A shiny, black tape-recorder. Small with tiny, faint fingerprints that can be made out on it.
Amyr: Hello… Mordecai. Are you alright? Your recording ended quite abruptly and seemingly in a panic. I would hate to be sending a recording to another missing person. Also, what was that noise in the background? It almost sounded like another person talking. Also, the recorder you sent has a strange red liquid on it. What is it?
Amyr: That aside, the rumbling was something at the very core of the planet. Its name is Corpiksia. It is an unknown species and resides within the center of our planet. People believe it to be in slumber, every-so-often moving around in its sleep. Though I'm pretty sure it is awake and just deciding to spare our pitiful planet.
Amyr: The subjects you are… oh my, what is the English word for it..?
Belynnia: Learning?
Amyr: That is the one! Learning. The subjects you are learning in school are intriguing. I have a feeling they would be much different here on Syridia, but it sounds very interesting. And the fact that you were formerly in your school's choir is lovely.
Amyr: The Syridian people have been on this planet for multiple… what's it called… gigayears? That sounds right. Either way, we've been here for a long time, though our ruler keeps the exact origins of our people a secret for whatever reason. [pauses]
Amyr: In all honesty, I have no clue what "Iroquois" is, but it sounds interesting.
Amyr: So, you… humans name these things called hurricanes to keep track of them? Interesting. Maybe I should spend a little more time on Earth. Though from my experiences there, I do know what a tornado is.
Amyr: On Syridia, aside from the rumbling, there tend to be holes that appear in the ground. Not quite what people would call a sinkhole, but more of a temporary splitting of the planet. When this happens, hot air rushes out, enough to burn someone to their fragile bones if they're close enough. And then there is a large vacuum effect that pulls in things that are close. Though some unfortunate souls, such as my sister, have the holes appear right below them and they fall in. People say it's completely unpredictable, but I think that it's just Corpiksia breathing.
Amyr: From the way you described him, this Donald Trump person doesn't sound all too great. Although I am confused… what's abortion and what's gay marriage? I've never heard of either of them. I've heard of marriage, but what's gay marriage? Perhaps I know and just don't recognize the word… oh whatever. [pause]
Amyr: Earth, from what I've seen, isn't at all as… distraught as it seems to be in your universe. Though I've only been to what's called the "eastern hemisphere". I oughta go to the other hemisphere sometime. You humans are interesting though, though it's not pleasant being stared at like I'm a maniac when I'm there. [whispers] Maybe it's my eyes…
Amyr: Oh! And the technology here is, uhh… umm…
Belynnia: Ugh, mucyi, Amyr. I'll explain it. The technology here is advanced in some areas and not so much in others. It's all because of what we put more of our time into and need more, like preventing break-ins. So while we are still riding on the backs of animals to get places, we've made it so that only set people can get into private establishments by voice recognition down to the finest detail as well as facial recognition for mute people. So even if someone has a great impression of you, it'll be one, recognized that it isn't your voice, two, seen that it isn't you. That's just a small example of how our technology kinda works and prioritizes.
Amyr: So, some question–
Belynnia: Nuh-uh. I'm asking the questions. You've probably heard my name, but not my voice, so hi! I'm Belynnia! I have a few questions. What's your technology like? Since your apparent secession from the USA, what's life been like? Are there people trying to get Alaskans who fleed to Kanida? Do you do anything for fun?
Amyr: Those are enough questions Belynnia. We look forward to hearing from you again.
Amyr & Belynnia: Nakausoura!
the tape ends
Yes, a recorder.
Mordecai: Hello again Amyr, and nice to hear you from you, Belynnia.
Mordecai: Thankfully, what happened at the end last time was a false alarm, of sorts. The liquid you saw was, uh, blood. We had a run in with some trouble that day. [clearing throat] Right. Speaking of we…
?????: Hi. That background noise you heard last time was me. My name's Nathan.
Nathan: Sorry I couldn't speak clearly, I… wasn't feeling well…?
Mordecai: Sure, we'll go with that. You should answer the same basic questions from last time.
Nathan: Okay. I'm… technically 17 years old? Not sure if you could hear it, but my favourite colour is grass green. Mordecai: Magenta is better. Grass green is superior and I would fight you if it was possible. [Clearing throat] I was in grade 11 3 years ago. I used to play a lot of video games. Those are just regular games, but digital. That covers it right?
Mordecai: Yup. Anyway, a creature at the center of the planet, huh? That sounds insane. Earth just has super heated minerals at the center. The Corpiksia sounds a lot more interesting than lava. What else do you know about it? Is your planet some kind of egg for it or something?
Nathan: So, 'Iroquois' is the name of a native people who originated on the land we're on. They're one of the reasons why Kanida has been peaceful in the past millennia. They're pretty lucky, compared to other natives in the region. Those people were… not treated as well by white people- err, colonials.
Mordecai: Most of our people's history is public knowledge, fortunately. It's odd that your ruler wouldn't want to share it with the people. [Pause] Well, it would be odd in human terms, perhaps it might be more common on other worlds or other universes.
Mordecai: Those… I'll just call them sinkholes, for lack of a better term. They sound horrible. We don't have anything close to that on Earth.
Nathan: Yeah, I can't think of anything like that here.
Pause
Nathan: You're right about Trump. Unfortunately, Americans have chosen him to lead them, so there's not much anyone can do.
Mordecai: Assassinate him.
Nathan: …[clicks tongue] Not much anyone can legally do. So, abortion. To put it in the most plain terms, it's technically the removal of a human fetus from a female's womb. That's the least controversial way to say it.
Mordecai: Women do it for different reasons; They're not in a financially stable condition to raise a child; The would-be mother's life is at risk if they give birth… They're too young to give birth; or they didn't want to become pregnant.
Nathan: That's not to mention how the woman just might not want the child. Some people argue that it's murder, to kill an unborn child. That it's inhumane. Others say it should be the woman's choice. That it technically isn't murder because it's not killing an unborn child. At the stage that abortions can happen, the child wouldn't have developed a mind of its own yet.
Mordecai: The thing is, just because they made it illegal, doesn't mean the abortions stop. It just means they'll become more dangerous for the mothers. People will perform abortions in a dirty alley.
[pause]
Nathan: On that note; gay marriage.
Mordecai: This is a lot easier to explain.
Nathan: In order to have a child, you need to have one male and one female. That is just a fact. Some people believe that marriage should be only one male and one female.
Mordecai: Those people are wrong. There are people who can be both or neither or can change which one they feel they are and–
Nathan: Mort. [Sigh] However there are people in relationships where both humans are the same sex–
Mordecai: Gender.
Nathan: Right, same gender. So a female and a female, or a male with a male. Those kinds of people are referred to as homosexual, or 'gay'. People think that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. That's the gist of it without diving into a whole lot of other things.
Mordecai: Your universe's Earth sounds a lot better than ours. We are in the Western hemisphere, but the Eastern isn't that much better.
Nathan: Our technology is level all around, I guess? I have no idea how to gauge it. I haven't been a–
Mordecai coughs
Nathan: -aaaaware of most current things. [a slapping sound can be heard from a distance] I've been living in isolation for 3 years. We don't travel by animals anymore, haven't for a century, actually. We use sunlight to power engines in vehicles. Our privacy mostly revolves around locks, for the general public.
Mordecai: Now, I've only been living here for the past 4-ish years, so I can't say much as to how the whole Alaska thing went. Nate?
Nathan: Honestly, Alaska joining Kanida was something everyone has been waiting for for the past few decades, so there wasn't too much backlash when they officially seceded. I've heard reports of Alaskans fleeing the rest of the states that were on holiday and such. But I don't think we got much of that here in Alberta.
Mordecai: Nowadays, neither of us do much for fun. Him being… isolated, and me-
Long pause. Like, 5 minutes. Indecipherable whispers.
Mordecai: Best way to put it is that I've been um… forbidden from entering town. So, neither of us do much for fun these days. Questions, right. I was listening to your first recording, and you said something about enjoying hunting an animal? What is it? Is it the Corpiksia that you mentioned?
Nathan: Is it a dragon? Mordecai: Shut your whore mouth. You are no fun. So, Belynnia, since I had to answer the basic questions, how old are you? Are you in school? What's your favourite colour? What do you like to do?
Mordecai: We need to go, so hear from ya soon!
Nathan: Wait I wanted to ask them about Na-
The tape finishes
