"The average working hours for Outworlders is 11," he said. "Also, we don't have protection for our minors like humans do. Our minors can be overworked and not compensated for overtime. And that's just one difference people often overlook."
Holy crap. Labor law repercussions could be severe, especially if employers did not follow the rules with human minors. I'd never realized... no, it barely even crossed my mind if the laws applied to extraterrestrials.
"Why doesn't the Infinity Council do anything?"
"We invaded your home, technically speaking," said Jimin. "We really don't have the right to demand equity at the moment. Especially as there are still people who remember Earth before us."
"But you yourself didn't invade Earth, your parents did. You couldn't help that you were born here."
"It doesn't matter. I'm still an alien."
I sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "Well. I hope that whatever I do when I grow up help changes this inequality."
Jimin snorted.
I scowled at him. "I'm serious!"
"Why do you even care so much about what happens to my kind?"
I stared at him. "No one deserves to be pushed down or undermined. Yes, you guys invaded Earth. But humans have accepted you guys into society. Not to mention you guys... you have no other choice, right?"
Jimin wordlessly looked away, mouth thinning a little.
No one knew much about the original planet the Outworlders had come from; and the Outworlders themselves were unforthcoming with such information. It was almost like a taboo to even speak about their origins in public places.
All we humans knew was that their home planet had been called Valgard, located in a system near the outer rim of the Milky Way Galaxy.
And that something terrible had driven the Outworlders from their home.
"Outworlders came here to save their race," I added. When Jimin still remained silent I cleared my throat. "Anyways, you guys are integrated in our society now. Shouldn't extraterrestrials receive the rights we humans do?"
"Perhaps." The uncharacteristically sharp edge in his tone told me the conversation was over.
I'd always had a soft spot in my heart for the aliens. I never knew why. My parents and grandparents were wrong to wanting to segregate the aliens. Their motives were understandable, but that didn't mean it was right.
Now, more than ever, I hoped that I could somehow contribute and change the way Outworlders lived among us. If it weren't for the Marks, and yes, the morphing, Outworlders could be mistaken to be just like us humans.
It was the Marks that immediately alerted people what they were. It was their skin that set them apart from "everyone else".
The rest of the day passed pretty uneventfully. Jimin had head out later in the morning to run errands and 'take care of business' as he'd worded. That gave me the opportunity to curl up on the couch and hit online school.
After coronavirus, the educational system had heavily shifted teaching onto digital platforms. I only had to go to in-person school about two days a week now.
It was late afternoon when I finally clicked my laptop shut, having completed my assignments.
Jimin still hadn't come back yet. I briefly wondered what exactly he did. Did he go to trade school? Did he work?
I knew extraterrestrials often went to trade school or jumped straight into working full-time after high school. Only a few of them actually went to college. I briefly wondered if that was just another subtle sign that I'd missed that showed aliens weren't held equally in society— the inability to get higher education.
I headed to the bathroom to wash my face. My eyes were feeling a little strained from the screen all day.
I'd just closed the door and turned on the faucet when a soft skittering sound caught my attention.
I turned just as hundreds—and I mean hundreds—of large cockroaches spilled out from under the toilet seat. They began crawling towards me.
A shriek tore from me and I ran for the door. But the handle was locked.
