A Collective Conspiracy
‘The world ended on April 23, 2018. It wasn’t the first time and I doubt it will be the last. But it was the most recent.’
The speaker paused, allowing time for his audience to absorb the gravity of his words. Bluquo blinked her large eyes slowly while Jendine’s were are wide as her mouth. Being unfamiliar with their physiology, it was hard to read their expressions.
Jendine’s waist-length hair glistened silver in the moonlight. Her tail flapped lazily in the water of the loch. At least she had stopped crooning. When they had first been introduced to this haven, the merfolk had enchanted the indigenous species with their captivating song. Bluquo, by dint of being one of the first rescued creatures introduced to the planet, had been charged with keeping Jendine and her kin in line and now all the merfolk resided with the plesiosaurus at Loch Ness.
‘You may have noticed the change in the night skies,’ Ama continued, ‘so I am here to assure you that all is well and the Nibiru have not found you.’
‘The fact that we are still breathing is proof of that,’ Bluquo stated.
‘True,’ Ama agreed. ‘But some are not as pragmatic as you and require our assurance.’
‘Will they ever stop, the Nibiru?’ Jendine asked.
‘They won’t.’ Ama made no attempt to soften the answer.
‘How do you not remember, little fish?’ Bluquo asked the mermaid. ‘The Nibiru believe that they are the only correct lifeform and are devoted to ridding universe of every other species.’
‘Is that why they drowned Alaquin?’
‘Yes,’ Ama answered. ‘The Nibiru destroyed your world because you were not Nibiru. Thankfully, my fellow Zeta Reticulians and I were able to rescue several dozen of your kind and transport you to this haven world.’
‘This world?’ Bluquo said. ‘You said the world had ended.’
‘My apologies. Jendine, you and the merfolk were transported to Earth VII. More recently, you have all been migrated to this world.’
‘But I don’t recall being migrated,’ Jendine said. ‘Not this time. I remember the journey from Alaquin. Why was it different this time?’
’It is a large undertaking to displace a being from one world to another and requires much planning. Method of transport, hospitable cargo space, journey time – all these things must be considered and calculated. Whereas moving a whole world is much easier.
’Millenia ago, the Zeta Reticuli identified many habitable planets in the far reaches of the universe and installed sentinels at their polar orbits. This technology allows us to remotely monitor the fostered world as well as offering an access point through which we can traverse.
‘Another use of the sentinels is to scan its ward over a full rotation and remap the image to an unused haven. This “remapping” involves the instant relocation of all life forms.’
‘So during this migration we were teleported to another world?’ Jendine asked.
‘Yes,’ Ama confirmed. ‘You, your kin, Bluquo and all other life on this planet; all were, to use your word, teleported from Earth VII to here three years ago.’
‘But how did the Nibiru find us?’ Jendine questioned. ‘We merfolk had been on Earth VII for many hundreds of years.’
‘That was down to the actions of the indigenous peoples of the haven,’ Ama answered. ’As a planet-based organism, they are inconsequential to your lives. Unfortunately, they have aspiration for the heavens. Since they first looked up at the night sky, they have dreamed of what secrets may lie amongst the stars.
’About two hundred and fifty years ago, in a place the natives now call Europe, the Zeta Reticuli introduced a system to prevent them from achieving this goal. As their undeveloped minds could not hold the knowledge of our existence without breaking, we were forced to guide them into creating an organisation comprised solely of their own kind. The intention of this society was for them to police their own sciences and laws in a bid to slow down their learning with bureaucracy.
’For many years, it was a successful scheme but the fragility of their bodies meant the original intent was lost over time. Now this organisation, which they call the Illuminati, busies itself with increasing the amount of its own bartering units. It has been more than fifty years since the last time we were able to employ their assistance.
’In a time when two tribes raced to be the first escape the confines of the world, one important individual publicly promised his people they would reach the planet’s natural satellite. This immediately alerted we Zeta Reticulians; if the indigenous people called out to the cosmos, it would only be a matter of time before the Nibiru heard and answered.
‘Through the Illuminati, and with heavy disguise, we were able to contact this… I believe they called him president… and convince him of the ill of his goals. He was an ingenious creature – for their kind – and saw the threat the Nibiru posed.’
Jendine’s tail fluttered at the mention of the enemy.
‘As he was unable to retract his statement,’ Ama continued, ‘another method was needed to change the course of his tribe’s plans. After months of discussions, meticulous plotting and much practise, two fake deaths were planned. The president was seen to be publicly executed and his so-called assassin received the same treatment days later. As far as I am aware, both natives went on to live long, productive, quiet lives.’
This was a detail Ama knew Bluquo would be glad to hear. Excluding the Zeta Reticuli, she was greatest pacificist Ama had ever known.
‘However, the president had underestimated his people. Instead of stopping the tribes’ thirst to enter space, it only delayed it. Five years later, they sent a vehicle to the satellite, and have sent five more since.’
‘And in doing so, did they unwittingly informed the Nibiru of their presence,’ the mermaid said.
‘That would have been the case,’ Ama replied, ‘had their attempts been successful. The Zeta Reticuli were able to intercept all six vehicles and their transmissions. After inducing a sleep, we diverted the crew to a lonely island and fabricated sound and images of them achieving their destination. In our version, the satellite is a dead rock and the natives’ desire to walk upon it soon abated.’
‘So if the locals have not left their world, how are they responsible for the Nibiru finding Earth VII?’
‘We have been focused on preventing the natives physically leaving the planet and from emitting interstellar radio broadcasts inviting visitation. Regretfully, we have been unable to silence the amount of terrestrial distant communication. The Nibiru were alerted by the arrival of something the indigenous people of this world call streaming service.’
‘And after picking up this service, the Nibiru destroyed Earth VII?’
‘They gathered their forces on a distant planet in the solar system, one as yet unidentified by the locals, and launched the attack from there.’
With no further questions from Jendine or Bluquo, Ama prepared to leave.
‘Now, if you are content that you are safe on Earth VIII,’ Ama said, ‘I must pass this message to another rescued lifeform we have placed on this haven.’
‘Others?’ Jendine asked. ‘Are there more merfolk?’
‘No,’ Ama replied. ’Through the course of our mission, we have given sanctuary to many doomed civilisations. There are zidilons and rakers and kliatru. There are also warring impatu which we have had to separate by continents; some are located in a place the locals call North America, the others in what they call Nepal.
‘All of these have been informed and I have only one more being to speak with, a vampire who resides within the English monarchy.’