On a distant planet, three members of the Galactic Safety Council inspect an old mine.

The inspection was going horribly. No escape pods, no safety net force fields, and no obligatory updates to their safety system in a few hundred rotations. Demerit, demerit, and demerit. I rode down the newly installed maglev freight elevator to meet my comrades and compare notes. We were inspecting this ancient mine that had been  recently surrendered after the fall of a large conglomerate. Before it can be sold, repurposed, or even used, we must evaluate and report our findings. We would then give our proposal on how to improve such conditions. I had lots of notes. Hopefully more than those other two. 

A hiss of the elevator doors signaled my arrival at sub level 42. I took the rickety catwalk to mine shaft where I found whom I was looking for. A tall, slender, green woman and her shaggy, mole-like compatriot. They were of course separate species from the likes of myself, a human, but I know they think themselves superior. They appear to be having a conversation, although it’s one in which I cannot participate. The mole creature speaks in a series of hums that reverberate through its surroundings. The frequency of these sounds is one that my ears cannot receive. This also means I am unable to pronounce or even know its name. So I refer to it as Hummer. The green bean was named Mavis. Her species, considered highly intelligent, was able to adapt to many languages. I think she was just born lucky. I’ll enjoy utilizing her as my personal translator.

“Excuse me,” I interrupted them. “Are you finished with your chit-chat? Oh, I’m sorry, or is it hmm-hum?” Mavis turned to me and scowled.

“What we were discussing was the stability of one of the major tunnels,” Mavis spit at me. 

“Well let’s not waste anymore company hours, what did it tell you?” I asked her impatiently. She scoffed at me. 

“What-” there’s a pause in her words, but a movement of her lips. I assume she said the creature's name. “was telling me, is that…” she pauses, and her expression changes. She’s so slow at times, on occasion she can’t even remember the language she’s supposed to speak in. “We need a second opinion,” she finished, recovering her wits. “We’re both just so unsure.” Of course. The ‘intelligent’ alien and giant mole couldn’t discern the stability of a tunnel. Typical. I roll my eyes and trudge forward towards the opening of the shaft. I walk along the dark and humid stretch of mine. The ground was soft, not good, and I felt a fair amount of tremors since my entrance. Wait, soft surroundings and tremors… I started to run and retrace my steps, but the ground shook. With a large crack and rumble, the ceiling caved in. I was crushed and suffocated under the rubble.