A living room in Peoria, IL. Three years after the first NATO assault on Lagos.
“Hold it steady, hold it steady.” The camera comes into focus. An older man switches his gaze from the TV playback to the lens. “Good, good, that’s good.” His gives the cameraman a thumbs up. A long, gray arm reaches forward into the shot to mimic to the gesture. “OK Karen, go ahead,” he says.
A middle-aged woman comes into view next to the man. The pair stands in front of a red brick fireplace. The mantle is covered with cards, and stockings hang waving slightly in the breeze generated from the heat of the fire. To either side of the fireplace bare, beige wall is visible. A small end table barely sneaks into the frame at the left. It has a small bowl of nuts on it. “I’m so nervous,” says the woman to her husband.
“Just look at the camera.” He points to the lens, “Not me, the camera.” She giggles.
“They’re going to think their grandparents are a bunch of ditzes,” says the voice behind the lens. “You’re not making a very good impression.” The cameraman chuckles.
“Ok, ok.” Karen shakes her head vigorously as if to shrug off her nervousness. She stares into the camera. “Hello, my name is Karen Turner, and this is my husband Jake Turner.” He gives the camera a wave. “We’re your grandparents, or great grandparents, or whatever. I guess it depends on how far this tape gets passed down.” She bows. “um... I don’t know where to begin.”
“Why don’t you tell them why we’re making the tape Karen,” says Jake.
She turns to her husband. “Ok, good idea.” She faces the camera again. “Why are we making this tape? Well, we’re not going to be around forever, and we wanted you to know us, who we are. We wanted you to see us, to experience a little bit of our lives, sort of as a keepsake. That’s why we’re making this tape.”
Jake continued, “We’re figuring that you’ll have a lot of questions about your ancestors, now that we’re not around anymore. You’ll probably be bugging your parents to tell you what we looked like and how we lived and all. You are so different than we are, and you won’t be able to see us in your own face, so I guess that this is the next best thing isn’t it?”
Karen rolled up the sleeves of her thick red sweater. She spread her fingers and rotated her arms around. “Well, for one thing, we’re all pink, or is it peach? I guess it doesn’t matter, we’re this color.”
“And we’ve got this stuff on our heads, it’s called hair. Just like a dog has, or sort of,” said Jake. “It doesn’t smell bad when it gets wet.” He rubbed the hair on his head. Karen followed suit, pulling the bobby pins out of her bun and letting her long hair fall freely around her face.
“We’re pretty sure you would have had brown hair, even though Jake’s is now mostly white. It’s kind of fun to have hair, it’s too bad that you guys are missing out.”
“Please,” says the voice behind the lens, “and spend $50 a month on shampoo and haircuts? Trust me Mom, you’re better off without it. I can jump right out of bed without looking like a mess.”
Karen moved out of the frame. Jake continued, “Well, I mean, I don’t know what else I can tell you about how we look.” He spun around slowly. “You’ve pretty much seen it all I guess. Hopefully you don’t find us too ugly you know.”
“Show them this, show them this,” said Karen returning to view. She held up a small, black box with a hinged lid.
“Oh yeah. Hopefully you’ll know what this is anyway, but maybe seeing us with it can provide you with a stronger link. This is a remembrance box.”
“They’re the latest thing,” interrupted Karen, “Everybody’s got them now.” Jake looked at her. “Oh I’m sorry, you tell them.”
Jake opened the lid. “Inside there’s a picture of us, a few actually, plus older photos of our parents. We’ve also got a little family tree. We want you to know where you came from. That’ll help you become a strong adult.
“Yeah, everybody’s got to know where they came from. You’ve got to remember your roots.”
“We’ve also got a few locks of hair, just so you can see. Plus there’s two blood samples, one from me and one from your grandmother. They’re for... they’re for...” he choked up a little.
“They’re for... ‘just in case,’” finished Karen. “I mean you never know about the future right? Maybe we can’t pass our genes along in the regular way, but maybe they’ll be some new way someday.”
Jake recovered. “Well, at least you’ll always be able to say you’ve got your grandparents’ genes,” he chuckled. “Even if you just keep them in a box.” He closed the lid and placed it on the table besides the nuts. “I hope that you guys will keep us in mind as you get older, and try to live right you know?”
“Yeah, remember, we love you dearly. No matter where you go and what you do, we’ll always be looking down on you, remember that. You’ll never be alone.” Karen started sniffling.
As she wiped a tear from her eye with a tissue, Jake said, “I guess that’s it. Keep the Turner name in good standing son. You’re the guardian of it now. It’s up to you. We’re counting on you. And remember, whatever Todd tells you about how he was a good kid, don’t believe it, he was a hellion. I hope you’re as big a pain in the neck to him as he was to us.”
“Oh stop Jake.” She addresses the camera, “He’s just kidding really. We know you’ll be good and you’ll do great things in life,” sobbed Karen, “We love you very much, you’ll always have a part of us inside you. Make us proud.” She grabs her husband and hugs him tightly, burying her face in his chest.
“Ok, I guess that’s it. Todd, turn off the tape.” The camera flips over, showing mostly floor.
“Where’s the button Dad?” says the voice.
“It’s on the side, gimme that thing.” The camera shakes violently a few times, then the tape ends.
Five years, three months after the Pliedian Spearhead declared war on humanity. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivorie
Franklin sat in the garden and waited calmly. He liked coming to the garden. The trees here were beautiful, the flowers constantly grew and bloomed, occasionally a lizard would run across the flagstone path. It was peaceful here. There was no war in the garden, there was no death or logistics or reporters in the garden. There was only peace. He occasionally brought work out here with him, if some order needed to be reviewed, if some secret mission needed to be assigned. But not today. Today Franklin sat and waited and prayed.
The air over the city was quiet this at this hour. The relentless bombing had ceased for now. No one in the capital city would die on this day. The sound of anti-aircraft fire would not be heard. It was a beautiful morning, a little humid, but not too hot just yet. The sky was clear. Franklin took a deep breath and waited.
A helicopter flew overhead. It came to a landing on the pad outside of the compound. “It wouldn’t be long now,” he thought. He looked up at the sky and tried to stare through the blue atmosphere to see the stars. “Why haven’t you come?” he thought. “Why have you left us here like this?”
A few minutes later the door to the garden opened. Franklin stood up from his stone bench to greet the envoy. Enoch came through first, dapper in his dress uniform. “Franklin?” he said, “The envoy is here.” Behind him, still partially lost in the darkness of the hallway stood a figure.
“Thank you Enoch. Please leave us.” He said. He had noticed a slight stammer in Enoch’s voice, perhaps a small tear was in the corner of his eye. Franklin felt the same way, but he couldn’t show it. He had to be brave, he had to be strong; for his army, for his species, for himself. Enoch stepped aside and allowed the envoy to enter the garden. He then stepped back into the corridor and closed the banded wooden door behind him. The sound of the door creaking echoed noisily in the enclosed courtyard.
At first, Franklin didn’t know what to make of the envoy. She appeared to be wearing a hood of some sort. As she came into the light, Franklin could see that it was a habit. The woman was a nun. She stepped forward briskly and lifted the fabric to reveal her face. It was one that Franklin recognized immediately despite the extra years chiseled into it.
“Sister Mary Helen?” he said apprehensively, as if unsure of his own eyes.
“Franklin my dear. I’m so happy to see you again.” She held out her hands to hug her former ward. The leader didn’t know how to respond exactly, but he eventually fell into her arms and gave the diminutive nun a strong hug.
“Sister, what are you doing here? This place isn’t safe. I had no idea you were still alive.” He tried to maintain a formal posture befitting to a head of state, but it was difficult. The nun was the closest thing he had to a mother.
“Oh don’t worry about me Franklin, I know I’m perfectly safe with you. Let’s sit.” The two sat on the stone bench overlooking the fountain in the middle of the garden.
They sat partially facing each other. The nun held Franklin’s hands in her lap. “You’re the envoy they sent?” he said.
“It seems that way, doesn’t it Franklin?” she giggled.
“Because they figured that you are the only one who I would trust.”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe that’s part of it dear. But it was my idea really. I’ve never been to Africa before you know. I wanted to see it before I die.”
“Don’t say things like that Sister.”
“No point in denying in Franklin, I’m almost ninety. I’ll be kicking off pretty soon. I’ve got cancer.”
“Say it isn’t so Sister.”
“Oh I’m afraid it is. But don’t worry about me, I’ve led a good life. I’m not worried about what happens next. I’m glad I have this chance to see you once again though. You were always one of my favorites you know, Father Blythe’s too. He used to always talk about you. He hoped that you would follow in his footsteps.”
“Don’t talk about Father Blythe Sister. I don’t want to talk about him. You’ve come to negotiate terms of surrender.”
“Well, I suppose, I mean... that’s what they told me. Of course I’ve never been much of a politician or anything, so I don’t know why they wanted to send little old me for this task. Mostly I just wanted to see you again.” She stood up and walked over to the fountain. “There aren’t any coins in the fountain. Don’t you ever make wishes?”
“I used to Sister, but not any more. Wishes don’t come true. At least none of my ever did.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case.”
“Listen Sister, I am happy to see you again, I really am, but I can’t concentrate on catching up with you. We’re here to talk about the terms of the Spearhead’s surrender.”
“Your surrender!” the nun said with shock, “You’ve got it wrong son, I came to talk about
our
surrender. You’ve won.”
Franklin stood up violently. “Stop kidding around.”
“I’m not kidding around,” replied the nun gently. “I’m here to tell you that you’ve won. We give up.”
“How can you say that Sister. My army lies in ruins. There are only pockets of resistance left. We’ve got no food, no weapons, no air support, nothing left. We’ve steadily lost popular support. The NATO army is only days away from capturing Abidjan. The war is over. How can you say we’ve won?”
She walked over to him and took his hands. “Franklin dear, look at your goals. What have you been fighting for all these years? You wanted equality, you wanted freedom from persecution, you wanted a place that you and your alien friends could call their own. You’ve got all that. You’ve won the war. I mean, look at the world these days. It’s what, eighty-five percent alien? And how long has it been since there was a natural human birth? We’re done for as a species. It’s your planet now. Who do you think you’ve been fighting? There aren’t any humans left in NATO. It’s over. Tell your men to put down their arms and celebrate your victory.”
“But it’s still a human world, with human values.”
“Maybe for now, but remember Franklin, all civilizations are built on the ruins of their predecessors. We’ve passed the torch on to you. It’s your world now. As time goes by we’ll be more and more forgotten and our values will be replaced by your children’s. It’s the way of the world.”
“Why come to me with this Sister? Why are you negotiating anything? We can’t stop the NATO army. Why’re they coming to me like this now? Why not just finish it.”
She took his hands. “They don’t want you dead Franklin. In fact, they want you very much alive. They want you to be part of their government. They want you to work with them, not against them. They need you, they need your strength, they need your guidance. They want you to stand with them when the real Pliedians come.”
Franklin threw down Mary Helen’s hands and walked away. “What the hell are you talking about? After all I fought for? After all I’ve done and all I’ve believed in, they want me to switch sides and support the humans against the Pliedians? Are they crazy? Go back and tell them to resume their bombing.” He turned away from her and stared at the vine-covered wall, suppressing a sniffle.
She followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. “No, Franklin, you’ve got it wrong. You’re not Pliedian, you’re an Earthling. That’s what they want you to understand. That’s what they sent me to tell you. Don’t you understand you’ve been building a world for these extra-terrestrials without even knowing who or what they are? You don’t share their values. You share ours. You’re not an alien, you are a son of Earth. Even if you are at odds with the human species, and God knows that you have plenty of reasons for that, you share our core values about life. You believe in a God, you appreciate our standards of beauty. Look at this garden of yours Franklin. It isn’t a Pliedian garden, it is an Earth garden, filled with the things that make Earth beautiful. Whose language do you speak? Whose clothes do you wear? Who taught you about art, morality, culture? You aren’t an alien my child, you are one of us. What do you think will happen when the Pliedians get here? They’ll try to instill their civilization on you, they’ll try to make you believe the things they believe, worship the things that they worship, love the things that they love. And that’s not you, that’s none of us, be it human or alien. We’re all the same.” He turned to her.
“Franklin, we need you. You’ve fought for Earth for so long, you’ve fought for freedom for your people. Now your people need you most of all. We need you to stand with us against some foreign race from a planet far, far away that’s going to do who knows what when they get here. You think that you’ve been oppressed by humans? You think that you’ve been denied your freedom to choose to live the life you want? Well wait until the real aliens come. Then you’ll see that you share so much more with us then you do with them. It’s your planet now Franklin, and I know you, you’ll never let anyone take it away from you, no matter what they look like. I’ve spoken to the President about this at length. We know that when the time comes, you’ll fight with us, not against us. I was just sent to make you believe that now, before one more earthling gets hurt in our stupid civil war. We’re both fighting for the same side. Let’s end it now and start working together for a new world, a world for
earthlings
, not for ‘humans’ or ‘aliens,’ or even Pliedians. You have a choice Franklin. You can help shape that world, or you can die, here in the jungle and it’ll happen anyway. Hasn’t half of your army already defected?”