The Myrgian Apocalypse

chp 1: Earth

January, 1999

A bright sunny morning

"Hello, my fellow employees, I, welcome you to the Indian Department for Research on Alien Lifeforms. In short, welcome to ReAL, where we believe in the existence of extraterrestrial lifeforms. We are a highly secretive government agency, whose funding comes from the Indian Government. We work to establish peaceful terms with alien species, although unlike your typical movie agencies, we have not been successful yet. Images of distant planets, satellites, even asteroids, that are in the habitable 'goldilocks' zone' are conveyed to us by the indian space telescope "Antariksh Nayan" or AnNa. We try to contact these using electromagnetic radiations, so that only those lifeforms who are sufficiently scientifically developed can receive our messages. We send the human biology to them, to familiarise our body structure to them. Today, young employees, you are joining us, after being gleaned from the highest levels of scientific education, you have been ensworn upon your life to never reveal your actual occupation to those unworthy to know of it. The existence of this organisation must remain unknown. You shall call yourselves high paying officials of the Indian Government. I sincerely hope the rules and regulations will be strictly followed and you will do your best at work. Thank you for joining."

I had grown weary of giving this same speech every year. We were not permitted to 'demoralize' each other by giving up hopes of finding alien life, but truly I thought it was just a big load of shit, we have never been successful in the 15 years I have spent here. No sign of any kind of life. We tried everything, silicon based life forms, methane based life forms, you name it. If extraterrestrial life existed, it just wasn't within the demarcated radius we searched within. We just had about a hundred more celestial bodies to try before we could again increase the radius and search farther celestial bodies.

I had lost all hope of finding this 'extraterrestrial brother' of ours. I rubbed my head as all the young excited employees left the room. I picked up my mug of coffee, sipping it trying to make up my mind to begin with the huge pile of paperwork. I looked at the big red light above the door. How long had I waited to hear the alarm sound, to see that light go on. But by now I had lost all hope. I was not even sure the alarm and light even worked. They had only been in use once, 11 years ago, a false alarm. Then, as if to mock me, the light suddenly lit up and the alarm started blaring. I did a double take, then shot up from my seat, all my boredom and stress lost in the adrenal rush.

I rushed out of my room, and bolted (not literally, I am 57 years old, can't do that) to sector 2. My husband, Raju worked there, I was in administration, while he sent the messages. He was a lucky ***, got the better job, while I was stuck with the irritating paperwork. I literally rammed my ID card onto the scanner to open the door, and waited impatiently for the retinal scan. The doors split open with a Whoosh! and I entered. I rushed to Raju, one advantage of my job was that I was his senior, so an Indian patriarchial husband had to call his wife ma'am if he wanted to keep his job. I smiled at that thought. I reached the Oh so familiar desk, and started, "What is it? Which one?".

"Yeah, darling, it is Beta 6620, about 7 to 7.5 light years away."

"How many times did I tell you not to speak to me casually at work? Someone is dying to be fired."

"Okay, Okay, chill, don't get all bossy on me, dar-, i mean ma'am." he said, sheepishly.

"What did we get?" I asked, getting back to the topic at hand as I rolled my eyes.

"It is encrypted in a very different way, they don't use binary system."

"How long?"

"Running a de-encryption program, about five minutes."

We waited desperately, we both were heads of our departments, as we had been here the longest. All the excitement I had had on my first day had swelled up again now as we sat there staring at the countdown.

"5...4...3...2...1...task complete!" the automated voice anounced.

We stared at the figure, it was an alien creature, carbon and water based like Earthly lifeforms. It had a beautiful elegant body. It was like a cross between a cat, a bat, a squirrel and a bug.

It had numerous compound eyes, like a spider's. It had no nose or air passage of any type. It's organ structure suggested that it did not require any gaseous input, only solid food and water. It had a strong digestive system, and broke down its 'food' by enzyme action only. It had a well developed brain, if you could call it that, roughly the same level as a human brain. It had sharp, hard bony extensions in its maw, like our teeth. They were only meant to break stuff off, so it was most probably not carnivorous. It had big leathery batlike wings extending from its six legs, with 1 foot long furry 'tails'. the structure suggested that it could glide, and the gravity on their tiny planet, barely the size of mercury, was so less that flight was probable. It had a long caterpillar like body, but it resembled a squirrel in texture. The best part was, it was the cutest, fuzziest thing I had ever laid my eyes on! The scattered 'awww's in the room were evidence to my thoughts.

It underwent metamorphosis like butterflies, being mindless, hunger driven caterpillars when young. The pictographic script below was clear like glass to me, but not to others, as I heard.

"What does it say?"

"They want something from us...food."

"Yes, they want " a chill went down my spine, " our brains."