Kilmer banged at the keys.
What have you done? Why?
We did nothing to provoke an attack.
Will there be more attacks?
Ambassador Kilmer, that was only a demonstration. It was the smallest one we could use to send the message. We hope it is clear to you and your leaders why you do not have a choice. You will come to ET-1. If not, the next attack comes from above. And it will not be small.
When? How? And will you stop all attacks if I agree to come to ET-1?
Ambassador Kilmer, please relax. You are in a very difficult situation and you are afraid. But try to remember that we do not have bad intentions.
Kilmer was no longer scared. He was pissed off.
Were those explosions meant to help me relax? Or were they meant to remind me of your good intentions?
You are being sarcastic. We understand that.
Kilmer fell back in his chair. Of course you do.
ET-1 had learned enough to understand complex language, human subcultures, and, apparently, even sarcasm. Why are they working so hard? Previously, Kilmer had thought that ET-1’s hefty investments meant that they had a lot at stake—and that Earth-side might have some leverage. That was still a reasonable inference, but his confidence in it was waning. He just couldn’t figure it out.
It seemed about as desperate a situation as he could have imagined, and he felt the fear creeping back in. He wanted to get out of there, to wash his hands of the whole thing. He was obviously in over his head. And this was not his responsibility alone. He wasn’t elected. He wasn’t even a soldier.
He stood up and looked at the vehicles behind him. He took a step in their direction, but then stopped.
No. When you were calm and thinking rationally, you promised yourself you wouldn’t run away.
He took a deep breath and sat back down at the keyboard.
If it will help to avoid a war, then I will come. But you need to understand that I do not represent this country or the planet. I cannot speak for everyone.
Ambassador Kilmer, you will be representing Earth whether you want to or not. We understand that you cannot make that decision alone. We will give your leaders time to decide whether to send you. We will give them one week.
And if they decide that someone else should represent Earth?
Then we will accept President Whitman. But she will not be able to solve Earth’s problem. She will serve a different purpose for us.
What purpose is that?
We cannot tell you.
Can she talk with you from outside ET-1? Like I am doing?
That is not an option. There will be no more conversations like this one.
Why does it have to be inside ET-1? Why does that matter?
Inside ET-1 is not what matters. What matters is that no one else can know what is discussed. For that we will have to speak to you inside ET-1.
How does that help? Even if we have the conversation inside ET-1, others will find out about it afterwards.
Kilmer had just hit send when the answer to his question—the only possible answer—presented itself to him. ET-1 had said he would have to take a risk, but they had also said something else. You have to be willing to sacrifice.
He felt as if a stone was pressing down on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. ET-1’s reply confirmed what he had already concluded.
We want to be clear, Ambassador Kilmer. Once you enter ET-1, you will never return to your people. There is no other way.
Kilmer’s fingers were trembling even as they rested on the keyboard. Don’t lose focus. You need to stay calm now. There must be a way. There’s always a way.
And if we refuse your conditions? If we send no representative?
Then we will have no choice. Humans will pay the price. Many will die. We give you seven days to decide.
You will attack us even if we still want peace? Even if we take no aggressive actions against you?
None of that will matter. You and your leaders must now decide what to do. This conversation will end now.
Wait.
Kilmer didn’t want the conversation to end, even though he was out of ideas for what to say. He felt powerless. And he was worn out. Think. Come up with something. You need more to work with. His mind raced. And then…
May I ask a few final questions?
Yes.
Do you really care if I accept your invitation?
There was a longer pause than before—just as Kilmer had expected. And then an answer appeared on the screen.
There are many who do not care at all what you do, Ambassador Kilmer.
Do you think it will be possible to avert war if I accept your invitation?
Another long pause.
Ambassador Kilmer, you have the right to know that even if you come to ET-1, nothing you do is likely to matter. It is like your story of the Greeks. Archidamus and Pericles tried hard to avoid war. But it did not make any difference.
Kilmer was stunned by the reference. They had obviously studied human history quite thoroughly. But he wondered—how thoroughly, exactly?
So, you are asking me to sacrifice everything in exchange for nothing?
Human beings often sacrifice for even less. We are at least giving you a chance. It is all you will get. There will be no more questions now.
Then goodbye to you, Archidamus.
Kilmer looked at the screen to see if there would be an answer. He had almost given up when the response came.
Goodbye to you, Pericles.
Kilmer leaned back in his chair. Anger, frustration, fear, sorrow, confusion, guilt—it was all muddled together. He closed his eyes and just allowed himself to breathe for a minute. Then another minute. He needed all those emotions to settle down, to stop demanding his attention. There was something more important to think about.
Kilmer had noticed it—the one thing.
He was glad there would be a transcript of the entire conversation for him to look over; there were many items to revisit, analyze, and piece together. But the real breakthrough, he knew, had come only at the very end. In a sea of despair, the only real sign of hope.
Kilmer knew that hope was never the answer. But it is a foundation. You can build from there.
He rose from his chair and walked over to the two vehicles, but he told the drivers to return without him—he would walk back to HQ-1 on his own. He needed time to think.
And he needed to start getting used to being alone.
~ 77 ~
Kilmer placed a call to President Whitman on his walk back from the kill-zone.
“Professor Kilmer!” Whitman practically shouted into the phone. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Madam President. I’m fine. Those explosions—was anyone hurt? Has there been any other activity?”
“Everything’s okay. There was no one in those locations. I think it was just what they said—a display of their capabilities.” Whitman paused. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I want you to know that we’re going to find a way out of this mess—together.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Madam President. That’s why I’m calling you. I think it’s time for me to step aside. You should decide how to move forward on this without me.”
“If you want to leave, Professor, I’ll bring you back to DC immediately. No one will force you to do anything.”
“Sorry, I’m not being clear. I don’t want to ‘step aside’ in that way. I’m not asking you to get me out of this. It’s the opposite, in fact. I’m convinced that you will have to send me to ET-1—and I think everyone on the team will agree. But it might be hard for them to discuss it if I’m in the room. We can’t have them hesitating or worrying about my feelings when they advise you. There’s no time for that now.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Professor. I understand your concern about team dynamics, but I still value your perspective. I want you in the room. We’re meeting to debrief at ten.”
“I’
ll share my perspective with you, Madam President—and with the team—but I can do that without being in the meetings. Also… I think I need some time to reflect on what just happened—and I won’t be ready by 10 p.m.”
“We can delay the meeting,” Whitman offered.
“Please don’t. Go ahead without me. I think that’s best.” Kilmer hesitated. “Madam President, I’m… I’m really exhausted. And I need some rest. I don’t mean sleep—I just need to be alone for a little while to clear my mind. To process everything. And to organize my thoughts. Please give me some time. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Take your time and get some sleep. Agent Silla can catch you up on what we discuss.”
“Thank you, Madam President.”
After they hung up, Kilmer called Silla.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “I’m coming to you right now. I just left HQ-1 and I’m walking to the perimeter.”
“Silla, I—” He didn’t even know where to begin. “I’m…”
“Don’t say anything. Just wait until I’m there.”
Kilmer hung up and kept walking.
They reached the perimeter at almost the same time. As soon as she saw him, Silla made her way through the line of soldiers and ran into Touchdown-1. Ten seconds later, she was in his arms. For that moment, anyway, she wasn’t concerned who might see them.
“I wish I had better news to report,” he said finally. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re here now. We’re all still here. This is not over.” She looked into his eyes. “Just remember, Kilmer. We have time.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek and then held his hand as they walked back toward HQ-1.
Kilmer told her what he had said to the president, and that he would not be at the debrief session.
“If you want me to stay with you, I will,” Silla said. “But I think it’s important for me to be at the meeting.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to miss it. They need you. And I think you need to hear what they’ll have to say.”
“What does that mean?”
“Silla, I’m not sure what you think happens next, but I know how this has to end. And everyone else is going to come to the same conclusion. There’s no choice but to send me off. No matter what else we might do as part of our strategy, there’s no way around it. You see that, don’t you?”
“No, Kilmer, I don’t. We are nowhere near the point where we—”
“That’s why, Silla. That’s why you need to hear what everyone has to say. You’re going to see that I’m right—that everyone agrees.”
“That doesn’t make it right. And I don’t think anyone is ready to hand you over as a sacrifice. Some people will want to fight. And everyone will look for other options. Don’t you dare give up so soon.”
“I’m not giving up. I know what it means for me if I walk into ET-1. Believe me, I do. But I won’t be doing any of us any favors if I don’t face reality. I need to look at this objectively. Rationally. And I need you to help me with that. But you can’t help me unless you’re also ready to face facts.”
“Okay, Kilmer. Let’s not argue about who’s right or wrong. Let’s just agree that we’re going to try to do everything we can to deal with the crisis and to keep you safe. Not one or the other. Both.”
“Fine.” Kilmer nodded.
Silla entered HQ-1 to fetch a transcript of the conversation for Kilmer. She returned with it a few minutes later.
“Now get back to the house and rest. I’ll come as soon as I’m done here. We can talk in the morning.”
She made sure no one was nearby before kissing Kilmer on the lips. Then she said goodbye and ran off to the meeting.
~ 78 ~
Kilmer had been sitting on the front porch of the bed-and-breakfast for over an hour. The transcript in his hands was completely marked up—lines, arrows, circles, and notes were all over it. Scribbled on the very last page were four tentative conclusions he had drawn.
1. ET-1 has more at stake than it is letting on.
The aliens said they were unafraid and didn’t need Kilmer, but that wasn’t the whole story. Why had they tried not to harm Earth? Why did they invest so much in learning? Why did they insist on meeting in private?
2. ET-1 is divided.
Kilmer had set a trap: Do you really care if I accept your invitation? Answering No wouldn’t have been credible given how much pressure they were putting on Kilmer to come to them. Answering Yes would have implied that ET-1 needed Kilmer. ET-1 had tried to split the difference—There are many who do not care at all what you do—but in doing so, ET-1 had revealed, for the first time, that there were differences of opinion on their side. It was unclear what precisely they were disagreeing about, but from Kilmer’s perspective, this was good news.
3. I might have a friend on ET-1.
ET-1 had made a reference to Archidamus and Pericles, the leaders of Sparta and Athens. But why? Did ET-1 know that the two of them had been friends? On a hunch, Kilmer had called his interlocutor Archidamus—who had tried to avoid war with Athens. In response, Kilmer had been called Pericles. Was that meant as a signal?
4. They care how I think.
ET-1 was uninterested in what Kilmer knew, and claimed to want him for another reason. What other reason could there be? One possibility was that they wanted to share what they knew, but that was unlikely—he wouldn’t even be able to tell anyone about it. The only other possibility he could see was that ET-1 wanted him for the same reason Whitman did. They don’t care what I know. They care how I think. It was a bizarre conclusion, to be sure, but it fit the facts. Most of what he knew could be found on the internet, but the internet could not reveal to them the workings of his mind. They would need him for that. To what end? He had no idea.
Kilmer looked over the four points. Now what?
The situation still looked awful.
The worst kind of danger. The kind that will destroy human civilization.
Humanity was in danger of annihilation. Kilmer still had no idea what the aliens wanted. And he would soon be asked to sacrifice himself for almost no chance of making any difference. And yet, somehow, he felt okay.
His four points added up to something. And something was infinitely better than nothing.
~ 79 ~
Day 22. Morning.
The next morning at breakfast, Silla brought Kilmer up to speed on the previous night’s meeting. No one wanted to send him to ET-1, she reported, but no viable alternatives had been proposed. Shockingly, it was Secretary Strauss who had most strongly opposed handing him over to the aliens. He thought Kilmer had no chance of stopping what was coming—and at best, sacrificing him would delay things by a few hours or days. It wasn’t worth kowtowing to the aliens for that.
“More importantly,” Silla said, “a number of people are now wondering whether we’re giving the aliens too much credit. Sure, they can blow some things up—but so can we. Have we overestimated their capabilities? Are they counting on us being too afraid to test them? Maybe their rhetoric and aggression are meant to scare us into submission without them having to fire a real shot.”
The meeting had ended on two open questions. First, how would the international alliance respond to the recent developments—and to the idea of Kilmer representing everyone? Second, what actions might Earth-side take in the next week—before ET-1’s deadline—to deter or prepare for war?
Silla’s final update was that Chief of Staff Perez and Agent Lane would be arriving later in the day to join the team at Station Zero. Whitman wanted Perez on the front lines to make sure nothing went off the rails as tensions increased, and Art wanted Lane to oversee the communication side of things.
Kilmer then told Silla about his four tentative conclusions. She homed in on the point about disagreements among the aliens. “Maybe that’s something we can use to our advantage,” she suggested.
“How do we leverage their disagreements if we don’t know what they’re arguing about?” Kilmer asked.
&nbs
p; “The fact that they’re arguing might be enough. Maybe if we put some pressure on them, it will expose some of the rifts on their side. Until now, we’ve been relatively compliant because we didn’t want to test their patience. But maybe some non-compliance is needed to test their cohesion.”
“That’s interesting. What kind of pressure?”
“If we push back—show them that we’re willing to fight—maybe the more peaceful or sane voices on their side will get louder. It could backfire, of course, but given how desperate things are, maybe it’s a risk worth taking. If the temperature rises, maybe they stop making threats. Maybe they stop demanding sacrifices.”
Kilmer nodded. “I’m torn. On the one hand, I agree. The situation seems pretty desperate, so we should try to shake things up a little—there’s more room for upside than downside. On the other hand, what if we have it all wrong? What if the sane and peaceful aliens are the ones who are demanding that I come to ET-1? Maybe Archidamus isn’t leading me to slaughter… Maybe he’s a friend.”
~ 80 ~
Heirs of Herodotus by D. Kilmer.
Excerpt from Chapter 8.
War has always been a dangerous business, but the pursuit of peace can be even more hazardous. Warriors know that they risk death in every encounter with their enemies—the troops amassed on the other side of the battlefield, or the soldiers hiding in the bushes. Peacemakers risk death as well, but they tend not to die at the hands of enemies. They are killed by their erstwhile friends—the ones who feel betrayed by the notion that it is time to end the bloodshed.
The Peacemaker's Code Page 27
