The Great Reset

Calli sat quietly, at least for the moment, within the four black-foamed walls of her recording studio. She was annotating some tabs with her right hand whilst she carefully held her precious Taylor guitar by the neck with the left, its body cradling in her lap.

The visitors had arrived five days earlier, and she had found herself flushed with inspiration ever since. She and Snaggletooth, her little black Burmese feline companion, had spent the most of their time within the soundproof walls since Their arrival. He yawned at her, licking his lips as he blinked affectionately. 

“I suppose we must.” She sighed at him. She placed her Taylor in its stand, stood and stretched. He bowed low at her side, extending the base of his spine and tail skywards. She fished the small key from her pocket and unlocked the door; it took another minute before she actually opened it. Her anxiety had found her. Snaggletooth reminded her of the task at hand, providing a plaintive Meep just as he brushed up against her left calf.

“You need to go, don’t you?” She grabbed the handle and opened the door. He trotted off in the direction of his litter tray. She followed, only just noticing her need to void her own bladder, and made a hurried dash for relief as well.

As she washed her hands she heard Snaggletooth’s frantic scratches in his litter tray, he was covering his business with aggression. He had such a sweet and gentle temperament that the pure hatred he had for his messes always made her laugh.

She turned on the news as she prepared dinner, but left it on mute. She needed neither the noise nor the information, she’d already had enough.

Snaggletooth had been fed and was once more asleep in the recording studio, blending perfectly into the walls with his sable camouflage.

Five days prior, six Spaceships had been spotted through the telescope of an amateur astronomer who posted pictures on every available platform. Within minutes, thousands more had joined them.

The morning after, the first Official day... Those images were all over every news channel, and stayed there 24/7. They set a specific order for their display and maintained it the entire time.

First - The Saucer: The most familiar looking, with amber and turquoise lights flashing beneath.

Second - The Scorpion: Complete with pincers and stinger, but no legs.

Third - The Beetle: It was the image of a colossal Mint beetle.

Fourth - The Architects: A large dish with a frame connected below housed an elaborate propulsion system.

Fifth - The Hexagon: All they could say for sure was that it was the biggest in the entire fleet.

Sixth - The Uber-Claw: A mass of forward facing spikes rested on a looming cycle-shaped vessel.

The second day saw reports and sightings on what they considered scout ships. They flew with impossible flight patterns that defied physics. Calli watched in fascination as terrifying information blazed a trail on her brain.

It was on the third day she turned the volume down, already tired of the bombardment… of the unknown and speculation. She did it after breakfast; the entire London Philharmonic Orchestra had disappeared. They had been practicing one moment, and were gone the next.

The executives engaged in a meeting regarding funding implored the government to take action.

On the fourth, humans did what humans do; they attacked. Nuclear missiles and bright atom-splitting flashes dotted their observations briefly, followed by decadent auroras that traveled for thousands of miles over the atmosphere. For hours, all electronics stopped working and the world waited. As the auroras dissipated and the planet reconnected, telescopes spotted six ships, sitting where they had been, completely unscathed.

On day five, Calli had written some of her best music yet. She’d happily allowed the distraction to spend her day for her.

She ate her dinner, but found she had little appetite. Hating to waste anything, she finished it laboriously… one ashen bite at a time. To help distract her, she played a recording of her earlier work. She had every intention of getting a few more bars down before she would go to bed.

She heard Snaggletooth’s distinctive Chirrup of hello. She looked back as he trotted over to be closer to the music….at least that was how it appeared to Calli. He lay down next to her phone, chirped again and blinked at her… purring in full force as he watched her finish dinner.

It was as she lengthily chewed on her final bite, reducing the matter into tiny fragments that might want to slide down her throat, that everything went sideways.

She had reached over to scratch Snaggletooth’s forehead. He responded in the cutest way possible by lifting his chin and pushing into her affections… then they both sort of… dematerialised.

She watched it happen to her Beloved, as well as her hand. It didn’t hurt; they just broke apart into their molecular components, essentially pixelating as matter expanded outwards from their centers. Light filled the spaces between and within the room equally... and somehow contained them.

Snaggletooth re-solidified before her eyes, as did her hand and forearm. She stroked his fur for a while, inciting lavish purrs as her fingers mussed his muzzle. It calmed her, as much as she could be calmed, and reaffirmed her of their shared existence.

She was in an empty room with cream tones. She had a bed, a toilet, shower, basin, three walls and a dark glass panel to act as the fourth. She was in a cage, one with a display panel.

Her breathing felt a bit rapid, but scratching Snaggletooth’s ears helped her keep her cool.

If this is a dream, then there is nothing to worry about. If it is not, then I am here and that’s just what I need to be dealing with now.

She repeated the words over and over, stroking whiskers, ears and shoulders absentmindedly.

“Well that wasn’t supposed to happen.” The voice sounded worried and came from behind her. She turned around and saw a small green Alien; like the type you saw on retro lunch-boxes; with the large heads, thin necks and glassy black eyes. The Dark glass was now transparent and Calli noticed many others in cages like hers, most of their panes dark.

The Alien drew her attention. “If you could just step away from the feline, I shall return it.”

Calli stepped in front of Snaggletooth, blocking him from the Alien’s view, not removing her hand from his shoulders. She was too overwhelmed, to full of words and ideas and complete terror to speak.

“Look.” It said, sounding official. “Pets and comforts will be decided later. From what I hear, it will be an improvement, so let’s get on with it.”

“Snaggletooth is perfect!“ Her voice croaked, finally having pulled enough intelligible words together to come out in sentences. “Where he goes, I go.”

“Leave it Deso.” A gruff and clicking voice came from Calli’s right. She tried to get a better look, but the owner was out of sight. “Orders from Aspect One are to keep our guests happy. I removed a canine from one the other day and he didn’t stop crying till I returned it.”

A moment passed between them in silence, then Deso nodded.

“That’s fine then.” He looked Calli up and down; then took a long look at Snaggletooth. He made some notes on a pad in front of him. “Your nutrition and information pack will arrive shortly. I have made suitable arrangements for your companion.” And with that, he hit an invisible button and the window went dark once more.

Within minutes, a small light she hadn’t known was there was flashing on the wall ahead of her. She stepped up and examined it. She stepped back, looking for lines in the walls but saw none. She pressed against the wall beside the light switch and found the desired result on the left hand side. A small panel, not much larger than her hand depressed into the wall, and with a click a large cupboard swung open. Within she found a litter tray and the best wooden litter. On the right sat a large binder and two identical silver platters, complete with domed lids.

She knew she had no right to be hungry but heard her stomach groan for sustenance. She lifted the lid and was greeted by the perfect creamy mushroom Tagliatelle.

She set it down and sorted out Snaggletooth’s litter tray first; then uncovered his platter to reveal fresh fish flakes covered lavishly in gravy. He sniffed the air once then meowed loudly. By the time she had set it down he was practically rumbling in anticipation.

He had devoured his meal by the time she had washed her hands and sat down to her own. Calli inhaled her dinner with similar gusto. Each swallowed bite felt like nutrients were flooding her body, restoring energy she was unaware of having lacked.

Snaggletooth had groomed himself at length; then settled on the bed, curling his tail around his face. Calli yawned as she set their dishes aside and settled next to him with the Information Pack.

It contained very little, like the file had been used for something else, and had just been copied and updated with a couple of anecdotes.... The only upside was that her anxiety had been quelled by bafflement and a full stomach. Each vessel had their own file and she quickly sorted them into the order she had become used to.

The Saucer:

Vessel Name: Kovai 315 – Housing Capacity: 5 Million.

Species: Dov’Lesian. The picture was that of the short green Alien with the large head.

Turns out that it was their scout-ship that crashed in Roswell in the 1947; Earth’s media had been drip feeding their image to the general public via films and such ever since so possible encounters at least provided some familiarity.

Ha! The movie Paul actually said the same thing!

The Scorpion:

Vessel Name: Crit-Shil Hefto – Housing Capacity: 7 Million.

Species: The Shias Mari. The picture showed a creature that looked vaguely like a praying mantis. She shuddered at the sight of its mandibles and moved on to the next file.

The Beetle:

Vessel Name: Falci: Densiari Class – Housing Capacity: 13 Million.

Species: Raftaisee. Their appearance was a little easier to take in. They looked like large bears with antlers; they wore sashes as far as she could tell, and had rich fur.

The Architects:

Vessel Name: Broad Nea 114 – Housing Capacity: 19 Million.

Species: Hapor. They were the closest to human yet. Their eyes were bigger, further apart and their brows heavier. Their skulls sloped backwards over their necks, supporting large brains. They reminded Calli of Neanderthals.

The Hexagon:

Vessel Name: Hexo-118.4.56 – Housing Capacity: 31 Million.

Species: Doh’Shixt. Calli felt her skin crawl and her spine twist as she stared at what appeared to be an over-sized hornet. She moved on from their file as well.

The Uber-Claw: 

Vessel Name: Falcon Alpha - Warship – Housing Capacity: 23 Million.

Species: Human. She hastily pulled out the picture and there they were… Human! Her mind raced with the possibilities and she highly doubted her ability to sleep.

She put the folder down, got herself comfortable and yawned with no grace at all. Within minutes she had drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Snaggletooth’s incessant and aggressive covering of his scat woke her. She groggily took care of her own ablutions as he meowed at her to get rid of his mess.

“I don’t see a scoop buddy... It will have to wait till I can ask for one.”

They sat together for a few moments, feeling their restlessness grow within them. It was just as Snaggletooth was singing the most impressive Maaaaow that the light on the wall started flashing.

One quick push on the wall popped the cupboard open. Within she found two breakfast platters, a scoop and litter bags, some fresh clothes and a note to please put all used items back in the cupboard once done.

They must at least be listening!

They were halfway through breakfast, eggs on toast for Calli and a meaty bowl of broth for Snaggletooth, when the dark window activated. The same Alien from the night before stood before her.

“Morning.” He said monotonously.

“Morning Deso.” Calli replied, hoping she had recognized him correctly, and that they didn’t just all look alike to her.

“You know my name? ”He appeared to be wiggling in delight. “Thank you. Is there anything you need.”

“Um… No thank you.” Calli regretted her words instantly. “Um… wait. Ah…Why am I here? What’s happening? Can I have a guitar please? Why was ship capacity important? Are we all going somewhere?”

“Hmmm.” He said, narrowing his eyes rather impressively in his large head. “I can only answer the third question. Yes. As for the rest, you will find out.”

Before Calli could ask anything else, he deactivated her window.

A few moments later a guitar arrived. It was nice, but it wasn’t her Taylor. 

The next nine days ran the same for Calli. Deso was kind but reticent; he gave her no new information. She occasionally saw others in similar boxes talking to their own Aliens. She had noticed and keenly observed the other species represented in the fleet.

The Hornets and Praying Mantises creeped her out… she studied them, but gagged whenever she looked at them too long.

Deso and his Dov’Lesian compatriots were the most plentiful, and they did sort of all look alike… only Deso appeared different to her.

She enjoyed watching the Bears run. It was so ungainly on two feet. When she asked why they didn’t just run on all fours, as she was told that it was forbidden when working in conjunction with bipedal species. The Neanderthals were among the rarest, and Calli only ever saw them from a distance.

As for Humans? She only ever saw them in cages similar to her own.

The morning of day eleven dawned and commenced as normal. Calli was midway through the best riff of her life when her window cleared…

She’d noticed the shift within her periphery, but had been so engrossed she ignored it for half a bar… then action and perception clicked into gear, completely out of sync. Her guitar screamed at her as she ran into the wrong note and ruined the entire thing.

She was actually angry as she looked at the window, then stopped short and held her breath.

A Human Being stood before her. Black hair, tawny eyes and skin, young and elegantly dressed in a navy uniform, emblazoned with two chevrons on either shoulder.

“That was rather beautiful.” He said casually. “Except for the end there, but that’s my fault.” Calli let her breath out in an explosive sigh. He just laughed at her. “Can we talk for a minute?”

She nodded in reply.

“Let’s start with your name?” He asked, not unkindly.

“Calli” She replied. “It’s short for Calliope. My mother loved Greek mythology.” She shrugged.

He didn’t respond. Calli stood there for a moment; then found her voice.

“Why am I here? Where am I? When can I go home? What’s happening?” It all rattled out of her like a mudslide. He held his hands up, smiling as he tried to stop her.

“Right… I think I can do this in order. First; you are here because you are a musician.” He put a hand back up as Calli had taken an interrupting breath. She stilled, but felt the energy of her words bubbling below her tongue. “Second; you are on the Dov’Lesian ship along with other Artists. Painters, musicians, authors, so forth. Third; you can go home in a few weeks’ time, perhaps a bit longer. It will depend on how quickly we get our task completed, but things are going well, so sooner rather than later.”

Calli remained silent, and wondered if he had forgotten the fourth question. He had looked at her with a pensive expression on his face.

“The last question is harder to answer. If I am to put it down for what it truly is, and I think I should, it will be harsh… Essentially, we’ve already exterminated 60% of your species. When that’s done, we’ll fix a few things… then return you.”

Calli’s mouth fell open in pure shock. She felt feint.

“You are a seed planet; one specifically engineered and maintained for our amusement.”

“Amusement?” Calli’s head tolled with his words as they reverberated in her skull.

“Think of yourselves as Our Streaming platform. Earth 13.11” he was smiling again, just as kindly as he did before. If he knew of the devastation he wrought, he simply didn’t care. “We use Jupiter’s magnetic field to actually bounce your footage back to us.”

“That’s disgusting.” Was all she could manage; her intellect had been replaced by the sure knowledge that 60% of the remaining population was already dead, and there was nothing she could do to save the other 40%.

“Not really. What’s been Disgusting is the quality of Earth’s content of late. Careers end as jokes are told, your films lack variety; we tire of politics, superheroes and dystopian endings. And let’s not get started on how you’ve ruined your internet… the entire planet’s collective knowledge at your fingertips… now flooded with misinformation. I am sorry, but if we leave you to proceed as you are, we will have another Dark Age. Then we…”

He droned on, but she had stopped listening completely.

Calli sat back down, and reached to scratch Snaggletooth behind the ears. She felt numb and distant.

“Well, I’ll get going then. Have a good day!” He said cheerily. The window had been left clear. She stared out numbly and saw everyone else’s windows also left open.

They’re faces only served to expose her own tumultuous emotions…