Hope
324 light years had come down to this moment. For the Centrax, it was only a small, but pivotal, part of their lives. Now, after decades of travel, they needed to uplift a species on the brink of faster-than-light travel.
Scientist Mgrxlv used two of her eyes to observe the species before her. Disgusting creatures that polluted their environment and fought constantly.
“Are we sure we’ve made the right selection, Superior?” she asked.
Glxcvk paused, rubbing one of his tentacles on his chin, while simultaneously conducting his business.
“Despite their faults, they have something we can all learn from,” he said with confidence. “Hope.”
First contact led to bickering. The primal tribes argued over who they should select as their leader. A few even threatened to go to war. Glxcvk breathed heavily through his blowhole, letting out a giant burst of air, almost like a sigh.
“We did not travel light years to experience idle threats,” he said.
From their ship, he scanned the entire population to find a proper leader. A 19-year-old woman was identified.
“Do you accept this challenge?” Glxcvk asked her.
“With all my heart,” she said, her black hair shimmering in the sun. “I will lead our people into prosperity and the stars beyond.”
Indeed, the young woman turned out to be charismatic and effective. She listened and implemented Centrax technology in all aspects of society.
With endless energy, the population had unlimited food, supplies, and goods, eliminating the need for money. That freed time for the masses, and now they could live how they wanted. Robots took over mundane tasks, and the species finally grew more accepting of each other.
Within another 20 years, the population had adapted the Centrax starship design. Mgrxlv found them odd, particularly for a peaceful mission.
“Are we sure that we can really trust them?” she asked, keeping three of her eyes on the vessel.
Glxcvk paused. “I believe we can,” he said.
A voice sounded on the Centrax transmitter. “We’re ready to make the jump to light speed,” it said. “Thank you for leading us to prosperity.”
The ship’s core glowed and pulsed before it disappeared into the vastness of space, leaving the Centrax to wonder and hope that their work was not for naught.
Ryan Rubi is an American writer based in Bristol, England. Starting in the hectic world of TV news, he escaped the rat race with his travels to Central America and Asia. Along the way, he discovered copywriting and collaborates with tech and travel brands. In his free time, Ryan is training for a 10K.