2024-2120

by Russell Fine

  “I must tell you I have traveled to more than half of the four hundred and seven-member planets and not one of them can match the food that was available on the space station. Earth could easily start a very profitable tourist business.”

  At this point, Garlut paused, looked at his audience. They were all staring at him, so he continued, “However, I am also sure that Earth would be interested in buying products from other planets as well. Our planet has developed artificial gravity that can be used on your ships. We have a molecular transportation device that allows us to move any non-living object from one place to another within a five-mile radius. We used it on the journey here from Gliese 876 to move some medication that was needed by one of our passengers from the Star Rover to my ship. We have a device that allows us to see through solid objects and we have a device that can create a time stasis field we use to allow our ships and crew to accelerate to half the speed of light in six days. That requires a force equivalent to more than 60 g’s on Earth. Without the time stasis field, no know living organism could survive that amount of gravitational force.

  “One of our member planets specializes in medicine. They have found cures for almost every known disease on my home planet. As a result, our life expectancy has increased by more than fifty percent since we joined the group.

  “I have told you about only a small fraction of the goods and services available. If you join our association, many of the closer planets will send trade delegations to Earth. They will explain to you in detail what they can offer to Earth and at the same time, you can tell them what products Earth can offer. In the end, everybody will benefit. Also, one of the planets has developed a language translation system. The device has already been loaded with the Earth languages of English and French. This device will completely eliminate communication problems. Before I leave Earth, I will give you five of them as compensation for your probe and power unit I took.

  Garlut paused for a few seconds and during the pause, President Winters asked, “Garlut, how are financial transactions between members handled?”

  Garlut replied, “The funds for the trades are handled by a bank where all member planets have accounts. If you join us, a branch of that bank will be opened on Earth. When something is purchased or sold, no matter how large or small, your account will be credited or debited as required. New members usually only sell for a while until they build up sufficient credits to begin purchasing items. We do have something we use as an interstellar currency. It is a very rare mineral called hirodim. It is similar to the diamonds you have on Earth, but it is slightly harder and dark blue in color. All small items are priced in fractions of one cubic centimeter of hirodim, referred to as a hirodim block. I am not very knowledgeable about money on Earth but I would guess one hirodim block is worth about $100,000,000. For example, the translators I am going to give you each cost .0019 of a hirodim block. My entire ship would cost two thousand hirodim blocks. Should you decide to join us, the trading group will set up an office on Earth and the people who work there will help make sure your products are priced correctly. They can also assist you in locating products you need or finding additional products to sell. I will also be available to help you should the need arise.

  “I realize that joining our association will mean a constant flow of aliens to and from Earth. All of the lifeforms in our group are humanoid. As a matter of fact, with rare exceptions, all of the intelligent lifeforms we have found in the galaxy are humanoid. They may look a little different, but for all enlightened civilizations, that is not a problem. They have two things in common: none of them are hostile and all of them are looking for a bargain.

  “Finally, I want to let you know that you have nothing to lose by joining our association and much to gain. However, if you want to think about it please feel free to do so. I will stay here for ten more days. If you have any questions please contact me through Captain Whitestone. Thank you for your time.”

  Garlut sat down at the table and the members of the council began quietly discussing his proposal. Then President Winters asked, “Mr. Garlut if Earth decides to join your association can we withdraw from it if we desire?”

  “Please call me Garlut. The title is unnecessary. There is actually nothing to withdraw from. We would ask that you notify the bank you will no longer be trading. No planet has ever withdrawn from it, but there is certainly no obligation to be a member.”

  “How soon would the flow of aliens begin?”

  “The first group to come would be from the bank and one or two people who are employed by the trade association. They would probably be here in sixty days. The employees of the trade association will put together a report regarding the products Earth has to trade and that report will be sent to all the member planets. The members who are interested will first send a delegation of three or four people to evaluate the trading potential. If they like what they see, and I am sure they will, they will want to establish a permanent embassy here. That will probably take more than a year. I would suggest that should you make the decision to join us, you should immediately employ several people who can act as a liaison between the trade association or the member planet representatives and your council. I am sure you do not want to be involved in every decision. However, to answer your question, it will probably be two years before large numbers of aliens would be coming here.”

  President Winters said, “You’ve given us a lot to think about, but I feel certain we’ll have a decision no later than Saturday.”

  Garlut finished by saying, “Thank you, sir. I am looking forward to your response.” Then he sat down.

  President Winters said, “Garlut, I hope you will join us for lunch today.”

  “It will be my pleasure.”

  The lunch went well. There were three tables set up and President Winters, Garlut, Brealak, Jeffery, Debbie, and Heather were all seated together at one of them. The conversation was minimal. Jeffery and Debbie were very uncomfortable being seated at the same table as the most powerful people on Earth, but as the meal continued they became more at ease. Most of the conversation was between President Winters and Garlut. As the lunch was breaking up, President Winters told Garlut the council would be meeting in the afternoon to discuss his proposal and they would contact Jeffery as soon as their decision was made. Garlut thanked him for his time. Then the President excused himself and left the table. A few moments later, Heather got up and asked, “Garlut, do you want to stay in New York or would you rather go back to the space station?”

  “I think I would like to go back to the space station. Brealak and I like being there. I suspect if we stayed here we would be surrounded by security guards all the time. I know that is to protect us, but I find it uncomfortable to be followed everywhere we go. I hope if Earth joins our group, it will not be necessary to have constant protection from the people on Earth while we are here.”

  “I understand completely. I’m sure as the people here become more accustomed to the presence of aliens, the security guards will no longer be necessary. Many of our citizens have profound religious beliefs that don’t allow them to accept the fact there are other intelligent lifeforms. We’re concerned they might become violent and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen. Please follow me and I’ll take you back to the shuttle.”

  Two hours later, the four of them were back on the space station. Garlut had hardly spoken during the trip to the station. As they exited the shuttle bay, he asked, “Jeffery, do think the council will agree to join the association?”

  “Yes, I think you made an excellent presentation. I would expect to hear from them in the next few hours. Obviously, I’ll let you know immediately when I do.”

  They went back to their rooms. Garlut thanked Jeffery and Debbie for their assistance. When Jeffery and Debbie were finally alone, Debbie said, “I’m glad that’s over. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in my whole life. It would be okay with me if I never met another world leader personally.”

  “
I agree completely, but I suspect because of our friendship with Garlut and Brealak, there will be more of those meetings in the future. You’d better get used to it. You do realize when we go back to Earth unescorted we’ll be set upon by reporters and videographers. We’ll probably be remembered as the first people to make contact with an alien civilization and the first people to bring aliens to Earth.”

  “I suppose you’re right, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Then Debbie smiled and said, “Let’s talk about something completely different. When do you want to get married?”

  “Not until this situation is resolved. Do you want a big wedding or a small one?”

  Debbie replied, frowning, “Do you think Max would allow us to have a small wedding? I would think he’d want to capitalize on the good publicity it would generate for NASA. Perhaps we should do it before Garlut leaves. We could be the first couple to have aliens in attendance at their wedding!”

  “I thought you didn’t want any unnecessary publicity. Let’s call Max later and discuss it with him. I want to ask Garlut if people get married on Coplent.”

  They decided to relax in their room for a while. They sat down and turned on the news. They were not really surprised to discover the meeting was the main topic for discussion, and although Garlut and Brealak were discussed more than any of the other attendees, Jeffery and Debbie were also mentioned frequently. After watching the news for fifteen minutes and seeing themselves several times Debbie said, “We may never have another moment of privacy unless we stay here or go back to space.”

  “I think things will die down after a while.” Jeffery started to say something else when his phone rang.

  “Hello Captain Whitestone, it’s Heather. President Winters asked me to contact you. The council has decided to accept Garlut’s proposal. He would like the four of you to come back to Earth tomorrow for the announcement, which will be shown all over the world. It will be scheduled for 8:00 PM. The shuttle will be there to pick you up at 5:00.”

  Jeffery, with a big grin, replied, “Thank you. That’s great news! I’m sure Garlut will be very pleased. I’m not sure I like being seen all over the world, but I guess that has already happened because of the news coverage of the meeting today. Is there anything we should do to prepare for the announcement?”

  “No, I don’t think so. President Winters will be doing all the talking. He wants to introduce each of you to the world, but there’s no plan for any of you to speak. If that changes, I’ll let you know immediately. By the way, you and Debbie should be very proud of the part you played in this affair. You two have profoundly affected Earth’s history. I’ll be on the shuttle when it comes to pick you up.”

  Jeffery looked at Debbie and asked, “Did you hear what Heather said?”

  “Yes, I heard every word! Let’s go to Garlut’s room and tell him personally.”

  They walked to Garlut’s room and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Brealak opened the door. When she saw Jeffery and Debbie smiling she already knew the answer to the question she was about to ask and instead said, “The council approved the deal, didn’t they?”

  “Yes, they did!” Jeffery said happily.

  “I must tell Garlut immediately! He will be so pleased.” She left the living room and walked into the bedroom. Two minutes went by and the two of them emerged from the bedroom together.

  “I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for your help in this situation,” Garlut said. “It never would have happened without you two.”

  “I’m not sure about that, but Debbie and I are very happy with the results as well. They want us to go back to Earth tomorrow at 5:00 PM so we can take part in a worldwide broadcast that will announce the agreement. I’m sure that’s not a problem for you.”

  “No, that is fine. As a way of showing you how much I appreciate everything you have done, I am going to ask Quat and his engineers to install an artificial gravity system on the Star Rover. There may some compatibility issues between our systems, but it should only take four or five days.”

  “Thank you. I’ll have to ask my boss if that’s okay, but I’m sure he will approve it.”

  “I want to leave as soon as Quat is finished with his work on your ship. I must go back to Coplent to let them know about Earth joining the trade association. It is a real problem that it takes longer for communication to reach Coplent than it does to actually go there.”

  “I’ll contact my boss right now and speak to him about this. Is it okay if I use your phone?”

  “The only one who ever contacts me is you, so I do not see a problem.”

  Jeffery called Max and announced, “The World Council approved the deal with Garlut.”

  “I know, Heather contacted me right after she spoke to you.”

  “Because of the help Debbie and I gave to Garlut, he wants to install an artificial gravity system on the Star Rover. It’ll take no more than five days. Since I don’t own the ship I thought I should ask your permission before I tell him it’s okay.”

  “I have no problem with that at all. However, I would like one of our engineers to work with the people who install the system so they can learn something about it.”

  “Hold on for a moment.” Then turning toward Garlut, Jeffery asked, “Is it okay if one of the NASA engineers works with your people during the installation of the artificial gravity system?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Jeffery continued speaking to Max. “Garlut said it was okay. They want to get started as soon as possible because he wants to return to Coplent.”

  “I’ll send somebody up on the next shuttle. They can get started in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Max. I want to talk to you about something else, but I’ll call you later to discuss it.”

  “Let me guess. You want to talk about you and Debbie getting married?”

  “Are you spying on us? How did you know?”

  “Just a lucky guess. Call me in few hours and we can talk about it.”

  Turning back toward Garlut, Jeffery said, “Max is sending up an engineer on the next shuttle, so Quat can get started tomorrow morning. Can I ask you a question about Coplent customs?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do people on Coplent get married?”

  “No, marriage seems to be an Earth custom. I met Brealak’s mother while I was in school. We were both students. We liked each other so we started going places together. Then one day we made the decision to live together. There was no ceremony, no legal contracts, we simply decided to live together. I only see her a few times a year now, but I miss her all the time. That is one reason I am glad Earth decided to join us. It gives me an excuse to go home.”

  “Why doesn’t she go with you on your missions?”

  “She has other responsibilities. Her mother lives in our home. She is very old and her health has reached the point where nothing more can be done for her. When her mother passes, my mate, Koltep will probably join me on my missions. It will mean the three of us can be a family again.”

  Jeffery didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything for a while. Then he asked, “Is Brealak your only child?”

  “Yes, she is. Shortly after Brealak was born I began working on my father’s ship as his aide. I was not home very often and it would have been difficult for Koltep to raise a child by herself. I had worked for my father for ten years when he retired. Then I became captain of his ship. He was ninety years old when he retired. That was sixty-five years ago. The ship was his property until he died. At that time the ship became mine. I will probably retire in ten years. Then Brealak will be the captain.”

  “Marriages may not be performed on Coplent, but they’re a big deal on Earth. Debbie and I will be married soon, and if you’re still here, I’d like you and Brealak to attend.”

  “We would be honored to be guests at your wedding. But please make it soon so I do not have to delay my return home.”

  “I think we can probably do it before y
ou have to leave. I’ll let you know tomorrow. I think Debbie and I’ll skip dinner this evening, but please don’t let that stop you and Brealak from enjoying a good meal. I’m certain you don’t need us to help you order dinner anymore.”

  “You are correct. I am sure we can handle it. If I have a question I will ask the waiter.”

  “Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow,” Jeffery said as he and Debbie left Garlut’s room.

  When Jeffery and Debbie were in their room, they sat in the living room next to each other and Jeffery asked, “Who do you want to invite to the wedding?”

  “My parents and my sister. I’ll have to ask my mother who she wants to invite, but it probably won’t be more than ten people. Who do you want to invite?”

  “Just my parents. I called them before the meeting yesterday and told my mother you and I were going to get married soon and if she wanted to see what you look like she should watch the news coverage of the meeting. I’m sure they watched, but I haven’t called since the meeting. I suppose I should do that.”

  “I should’ve called my parents, but I didn’t. I’m sure they saw the news yesterday. I suspect they’re probably upset with me. I’ll go call them now.”

  Debbie went into the bedroom to make the call. When she came back, she sat next to Jeffery and said, “My mom was upset, but everything’s okay now. She knew I was on the mission but she didn’t know I was going to be at the big meeting. She was surprised to see me. By the way, she thinks you’re very handsome.”

  Jeffery chuckled. “She obviously has remarkably good taste.”

  “You may be surprised to learn that I agree with her. You are handsome. Anyway, she wants to invite her sister’s family. There are three of them, so there will only be five from my family.”

  “We should invite the crew of Star Rover and Max. Do you want to invite any of the other NASA pilots?”

  “No, I suspect they’re all on missions anyway. So, we have eighteen people from the crew, Max, five from my family, two from yours, Garlut, and Brealak. That makes twenty-eight guests.”