Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

Tyunning- This Again?

The mission? Keep Hyuka away from the spaceship in the woods without killing him or hurting him. Doing either, results in disastrous futures far worse than letting him get to it.

The problem? The future where he does get it is pretty bad. Hurting him ends in planet destruction. Letting him go home ends in planet enslavement. All attempts to dissuade him away have failed. Taehyun figured he could give it a shot. The seniored employees at Area 51 (who failed) figured a younger mind might work better. They gave their junior squad a series of tests. Yeonjun Choi came out on top so he got to try first. He failed five times in a row. Taehyun Kang placed number two. He already failed once. Currently? He was getting ready to try again.

The planet Hyuka is from doesn't particularly like humans after the last time one of their species crash landed there. The government kept the alien locked up. All sorts of tests were run on it. Painful ones. Mad scientists turned that innocent creature into a something resembling ground beef by the time they were done experimenting. Ever since, earth became marked as "highly dangerous". If provoked again, an invasion or annihilation was in order.

Also unlucky for earth, this planet had time traveling abilities well before they did. All of earth's efforts to go into the past and send the original back was taken as an offensive, half assed, apology for their sadism. They hoped to form a symbiotic relationship the first time. After seeing earth's true colors? They'd rather do the universe a favor and kill them off instead.

Kai wasn't there by accident. The "alien" the humans killed was his father. When his father left, he had an incredibly valuable gem necklace that had been in his family for six generations. The material wasn't from earth. He knew the humans still had it for that reason. It was a "liquid" diamond chain with a striking blue eternal flame trapped in the frozen pale purple pearl. There was no replacing it considering how rare the materials were on his planet, let alone the universe.

10 earth years had passed since his father's death. Not a day went by where he didn't train to get it back. His fighting skills outmatched every Area 51 soldier. His ability to manipulate his body, enabled him to phase through walls and deflect bullets. Getting his necklace back was the easy part. The hard part came next.

The U.S government insisted that necklace was their property. Not Kai's. They unleashed billions in weapons to get it back. Their media painted Kai as the bad guy when everyone at the base knew the truth. When their planet's future seemed to end in tragedy, they had only one solution. Convince Kai to stay so that one day, he could go back with knowledge of the goodness in humanity rather than it's darkness. It was the only shot they had to a planet who wouldn't forget their sins.

Taehyun straightened his uniform out then asked his General "any advice?"

"Don't fuck up."

"Thanks..."

"Remember what happens when you do?"

"Yes sir. Planet destruction or enslavement."

The General noticed the slight doubt in his soldier. "What is it?"

"I fought for this country yet I can't help but feel shame when I think of what we did to his father. If an enemy territory did those awful things to my dad? I'd be equally as hateful too."

The General lit a fat cigar as an instinctive stress reliever. "I understand. For the first time in our planet's history, we have an opportunity to reset our past. Clearly, we haven't figured out how yet but we need to succeed. YOU need to succeed. The consequences are too great to fail."

"Yes sir. You'll get nothing but my best."

"Your best ranked you second. I need to see more or your future here may be in question. Yeonjun's certainly is."

"Yes sir." Everything Taehyun struggled and suffered for was on the line. He was apart of the strongest squadron in the whole world. Enemy soldiers trembled before them. What was next if he failed? Being a teacher to a bunch of brats? A security guard for a D-list celebrity with a god complex? This couldn't end. He was only in his twenties. He refused to peak in his twenties when he had so much more to give. His chances were running out. This one had to work.

Kai stood at the edge of the woods for the 18th time in this planet's month. He didn't even bother going to his ship. The second he did, a human would appear. He decided to wait to save his energy. Like clockwork, a human did appear. "Do you understand how annoying your species is? Who's next? The one you call God himself?"

"No although I suppose you're a God of sorts."

"To you. As I've told the last human, your species is quite pathetic. Your fragile skin alone makes me question how your haven't died off eons ago."

"What else did you tell the last man who came here?"

"Did your boss not show you the tape?"

"It was classified. I only got the spark notes version."

"I'm not sure what 'spark notes' is. I assume you mean a summary?"

"Yes."

Kai found this human amusing. He looked clueless compared to the rest who strutted in with a moronic plan. "My leader gives me a video with every interaction on this planet. Since I came here, we've actually been broadcasting the feed. I'm told there's bets on how many times my leader will let this continue before we invade again."

"That's sick! We're just entertainment to you?! How is your planet even viewing us?!"

Kai pointed to the sky. "Your satellites are a few hundred upgrades behind. Easy to override. I'm sure no human even noticed an interference. Am I correct?"

Taehyun was modified from knowing his boss wasn't the only one watching his every move. An entire other planet was getting a front row seat to his career going down the drain. "What would it take for you to stay? We're prepared to give anything."

"There is nothing your planet has to offer that I can't obtain in mine. What I fail to understand is why they sent you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're supposed to be representing humanity correct? You're supposed to prove you aren't all ravaging beasts who only act on dark impulses fueled by money or pride? Aren't you suppose to be representing earth's voice of reason?"

"I suppose I didn't think of it that way..."

"Did you think at all?"

Taehyun snapped. "I don't know! All I know is that my family doesn't deserve to suffer for something they had no part in! A few humans hurt your father. Not the rest of us! One group isn't representative of how incredible humans are as a whole!"

"I'm sure that's how the children of your victims felt when you shot their parents in war. That one group of soldiers couldn't possibly represent humanity as a whole. That they should forgive you despite their loved ones being taken from them. Is that what you're telling me soldier? Those children should forgive you and your nation for killing their parents because you were just doing your job?"

"I'm not asking for forgivenes..." Taehyun took his hat off and held it over his heart. "I'm going to hell. Each life that I took was a permanent sin for which I deserve a punishment. All I'm saying is, those children who were left orphaned because of me don't deserve the future that only you seem to give. You're the turning point for my race. Don't let them suffer twice. Please..."

Kai walked until he was so close to the human that he was practically breathing on him. Fury rung in his voice. He firmly stated "I was that orphan you claim to take such pity on! The government you work for and fought for tortured my father beyond recognition. You then stole my family jewel and claimed it as your own! That orphan? That was ME. Little Kai grew up resenting everything you stand for. All I wanted was my father's jewel back! Then! I got trapped in a time loop, a practical prison which I can never leave, because YOUR planet is selfish! I don't care how often this happens. I'm never telling my leader you deserve to be spared because you don't. They can see it too. Feel free to reset now. I'm leaving."

This was a lost cause and Taehyun damn well knew it. Going back with bad news was like one more thread breaking in the rope holding his life together. He failed twice. If denied, he was going to beg to try again. Third time was the charm. At least that's what he kept telling himself on the walk back to the portal point. He had to succeed. If he didn't, he wouldn't get another chance to again.