MSSSC: Double faces

 

Hi everyone! Here is my entry for the MSSSC for April 2022. You can find the challenge details in the related blog entry and forum thread. The theme for this month is April fools', facades and farces. 

The protagonist of this short story is a side character of the Miller legacy who is supposed to appear more or less midway through generation 3. Maybe it is a bit early to introduce him but, on the other hand, the facades theme is really fitting to him, so here we go!

Double Faces

I'm Silas Bennet, I'd just graduated with full marks in robotics engineering, and I was desperately trying to be accepted for a PhD position at the local university. 

That morning I had another interview, this time with Professor Jones. I presented my project clearly and with determination, I'd planned it for so long, but I could already read the answer I was about to receive from his face.

-Your project is impressive, but I regret to say that you don't correspond to the profile we are seeking.-

As I collected my stuff and left, disappointed by his answer, I came across some of his collaborators, who just worsened my despair by adding:

-This is a prestigious university, did you really think they would accept an alien like you?-

Sadly, I can't say that was the first time I heard that comment, either. So I just tried to ignore them, and I returned back home to my family.

-I'm so sorry, you worked so hard on that project!-

-Soon or later I'm sure they'll give you a scholarship, don't give up!-

For sure giving up was not among my plans, keeping studying robotics was too important to me. So I prepared for yet another interview, ready to give my best.

At that point II feel like I’d got nothing left to lose, I was ready to do whatever it took to take that position. Did they despite aliens like me? Everyone knows that disguising as humans is illegal, but at that point I was even ready to break the law and give them the farse they were looking for.

Needless to say, the outcome of the interview was the complete opposite of the previous one, and I got my position.

This way, I managed to get my PhD and carry on my research with even more determination than my colleagues.

I worked and studied harder than I have ever done and achieved my PhD, but still I couldn't say to be fully satisfied. 

I missed being my alien self, and I was frustrated and furious for having to wear that silly human face to have my merits recognized by others. It was all a farce, a facade, and I couldn't live that lie any longer.

Then I found out of a group of aliens who returned back to Sixam, they called themselves "the rebels". We had moved onto the Earth decades ago because our home planet was slowly dying, but they decided to break the rules and return there to continue working on the old technology of our home planet. 

Many pointed to them as outcasts, hopeless idealists. However, the more the time passed, the more I thought that I could have felt more fulfilled there, putting down my mask and being appreciated for who I am, than if I kept working in this university.

This is why I decided to contact them, and asked them to go on Sixam.

-Hey, welcome on Sixam! Come, I’ll show you around a bit. Here we have...-

Many, when hearing what I decided to do with my life, thought it was a bad April fools' joke. But it was my choice, and, albeit the difficulties of the life on that small base on Sixam, I've never regretted this decision.

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545 words and 13 pictures. As usual I'm very bad at building, and thus I rely a lot on the gallery. In this case, the final Sixam base lot was made by Scandinaviansim.

If you are curious to see what happens next, I suggest you to read the following MSSSC entry here and then this chapter from my legacy.