The Great Organizer

The Great Organizer

   

  Vincent Pet

  Copyright 2011©, 2013©, 2015© by Vincent Pet.

  All rights reserved.

  The characters in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ISBN: 9780994997517

  Uric was discouraged. He had been on the planet for nearly twenty thousand years with little progress to show for his efforts. He would try once again to show that semi-hairy creature in front of him that in certain situations a bow and arrow could be much more efficient than a bulky spear.

  The creature, though, had no urge to get up from under his fur coverings. It menaced Uric with a grunt and swung his flint ax at Uric’s knees. Uric had little trouble getting out of the trajectory and replied by growling back and striking the creature’s head with a solid blow of his fist.

  The creature grabbed his pelt and jumped clumsily out of the way, seeking refuge on the opposite side of the cave. A few members of the tribe turned lazily towards Uric to see what the commotion was about. One scowled and quietly grunted his displeasure. It was loud enough for most to take notice. Uric snarled menacingly back at him and expanded his chest as if threatening to charge. A tint of fear crossed his opponent’s eyes before he sulked away.

  Although, Uric’s outburst was exaggerated considering the circumstance, he felt obligated to respond with an unequivocal display of strength. It was vital that he kept his status within the tribe. Otherwise, it would entail a loss of power and with it the hard earned influence he possessed among them. Not that it mattered much, thought Uric, thinking about his failed efforts to stimulate their minds beyond their immediate existence.

  Oon, though, was very fond of Uric. He had all her esteem. She liked Uric because he was strong. He wasn’t like the others. He always knew how to get food. He always knew how to start a fire, how to get clothes, how to make shelter. Even these things that covered their feet were something Uric had made for Oon and the others. She didn’t understand what magic Uric possessed, but not only did he know how to make things, but he also knew how to touch and hold her like no one else could.

  Uric pretended not to look in her direction as she squatted towards him. She rubbed her crotch, breathing heavily while making low, snorting sounds. Not again, thought Uric, as a sign of impatience clouded his eyes. What was it with this race? Why couldn’t they be like all the other races he had worked with? Why did they mate whenever they felt like it instead of when it was necessary and practical? Couldn’t Oon see that the tribe had hardly any food left? Couldn’t she tell that it was foolish and selfish to spend so much energy in copulating when there were other preoccupations that had precedence? 

  Uric didn’t even wait for Oon to reach him. He took a few quick steps towards her and shoved her away. Displeased, she fell backwards and bared her teeth in anger before slumping back in her corner. Uric stuck out his chin and dropped his eyebrows over his eyes. He wanted to be certain that he wasn’t going to be attacked by Oon as soon as his back was turned on her.

  Oon was not used to being denied. She was the most prized female of the tribe and Uric’s refusal could diminish her influence. For Uric, though, this was not a concern. He found the mating act of this species rather complicated and uncomfortable. There was not only the physical approach, but also an emotional aspect to cure. At that moment, he had no time for these insignificant details. His attention turned back to Bur, who had again fallen asleep next to the damp wall.

  Uric went up to his body and kicked him hard in the back. Bur let out a muffled cry. In apparent anger, it took him quite a while to scramble upright from the floor. He had risen too quickly, though, and stumbled to his knees a few times before finally regaining his balance.

  Uric sighed and pondered if his initial assessment had been too optimistic – but that would be admitting a mistake, wouldn’t it? When had he ever made an evaluation error? Never! Yet, this species appeared too inept to survive. Their intelligence was deceptive. They seemed to possess intellect and had some characteristics that promised great things to come, but their genetic code was not very adaptable to change.  They didn’t seem to have that inherent quality of acquiring new skills which was essential to evolve. They were too complacent with themselves and meekly accepted their place in the world. Uric was starting to have serious doubts that the species possessed enough curiosity to explore, learn and manipulate that knowledge for the benefit of their race.

  Narrowing his eyes in hostility and suspicion, Bur finally faced him. Uric held out his hand, palm facing up in a sign of reconciliation. Bur really didn’t have a choice. He knew he could never fight Uric and win. Uric was different. He didn’t understand why Uric didn’t challenge for the leadership of the tribe, but that was as far as his thought went. He never questioned the motive for Bur was incapable of thinking that far. He had no concept of the future and the past was of very little consequence to him. He knew at the moment that he was tired. He had hunted all morning without having brought anything home and he was hungry. Outside, the sun shone too brightly off the glaciers in the distance and this impeded his sight. So what else was there to do at that moment but sleep?

  Uric, though, did not reason within the creature’s parameters. He was not indigenous of the planet. He came from a faraway star and had an assignment to complete on that world. He wanted to finish his mission quickly – as was expected from a Great Organizer. Twenty thousand years of planning had come down to this moment. He wanted Bur outside that cave. Uric had spotted deer in the distance and he wanted to show Bur how to manipulate a bow and arrow. Yes, he had shown this tribe and other tribes many countless times before, but they continued to fail and grasp the importance that such a weapon could have in their survival. Perhaps, this time would be the right one. Perhaps, Bur, who seemed to possess the most intelligence among the group, would catch on.

  Bur reluctantly followed Uric. The sky was a vibrant blue. The glaciers in the distance were starting to retreat. There were puddles of water everywhere, some large enough to have formed ponds. From the height of the cliff on which they stood, they could see the herd of deer in the near distance. They both made their way through the scattered sarsens and down a narrow passage until they reached the soggy ground below. As they approached the herd, Bur clutched his spear and waved it at the animals. His hunger had aroused his senses and he clambered excitingly ahead. Uric frowned, wondering what Bur actually thought he could do by himself against such a swift animal with a bulky spear and a crude ax. No wonder these creatures ate lots of nuts and fruits, thought Uric. They really were incompetent at hunting game that wasn’t cumbersome and slow like the mammoth.

  When they were within shooting range, Uric cautioned Bur to quiet down. Bur was breathing heavily. The species was not used to moving swiftly over a short range – their large muscles allowed them to either move tirelessly over long distances or run with rapid bursts over a very brief distance. They could not sustain a good gait over a medium distance and Uric knew that this would be a limiting factor in the species development.

  The deer had already sensed trouble. They nervously twitched their heads towards them as they continued to graze. Uric patiently held his bow up and pointed his arrow, trying to get Bur’s attention. It was wasted effort – an impatient Bur ignored Uric as he disregarded what Uric held in his hands. Bur was thinking of bringing down a deer. His mind evoked the drawings on the cave’s walls that the women had painted and the elder blessed with magic. The hunting images came vividly to mind as he bolted with his sharp ax held shoulder high towards the smallest of the animals.

  By the time Bur was half way towards his goal, the animals had scattered away. He stopped abr
uptly, half stumbling, as he realized that his hunger pangs would not be satisfied. His disappointment was short lived. His ears suddenly flapped forward as a sound behind a ridge of large boulders to the right grabbed his attention.

  Uric turned his head towards the rock formation and was stunned. From behind, another tribe emerged. It was like no other tribe he had encountered. They were hominids, like the ones he was teaching, but they possessed different characteristics. They were taller, stood completely upright, and walked one behind the other in an apparent order. They had less hair. They were also much more aware of their surroundings than Bur’s tribe as they seemed to protect each other against the unknown while cautiously moving forward.

  Even in the distance, Uric noted that they communicated verbally with a string of attached words. Bur was unable to utter more than two or three syllables at a time before pausing. Every word was accompanied by a bodily gesture which at times would bring him to a standstill whereas these others were able to walk and talk simultaneously. They didn’t need to gesticulate to transmit their message. This denoted a much better control of their motor and neural skills which indicated a higher potential for intelligence. More than this, though, there was one other thing that astonished Uric at that moment. A few were holding a rudimentary bow with an arrow between their fingers!

  Bur stuttered towards them while Uric stood his ground. The new tribe members were starting to raise their voices at them. Uric was surprised at how much clearer the sounds were. The tone was sharper, not as deep as the one he was accustomed to. Bur turned his palm up, but it was clear to Uric that even if they understood, they weren’t ready to accept Bur’s gesture of goodwill. Without warning, they fired two arrows at Bur. Both of them hit their mark. Bur fell in a heap and they turned their attention to Uric. He was surprised at how swiftly the creatures acted. They didn’t even think twice before killing someone that had approached them with wide, open hands.

  Uric didn’t stay any longer. In front of their eyes, he quickly transformed himself into an eagle and swiftly mounted the sky. They cried and started to flee as fast as they could away from the magic that they had just witnessed. Uric marveled at their speed. Although still slow in comparison with some of the other animals on the planet, they were much faster than the ones he had been living with.

  His mind was made up. He followed them. Next day he approached them as a small boy. He told them that he had lost his tribe. At first suspicious, they eventually accepted him when they saw that he was able to be useful. He was full of new ideas that facilitated their existence. They would call themselves Homo sapiens. A few thousands of years later, the Neanderthal man would become extinct.