Space Chronicles: The Last Human War

by Dean Sault

  “Have I ever given you reason not to trust me, Byn? I have something to show you that may have a strong bearing on our dealings with the Heptaris. You’ll be making a huge mistake if you don’t come.”

  “What’s the big secret? Can’t you tell me now?”

  “Please trust me. I need to show you something.”

  “Alright, I’ll be right over, but you damn well better be right about this. I’ve already made one big mistake today. I can’t afford another. Do you still have my ID code in your security system from my last visit?”

  “You won’t need it. I’ll have my assistant meet you at the lab’s west wing pad in thirty minutes. Thank you.”

  The general’s personal grav glider had not even shut down completely when a young Tanarac wearing a white lab coat jerked opened the pilot’s door. Jix led the complaining general through several dark halls to Dr. Hadje’s small personal lab next to the main computer room. He and the general waited in a lighted area between two tabletops, covered by scientific gadgets. The rest of the room was in shadow.

  “General Tragge, I presume.” An electronic voice came out of the darkness.

  “Rosh, that you? What, the hell, are you doing? Get outta that shadow, I can’t see you,” the old general blustered.

  Before any response came from the direction of the voice, a lab door opened to the left of the general.

  “Hello, Byn. I’m over here. I see you’ve met Benjamin.”

  “Benjamin?”

  The general vaguely recognized the sound of a human name, but he had never actually talked to one.

  Benjamin walked into the light, stopping directly in front of the general. He was one of the few humans tall enough to look a Tanarac eye to eye.

  “What’s going on here, Hadje?” It was not a question.

  General Tragge looked up and down the human leader, as he spoke.

  “Shouldn’t he be in a quarry? What’s the matter with you, Rosh? We just had a bunch of Heptari scans for human life signs. Are you outta your mind?”

  The doctor stepped next to the human in support.

  “General Tragge, my name is Benjamin. I would like to thank you for defending my people today. Our future depends—”

  “I wasn’t defending humans!” General Tragge bristled. “I protected my home world, and I stood for Tanarac values. If I had my way, I’d send all of you damn humans off to an isolated planet and let you deal with Heptari spaceships by yourselves.”

  “Damn it, Byn!” The senior scientist experienced a rare moment of lost temper. “Shut up, and hear what this man has to say.”

  Benjamin did not react defensively. He understood the general’s hostility.

  “I appreciate your feelings, General. Regardless of your motivation, the result was the same. My race continues to exist, thanks to sacrifices by your people.”

  “Rosh, why are we listening to this human?” The general ignored Benjamin. “His damn opinions are irrelevant. Send him back to whatever quarry he came from.”

  Dr. Hadje stepped in front of the general, obscuring the view of Benjamin.

  “Benjamin is the leader of a society of free humans. He is not from any of our quarries.”

  “What do you mean ‘free’ humans? How’d he get on Tanarac?” The general tried to look over the tall scientist’s shoulder. “Where are you from, human?”

  “He’s not from another planet. He lives right here on Tanarac.”

  “Impossible! Our satellites scan for runners, in case any of them survive. We haven’t detected a single survivor in two centuries.”

  Benjamin stepped out from behind the Tanarac scientist.

  “General, we live in peace in the jungle. We’ve lived there for over two hundred years. Your satellite scans are easy for us to defeat. My people scout for runners and save them from wild animals and from detection by your satellites.”

  The old military leader caught the human reference to the jungle and became irate.

  “Are you saying you, humans, are defiling our holiest ground? Unacceptable!”

  Benjamin attempted reason.

  “Sir, we are peace-loving people. In two hundred years, we have not experienced a single incident of violent behavior. If you come visit us, you will see how we—”

  The general rejected the offer before Benjamin could complete his thought.

  “No. And, I guarantee all of you, so-called, ‘free humans’ will be living in quarries, where you belong, within a week. I’ll see to it personally.”

  General Tragge stormed out of Dr. Hadje’s office with the head scientist in close pursuit.

  “You’re not leaving here until you’ve heard me out!” the doctor called ahead to the fast walking general, but the angry military leader ignored the comments as he charged down one hall after another, headed for the main exit.

  “Byn, stop—stop, right now!” Dr. Hadje demanded.

  The general’s anger-driven pace continued without slowing. The Human Management Director stopped abruptly and spoke into the air around him.

  “Emergency security override. Hadje, one, one, seven, one.”

  General Tragge hit the automatic doors in full stride. There was a tremendous impact as the heavyset general bounced off locked doors and landed on his bottom in an undignified posture for a decorated senior officer. Enraged, the general jumped to his feet.

  “Release that security lock, now!”

  “Not until you’ve heard me out, Tragge.” Dr. Hadje stood toe-to-toe with the imposing general.

  “Damn you, I’ve got a war on my hands. I can have you arrested for treason if you don’t let me go, right now. Open those doors!”

  “I’ll take my chances. We’re going to finish this discussion, first.”

  “As soon as I get back to my command center, I’m gonna send my recon units into the jungle to find your damn loose humans. We’ll put them right back in captivity, where they belong.”

  “You can’t do that. You’ll be breaking Tanarac law. These free humans completed the tests stipulated in the original Human Act, three hundred years ago. By our own laws, they are free citizens now. Byn, these humans ARE Tanarac citizens by birth . . . with full legal rights!”

  General Tragge paused, confused by the reasoning.

  “Humans are not Tanaracs. They’re humans. And, they’re no different than they were three hundred years ago. What about the one who attacked your Tasker?”

  “The human who attacked my Tasker is part Tanarac. He’s not even completely human. Free humans are one hundred percent human, and they have not had a single incidence of violence in two hundred years.”

  Dr. Hadje extended his logic to a new level. “Why do we have jails on Tanarac?”

  “I don’t have time for verbal games. You know damn well, every society, no matter how peaceful, will have a few deviants who end up in jail. What’s that got to do with humans?”

  “Tell me, Byn, how does two hundred years without a single crime compare to our own Tanarac crime rate?”

  “You know their history. This race is more dangerous than any other sentient species in the galaxy. Why do you think we had to join that damn Human War?”

  Dr. Hadje ignored the general’s rhetorical question.

  “These free humans lived for two hundred years without a single incidence of violence. Not one! There’s not another city anywhere in the Tanarac Empire with a zero crime rate.”

  “Look Hadje, I appreciate your support for these humans. That’s your job. If a handful of free humans happened to get along for a couple centuries, that doesn’t reflect their behavior as a civilization. You should know that. You’re the stinking behavioral scientist.”

  “I’ve been to their community. There’s more than a handful. They number over a thousand, and they exist in several locations. They’ve lived in peace the whole time, and they’re not all runners.” Dr. Hadje hesitated a moment before completing his thought. “Some are freeborn.”

  General Tragge’s jaw hung sl
ack at the notion of a thousand free humans hiding in the Central Jungle . . . and breeding.

  “That’s impossible.”

  “I thought the same thing, until yesterday. We, scientists, failed to genetically engineer humans into a peaceful race, yet they accomplished the goal by themselves, living free and while in hiding. They are every bit as peace-loving as any Tanarac citizen.”

  The general’s hard line began to crack. “Obviously, they have to return to our camps, at least until we figure out what to do with them. They can’t stay in the Central Jungle.”

  “These are free Tanarac citizens. They do not belong in captivity. We need to find a better way to solve this problem. That is why I asked you to come over here tonight. I need your support at the council tomorrow. As you know, law compels me to report this discovery.”

  “By all that is holy, Rosh, your timing couldn’t be worse. We have serious problems with Heptari aggression, and, now, we have free humans living on our home world, and in our most sacred land. At the very least, they’ve gotta be removed from the Central Jungle.”

  “Security release, Hadje four, one, nine, two.” Dr. Hadje stepped out of the general’s way so that he was free to exit.

  The secured doors made a subtle clicking sound as the locking mechanism retracted.

  “You are free to go, General. I must present this to the Council of Governors in the morning. I need your help. Will you please stay?”

  The old general approached the unlocked doors. He looked back at his political nemesis and thought a moment before following his old adversary and friend back to the office. Benjamin and Jix rose from laboratory stools as the two Tanaracs entered. General Tragge strode straight up to Benjamin.

  “So tell me, Benjamin, are all free humans as tall as you?”

  Both managed an uncomfortable smile.

  Chapter 21

  Dr. Boroski took a seat on the edge of Simon’s bed.

  “As I said earlier, ethics of Tanarac prevented them from participating in human genocide, but they held no love for humans. Quite the contrary, captives were prisoners of war. Chemicals controlled their behavior and prevented reproduction. Prisoners spent their days mining ore with crude hand tools. Times were clearly wrong for us to approach the Tanarac government.

  “A daily routine developed as we monitored Tanarac communications and waited for the right time when we could take our people away from here. While we waited, Tanaracs would occasionally report a human running away from a quarry into the jungle. It happened regularly, and they gave it a name, ‘Runner Madness.’ In the early years, Tanarac guards would pursue them, but all they ever found were remains. Even a few Taskers were killed by hicays while looking for runners. It did not take long before Tanaracs stopped entering the jungle.”

  “But, how did you meet the free humans?”

  Dr. Boroski leaned toward Simon.

  “We set a deadline of ten-years, so young POW women would still be in prime childbearing years when we secured their freedom. As we waited for an opportunity to open negotiations with the Tanaracs, a steady stream of runners entered the jungle.”

  The hologram scientist stood and walked across the room.

  “Before our deadline arrived, Tanarac scientists gave us an unintended gift. They lobbied their government for a more ethical way to deal with humans. They offered to re-engineer human DNA to remove our ‘innate tendencies toward aggression.’ Fortunately, idealism prevailed and they formed the Genetic Engineering Institute. Scientists took control of human reproduction. Our fast approaching deadline could then be extended indefinitely because young people were being produced in their laboratories.”

  “What about the runners that were killed every year by hicays?” Simon asked. “Wasn’t there anything you could do to save them? I can’t believe our people actually live with hicays now. How did we turn them into pets?”

  “Make no mistake about it, young man, hicays are not pets. They are equals, working with us for the mutual benefit of both species. It is a symbiotic union. But, let’s get back to our history. You are right about the death of runners. We despaired at the loss of each human. Deaths of these runners taught us an important lesson about our own race. Humans crave freedom. It is fundamental for our species to thrive. We came to believe it was only a matter of time until some runners survived, so we prepared for contact we expected would eventually happen.”

  The hologram waited while his student wiggled into a more comfortable position.

  “Seventy-three years passed,” Dr. Boroski continued, “while secret human mining camps grew in numbers. Tanarac scientists increased reproduction rates. Even though living and working conditions for our people improved, many older Tanaracs in government remained hostile to humans long after the Human War ended. Tanaracs live nearly three times longer than humans, so we accepted a hard reality. It might be the next generation of alien leaders who would be willing to consider releasing humans from captivity. We planned accordingly.”

  Simon asked, “If the Tanaracs live longer than humans, then how would any of you be around to negotiate our release?”

  The holo-scientist smiled and held his arms out as if to feature himself.

  “Isn’t science great? While we waited, my colleagues and I grew old and began to die. I was the last survivor. I spent my final ten years programming this hologram for human contact. I am your interface with all the knowledge contained in this ship.” Dr. Boroski broke into a wide grin as he gestured to a spaceship the former boom operator couldn’t imagine.

  “I must admit,” the holo-scientist continued, “I took the liberty of mapping my own personality matrix and installing it in this photonic program. Before I died, I found myself arguing with ME. Trust me, Simon, arguing with one’s self can be a bit unnerving. After my corporeal death, I simply continued the vigilance and waited for our first human contact.”

  The intuitive young man began to piece together subsequent events. “Was Johan Frumm was the first human to make contact with you?”

  “Correct. We detected Johan Frumm in the cave outside this ship.”

  Simon interrupted, “You said ‘we.’ I thought you were alone?”

  “I was, and I still am alone, as a hologram, but I am not alone as an active intellect on this ship. Our computer contains all the knowledge and distinct personalities of my friends. Even after all these years, we retain a rudimentary society, sometimes playing pranks on each other.”

  In that instant, the head on the hologram blurred and formed into that of an ancient Earth mule. The doctor continued his discussion, unaware of the change.

  “I could not have retained my sanity had I been truly alone all these years, so I use the term ‘we’ when referring to our collective intellect.”

  Dr. Boroski noticed the wide grin on his guest’s face.

  “What?”

  “Your head.” Simon described the appearance. “It’s some kind of animal.”

  The mule head looked up into the surrounding air and spoke.

  “Knock it off, you guys. I’m trying to educate our new friend.” Dr. Boroski’s head resumed its normal appearance. “There. Is that better?”

  “Well . . . close. You have an extra eye on your forehead.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  The holo-image dissolved. Simon sat quietly looking around the barren room. A few moments later, the hologram reconstituted with no further distortions.

  “Sorry. They thought you might enjoy a sample of their humor at my expense. Now, where were we? Oh yes, you asked about Johan Frumm.”

  The hologram directed Simon to look at the wall across the room. Uniform light of the wall shifted into a lifelike scene showing an old man in a dark cave in the flickering light of a single wall torch. It was obvious the chamber was the one outside the spaceship.

  “Meet Johan Frumm,” the doctor said. “Over two hundred years ago, he came upon us.”

  The image of the man looked remarkably like the volcanic stat
ue in front of the Central Committee Meeting Hall.

  “We took Johan aboard, just as we did you. At the time, there was no safe place in the galaxy for humans to live. Tanaracs were taking good care of our people, and an idealistic, young Tanarac geneticist named Rosh Hadje became Director of Human Affairs. He seemed quite sensible. We hoped a time would come when he might be the advocate humans would need.

  “Johan agreed with our reasoning, and together, we decided it would be best to wait for a better time to approach the Tanaracs. The existence of this ship had to remain secret, so Johan promised to be the only free human to know the true nature about us. Until today, that has been true.”

  “Why now? Why me? Couldn’t you tell Benjamin or one of the other free human leaders?”

  “You have something we need, and no other human in the free colony possesses what you have.”

  “I’m just a boom operator on a stripper plow. How can I possibly help with a spaceship?”

  “Come with me.”

  A door materialized on the far side of the room, and Simon’s bed retracted abruptly from under him, dumping him on the floor. The old hologram grinned at the result of his mischief. Then, he headed through the doorway while the young man scrambled to follow.

  They stepped onto a balcony spiraling completely around the inside wall of a huge sphere. A giant metal ball, suspended high above in the center of the open area. It gave off tiny bolts of electricity from countless short antennae. Static discharges produced a steady crackling noise, almost as loud as the whirling blades of his stripper boom. There was no safety rail on the balcony, so Simon kept his left hand touching the wall as he followed up the ramp.

  Every few seconds, static electricity on the globe organized into a brilliant ring of plasma, surrounding the metal ball like a glowing, silver belt. The energy field thickened until it dropped free and suspended in the air just below the ball. Concentrating into a churning ring of electricity, it floated downward to disappear far below. Moments later, three massive bolts of light blasted upward, impacting on collector dishes mounted on the ceiling near the sphere. Passage of such raw power made Simon’s hair stand on end.