I am Alissa, one of the D.I.V.A. We're on the planet Green Shard, an Untouchable World, and we've been looking after Louden and Rieka's farm for several weeks.
Diana looks with me after and maintains the land to be cultivated. Iliana looks after the henhouse and the horse. Victoria milks the cows and looks after the two oxen and the sheep. Although we're not experts, the farm runs smoothly.
The villagers of Little Seed sometimes come to visit us. They want news of Louden and Rieka, but we have no information to give them. We don't know whether Rieka is alive or dead. Her illness was serious, after all. Her husband Louden must still be at her side. They're disappointed, but there's nothing we can do.
One day, I detect a camera in operation. This wasn't supposed to be possible, as this technology doesn't exist on Green Shard. Yet someone is filming us. I warn the other girls. Diana orders me to disable the camera remotely, which I can do easily. This solves the problem, but in the days that follow, I detect other cameras. They're flying cameras, like drones, and they're under camouflage so the planet's inhabitants can't see them. Clever.
Thus Diana decides to confront the person filming us. She asks the anonymous person to stop immediately.
"We're on a mission, believe it or not, and we don't need to be disturbed! We'll stay on Green Shard until Louden and Rieka return. That is all."
Despite this, we continue to be filmed. No matter how hard I disable the cameras, others replace them. I suggest that Iliana, Diana and Victoria simply ignore them.
"It doesn't matter if people are watching us on TV. As long as no one finds out about the status of this world, we're safe."
I was careful not to mention "Untouchable World" for there has been a silent, golden rule for centuries, ever since the advancement and discovery of space. The Rule with a capital R. "Never go to an Untouchable World, a world too primitive to know about the existence of other planets, other life forms." People who break this rule are shunned by society as a whole and are almost always murdered. We don't want to lose our reputation or die. Diana agrees in spite of herself. Iliana and Victoria too.
We continue to look after the farm for another few weeks. Milking the cows, brushing the sheep's wool, collecting eggs from the chickens, watering the soil, seeing how the crops are growing, etc.
We'd been on the farm for four months when we finally heard from Louden and Rieka via a letter. A letter sent to the farm but addressed to Colmar. Tragic news. Despite all the care she had received, Rieka had died. The disease has taken her. As for Louden, he's depressed and refuses to return to his farm.
"He's leaving it to Colmar!" Victoria says, surprised. "He even left the legal documents with the letter. But Colmar doesn't want anything to do with the farm, so... it's ours now?"
"This is madness." Diana says. "We can't be farmers for the rest of our lives!"
"Exactly. Plus, Colmar still hasn't paid us for our work." I added.
"Is there anyone else who could take care of it?" Iliana asks, while looking at the cameras filming us.
"Not among the villagers of Little Seed." I said. "No one is a farmer."
"Someone from another village, then!" Iliana retorts. "The farm can't fall into disrepair!"
She holds herself back from crying.
"Come on!" Victoria said, frustrated. "You're too sensitive, Iliana. It's not the end of the world if the farm..."
Iliana starts to cry. Victoria sighs. Diana looks at me.
"Alissa. Can you tell me how many days' walk it is to the next village?"
I give her the information she asks for. A good two weeks.
"Good. I'll go and bring back someone who can take care of the farm."
"What? No!" Victoria exclaims.
"I have to. You can't go, you'll stand out too much with your wings. Iliana looks unusual with her doll-like body. Alissa is an android and you need her knowledge here."
Victoria is silent. She knows Diana is right. Iliana asks her to come back soon. Diana, our leader, smiles.
"Ah! I can try, but I'll be gone anyway for more than a month. In the meantime, one of you must talk Colmar into paying us."
Iliana nods and Diana leaves the farm.
The next day, while Victoria and Iliana take care of the farm, I go to Colmar’s house.
"Colmar. You know why I'm here."
"You want to get paid. I understand that. You've all been taking care of the farm for months!"
"Four months... and I have to tell you that Rieka has passed away."
"No..."
I explain about Louden, too.
"He's leaving me the farm? But I can't take care of it!"
"We know that. That's why Diana left for the next village. To find someone who can."
"Oh..."
"So for the payment?"
Colmar sighs, walks away and returns with a bag full of coins.
"It's all I've got." He said sadly.
I count the coins. For an inhabitant of Green Shard, it's enough to make a living, but this currency is worthless on the galactic market.
"Keep your money."
"But why?"
"It's worthless where we come from."
"But then, how can I pay you? You're mercenaries!"
I thought.
"Well, if Diana can't find anyone, take the farm and commit to looking after it. That will be our payment."
"But I just told you that...!"
Suddenly, my eyes shine and seem to change color. This frightens Colmar and he agrees. I thank him and head back to the farm.
When I announce our "payment" to Iliana and Victoria, their reactions are completely opposite. Iliana is happy knowing that Colmar will take care of the farm if Diana can't find anyone to do it. She doesn't care about the money. After all, it's fun being a farmer. Victoria is boiling with rage. Without the money payment, it's as if she's done all this for nothing, and she feels ripped off and humiliated. Despite this, she continues her tasks on the farm.
More than a month later, Diana returned, alone. There was no one in the other village to look after the farm. I explain to her what happened while she was away.
"So we don't have any payment in money, but in exchange Colmar will take care of the farm."
"Right." I said to Diana.
"I expected that." She sighs. "Well, let's get Colmar and then leave this planet as quickly as possible!"
She seems angry. Victoria hovers with joy when she hears Diana. Iliana is a little disappointed, but she knows it's time to go.
Diana, Iliana, Victoria and I go to Colmar’s house. We give him the legal documents making him the owner of the farm. We take him to the farm and he apologizes profusely.
"I'm so sorry, beings of the stars! I so wish I could offer you monetary payment, but..."
"Never mind." Says Diana, now sounding tired of it all.
"Take good care of the farm!" Says Iliana, smiling.
Then we say goodbye, return to the Star Diva, our spaceship, and leave Green Shard. Then we return to the merchant planet to re-use Markusch's enlargement/shrinking machine to regain our normal size.
"Finally!" Victoria says after it's all over. "I couldn't take this farm anymore! Plus, that jerk ripped us off."
"Colmar didn't rip us off." Said Iliana.
"He wanted to give me all the money he had." I added. "But it's worthless outside his planet."
"He still ripped us off!" Victoria retorts.
"He didn't know we were mercenaries at first." Says Iliana.
"Whatever!" Victoria says. "I HATE him!"
"But..."
"ENOUGH!" Diana said, interrupting Iliana. "Let's forget it and move on."
Sensing her great anger, Iliana falls silent. We all remain silent as the Star Diva leaves the merchant planet to return to space. The cameras that filmed us on Green Shard have disappeared.
Finally, we found out later who was filming us. It was Jenima. She wanted to set up a reality show and thought that filming us in the middle of a mission without our consent would be a good idea for her show! Victoria refrained from telling her off. Diana and Iliana were able to calm her down afterwards, as Jenima explained that no TV channel wanted to broadcast what her cameras had filmed. So nobody knew we were on an Untouchable World. Our reputation is safe.