Conclave (The Silver Ships Book 20)
Page 3
When Tanistok reached the end of the series, she found links to the controller that allowed her to view more of the SADEs’ suppositions about behaviors that could affect the future’s outcome.
One of the side effects of Tanistok’s studies was that she engaged the SADEs with questions about why Alex’s philosophies were more successful as opposed to her views about how a monarch should behave.
Julien had provided one of the most illuminating responses that Tanistok received. She carefully stored his words. He’d said, “Alex’s leverage, as you put it, Your Highness, is fleeting. Soon, Omnia Ships tech will be shared across the known worlds. Then Alex’s economic influence will end. What then? He isn’t an elected world leader or an inherited ruler. He’s the owner of a company. However, his influence will continue because he’s persuaded leaders to accept his view of the future instead of the ones they might hold. If you dictate to your citizens instead of persuading them, how will they remember you? More important, how soon will they discard your edicts when you’re gone?”
Tanistok was still communicating daily with the SADEs, when Lydia interrupted her routine.
Tanistok sat beside Lydia as the traveler made planetfall.
The pilot headed for the coordinates that Julien had shared with her.
Implants connected to the ship’s controller to view the approaching terrain, and Lydia connected with her charge to share the view.
Alex sent a request to the pilot to circle the site.
On the ground, a building and the surrounding area swarmed with construction equipment and work crews. Other travelers were already on-site, and grav cars shuttled passengers from the travelers to a temporary shelter, as the primary building was only partially constructed.
When Alex’s traveler landed, he and his companions were met by a collection of grav cars and ferried to the shelter. Alex exited the first car to land. He was met by President Nikki Fowler, who swung an arm in a broad circle and asked, “What do you think, Alex?”
Alex grinned, ignored the question, and gave Nikki a hug, momentarily lifting the Earther off her feet.
Nikki returned Alex’s grin. She figured she wouldn’t get an answer to her question until the greetings had been completed. Omnians were like that.
When Alex stood in front of Olawale Wombo, the close friends shared idiot grins. Then the audience heard deep grunts as two heavy bodies smacked together, and backs were heartily thumped.
Patrice Morris waited impatiently for her turn. She wasn’t disappointed. Alex held her off the ground longer than the president, and he whispered his pleasure to see her again.
When the greetings were complete, Alex signaled Lydia, who ushered Tanistok forward.
“President Fowler, I would like to introduce Her Royal Highness Tanistok, who is accompanying us for the next annual,” Alex said.
“It’s pleasure to greet you, Your Highness,” Nikki said. “The Jatouche are always welcome in our system.”
Tanistok was aware that Tacnock, Commander Cinders’ close friend, was the first and only Jatouche to have visited Sol. She replied briefly to the president, as Lydia had coached her. The SADE had also counseled her to listen and not be heard until directly addressed.
“So?” Nikki pressed Alex.
“It will be a pretty building someday,” Alex replied. “What’s it to be?”
“You don’t fool me, Alex Racine,” Nikki shot back. “You know what it will be when it’s finished.”
Alex received the building’s architectural plans from Z. His implant ran quick calculations. “Space for six hundred envoys and four staff members for each delegation. Ambitious planning,” he commented.
Nikki chuckled. She eyed the SADEs and said, “You’re ruining my surprise.”
“Madam President, that we’re here, with your advisors and a selection of Sol representatives, to admire your forward thinking makes us think that this isn’t the only surprise that awaits us,” Julien said.
Nikki’s smile faded. “Perceptive as always,” she said quietly. Then she introduced the representatives.
The SADEs were linked, and they left it to Lydia to determine what to share with Tanistok.
The exchange between Miranda and Renée was not shared with Tanistok via Lydia. The SADE thought the subject too sensitive for the young royal until a foundation could be laid.
“You’ve hundreds of Assembly members, Madam President,” Alex said. “Why are only these fourteen individuals here?”
Again, Nikki glanced at the SADEs. She had expected to be in control of the discussion, but she’d not taken into account the SADEs’ rapidity to gather and disseminate information to their leaders. Foolish of you to forget, she thought.
“It’s not as bad as it appears, Alex,” Olawale interjected. “These are some of your most vocal supporters. There are others.”
“Please explain,” Julien requested.
“The Assembly has many cliques,” Nikki explained. “We’ve ultraconservatives to moderates to futurists.”
“Talk to me about the ultraconservatives,” Alex requested. “How many and to what degree?”
Nikki glanced toward Tanistok, and Alex sent,
“The conservative groups represent nearly a third of the Assembly,” Nikki replied. “The hardcore faction is only a small percentage of those members. Yet, the group wields a lot of influence. Many of them are backed by some of the old UE guard.”
Alex and the Omnians were surprised to hear that United Earth supporters had risen to prominence again.
“What do you need from us?” Renée requested.
“A presentation to the Assembly, Alex,” Patrice said. “The members need to hear the advantages of joining a galactic organization.”
“I believe that’s moving too quickly,” Nikki said, and she politely admonished her friend with a private message. “The Assembly needs to hear from you, Alex, but the subject should be the value of hosting the conclave and determining the extent to which Sol will play a part.”
“Explain your latter phrase, Madam President,” Z requested. “You would either participate in the conclave’s progressive ideals or you wouldn’t.”
“I apologize for being vague, Z,” Nikki said. “What I meant was that I hope the Assembly will join the conclave, if it is established, but Sol should have the right to choose the extent to which it enters trade agreements.”
“That would be something the delegates to the conclave would establish,” Julien pointed out. “There is the possibility that they might not wish to allow different levels of participation.”
“And that’s what’s worrying many of the representatives,” Nikki remarked.
Alex and his companions spent the better part of two hours speaking with the representatives who were present.
Initially, the members were anxious to speak with Alex and Renée, but then they gravitated toward Tanistok. They were surprised to find that she possessed an implant. However, without ear comms, they were unable to communicate directly with her.
Initially, Tanistok hadn’t understood why ear comms weren’t provided, but she soon surmised why. Lydia was her filter. This meeting was too important to allow her to disrupt it with open communications.
Afterward, Alex and his companions adjourned to Nikki’s offices for a private conference. Alex requested that Nikki invite Olawale and Patrice to join them.
After Nikki seated her guests in a comfortable room, Portia, the president’s assistant, served caf and thé.
“Well, Alex, I didn’t think you’d come this way unless you had what would constitute the right amount of enticement for system leaders,” Nikki offered, as she settled into a nanites chair with her mug of caf.
“The timing is right,” Alex replied. “Most aggression in alliance and federacy territories is under control.”
“Then you’re winning against the Colony?” Patrice inquired.
“The outpost’s forces aren’t losing,” Tatia replied, “but it looks like it will be a long fight.”
“Will you be ordering more carriers?” Nikki asked with interest.
“That’s up to Commander Cinders,” Tatia replied.
Nikki would have asked another question, but Olawale interrupted her. “What is the real reason for the timing of your arrival, Alex?”
Alex grinned in reply. It was nice to be around friends who knew how he thought and acted. “Mickey’s engineering teams, with the support of others, managed to install new gates and connect two domes,” he said with deep satisfaction.
While the Earthers stared aghast at Alex, Renée added, “Then the consortium received many requested connections.”
Then the Earthers’ expressions turned to confusion. News of the consortium hadn’t reached them.
Tanistok chittered.
Nikki laughed. Belatedly, she realized what Olawale had suspected. Alex wouldn’t arrive at Sol on a whim. It was time!
“Perhaps you should start from the beginning, Alex,” Nikki suggested, settling deeper into her chair and taking a deep swallow of her caf.
“The alliance fractured with the news of new gates,” Alex explained.
“Why?” Patrice blurted. Then a heartbeat later, she said, “Competition for who would have the rights to decide new gates.”
Alex nodded at Patrice.
“That’s always the way,” Olawale commented. “A good thing comes that could benefit everyone, and then the fight begins to possess it.”
“So this consortium grew out of the turmoil?” Nikki suggested.
Julien had placed his portable holo-vid on the centrally located low table. It lit and displayed a star field with connections.
“Wow,” Patrice muttered. “I take it those are the new gates. How long did it take to install them?”
“The final pair was generated within three weeks,” Julien replied. “As Kasie Cinders would say, ‘Once you know how the Messinants accomplish something, it works that way every time.’”
“How is Kasie?” Patrice asked, with a smile. “Is she still inadvertently beaming?”
The Earthers watched the Omnian humans react. Two grinned, and one, Tatia, shook her head.
“Let’s continue the subject of domes,” Nikki prodded. “You know how to install new gate pairs. Is that to be the extent of your investigation?”
“Sol doesn’t want a dome?” Renée asked innocently.
“I had a feeling you would ask that,” Nikki replied. “That will be another contentious item for the Assembly.”
“Then it will get worse for the dears when they hear that new domes might receive rings, which would allow the instantaneous transport of ships between domes,” Miranda said.
Nikki groaned, while Olawale and Patrice appeared excited.
“We could always withhold some of this information for now?” Nikki suggested hopefully. She gazed at Alex, Renée, and Tatia’s faces. “Apparently not,” she added.
“Sol must decide whether it wants to take part in galactic commerce,” Alex said definitively. “This system can’t depend on Omnia Ships to be its only partner.”
“There remains the opportunity to offer the citizens a referendum on the subject,” Z said. Miranda and he inhabited their Cedric and Frederica avatars, which required they remain standing with locked joints.
Nikki regarded Olawale and Patrice, who gazed expectantly at her. During the time of the previous repressive government, United Earth, many referendums had been held. Mysteriously, the outcomes were always in favor of the ruling parties’ preferences.
After the establishment of the new government, Sol Enclave, the presidents had been loath to hold referendums for fear that the populace would consider it a sham.
“Historically, referendums have been a touchy subject,” Nikki said.
“Hasn’t the Sol Enclave administrations earned sufficient trust of the people by now?” Renée inquired.
“Maybe and maybe not,” Nikki replied.
“Sol was my first stop,” Alex said. “As the original home of humans, I wanted to give this system the chance to be the focus of the galactic conference. It’s centrally located between the human colonies and the alliance. The latter’s worlds represent the most stable civilizations.”
“If Sol’s Assembly doesn’t support the conclave, what then?” Patrice inquired.
“Plan B,” Tatia remarked, with a quirk of the mouth.
It was a running joke among the Omnians. Often, plan B didn’t exist when plan A was seen to fail, but that didn’t mean Alex and his companions wouldn’t think of an alternative solution to the problem that faced them.
“Which is what?” Patrice pursued.
“One of the human colonies,” Alex replied.
“It can’t be New Terra, and I don’t want it to be the Méridien,” Renée said. “That leaves only Omnia and Haraken.”
“More than likely, Omnia,” Tatia added.
“I want it to be Sol,” Nikki said determinedly.
“Me too,” Patrice and Olawale echoed.
“If the Assembly votes no, then I’ll have to try the referendum. This is too important not to,” Nikki declared.
* * * * *
The Assembly was in session, and Nikki wasted no time editing the schedule to insert Alex’s presentation.
The Omnians enjoyed the replenished home world of humans for two days until the appointed hour arrived.
In the event Alex needed a holo-vid, Z placed an enormous one on the stage and powered it.
On the morning of the third day after the Omnians made Earth, the Assembly’s representatives and their staff filled the hall’s rows. Discussions among the members were animated. It was apparent that the subject of Alex’s presentation was known, and opinions were heavily divided.
Nikki Fowler took the stage, called the Assembly to order, and began her introduction. She laid out the circumstances of Alex’s visit: the discovery of adding new gates, the opportunity for a conclave, and the Omnians’ desire that Sol host the meeting of world leaders. Then she invited Alex and Renée to take the stage.
“We would hear your questions,” Alex announced.
Immediately, several individuals jumped up and shouted their questions.
“Representative McKenzie,” Alex said, pointing out the member. “You managed to leap to your feet with the greatest alacrity.” His comment created a smattering of chuckles and smiles from other members, and Charles McKenzie, from Earth’s District One Hundred Thirty-Five, scowled.
“We’ve heard about your ability to install new gates within a dome,” Charles said. “However, we haven’t heard whether you can construct a new dome.”
“We’re working on that,” Alex said.
“Can the gates be programmed to allow some individuals to arrive and prevent others?” Charles asked.
“Who would you wish to prevent?” Renée asked.
Charles McKenzie was perturbed by Renée’s interruption. He believed that, as the Omnian leader, Alex’s answers were the only ones to credit. What ca
used him to rethink that assumption was the calm expression on Alex’s face. The man was waiting for Charles to answer his partner’s question.
Across the rows, staff members were whispering to their representatives and pointing out the personal dynamics displayed on the dais.
Patrice grinned at Olawale. She sent,
“I don’t have specifics to offer you, Madam,” Charles replied. “I was just asking if it’s possible.”
“The far dome initiates the connection of two gates,” Renée explained. “The near dome can block all journeyers from the far dome’s destination. At this time, we haven’t discovered a way that the Messinant console can differentiate travelers. Then again, that problem can be solved with dome security.”
Charles would have asked another question, but Renée recognized Bariya Pethoral.
“Member Pethoral from Mars Underground, District Three,” Bariya said, introducing herself. Her tone was icy, and Alex and Renée prepared themselves.
“What does hosting the conclave imply? In other words, what would be our commitment?” Bariya asked.
“Nothing. You’re simply playing host,” Renée replied.
“Your system is centrally located, which is why we chose it,” Alex added. “We thought that if you held a successful conference, the world leaders might wish to make this the permanent home of the conclave. That could be of enormous economic benefit to Sol.”
The mention of huge influxes of credits had many staff murmuring to their representatives.
“If we’ve yet to make a commitment to this meeting, why is the government spending our reserves on that monstrous hall?” Bariya asked, her voice becoming strident.
“You’d have to ask your president,” Renée said, in a pleasant voice, as if the answer to the question was obvious.
“Are you trying to tell us that you had nothing to do with directing its construction?” Bariya demanded.