"Too dangerous. Besides, he can talk. You ask the right questions, and you'll get the right answers. I'm sure you can figure out a way to take the other samples that you need."
Her gaze flicks over me. "He can talk, but can he understand?"
I nod my head. "I am wearing a whisperer."
She taps her ear, "Wow, it's learned the alien language."
"The one he's wearing was synced to the main system, so they all understand the alien language now," the man in charge says.
That means every human we meet will understand our words. There I am assuming I'll ever talk to another Honey warrior.
"Am I to remain in the cage until I have answered all your questions?"
There is a slight pause as the whisperers on their ears translate what I said.
The man laughs. "Something like that. Make yourself useful, alien."
This is not the kind of use I expected, but I will answer their questions if it gets me out of this cage sooner.
4
CHLOE
Idon't know what to do with him. I expected to be studying animals to determine their suitability for eating and farming, not talking to an alien. And I don't know what kind of answers the leaders expect.
How can I determine what kind of threat the alien man and his kind pose?
But I keep my questions and doubts to myself as we step outside the lab.
The soldier in charge gives me the details on how this will work. I won't be here alone. There will be two guards to escort me to and from the colony. I'm not sure if they are there for my protection or to stop me from misbehaving. And at the end of the day, I will return to the colony with the guards.
"How long do I have?" How fast do they want answers?
"At the moment, there is no limit, provided you are obtaining answers," the soldier says.
The answers the leaders want, but they won't tell me the questions they want answered. Which means I might be asking the wrong things. Perhaps they don't know what it is they want.
"Okay, I'll see what equipment is in the lab, and determine what I can do there and what I need to do in the main lab."
The soldier nods. "Just remember, no one is to learn he's here. He doesn't exist."
We were told this planet had no sentient lifeforms. That our worries about aliens were unfounded. Another lie.
I'm sure the people on Earth were aware this planet had aliens but didn't care because they were so desperate for a new world. I hope the two other colony ships made it to their planets, and they are uninhabited. Though I would not be surprised if they also had alien people.
I also hope the leaders of those colony ships realize that the rules created on Earth are not suited to life on a new world.
"Of course not, we all know there's no such things as aliens," I say a touch too sarcastically.
The soldier laughs, believing I'm playing along. "That's right."
"I'm going to get to work." I hook my thumb at the lab. I'd rather be in there with the alien than standing there with four soldiers who want to keep the lies alive. Before they respond, I've taken three steps towards the door.
The soldier grabs my arm. "Be careful. He looks primitive, but his sword can make a charge."
I frown. "A charge?"
"Electricity. It's in the cupboard in the lab. You need to find out how it works."
