Part I of V

At the edge of the village, the gallows stood abandoned, ropes idling in the desert breeze like tired sentinels. The air smelled of dust and rust, as if even the memory of their past depredations had dried and cracked. Doctor Muhammad Hosseini watched the ropes and pondered whether they would ever be used again. Since the rest of the world had vanished, crime had faded into a mere background hum—still present, but far less noticeable—an edge of unresolved fear replacing it with an implacable weight. 

He remembered the fear in the first few days, men hiding in the shadows like whipped dogs, women pulling their veils tighter, as if to protect themselves from djinn, children quietly moving from house to house without play, or the regular raucous laughter that used to characterise the ambience of what was a happy village. The laughter was all gone, and even now the atmosphere lay heavy like a blanket of unrealised expectation, a terror ready to pounce.

The spiders descended upon Earth with an enticing proposition for humanity: “Make us your rulers, and we will transform your world. Enjoy free energy, end wars, and join a galaxy-wide trading community that grants you access to the finest technology, food, and materials in the universe, including advanced sex bots. We will extend your lifespan to a thousand years, enhance your intelligence, and elevate global educational standards.”

“What’s the catch?” asked humanity.

“We get to eat one of your children every day,” replied the spiders. “They are yummy.”

“Any particular age group?” humanity asked, appalled yet curious.

“We prefer them innocent. Pure in thought. It gives the meat an electric resonance.”

“Is there any other deal we can have?” asked humanity.

“We could just eat you,” replied the spiders.

“Ah,” said humanity. “Are there any more catches?”