12 Purple Files - Audio Memory

[proudambassador]

[A heavy sigh is the first thing that’s heard before Ambassador’s voice speaks.]
Vir. How many gods are there in our pantheon? I have lost count, since the last emperor was elevated to godhood.

[A much younger male voice answers him. It’s nervous and anxious and sounds a little flustered.] 48. No, no, 49. 50, if you count Zuug, but, you know, I never thought you should—

[Ambassador interrupts him.] All right. Let us say 50.

[Vir again.] 50.

[There’s a wry, sarcastic edge to Ambassador’s voice.] Now. Out of that 50. How many gods do you think I must have offended to have ended up with ---‘s teeth buried so deeply in my throat that I can barely breathe?

[A beat.] All of them?

Sounds right. [Ambassador sounded tired.] And now I have to go back to the Council and explain to them that in the interest of peace the Centauri government will agree to “give” Quadrant 37 to the ---. [He sighed.] I think I will stick my head in the station’s fusion reactor. It would be quicker. And I suspect, after a while, I might even come to enjoy it!

[Vir sounded very unsure.] Ambassador, why—

[Ambassador ignored the attempted interruption.] But this, this. This, this is like being… nibbled to death by, uh… [He makes an annoyed noise.] What are those Earth creatures called? Feathers. Long bill. Webbed feet. Go quack.

[There’s a pause, and then Vir sounded triumphant.] Cats!

Cats. [Ambassador sounded disgusted.] I’m being nibbled to death by cats.

Comments

[remember_cephiro]

Oh, I've seen those before! Cats, not fusion reactors. I'm glad you didn't stick your head in one, though - fusion reactor, not cat. Although, please don't stick your head in a cat, either.

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that classification. On my world we only have pixies, spirits, and people.

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

I do not intend to put my head in either, no. I think that I did not truly intend it when speaking. It was, how you say, an example. An example of how frustrated I was, I think. I do not know. I cannot know. I do not remember what was going on.

That, it tells me nothing. Your world, do you have a name for it?

[remember_cephiro]

It's called Cephiro.

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

Is it? For some reason, I thought that was your country. I must have mixed things up, hm? I do not know what that says about your species or race, but perhaps you are not Human.

[remember_cephiro]

Is there a difference?

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

Is there not? A country, it is part of a world.

[remember_cephiro]

I assumed that by 'world' you meant 'planet' and not 'dimension.'

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

I did. For you, a country is a planet?

[remember_cephiro]

Yes - all of the countries where I am from are on their own planets.

What are countries like where you come from?

[proudambassador.livejournal.com]

They are portions of planets, for me. Sometimes they are continents, sometimes sections of a continent, yes?