Displacement

Suddenly, there were dwarves on Earth. Nobody knew where they came from, but there was a sudden influx of them. You could find them roaming the streets, searching for things. Soon after, they began appearing in science labs, contributing to cutting-edge research. Then came an announcement from the Council of Dwarvian Welfare (CoDW). It was headed by nineteen Elder Dwarves and was considered their highest office.

All dwarves were good with technology and building things. You could find them involved in shipbuilding, designing rockets, constructing spaceships, and even developing space lasers to disintegrate meteors. Countries began to see a significant uptick in technological progress due to the dwarves, so they started making their cities dwarf-compatible. Housing societies were built specifically for them. There were different cars designed for dwarves, and hotels introduced special seating arrangements. Diversity initiatives sprang up across the globe.

However, no human knew how the dwarves had arrived, how they reproduced, or where they reproduced. Clandestine agencies tried to pinpoint their origin but came up empty-handed. Whether it was magic or technology beyond human understanding remained unclear. Still, the change in society was overwhelmingly positive.

In Mumbai, there was a buzz across science labs to hire and promote dwarf-centered initiatives. The Mumbai Police introduced their own diversity initiative and decided to hire a dwarf in their next batch of recruits. But no one applied. They put up banners and ran ads on all major platforms. Eventually, they sent a letter to the CoDW, and the Council replied that they would be sending a dwarf their way.

Graba Beeker worked as an assistant at a large science lab in Mumbai. He was the only dwarf employed as a lab assistant, and he was not particularly bright. One day, he received a letter from the CoDW asking him to report to the Mumbai Police Headquarters to join as a recruit. He was puzzled, as he knew he would not excel as a policeman. But the word of the CoDW was final. He had to go.

He submitted his resignation the next day and reported to the Mumbai Police Headquarters the following morning. He was welcomed by the Deputy Commissioner himself and briefed on the training regime and standard operating procedures.

The next week, his training began alongside other human recruits. Soon, it became clear that the training was not tailored for a dwarf. How could he jump over a wall that was as tall as he was? The trainers were embarrassed and passed him without him accomplishing the task. He did ace the written tests, having memorized all the police training manuals and rule books. But in policing, practical knowledge and experience often outweighed book learning.

After three months of rigorous training, much of which Graba passed without actually completing the physical tasks, the recruits were issued a staff that was longer than Graba’s own height. He had to get it shortened.

The recruits were divided into three teams and sent to assist traffic police at congested intersections. The problem was that large trucks and buses could not see Graba when he stood in front of vehicles to photograph their number plates. He was nearly run over four times and was terrified. He had never realized humans could be so violent. He witnessed police officers and goons fighting because the goons refused to pay a challan.

The day was overwhelming for Graba. At home, he considered sending a written request to the CoDW, asking for permission to resign and return to his lab assistant job. Dwarves, however, did not give up easily. Graba relented and went to sleep, mentally preparing himself for the next day.

The next six months were much the same. Traffic duty, narrowly avoiding buses, dealing with unruly humans, and running after vehicles to get clear photos of number plates. He never imagined life could be so chaotic. He had underestimated humans. Life in the science lab had been peaceful. Writing reports, cleaning lab equipment, bringing coffee for scientists, and scheduling appointments. Compared to that, police life felt like hell.

Still, he endured. He had to prove that a dwarf could be a good policeman. A policedwarf, perhaps.

After a year, he was officially inducted as a policeman. He received his badge and uniform. He felt accomplished. But even greater challenges awaited him, as he was assigned to cases involving human emotions.

Inspired by Terry Pratchet City Watch series.