From Venus's diary
Venus: (perplexed) So they abducted you just to read your minds? What were they looking for?
Steve: I have no idea, they barely spoke to us, in particular at the beginning. Who knows if they actually found what they were interested in...
Venus: I think the secret services will soon tell us something, by now they've had a lot of time to interrogate those two guys we froze up on the Moon.
Steve: I'm almost curious to understand who the heck they are, they were so weird...
Steve: Anyway, I think that may have been the strangest wedding night in history... Let's say I really hope that nothing remotely similar happens ever again.
Venus: Don't tell me!
Of course, I felt an immense relief in having Steve back and in one piece. But we all had so many questions at that point, questions we couldn't answer with the elements we knew at the time.
Luckily, the first official news was communicated soon after. So we all gathered again in front of the TV, hoping for some substantial answer to our questions.
Cassy: I really hope they manage to find out who those guys are, because there are too many things that don't make sense at the moment...
Misty: The news is about to start, let's hear what they say!
TV: "All of New Sixam was in suspense for days following the abduction of fifteen of our fellow citizens by an old A-51 spaceship two nights ago. The persons concerned were daringly rescued less than twenty-four hours later, during an operation which also made it possible to capture two of the perpetrators of the abductions. Later on, the rest of their crew peacefully decided to join them. The subjects were able to report their version of the facts to the authorities, and they expressly asked to be allowed to explain their position in person. So I pass the line to our colleagues in front of the studio, who are preparing to record their live press conference..."
We were quite perplexed, why were allowed to give a public speech instead of being arrested? Yet the guys we saw appear on the screen were undoubtedly like the ones we had captured the day before. Confused by the situation, all we could do was continue watching the programme.
???: People of New Sixam, first of all we want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to give this speech. None of you seems to have recognized us, so we have to start by introducing ourselves: we are members of the 839th explorative crew, which left Sixam during the conventional year 10587 in the direction of the system of planets that orbits around the star here called Alpha Centauri.
We all looked at each other even more confused than before. Was there anyone still living on Sixam? Why did they seem to barely speak our language? And how long ago was she referring to? Cassy seemed busy calculating the conversion between the conventional year 10587 and our calendar, but the answer apparently made her too baffled to say anything. The explanation of those two guys thus came before hers:
???: The spaceship on which we were travelling suffered a serious failure involving both the teleport and telecommunications system. This left us with no means of propulsion other than jet engines at a distance of about 106 light years from the nearest base, which was located on the main satellite of this Planet. Our spaceship then entered emergency mode, the whole crew was hibernated while the autopilot continued to travel in the direction of the pre-established destination. We woke up a few days ago, unable to find an explanation for all the changes that occurred during our hibernation. The quickest and most efficient method to collect information about the local language and current geo-political assets consisted in withdrawing a few locals and probing their memories, and so we did.
At that point, our initial confusion was totally replaced by disbelief. According to what she said, they were Sixamamians just like us, but they had also been in a suspended state for a journey that lasted centuries. Sixam was still inhabited when they left the planet, and (according to Cassy's math) they were from the early decades of the Earth's invasion plan period.
Those were very old Sixams still convinced that the Earth was a place to conquer, what could they want from us?
???: When we left Sixam, our people were still looking for a new home to replace our dying homeworld. For years we had been working on the colonization project of this planet, considered among all the most suitable for our survival. But now it is clear that a lot has changed since the beginning of our journey, in all these decades the Sixamians have finally managed to find a hospitable home on this planet. We would therefore like to ask all of you, as members of your own species, to be allowed to settle down here with you and finally end our journey.
That was definitely the last explanation they expected us to hear, that's for sure…
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From Cassy's diary
Cassy: (thoughtful) According to dad's books the original Sixamians were very different from us. It was when they started to abduct humans and pollinate them that they gradually started to look like us. They must somehow be closer to these original Sixamians, otherwise I really don't understand their bizarre appearance...
Steve: I think their appearance is the least of the problems, right now.
Cassy: What do you mean?
Steve: The real difference is inside their heads. Those guys are crazily cold, they only know how to use logic!
Venus: I agree. I mean, who would think it's normal to abduct people with a spaceship just to gather some information? They could have landed and asked us, or use a radio, or any other solution!
Steve: Not to talk about their telepathy, I heard they don't even need to concentrate to know whatever you're thinking! In fact, that guy didn't put any real effort into probing my memories, yet it was... Ouch, don't make me think about it again...
Venus: Honestly, I don't want them to see my thoughts every time I cross one in the street!
Cassy: They certainly have a different way of thinking from us, they grew up in such a different environment... But they also seem to be making an effort to integrate, isn't it?
Steve: ...
New Sixam has always supported everyone's rights and freedom and left its borders open to everyone, so there was no way we could deny a home to this disbanded crew of ancient Sixamians. Thus, we ended up with about fifty of them living not far from us, they mostly found a home in dedicated apartments in the southern outskirts of the city.
As expected, especially after their daring entry into the scene including scary abductions and old spaceships, many look at them with suspicion and fear.
They always seem unperturbed, they only talk to exchange information and some say they have never seen them laugh.
They lived all their lives in a very different environment from ours, so it doesn't surprise me to see them behave like this. But deep down they don't seem so different from us, they still need food, sleep and interaction with each other. Why shouldn't they learn how to integrate among us, after all?
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From Luke's diary
[because two diaries weren't enough :P]
The arrival of this group of ancient Sixamians triggered chaos throughout New Sixam, by now the whole country is talking about them.
It could be because of my age, or the fact that I've spent my whole life writing about the history and evolution of our people, but in a situation like this I just can't help but express my opinion too.
Venus: Oh, so you're really planning another presentation at the library?
Luke: I think this will be my last talk, it takes way too much energy to organize each of these events…
Misty: With a subject like the arrival of those ancient Sixamians moving in town, I wonder how you managed to wait for so long before writing a book about it!
Luke: Well, a book could be a bit too long for the purpose... But it could be an interesting topic for an essay, that's probably true.
Eventually, quite a lot of people showed up at the library. There were Misty, the girls, my sister Lyra, her husband Nick, and also Serena and her husband.
I don't understand much about technology, but they told me not to worry about the live broadcasting of the event on the library's webpage. It worked well few other times already, also those who won't be able to attend in person will be given a chance to follow my speech this way.
Some might say that, compared to others, I haven't achieved much in my life. Just thinking about my parents, my life didn't seem particularly interesting, with my father who had spent years solving apparently impossible cases in the police and my mother who became the first president of New Sixam. Even my daughters, both astronauts, had already experienced more adventures than I did.
After all, I've only written books, you'll think. But those books have then been read by someone, and if even just one of them has made the effort to reflect on their content instead of stopping at mere appearances, then I can already say to be satisfied.
And, judging by all the people who are listening to me even here today, I can't help but think that all my work has been for something, after all.
Luke: By now we all know about the ancient Sixamians who recently joined our community after a bizarre twist of fate brought them to our time here in New Sixam. However, what I see in the streets these days is sadly reminiscent of my own childhood, when this country did not yet exist. "They are unable to empathise with us, it's normal for them to abduct people! Their telepathy is stronger than ours, who knows what they can do with our memories!" Nowadays what I can see among us is distrust, contempt, fear.
Luke: But we must remember that these same things were also said about us not many years ago, when we still lived together with humans. Discrimination should never become the norm, but this principle should be even more true here in New Sixam, where we all have been discriminated against and isolated by other countries and other people. So I invite you not to forget our common past, the next time you cross one of our new neighbours on the street. History can be ironic at times, it tends to repeat itself more often than people think.
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