Short Scribbles - 1. Reactions

The video crackles before a blurry figure appears. “Damn … how does this thing work.”

There is a crash and the sound of something clicking and the figure returns to the screen, more legible now. It is green and reptilian, vaguely humanoid.

The owner of the figure leans into the lens and brushes off a smudge with a rag before sitting back on a pile of multi coloured pillows. He yawns, jaw cracking and pointed teeth glinting before he begins to speak. “Reactions are such curious things. Specifically, human reactions. Humans react so illogically. They never consider the results, the pain that’ll come. Getting drunk and then driving. Yelling at their partners over silly things. Abusing their children. Death, heartbreak and personality disorders, that is what will come.”

“Really, they’re not a great species. It’s such a shame we have to put up with their all mighty attitudes because they have big guns. I’ll tell you what isn’t big about them ….”

Another figure enters the screen, this one smaller and pinkish but otherwise identical in shape. “Adjari, are you doing those silly videos again?” This one strikes a dramatic pose.

“Yes, I am sister. Now go away.” The original figure ushers his visitor off the screen. “Mum! Tell Fina to stop harassing me when I’m busy!” The microphone picks up the slam of a door and then he returns to his pile of pillows.

“Now, where was I . . . oh yes, humans. You know why I don’t like humans? They’re assholes!” He gives a snort, which comes out like a snarl. “I was dating one, you know. Goddamn Sirus broke up with me because he was worried about his mother's opinion of ‘lesser races’. See, that is what I mean about reactions. He reacted totally illogically.”

“His mothers problems would’ve passed, he only has a year more in her nest, and relationships last a lot longer. But, ah well now he’s gone and wrecked it.” The speaker grunts, showing teeth in an angry snarl.

“Anyway, you know there is such a thing as a chain reactions. They’re particularly dangerous.” He held up what looked like a physics book. “Now, according to this a chain reaction is ‘the self-sustaining fission reaction spread by neutrons which occurs in nuclear reactors and bombs.’”

He puts the book away and smirks. “In this case, he reacted to his mother by breaking up with me, so I’m going to continue the cycle and react.” He shows off a holophoto of a naked human teenager, his pale skin pressed against a green scaled form whose face is out of the frame. “It’d be such a shame if they find out he likes aliens even after he dropped me.”

He smirks and turns off the camera.