Better Late Than Never

As the pod left me right on my habitat doorstep I noticed there were some blue lights flashing nearby. Quite bemusing. No blue lights are normally flashing this far out. There are no life signatures on my sensors either. Most entertaining.

My personal comms gets a hailing notice, Sector 3 Law Enforcement. The shield and the badge and the chimes that I hadn’t seen or heard for eons. What brings a law enforcer from Sector 3 to Sector Delta is another bemusing surprise – that never happens. I know the drill. My citizen training from eons ago seems to be quite intact. I lower my shields and blockers and open a comms channel in normal-speak while I turn around to meet my unexpected guest. My emo-face is a welcoming smile, a bit sinister, I know.

The Enforcer is a holo-spectre – an AI fusion with a clone that is carried around by an tentacle-droid, from where the blue flashing lights are emanating. Hence no life signatures on my sensors. Sneaky bastards.

“Greetings Bull-smak” – the comms chimed. Blue lights flashed more intensely. Translation engines are being updated, I have not uttered normal-speak in more than a few evolutions. Who knows what type of clone I am interacting with, I suppose I will find out.

“Huh” – I mutter – “apologies but my normal-speak is a bit rusty, is there something wrong?” – my emo-face adds a quizzical expression to add drama to my query.

“Bull-smak, original earthling from Terra, your records show that you have been in Sector Delta for 3,000 evolutions” – the holo-spectre’s interface is scanning me, my pod and everything around the area to discard any incoming threats while he interacts with me.

“OK, is that so?” – I have no clue if that is good, or bad or just facts. Can’t read if I’m trouble or not, yet. I check my perspiration level and ensure my sensors show me cool as fuck. No need to let a clone know I’m nervous. He’ll smell it if I wasn’t wearing my exo-suit. No chance of smelling when there is no breathable air or atmosphere in this God-forsaken rock.

“Who am I speaking to?” – I know my demand will be met with some derision. The clone may see this as a disrespect. But I’m too old for this shit.

“Bull-smak, you are in the remote presence of Enforcer AK30458YU, from Sector 3, from the royal holo-spectre unit at yours and the Emperor’s service” – his tone was sarcastic, quite intentionally. My emo-face turned to an impressed look, still sinister, but usually effective to disuade a clone.

“Bull-smak, this is a special occasion, my droid has travelled for more than 200 lights to meet you in remote-presence” – I am intrigued. He has not blown me to bits or remanded me, so this visit is something else.

“Bull-smak, the Emperor in his most magnanimous self, he has tasked our unit to reach out to the surviving original earthlings scattered around the Sector Clusters of the MegaVerse. This is our protocol priority, this is why I am here” – I have not clue where this is going. My last interaction with the Emperor ended abruptly as I left him with a worm-bomb in his quarters and I disapparated to Sector 2 via a mobile expander. I moved to Sector Delta eventually to keep a low profile. Now this clone wants me for payback. Bloody Emperor… not amusing any more.

“Why are you here, then?” – I asked intently, my emo-face back to quizzical look.

“Recently it was your birthday, am I correct? According to our records, Bull-smak, your birthday was 3/4 of an evolution ago. The Emperor wants to wish you a happy birthday, Bull-smak” – there was joy in the clone’s voice. I lost it there and then.

“what the…” – I never finished the sentence, as the droid’s ray blasted me from existence. Thankfully, my backup will start reprinting me somewhere nearby.

“Better late than never” – the holo-spectre said with a short laugh and cut the transmission short. The droid turned around and left the black spot where I used to exist this time around.