12. Chris

We had to be stealthy, more than we were used to. We followed the protocol rules to the letter. The first was to ensure the ship entered stealth mode, deactivating any sensor that could give us away. The last thing we wanted was for humans to detect our presence prematurely.

The second rule was landing. We had to touch down far enough to avoid being seen from the sky, but not so far that it would be impossible to reach their location on foot. After a few minutes advancing through the dense forest, we managed to spot their ship. I used my long-range glasses to observe the humans' activities.

What were we supposed to do now? Our mission was clear: discover how they had reached our planet and steal their secrets.

I looked at the ship from my hidden position, searching for any sign of hostility, but all I saw were two figures beginning to descend the ramp of their ship. One of them wore an exosuit that completely covered their face. Their suit, powered by a jetpack, allowed them to move easily on the planet, where gravity was much more intense than on Earth.

The other human, more daring, wore no suit at all. He was tall, with black hair and a brazen smile that annoyed me just by seeing it through the glasses. His confidence bordered on recklessness, moving calmly despite the environmental difficulties. Although the planet's gravity was high, the fresh, clean air seemed to compensate, allowing him to move comfortably. He only wore a jetpack to traverse the terrain.

It was then that I noticed something that made me pause to think. The humans were very different from me. Their light skin contrasted with my dark skin tone. Their features, from noses to ears, seemed alien compared to ours. I wondered what the human inside the exosuit would look like. Maybe they would also have dark hair, or perhaps something completely different. Still, I knew that any attempt at empathy or recognition of their differences could lead me to internal conflict.

The humans quickly disappeared among the trees, and it became clear to me that they were not experienced explorers. If they were, they would have been armed and prepared for any danger. Their recklessness would probably lead them to a quick death, but that didn't matter to me. I wasn't there to protect them, but to find out how they had reached our planet. That information had to be recorded in their ship.

"It's time," I said, addressing Xion and gordis.

Xion, always faster, was the first to move towards the human ship, taking big leaps assisted by his jetpack. I followed as best I could, crossing the trees and dense forest with as little noise as possible. We didn't want to alert the humans to our presence prematurely.

Then, a crash. I stopped abruptly, alarmed by the thud that resonated behind me. I turned my head only to see gordis clumsily stumble against a tree. The impact had been enough to alert any creature or human in the vicinity. Within seconds, a swarm of insects emerged from the treetops, agitated by the noise. Other larger, curious animals began to approach, attracted by the chaos.

"If you can't fly, run," I warned gordis, making it clear that I wouldn't wait for him if he fell behind.

To be honest, I cared little for his well-being. If he lagged behind and got lost in the vastness of the forest, it would be less of a burden for us. I could invent any plausible excuse for our father: that gordis had stepped on a giant snake, or that he had been poisoned by some lethal plant on the planet. It would be easy to get rid of him if he turned out to be a hindrance.

Xion and I stopped for a moment, observing and listening for any sign of the humans. But they were still lost in the forest, perhaps already in agony from the sting of some venomous insect. It would be one less problem to worry about.

Finally, we reached the clearing where the human ship was located. It was curious to see how they had piled stones around it, as if they were building some kind of fortress. That worried me; maybe their plan was to colonize this planet, something we had to prevent at all costs. We couldn't allow their presence to grow enough to endanger our crew.

Xion was already at the ship's hatch, trying to hack the security system with one of our advanced devices. Any human artificial intelligence shouldn't be a problem for our superior technology.

Gordis arrived flying behind me, drenched in sweat and emitting a nauseating smell. I covered my nose as I approached Xion.

"You're taking too long," I said, irritated by the delay.

Xion turned to me, moving his cockroach legs nervously as he manipulated the controls of the hacking device. "This encryption is different from anything we've seen. It's more complex than I expected. It could take days to open this damn door."

"Days?" I asked incredulously.

"And that's without counting the time we'd need to hack the ship's records," Xion added, clearly frustrated.

"They can't be that good. Our technology is superior," I said, trying to calm my irritation.

Xion laughed at my comment. "They surpass us in some aspects. If they come from a low-gravity planet, they've had more time to develop advanced technology. We, meanwhile, have been limited by the conditions of this damn planet."

"I could try to open the door," gordis said, interrupting our conversation.

"No," Xion and I responded in unison.

"How do you plan to open it? I doubt your brain is capable of processing something so complex," I said with contempt.

"I was thinking of breaking it," gordis replied, as if the solution were the simplest thing in the world.

"Think a little," Xion said, with an exasperated tone. "If the artificial intelligence detects an intrusion, it could activate security measures that destroy the data or even self-destruct the ship with us inside. We have to do it the safe way."

I nodded silently. Although I detested Xion's arrogance, in this case, he was right. Breaking the ship would be a stupidity we couldn't allow.

"Maybe it's best to wait for the humans to return and force them to tell us their secrets," I suggested, crossing my arms.

Xion smiled disturbingly. "Or, better yet, you could approach them. After all, you are human."

"That doesn't define me," I replied with disdain, understanding where he was going.

"Listen. If our father sent you on this mission, it's because you can infiltrate among humans. You can gain their trust. Our father knew it. Their technology is superior, that's why they could avoid the conflict zone. We need your ability to approach them."

I sighed, knowing that, although the idea bothered me, it made sense. I could approach the humans, gain their trust, and gain access to their ship. It wouldn't be the first time I used my "charms" for an undercover mission.

"Gordis, keep watch in case they return," I ordered, preparing to follow the plan. "I don't want them to catch us trying to open their ship."

Xion let out a laugh. "You always seem too trustworthy."

"Do you doubt me?" I asked with a smile, although I didn't care about his answer.

"Not at all. You're the best at pretending to be who you're not," Xion said, with mockery in his voice.

I moved away from his disgusting leg on my shoulder, avoiding eye contact. Then, I turned around and entered the forest again, following in the footsteps of my enemies.