Daily Free-Write January 17, 2021

Continued from August 8, 2020 “Protocol 27”

I was carried into the meeting room by our assigned ‘caretaker’, a large red fox who looked much like any red fox on Earth, except that at my height of 5’5”, I only reached to his knees. I blushed brightly as the official greeting party and several officials turned to see me being carried in in nothing but a thick diaper and onesie, with baby bunnies and carrots all across the front. However, as I looked around, I saw that the other members of team Alpha – the commander, Alfred Eagle, science officer Colin Capybara, navigator, Peter Panther, and communications officer Bjorn bear were dressed much as I was, and sitting in their caretakers’ laps.

“Hey! Wait,” I cried, as the red fox who was looking after myself and the commander sat us both in his lap at the table.

“What’s wrong, little one?” asked the Fox.

“I don’t want to sit in your lap. It makes me feel like a child…” I complained, doing my best not to let the other people at the table overhear me.

The fox smiled.

“It’s the only way you’ll see above the table. I’m afraid we don’t have chairs small enough for you. But I’m happy to help as your personal booster seat.”

He said this loud enough for everyone to hear and I heard a few chuckles around the table. Clearly the concept of discretion was lost on him.

“Pipe down now, squeaks,” said the captain. I shut my mouth and looked down at my own lap. It was too ridiculous, meeting the high officials of a newly discovered civilization in baby clothes. I couldn’t meet their eyes.

“Hello,” said an imperious looking female panther at the head of the table. “Welcome to Regressia. This is our first official meeting with the representatives of planet Earth, and it is my great honor to represent Regressia as the grand Prelator to this region. I am Prelate Purrsia, and it is my understanding that you have come to Regressia seeking a new home for your people, is that not correct, commander Eagle?

“The honor is ours, Prelate Purrsia. And the hospitality of your people has been most appreciated. We do indeed seek a home for our people. We never expected to find an entire civilization in our search, however.”

“Surprise,” said Purrsia with a grin full of fangs. “We’re only too happy to take you under our ‘wing’ so to speak.” Everyone chuckled politely at her attempt at humor. “Oh, don’t mind the cameras,” she added as she saw me bat at several drones that were getting up close and personal with my snoot. “This meeting is being recorded for posterity and will be featured on our newsfeeds this evening.” They zoomed down to crotch level and I quickly bent forward and covered myself with my hands as best I could. She turned back to the captain and he introduced each member of the crew who was present. Team B and C were still on the ship. Then he was asked to explain in more details why we were searching for refuge.

“To he honest,” he said, “We did it to ourselves. Our people built nuclear weapons, and as more countries gained this technology, the stakes of war became higher. We had a good run, agreeing not to use these weapons against each other, but it would only take one mistake, one press of the button to trigger off a chain of events that spelled the end for all of us.”

“My god,” said Purrsia, shocked at this admission. “So your people are warlike? Is that why some of of your team members carried weapons?”

“No, we will no longer be warlike. At least that’s the dream. Furkind has had to pull together at this crucial moment to save ourselves. We are one of many ships searching the galaxy for a new home, and perhaps this will not be the only one we find. The weapons are simply to protect ourselves if the need should arise.”

“Well, that need will not arise here. We have been peaceful for centuries. The very technology you use for self-defense is banned here. And tell me, commander, just how many other Earthlings must we accommodate?”

“Y-you would accommodate us?” asked the communications officer, tears in his eyes.

Purrsia turned to him with a kindly smile and blinked slowly.

“Yes, little one, we would accommodate you. It is our custom to never turn away a person in need, traveler or otherwise, and to always welcome guests with open arms. We wish to open our homes to you, little earthlings. But I must know…

How many of you are there?”

“Approximately 2 billion…. We were 10 billion before the war,” Commander Eagle added, quietly.

“My god…” said Purrsia, bringing her paws to her mouth. The people around the table murmured with each other, nodding heads and concerned faces told us that they found our story quite unsettling.

“Earths resources are now dwindling and we were only barely able to assemble 6 jump drives for six ships. It’s new technology to us. Barely tested. We’re lucky it worked. But because it did work, we have hope that at least some of us can be saved.”

Purrsia sat silent for a moment, staring out into space. I couldn’t tell if she was processing this information or if her brain was flashing error signs. Just as the Commander was about to speak up, she snapped out of it.

“2 billion. Yes, we can accommodate that many.”

The Commander sighed in relief. “I thought we had lost you for a second.”

“Hmm? Oh no,” said Purrsia. “I was just confirming some numbers with our people.”

“Wait. Did you just say… you could accommodate all of us?”

“Yes, that is what I said,” said Purrsia, looking across the table at the captain.

My heart leapt out of my chest, and I could see all of my teammates having emotional reactions and being comforted by their caretakers.

“This… this is a godsend,” said the commander, nearly breaking into tears himself. “I will have to inform the others and make preparations to bring our people over.” He instinctively reached for his communicator before remembering it had been dissolved in the dressing machine when our outfits were replaced by these ‘formal’ outfits. Formal for diaper wearers, at least. “Oh, I forgot. We lost our communicators. We won’t be able to inform the rest of the crew without going back to the ship.”

“You don’t need those communicators any longer. After all, you’re not going back to Earth, are you?”

“Well, no, I suppose not,” said the Captain, “but-“

“How do you expect to transport two billion people” asked Purrsia, cocking an eyebrow.

The science officer spoke up. He wore a pair of thick glasses which magnified his beady eyes, and his onesie had a little bowtie in front. It was very Colin. “I can answer that, madam Prelate. The jump drive technology could be used in theory to build a portal from one place to another, regardless of the distance, provided we get the coordinates correct.”

“And this has been tested?” asked Purrsia.

“Well, not exactly. At least not at this distance. We’ve only really done it with atoms, but it should scale up to any size we wish, at least in theory.”

Purrsia seemed almost amused.

“You little ones sure are adventurous. But I think you should leave transport up to the grownups.”

“Grownups?” I said, attempting to stand, but the fox whose lap I sat on put his hand on my shoulder and I found I couldn’t budge an inch. He was simply too strong. Nevertheless I continued. “We are full grown-adults on our planet. We-“

“Calm down,” said the Captain glaring at me.

“Looks like the little otter is cranky,” remarked another Regressian official.

“Shhh shhh shhh, there there,” said my fox caretaker, tipping me back into the crook of his arm and massaging my belly. Weirdly enough it worked. A wave of calm and wellbeing spread throughout my body, and I felt myself relax completely.

The Prelate was careful not to directly contradict anything I had said. Instead she simply moved the conversation on in another direction.

“I do apologize at any offense. Our interpretation algorithms don’t work perfectly, and there are simply some concepts that won’t translate well. I only meant to say that you can leave that to us big ones. We have the technology to bring you over quickly and efficiently, should you so desire.

“I can send a message to earth right away.” Said the captain.

“We monitored your signals from here. It will take quite some time to reach earth with that technology.” She was polite enough not to call our technology antiquated, though it was clear that’s what she was thinking. “We can relay your message to them in mere seconds. That is also why your communicators will not be needed.”

“But how will you accommodate us?” asked Commander eagle. “And on such short notice? Do you have a refugee program on Regressia?”

“No no, nothing of the sort,” laughed Purrsia. “We will open up our homes to you. You will live with a family who can take care of you and make your adjustment to our society as smooth and easy as possible. I can see that’s not what you were expecting, but it’s the only way. Our world is alien to you. Certainly we cannot leave you to fend for yourselves here.”

What did she mean by ‘take care’ of us? I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, but all my colleagues seemed so hopeful I knew this wasn’t the time to say anything. Besides, I was distracted by something else as our fox caretaker squeezed the front of my diaper.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I squeaked, my face burning from embarrassment.

“Looks like the little one’s wet,” he said, looking down at me. “May we be excused, Madame Prelate?

“What are you talking about I’m... not…” I realized that I had in fact wet myself. I must have been so relaxed from the belly rubs that I didn’t notice.

“Yes, you may. I think we are just about ready to wrap up this meeting. We have already gotten earth’s coordinates from your ship’s computes, and we are arranging to bring your people here. Commaner Eagle, consider this your retirement. You’ve found your home. You can stay with me, I think it will make it easier to organize this move if you and I are close.”

The fox picked us up, each cradled in his arm, and he came around the table to pass the commander off to Prelate Purrsia. The other officials were gathering the remaining crew up in their arms similarly, petting their bellies, shushing them, rocking them. The fox smiled down at me.

“That means that you’re going to live with me. Isn’t that wonderful? Come on, now, let’s get you changed and down for a nap. I’ve got all that we need at my house.”

“But I don’t need diapers!” I said. “And how do you have all this at your house?”

“Every house has a nursery, little one.” He replied, completely ignoring my first statement. “All houses are much the same, so they have all the necessities of life. And babies are simply a part of life, aren’t they?”

“Babies? Are you calling me a baby?”

“I never said that,” he said with a gentle smile. “Why, do you think you are?”

“Certainly not!” I said. “And I certainly don’t belong in a nursery.”

“Please understand,” he said, as we reached a kiosk set outside of the building. “It’s the only place we have with furniture that will safely fit you.”

We entered the kiosk and the fox stepped out again to another place entirely. It was a house. It looked much like an avante garde earth house, except the proportions were gigantic, and there was no carport. There was also a green roof – green with plants – because it was set into the earth. I forgot my indignation for a second as my jaw dropped.

“An underground house?” I asked. “How did we get here?”

“Yes, my house is underground. It’s much more energy efficient than an above ground house, and besides, my ancestors were burrowing creatures. Now let’s go in and get you changed and down for your nap. I’ve got a bottle of juice with your name on it! No really, I do.”

My protestations did nothing to protect me as he laid me down and secured me on the changing table, stripped off my wet diaper, and grabbed another one.

“Couldn’t you at least use a dressing machine?” I asked, once I realized I was too well secured to fend him off.

“Of course we could but nurseries don’t come with those. We believe that this is an important bonding time for little ones and their caretakers.”

I noticed that he used the same terms we had been using since we got here. He didn’t say parents and their offspring. He didn’t even say grownups and babies, there was nothing for me to argue against, not that it stopped me from tying.

“I’m sure we can bond other ways. Hey, c’mon. Not another diaper! I really don’t need them.”

He just smiled and said in a patient tone that said he could do this all day, “We’ve already established that you do, little one. Just enjoy your stay. I’m sure you’ll love it here as my little one.”

I squirmed at the way the thick padding forced my legs apart when it was brought up between my legs, but my caretaker didn’t seem to mind or even notice. He was still talking.”

“Just think – all the other little Earthlings will soon join us and you’ll have plenty of friends to play with. There are more than enough homes in Regressia who need their nurseries filled. You don’t know how much this means to us. To be able to give hospitality and help others is the highest honor, and simply put things are too well here for that privilege to be exercised very often.”

“Oh no. What have we done. You can’t baby furkind, fox.”

“My name’s Frederick,” he said. “But you can call me Daddy. We grownups know best, little one. We’ve heard the mess you’ve gotten yourselves into and frankly, I think this should have happened much sooner. You’ll all be much better off under our care. Now settle down, and down for your nap.”

He lay me down on my back in the crib and sure enough, a juice bottle was soon being pressed between my lips. I shook my head and finally opened my mouth to protest, but he was too fast, and soon drops of liquid were dribbling down my throat. The taste was divine. It was like a better version of apple juice. But it also made me quite sleepy, and before I was even finished, I felt my eyes closing. I knew it was urgent that I get in contact with the ship’s crew and get a warning message sent out to Earth, and yet I was much too comfortable to do anything about it. Maybe just a little nap wouldn’t hurt. My crotch began to feel warm as I drifted off.