by S. H. Jucha
Edmas surveyed the mix of aliens, who had assembled for this moment.
There were no seats in the hall, except for that of the throne and the advisors. More than a hundred other individuals filled the room. They’d left a broad aisle for the visitors’ approach to the Sylian monarch.
Soshona’s staff joined the assembly, while she led the visitors to the front of the hall. Jess and Tacnock hovered at the back of the small group. They were unsure of what was expected of them.
When the group came to a halt in front of the throne, Soshona said, “Your Excellency Talsoma, these are our guests. This is Olawale Wombo from Omnia and Envoy Patrice Morris of Earth. I understand they’re the expedition’s leaders.”
“Greetings, Your Excellency,” Olawale replied. “Allow me to introduce my companions.” He proceeded to acquaint the ruler with each individual.
Soshona’s ears twitched when she heard Lucia’s title. The term commodore was unknown to her, but she was the only individual in uniform bearing insignias.
“You make an audacious entry, Expedition Leader Wombo,” Talsoma stated.
“We prefer expediency and directness, Your Excellency,” Olawale replied. “Do you?”
The advisors were taken aback by the bluntness of Olawale’s remark, but Talsoma’s canines were prominently displayed.
“Yes, I do,” Talsoma replied. “I understand that you search for your colony ship. We’re willing to help you locate its star, if you’re willing to help us.”
“We’ve been informed that the answer to our quest lies inside that glowing hemisphere on your moon,” Olawale replied.
“That satellite is called Talseseena,” an advisor said. “The hemisphere is a Messinants dome. It contains Q-gates, which connect us to other systems.”
“We understand from Captain Cinders that you travel from dome to dome through these gates,” Esteban said.
“We call it journeying,” the advisor replied.
“Then you haven’t ships that travel between the stars?” Jodlyne asked.
“No. None of the races do,” another advisor replied.
“We’ve heard your enemy is called the Colony. Please elaborate,” Juliette requested.
“They’re a race of giant insectoids,” Talsoma replied. “Collectively, our worlds are called the alliance. The Colony is the scourge of our civilizations ... our enemy.”
“You couldn’t prevent them from appearing within your dome?” Lucia asked.
“You wear a uniform with insignias, Commodore Bellardo,” Soshona interrupted. “Does it speak to the nature of your ships?”
“We’ve explained to your captains that four of our ships are Tridents,” Lucia replied. “They’re warships, and they’re beam capable just like our shuttles, which we call travelers. As the fleet’s commodore, I’m the senior military officer.”
Soshona tipped her head in acknowledgment of a fellow fleet commander.
Lucia glanced to her right. From the corner of her eye, movement had caught her attention. It was Captain Cinders, and he stared intently at a woman who was near his age and sitting next to the ruler.
“To answer your question about the invasion of our dome,” Soshona said. “The alliance races didn’t build the domes. An ancient race called the Messinants constructed them. We were left to discover them, gain entry, and learn what they could do. Long ago, the Colony attempted to take over our domes, but they were stopped. Unfortunately, they became adept at manipulating the domes’ consoles and found ways to defeat our defenses.”
“Can a dome be deactivated?” Edmas asked.
“Doing that without catastrophic results has never been discovered,” an advisor explained. “A dome isn’t a physical thing. It’s a projected energy field created by a power source buried deep inside a moon.”
“Why don’t you have feelings?” Kasie Cinders asked. She’d stood and was staring at Esteban. Immediately, she saw some of the visitors bristle and felt their intense anger. “My apologies,” she said quickly. “It was meant to be an observation, not an accusation.”
“You’re an empath,” Esteban marveled.
“Please, excuse my sister,” Jess said, stepping forward and spreading his hands in supplication to the visitors. “Despite her abrupt manner of speaking, she has a good heart.”
“Kasie Cinders asks a good question,” Talsoma said, eyeing Olawale.
“Juliette and I are SADEs, self-aware digital entities,” Esteban replied.
“You’re mobile artificial intelligences,” an advisor accused.
Olawale ignored the advisor’s outburst and directed his attention toward Talsoma. “Doesn’t the alliance have AIs?” he asked.
“The alliance experimented with AIs, developing many versions of these creations,” Talsoma replied. “Each type was found defective for one reason or another.”
“How were they believed to be defective?” Juliette asked.
“They were incompatible with the races,” an advisor replied. “The experiments were discontinued.”
Talsoma didn’t need Kasie’s warning glance to tell her that the visitors were upset. She realized their culture had been insulted, and this was the last thing she needed. She rose from her throne, gazed across the assembly, and said, “Thank you for attending this momentous occasion. We’ll retire now to communicate privately with our guests.”
When the advisors made to follow Talsoma, a slash of her hand indicated they were to remain behind. However, a crook of her finger beckoned Kasie.
Soshona indicated to Olawale that he and his group were to follow Talsoma.
Jess and Tacnock hesitated, but a nod from Soshona toward the ruler told them that they were to join the group.
Tacnock sidled beside Juliette. “How did your society solve the riddle of artificial intelligence?” he asked her.
“We don’t know the answer to that,” Juliette replied. “It’s a secret held by a Méridien organization called House Brixton.”
“Don’t you wish to possess this secret?” Tacnock asked.
“We will ... sooner than later,” Juliette replied. “Julien and Alex will see to that.”
“Who are they?” Tacnock inquired.
“Julien is the leader of the Omnian SADEs. He could be the leader of all SADEs,” Juliette replied.
“Why isn’t he?” Tacnock asked.
Juliette smiled. “Julien is like Alex. He doesn’t really care for the job.”
Tacnock heard Jodlyne’s giggle, the chuckles of others, and an odd tone from Esteban. “With your implants, you can share in real time,” he exclaimed.
“We can share,” Juliette allowed.
“Marvelous,” Tacnock said breathlessly, taking a moment to admire Juliette. Then he returned to his questioning. “And who is Alex?” he asked.
“Alex is human, of a sort,” Juliette replied, and Tacnock heard more laughter form the visitors. He chittered in sympathy.
“He’s worn many titles: captain, admiral, president, and presently, company owner,” Juliette continued.
“So, he’s the Omnian leader,” Tacnock surmised.
“In a manner,” Juliette replied. “It’s probably more correct to say that many are his followers.”
“Why is that?” Tacnock pursued.
“Yours aren’t the only problems in the galaxy,” Juliette replied ominously.
Tacnock thought for a moment. “Your warships,” he suggested.
“Precisely,” Juliette replied.
“Esteban and you have different bodies. I presume that Méridiens let you choose what you wish,” Tacnock suggested conversationally.
“Méridien SADEs come to cognizance in boxes aboard starships, stations, or wherever else the Confedera
tion desired,” Juliette said, with a hint of heat, and she quickly reordered her emotional algorithms. “If it weren’t for Alex and Julien, we’d still be confined in our metal traps. They freed us, and as free entities, we’ve the right to choose our appearances.”
“I’m glad you’re free,” Tacnock said quietly. He slipped his furred hand and padded palm into Juliette’s smooth one and squeezed softly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet an enlightened biological,” Juliette replied. She winked at him, and Tacnock flashed his small sharp teeth in reply.
The group entered what was obviously a working room. A few individuals, Sylians and other races, halted their efforts when Talsoma entered, but she waved them back to their duties.
“My apologies to you, Olawale, and your companions,” Talsoma said. “This is where I spend most of every cycle. I thought meeting you in the throne room was an appropriate place. Obviously, I’ve no experience with first contacts.”
“An apology isn’t necessary,” Olawale said graciously.
“Yes, it is,” Talsoma continued. “Esteban, Juliette, the alliance failed miserably in developing individuals such as yourselves. My advisors vividly recall those experiments, and I’m sorry that you had to hear that the races destroyed what they considered mistakes.”
“We’re fortunate that one human didn’t fear the risks of freeing us from our boxes,” Juliette stated.
“Boxes?” Soshona asked. She hadn’t heard the discussion between Juliette and Tacnock.
“An explanation for another time,” Olawale said. “Talsoma, you’ve a problem, and we’ve a need. I’m guessing you have a proposal.”
“Your directness is refreshing, Olawale,” Talsoma said. Her white teeth were set apart from her pure white fur by the pink of her gums. But it was her bright blue eyes that drew the attention of onlookers. “The information you require is in our dome. If you have the means to gain entry, we can show you the location of Pyre, the home world of your colonists.”
“How do we get inside the hemisphere?” Jodlyne asked.
“We call them domes,” Jess reminded her.
Olawale thought Jodlyne’s question was premature. Then again, there wasn’t a guidebook for these types of situations.
“With great difficulty,” Soshona replied. “The only way in and still preserve tunnel pressurization is down the launch tubes.”
“We’ve lost several teams attempting that entry method,” Talsoma added. “The insectoids fired the shuttle engines, while our defenders climbed down the tubes.”
Esteban held up his holo-vid unit. It displayed the Sylian dome.
Talsoma and Soshona glanced at their table monitor and then at the SADE’s holo-vid. Their display had clarity; his had more.
“We were told by an advisor that the dome is a projection,” Esteban said. “Is this ring, which serves as the dome’s base, the emanation point for the energy field?”
“Yes, and if you’re wondering if the ring can be manipulated, the answer is that we’ve not learned how to do that,” Kasie said.
Jodlyne added.
While the Omnians conversed, Talsoma and Soshona regarded Patrice, who appeared to be the only visitor not staring quietly into space, not counting the SADEs.
Patrice was listening intently to the conversation in her ear comm, which Esteban relayed. However, she did notice that the ruler was focused on her. She tapped her temple, which meant nothing to the Sylians. However, Tacnock chittered in amusement.
Olawale focused on Jess. “Is there a large enough bay on the planet’s station to accommodate what’s left of the Colony shuttle that we hit?” he asked.
Jess glanced at Talsoma, who nodded at him to answer. He considered what he’d seen on his packet ship’s bridge monitor. “Normally, I’d say no, but you sheared off about twenty-five to thirty percent of its length,” he replied. “The construction bays on our planet’s station could accommodate it. The station has small vehicles that could maneuver the shuttle into a bay.”
“Wait. What are your intentions?” Soshona demanded.
“Why, research,” Olawale replied with a smile.
-5-
Research
There was some argument from Soshona about bringing Colony members aboard the station, but Talsoma desperately wanted the visitors’ help. Naturally, she was reluctant to deny them something they were obviously adamant about.
“Yes, Commodore,” Oleg replied via his ear comm, as he made his way forward to the bridge after having spoken with his crew chiefs.
“We are, Commodore,” Oleg replied. He was happy that he’d ordered navigation to monitor it. The request underlined the degree of thoroughness Lucia Bellardo expected of him.
“Understood, Commodore,” Oleg said. He gained the bridge, as Lucia closed the comm.
“Navigation, plot a course for that damaged shuttle,” Oleg ordered. “Pilot, get us there soonest.” He placed two calls. The first was to his fighter pilot. He told her to remain on duty, while he fetched the damaged shuttle for the commodore. The second was to the other SE Trident captains. He ordered one to keep pace with him and the other to remain on station. Then he reversed course and headed below for a second conversation with his bay crew chiefs.
“There is someone I think you should meet, Olawale, and who may be of assistance to you,” Talsoma said. “Then we’ll be accompanying you to our planet’s station.”
“Is that wise, Your Excellency?” Soshona asked. “If the insectoids break out of the bay, the station could be overrun.”
“If that happens, due to our visitors’ actions, we must remember to keep them between the insectoids and us,” Talsoma replied. She flashed her canines at Olawale to indicate her humor, but the Omnians and Patrice received the message loud and clear.
Talsoma gave orders that her chief scientist, Velsana, who headed the research on the Colony, should travel with her. When the elderly scientist received the monarch’s request, he gathered medical techs and supplies.
The group boarded the traveler. As Talsoma settled into a seat, she glanced at Jess and Tacnock, who were doing a poor job of hiding their grins.
“It’s not polite to keep someone, who occupies such a lofty position as mine, in the dark,” Talsoma remonstrated. Just the same, she was smiling and pressing deeper into her seat. “What is this?” she asked.
“Nanites,” Olawale replied. “We use nanotechnology in much of our constructions.”
“Do we have everyone?” Lucia asked Soshona.
“Not yet,” Soshona replied. “Velsana will be moving slowly. He’s been offered mobile devices, but he’s stubborn and insists on walking.”
Olawale glanced toward Juliette. Immediately, the SADE rose and stationed herself at the hatch. When she spied the scientist, accompanied by other Sylians, moving slowly through the palace’s decorative gates, she leapt lightly through the hatch. She crossed the intervening space so quickly that she caught Velsana’s attention
and that of his medical techs.
“I understand that you eschew mobile assistance, Velsana. Does that include an individual such as me?” Juliette asked.
“What are you?” Velsana asked. His eyes were rheumy, and whereas most Sylian males had touches of browns and tans at the tufts of their ears and other extremities, Velsana’s fur had turned blindingly white.
“I’m Juliette, a visitor and a SADE, Velsana,” Juliette replied. “I understand from Her Excellency Talsoma that you’re important to us. As such, I must insist that you take care of yourself. Observe the steps of our shuttle.”
Velsana peered at the ship that hovered nearby. One of the medical techs whispered in Velsana’s ear, describing what he saw.
“They would be a challenge,” Velsana agreed.
“Allow me,” Juliette said. Then she lightly swept Velsana into her arms. Before the scientist could object, the pair crossed the intervening space and Juliette leapt through the hatch. Velsana’s feet were on the deck before the monarch and commander noted that he’d boarded.
When Velsana’s entourage boarded, the pilot received Lucia’s directive to lift and make for the nearby station. He signaled the hatch closed and the cabin lights dimmed. At his direction, the traveler rose, while the controller laid out a course for the station, which the pilot accepted.
Not wanting to be caught harboring information twice, Jess informed Talsoma that the dimming lights meant that the ship had left the planet’s surface.
“Most exceptional technology,” Talsoma commented, marveling at the comfortable flight.
Talsoma and Soshona sat opposite Olawale and Patrice. Esteban chose to sit with Velsana, and Tacnock had eagerly joined the pair.
Lucia and Juliette sat side by side. Juliette had maneuvered Jess to a seat across from Lucia, and he hadn’t resisted. She engaged Jess in conversation, but as expected, she failed to completely hold his attention.
