And So, It Begins
by painebook
"Lieutenant Zanthar. Your child is a distraction to the ship's crew every single day."
Looking up from her monitoring station, Char smiled. "I believe all life is sacred. What the Universal Life Force does cannot be stopped. Coincidentally, I brought a child into His realm."
"You are the only crewmember who refused birth control."
"And there are some who wish they had a son like mine."
"We don't need to have that argument again. I'm thankful to have him, but he's becoming more of a problem." Captain Sendus, a fifty-year veteran of the Galaxy Warders, sighed audibly. "The crew either loves him or tolerates him. He is beginning his teen years and can be difficult."
"During the seventh cycle of our twenty-year mission to study the third planet in this system, Leeod came into being."
"I know." Despite himself, Sendus smiled. "I witnessed the birth, since you decided not to reveal who the father is."
"That was and still is my choice. Another argument we should not revisit, I think." The edges of her lips turned down. "What has he done this time?"
"I had to shut down the hydroponic farm. For the third time this month." Sendus sent a video of water gushing onto the deck. "I still don't know how he did it."
"Oh, my."
"You must get him under control. We need the food supplies. If he keeps interfering with the operation of the ship, I'll place him in stasis for the duration of the mission."
"He's just a boy. We have one year left on the assignment. I'm sure that I can keep Leeod gainfully occupied for that long." Char linked her screen to Sendus' to change the subject. "I have an update for you. Notice the status of the planet. If you look at the graphs on the monitor, you can see that the effects of the plague have diminished somewhat over the past two years. Unfortunately, more than half the population died. This could be the opportunity we've been waiting for. As the resident anthropologist, I believe it is time for me to visit the surface to observe firsthand what happened."
"Where do you recommend I send you?" Sendus pointed out the epicenter of the initial outbreak, a heavily populated region on the landmass. "To the eastern part where the plague began, or to the western part, the one most affected."
"I doubt I can pass for an easterner although you could. I don't have epicanthal folds." Char laughed at the captain's expression. "It's the eyes. I don't have the correct facial features. I should blend in nicely with the people of the large peninsula in the southern part, the one that looks like a boot.
Images of the indigenous population flashed across the screen. There was a distinct difference between those of the East and West.
"I agree." Sendus leaned back in his command chair, squinting at the images through dark almond-shaped eyes while running his hand through his jet-black hair. "Isn't it strange how this planet evolved along much the same lines as our home world?"
Bowing her head and placing her hand over her heart, Char closed her eyes. "I give thanks to the Universal Life Force every day that this is so."
"Just remember those people down below may look like you but do not believe as you do. They may hurt you if you expose such things to them." Sendus leaned forward, thrusting his face at the monitor. "Find out what they think, believe, how they've reacted to this malady. It will give us information to present for their possible admission to the Galaxy Community."
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