It All Started With Magnets

.40.

"Shut your mouth and leave me be." He grumbled it out and I laughed, before wincing as my stomach twinged.

"Ooh, note not to do that." I pressed my free hand to my stomach with a grimace. "I'm just teasing you, Gal. You know I am." I didn't like seeing him all serious and gruff and upset. Grogs were built to be happy and upbeat, always seeing the bright side of everything, Gal'rug especially.

"I did not like that and I am not happy with you for not immediately returning to Torin when the danger made itself known." At the gruffly said words I let out a small sigh, staring at the ceiling.

"I really wanted it to work, Gal. To have people love you guys like I do. I really wanted to come back to Torin with news that everyone was happy and as excited as I was." I really wanted that. I wanted everything to turn out better and while I knew a good portion of humanity was excited, pissed off at the governments for lying to them and hiding the truth I sent out, the leaders just... weren't. "Turns out aliens aren't as exciting as new tech you can use to kill each other more effectively." My tech was supposed to be used to make the world a better place, to make us better. Better medical vehicles and vehicles in general, cleaning up the planet, terraforming life devoid planets, personal shields and armour, there were so many good ways I could think of that we could use my tech for, instead they wanted to use it to kill people more effectively.

"I really wanted it to work." I really really had and I wondered if there was ever really a chance and I hated that. "I tried my best but I guess I'm not cut out for these things." I hated to prove that rat bastard Lawrence right but I was just an electrical engineer, what did I know about fostering relations with aliens species and acting as a liaison for an entire planet? Literally nothing.

"No one would have tried as hard as you, my Rox'ie, and you were doing exactly as you should but you cannot control the hands that wish to make war." He lifted his head from my hand and looked at me. "All you can do is deliver the information, what you planet chooses to do with it is not up to you. First contact will always be tough, bringing a species into the Galactic Union takes a long time and there will be good times and bad times. It can take generations. It did with us grog. Some of us welcomed the Galactic Union, others hated it and them for years and years and years. Do not think you failed because you did not."

At the words I squeezed his large hand, feeling comforted despite myself. I still felt like I had failed, that I hadn't truly done all I could, and that I had given up when I said I wanted to come back but the words comforted me anyway. "I missed you, Gal, you know that?" I missed having late night drinks with him, I missed heading to the arena to cheer until my throat sore with him. I just missed hanging out with him. Everything had been so much simpler on Torin, so much easier.

"Yes, that is because I am your favourite grog." He said it with so much ego that I chuckled despite myself.

"Greedy grog." I let out a small sigh, "I'm just disappointed and I feel like I failed. I'm no good at the political side of things." I really, really wasn't. I felt stupid for even trying.

"This Bee-anka seems like she will make a good replacement." Gal'rug gave a sharp nod at that and my mouth twitched upwards.

"Bianca will be mean." Oh she would be vicious. I could only imagine the phone calls she would be making this time. The first time she had tempered herself because I was alright and it was a random crazy person. The attack at the assembly? Oh she would be on a damn rampage.

"Perhaps that is what is needed." I couldn't fault his words, some of the politicians needed a law book absolutely shotgunned at their heads and I knew Bianca wasn't going to hold back with it, especially with the second chance box in her hands and with me not on earth to temper her.