Page 121 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Fasting the Plastiphage

“Alien,” said the old man, “the Savior has indeed become calm
since your audience with him. He is still very sick, however. He must
not die: our world would collapse.”
“I understand,” said Kaga gravely. “Now I must return to him.
Please wait here. There may be a revelation in store for you.”
The High Priest was puzzled by these words, but before he could
formulate a reply, Captain Kaga had gone over the railing and was
approaching the Plastiphage.
As soon as Kaga was near, the creature spoke. “I’m still famished,
but I can stand it a little longer if I don’t move around too much.
What have you learned?”
Kaga chose his words with care. “You are being poisoned by the
type of plastic these people produce, and they are technically incapable
of changing it to a form your body can safely assimilate. They have
treated you like a god, but it is killing you. Fasting has eliminated some
of the hydrocarbon toxins from your system, but you would starve
long before they were totally purged. If you want to keep on living,
you will have to leave this planet with me, very soon. I will take you to
another world where you will be treated well: cured, rehabilitated,
provided with synthetic nutrients compatible with your digestive
system. You will also be able to record the history of your race for the
benefit of all intelligent species in the Known Universe. What do you
say to that?”
The Plastiphage shrugged painfully and replied, “I do not want to
leave my home planet. The alternative, as you say, is death. Obviously
my only course is to follow you. But to these other humans, I am a
crucial part of their religion. They may not be willing to let me go, even
though staying would kill me.”
“That is true,” admitted Captain Kaga, “so you must do something
for them—and for us. The other foreign human and I are here to
establish trade. Until this crisis the priests have refused to do business
with us. We are willing to import oil for their plastic production, but
they must be willing to exchange some of their mineral resources. You
will have to convince them of the necessity of making this deal. Their
fear and conservatism have prevented them from seeing the logic in
our proposals. If you tell them that you are going to a far-away place
in order to see Burdleim and regain your oil producing capability, and
that they must pay tribute to us for transporting you, in return for
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