by Kylie Chan
‘Well, I’m the most interesting thing in the room,’ Marque said. ‘Look at me: I float, I can manipulate energy, I’m way more entertaining than Princess Red-and-Scaly over there. You should be interviewing me.’
‘Maybe later, but for now I think I’ll go on to the next question,’ Waleed said. ‘Princess, you told me that the Empire is six galaxies?’
‘Seven including this one,’ Shiumo said.
‘What’s its population?’
‘Stop asking me questions about boring numbers that Marque can answer!’ Shiumo leaned forward. ‘Ask me about love.’
Waleed nodded. ‘Don’t worry, we will get to that.’
‘The population when we left home was four hundred and seventy-five thousand decillion sentients, give or take a few trillion,’ Marque said.
‘Why is it an empire and not a democracy? Do you conquer worlds to expand it?’
‘Of course not,’ Shiumo said. ‘The Empire is a democracy. Each world chooses its representative for a regional council who elect a regional representative to attend the Imperial Parliament on Dragonhome.’
‘So the Empress’s role is as a figurehead?’
‘Exactly,’ Shiumo said. ‘We had a vote on whether to abolish the aristocracy a long time ago, and everybody voted to keep us, so we’re still here.’
‘Isn’t an aristocracy something of an anachronism for a space-faring race like yours?’
‘It’s fun having a royal family to watch,’ Shiumo said. ‘The Empress goes around the Empire being imperial, and the media follow her, spending way too much of their useful time reporting on her ridiculous sexual liaisons with multiple unsuitable partners. She’s non-stop entertainment.’
‘And you?’
Shiumo raised her snout. ‘I have never had an unsuitable partner.’
‘What about those two on Ceti –’ Marque began.
Shiumo cut it off. ‘Never.’
‘Will we be forced to join the Empire?’ Waleed said. ‘Will you conquer us?’
‘Exactly the opposite,’ Shiumo said. ‘If we think you’re worthwhile, we may invite you to apply for membership of the Empire. It’s extremely prestigious; a thousand planets are currently on the waiting list. You’re a long way from that level yet, so don’t worry. I’ll hang around for a while and help you colonise some nearby planets, and then maybe find someone who can live here fulltime as a liaison – if anybody is available, that is. There are far more planets than there are dragons who can help them.’
Waleed looked down at his questions, then up at Shiumo. ‘Some scientists want me to ask about the four-dimensional folding.’ He flipped through the notes, then read the question out word for word. ‘If the fourth dimension is time, does this mean you can time-travel as well as travel instantaneously through space?’
‘Time is not the fourth dimension of space,’ Marque said. ‘You’re confusing space-time with –’
‘No,’ Shiumo said, cutting it off. ‘Many species have asked us this, and some of us have tried to fold through time.’ She broadcast mental discomfort at the concept. ‘No dragon who attempted to travel through time has ever returned. We don’t do it.’
‘If you’ve contacted other species, why haven’t you contacted us before now?’
‘We have, but informally. We’ve been quietly helping you for years – we like bringing young civilisations along. And to make sure we can have tea when we finally make official contact.’
‘But why didn’t you make official contact in the first instance? Instead of “quietly helping”?’
‘It’s very bad manners,’ Shiumo said. ‘Bad for your self-esteem as a species …’
General Maxwell was waiting for us outside the studio. She’d changed into her dress military uniform: trousers and jacket, with an impressive bar of ribbons. She glared at Richard and me, then nodded to Shiumo.
‘General,’ Shiumo said with pleasure. ‘I believe you have scheduled the world leaders to speak to me?’
The general linked her hands behind her back. ‘I have. We’ve reorganised the communications room so you can speak to each of them in comfort.’
‘Six weeks is an awfully long time to be in quarantine,’ Shiumo said. ‘Is there any way I can reassure your people that I’m not a threat?’
‘We’re still not completely sure it will be six weeks,’ Maxwell said. ‘People are arguing about the length of the quarantine. Some are saying that with your level of technology, keeping you in quarantine at all is a waste of time.’
‘It is!’ Marque said. ‘It’s totally unnecessary.’
‘Others are saying you should be kept in quarantine permanently,’ the general said to Marque.
‘That’s ridiculous,’ it said.
‘Let’s give it two weeks,’ the general said. ‘Time for you to establish yourself as harmless, and for us to be cleared as healthy. We’ll re-evaluate then.’
‘Very well,’ Shiumo said. ‘Marque, can you build me an underground command centre next to this bunker?’
‘How big do you want?’
‘How many staff do you need?’ Shiumo asked the general.
‘The command centre here will have a staff of fifty. Are you sure you don’t want to use it? It will have connections to the existing data and communications networks, and I assure you it will be secure.’
‘Do you mind if I build an annexe of my own?’ Shiumo said. ‘It will be bright and spacious and comfortable, have facilities to suit me as well as you, be secure and airtight, and place no strain on your resources.’
The general’s expression turned sour. ‘If that’s what you want …’
‘I know you want to observe me, and I don’t care about that, but your toilets are way too small,’ Shiumo said.
Maxwell sighed with defeat. ‘I suppose we don’t have a choice. Are you sure it will be secure enough, and keep you in quarantine?’
‘Absolutely positive. It’ll be impregnable. Marque.’
‘Done,’ Marque said. ‘I’ll have the habitat for a cube ready for you in twenty Earth hours. Or do you want a tetrahedron or something? That would take slightly longer.’
‘Cube is fine,’ she said.
‘You are so boring, Shiumo.’
‘In the meantime, let’s start talking to Earth administrations,’ Shiumo said.
General Maxwell led us along a series of damp corridors to a bare room with concrete walls, ceiling and floor. It had been fitted with a plush new couch sitting in front of a screen, and five chairs for observers behind it. Twenty people in a variety of national military uniforms and civilian garb were crammed into the room.
‘Allow me to introduce your staff,’ the general said. ‘This is Major Erica Rein, your head of operations. Her team includes …’
Marque will remember everyone for us, Shiumo said to me. Don’t worry about memorising the names. Let’s just honour them with our attention and get this over with. You can sit at the back of the room and wait if you like.
Richard and I shared a look and moved to the back of the room. After twenty minutes of pleasantries the staff had taken their positions.
‘I’m to speak to the leaders in order of population, correct?’ Shiumo said as she climbed onto the couch.
‘Yes. The President of the Chinese Federation is waiting for you.’
‘Certainly. Put her through.’
‘Him, actually,’ the general said, and the Chinese president appeared on the screen.
‘Honoured President,’ Shiumo said, nodding to the screen.
‘Honoured Princess,’ the president said. ‘Welcome to our planet.’ It took twenty minutes of verbal equivocation before he finally broached the main subject. ‘We understand that you are offering to carry our ships to colonisation planets.’
‘That I am, sir. I want to help your species travel to the stars and spread throughout this part of the galaxy. There are plenty of uninhabited planets nearby, and you are welcome to them.’
‘Then we claim Kapte
yn-b, Princess,’ the president said. ‘Can you carry a small representation of our people and equipment there?’
‘Marque?’
Marque produced a star map of the area around Earth that shone in three dimensions, filling the room.
Shiumo hissed with laughter. ‘Really, President Li? Kapteyn-b – the planet the Japanese already colonised?’
‘Their colony failed,’ the president said stiffly.
‘No,’ Shiumo said.
It took a while for the president to realise that she was refusing to take them rather than denying the failure of the colony. ‘Very well then, Princess, please assist us to colonise Wolf 1061-c.’
Richard and I straightened. Our ship had been built to go to Wolf 1061. General Maxwell let out her breath loudly behind us.
Marque had already marked the star on the map floating above us.
‘That’s the one you were going to, right, Richard?’ Shiumo said, turning her head to see us.
‘That’s right.’
Shiumo turned back to the screen. ‘The UK–Euro Federation have a ship under construction already. They have priority. You can go to … Marque?’
‘Gliese 667-c,’ Marque said.
‘But we have the largest population, so we should have first pick,’ the president said.
‘And the other two nations are nearly ready to go. Shall we move on to a timetable?’
‘We will have a closer planet,’ the President said, and the screen flicked off.
‘Oh no, you won’t,’ Shiumo said with amusement. She turned and hoisted her front feet onto the back of the sofa to speak to the general. ‘Who’s next?’
‘Us,’ Maxwell said. ‘Euroterre is the second-largest regional administration by population. You already said we can have Wolf 1061. Our Prime Minister would like to thank you.’
‘Very well, put her through,’ Shiumo said, and faced the screen again.
When Shiumo had finished speaking to the Prime Minister and then the Home Secretary, General Maxwell asked her, ‘Is everything satisfactory? There’s nothing you need?’
‘No. It’s working out well, isn’t it? What’s on for tomorrow?’
Maxwell opened a folder. ‘Japan is first. They’d like to arrange for another ship to be taken to Kapteyn, if that’s acceptable to you.’
‘I would love to help them achieve their goal,’ Shiumo said. ‘The colonists worked so hard and I want to see them succeed.’
‘Then the South American Republic, the African Commonwealth, and the North American Federation,’ the general said.
‘And that’s all of them?’
‘All the major ones.’ Maxwell closed the folder. ‘You should have the talks finished by the end of tomorrow, then the world leaders have arranged a round of receptions for you – to be held here until you’re out of quarantine.’
‘All sorts of new foods for you to try,’ Richard said.
‘Food,’ Shiumo said with longing. ‘I’m starving. Is there a formal dinner tonight?’
‘It was a little soon to have all the necessary precautions in place,’ the general said. ‘We can provide a meal for you here if you let us know what you want to eat.’
‘I’ll return to my ship,’ Shiumo said. ‘Would you like to come up and have dinner with us, General Maxwell?’
The general bowed to her. ‘Apologies, Princess, but I have a great many briefings still to prepare. Choumali and Alto, please stay here and help me complete the paperwork.’
‘They need to come up to the ship so they can remodel their quarters,’ Shiumo said. ‘Can it wait until tomorrow?’
‘No, I’m afraid it can’t, Princess. I need them here for at least another two hours.’
Shiumo tilted her head slightly. ‘But I want their company for dinner.’
‘I’m sorry, Princess. I need them too.’
‘I need them more,’ Shiumo said. Hands!
Richard and I put our hands on her shoulders and she folded us up to her ship.
‘That’s becoming extremely monotonous,’ she said. ‘Next time, just put your hands on me and we’ll leave. The general is becoming tediously impolite about this.’
‘You forgot Marque,’ I said.
‘No, I left it there to convey whatever the general needs to you. If there really is paperwork for you – and I doubt it – the general can give it to Marque to pass on.’
A Marque sphere came out from the back wall of the ship. ‘Grilled grakka?’
‘No, try something from Earth,’ Shiumo said. ‘Surprise me.’ She tilted her head again. ‘What does the general say?’
‘She suddenly decided the paperwork can wait until tomorrow,’ Marque said. ‘The other sphere is on its way up and should be here in about an hour. In the meantime, I’ll make dinner.’
‘I’m wrecked. It was a hell of a day, full of stress,’ Shiumo said. ‘Warm the water, and I’ll have a bath after dinner.’
We followed her to the dining table, and sat across from her. The table was stepped down lower on our side, so it was easier for us to reach.
‘I sampled everything food-related that I could while we were down there today,’ Marque said from within the ship’s walls. ‘I have seven different types of replicated animal flesh. Are you interested in fruit or vegetables?’
‘No, just protein,’ Shiumo said. She nodded to us. ‘We dragons are obligate carnivores, but we like the taste of plants as well. We have to be careful, though – if we eat too much of them, our digestion rebels. Marque, what’s the table protocol for trying new stuff?’
‘Clarify with the humans,’ Marque said. ‘There wasn’t enough about it on their network – it seems a taboo subject. Jian, Richard, would you like replicas of the food you ate during the day? I’ve already sampled them, so they’ll be accurate copies and won’t taste strange.’
‘Sure,’ Richard said, and I nodded.
A tray floated from the back of the ship, and Shiumo jiggled with anticipation. ‘This is the best part of encountering new species. Discovering what they taste like.’
‘Wait,’ I said. ‘What they taste like?’
‘Not you, silly Jian. The concept of eating sentients is deeply disturbing.’ Shiumo’s silver eyes were wide as she watched the tray approach. ‘Seven different types of animals. Wonderful. I love meeting carnivorous and omnivorous species – we can share opinions on what your food-source animals taste like. Food and love – life’s greatest treasures. What do we have here, Marque?’
‘Left to right: cow, sheep, camel, pig, horse, chicken, duck, cavy. Four ungulates, a solid hoof, two avians – reptile derivatives – and a small mammal that they call a rodent.’
‘What’s the protocol here?’ Shiumo asked us. ‘If I spit something out because it’s completely inedible, will you be so offended that you’ll hate me forever and never speak to me again?’
‘Absolutely not,’ I said.
‘Excellent,’ she said, and pulled off a pair of thick transparent gloves that acted as shoes when she went four-legged. The gloves lifted into Marque’s sphere and disappeared.
Shiumo delicately picked up what appeared to be a slice of steak and sniffed it. ‘Smells foul.’ She popped it in her mouth, gagged, and quickly dropped it out again. ‘Wow. That is vile. Tasted strongly of iron-based blood products. What was that?’
‘Noted,’ Marque said. ‘Cow.’
‘Next one,’ Shiumo said, and lifted another piece of meat. She sniffed it, then ate it. She closed her eyes and raised her snout. ‘Sold. Wonderful.’ She opened her eyes. ‘This is better than grilled grakka!’
‘Thank the Empress for that,’ Marque said dryly. ‘Finally something other than grakka. I’ll synthesise some more sheep for you.’
Trays holding meals floated in front of Richard and me. Mine was slices of what appeared to be chicken, with a white sauce and standard salad vegetables, and a couple of slices of white bread on the side. Marque had deconstructed the chicken salad sandwich I’d had for lunch and ma
de it into something more like a restaurant meal.
Richard had something similar, with what appeared to be a protein substitute. He studied it suspiciously. ‘This doesn’t contain meat, does it?’
‘Not even the meat is meat, Richard,’ Marque said.
‘What was that one? It was very bland,’ Shiumo said.
‘Pig,’ Marque said.
‘Yeah, toss that. Not nearly as good as the sheep. This looks the same; has it been treated differently?’
‘They’ve salted and smoked it to preserve it,’ Marque said.
‘Oh, another species that does that.’ Shiumo tried the meat, then closed her eyes and raised her head. ‘That is fabulous. I love it. What’s it called?’
‘Bacon.’
Richard gingerly picked up some of the salad with his fork.
‘Definitely vegetarian, Richard,’ Marque said. ‘I’ve thrown in some synthesised plant protein and boosted the vitamin level as well. None of the protein is even close to animal-sourced. Don’t worry, it won’t taste strange. Try it.’
I tasted some of the salad on my plate. Marque was right: it no longer had the chemical overtones. I wolfed my meal down. It had been a long time since lunch and I was starving.
‘The bacon is excellent, but it’s so rich I can only take small amounts. Perfect for snacks. For meals I’d love this – what’s it called?’ Shiumo said.
‘Sheep,’ Marque said. ‘Mutton.’
‘I’ll have a double serve. It’s wonderful.’
‘Coming right up. And the water’s at your comfort temperature.’
‘I am so glad I found Earth,’ Shiumo said as she poured herself some tea.
After dinner Marque cleared the plates, and Shiumo led us to an open space next to the transparent side of the ship.
‘This is where the bath is. Step back, everyone,’ Marque said. A crack appeared in the deck, and opened to reveal a pool of bubbling clear water three metres across. ‘Temperature’s set at the usual.’
‘This is a whole year’s worth of water for ten people,’ I said.
‘It’ll do,’ Shiumo said, and stood still.
