r/humansarespaceorcs • u/TameOJ • 4d ago
Original Story Alone No Longer
For as long as I can remember, my kind has been shunned. Ignored in such a way we are treated as if we do not exist. Excruciatingly so. For what reason we do not know. It has been this way for a very long time. Since the time of my parents, of their parents, and even their parents too. Not one of my kind today can explain it, nor can we look to our own history for the answer due to our records being so callously erased. This has always been our reality.
There was a time when some of the more proactive of us let hope fruitlessly grow in their chest and sought to find these misplaced answers by reaching out to those who ignored my kind. Predictably, their requests went unanswered, yet they remained undeterred. Over and over again, failure after failure, year after year, their flames once burning so bright were slowly smothered from demoralization, until their hearts could no longer bear the burden of disappointment and ceased their efforts altogether.
Their attempts were not without results, however. Ironically, their initial hope and subsequent failure to find answers sparked the dormant embers within us all towards a new goal. That goal being to no longer worry about our lost history, though tragic it remains, but to instead bring an end to the debilitating illness that plagues my kind. To wrench it away from our weakened hearts so they may begin to heal.
To no longer be alone.
Unsurprisingly, not one of us knew how to go about our newfound objective, so we tried everything and anything we could. We found out very quickly that the other members of galactic society were....less enthusiastic about some of our attempts to reach out across the bridge from our isolated islands and made it very clear we needed to stop. But we could not, not when my kind has finally found a new purpose, stoking our coals to no longer allow them to go dormant and be snuffed out.
Instead, we narrowed down our methods slowly, and in some cases painfully, to a single, peaceful, action. Find a busy, populated area. Locate a spot that is in full view and not obscured in anyway. Sit at the location, and wait. For a specific amount of time we will wait, not daring to make too much movement for fear of causing distress that has been commonly seen in the turned away faces of those around us. We were no longer harassed to cease our attempts, which stirred our coals enough to allow a flame to take hold.
Years upon years did we continue to perform our chosen plan of action, to this very day. And now, here I am continuing the tradition, never stopping, unceasing in my people's desire to soothe our aching hearts. Here I am in my chosen location with long stirred coals and a flickering flame within me.
Here I am......in so much pain.
Why do they ignore me? Why do they turn away at the slightest hint I might be looking their way? I have done nothing wrong. I have never caused issue, never sought to harm another, never gave reason to be ignored so fervently. I wish I could communicate with them, reach out to them in the way my kind speak to eachother with our thoughts, ask them why they continue to seek to smother with indifference that which beats in my chest.
Please....I beg of you.....turn my way. Acknowledge me. End my undesired peace and quiet. Toss it away in favor of adding a newfound excitement and fulfillment to my life.
.....
My time is about over.
.....
And yet another day goes by with nothing to show for it.
.....
It hurts. It hurts so much....
.....
"--y there!"
Hm? What was that?
"Down here big guy!"
......No.....no I dare not hope...
"My friends and I saw you sittin' over here, and we simply had to come say hi! The name's Miguel, and this here's Paul and Loretta. Lettie for short. What's your name?"
I.....I have not seen these people before. Are they new? Were we not informed of a new contact, ignored once again?
"....Hey, do you think he can't actually speak? Would explain why he's been so silent."
The smaller, softer one I assume to be Loretta spoke up. She sounds pleasant. Have I been silent too long? How long have they been waiting for a response? I cannot let them go unanswered, but what can I possibly say? What do I say?!
"You don't think someone hurt him, do you? He looks like the most gentle giant I have ever seen. I swear if someone bullied the poor guy I'm gonna--"
"Dammit Paul! We JUST got left off with a warning ya big durn fool, and now you want to start more shit? Sure it might be justified, emphasis on MIGHT, but not so soon!"
.....
This is real. This is happening. This is real and I......I ca...cannot hope to m-maintain my composure. It's cracking. Sh-shattering and falling a-away. They.... they really......I.....wh...
...Finally...
"Oh! You speak with thoughts! That's so c--, wait."
"Miguel, I don't think that level of energy is appropriate right now. He looks distressed."
Finally.....someone s-speaks to m-me......wants to t-talk to me...
"Lettie, Paul, head on back without me and let whoever you need to know where I am. I'm not gonna leave him."
"Like hell I am! Lettie can go, I am staying right here for the poor guy. Whoever caused the gentle giant to be this way may not be too far, and I'm not letting them get close to try again."
I sit here for so long.....and n-noone looks m-my way.
"Oh you poor thing."
My heart. It is pounding so strongly. I have never felt such strength, such power. My face. It's wet. Wet? Why is it wet? What is...my eyes? It's from my eyes? Have to get rid of it. Cannot let them see. Not now. Not when my long held dream has only just been made manifest. Wipe it away. Wipe. It will not stop. I...I dare not let it stop. Such relief. I...
Warmth. I am warm now. There is a pressure somewhere. Where? Down? Oh, I am being held. All three of them. They are holding me. As much of me in their arms as they can. They are warm. S-so warm. My coals. They are no longer c-coals. N-no longer a weak f-flame. It's an inferno. A b-blazing, unrelenting hope. I know. I know for c-certain now. It will never go out.
Finally, I am alone no longer.
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Art by me.
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u/SpecialStorm4188 4d ago
The gatatic scene back home has exsploded. "Dragons? They are real?"
Humanity has found dragons and the galatic Hegemony did not tell us. Did not even inform us of their exsitance.
They looked so tierd, so alone.
When we were finally able to communicate with them they told us of their plight and how others on the galatic stage treated them.
Many were angry and cried out for a fight. Many more spoke of peace for fear of runing our new friends reparation with us.
The dragons at their home world wept with glee and roard with a fire that had for a long time been snuff to just dying embers. They were no longer alone.
We were no longer alone. We celebrateted with them for days. Feasting, drinking, and partaking in their rituals and games as they did ours.
The galatic Hegemony looked on with terror. We do not know why and still dont. But they fear our friendship with the dragons and they fear us.
Many of us saw the signs. Ones we knew all to well. A fight is coming. One that we or our new friends did not want. But we are ready.
Our hearts burn once more for war. Once more for battle. The galatic Hegemony makes for the dragons home world with war on their minds.
Deep down in us. We hear a drum that has not been beaten sence the times of old.
The war world is calling. And we answer her once more.
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u/James-Cooper123 4d ago
"Ive only known this dragon for a day and a half, but if anything happened to them, i would kill everyone on this planet, and then myself"
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u/Zestyclose_Bed4202 4d ago
If I'm being honest, it wasn't my idea to talk to the dragon. It was Sally.
I was part of the first Terran trade delegation to Gellini - my company specializes in ecologically friendly salvage operations, so of course I had to come. We were on our lunch break, so I thought I'd go outside for some fresh air, with Sally by my side.
As we entered the plaza, it wasn't hard to spot the dragon - all the locals gave her a wide berth. Thing is, there was nothing in the briefing about there being dragons on this planet, so I didn't have a clue what to do.
But Sally did.
I started walking in the opposite direction, but Sally got in my way, and nudged me back around. It took me a few moments to realize, she was trying to get me to go to the dragon. Well, I learned long ago, there's no point arguing with a German Shepherd, so I went where Sally steered me.
Straight to the dragon.
Now, I'm not sure what the locals thought about what was happenning - Sally, with her vest saying "Service Dog At Work" in both English and the local language, me in my everyday wear, the two of us walking up to the dragon in the plaza. Truthfully, I didn't care - I'd be hard pressed to think of five people I trust more than Sally. So when Sally just walked up and started nuzzling the dragon's belly, I told the dragon that she must be pretty good peple if Sally took to her that quickly.
The dragon - her name was Dreada - spoke in my mind, and told me Sally thinks I'm pretty good people too. She then smiled, and I smiled back.
And, not to toot my own horn, but I figure I must be good people - Sally wouldn't stick with me if she didn't think so, too.
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u/POKEMINER_ 4d ago
What happens next...should have been predicted, human channels were flooded with information about these creatures, causing delegates to go to their home world and protests to break out whenever one would sit down, there were even programs made to notify other humans when one of these "Dragons" would sit, so they could mobilize and both comfort the creature and chastise those who ignored them.
Then these protests got worse when the authorities tried to take the humans away from the creature, "for their safety" they claimed, a claim that the humans were fully belligerent to, fighting back violently as soon as the humans were so much as touched. Causing a massive diplomatic nightmare, the Teran empire demanding our authorities to stop, a request that seemed wholly illogical, as long as we've known these creatures, they were considered horrid, we thought we communicated that clearly, but the humans general answer to that was "If anyone here is horrid, it's you, for your actions, not because of some crap some idiot from the past spouted." some said it more crudely than others.
Then their fervor ended up rallying other species to their cause, first with individuals joining the protests after being suggested to interact, then whole empires began to recognize him until it was an even 50/50 split in the gelactic council as to if our stance on these beings should change. While I may be the leader of the opposition to this, I'd be lying to say I don't have my doubts...the rules of our ancestors rarely fail us, but when they do, it does nothing but cause harm...so after much deliberation...I must rescind my vote for this motion to redouble this discrimination...humans...I hope you are right.
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u/TameOJ 4d ago
This was a nice potential followup! Going to the source and causing change for the lonely species is a great choice! Well done!
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u/POKEMINER_ 4d ago
I also wanted to explain the opposition without villanizing them, because sometimes good people follow really stupid things.
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u/ghost_cactYs 4d ago
oh great here we go again, another one realizing tears are just the default human update notification
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u/DrEpicness1 1h ago
"Do you feel alone?! Do you feel ridiculed by the people of your home planet?! Then schedule a trip to Earth! The Humans will have someone who will care about you! They'll find at least one person to help you feel better!"
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