Race to the end

RaceTTEnd 2

“You found nothing?!” Embri said crossing her arms, an unsatisfied look on her face. I pondered my response before I said anything.

“Yes, I couldn’t find any new fossils, but that does not mean that there are not anymore” I said sitting down in my chair at the head of the table. Embri watched me for some time before turning away and addressing the whole table.

“The mating programme is working effectively and enough offspring are being born” Tali down the table raised her hand, Embri nodded at her.

“By my calculations we will have reached sustainable capacity in...” she glanced at some paper next to her “two years” I smiled down at her. She was the expert in mathematics though her assistant Gomi was a close second. Embri wrote this down, keeping the minutes in check. I cleared my throat and spoke to the whole table.

“Is there anything more that people wish to discuss?” I looked up and down the table slowly. Some shook their heads, Mardi nodded slowly. I waved my hand at her and nodded, indicating that she could speak. She cleared her throat nervously and then spoke in a quiet voice.

“The celebration of the moon is in a week” She wet her lips nervously “Could I possibly have a team at my disposal to help with the organisation?” I nodded smiling at this girl. She was new to the hub. I thought for a second, all eyes trained on me. I then ran down a few names of the people that she could use, Embri writing them down on a piece of paper. I then sent for the messenger. Hemal strutted in and stood waiting my instruction.

“Could you inform all these people” I handed him the list “That they are to help with the celebration of the moon” Hemal nodded and took the list, as he turned to leave I stopped him “Could you also bring me the book of law”. I heard mutterings around me and people’s eyes flicked back and forth between me and elsewhere. Hemal left and the silence that filled the air was thick enough to be cut. I clasped my hands together and spoke loudly.

“I have some information that is vital to our species” All ears appeared to prick up as I spoke. I scratched my hand lightly. “It would appear that back when our ancestors roamed this world, their harboured... feelings” I spoke slowly feeling the new and old word on my tongue. The silence seemed to quieten. “The book of law, describes that feelings are emotions, for the chemists that’s an increase in endorphins or an increase in Serotonin” I took a breath unable to describe them well enough. As if saved, Hemal walked in the book in his arms. He laid it gently in front of me and then left. I opened it slowly, finding the page near the back “It says that: Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences” Many people nodded at me while some looked blank. I licked my lips and tried to explain it simpler “The chemicals in our bodies or what we are doing or where we are, effects how we feel, how we act, and respond” More people nodded at me. Ribo next to me, who had been silent until now spoke.

“Is this something we should be worrying about?” He sounded unclear on the situation, and truthfully so was I. I frowned, flicking through the pages in the book. “From the archives we found many stories about emotions causing havoc and mayhem, even destruction” I paused “Yes, this could be a problem” I closed the book setting my hands on top of it “If anyone has any response that is out of the normal then you must report it to myself, Ribo, Embri or Rasha” People nodded their heads around the room. Rasha was the head of Biology and I had been working with her closely on this. I stood and crossed my arms over my chest. I bowed my head and said “Aeternum Sumus”. Then Ribo stood doing the same and then Embri. The rest of the hub then stood and said it. We all looked around at each other and then I left through the door.

I pushed the green hued carpet hanging from the doorway, and stepped out into the hubbad. Small house dotted the place with smoke and water flowing around. I walked past these houses to near the end of the row. I tapped a rock near the side of a green hued house and felt the hum of the laser over me. It soon left and I stepped past into the curtain separating the world out there from our homes. The hubbad was a cover for any rebels or evolved species with degraded intelligence. The rock activated a scanner and had everyone registered into it. I of course created it, and the invisible shield which protected the Hubbard. The Hubbard was our real home. Here it was shielded from the green sun. Electronics whirred in every home, the houses were expertly made, and many people lived here.

It was the perfect place.