1 Researcher

Ok, let's start at the beginning.

I was born in the interplanetary year of x0967, my home planet was AAA-0082 (you must know it for the civilian name of Bluesear) but I moved to AAA-0005 (Arates, where I should currently live) when I turned 22. I worked as a researcher for 2 years for the planetary army then, and they reallocated me.

Live was going great until the day I was promoted to a explorer. You want details? Clearly not, but I will tell you anyway...

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I took a deep breath before entering my superior's office. I was expecting a promotion to come soon and I hoped that today was the day.

She was sitting in a high chair across the room and her eye was focused on the projection right in front of her. I sat in a chair by the side, waiting for her meeting to end.

The sound proof bubble around the two made impossible for me to hear what they were talking about, but she looked worried. After some time she made a signal dispensing the person. The projection hit its chest twice in a military salute and closed the connection.

As soon as the projection disconnect, the barrier shut down and my superior called me. I walked closer to her desk.

- Sit down, miss Yatteni. I just had a conversation with your supervisor and he told me that you were a impeccable researcher in the last four years. - She then pulled a transparent tablet that projected my curriculum.

- One year in the revision team, two years on the auxiliary team and one year on the abstract team. - she paused and looked at me before adjusting her monocle. - You skyrocket by these positions, and we were discussing how you could possibly be a talent being wasted.

She put the tablet down. Well, I indeed climbed fast through the rankings. In the planetary army, being a researcher was a tedious job, but worst than that was the payment. So, in a place when almost no one is passionate about its work, it was easy to perform a lot better than the others with little effort.

- I put my heart into all the researches I participated. There's a whole lot of new worlds to research every day, I like to learn about them. - I started to speak and I sounded like I loved my job, or at least I hoped so - It's hard to sort the right data, interpret and store it but the more we know the more we realise... there's so much to learn. I really admire the explorers that gather all that data.

It seemed like I spoke the right thing, because my superior's eyes sparkled for a moment. And she smiled. Oh no, it was a smile that seemed like trouble.

- That's wonderful to hear. So, I have a new job for you. - She passed me a data pad. - You will be transferred to the explorers team. There will be 3 months of training and after this you will be sent to the planet PHX-3062. We just discovered it a week ago but seens to be the more harmless in a decade. Its a very backward civilization, they never left their planet and never made contact with any other species outside.

That sounded like trouble. Sure everyone had a basic military training but I had spent almost everyday of the last years sitted, working with letters in a screen.

- Why send a researcher? - I didn't spoke anything against the idea, but maintened my doubts clear.

- Well... Because we are doing a experiment. We would like to see what would happen if we sent a researcher to gather the data. Will it be more succinct? Will it be more centered? Faster? Slower? For better or for worst, we would like to try. As researcher you can see the fun in it.

- Why me? There's a whole bunch of more experienced people, there's even the main research team.

- The others on the same position you currently are... Well, they are too old. 40 years is not a good time to begin in the explore team. And about the main research team... - She almost paused this time, but she didn't - Being honest here, they are indispensable. We can't afford to loose them on the field. And there's always a chance for it to happen.

- And that means that I'm the best option. - Of course I meant "But I, on the other hand, am very dispensable, right?".

- Exactly. You can refuse, of course. But make sure to make that chair of yours really comfortable, because, ugh, it's awful to spend a decade on a uncomfortable seat.

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As you can see, warming conversation. A wonderful purpose.

I said yes.

And that brings us to today. 5 years later.

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- Hey, girl, I know that my job is to sell drinks, but you don't look good... You should stop after this one...

The barman handled me a colorful drink with a worried look. He was right, I was drunk. Very drunk. But I don't really cared anymore.

I took a little sip. Then stared at him. He was still looking at me.

- So, for some random reasons my superior sent me to a remote planet in this far-away galaxy to gather informations about the ruling species. - I don't know why I started to tell him this, but I need to speak it out loud at least once.

The man didn't even flinch after hearing that. He probably had hear a lot of shit on his line of work...

- And I thought "Sure, I needed a vacation anyway" and I came here, but... Even in my worst nightmare I wouldn't imagine that a planet like this existed - I continued. - How can you live in these conditions?

I paused. In my crazy drunk state I made a decision. I'm gonna desert.