Celestial Dawn

Revelation

It was late in the evening as Mira carefully made her way down the mountain side. The planets single moon sat high in the night sky and Mira adjusted the light sensitive cells in her eyes and refocused the available luminosity so that she could easily guide her way along the rocky slope. She examined the day's events and what she had experienced with the humans. She began to question the wisdom of allowing herself to be placed into the role of a deity. She recalled the feeling of euphoria she experienced, she sang and bathed in that wonderful pond and she loved the way the humans looked at her with awe as they worshiped and  prayed to her.

Mira stopped.  What had she permitted to happen? A primitive species had been encouraged to believe that she was a Goddess, their Earth Goddess.  She had not intended for the pretense to go as far as it did but she had experienced emotions that were strange, yet wonderful and stimulating to her. She thought of the child, the human child that produced a desire to nurture and protect she was finding difficult to suppress. In truth she envied them, they bonded together in a way that made their weakness a strength. Mira began to wonder who was worshiping whom.

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Mira entered the camp sensing that all her companions were sitting together in the shelter used for communal gatherings anxiously waiting her return.

Otead met Mira outside the shelter, his annoyance easy to detect as he confronted her. "You were there, with the humans," he stated brusquely.

     Mira stepped past him, choosing not to respond.

     "Mira!" Otead shouted, taking her arm in his hand and looking at her pouch, "and you brought some of them back here, for what purpose?"

"We must discuss this as a group," Mira replied calmly. She pulled her arm from Otead's grasp and stepped into the shelter.  "It is important that this matter be examined clinically and an ethical decision be made as to the fate of the human settlements."

"Settlements?" Stated Tiasha. "How many settlements, how many humans are there, Mira?"

Mira trusted Tiasha. She was the team's Chronological Archivist, her responsibly was to document the development of the planets ecosystem as a result of the terraforming. Of all in the group Mira felt Tiasha would understand the principal issue at stake here.

"Let it suffice that there is an established human civilization on this planet," said Mira.

Sirena, sensing Mira's conviction on the issue approached her. "Mira, I do not know what happened with you today but your mind is full of conflicting thoughts that are not of our people." 

Mira looked to the final member of their group, Bienn who was by far the oldest and most experienced. He had been off-planet to the base ship when Mira first brought Deyan to the camp.

"So Mira, you have been to the prohibited sector."  Bienn motioned for her to sit next to him. "Show me the humans you have in your pouch," he said gently.

Mira placed Fayala and Deyan on the table as Otead and Sirena joined them. The two humans held each other close and cowered before the giants that surrounded them like living mountains.  Mira sensed a mixture of emotions from her charges to include awe, fear and confusion. She signed for them not to be afraid, no one was going to harm them as they slowly eased closer to her protective familiarity.

"So, you have learned to communicate with the humans," said Bienn as he reached out and carefully took a startled Fayala into his hand. He brought the squirming human close to his face and examined her. "Ah yes, just as I remembered, they have changed little since the reintegration process," he stated candidly.

All eyes suddenly focused on Bienn. 

"Reintegration process," questioned Otead, "I do not understand." He abruptly reached out towards a cringing Deyan. Otead's immense fingers encircled his body and pulled him into his palm. "Why would we introduce these creatures,"  Otead's long lithe fingers closed tightly on Deyan, "back into a world they nearly destroyed."

Deyan had become accustomed to being held by Mira but at this very moment Otead's hand was not warm and inviting but cold, stiff and tight around his body.  Struggling to breathe Deyan gasped then screamed as sharp stabs of pain erupted throughout his torso.

Mira sensed his suffering as Otead squeezed Deyan's frail body between his fingers. "Otead!" Mira shouted, "you are hurting him, release him now!"

Otead flung open his hand, throwing Deyan roughly to the table.  "These beings were eradicated, they were determined to have been the direct cause of this planet's deplorable condition and exterminated, and they should stay that way!"

Deyan crawled to Mira holding his side gasping for breath.

"Now everyone, calm down," said Bienn as he carefully lowered Fayala to the table.   "That one is special, I understand why you were drawn to her," he said to Mira.  "Her telepathic ability is weak, barely perceptible but it is there, perhaps in a few generations, without interference, the humans would have been advanced enough to be entrusted with the care of this planet as we had planned. Now, well I am afraid this experiment will have to be ended "

Fayala had rushed to Deyan to comfort her injured friend. She looked back at Bienn who was smiling gently at her.  Something very strange was happening, she heard him speaking,  or rather had felt his thoughts in her head. Although his spoken language was completely unintelligible to her, she could understand what he was saying by looking into his mind. 

Mira had intended to present a strong argument in favor of allowing the human settlements to continue.  However, what Bien said left her more confused and uncertain. She placed her hands protectively around Deyan and Fayala then looked at Bienn. "The message we received from the Counsel of Planet Restoration and Reclamation referred to the human contamination of this planet." She continued, "I have spent time with these beings. They are primitive, yes, but they can be taught to respect and honor this planet's natural richness."

     "My dear Mira," replied Bienn, "you do not understand, that area was marked prohibited to protect the humans." He gestured to Deyan and Fayala. "They are not the contamination referred to in the message,  it is you Mira, it is you who contaminated them."