SciFi Files

Last Request

"All right all right, I'll tell you the story of how Karrick joined the family. For the millionth time. Ever.

"Yes, Minna, I understand it's not the millionth time.

"You've been keeping count? 33, then. For the 33rd time. Not that it's much of a difference. Yes, I understand there is a difference of 999-whatever. Shut up and let me talk.

"So I was at home, in this very house, with Auntie Jillian here, but she was just a little girl back then. Your size, Minna. Fun size like the candy bar.

"Now this was back during the Invasion time, there were fric-doggone aliens everywhere and you didn't know when one would show up at your house to destroy you. But we earthlings were fighting back, almost winning....but there was the one alien we couldn't beat and that was Karrick here. He and the legions were takin over our cities like they were park place and....whatever the other one's called. Don't interrupt me!

"If there was one quality aliens had, it was righteousness. Theyall wanted to take the earth because us humans were evil, evil beings. Back then there weren't none of those fancy UV blockades in the atmosphere or waste disposal treatments. We just had a lot of pollution and stuff. We were trying though, starting to make things good. The aliens didn't get that, they were too advanced then for us and didn't believe in second chances.

"So I wasn't really scared when the aliens showed up in our town. And Karrick, on this. Very. Doorstep. D-don't interrupt me! I was not scared! Jill and I had nothing much to lose right? But we wanted to live, because if we didn't live we'd never had met all you guys!

"Now, how to outsmart an alien? Karricks pulling out his blasters and pointing them-no, not mean, it's just the way things were back then- and I need to stop him, or else Jill's about to be a pile of gu-a not alive person anymore. So I say 'Mr.Alien, I know we're going to die. And I could care less, honestly. So grant the dying their last request.' Aliens, being honorable, always give their enemy a last request. So Karrick's like sure.

"I say, just give me a minute, let me finish cooking this meal. Hold off your attacks until then, you can kill us then, just let me finish this one meal. And you won't believe this, he says ok! I cook some food, eat it, and he comes back. I ask for one last request. To finish reading my book. Then I ask to finish watching a show. Then to build a computer from spare parts. And the governments all, what is going on, and they just can't figure out why the attacks stopped! But it was me! Isn't that great?

"And Kerrick just kept showing up. Eventually we got to know each other, and he started asking 'what is it this time' rather than 'time to die'. Until one day.

"He showed up, looking mildly disappointed. Which, for an alien, meant devastatedly upset. Shush, you know it's true, Kerrick. He said that the fleet needs this planet off its register, and I need to die so he can keep moving through the world. I say ok. But give me one more minute. I have a last request. Will you take it? He says, this is the last request. You will die.

"I say, let's change the world together.

"I mean, what's even wrong with earth? It's trying to make things right, and though some crazy fools might say that we're doing nothing wrong we're trying to accept that. And sure, we might fight amongst ourselves and starve polar bears but you need to make mistakes in order to grow as a civilization. Blah blah blah. And Kerrick did say that he'd give me my last request. So he did, and we changed the world. Made inventions, spread news, had him threaten-persuade the government that it should stop being so ignorant.... We travelled the world, and Jill got to go to a normal school for the first time in her life, and we travelled around. And met you guys! Well goodnight, time for bed, that's that."

The kids complained, but they shuffled up the steps and to their rooms. Jill carefully shut off the hall lights when everyone was gone.

"Nice one." That was Kerrick. "You're never going to tell them the full truth, are you?"

"What else is there to tell?"

"Dont play dumb. Finnigan, and the whole firefight, and-"

"Ah yes, you were always unusually respectful, but only because you killed my father. And I was basically near dead when you left, the first time. You're too nice, to give a dead person their one, wait no, seventeenth wish."

Kerrick looks down. "You were persuasive."

"Admit it, Kerr, you didn't want to destroy us in the first place. None of you did, you just didn't know humans and thought we were evil from the start. You gotta give planets some time to grow. Isn't that how your planets made it?"

"See what I mean?"

"Ahaha, you're right. I never did get though, why you just didn't do away with me when I made that last request."

"I guess, watching you...aliens and humans have the same wants and desires...and rather than destroying this world we could be patronizing it, of a sort, as an older civilization..."

"And we will. We have. All the kids, they're the future of this world, getting a better life with the help of your tech rather than fighting it."

A warm silence.

"Was listening to me really the worst decision you ever made?"

"No."

THE FOLLOWING RECORDING WAS SENT TO FLEET COMM. ZAEIKEL SHROND AT 21:34 TODAY. 13.4 CLIPS REMAIN. LISTEN SEND DELETE

Zaeikel stood from his captain's chair. "Kerrick, the traitorous human-lover...so that's where you've been these five years. I've been waiting." Then, turning to his troops. "We attack at dawn!"