Earth's First Envoy

A short story by Jono Shields.

Day 6 - Earth Envoy 00001

Up until now Clinkax had met many people of note, the farmer that hadn’t taken too kindly to them landing in the field and disrupting the cows. The man in the grey airforce fatigues that had been so wary to shake their pretarsus (insect claw). They had researched much on their 5 year journey here, but nothing compared to the real thing.

Many things were as expected, but peoples reactions were not. Some seemed to fear them, some looked at them with disgust. And everyone else just seemed on edge. They just had to remind themselves that they hadn’t seen a 7 foot tall insect that spoke near perfect English before. There was bound to be tension. But here we are. There’s no going back now. Cats out of the bag Clinkax thought, pleased with his use of an idiom, even if only in his head. He would have to remember that for later.

Today they would be meeting someone that humans decided to be even more important. They had been invited to speak to the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Umesha Patel.

“We are please to welcome you not just to Earth, but here to London and the United Kingdom”, Umesha said.

“Thank you for your kindness and hospitality”, Clinkax replied. “This is an experience I have been looking forward to for a long time now”.

“I’m glad. If there is anything we can do to be of assistance during your stay, please let us know”, Umesha did her best to hide her nervousness. “And I don’t mean to be forward, but is there a specific purpose behind your journey to Earth?”.

“Oh yes, right down to business. I like your attitude”, Clinkax smiled (as best he could with his mandibles). “Well, the short of it is that I have travelled here to behalf of the United Galactic Alliance to invite you, well Earth, to become a member”, they stumbled over their words slightly.

“Although, we have some conditions”, Clinkax added.

“Oh, okay. That is a lot. I’m going to need some coffee. Can I get you anything?”, Umesha asked.

“I understand. Some sugar syrup if you have any would be great. I believe that will meet my needs well”, they replied back. He laid back attempting to use his body language to convey a relaxed and amicable state.

Over the next few hours, they discussed matters in detail. Clinkax had indeed already identified that the United Nations would be the best council for their mission. However meeting Umesha was a low stake way to test the waters.

“So, let me make sure I understand” Umesha tried to clarify. “The alliance is purely for the transfer of knowledge across star systems. Are agreements of trade or immigration part of this?”.

“Correct” Clinkax replied. “Your star system is so far from others in the alliance that it would not make sense to discuss trade or immigration. Although down the line that may become a possibility”.

“And you mentioned conditions?” Umesha asked.

“Yes. Although we are flexible here too.” Clinkax said. “Initially the agreement would be in a trial state, you would only be able to send and receive limited information for the benefit of Earthkind”.

“All advanced technical knowledge that has potential to cause harm would be restricted, this includes things such as near to light speed travel, nuclear fusion techniques, et cetera”, Clinkax went on.

“At least until you meet our guidelines for what we define as Sentient Rights. While humanity has come a long way in the past millennia, we still observe a preference to self over others”.

“Oh”, Umesha said cautiously.

“This is usually a difficult concept to convey for envoys like myself, but it seems you already have a word for it. Altruism. We certainly for example couldn’t continue any further until things like slavery are forbidden an Earth collective like the UN”.

“Sorry”, Umesha replied. “I’m not sure about the depth of your research, but the UN has a Universal Declaration of Human Rights that tackles issues like slavery”.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, I should have been more clear”, Clinkax responded, trying to relax and be kind while pointing out Umesha’s mistake. “The problem in that document is the word human, your species does a fantastic job of looking out for their own kind. But to this day holds millions of others in servitude and kills billions each year”.

“Creatures with exoskeletons similar to myself have no rights here”, Clinkax said. Umesha now realised that they referred to animals reared for agriculture.

They went on, “I understand that I am an exception here, and not just because my species is more developed than your average insect. But because of the manner in which I arrived. The United Galactic Alliance is made up of all kinds. And its our job to ensure the ongoing safety of our people and yours”.

Umesha sat there quietly, her mind racing.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I may have come on a bit strong here”, said Clinkax attempting to get the conversation headed back in a more positive direction.

“No, no. What you say is accurate. And it is fair to expect kindness and grace from those with whom you wish to build a relationship”, Umesha replied.

“Non-human slavery is just an example…”, Clinkax went on. “From our studies, it seems your society regularly prioritises the wants of a few over the needs of many. There are many living in poverty while some have more wealth than they could use in 10,000 lifetimes.”

“The last thing we want is to see our impact here have ruinous effects on you, the other species here or the planet itself. We need to trust that the technology we share won’t be used to fuel wars, spur divide or create famine.”

“We have been watching eagerly for the last millenia and believe that humanity is nearing at a tipping point. Perhaps we might help you to deliver the coup de grâce to the evils that have plagued humanity for centuries.”