by M E Wise
We brought the Castor into the recently named Kyrios System. The idea was that we would gain better reception and secondly observe movements in the Sol System more closely while we made conference. Conference is a gentle word for telling people in assertive terms to accept our help or expect our help. All of the bridge monitors held some sort of screen with a waiting attendee on it. Some tried to obscure their monitors but our technology could easily scan through the obstruction or unscramble the effect. “Greetings.” I said coolly. “Distinguished guests, I will remind you only once that this communication is a singular exchange. You may record this meeting and share it later but for our purposes today the invited attendant must be the only person present.”
“Absurd!” Came a bullish Chancellor from the European Union. They were removed from the link. A population list shared in the exchange beneath the screen showed his sudden absence.
“The good Chancellor will have to watch the Rerun.” I joked. There were a few chuckles. “First; I have made available; a list of things I am willing to do. This also includes a list of what we are not willing to do. I; meaning I would and will put myself in harm’s way to help solve and neutralize a common problem in the name of peace. We; as in the Mor’h and the Tri-Utopia, will not provide alien technology nor will the Mor’h assist directly in this conflict.” I paused as there was some commotion on a monitor from the Greater Asia General Secretary.
“Excuse my interruption.” Came a soft but commanding voice. “I am General Secretary Chen,” the individual touched his chest, “our concern; my Union’s concern is that you are demanding some exercise on our parts in a conflict we want no part in.”
Other murmuring came clearly across the bandwidth. “American President Pedro Ramos here.” A ruckus personality resounded loudly and clearly sought attention. “I’m a Texan, born and raised. I ran on clear instruction from the North, South and Central American continents not to drag us into some alien war!” He rustled in his seat, his draw was southern and his appearance Spanish American. “You don’t suspect I just up and take the word of some alien; pardon the term, that you guys won’t eliminate one big bad just to become another big bad?”
“Don’t be preposterously grandiose!” Bristled another voice in dissent. “Please don’t lump the American here in with the European Union.” The man didn’t identify himself outright. “Let me be frank, toad! American’s are afraid…” Ramos’ attacked. “I’m not French.” Laughed the individual. “I am the Swedish-European Prime Minister, and I represent Europe when I say we should listen before we label.”
“Sure! Clive!” Lashed the American President. “You just clam up and say yes to everything!”
“Gentleman.” I tried to intervene.
“Oh! He knows my name!” Strutted the Prime Minister. “Refer to me as Prime Minister Nilsson please.”
“I’ll call you whatever the hell I want when it comes to…” Ramos bellowed.
A woman cleared her voice further stalling the American President’s rant. “Ahem.” The distinguished lady cleared her throat. “As Premiere of the World Coalition to which all or most of you are pledged I would appreciate a statelier display from this group. We have been asked to attend a very delicate proceeding with a foreign dignitary on what I would stress are mutual concerns to furthering successful futures for us all.” The group quieted.
“Thank you…” I gestured for the lady’s introduction. “Australian Prime Minister Samantha Martin; dually appointed Premiere of the World Coalition. Currently the largest and most united government body on Earth.” She scoffed with a smile. “Despite the colorful representation we all hold unity in the highest regard.”
Now, this is a woman to contend with. If she respected something, you could very well assume it was through methodical examination. An ally of hers was an ally to many. “Honored; Madame Premiere.” I stated firmly. “I am not asking your people to do anything more than you are already committed too. Protect your trade and protect your allies. That is all. I am merely asking for opportunity to use your space to find and dissolve the wrath of Gorgon Pri.”
“Listening.” The Premiere sat fixed on the screen.
“Assassination is unlawful in about thirty separate Constitution’s, jurisdiction’s also…” a nervous judicial official tried to convey but was stalled. “Justice, let the man talk.” The Premiere insisted.
“We do not condone assassination. Nor am I looking to assassinate any one human being; enemy or not. The cold truth is that this unbridled menace is tearing Sol space apart and preventing the succession of the human race into an intergalactic community.” This marked statement was fruit for the spoiling. At any moment I expected a dozen retorts about the Halfer community and the Mor’h’s array. This was very heavily discussed before making this assembly with my own council. The one upper hand I thought we might have, was giving them little and short notice.
“Forgive me. But as I have made clear; or tried to make clear, the World Coalition is greatly aware of our security issues, be those of common space origin or intergalactic. The UHP and SPEAR have planetary and space trade at a standstill and have all but isolated Mars and the colonies throughout. The Tekkers are also something of an organized mess to deal with. We have the Orbital Guard for these matters.” The Premiere was spinning her cautious web. She has to know that I am very aware of the Orbital Guards disadvantages. “Many of us hold out that treaties could still be acquired with UHP and a viable Tekker solution could be a diagnosed and treated condition.” Her play that I was naïve was foolish.
“There will be no alliance with Pri free in the system. You are aware of his crimes and of my exploits! I may be able to neutralize him.” I stood and the greater bridge of the Castor came into view on the monitor. Hermes was present and the rest remained below deck. “I have dealt with Tekkers, your Orbital Guard and have even rivaled the SPEAR. I made escape from detention on a flagship, landed in a bombarded zone and space walked in a fire fight between Tekker barges and OG cruisers. I don’t need to mention that the Mor’h hold the array net that keeps Earth bound to this region of space.” I felt my sharing beginning to spoil. I couldn’t risk a hostile link in these talks. The Premiere was pressing me and I had almost let her take control.
The thin and stately woman wore a sleek suit and a ruffled blouse. Years of being in the Australian sun had left scarring on her cheeks. This would mean she cared not for the creams that would rid her of such blemishes. Her style of dress was comfortable for such an authority and elegant but not glamorous. Threats were not her language. Credentials were.
“I have come prepared with several proposals. Upon alliance; the Mor’h have granted me authority to let Pluto’s Belt go inert.” My statement was fuel for discussion. “Ha!” Laughed the American President. “You corralled us in our own damned yard and then graciously offer to open the gates?” He chuckled loudly.
I kept a stern body language. “We can also enforce that array given the instability of your current and historically warring natures.” The man quieted. “Secondly; we have discovered a potentially important piece of the Halfer puzzle. We can restructure their DNA to ignore the early degenerative breakdown of their health. In short, they will live full lives and give us more time to resolve the issue entirely.”
There were low but audible sighs and attentive shifts. “Again sir; Reign is it.” European Prime Minister Nilsson worked on a calm rebuttal. “Not a member here would ignore the plight of the Halfers; genetically altered people, I might add, against their will. I won’t point an accusing finger for no need of one, but aren’t you or your people only half-righting a wrong committed only onto us?” This angle we knew would cause a wrinkle in the discord.
“Yes. This tragic history is ours to remedy. But as I stand here today; the malady was not without purpose. Just as humankind has made leaps and bounds trying to cure death and disease with testing on other species, so did the Mor’h. And just as many people were lost to viruses that were created as cures that turn
ed grossly against the host; we can share in a history of scientific missteps.” This answer didn’t settle well with me. Even when Dr. Drakos and Dae coached me on the response I couldn’t balance my own existence with the suffering of others. “I cannot absorb that magnitude of loss or convict a single being for this spontaneous failure but I can move the crisis forward.”
“Thirdly?” The Premiere asked to move the chains of conversation.
“Thirdly.” I acknowledged her permission to move forward and avoid the long drawn out rebuttal surely to come from the Halfer effect; core to the Mortalien Crisis. “In turn among these offers the Mor’h will extend trade and commerce with Earth. We will build a consulate outside of Sol space for those that can achieve that distance. A colony of refugees has already become very successful on Mor’h. I represent them here today.” I point to the Tri-U emblem beside me. “This is our community. Human, Halfer, and Mor’h proving that mutual success is a future we all want.” The Premiere was my focus. Her body language was very important and she was receptive to all of my offers.
I waited a good moment and she looked to the other monitored channels before taking lead. “First; Mr. Reign, I would like to thank you for reaching out to our community. I believe you understand what has been referred to as the Mortalien Crisis. I will explain either way.” She moved and stood beside the ornate desk she sat at. “Some time ago the people of Earth decided to visit the stars and stay there. First was the moon, then there were small stations ran by international crews and eventually we thought we could make a concerted effort to live out there.” The Premiere was well spoken and carried an across-the-table tone.
“Something strange happened not too long after. Babies started being born with odd conditions. Superstitions ran rampant! It was all so very Human.” She smiled at the premise. “You understand the distinction?” She continued. “Humankind carried on without a care in the world; or the universe!” She was charming. “We let those with the money and resources pay for the trip. At first everyone was an ally in some joint exploration, until the ability to exploit the vacuum; pun intended, was discovered as wide as the Heavens. We were mortal after all! And safety was expensive, luxury was expensive, the entire venture has been nothing but expensive.”
She stood thinking for a moment. The Premiere shook her head as she found her point. “People argued it was too soon. Some argued it was nothing but folly to think humankind could stay on Earth forever. We were getting crowded some challenged. Space…” she sighed, “I’ve been to space more than I can count. It calls to you when you’ve been there. Like going out to sea. It encourages that little piece of all of us that wants to stay small.” That struck a chord with me. The Premiere was indeed a capable diplomat.
“Somewhere, out of all the greed, we found our way. We have a history of finding our way through the wars and the tolls that brought. Living through disease and finding our place in the fields to feed our people was a way. We had no idea how crowded life could be until we left solid ground. We are mortal Mr. Reign. Aliens were neighbors who were different not aliens!” She took a long heavy breath. “I can’t speak for each person but I accepted it, even though I didn’t want to. Like a person accepts another’s religion even if it contradicts their own.”
“The way I see it is that if Humankind has a chance in the universe outside of our comfort zone, we need alliances. Allies that may know the neighbors we haven’t come across yet. Our mortality may be the price if not. Are aliens mortal? The word Mortalien, a buzzword, was the shrill concept developed from such discussion. Mortal aliens!” She smiled at the quip. “We had to coin a phrase making them vulnerable. Making you vulnerable. Some witty speaker lived that phrase; Dominuus Anastas made himself a President with it.” She seemed restless. “It caused so many to relearn their convictions; settle up with their God, gods or philosophies!”
“I have known this struggle. I think it is engendered in all beings who can contemplate their existence.” I couldn’t help but say this. “Fear is what got us here.”
The Premiere stared into the monitor and then looked out of a nearby window. “We all have to go outside don’t we?” The other attendees seemed locked in her stead. They moved like a tide even when they disagreed because their people relied on them. “We will vote and you will have our response tomorrow. I request an emergency session of the World Coalition by Executive Order.” Not a single member argued against the decision. “You will have your vote. I will personally deliver the decision via this communication same time tomorrow.” She walked away quickly.
The rest lingered and puzzled as they left one by one. I could get the sense they were weighing me on this end of the accord. Wherever their judgment lay, this alliance would settle a great many issues in the future. Sleep would be hard to find tonight.
I paced the crow’s nest in the long constant night. I spent some time in the chemical shower where I thought I’d find some tired moment that might cause rest but that passed quickly with a brisk of air from the opened shower door. Wan Sah and Dalia had tailored me a very respectable black suit. The collar was cropped without a fold and the tunic underneath the jacket had no sleeves. I wore no tie as I could not stand the wear of them. But I wore the ensemble well enough. Rashana offered to trim my hair and I let her. The shorter hair brushed back with a gel and Ben said I looked pimp. I wandered for a bit, level to level not engaging anyone.
The delegation on Earth would soon be in contact. I looked forward to exchanging with the Premiere Samantha Martin again, even if it is not on acceptable terms. Sal’Din was monitoring the feeds. This moment was incredibly important to so many worlds and it was done behind the black curtain as if it weren’t applicable to all involved. In many ways it wasn’t. Isn’t that the truth of politics?
“Reign, to the bridge.” Sal’Din’s COM hailed loudly. “On my way.” I responded but held my footing for a moment. I hadn’t realized it but I had been standing in front of the elevator for some time. I needed to get my bearings before the exchange. I enter the lift and quickly find myself exiting into the bridge. The Premiere was already hugely displayed on the monitor. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting Madame Premiere!” I was taken back by the possibility of damaging relations for something so small.
“Not at all, Reign.” She seemed almost cheerful. “I wasn’t aware that ships could talk?”
“If you can tolerate the uneasiness of arguing with walls,” I smiled. “They talk.”
The Premiere returned my humor in a smile. “If only you knew what a life in politics was like!” She paused briefly and corrected herself. “But I guess you do.”
I wasn’t sure how to move forward in the conversation. On Mor’h we would just link into a telling and be done with it. Some of that is filled with speeches now that I speak with the council as often as I do but for the most part the Mor’h rarely speak to each other or have open debate for that matter. “To the matter at hand then.” The Premiere took lead. “Private council often draws a great deal of attention. On this matter we relied on your technique, Reign; we gathered via the web. After our little exchange we all traded barbs, ideas and considerations but given the universal unknown of this sort of exchange we left many things for another adjournment.”
“By using the terminology associated with future meetings I assume we may have an agreement.” I wasn’t certain I should have made such a statement but she made no notice.
“Yes and no.” The ever careful politician was in the room. “What is the Mor’h angle?” She sat waiting for some hammer to fall. “You haven’t made any major trade requests. Everything you mentioned was an offer for us. I feel even the elimination of Gorgon Pri is less your responsibility and more the product of our own corruptions. Is this about conscience?”
Dae said we had to have something to gain or there would be suspicion. I and the Mor’h still couldn’t understand the many nuances of Human desire and how their power struggles were anything but emotions
unhinged. Even carrying some of these tendencies myself didn’t provide me with any greater insight. “It is difficult to share a common link with a people so distant.” I sat quietly for a moment.
“There are state secrets that I cannot divulge. I can for the sake of kindness tell you that I am aware of the horrible circumstances you endured on the Flagship Stonewall. Unfortunately, such events led to the very political split that fathered Gorgon Pri. And like Pri I know that you are in many ways human and more.” The Premiere addressing this was a great relief. “So, I know that you have a vested interest. Other’s however don’t know this. They see the potential for Humankind becoming cattle, slaves, or worse, removed and expelled through whatever means necessary.”
“Given the colored history I can understand.” I replied. “I only have my assurances.”
“Humankind has had copious amounts of history with this similar logic. I don’t personally feel that it serves them well. Myth is a way of life; some stories persist regardless of the characters in them. What we have is your act of good faith; find Gorgon Pri and if you can, stop him without killing him. We need him to stand trial for his war crimes. The people need to watch him fall.” She took a moment to shift coins. “Everything hinges on how this happens. I’m sorry but an alliance is out of the question until more trust is built.”
