Contact

by M. D. Neu

  “I wonder how many backroom deals will be made over the next couple of weeks,” Jerry said. “I mean, forget the internet or bio-anything; these guys are the next big ticket. They have military and technological advances every country on the planet will go after. I’m not sure the Nentraee realize what they are getting into with us. Perhaps they should’ve bypassed us altogether.” His eyes had no sparkle in them as he glanced at the floor.

  His comment pulled Todd from his own thoughts.

  “Come on, hon.” Todd patted Jerry’s leg. “This is a great opportunity. They seem peaceful. I hope this’ll be the wake-up call we need as a whole to move past our differences. Maybe we’ll stop the fighting and killing.”

  Jerry didn’t say anything. He was quiet and there was almost an aura of sadness around him.

  Todd shook Jerry’s leg to try to get his attention. “Plus, you know you want to get your hands on their space toys.”

  Dan joined in, “Think of their gadgets. It’d be cool to see one of those ships and meet the people. Did you hear the speaker general of the UN? ‘Terrans’ he called us. ‘Terrans’ like something right out of Star Trek.” He grinned and added, “Oh, and child, did you see that hot little security boy with the black hair and green eyes? Well, I think he was a guy.” Dan leaned back, a quizzical look took over his face as his eyes shifted back and forth. “No, it had to be a guy, my naughty bits were tingly.” He laughed. “I wouldn’t mind checking out his undercover weapon. Yum and E.”

  “Yeah, seeing the ships and the technology would be pretty cool,” Jerry admitted.

  Todd took Jerry’s hand and kissed it, raising his eyebrows. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. What could go wrong?”

  Twelve: Rethinking Ideas

  MIRTOFF FINISHED HER speech, and the room erupted in hand clapping. She expected this. She had been briefed by both human cultural advisors and her own team on what to expect and what certain human reactions meant. It was surprisingly alien, but comforting in a different way from the quiet bows of her people.

  With a few polite bows of her head, she left the assembly hall. Danu and Tun’ae had insisted that once her address was finished, they’d move her back to the shuttle and onto the speaker’s ship, forgoing the offered human reception. It was a security procedure she did not wish to fight; she had seen the reports on how violent humans could be.

  As she was whisked away, she focused on what she had seen during her address. Several of the human’s faces were polite, as anticipated, but what struck her the most was the uncertainty of not only the people in the assembly hall, but the human security and media. They seemed leery of her. Would the humans of Earth react this way to all her people—untrusting, scared, and uncertain?

  Maybe it’s to be expected. We’re new to them. Would we act much differently?

  “Madam Speaker, we should continue moving.” Danu peeked around the area.

  Not realizing she had stopped, she resumed her brisk pace.

  The offers for a reception to welcome her people to Earth had been refused. It was too soon. The humans needed time to adjust and reflect. There would always be time for gatherings and celebrations once the humans accepted them. At least that was what the Speaker’s House had originally planned. But now, perhaps, that was not the correct response, considering the sheer number of invites to meet with the various heads of state.

  Her lips pursed. One must always give others time to reflect, so one could grasp new knowledge and ensure there would be no misunderstanding.

  Once inside the limousine provided by the government of the United States to take her away from the eyes of the humans gathered to see them, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

  “That went well, Madam Speaker.” Danu adjusted his dress robes under him as he tried to get comfortable, and his head hit the roof of the vehicle each time he moved. “These vehicles are not built for comfort.”

  “These vehicles are built for humans, not us.” Tun’ae shifted how he was sitting as well.

  “I’m uncertain we handled this first engagement correctly,” Mirtoff said. “They seemed fearful.”

  “That reaffirms our stance.” Danu shifted again in his seat. “A reception would be inappropriate. They need time to reflect on your words. Once they do, we can build trust, and fears will lessen. They’ve been given a lot of information. Remember, Madam Speaker, we’ve had many months to prepare while they have not. For most of them, yesterday was the first time they heard of us.”

  There was a soft chirp.

  He pulled out his datapad. “Ah, my report.”

  Tapping her fingers on her leg, she said, “I’m not sure we should have declined our invitation to the proposed social function. Human culture is different from our own. We’re relying on our own past cultural dealings from pre-Clan War to interact with them. Everything we’ve seen and learned, to date, shows these creatures as social beings. They use community affairs as a time for relationship building. Even gatherings that are about facts and details or reflection and study have some form of social element. Sharing of a meal being the most common.”

  “Madam Speaker, you did well and should be pleased.” Danu bowed his head to her before returning to his datapad.

  “How did the broadcast go?” Mirtoff stared out the window, trying to move her thoughts forward. “Did everything work as we promised?” she asked of Tun’ae, her second aide.

  Tun’ae pulled out his datapad and moved his hand over the device, calling up the requested information. “Everything appears to be in order. We were able to bounce the broadcast both off their satellites and our ships. We translated your address easily enough. It should’ve been seamless, with a minimal delay.”

  “Thank you, Tun’ae.” Mirtoff continued glancing out the window for distraction and noticed the humans rushing beneath the tall buildings. “It’s similar to the way our world once was. Don’t you agree? It’s amazing how some things are consistent in this universe.”

  Maybe Speaker Rosta was right. The speech might have been too curt.

  “Tun’ae, I want to monitor their broadcasts.” Mirtoff wished she had a cold cup of tuma. “After the announcement of our arrival yesterday and the resulting acts of violence around the planet, I want to make sure we are not taken by surprise again.” She faced her aide. “These humans are unpredictable; they don’t even understand themselves. The places they thought would be violence-free were not, and the locations they said had the highest chance of violence did not.”

  Tun’ae nodded, working his datapad.

  What else are we wrong about?

  She stared through the glass at the driver, dressed in a dark suit and dark glasses. The look contrasted his hairless head and mouth and chin hair. “President Richard Zachary spoke highly of this driver. He’s one of the president’s own security detail.”

  Danu shifted and stretched out his legs. “That’s what we’ve been told. I suggest we continue to speak in our language. They won’t respect us if we are too open. Plus, we gave them more details on our circumstances today than we should, making us look needy and weak.” He scanned the passenger section of the limousine. “They could have listening devices.”

  Danu was a suspicious male by nature, making him one of the best security aides.

  Did we give the humans any information they couldn’t figure out on their own?

  To her, it seemed vague and generic; lacking. However, it was what the Speaker’s House wanted, chiefly General Gahumed.

  She twisted her head, causing the braids to get caught between her shoulder and the seat back. The members of the Speaker’s House didn’t see the humans’ reaction as she did. “I think…yes, we need to be more open with them.” She checked the vehicle’s console next to her seat. She pushed a button and the window next to her started to lower. She frowned and pushed the button again and it started to rise. She picked another button and the screen between the driver and her delegation began to lower. “Starting now.”

  The chauffeu
r glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to his driving, adjusting the mirror so he could see the speaker general and she could see him. “Madam Speaker, is there a problem? Do you or your aides need something?”

  “I wanted to have dialogue with you, if I may. I understand you are only our cha fer…” Mirtoff pursed her lips.

  That’s not the right word.

  “Our driver.”

  The man was quiet. She continued, “Do you have a mate? What of children? I myself do not, but I have a brother and one niece. I am curious at how you will feel on this. Can you share your thoughts? You are not a leader, but I am interested.”

  Both Danu and Tun’ae spoke in their own tongue. “Madam Speaker,” Tun’ae said.

  “This is not appropriate. Please,” Danu pleaded and almost reached out for her.

  His hand retreated. She quieted them both with a wave of her hand, squashing any further comments.

  The human sat with his back and shoulders perfectly level. Both of his hands were on the vehicle’s steering mechanism, and he stared straight ahead. The hair above his eyes raised, and his lips pinched tighter.

  Some of the human males are so hairy.

  Then he met her gaze in the rearview mirror with a polite, but firm, expression on his face. “I’m sorry, Madam Speaker. I’m not authorized to comment on the current situation.”

  Mirtoff took a breath. Of course, she couldn’t fault him; it was an answer that one of her aides would give. He was trained military, after all. What had she hoped would happen? Security was the same, another universal consistency, although an unfortunate one.

  “You are a good soldier, Mister Nicholson. I can appreciate that. I hope you and your people understand that we are not an enemy.”

  He adjusted the mirror again and continued to drive in silence.

  Protocol. She was surrounded by it. When would she meet a being that wasn’t part of the governmental bureaucracy?

  What would become of us for it?

  “Thank you for hearing me, Mister Nicholson.” She tapped her fingers on the armrest. “I shall speak fondly of you to the brother and the niece. I hope you will do the same.” She raised the window between them.

  She shook her head and turned to her aides. “That river met it’s end faster than I would have hoped.” She reached fussing with the braids in her bun. “They don’t trust us. This is going to be a problem.”

  “You cannot know that from this one human male,” Danu said. “Now please, don’t worry, Madam Speaker. You have a busy schedule for the next few weeks. It’ll take time for us to trust each other. Trust is earned, not given. Remember this is new. We need to present them with the opportunity to review and study.”

  She didn’t respond. She put herself in the human’s place. How would her world have reacted during the Clan Wars? Would they have stopped infighting and helped them? Or, attacked them out of fear? Her biggest question and worry—would humans allow them to live here in peace?

  Watching the buildings pass by she turned and glanced at her aides, both working, ensuring that everything was still secure at the transport. The vehicle made its way to the private hanger. They crossed the security gate. The press was still there, waiting for them.

  “Well, at least their media is free. That says something of them,” Mirtoff said.

  Danu lifted off the seat and adjusted the position his feet were in. “Well, some of them have free press,” he said, turning back to his datapad. “Speaking of the media, your next speech is ready. Our media corps will be waiting for you when we get back to the ship.”

  She wanted a nice chilled mug of tuma. “Our media is going to have many questions.”

  “Of course, that is their nature.” Tun’ae crossed his feet in front of him, unintentionally kicking Danu in the shin. “Apologies, Danu. This vehicle is extremely compact.”

  Danu bowed.

  Tun’ae continued, “Luckily, we’ve had time to prepare. It will not be on the humans, but an update on what we plan to do.”

  The driver pulled into a private hanger and then stopped the car. Getting out of the vehicle, he moved over to the door and opened it. First out was Tun’ae.

  Mirtoff ducked her head and stepped out of the vehicle, followed by Danu.

  The driver stood motionless and stiff.

  “Mister Nicholson, I will meet with President Zachary tomorrow. I will thank him for your services. Personally, I wish to thank you again for hearing me.” Mirtoff offered a polite bow and headed toward her ship with both aides flanking her.

  The hanger had been cleared for the Nentraee’s use. The speaker general’s ship stood ready to depart. The Nentraee Guards stood watchful and at the ready with their weapons drawn.

  The shuttle was similar in size to several of the human airships that she noted off in the distance. However, the shuttle’s design had smoother lines and a more organic finish with no bumps or cracks in the hull. Her shoulders relaxed as she walked up the stairs, the familiar surroundings a welcome site. Once inside, she retreated to her cabin.

  Placing her hand in front of the sensor by the door behind her in her private cabin, she closed herself off from the rest of her team. The space was comfortable, but basic, with several chairs and a desk with a monitor on top. Several other monitors were placed around the cabin. On the back wall of the room was the emblem of their home world and their people. The design was comprised of seven gold symbols, one for each of the clans, and in the middle the crest of the speaker general.

  The crest changed for each speaker general, and Mirtoff’s was graceful in gold and silver. It reflected the two things most dear to her: intelligence and peace. The symbols were intertwined, showing that each depended on the other. They reminded her of home and of her mother. Her mother would tell her and her two siblings that it was only through intelligence that peace could be achieved; that was how the Clan Wars finally came to an end. Her mother would remind them that the war started because of the actions of some reckless Nentraee.

  Mirtoff undid her dress cloak’s clasp and draped it over one of the chairs. She dusted off a piece of lint from her suit coat and headed over to her desk, where a cool cup of tuma waited for her. She picked it up, took a sip, and sat, positioning the monitor for a better view. “Open a line 10-5B-PT7.”

  “Madam Speaker, excellent address. And the humans appeared pleased with it,” said Mi’ko. His bright aqua eyes sparkled, making him appear years younger.

  “You can thank Danu and the Speaker’s House for the words. My only part was slight edits and delivery. The credit is theirs.” She tried not to sound sour. “But I thank you, Mi’ko. It went as well as could be expected.”

  “Our media has been monitoring the situation on Earth and the speech, of course. They are anxious for your address later today.”

  She said nothing and took a sip.

  “Mirtoff, is something burdening you?”

  “I want to make changes to our future dealings.” She put down the tuma. “I’m worried that we’re doing this incorrectly. The humans are incredibly social. Nothing like us. We need to present a more social aspect of our personality to them.”

  “We have followed the procedures you and the House approved of, Madam Speaker. We have done nothing wrong.”

  “True. However, what we approved might be a problem; we’re dealing with them as if we’re dealing with our own kind from long ago. They’re not like us, and we need to take that into account. I know this has not been approved by the Speaker’s House, but as vice speaker, I would like your support.”

  She relaxed her hands and neck. She hadn’t realized how tense she was. “I would like to make a translated version of my address to our people available to the human media. I want to show the humans as much openness as we can. There will be questions and uncertainty on all sides. I want to have an ‘Earth Network’ where our people can view their media if they choose. I want to consider going to some of these receptions we’ve been asked to attend. Not all of them.
We should pick carefully.”

  Mi’ko ran a hand over his mouth, and he pulled at his bottom lip.

  Outside, the windows to the cabin showed the skyline of New York City. She hadn’t noticed the takeoff.

  “Of course, Mirtoff,” said Mi’ko. “Do you consider it necessary? The human governments have been open and helpful.”

  “Yes, I know.” Mirtoff picked up her tuma and took another sip, enjoying the cool, sweet and spicy flavor. It relaxed her. “I’m not worried about the governments. I’m more worried about the people. My suggestion is that we don’t agree to everything, but a tightly controlled list of events that will help to cut off any unknown tensions.”

  Mi’ko leaned back in his chair and pulled his hand away from his chin. “If you deem this is proper, I’ll support you no matter what. Now, please excuse me. You have given me many tasks.”

  She bowed. “Of course, Mister Vice Speaker.”

  “I’ll see you back on the ship, Madam Speaker.” Mi’ko bowed in return.

  The screen went blank, and then back to the emblem. Mirtoff tapped her fingers on the desk for a moment. “Open a line 10-5B-OU5.”

  After a moment the screen filled with the image of her brother. “Mirtoff.” Ecra came to the monitor. The smile on his face caused his cheeks to lift. “We didn’t expect to hear from you today. It brings me joy. Suloff, come say hello to your auntie and bring Faa,” he said over his shoulder.

  “I assume you’ve seen the broadcast?” Her tone was businesslike. It wasn’t easy for her to switch modes so suddenly. Some, like Mi’ko, were masters at it. She never thought herself so rigid, but many did.

  His eyes narrowed and a frown slipped across his face. “Of course. Why?”

  “Hello, Provider.” Faa pushed his face in the screen. “Faa been good. Faa had scratches.” His head tilted and one of his ears flopped over. “Provider come soon? Faa miss Provider.”

  Her whole expression warmed. Faa had a way to brighten her heart. “I’m glad you’ve been good, little one. I’ll see you soon. I miss you, as well.” Seeing Faa’s bright green eyes and how they twinkled filled her with the warmth of home. The effect caused her to sit taller and lean in. She wanted to reach out and stroke his soft fur and feel his warmth under her touch.