By Nathan Conlon
The Skyfolk held no ill will toward penguins. Why would they fear such harmless creatures? In Antarctica and elsewhere, penguins could approach the alien settlers without so much as a second glance.
Thus, the U.N. Military devised a cunning plan.
A human—myself, it turned out—would be mind-linked to an Emperor penguin via psionics. And not just any penguin—this one would be fitted with a concealed earpiece and camera lens. My mission was to investigate the Skyfolk city on the Antarctic Peninsula. Everything I saw would be fed back to U.N. Military Headquarters.
From a submarine, I controlled the penguin. The little thing was presently on a dinghy steered by Lieutenant Draper. To penguin eyes, the man was colossal.
My penguin body swayed and stumbled on the slippery deck; each time the dinghy rocked, it felt like an earthquake.
We reached the insertion point at the shoreline. Draper picked me up and lifted me out of the dinghy, setting me on the ice. My head spinning, I stood as straight as the penguin’s body would allow, looked up, and gave the salute.
Draper saluted back. “Godspeed, Agent P,” he said, addressing me by my codename. “We’ll be waiting for you. Or… the penguin, I mean.”
I squawked in affirmation.
Lowering my salute, I turned tail and strode off toward the Skyfolk city.
It was hard going—they’d had to fatten the penguin since my chances of catching a bite to eat were slim. Nonetheless, I soon felt hunger, and each step of my little, webbed feet required the mental fortitude of a Viking warrior.
My earpiece beeped. “This is Mission Control. You’re halfway there, Agent P. Keep it up.”
Through the hazy mist, the city appeared: half a dozen crystalline spikes surrounded by blocks of various shapes. A blue dome protected the city, glowing tendrils waving from its surface.
I continued trudging forward, spurred on by the target.
Then I heard a roar.
My head whipped to the left.
A monstrous, snarling polar bear.
Its teeth bared and hunger in its eyes, it stalked toward me. A wave of electric fear rushed through my chest.
I looked to the city and waddled as fast as I could.
No use. The polar bear sped up, its paws thumping across the snow, sending shockwaves across the ground and through my penguin bones.
I stopped, turned to face it, and squawked as loud as a siren.
A bolt of light shot through the air, accompanied by a deep, humming vibration. The blast struck the bear on its great big side, cutting a hole right through it.
The bear let out a blood-curdling roar before collapsing on the snow.
I turned to see a pearly figure holding a handgun. It holstered the gun and walked toward me.
“Stay calm, Agent P,” said Mission Control. “We’re getting some great footage here.”
I trembled, letting out a low squawk in reply.
The figure moved closer. I made out alien features: A thin, humanoid body covered in white scales. Piercing blue eyes and a small mouth. It exuded the calmness of a holy cathedral.
Stopping before me, its eyes closed. A hand reached out.
My penguin body rose up from the ground. I frantically flapped my flippers, trying to regain control, but it was useless. I soon gave up.
The pearly figure turned and made its way to the Skyfolk city, my blubbery form floating limply beside it.
We approached the blue dome and passed through with ease, continuing onwards.
There were others. Most of them looked similar to the pearly one, but there were also some ape-like beings and a few tall, insectoid creatures. An inter-species society?
My savior brought me to a building in the city center. Gigantic, metal doors opened automatically, then closed behind us as we entered. The metallic thud echoed throughout the room, which looked like a cross between a church and a steelworks.
The pearly alien scooped a strange gel from a nearby bowl, turned toward me, and lathered it over my feathery head.
That’s when everything changed.
Gradually, I began feeling something… Another presence? The sensation strengthened by the second. I looked into the eyes of my savior and realized that the gel had linked our minds.
“Hello, child of the cosmos.” The words appeared in my thoughts. The alien’s blue eyes captivated me.
“Eh… Hello, friend. How’s it going?” My heart pounded with the fear of a fraud.
“There will be a test,” it said.
And with that, the pearly one turned and walked to the center of the room. A throne glimmered on the far wall, upon which sat a small, ape-like being, not much bigger than my penguin self. It watched me with beady eyes, a tiny crown on its head.
In the middle of the room sat a strange device, like a miniature church organ. I floated forward and landed before it.
More words, possibly from the ape. “Begin the test.”
A screen on the organ lit up. Green shapes: triangle, circle, triangle, blank.
“Complete the pattern.”
Options appeared. I pressed ‘circle’ with my right flipper. A clicking noise, and another question—this one harder.
I answered as best I could. After about twenty minutes, the questions ended.
Suddenly, the ape wailed. It got down from its throne and slouched off, a clink of metal resounding as it dumped the crown on the floor.
I looked to the pearly one. “What just happened?”
With a scaly hand, it picked up the crown and it placed it on my head. “You have just become Prince of this city.”
I blinked. “How?”
“The sacred formula: intelligence divided by weight. The score determines the Prince. What is your first command?”
I could scarcely believe it. From narrowly escaping a polar bear’s jaws to becoming the ‘Prince’ of a Skyfolk city. What a day.
“Eh… For now, why don’t you catch me a fish?” I waddled to the throne. “It’s been a long journey, and I’m quite hungry.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
It is a really nice story and I love and aswell you inspired me to write when I am older and became a author.
-Miraya Sharma
Thank you, Miraya! Glad you liked the story 😁 I look forward to reading some of your stories in the future!
Intelligence divided by weight… next time, they should infiltrate with a squirrel.
“The Penguin Plan II: Rise of the Squirrel”
What a creative world! And the end had me laughing. 🤣
Glad you liked it! 😂
Fun story, but what was a polar bear doing in Antarctica?
Good question, David.
I wonder… does this have anything to do with the story of the talking bears trying to find out what happened to humanity? A prequel, maybe?
Mate, this had me in fits laughing. The bears, the penguin plus more coming together in some sort of Avengers-style finale 🤣
I’ll not say anything at this point… keep my options open lmao
This was captivating! I totally want to know more about the narrator’s mission and what the humans will do with the information they acquire from his camera! What happens if the aliens find out?! I loved your pearly eerily calm aliens, a very interesting world! Thank you.
Aw thank you for the kind words! I’m so happy you liked it, Leanne 😁
Oh goodness, this was cool X’D I totally need more!