"One Molip Too Many" by Heidy G

                  The vast darkness echoed calmness as we sailed through the galaxy. It seemed to reflect the inside of the ship. All was quiet. Not a single Molip made a sound, usual for them. Their long, telescopic eyes, attached to their slimy green bodies, concentrated on the information before them. Our destination was Earth. We were set to arrive there soon, scheduled to conduct further experiments on the creatures inhabiting the planet.

                  I’d visited Earth a few times before. The humans there were so rude, always asking about my day. Pesky humans. The Molips would leave me on Earth alone for some time. I was forced to interact with the earthlings. Meanwhile, they flew around in their spaceship, conducting tests.

                  I hoped that the new device under construction back in Bemana would work and allow me to be one of them, a Molip. I had nothing against my human form, even with all of its strange protruding angles and shapes. But I longed to be just like them. I was raised by them, after being abandoned as a child. What other humans considered as frightening and ugly, I considered as beauty. I admired them. They had such great minds and moral standards, no human could ever compare.

                  The Molips were back sooner than I had expected. Their experiments were successful, like always. It was time to go back home to Bemana now.

                  The leader of the expedition suddenly approached me. I was taken aback with surprise, as usually molips did not interact with one another.

                  “H1, I’ve been informed to direct you to base TAL103,” he said.

                  “May I ask why, M522?”

                  “It seems that the HM Converter has been finalized. The committee would like to try it out now.”

                  This was what I had been waiting for all these years. Finally, the chance to be one of them had come. Pure joy coursed through me.  However, I knew that any strong demonstration of emotion went against the codes of the Molip Committee.

                  “Alright M522.”

                  The ship was started again. The journey to Bemana had never been as long as it was today. We soon arrived at the base, an imposing building a few hundred miles away from the nearest community.

                  “M38 will meet you inside,” M522 informed me. I nodded and exited the ship.

                  I walked quickly towards the building, cutting through the dense atmosphere. While on Bemana, I had to wear multiple devices in order to survive its harsh conditions. I entered the base and was met with Molips, all waiting for me.

                  “It’s ready,” they said. “But are you?”

                  “Yes,” I replied with no hesitation.

                  “Enter the chamber.”

                  The complex machine seemed daunting, but this was what I wanted. I stepped inside of it and waited. Suddenly the doors closed and a gas emanated from all around. I felt different, tingly. And then, it all stopped. The doors opened.

                  As I stepped out of the chamber, I heard them exclaim, “What is that?!”

                  “A monster!”