The agent walked down the loading ramp, his luggage rattling along behind on mesh wheels and his faery, part minder, part secretary, flitting about his head.
The mayor rushed up to him, flustered at having to greet someone so senior who's purpose was unknown to him.
"Welcome sir, welcome! May I say what a pleasure it is to see a representative of the Commonwealth after so many years. We have made a suite of rooms available to you ..."
"Enough of your obsequiousness mayor. My requirements were sent on ahead. I trust they have been fulfilled," said the agent in a voice gruff and stale from lack of use.
"We tried sir, but there is no offshore drilling capacity available here. Our industrial base is not yet sufficiently advanced. It will be decades before we have need of such technology."
"You have need of that technology now. I will have to stay until you can import the necessary industrial base - the Commonwealth will provide what is needed. I must have access to samples of deep sea floor sediments or this planet will be evacuated and sterilized."
The mayor stumbled to a halt in consternation.
"But, sir! What could possibly justify such an outcome? We are a quiet world, slowly earning our place at the table with the Great Planets. We have done no-one any harm!"
"You haven't. But evidence suggests that this is no natural world. That lurking in the depths of those beautiful oceans of yours are beings of vast age and unlimited enmity to humans. Do you truly believe that Earth was the only world infested with the Old Ones? Would you see a return of Cthulhu, a re-run of the rites that brought Nyarlathotep back from the screaming abyss?"
Stunned, the mayor stared at the agent in horror. The agent walked on, luggage and faery following close behind.
The mayor rushed up to him, flustered at having to greet someone so senior who's purpose was unknown to him.
"Welcome sir, welcome! May I say what a pleasure it is to see a representative of the Commonwealth after so many years. We have made a suite of rooms available to you ..."
"Enough of your obsequiousness mayor. My requirements were sent on ahead. I trust they have been fulfilled," said the agent in a voice gruff and stale from lack of use.
"We tried sir, but there is no offshore drilling capacity available here. Our industrial base is not yet sufficiently advanced. It will be decades before we have need of such technology."
"You have need of that technology now. I will have to stay until you can import the necessary industrial base - the Commonwealth will provide what is needed. I must have access to samples of deep sea floor sediments or this planet will be evacuated and sterilized."
The mayor stumbled to a halt in consternation.
"But, sir! What could possibly justify such an outcome? We are a quiet world, slowly earning our place at the table with the Great Planets. We have done no-one any harm!"
"You haven't. But evidence suggests that this is no natural world. That lurking in the depths of those beautiful oceans of yours are beings of vast age and unlimited enmity to humans. Do you truly believe that Earth was the only world infested with the Old Ones? Would you see a return of Cthulhu, a re-run of the rites that brought Nyarlathotep back from the screaming abyss?"
Stunned, the mayor stared at the agent in horror. The agent walked on, luggage and faery following close behind.
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