Do it now!"

- "Congratulations! You have chosen the name Umoanjah Useshen! As of now, with my authority I hereby grant you access to the Index sector."

- "Thank you! Thank you! I am leaving now before it's too late.", says in a hurry Hellébore rushing to the portal, before the voice stops her in her course.

- "Wait! You have the authorization, but not your cargo. As law dictates! Every LIVING must have a unique name, and your plants fall in this category."

Hellébore glowers at the window, her crazy eyes fumes bloods vapour as she exit to the portal.

The brains float casually in the slime that gradually lose it's fir shape.

The portal shuts off, the radio turns on, a warmth and spitting voice engulfs the corridor.

"... and this was the last hit of your favourite idol groups! Welcome back on Ga-Ga-Ga Galactic Radio! We wishes you happy festivities! The star storm at the entrance of the milky way is still raging. Everyone! Stay at home and move to a safe sector! By the way if you want to go through the Index sector, do not! I repeat! Do not transport any living thing but yourself or you may spend your festivities at their customs counter! And now, we will listen a hit for the season..."

A few seconds of blank silence from which emerges the voice, burning more than ever.

"Breaking news! A cargo is rushing into the star storm! Authorities are trying to halt the vessel but the it drives too dangerously for them to approach! We have a reading on the ship, it has been recently registered by Umoanjah Useshen! It just entered into the storm! I don't know how to describe it, its like black magic! The blade shaped vessel grazes and foils every ice fangs that hurls to it! Who is this perilous creature? Why did it choose to brave the deadly ice cold storm? Will it succeed and have his name carved into history as the first creature to vanquish the star storm! Stay Tune on Ga-Ga-Ga Galactic Radio!"

The radio turns off. The slime recomposes itself, the brains retake their place at the center glowing before the portal, lashing a single metallic word through the green window.

- "Next!"