Mission Assigned

Hello, I am Abebe, I have no last name. The fact I have a first name is a blessing. My master has gifted me this tablet for my twenty-eighth year of life. She called it birthday, even insisted on throwing me a celebration of sorts, which fellow masters and their humans attended. I know I am lucky; I am a human with a good master. My master has been around since the time when humans where in control. However, ever since World War six and seven, which nearly destroyed and wiped out our race, the mythical and supernatural world swept in suddenly emerging from the shadow to take over. If they hadn't, I think we would have been dead by now, completely gone, only empty cities would have remained showcasing our existence.

My master has always been kind, but she has been firm. She has had me educated, trained and when I was at the level, she wished me to be, she let me become an astronaut. Every pod she sends out, land on planets already inhabited by mythical or supernatural creatures who had left humanity and their kind to suffer and die years before the first World War. They were happy to work alongside master, although I wasn't sure what they discussed or what even was sometimes transported; I got to see new planets, different cultures and species. I liked being an astronaut, I had wanted to be one ever since I had seen the big spaceships master owned at her space centres around the world. At the age of thirty one, I could happily say I was doing something I loved.

As I lie in my all encasing cot, which stops my form from morphing during travel if space jumps were to occur while I sleep. The human molecular structure was unable to contain its base structure when we (humans) were not on the ships, in theses cots for sleeping or wearing suits for exploring. Unlike the immortals who seem impervious not only to the age of time, and death in that case but also to the universe and other planets' weather or atmosphere. Many immortals had no origins in being human once upon a time. From what I had learnt in my species class in university, even mythical creatures such as werewolves, vampires to name a few were still by default part human or had once been human. So even they were unable to stand the weathers of some of the planets, or stepping outside into space without a suit. Humans were by no means the weakest race, but we had been the cause to our own destruction. Still were.

My thoughts drift to you master. I worry for your healthy, I had departed three moons ago, you had not been well enough to see me off. You had sent your faithful servant to ensure all went to plan. Maybe I will bring back some pears for master from the planet Eos. I must regretfully say goodbye master, I think we have landed.

Switching off the tablet which was above me at eye level, I press the pressure lock releasing me, the top half of the cot unlocks with a hiss. I inhale sharply, my left leg was still numb from yesterday. I feel shame starting to fill my stomach. Master would probably hear about it, and no, she would never tell me off. But it was another thing for her to worry about. This was why humans were better off being the lesser species. Some backwards human, who thought the cafeteria would be a fun place to start a fight had called me out for being 'weak and pathetic'. That wasn't why we had fought; I didn't care when the insults were directed at me; what I didn't like was what he had to say about my master. He had called her an oppressive monster who he wanted to burn like in the 'gold old' days when humans had ruled and burned witches. Instead of telling him facts as master would have directed me to, had she been there. For example, most witches burnt were not even witches but humans, hence humans were stupid enough to burn their own kind because of fear and paranoia. Prejudice was a main reason; I feel that the humans had completely lost control.

Master had told me; it would have only been a matter of time. Humans are hard wired to not only survive and in doing so, humans had quickly learnt to be scared of so many things. She had looked weary, old and tired when talking about how in history paranoia and prejudice had led to war and atrocities, which she herself had allowed them (humans of the era) to subjugate her to, so she could relate to the pain. Also because it lessened the sentence of the human race in the High Council's eye. Which, she was a part of what with her grand status of Lord Maker. Because, master being an immortal, was on another plain of understanding and patience. She did not seem to hate, nor had I seen her love anyone. She had always just treated us equally and wanted to understand. She had been the one of five immortals who had stayed on what they called 'Terraforme', but as we humans call it: Earth. She had stayed, she had fought off every Armageddon that came her way, sent to oblitertate us humans by the gods or by the angels, hell even the Devil got sick of us. But the Lords had stayed firm in their belief. That is why, I will never allow anyone to say a word against master's honour.

On my hand however, I had a red stamp. It said the date and said the motive for the red card. Normal humans with red cards were sent home to their masters immediately to be disciplined. However, from day one I had understood, that my master, whoever she was, whatever stance in this world she had. It was high, her status was superior to kings and queens and gods because she was a lord. With a capital L, Lords were not appointed by anybody with statue, or even by themselves. They were creatures who had with time gathered respect and a cult gathering of people, they also were the most powerful creatures often. My master apparently was called: The Lord Maker. And although, I found it hard to believe you could create a universe if you yourself didn't exist. I realised it was facts like this, that were probably too hard too explain to mere humans like me. That isn't to say she allows her humans to be unruly. She doesn't allow anyone of the community to misbehave. There was space to be whoever you wanted to be, as long as it didn't tarnish her image. Other masters often just picked a profession for their human, often it was the one they wanted. To be fair to the immortals, they probably knew us, better than we did. They could read minds, see the future, stop time, reanimate dead bodies and those are only a few things I have seen master do. But most masters tended to keep their humans on a tight lead (sometimes literally, however master had told me that it was more of kink than anything); more often than not it was the immortal master that made the decision for the human. Immortals did not work, their humans did. All jobs were still performed by humans, all mostly domestic, with the sprinkling of remaining mythical creatures doing either high-end jobs or preferring to work against. The remaining mythical creatures who were not Protectors or Praetorian Guard or who didn't live in parallel worlds to Terreforme, were not nice. They were against the immortals 100 %, they wanted us dead, every single one of us. This was the reason why all of masters' humans were trained in all styles of combat.

That had been why I had fought him. The mention of my master had me pinning him to the ground and threatening to kill his family and make him watch while I burnt his wife. It had had its desired effect; he had shut up. The Protectors had pounced on me, when I had explained the situation, they had let me go but had stamped me. Their actions were just and right, when I had been young, I would look at the Protectors with admiration. Soldiers were cool, yes. But they were often human, hence in my mind they lacked the real drive for justice, to upkeep peace. The Protectors were solely mythical creatures of any planet. Although me mostly had Terreforme ones.

I had been waiting in the sleeping quarters to see what the verdict was. However, no one came to take me to a pod to take me home. What did get on my watch was a message saying to go the command centre. I quickly, get into my clothes. Checking to see that at least one garment I was wearing had my master's insignia. I also had the insignia tattooed on the side of my neck; it was the most visible place I could think. Master had a simple insignia of roses, skulls and some bones. And because I was one of her human… servants? The skull was split in half with a fine crack. Possibly to symbolise how dumb we were in the head. I feel my pockets as I rush out, I tick off in my mind the essentials: outside suite sticker, check, gum, check, condense water, check, emergency kit, check. These four items were travel size. But thanks to magic everything blew up to normal size if need be.

I pass the elven sleeping quarters; a slender hander grabs me suddenly and slams me against the wall. I wasn't scared, the long eared, bluish hue to his skin elf, who was towering over me was none other than my boyfriend: Cuyler. Cuyler was a Protector, I had met him six months ago when delivering gold to Eos for the first time. I had been relatively new at being an expedition astronaut, and he been new to being in space. Together we had marvelled at the wonders that space had to offer, in all honesty I had been busy staring at him in wonderment. I had paid zero attention to him while he had gone on and on about stars and patterns and people and death. I have no idea what it was relating to these topics, I just remember the theme. However, after that day when I had spoken to master about it. She had helped me come to terms with the simple fact I was gay. Very gay. In particular for Cuyler. I had assumed, ever since puberty had hit me and I had had no desire to interact with either sex or species that I was asexual. And, I had been fine with that. Master had even gone on to explain that asexuality was what separated devil and demons from angels. Angels had no carnal desire; they had no lust for someone's body. Meanwhile, often demons couldn't repress themselves for long, and couldn't get enough. Ever since I had met Cuyler though, I was pretty certain I was more a demon and less human. Because I couldn't get enough of it. Certainly, at first it had been very strange to frequent someone like Cuyler. A man who was most definitely old, not as old as master, but old enough to have been around during World War four. This made him behave a bit like someone's grumpy old grandfather, bothered by everything and annoyed at everyone.

But he was a romantic at heart, often he would try to surprise me with meals that I'm sure he didn't always like (if I was the one cooking them). Activities he had seen in human films couples partaking in. He had recreated moments to make me laugh. As I felt his breath wafting down, he was seven foot, most elves were tall and slender creatures, I myself was not short by no means. But he was massive compared to any human. Often, he would just pick me up, so as to avoid his 'chronic back pain', even though I was fairly certain he didn't experience such human things.

I look up ready to lean into the kiss, even if I was supposed to be going somewhere else. One kiss wasn't going to hurt. Instead he grabs my hand and scowls.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, it's Vince. You know what he's like." I wave my hand airily. A gesture I realise I had picked up from master when she was being dismissive.

"I'm going to kill him." He snarls.

His markings on his face and neck light up. Cuyler was an elf from Ängsälvor, a literal translation of: meadows of faeries. Meaning that he had enough magic in him, as master had so kindly put it: to light a lampshade. However, it was not that which made elves from Ängsälvor special. It was their special markings. They all had unique markings, everywhere. Cuyler happened to have them on his face, around his bicep, slashed across his torso and then finally one up his leg. And they often glowed or changed colour, from what I remember from asking master, the colours acted a bit like mood rings. They changed depending on the emotions of the elf. And normally he was neon blue, which I think indicate a calm temperament. However, when he got angsty it burned a lime green. Other markings he had were flowers and leaves scattered on his back and neck twisting like vines around his biceps… wait why was he naked? I know he preferred to minimise how many layers he wore but he always wore a long shawl even when rewinding from work. Work required a strict regulated uniform. The leaves and flowers meant he had an affinity to the magic element earth. He had never shown me any magic, but we were in a metal spaceship in space, I think it had been more a lack of resource issue and less his fault.

I smile gently, Cuyler was not a killer. His kind of elves were unable to both lie and hate. It was beautiful in my opinion. Just another reason why humans were useless and a disgrace. I brush his long silver hair back and tuck it behind his pointed long ears ears, I Eskimo kiss him. Before jumping down off him and continuing to dash to command centre. Master was waiting for me. I arrive at the command centre feeling guilty, but I was the leader of this operation. I was not the captain of the ship, but more of the task force: Operation supply and demand. And because of master's high position, no one was going to question why I was late. Normally because I wasn't ever late and they were too scared of my master to talk to me. I walk in, straightening my leather jacket and adjusting my jeans. I quickly glance for familiar faces when I walk into the room, seeing only hostility from Vince and neutrality in everyone else, I went to stand in front of the screen. I press the button when the call came through.

"Hello everybody. This is Penny. I am her for the debriefing as well as handing out assignments. All personal assignments and goals will be sent to individual inboxes. First topic of the day." I watch as she goes through a list in front of her. Penny was a good secretary, always prompt with her emails and replies, always good at providing the ship with equipment and anything else it needed. I had no problem with her. I did however not trust a few of other master's servant. I stand as I had been taught to by master. It was not a stance many did. But master had said it commanded respect. I stood with my feet apart, my shoulders square and my hands behind my back.

"Ah yes, yesterday there was a little tussle in the cafeteria. Anyone wants to tell me what it was about?" I know she was only asking to probably see if there was more to the story than what the report said.

"Nothing that the report already says." Sneers Vince. I had to fight the urge not only to strangle but also make him beg and bow to my master. Penny represented Master, all the time. Often, she was her proxy. Disrespecting Penny was another thing I did not agree on.

"Vince. If you can not be civil. Do not speak. You will be assigned a punishment that will last eight weeks from now and you will be sleeping in row eight from now on." I say curtly folding my arms but not turning to look at him.

Row eight was the closest thing I had to a prison. The cot was standing up, less comfy, no windows anywhere. I had asked master to give me a space where I could send people like Vince, and although I could see master had not liked that request. She had frowned, said a quiet 'hmmm'; but she had made it happen. I also think she must have made those cots out of magic, because people said they had nightmares every time they slept in them. I did not care if Vince had some nightmares, he was going to learn that not only was I the leader and not exempt from my own laws. Having my hand stamped and being reported was on my insistence on transparency and equality which is what master believed in. Its what Cuyler upheld every day. But also, he was going to learn the meaning of respect, even if I had to make him choke on acid.

Penny, I knew did not like Vince. But on a more personal reasons. When Penny had come to visit the ship on an inspection visit of both crew and condition report. He had tried to, what he had called 'flirting', but what I defined as harassment. She sends me a look of relief before continuing.

"If you do not like how things are being run under Abebe's command, you are always welcome to go home. Master has no use for unruly humans. This applies to everyone. Moving onto business transactions, you can pat yourselves on the back for delivering care package to aliens without planets and places to go to. I am glad to see there was no prejudice hindering you." When saying this she looks directly at Vince with a hard glare. I turn as does everyone, not everyone turns to glare at him like I did. But we all looked at the bastard. And he has the audacity to smile. I inhale sharply, I couldn't wait for when this was over and he went to bed in row eight.

"Your wages have been increased by The Don as a reward for a good job well done. Vince, on the other hand yours has not only been deducted but stopped until you show proper behaviour. The violence towards Abebe was not well received. The Don is Abebe's master." I could almost hear the jaws dropping. I had to stop myself from looking smug. Or smile like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Yeah, master wasn't just a big deal. She was the only person people wanted to impress, bother with, kiss ass like no other. The moment I mention that The Don is my master, I get mixed reactions of shock, fear and respect. And then they start to suck up very fast after that. This was the reason I had tried to let Penny know to never bring up that The Don's own human was aboard the ship, in case I got special treatment.

Penny after that ends the phone call saying that The Don aircraft would be flying to a Earth base and everyone who wanted leave to visit friends or family could they start the application process as soon as possible. She told them to email me their forms, and I was to send it on to her and then she would talk with The Don about. She wished a safe travel back and then promptly switched off not before giving me a meaningful glance.

I round on the rest of Supply and Demand team, they wanted to rest probably as our recent delivery and six time jumps had had devasting consequences to our fragile human bodies. I gave a salute which they returned, and instructed someone to send Vince to my sleeping quarters so I could hand him his punishment. After that, realising I would probably need some form of bodily protection, I went on the hunt for my boyfriend. Cuyler was reading when I found him in the break room. He was an avid reader, unlike me, he apparently liked the classics.

"Sorry darling, are you busy?" I ask quietly from the door.

Some elves look up to see who was invading their space. The rest continued with their activity. Cuyler glided to me with his usual grace and calmness.

"Maybe, depends little human. How may I be of service?"

He places the book in his locker and stocks his quiver of arrows as we speak.

"I need you in my quarters." He chuckles.

And it takes me a while to realise how that could have sounded like an invitation. I start to incoherently babble and blush. He drags his fingernails through my hair. Walking pass me, he beckons me to follow with his finger.

"I invited Vince to my room-" Before I could finish, I found Cuyler had spun around making his neck bone snap.

He raises an eyebrow. I stutter again. I was not doing well today.

"For punishment." He continues to look at me, but this time more amused and less like he was going to murder me and Vince.

I was so red, I was grateful for being African. My dark skin was hopefully hiding the amount of shame I was feeling at the moment.

"I am sorry young one, but I am on duty now."

He grabs my arm and kisses me on top of my head. "I'll drop by later." He whispers. Before, with elven speed he rushes off.

I sigh realising that I couldn't get a Protector to stand in my room because I was scared of Vince. I wasn't scared of Vince. I just… didn't feel very safe around him. I take the lift down to my sleeping quarters. When I walk in, the door slides shut, the lights dim and someone steps out. I jumped and tried to find a weapon, however I realise its just master. She was sitting on a chair, which I know hadn't been there when I had left earlier. Her usual fedora hat covered her face. She was tapping her cane in an almost impatient manner, which was very uncharacteristic of her.

"Took you long enough." I hear her mummer.

"I'm sorry to have kept master waiting." I drop into a bow.

She extends her hand allowing me to come closer. I sat by her feeling comforted and relaxed as she runs her fingers through my dark hair. She was silent, probably arranging her thoughts.

"I have a mission for you." She states after a pause. I look up surprise.

"What is it master?" I enquire slightly excited.

I had never gone on missions sanctioned by master. My job missions were different to anything master would want me to do.

"Get close to Vince." I back away and look up at master. As usual I couldn't see any features. Her scarf was doing its job of keeping everything from view.

"But master… why?"

"Are you questioning me?" She asks softly.

"No master, I would never. Okay master. Get close how?" I feel her shrug.

Then the comfortable petting disappeared. And light flooded my room, on top of this my door slid open to reveal… Vince.

Get close to Vince.

I took a deep breath. Vince was looking at my strangely. I stand up and brush my self down. Undoing my jacket, I remove it and place it onto the now vacant chair.

"Wow, You really are your masters lap dog aren't you?" He snarls.

Then he seems to look conflicted before it goes back to being its usual constipated macho man look. I breathe heavily and pray that master couldn't hear what I was about to say.

"Oh that. Ha ha ha. I do value my life. As you can imagine being The Don's human is not fun." As the poisonous, treasons words slip out of my mouth they leave a bitter after taste. I had to resist looking pained or even just crying.

Vince cocks his head to one side and looks at me. He was probably trying to decipher if I was lying.

Get Close to Vince!

"So, what brings you around to my neck of the woods?" I ask jokingly.

"You summoned me, remember. In front of everyone? Sent me to row eight and punishment in one breath." He folds his massive arms and cocks an eyebrow.

Vince was a big man. He said he was aspiring to be part of a motorcycle gang, I had overheard him while he had been boasting about his Harley Davidson, saying the speed could outrun a vampire any day. He was built big, massive with tattoos on his bald head, and his master's insignia came in the form of some heavy bands that had no lock or clasp. He had piercings in unsavoury places, I know because of several shower incidents. All in all, Vince was not someone I even considered a worthy human. Not only was he horrendous but he also smelled, his views were questionable. But I had learnt enough from my training that to get close to someone, you had to be on their wavelength. Even if, in my opinion, his wavelength couldn't be very long. So swallowing my sea depth hatred for the man in question, I repress it down in my soul so as it would not show in my heart thus no emotion could appear on my face.

"It has to be believable Vince doesn't it? I can't have The Don think she might have a revolutionary-" I quickly smack a hand over my mouth in mock acting.

If possible, Vince's eyebrow climbed further up his forehead. He leaned even more on the doorframe. But I didn't miss how his eyes flickered around my room, where the security cameras were on. His eyes had switched to lazy annoyance to high alert.

I was not stupid; everyone knew that Vince was a supporter of the revolution. Which meant master had now had enough and was out to either get him, or use him, but I had to get close to him. Orders were orders. Master was never wrong. Never.

"Watch what you say goody two shoes. I'm not buying that. You can't go from licking your master's ass to wanting it dead later. Yeah, I know you're gay." I frown unsure what that had anything to do with this conversation.

Maybe he felt that he needed something over me. But I wasn't intimidated. Well, a bit. Because I was grasping at straws here, I had never said anything mean about my master ever. I was proud of who my master was. I was proud of being a supporter and not a revolutionist. So, how did people become good double agents.

"You're stupid Vince. Thinking being loud and brash will bring the…" I look towards the cameras in an almost careful scared way. I make a show, for the cameras, whilst still trying to maintain subtlety, of turning my back and bringing his face closer to mine.

"…. Revolution no result. Be more like a fart. Silent and deadly." Vince snorts and spits in my face. I almost scamper away from him to avoid such disgusting body fluid coming out of such a vile of a man. But I stood my ground.

Get close to Vince. It was almost like a mantra at this point.

"So are you telling me, that you have been taking your master down from the inside? Ha! As if. You're dating that Elf aren't you. You're a supporter. A sympathiser to the cause. Through and through. Unless, you want to give me my punishment. I'm off to row eight. As I was told to, by you. Remember." He swings away from me and leaves me in my room.

Well at least one good thing was happening, he was going to be subjected to my master's night terrors and he was walking there rather jauntily. Maybe, he didn't know what row eight meant.

I stare around me, for some reason, when I was around him, the room seemed to get dark and small and… smelly. So it was nice to see the clean, well-lit room. I place my hand on the table and sit up straighter pondering how this was going to work. So he didn't believe me at all. Maybe I needed some expertise… someone who knew about this.

Master your request for the mission has yet to yield any result. The subject: Vince, is harder to persuade than I had assumed. To be fair, I have always believed him to only have to neurons, it seems he might possess a handful more. This throws a spanner in the works for us. Although you have not set me any deadline for the mission, I am assuming the sooner the better? Your faithful human ABEBE.