Percepia was never found by us.
It was them who found us.
Percepia was a planet smaller than Earth, but far denser. Its gravity was equal to—or heavier than—Earth's. The environment was biologically aggressive. Survival was possible, but never comfortable.
We left the body there in the street.
I went back and joined the food line again. It was almost finished.
I took my bread and went to my hut. Helmut came with me. We broke the bread into two halves and ate in silence.
"So?" he asked. "How do you plan to kill them?"
"The humans chosen for sacrifice are given a black mask," I said. "It has a strange symbol on it. Before they're loaded into the rockets, their ages are verified."
He kept eating, listening.
"I'm still twenty-one," I said. "You?"
"Same as you," he replied, his mouth full. He swallowed the last bite, looked at my half, and said, "If you're not planning to eat that, you can give it to me."
I handed it over and continued.
"If we infiltrate wearing those masks, kill the Percepian doing the checking, and put the mask back on, we can get inside the rocket. They need living bodies. They won't kill us."
Helmut frowned. "How do you intend to get that black mask? And how would you kill a Percepian?"
"After one week, they'll take everyone who turns twenty-five," I said. "We'll kill one of the men in the crowd. Everyone will be wearing the same mask. They won't be able to see properly. If we manage to kill two men without making noise, then—"
"Then we infiltrate," he said. "After that? How would you kill the Percepian verifying ages?"
I raised my hand toward him. "Hold my hand."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
He hesitated, then grabbed it.
"Ouch!" He pulled back. "What was that? I got an electric shock. Wait—are you, by any chance—"
"I have a plan," I said. "Just trust me."
(Percepia — Central Districts, Tomb of the Selps)
Selp was not a name. It was a title used for the higher authorities of Percepia. Among Percepians, Selps were valued, respected, and worshipped.
Percepia was a beautiful planet—far more beautiful than Earth had become. The land was red and cold. Jupiter appeared no larger than a moon in the sky. The sun burned dim and crimson.
Inside the Tomb of the Selps, a meeting was underway.
Selp Kotama presided over it.
"We need to act," he said. "Our resources are declining."
"I think we should look for other sources of life besides humans," said Selp Miouse.
"Everything else was wiped out in the war of 2400," Selp Kistler replied. "We should have fought with more care. Those that survived reject Percepian blood. Human life is the best source for planetary growth."
For Percepians, existence mattered above all else.
"Resources will take time to recover," Selp Kotama said calmly. "We should eliminate half of our population so the remaining half can be fed."
Kistler looked at him. "You're brutal."
"As long as the Percepian race continues to gain knowledge, I don't care about the sacrifices," Kotama said. "Knowledge matters most."
Miouse shook his head. "I don't agree. We should focus on increased reproduction, not killing our own."
"Do as you wish, Miouse," Kotama said. "I'll do things my way—and I won't hesitate to sacrifice anything that stands in it."
"Human resources will be imported in a few days," Kistler added. "We should observe that first and see if they're sufficient."
The Percepian population stood at nearly seven million.
In the war a hundred years ago, around ten billion humans and two million Percepians had died.
The cost, to them, was acceptable.
Now only about twelve thousand humans remained inside Gosuka. A few remnants still survived outside.
Inside Gosuka, there were wars every day. Those who broke Percepian rules were tortured in public. Their families were killed alongside them.
The Percepians maintained control through propaganda.
Outside Gosuka, some humans still lived. They were spared because they served the Percepians. They were allowed to live. To reproduce. Again and again.
Every family was instructed to have more children. Those children were taken to Gosuka.
The Percepians told the parents their children would be taken care of. That they would be protected. That their sacrifice had meaning.
They were taught only one truth:
Percepians are gods.
And when the time comes, you must offer yourself.
Helmut and I stayed inside the huts.
"I have a friend," Helmut said. "She's a good fighter. We could bring her into the team."
"How well does she fight? Can she face Percepians?"
He hesitated. Maybe he just wanted his friend to stay alive. Maybe he wanted her with him.
"Yeah," he said finally. "She can. Probably."