Science Fiction Smack Down 2017

Round 4: Telmantian Subjugation

Major Alex Brandel marched down the brightly lit corridor to the office of his superior. The passageway was wide and completely uniform with the walls, floors, and ceiling looking identical with featureless gray metal. Only the lighting strips along the edges of the ceiling and floor deviated from the plain design.

Before Alex could reach the office door, he was met by another officer. Instead of the dark blue of the United States Air Force Alex was wearing, the other man was clad in the olive green of the Russian Army. In addition to their uniforms, the two men had many differences. Alex was tall with light brown hair while the Russian was an inch shorter, more muscular, and the black hair atop his head merged seamlessly with his full beard to leave only his eyes and nose visible.

"Captain Dimitri Glazkov," Alex said in recognition of the broad shouldered man approaching him. "It's been how long?"

"Three years," Dimitri answered, embracing his friend in a giant hug, a wide smile showing through his beard. "It's good to see you again, tovarich."

"Any idea why we've been called in?" Alex questioned.

"Nyet," Dimitri denied. "Let's find out."

Alex nodded his agreement and pressed a hand against the door to the office of his superior. "Brandel, Alex, Major."

When the voiceprint and palm scan had been verified, the metal under his hand lit up green momentarily before the door opened. The metal partition softened before retracting like a curtain being pulled aside. When the two men entered the office, the door straightened out, returning to its former position and solid form.

Like the corridor outside, the room was the same blank metal on all sides and illuminated by a lighting strip along the ceiling and floor near the walls. One difference from the hallway was the addition of a window on the left hand wall. A circular transparency created a view across the crater filled landscape toward the blue sphere of Earth rising beyond the lunar horizon.

Sitting on the floor behind a low plank of a desk was Alex's commanding officer. Draped in shimmering black fabric, the alien's five foot tall, teardrop shaped body narrowed down to a short and pointed tail. Each of the six appendages supporting the alien resembled the prehensile tail of a possum with the exception of being reddish orange in color and a foot in diameter at their widest point. Five eyestalks, each supporting a single red orb at the end, extended out three inches from the upper section of its rounded body because the alien didn't have either a skull or a head.

Small rectangular boxes were supported on each flank with a connecting strap between them, giving them the appearance of technological saddlebags. Louvers opened and closed on the boxes in a resemblance of shark gills as the devices processed the atmosphere and provided for the alien's need of carbon monoxide.

"Greetings, Kasska Gaviter," Alex said, using the Telmantian custom of saying the name before the rank. "Reporting for duty as ordered."

Kasska held the position of Gaviter, or supervisor, and its job focused on all things relating to the Earth, including the people like Alex and Dimitri, who were enlisted in the service of the Telmantians.

"Give your report on the Falklands and the activity there" Kasska instructed. Its native dialect sounded similar to someone walking, and occasionally getting stuck, in ankle deep mud. A device attached just below the eyestalks lit up with a multitude of diminutive lights as it processed the language into something the two humans could understand.

"Last month, on April second, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and assumed compete control from the British," Alex reported.

The majority of the eyestalks shifted to focus on Dimitri. "What response has there been?"