Earthian

Gloss

Owijer. He’s unmistakable, and I’m amazed at just how easy it is to tell two of these aliens apart. If someone put two squid in a tank and asked me to recognize them by face, I couldn’t do it. But the Seelio… their features are as big and bright as a cartoon character’s. They’re human-like somehow, despite having heads like half-filled water balloons and mouths surrounded by tentacles.

So many tentacles.

Owijer stretches up on his tippy-tentacles and waves again. He’s got on a big smile, looking as eager as I am on pancake day.

So I start to walk, and I hear other shoes on the carpet around me. June bounds forward, and I grab the loop on her backpack to slow her down.

It’s right about then, mid-stride, that something funny strikes me. I’m walking. Pretty casually, actually. On the Moon. Why aren’t I bouncing like a spastic kangaroo? By all rights, I should be on my face right now, but I’m not.

At the same time, the metal chain around my neck seems to be bouncing oddly. You know how you never notice your jewelry unless it does something weird? Yeah, well I’m noticing it right now.

As we near the speckled little blue being, I’m struck by his size. Now, I have to be completely honest with you… I’m not a tall guy. I tell people I’m 5’5”, but there’s at least a half-inch of fiction in there, and if my folks are any indication, this is the end of the line for me.

When I get near Owijer though, it’s like I’m standing in front of a sixth grader. Even June is a head taller than him, and she’s not even five-foot yet.

She giggles, and Owijer’s cheeks blush green.

“Hello! Hell-OH!” he says cheerily. As he speaks, the small robots hovering above him are glancing around, watching everything with the big lenses on their heads. Made of shiny plastic in pastel colors, they’re nevertheless shaped like humans… like tiny chubby babies who are lounging around in the air.

The robots wander away from Owijer, and they each take up posts above the candidates. Mine is a shade of blue-green, and he offers a wave of his pudgy little hand.

I shrug, smile and wave back, while June’s arm is swinging around so hard, I’m worried she might dislocate her shoulder.

“Welcome to Valiant Base, new friends. As I’m sure you know, I’m Owijer Tot-Alain, official representative of the Seelio, and administrator of the Peacekeeper Project. You can just call me Owijer, if you like.”

He dances lightly on his four stubby leg-tentacles as he speaks, and I can’t help but smile. There’s something so charming about him and his sing-song way of talking that I just want to walk up and pinch his cheek.

He goes on. “I’ve searched across undiscovered star systems great and small, facing dangers as I had never thought possible, and all of it to find you… an amazing and altruistic species, and you six individuals in particular who are most extraordinary among your kind.”

I frown while a ripple of self-doubt wiggles inside of me. I’ve never felt extraordinary. I think I’m pretty good sometimes, but I’ve never really managed to stand out. How on Earth is this happening to me?

“Should you graduate from training here at Valiant Base… and I have no doubt you will… you’ll all become the first Star League Peacekeepers, charged with defending the entire League against dangers inside and out.”

“Mr. Owijer,” June says. Of course she’s the first one to interrupt him. “What is the Star League exactly?”

Is she taking notes on her tablet?