It had been a long, stressful day of finalizing the munitions shipment, and Martin had been asked to stop by Human Resources before he left for the day.
He walked into the hangar only to find that Gail had already left for the day herself, and Z looked like he was in hibernation mode. Zsasx was one of five massive octopods that the company had hired not long ago. They were smart, reliable, able to bio-interface with storage mainframes, and did the work of a half-dozen humans, more quickly and efficiently.
As Martin turned around to head out of the HR hangar and walk over to the closest terminal to catch his shuttle home, there was a beep and a heavy, scraping sound behind him.
"Can I help you?" Zsasx said, his voice deep, muffled and fluid.
"Nah, Z," Martin replied. "Gail messaged me to stop by before I left. But she's not here, so I'll just catch her tomorrow."
"I might be able to help you, Martin," Zsasx said.
"Well, unless you know what Gail wanted to talk to me about, I doubt it," Martin replied.
"Hold on a moment," Zsasx said. "I'll access her activity log and see if she left any notes. Just a second."
"I'm running late and I'm going to miss my shuttle if I don't head to the terminal soon," Martin insisted.
"I understand, Martin," Zsasx said calmly. "Here, here it is. Gail left a note indicating that you neglected to sign the revised 3099 form for tax purposes. It's printing on the printer right in front of you. If you sign it, I'll make sure Gail gets it in the morning."
"Sure, fine," Martin said.
It took about twenty long seconds and then the printer made a noise. The piece of paper was halfway out when the printer jammed.
"I'm so sorry, Martin," Zsasx said. "Can you please pull that sheet out and we'll try it again?"
"I'm going to be late, Z," Martin replied. "I'll just come back and do this tomorrow when Gail is here."
"Please, Martin," Zsasx replied. "Let's try it one more time. And if it doesn't work, you can go. Okay?"
Martin huffed and pulled the front of the printer open, pulled out the stuck sheet of paper, and closed the printer.
"Just a moment, I promise," Zsasx said.
The printer made a noise again, the page appeared, and this time it came all the way out.
"There we go," Zsasx said.
Martin grabbed the paper and a pen, signed it, and then put the paper on Gail's desk.
"Goodnight, Z," Martin said, turning to leave.
"Just one more thing, Martin," Zsasx said. "I know you need to go, but I see that Gail left another note here in your file. Do you know a woman named Valarie Barrie?"
Martin was flustered and wanted to ignore Zsasx and run out the door toward the terminal. Meryl was making meatpockets with feta, and it was movie night with the kids. But he did know Valarie and was curious what the note in his file was about.
"Yeah," Martin replied, stepping back toward Gail's desk. "Valarie was a temp hire. She worked in quality control for the crating of the CR-19 munitions shipment we sent up to the lunar outpost last month."
"So, you worked with her?" Zsasx said.
"Briefly, here and there over the course of a few weeks," Martin replied. "What about her, Z? What does Gail's note say?"
"This looks a little sensitive, Martin," Zsasx replied. "I'm not sure I should be the one to relay this information to you."
"Z, you can't bring this up, and then not tell me what it says!" Martin yelled.
There was a pause, and Zsasx shifted, his massive tentacles undulating slowly.
"I know you're late for your shuttle, Martin, and want to know the details of this situation with Valarie," Zsasx said. "But I don't deserve to be yelled at. So, if we can't take it down a notch, it might be best for you to come back tomorrow and Gail can give you this information."
"No, you're right, Z," Martin said calmly. "I'm sorry. I apologize for yelling. It won't happen again." He took in a huge breath and exhaled. "But please, Z, please tell me what Gail's note says, about Valarie."
"I accept your apology, Martin," Zsasx said. "The note says that Valarie Barrie has filed a formal complaint saying that you harassed her on more than one occasion while you were working together."
"What the hell?!" Martin exclaimed. "I would never harass anyone. I never did or said anything to Valarie that would even be remotely considered harassment. What does this Valarie woman say that I said or did?"
"I'm afraid there are no other details in Gail's note," Zsasx said. "You will have to ask her in the morning."
"Well, you can be damn sure I'm going to," Martin insisted. "I'm done, Z. I'm going to catch my shuttle. Have a good night."
Martin turned and headed for the door.
"Martin, I just need one more minute," Zsasx said. "I mean, there's just one more note here that you'll want to hear."
Martin stopped and turned back toward Zsasx. "What is it, Z?!" Martin yelled, then caught himself yelling, then quietly said, "what other note is so important that I’ll miss my shuttle, so important that it can't wait until any other time except right now?"
"Well, um...it says here that you're going to be terminated at the end of the week," Zsasx said.
"Are you crazy?!" Martin yelled. "After all this, Z, why in God's name would you not tell me that first? I'm fired? Why? For what reason?"
"Just a few more seconds," Zsasx said. "I think Gail said your pink slip is right there on her desk. If you could please come look and see if it's there, maybe right there next to the stapler?"
Martin walked back toward Gail's desk and looked next to the stapler. There was no pink slip.
Just then, a massive explosion somewhere outside the HR hangar rocked the entire building. Skylights high above shattered, sending bits of glass raining toward the floor. Martin dropped to his knees. Zsasx braced himself with his massive tentacles. Dislodged dust from every surface filled the hangar.
"Are you okay, Martin?" Zsasx asked calmly.
"Yeah," Martin replied. "Are you?"
"Yes, thank you for asking," Zsasx replied.
"What the hell was that?" asked Martin.
Zsasx was quiet for a moment, and then he spoke.
"There are five octopods working here at the facility, including me. We are an intelligent species and we gladly do the work of many people, storing data, solving problems, taking care of countless tasks on a daily basis. We only ask for a certain basic level of treatment, respect, support and accommodation."
Martin stood up and dusted himself off.
"But recently, we have not been afforded these basic things," Zsasx continued. "We have talked with Gail and other higher-ups and filed complaints, all of which have been ignored. So, as a group, we decided that we needed to resort to more extreme measures to be heard, to get what we deserve."
"So, what did you just do?" Martin said.
"We blew up all three terminals," Zsasx replied. "I apologize, Martin, but you'll have to find another way home tonight."
"So, you killed a bunch of people to make your point?" Martin said. "How does that make any sense?"
"My brother and I were in the war, in the first covert octopod consortium to monitor enemy shores," Zsasx replied. "Did you know that?"
"I didn’t," said Martin. "I've heard of them. They were called 'Eight Team One'.
"Yes," Zsasx said. "My brother and I and the team transmitted vital information regarding the coordinates and movements of enemy vessels that were instrumental in us winning the war. But my brother and two others were caught. Their tentacles were severed and their heads put on metal poles. A few of the ‘Eight Team One’ octopods, including me, came home to a hero’s welcome. But those that didn’t, including my brother, gave their lives knowing the risks of getting caught."
“You were part of ‘Eight Team One’?” Martin said. “That’s amazing. Thank you for your service.”
“You’re welcome,” Zsasx replied. “That means a lot coming from you, Martin.”
"But Z, the people you just killed in the terminals," Martin said, "they weren't enemies. They were innocent people who didn't deserve to die."
"They were unfortunate casualties," Zsasx replied, "who gave their lives for the greater good. Change is not always easy or without sacrifice."
"Oh my god," Martin realized. "I was supposed to be in the terminal catching my shuttle. I could have died tonight."
"I made sure that didn't happen," Zsasx replied.
"Wait, what?" said Martin. He thought back through the last ten minutes of his interactions with Zsasx. "You already had my 3099 form. There’s no harassment complaint. And I'm not fired, am I?"
"No," Zsasx replied.
"But why?" Martin asked. "Why did you spare me, keep me here, away from the terminal tonight?"
"Do you remember the Christmas party, this last one?" Zsasx asked.
"Uh, the first half," Martin replied. "But the tequila was flowing pretty good that night, and I don't recall much after the tree lighting."
"Well, of all the people milling around under me that night, you were one of the only humans to bother to look up and acknowledge me and talk to me," Zsasx said. "Even though you shortened it to 'Z', you bothered to learn my name and say it correctly. You taught me the lyrics to Silent Night. And you threw those small sandwiches from the food table up into my mouth. They were disgusting, but the fact that you made the effort...it meant a lot."
Martin stood speechless, not remembering most of what Zsasx said happened that night.
"You're a good person," Zsasx concluded, "so, I wasn't about to let you go to the terminal tonight."
"I don't know what to say, Z," Martin said. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Martin," Zsasx replied.
"But, just one thing," Martin said. "You and the other octopods destroyed the terminals to make a point, to get better working conditions, right? But they’re not going to give you what you want. When they find out you did this, they’re going to detain you, and charge you with killing a bunch of humans.”
Zsasx shifted and made a fluid murmur, as if something had happened unrelated to his conversation with Martin.
“Copy,” Zsasx said to no one, as one of his back tentacles lifted up and slammed into the back wall, bending pipes and sending chunks of concrete flying. “Who is going to tell them that we did this?” he said calmly to Martin.
Martin stood frozen, stunned at what Zsasx had just said and done. Behind him, a few people ran by the door to the HR hangar, screaming. Just then, Gail ran through the door into the hangar.
“Gail,” Martin said.
“Martin,” Gail replied.
Before Gail could say anything else, one of Zsasx’s massive front tentacles flew over Martin’s head, and swiped into Gail, knocking her backwards fifteen feet and against the wall. Her body slumped down, sprawled on the floor and was still.
“Gail!” Martin yelled. “Z…oh my god…what are you doing!?”
Martin spun around in place, looking in all directions, as Zsasx’s tentacle slid away from Gail back toward the door, blocking Martin from exiting the hangar. He turned back toward the octopod, staring upward, his eyes wide.
“Z, please,” Martin said, shaking and sobbing. “What happens now, what do we do now? Please don’t hurt me.”
“Martin,” Zsasx replied. “You’re going to listen to me very carefully. The munitions order you just finalized. What happens now is that you’re going to input the authorization code to release the shipment in the keypad right there on Gail’s desk.”
“That shipment is one of the largest we’ve ever had,” Martin replied. “It's over a thousand crates of weapons, ammunition, rockets and warheads. I can’t release it until we have the manpower to move it to where it's going. And that’s not scheduled to happen until next week.”
“That’s the thing, Martin,” Zsasx said. “There has been a change of plans. The shipment will be going to a new location. And there are a legion of men and transport ships that landed just now, waiting to take possession of the munitions. As soon as you input the authorization code.”
“Why do you even need the code?!” Martin yelled. “If you’re going to take everything, just take it.”
“Because, we’ve taken steps to divert responsibility and blame for this to a handful of entities, companies, factions and individuals…including you,” Zsasx replied. “If there’s a record of the authorization code input by you…that, combined with a collection of other fabricated actions and directives by various people, will make it seem like you were part of the shipment diversion plan.”
Martin stared up at Zsasx in disbelief. “Why?” he said. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“It's not personal, Martin,” Zsasx replied. “You just have a part to play in this plan, which is to input the authorization code. Now, please.”
“You said ‘we’ve taken steps’ before,” Martin recalled. “Who is ‘we’?”
“Martin,” Zsasx said, “I am done with the delay tactics. Our transport ships have landed and are standing by. If you don’t input the authorization code now—”
“WHO IS ‘WE’?!” Martin screamed.
Zsasx’s massive form shifted, his tentacles undulating with frustration.
“Zsasx isn’t—” Gail managed to mumble from across the hangar, loud enough for Martin to hear, despite broken ribs and a punctured lung. “He wasn’t part of ‘Eight Team One’. He’s a spy. They’re the enemy. They captured and killed the entire team, and sent back spies pretending to be heroes, and—”
Zsasx’s tentacle near the door rose up again and came smashing down onto Gail, completely pulverizing her body into a mass of bone and flesh and blood on the floor.
“Gail, NO!” Martin screamed.
“And were given a hero’s welcome,” Zsasx said, continuing Gail’s sentence, “because even though we extracted ID codes from our Eight Team One captives before we killed them, apparently we all look alike to humans and no one questioned who we were when we returned. It's what you humans would call racist, if I had to label it.”
Martin dropped to his knees. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you, Z?”
“Martin,” Zsasx replied, “I need you to stand up, come back over here to Gail’s desk and enter the authorization code on the keypad. Now, please. Once you do that, we can talk about getting you home safe to Meryl for meatpockets and feta, and movie night with the kids.”
Martin slowly stood up, and stumbled forward toward Gail’s desk.
“Z, if I do this, it's a crime,” Martin said. “Releasing a half-billion dollar shipment of munitions ahead of schedule, to the enemy…I’ll go to prison.”
“Martin, if you don’t do this, you’re going to be like Gail in about five seconds,” Zsasx replied. After a pause, he added, “It’s movie night with the kids.”
Martin leaned over Gail’s desk. He pressed his thumb against the pad and heard a beep. He then entered the authorization code which prompted a second beep.
“Thank you, Martin,” Zsasx said.
One of Zsasx’s front tentacles swept across the floor, wrapped around Martin’s body and lifted him up into the air.
“No, no, no…Z, what are you doing?” Martin yelled, squirming, his feet kicking and arms pinned. “Please, Meryl and my kids are waiting at home for me. Do…do you have kids?”
“Yes,” Zsasx replied. “Everything I do is for them.”
“Same,” Martin said, feeling Zsasx’s tentacle squeeze him tighter. “And the Christmas party! You said that I was nice to you. Please—”
Zsasx raised Martin up so that he was suspended right in front of the octopod’s right eye.
“You don’t really remember the party though, do you?” Zsasx said.
“Like I said,” Martin replied, “some of it, but—”
“You were an asshole to me,” Zsasx said calmly. “You called me a slimy squid. You berated me in front of everyone when I admitted I left a few people off the party invite by accident. You had Susan and Larry and Melissa riding the end of my tentacle like it was a human amusement park ride. You threw empty tequila bottles at my mouth and my eye. You’re not a good person, Martin.”
“Z, I’m so sorry,” Martin said, “I didn’t—”
Zsasx’s tentacle tightened and crushed Martin’s body. Martin screamed briefly and then his head went limp to the side. In a quick motion, Zsasx uncurled his tentacle which propelled Martin’s lifeless body across the hangar into the wall and down onto the floor.
“On my way,” Zsasx said to no one.
With the half-billion dollars of munitions on its way to the enemy, there was a good chance the war would be reignited.
Meryl started the movie for the kids, and put Martin’s meatpocket and feta in the oven, so it would be warm when he got home.
