Astrid and The Space Pirates

Prologue

“It has come to my attention that, whilst we, Insegin D, have attempted to peacefully observe Terra from a safe distance, its primary "intelligent" inhabitants have protested our presence in their solar system and have begun to prepare to retaliate."

The voice was almost completely static, though a robotic edge was discernible through the muffled speakers.

"We have decided that humanity is unappreciative of their resources, nature, and the vastness of the universe they have been blessed with living in, and therefore we will fight you with all the weapons and power that all great Docusa has blessed us with. I would suggest that you tread carefully when you object to our authority, as I will not hesitate to exterminate you if we decide that is what's best for the cosmos."

The screen snapped to darkness for a few brief, never-ending moments, before switching back to the national news channel, where the news anchor sat, eyes glazed with a confused terror.

Whoever had made their voice heard through the millions of televisions across the globe had not been at all familiar to most people, and it defied the emotions and behaviours of the average human mind. It was robotic and monotone, yet full of rage and spite for its listeners. It was flat yet determined. Soulless, yet courageous.

…

“Life on other planets has become common knowledge across Terra over the last 20 thousand years. While our world is ancient, some others in the Local Group of galaxies have managed to outpace us when it comes to technology and scientific knowledge.”

A few days after the incident, many journalists and news stations had eaten up any information about the incident and began covering it obsessively.

“Thankfully, all known intelligent species had decided to cooperate peacefully with the other worlds around them, meaning that there was no need for us to worry about how powerful they are.”

Doors and windows had been boarded up with anything they could find.

“However, the incident that occurred last Saturday has caused many people to reconsider this notion. While some believed that the speech may have just been a hoax or prank by hackers, possibly to cause this exact outcry and plant paranoia in the minds of our people, many are becoming concerned about what this could mean for the peaceful alliances that we have formed through our intergalactic travels.”

…

“BREAKING NEWS: It has been confirmed that the message that was sent out to the entirety of the earth last month was, in fact, a real declaration of war by Tenashi, the leader of Docusa, a planet named by humans as Kepler-442. It appears that Insegin Docusa, while being a relatively young society in comparison to humanity, has formed a colossal military and has been discretely manipulating events in the Local Group for the last 5 thousand years.”

Screams hung in the air alongside the thick ash that coated the skies.

“While we are still unsure of the details, it appears that Insegin have managed to hide in completely plain sight from us for this amount of time, until now, when they made the supposed judgement that we are taking the world for granted.”

A small child grabbed onto the hand of a rapidly crumbling form.

“They have begun to attack many first-world countries, attempting to deplete their resources and population as much and as quickly as possible.”

“Ah yes, this one seems young and healthy enough to be of use.”

A sharp and blistering pain, rapidly multiplying eyes through a smudged haze.

“They have also been abducting groups of people from their works and homes. Their reasoning for this is currently unknown. However, it seems like they have a particular interest in capturing children from the ages of 6 to 15.”

Freezing fingers gripped and pulled against soft flesh, feet slapped against the ground rapidly as rapid breaths slowed.

“Please be safe, and pray.”

Nothing.

…

It was cold, that's all she could make out from the haze of unconsciousness. A thick and oppressive silence coated the air, only slightly punctured by the quiet, continuous buzzing of the fluorescent lights.

The last few months had been a blur, being dragged in every direction by hands so strong that they almost dislocated her arm from its socket. Test after test, she remembered, having her heart rate checked, her blood stolen from her arms, and so many others that she couldn't remember because she was too focused on keeping her eyes open.