The Problem with Galmarna

Take Off

Quick A/N: There is some Quebec French since in Quebec there are people who are against a bilingual Quebec called separatists and others who just can't speak English without butchering it. My written French is not the greatest (Quebecoise fail) but I did my best, and some of it is a bit more proper than actual Quebec French but oh well.

Anyway, first chapter! Let's go!

We boarded the ship and headed off. I've never been to Galmarna, but I've heard stories, they constantly fight over everything! Beliefs, language, it doesn't even matter if they're siblings, they also fight for fun. They destroy their environment for resources and put them to pointless use; to show rank, and to fuel their wars. It's a land of hate, but we need to see why they're like this. We've been observing these people for generations; they never seem to run out of reasons for war.

This time, we're visiting a country that seems to pride itself on being a peacekeeping land. Canada.

We are the Uheo, we believe that love and kindness are the most powerful weapons. We keep everyone peaceful, but we don't own any weapons, so we borrow them from the Gahoshta who live on Coverta. They asked to go there as the atmosphere matched that of their previous home, which got destroyed by war.

"We're used to it," they told us. "We can actually survive in hazardous atmospheres for long enough to escape."

"How long is that?"

"About five minutes."

We let them live there, the only purpose for Coverta is the gold, a metal that's important for us. It's a currency in most places, and we use it in part for that, but its main purpose is to show what guild you're in; peacekeeping, medicine, agriculture, and education. We wear rings with our guild symbol. We each choose what we want to do, and get the required training for it.

We finally landed in a place called Quebec. Now, we were never expecting this country to be exactly like our people, however, we hadn't thought it would be this bad. People begging, others fighting, some seemed to be intoxicated in some way, and there were barely any trees. There seemed to be a celebration of sorts when we walked out everything stopped. We became aware that we looked strange, even towered over most people. I took out my translator and explained.

"We mean no harm; my name is Emerald, I'm an Uheo nurse," showing my ring, "we wish to learn more about you and your planet. Would now be a bad time?"

I was rather startled at hearing my voice speaking a different language, and my name, Esmirta, was changed into this word, Emerald. However, I didn't have time to think about this as it seemed that everyone was running away. Really; this whole speech just to see the Galmarnians flee as if we pose some sort of threat! Ugh, aliens. I thought to myself.

I composed myself enough to see that a group was approaching us, walking crookedly. They did not seem very inviting, however; one spoke, or rather yelled, to me in their strange language, with a noticeable slur.

« Écoutez-la! Ici, on parle le Français! »

«Pierre, calme toé. Pense tu qu'ils savent s'que tu dit ? Check-les bien.»

« Okay... »

Listen up! Here, we speak French!

Pierre, calm down. Do you really think they understand what you're saying? Look at 'em.

"Pierre" calmed down slightly and decided to glare at me while his friend drank from a bottle in his hand. Looking at me he spoke brokenly in the language I had used previously, his breath smelling similar to that of "Pierre".