by J. F. Holmes
“No!” Na’Galla shouted, “I forbid it!”
“What!?!” the pilot exclaimed, his neck extending from his shell in defiance.
The Senior Scientist stood up and extended her neck to its full length, asserting her domination.
“If the Karan are to achieve space flight, we will do it on our own, not as some ride along with polluting aliens!”
“How can we reach the stars if you forbid us to ever advance ourselves!” The former pilot retorted, refusing to back down.
Na’Galla turned and looked down angrily on the Human ambassador.
“Do you see, your mere presence corrupts my people! Get back on your filthy ship and leave us. This is the only planet we have. I will not let you defile it like you almost certainly have your own!”
The human female looked up at her, leaned back and interlaced her fingers across her abdomen.
“Your Grace, we will leave your planet. But we will return. When we return, we will begin trading with you. Nothing you have can stop us. Be ready.” The ambassador then stood and turned to her team, “I guess this concludes our trade mission. Say your goodbyes and adjourn yourselves to the shuttle. We will be leaving. But we will return.”
The human delegates began to rise. Dr. Bear Talker waited until Dr. Parkesh had walked away. He touched his brooch then began to speak in pidgin Karan.
“By barn next to tree garbled Washington blew up meet me. When the moon is high. With something I want gift you. Just head bow. No talk.”
Ka’Pella shrunk he neck down into her shell in nervousness, but nodded. The human bared his teeth, nodded in return, and then joined his team members leaving the school.
It was a full moon. The reflected light cast shadows around the village. Ka’Pella clung to them as she quietly made her way to her evening rendezvous. She was confused and appalled at what had happened that evening. The Humans said they had overcome their pollution problems. Did Na’Galla have information she had not seen? Or did she simply not want an alien race to interfere with her power. Shouldn’t they, at least, see what they could offer? The nuclear technology seemed promising, even if they would have a hard time finding the Uranium to power it.
She suddenly felt a body press against her back shell as a hand reached over her shoulder and clamped her beak shut.
“I am not here and you never saw me,” So’Latho whispered in her ear, “I do not intend to be here tomorrow. Do I have your silence?”
Ka’Pella drew her neck down into her shell in acquiescence and So’Latho released her.
He stepped up beside her.
“I was told the Human you were talking to left the aircraft a short while ago. I diverted the guards away from this area for the rest of the night. We should be safe.”
“Won’t they talk?”
“It won’t matter.”
“But…”
“Let’s go talk to him.”
The Linguist was leaning against the barn wall with a satchel slung over his shoulder, his form largely hidden by shadows. His mouth turned down at the edges upon seeing the two of them.
“Good evening. I was not expecting your friend. Did you not trust me? Did you think I was going to kidnap you?”
“Don’t kidnap her, kidnap me.” So’Latho interjected immediately.
“What!? I’m not even supposed to be here, much less bring one of you back with me!”
“But I want to come with you!” the test pilot responded, “I’m the easiest kidnapping victim you’ll find.”
“No. We have specific instructions not to bring any of you back,” the alien stated, his eyes shutting so tight his brow wrinkled.
So’Latho crossed his arms and pulled his neck into his shell so tight his chin touched the collar of his shell. Ka’Pella had never thought to see the bold officer humble himself so.
“But, if you don’t take me with you, I’ll never fly again.”
The edges of the alien’s mouth turned up as he opened his eyes.
“Not necessarily. That’s why I brought you here.”
Dr. Bear Talker reached into the satchel and brought out five thin rectangular objects and a small book.
“These are what we call tablets,” he stated, as he touched the upper corner of the top one and the front of it lit up, “We use them to store information. There are other uses, but that is the only one you need to know.” He handed the object to the test pilot.
“This contains all the books and articles my fellow scientists wanted you to have. I set up a program to translate them. There are probably mistakes, but this was supposed to be traded to you for landing rights. We did not anticipate you being led by garbled. With the events of the feast, Dr. Bjornson and Captain Washington probably did not even think about these. But, the next expedition will be coming to negotiate from behind a gun, and I cannot bear to think about leaving you without something to prepare yourselves.
Let me tell you the story of my people. When the garbled settlers arrived in North garbled, they brought with them cheap iron knives and glass beads to trade with my people. My people gladly traded for these items with fur pelts and other commodities. None of them thought to ask where the knives and guns came from or how they were made. This lack of knowledge eventually brought my people low. They lived in poverty for centuries on little pieces of land set aside for them.
Another country, garbled, isolated its self for a few centuries, making its self culturally pure, but leading to technological stagnation. When the West came with its better technology, the West negotiated with their cannons. The garbled realized they had fallen behind the rest of the world and set themselves to catch up as quickly as they could. Within two centuries, they were considered the equals of those who had once forced them to trade at gun point. Don’t be like my people. Be like the garbled.”
He handed the other four tablets and the book to Ka’Pella, who touched the upper corner and was happy to see the screen light up. A list of titles appeared in the lit rectangle and she began scanning the names: Introduction to Physics, Chemistry, An Introduction to Aeronautics, Shigley’s Mechanical Design, The Natural World: An Introduction to Biology…
“’Expedient Homemade Firearms’?” So’Latho patted the flintlock pistol in its holster, “Dr. Bear Talker, we already know how to make guns.”
The human bared his teeth, closed his eyes, and made a staccato sound. His brooch began laughing.
“I am going to be in so much trouble! I added a few choice books to the library after the feast. You’ll never see me again, but it’s worth the price. You’ve forgotten how to make those. Trust me,” the linguist paused, then added, “Oh, and check what the ‘Anarchist Cookbook’ has to say against actual chemistry books. Some of the stuff in there may be dangerous if handled wrong.”
“What will they do to you?” Ka’Pella asked, concerned. She did not want this alien to lose his life for helping them.
“I’ll probably be dragged through the mud in the media. I might have trouble getting my papers published. But I already have tenure. Garbled them.”
“Why did you send us a book of recipes from political dissidents?” So’Latho asked, confused.
The human began making staccato noises again as the brooch laughed.
“Of all the things I should have put on those tablets, I forgot to put a book of jokes in there. Just read through it. You’ll understand.”
“Thank you,” Ka’Pella stated, “But I don’t know if we will be allowed to use this knowledge.”
“I realize your difficulties. I can only give you the means to overcome them. I cannot force you to use them.”
“I will see that these are used,” the officer stated, “There are many of us in Intercontinental Affairs who are tired of being stifled by Scientists in the capital while we die in the jungles across the ocean.”
“You would risk our planet?”
“As our friend has pointed out, our planet is already at risk. We will mitigate that risk.”
�
�I have given you what I could,” Dr. Bear Talker concluded, “Those tablets are designed to be recharged in sunlight. The book is the instruction manual for them if you need it. It was a once in a lifetime pleasure to meet a new sapient race. I hope we will eventually treat you as equals. Good night and live well.” With that, the human turned and walked towards his ship.
With a rumble, the humans departed early the next morning. Na’Galla stood on the second floor balcony and watched with contempt as the ship lifted and flew out of sight. There was a knocking on the door to the office she had commandeered from the village Intern.
“Yes?” she inquired loudly.
A young cavalry SubLeader opened the door just enough to lean in.
“Scientist Ka’Pella to see you, Your Grace,” He stated, officially.
“She may enter,” The Head of the Department of Scientific Ethics responded.
Ka’Pella entered the office uneasily, worried about the mood the powerful Department Head would be in.
“I’m sorry I took so long to get here. I was writing down everything I could think of the Humans told us or implied.”
“It is good of you to be so diligent. If there is anyone you need to interrogate before we leave, you need to do so before the day is through. You will not have another chance.”
Na’Galla’s tone scared the Scientist. She had only heard this tone from Ethics Inspectors condemning those who had refused to stop innovating.
“What do you mean?” she asked tentatively.
“The Humans have defiled our planet, but they have left. We can now begin cleansing their contamination,” the Senior Scientist stated matter-of-factly.
Ka’Pella thought for a second. Pointing out the problems with this probably would not do anything but bring her trouble. She decided to take a different approach.
“Shouldn’t we take what we have learned from them and use it to prepare ourselves for when they return? We can’t stop them. Once, we were ahead of them in technology. We can catch up and best them again. Let us prepare our people to equal them.”
“Don’t be naïve, young Ka’Pella,” Na’Galla admonished, “The average Karan is not ready to learn of visitors from the stars. They will never learn of this. The Dean of Sciences and I decided this before we left the capital.”
“This whole village knows. Word will leak out. We should simply break the news and prepare.”
“It will not leak from here. We will take measure to ensure this.”
“What measures?” Ka’Pella asked, scared she knew the answer.
“The village will be purged. There has been too much contamination for it to be otherwise. We will bring in the military to be sure nothing escapes.”
“Herd Leader So’Latho would never follow such orders!” Ka’Pella gasped.
Na’Galla turned to face the young Scientist, her neck extending in dominance.
“Do not think me a fool!” the Senior Scientist rebuked her subordinate, voice rising in self-righteous anger, “So’Latho and his men will be left here to ensure nobody leaves the village. We will send others, and they will be purged with the village.”
“That’s horrible!”
“That’s necessary. The Human ambassador wanted land to build a trading post. Bah! They want a colony! When the Humans return, we will allow them to build their colony on another continent, away from any Karan they might influence.”
“What about the feral tribes?”
“We will remove them to other locations.”
“And if they refuse?”
“These are extraordinary circumstances. We will take extraordinary measures. This is the only planet we have. We will do whatever we can to protect it. Do you have a problem with that?”
“I…”
“Good. You need to concentrate your efforts into finding whatever weaknesses these humans have. They are soft in body, without shells. Start there. We will surpass them as you say and eventually drive them from our planet. It is unfortunate we will have to tolerate them for now.”
“I…I…” Ka’Pella had trouble forming words as the implications of what the Senior Scientist planned to do settled in. Not hostile, but certainly not friendly, aliens would be returning to Karan and she was more concerned with hiding it than preparing for it.
“I need to go look over my notes. I gathered a great deal of information last night. I need to organize it.”
“Excellent, we leave tomorrow morning. I look forward to reading your report.”
With this, the Na’Galla turned back towards the balcony.
“Send in SubLeader To’Lullo, I have errands of my own before we leave,” the Senior Scientist stated, dismissing her subordinate.
***
It was all Ka’Pella could do not to flee from the horrible office. She glanced around the antechamber but could not see the SubLeader anywhere. She wandered down the stairs looking for him. Her mind raced. All she wanted to do was find the poor cavalryman who had been assigned as Na’Galla’s assistant so she could get away and try to find a way out of this. She made her way to the front door.
With a crash it flew open and she was almost run down by Herd Leader So’Latho with SubLeader To’Lullo close on his heels.
“Detain her!” So’Latho shouted as he rushed past Ka’Pella and charged up the stairs.
Ka’Pella moved to follow him, but a restraining hand was put on her shoulder.
“Stay with me, Scientist,” the SubLeader instructed flatly.
Ka’Pella heard office door open, followed by some muffled conversation. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.
The sharp crack of a pistol resounded through the building causing Ka’Pella to shrink her neck into her shell. SubLeader To’Lullo looked startled as well.
Herd Leader So’Latho walked down the stairs slowly as if he had taken on a great weight.
“What happened?” Ka’Pella asked
The Herd Leader said nothing and simply walked towards them, the smoking pistol still in his hand. He tossed the pistol into his off hand, catching it by the warm barrel. With a quick motion, he drew his war pick, but gripped it close to the head. He stopped in front of the pair.
“I have just shot Senior Scientist Na’Galla,” So’Latho stated, offering his weapons to To’Lullo, “I hereby resign my commission. Take me into custody, as is your duty, SubLeader.”
“Was the senior Scientist going to leave us here to have us purged with the village?”
“That was not what she said, but she stumbled over the reasoning behind the quarantine order. There was no good reason for it.”
The SubLeader appeared thoughtful for a moment, glanced at the weapons being offered to him, and then opened his beak, finding some humor in the situation.
“I see, Citizen So’Latho, but, as you have resigned your Herd Leadership, I don’t take orders from civilians.”
As So’Latho’s neck began to extend in anger and dominance. The SubLeader nonchalantly turned to Ka’Pella.
“The former Herd Leader seems to have used the most direct of means to save both his Herd and this village. With the death of the Senior Scientist, you are now in charge. What do you want me to do with him?”
“Um…“the Scientist paused, realizing So’Latho may have only delayed the inevitable and made things more complicated. The Dean of Sciences had decided their fate even before they even begun their journey here. This was wrong. The Karan would always be at a disadvantage if they separated themselves from the Humans. If this was the course her government was determined to set then the government had to change. She had a means to make that change here, in front of her.
“Herd Leader So’Latho, your resignation is denied! SubLeader, bring the Intern here, then tell the herd to pull in their perimeter and await orders.”
“As you say, Scientist,” the SubLeader responded. He turned smartly and stepped out the door.
“Scientist Ka’Pella, what are you thinking?” the Herd Leader asked curiously after his
subordinate had left.
“I’m thinking we’ve been stumbling backwards for a thousand years. If we are bold, we can turn ourselves around.”
“Bold? I can do bold. Where are we doing this bold activity?”
Ka’Pella opened her beak in wry amusement, “The Capital was nice when we left it.”
“Queen Ka’Pella, I present to you Ambassador Nafula Kariuki of the United Nations of Earth and Commodore Piotr Krupin of the UNSS Magellan!”
The hall was crowded with various functionaries and people of importance. The Karan had done away with much of this over 1200 years ago, but she saw the reasoning behind reviving the tradition. The humans had only seen a rural village. Let them now see they were dealing with a strong and vibrant race. Make them question what they know.
Ka’Pella waited for the humans to approach. The Ambassador was dark skinned and wore a long, colorful robe and tied up black, curly hair with a matching piece of cloth. The slimmer shoulders but larger chest led her to believe this was a female. The officer wore a cap and coat with a number of bits of metal and ribbon fastened over his left upper chest. Broad shoulders and facial hair, probably male. Were those medals? There seemed to be a lot of them. He could not keep his eyes off of her guards. Let him get a long look. The Karan had moved beyond flintlocks since they had left. There were only 200 of the new, self-loading rifles available, but that was all the humans would see for now. And Horde Commander So’Latho had picked the biggest studs he could find to be her guards and augmented their shells with the most ostentatious armor and helmets the armory could find. Get an eye full, Human. We know more of your games than you know.
Both Humans wore the same brooches that had been worn before. As the Humans began to speak, the brooches translated.
“We bring greetings from the United Nations and people of Earth. I hope we will be able to repair any difficulties caused by my predecessor,” the female began.
“We are glad to receive the Human delegation to our planet. We consider there is nothing to repair. There was a misunderstanding on the significance of you coming to us and those who misunderstood are not in position to misunderstand any longer.” The crowd let out a rumbling chuckle. The coup had been relatively bloodless, but there were many former scientists who were now living across the ocean in the primitive conditions they had imposed on so many others. Innovator was now a title of merit, not a grave insult.
