The Space Conquistadors

to paraphrase Randall Munroe (of xkcd fame) history is a country filled with untapped recourses and an outdated military. Or: an encounter with our time-trotting descendants goes horribly wrong.

Space Conquistadors

No one ever looks up .

Or goes out at night, if it can be avoided,

without a light to blind us to the darkness.

We're terrified at what we won't see, or possibly of what we will.

Look outside tonight, up into the sky, beyond the jets trundling through the air,

the occasional meteor zipping at the corners of the night,

up past the stars, suspended in the void.

Deep down, you may wonder what lies out there,

massive and deadly, consuming what comes near

And how it was only a degree of time in space that shelters you

as it pulls at the tides of your blood from eons away

…..........................................................................................................................................................

P1: Don't you ever feel that way?

P2: like what?

P1: Like, some sort of space alien trying to disguise himself as a person, only he can't ever quite understand all the rules and rituals that the mudmen always insist on following.

P2: you are talking about high school, I hope

P1: I'm talking about being a superhero hidden among the masses.

P1: Where are we headed?

P2: Couple hicks been reported missing. Neighbors are saying they keep hearing weird noises. Slurping sounds.

P1: Slurping.

P2: Yeah. Maybe there's a vampire on the loose?

P1: Hah. I hope you brought some stakes along.

P2: Yup. Extra rare.

…....

P2: Is this some kind of joke?

P2: What kind of weirdo would steal a water tower?

32,000 years later....

They gather on these chilly rocks, named after long lost gods, heroes, and dreams

dim in the light of a red and bloated sun, posed to burst 3 billion years before its time.

The remains of the dead earth's children huddle in their shells,

seeking haven from galactic tides, mining nutrients and metal where they can,

stealing from their neighbors when they're able.

Y: Madam President, m-my thanks, for granting me access to your magnificent ear.....

…..I mean that of course in the most respectful way-

M: You have my full attention, but the most successful supplicant knows how to be succinct.

Y: Um. Well. I am Yesfact Soto, a humble planet hopper and student of the spheres.

M: I have heard that name before. Weren't you banished from Europa, a grain of sand in their grant machine?

Y: I have sought funding from them yes, but they only interest themselves in basic studies, free of risk and mischance.

That is why I' seek your audience great lady, to launch with you a voyage through time and space,

to learn the secrets of the ancient stars and lunar scars that line the frozen seas-

(frantic buzzing in Yesfact's ear)

and to travel so far back as to traipse even the lost blue planet,

to find the first source of original fuel, and dig for riches in its soft warm soil.

M: Many have sought the near forgotten earth,

but no explorer has gone so far back as to see its surface swallowed by the sun,

if it is more than legend in the first place.

I do not think this is a wise investment of our modest treasure,

and If you have no more to say, this meeting is done.

Y: Wait! Wait. My friends and I h- have made some tweaks and changes to our vessel,

minor deviations from the standard ship design.

Streamlining her by coating her in quantum slime,

so that the time and space around her slip more quickly,

adding wormhole engines of the b62 design rather than the m64- I-I won't go into the details.

Suffice to say that in the belly of the Pinata, we have sailed ten thousand year in one,

Explored this moon as the first humans saw

and brought back a gift for the pleasure of this nation.

If I can only find it- here it is- I present to you this living treasure,

that once flitted about this pavilion in floating baubles,

but fell to earth when the gravitiy was changed

Resurrected from the dust to float again,

For you my president, and Thebes,

the last of the lunar butterflies.

…...............................

M: I thank you for this great and generous gift,

Which may uncover a wealth of buried knowledge.

I shall have her examined by my highest experts,

before she is presented to the masses.

I am honored by this unimaginable bequeath

and shall give great consideration to your quest.

Author's Note

I'm not yet happy with the first part (but I'm never happy) Help is very welcome. I'll try to put up some more of this every week.

Reviews

[InkyFingered]

Thank you for the feedback. I plan to finish it in comic form, thus, Y=Yesfact, M= madam president (I really need to give her a good name, I think her charachter is coming out nice and strong) P= policeman and so forth. I'll add some basic actions to the script, so it's easier to follow. I still have no idea what anybody looks like,especially in outer space. it's driving me up the wall. I'm going to make it a goal to add some primitive sketches and things next week.

[wolframdioxide]

This seems interesting. The formatting in the Y/M part seems odd, though. In addition, I think it would benefit from more description.
In any case, it has interesting ideas in it, which is the important part.