It had been a long day and the age of fifty Kern was no longer used to such action-filled days. At least not since his commission and promotion to General of the W.A.F. But his duties continued and the next event was the one he hated the most. Soon the vendor was to arrive for the pre-arranged meeting. If any person ever possessed everything Kern hated, it was the wrist chip vendor. And the vendor's race was an issue for Kern.
To prepare for the meeting as he knew well that the vendor always accepted his invitations to dinner; he had to make use of low-esteem and discreet connections for catering. At least those high within the World Administration elite tolerated these connections as a negotiation measure. The vendor was not to arrive by elevator capsule, instead he made use of another elevator installed within this one platform. Kern watched the entrance alarm screen, waiting for when the black-haired vendor approached the General's living quarters. Upon the door bell ringing, he opened the door for his guest. Why the vendor always wore a black hooded cloak he did not know as it might attract more attention if seen by others elsewhere.
As the vendor entered his quarters, Kern greeted him with “Good evening Lars.”
The vendor snapped a reply in an irritated tone “Not 'Lars', 'La', I mean 'Lar', wait!” and pulled a green oval device from his cloak pocket. He pressed the round black button above the control dial.
Kern forgot that the vendor used the device as soon as he was out of the public eye. The button on the device deactivated the human cloaking and showed his original reptilian form. The main body covered in grey-yellow scales; with grey, sometimes black ones over his back and sides. The General winced from the vile sight and damp- rotten smell of this creature. As the vendor morphed back to reptilian form, Kern took a while to get accustomed to meeting with a species his brain did not register as a terrestrial being. Although Kern was not a small person, this reptilian now towered over him. He found it amazing just how such a muscle-bound creature could move with elegance, unlike the clumsy and primitive reptilian sub-species used as soldiers.
The vendor continued to speak, but now in his own non-obstructed dialect “Kern, we reptilianss are ssenssitive when it comess our given namess! It is 'Larsst'.”
Kern reacted sharp, wanting to avoid angering his guest in any form and said “I’m sorry, yes a name is important I must admit.”
He attempted the vendor's name again, remembering to make a hissing sound with the 'ss' and wait before ending the name with a 'tut' sound for the 't'; said “Larsst.”
Larsst nodded his scaled head to show Kern's effort pleased him. For the few humans who may have had any doings with reptilians, they saw them eating just a variety of bugs and insects. The reptilians wanted humans to see them eating this dietary. It hid the truth as they had an appetite for human organs – but such meals are treated as a delicatessen and getting stock remained discreet. The news covered regular reports on people who had gone missing and never found. Kern always ensured that his dinner guest had no cause for complaint and gestured with an open arm, pointing to the dining table and spread of shiny human body organs.
Larsst now made a purring sound from his throat as he went to the table and impaled his chosen meal with his claws. Before eating, he first took his time with smelling the pieces of organ. With a slight grin and movement of his drooling forked tongue, Larsst signalled his delight with what his dinner host offered. Kern recalled that reptilians deemed it most impertinent to be disturbed during a meal. He poured himself a drink and waited for his guest to finish his disgusting eating ritual – one which he wished not to watch. After Larsst had finished licking his claws clean with his tongue, Kern now proceeded with the conversation. Because unlike fellow human guests, with reptilians the niceties such as asking if the meal had met expectations could be spared.
Kern asked “Larsst, are you aware of any side-affects caused by the wrist chip implants?”
The General could never tell any reptilian facial signs of emotion, which was possible with humans. He found conversations with reptilians difficult due to the required patience, which was not one of his strengths. He knew though, that by nature they are cunning; and so he hoped his art of communication skills served him well today.
After five minutes Larsst said “Ssorry, nothing negative sshowed when we tessted. Iss ssomething wrong with the chipss we ssupply?”
Careful not to insult his guest over the product his company supplied, Kern explained “No, no, the chips are fine. It is just that we received a report that hospital patients complained of a rash which later enlarged pores around the part of skin above the implanted wrist chip.”
After a short pause, Larsst said “You now our chipss are producced under exsstreme control. Sstandardss are of the highesst quality. The contract iss to ssupply wrisst chipss – which we do. We cannot be held ressponssible for problemss after chip implantation. Do you undersstand Kern? Did you exsstract a chip for me to insspect?”
“Yes.” Kern confirmed and opening the box containing the chip he continued “I have a chip which we extracted from a patient. I took the precaution to seal the hospital dome for quarantine measures.”
And in a sorrowful tone added “I hope no other cases are reported elsewhere within the dome network.”
Larsst's slit olive coloured eyes widened, and his tongue was visible again and slithered from side to side; as he inspected the chip and listened to Kern. The reptilian race had always seen humans as being of lower esteem and serving either the purpose as servant or food source.
Larsst commented “Of coursse conccernss of humanss are alsso conccernss of ourss. I will have the chip analyssed. May I offer to organisse the... um... cleanssing of the hosspital dome – of coursse we rissk infection oursselvess, but may develop the chip technology further for detecting ssuch illnesssess.”
Kern guessed that Larsst seen the sealed dome as a food source. But as it solved a problem he might otherwise have to tackle again, he consented. And contemplated his reply before speaking “Larsst, we appreciate the kind offer to cleanse Hospital Dome Ninety Seven.”
With reptilians not being known as a sociable species, it came as no surprise to Kern that Larsst wasted no time in thanking him for the splendid meal. Reptilians meant such pleasantries in a sarcastic sense, due to them classing themselves as the most elite species and never grateful to humans. Larsst extracted the morphing device from his cloak pocket and as he turned the dial, his reptilian shape shifted; and within minutes left Kern's quarters as the black-haired man who had arrived earlier that evening.
He filled his glass again with whiskey and went over and slouched on his soft blue couch. Considering the reptilian's offer, he reckoned that things had turned out well. The hospital dome was soon to be cleared of citizens and he expected that entry to the dome came from an underground reptilian network. At last one negative thought sprang to mind, the threat the virus posed - that the same might spread elsewhere. But although he had not found a solution to the virus problem, his suspicion may soon be confirmed.
He thought to himself 'The reptilians may be more involved in this catastrophe as just being the wrist chip supplier. Larsst did not look surprised as he saw the state of the extracted chip even though he defended the high standard of the product. When volunteering to help with the cleansing of the hospital dome, he was not that concerned that the infective virus may be harmful to the reptilian race'. For now though Kern intended to wait and repeat today's procedure for the next hospital if needed. He was sure he could receive reptilian help again if required.
Once Larsst had entered the elevator, which could be opened by a special key held by elite reptilians who had direct dealings with the World Administration; he closed the door and selected one of the underground levels. As the elevator descended, he let out a triumphant laugh. Upon reaching the selected level, the elevator stopped, and the door opened. He proceeded to the office of his senior to make his report. In the reptilian world rank came with seniority, except under special circumstances where promotions might be earned. Even though he was one hundred and thirty human years old and a member of many Boards and Councils, Larsst was still a reptilian youngster. And many others being his senior and so of higher rank and social status. Although one could not be so disrespectful as to ask a senior reptilian its age, Larsst reckoned the most ancient reptilians must be over five hundred human years.
As reptilians are not controlled by the time dimension as humans are, years are marked by thickness of scales. So they did not make calendar notes for birthday celebrations. Unlike a human's office, those senior reptilians in positions of authority who owned offices, had them made to reptilian liking. The design of such an office was enough to make a human guest, if reptilians had any, most uncomfortable.
A reptilian's office was a hollow den, always underground and part of a network. The floor dry and if possible sandy. Parts of the office had groups of rocks piled on the floor and sometimes thick roots sprouting from the walls, from trees that once lived, and everywhere dark and damp. This provided the ideal working conditions for a senior reptilian – who spent much time in the lair of an office. Throughout most of the reptilian tunnel network was dim lighting – a perk they allowed themselves, compliments of the human World Administration. The senior sensed Larsst's arrival at his office and waved him in as he appeared at the entrance.
Once Larsst was through the entrance, as reptilian offices had no doors, slouching against his favourite pile of smooth rocks the senior asked “What do you have to report?”
Larsst explained “Exccellenccy, I report that my plan to deploy the viruss via human wrisst chipss hass worked and the outbreak commencced. Ass we tessted before, the chemical reaction within the wrisst chipss releassed the fluid through the humanss' sskin poress. The human World Adminisstration Forcce have ssealed off one of the hosspital domess, containing patientss and sstaff, and acccepted my offer for uss to cleansse it for them. I resspectfully assk my sseniorss to acccept thiss hunting game ass a token of my resspect.”
“Larsst issn't it?” the senior asked while inspecting his own thick greyish 'hand' claws.
He confirmed “Yess, Exccellenccy. Larsst iss my name.”
Delighted, the senior said “Larsst, you sshall be rewarded for contributing to the risse of our racce, rightful ownerss of Earth. I will ssend a hunting group to the hosspital dome. I want you to be pressent and coordinate.”
Larsst, glad to have pleased his senior added “It iss Hosspital Dome Ninety Sseven. It iss an honour to be asssigned ssuch ressponssibilty from his exccellenccy.”