Baby

agreed they merited study but her sensibilities cringed as the slaughter transpired. Most of the time the Womb took a hands-off policy, not wanting to interfere with the culture of any species unless the species became catastrophically aggressive to others, of course. But this was a minion, the Womb’s chosen. She remembered back a full century to the time she last laid eyes on the doomed Sister. She considered making contact without her Brother’s knowledge when the Sister suddenly appeared one day at the rock that disguised the entrance to the cavern.
    As it turned out, an evil human Brother stalked the Sister. He captured her and participated in a brutal murder. She knew how bloodthirsty the evil species behaved on this planet, observing firsthand what happened to the Sister and her birth Brother and his own little furry pet from the safety of the hilltop near the forest edge. She remembered with pain, her birth Brother’s golden life force splashed on the unyielding ground. She bitterly remembered the look of astonishment then disgust, as the evil Brother that murdered him wiped the sacred life force off the heels of his boots.
    The shock numbed her as the mesmerizing golden light and vital thought projections faded from Brother’s disfigured eyes. She actually felt the genetic mental connection shared by all of her species being brutally severed. Running back through the woods, she vowed never to leave the Hive until she could assure her own safety.
    She watched from her hidden position in the forest as the Sister first discovered her birth Brother and carried him away from the Hive. She didn’t understand why Brother did not object. Confusion ruled as she tried to puzzle out why her birth Brother neglected to begin his mission. Instead, he involved himself intimately in the Sister’s life, apparently satisfied with the tiny part of his mission that he did manage to accomplish; creating two new Elders to assist him.
    It was incomprehensible to believe the bloodthirsty human Brothers would reject the very gifts meant to rescue them and justify the complex energy expended long ago on their behalf. But they had; making the unfortunate choice that pronounced their death sentence. She wondered if the humans had rejected Sister’s new tail. The humans must realize by now that a tail is nothing new to their species. The success of the mission demanded complex alterations of their physical and biological systems. It’s a good thing only the tail manifested, not the antlers. That would have been a disaster.
    Determination coursed through her solar veins. Her job rested on her ability to insure the Elder’s grand plan, offering salvation for both species, not failure. Success would insure the redemption from the Womb that minions sought for hundreds of thousands of years. Perhaps the humans need a different type of manifestation. She would have to ponder. If she could alter a few of her own cells and enzymes, a solution might be available. Maybe the Womb would help her. But her intention would never include getting rid of her own beautiful tail. The engineering for that would be too complex to attempt without help. She felt comforted by her tail; even as she knew it had a life of its own.
    She curiously wondered why her Brother did not try to contact her. She would have been willing to complete the mission in his stead. As things stood, now that Brother had expired, her honor (and genetic programming) obligated her to eventually complete the mission for him anyway.
    But she remained hesitant. Over the last century she observed the savage violence this species perpetrated on itself. She understood why the Womb authorized the mission. And just like the Womb, she now saw little reason to save this species. She suspected the Elders truly did make a tragic mistake. They offered excuse after excuse for this life form, hoping evolution would tame them. Now, influence from the Elders no longer a factor, the Womb passed judgment, ordering the mission. But the possibility existed her decision might abet an error. She decided to take her time. This planet needed much more observation; direct observation. She hoped the Womb would allow her the time. Maybe if she could just find, The One.
    It would truly be a tragedy if she decided to let this species self-destruct, along with Brother’s newly obtained Elder state now tragically lost. What a surprising discovery that was. Her species said goodbye to Elders long ago. In anger