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Even among superior aliens there is political intrigue and emotional dislike, vying for position and ignoring rules and laws. Even with a benevolent take-over of a planet there is an inevitable backlash and populism is not logical.:

‘We are working with your scientists and technologists to improve your knowledge and understanding so that your horizons can be greatly increased.’ She did not add that this knowledge would be restricted until such time as the species were considered worthy. ‘This will have a huge impact on all walks of life, from energy production, transport and infrastructure, to your appreciation of the universe and how it operates.’

She peered out of their screens with a severe frown and green hue of displeasure. ‘You as a race have badly damaged the ecosystems that create stability in the planet, replenish air, water and soil, and ultimately enable all life to prosper. It is an ecosystem that has been billions of years in the making. Nature is not something apart from yourselves as your modern urban lives seem to suggest; it is a vital element in all your existence. Nature nurtures everything. You are part of it and dependent on it. It cannot be allowed to disintegrate. Even if you could live by artificially producing the necessary elements to live, your lives would lack a vital spiritual ingredient that would prevent you from being whole and living a satisfying life’. Her eyes shone with revolutionary zeal. ‘We will restore your ecosystems. For a while stretches of habitat will be protected and all Hydrans will be excluded from those zones to enable the food webs to rebuild. We will aide that recovery.’

Her face softened.

‘As part of this process we will enable new clean energy production technologies and non-polluting mechanisms to upgrade your industries. This will produce a revolution in manufacturing that will benefit all while also protecting your planet.’

Chameakegra drew herself erect and raised her crest, her scales a shimmering effervescence of blue satisfaction and gold authority. She seemed to speak directly to each and every one of them.

‘Fellow humans, we are poised at the edge of a new future, one that is congenial and prosperous for everyone. By the time we leave you there will be a new age, a new future and better life for everyone. We will go forward together.’

The picture faded away to pleasant views of meadows, sunrises and animal life, families playing in the midst of beauty, majestic landscapes and beautiful scenes; all carefully selected to create a positive vibe.

Grrndakegra’s leering face appeared hovering over her tridee messaging. ‘Another masterpiece,’ she remarked jeeringly. ‘I’m sure that’ll help pacify the brutes, make my job a lot easier. Much more of that and we’ll have all the fugitives handing themselves in for reprogramming.’

‘How’s the round up progressing?’ Chameakegra replied, ignoring the sarcasm.

‘Very well,’ Grrndakegra replied, looking smug.  ‘We’re doing a great job. We’ve now run down ninety-five percent of the despicables. We’re hunting down the rest and are winkling them out of the holes they’ve secreted themselves into. My troopers are getting good at extracting them. We’ve had to deal with a number of conspirators who were deliberately helping the fugitives escape. Perhaps you could have a word with your Hydrans about not hampering the cause, or getting in the way of the operation. After all, you could tell them that handing in the criminals is for the greater good. I’m sure they’ll all take notice of you.’ She chuckled mockingly. ‘Failing that you could warn them that we’ll add them to the list. That might do it.’

Chameakegra thought it best not to enquire too much about what was happening to the conspirators. Presumably they were already being added to the lists of those in need of adjustment for their antisocial ways.

‘How are the camps?’

‘Overcrowded, but we’re cramming them in,’ Grrndakegra replied jovially. ‘Always room for a few more.’

‘I hope to get the Lunar facilities completed soon then be can begin work on housing them properly and rehabilitating them,’ Chameakegra said, still attempting to treat Grrndakegra cordially as if she was trying as hard to get things right as she was.

‘I wouldn’t shut down your respiratory tract,’ Grrndakegra grinned, ignoring the question posed. ‘From what I’ve seen most of these dranglers they are well beyond rehabilitation.’

Chameakegra repressed a shudder. Were they on the same team?

‘We’ll see,’ she replied, trying to appear matter-of-fact and unflustered.

‘While you’re at it, I can see the value in painting an idyllic future for these dranglers but from where I am sitting I’m not seeing it. It appears to me just as Beheggakegri called it, these dranglers are a bunch of violent psychotics. It’s genetic. They can’t be cured. In my opinion they need eradicating and put an end to all this nonsense.’

‘Well thanks for your opinion,’ Chameakegra said coldly before breaking the connection.

‘That lizard’s got a great voice,’ Debbie remarked. ‘She speaks perfectly. How has she learnt English so quick?’

‘I bet it’s all done by technology,’ Denby suggested cynically. ‘I bet if you were to go to any other part of the world you’d hear it speaking in the local dialect.’

‘You reckon?’ Debbie replied, looking amazed. ‘I was wondering how that blue forked tongue and hard scaly lips could form words so perfectly.’

‘Did you hear what the fucking reptile said,’ Billy snarled. ‘She’s not only taking our fucking country off us, she’s banning us from going on our own fucking planet!’

Debbie looked confused.

‘All that shyte about allowing nature to repair so we’re not allowed to go places,’ Billy snarled. ‘Banned by a bunch of scabby lizards from going where we want in our own bleedin’ gaffe!’

‘I quite liked some of it,’ John muttered. ‘Sharing that technology and making life better. Perhaps they will make a difference?’

Billy and Denby both fixed him with withering stares.

‘The world is in a bit of a mess,’ Debbie remarked in a feeble voice, not wanting to bring their wrath down on herself.

‘What’s all that fucking shyte about putting this fucking dimwit writer, Ron Force or whatever his fucking name is, in charge? What the fuck does he know about running the world?’

‘Can’t do a worse job than the bunch we’ve just had in,’ Foxy quipped.

‘He’ll be running nowt,’ Denby asserted. ‘He’s just a face, a puppet. Those lizards’ll be pulling the strings.’

‘Right on,’ Billy nodding his agreement.

‘Well I like the idea of taking the money from the military and bunging it into schools,’ Cheryl asserted, glaring defiantly at Denby, daring him to turn on her. ‘About time the kids got a better deal.’

‘Bloody indoctrination centres, more like,’ Billy didn’t hold back with his glares. ‘They want to indoctrinate them, that’s all. It’s not about fucking education.’

‘If they overhaul production and make it more efficient that might bung a bit more in my pay packet,’ Foxy remarked cheerfully. ‘I could do with enough for a week or two on the Costa Brava.’

‘I for one aren’t going to be pushed around by a bunch of alien lizards,’ Billy asserted vehemently. ‘Just wait until that meeting this evening. I’ll tell it like it is?’

‘Your task will be to bring them together, to create a global community,’ Chameakegra explained. ‘You have to engineer building a society based on fairness and equality, one that works for everyone.’

‘Bloody hell,’ Ron looked aghast. The longer this went on the greater his suspension of belief. ‘Fucking Ada. That’s all? What am I meant to do in the afternoon?’

‘I have received your report,’ Beheggakegri’s image hovered above Grrndakegra’s tridee receiver looking suitably smug. ‘Good stuff. Do your best. This Hydran rehabilitation scheme looks like a recipe for disaster. Your troopers are doing a great job. I’ve been watching the Hydrans on their communications systems. They are becoming more and more irate. The camps are working too. Put a bunch of psychos together, pack them in and they’re bound to feed off each other. Before long they’ll be big trouble.’ He chuckled, scutes flashing blue with pleasure. ‘See if you can’t find a way of delaying those lunar facilities. The longer we have them cramped up in the camps the better. And tell the troopers to be even rougher when they drag them out. It would be good if we can inflame the families and lookers on. Make sure that the most troublesome, violent arrests find their way on to their communication networks. That’ll stir them up.’

Grrndakegra nodded assent, as if she needed telling how to do her job.

‘Make sure that your abduction teams steer well clear of the resistance groups,’ Beheggakegri added. ‘We don’t want any of them getting picked up. If possible we need to allow all that protest to ferment, some more widespread scenes of violence would play into our hands. You could try funding more of those prehistoric thugs that you used at the protests. They really created mayhem.’ Beheggakegri was obviously delighting in all this. His whole demeanour was glowing.

Grrndakegra watched the obese Dref flicking dainties into his buccal cavity with disdain verging on repulsion. He so obviously relished the thought of the Hydrans fighting but was enjoying the thought of Chameakegra’s downfall even more. It was easy to see that Beheggakegri totally despised the Giforian Commander. This business left Grrndakegra feeling disgruntled. That Dref Beheggakegri was incredibly annoying, giving out his instructions like this. She didn’t need telling.

‘I have slowed things down on the lunar facilities,’ Grrndakegra explained with a touch of exasperation. ‘Didn’t take much. I had a word or two with the Minorian in charge. We exchanged a few scenarios. He rapidly came round to my point of view, particularly when I informed him that you were on the case.’

Beheggakegri found that amusing.

‘So, the lunar facilities won’t be available for a long while yet. The camps are as full as a Breffta’s crop and the Hydrans are becoming feisty. We’ll see how lady Chameakegra copes with that. Keep up the good work Grrndakegra.’

‘I’ve already employed more provocateurs and am funding various media agitators, really stirring up the division and hate. That’ll all pay off. My troops have been instructed to leave our agitators alone. I have it all in claws.’ Grrndakegra wanted her obese boss to know that he certainly did not need to keep checking up on her.

Beheggakegri seemed suitably impressed.

Grrndakegra flicked off and stared at the space where Beheggakegri’s obscenely obese form had been. She felt like spraying the tridee with disinfectant.