by Mike Luoma
“Indeed. That may no longer be an option for you.”
“You could be right,” BC admits. “Let’s keep in touch on this.”
“Indeed. Well, then,” Al Salid says. “I look forward to our next communication. Call me when you need me,” Al Salid says in closing. “Good night, Campion. Allah be praised.”
“Good night,” Campion answers. The com goes silent.
Huh! Not what I expected. Not exactly. But it’s becoming clearer: I really do need to meet with the Eldred, don’t I? It’s becoming obvious! Should I call Anita now and find out if she’s set it up? Nah. It can wait. I’ve gotta get some sleep. Now that I can sleep! I’m exhausted. BC crashes hard, sleeps soundly, but wakes with a headache just behind his eyes. Like an Irish punk band is beating on the inside of my skull! And like I almost had an answer to something in a dream… lost it, though! Didn’t make it past the waking edge. Just can’t remember, but it feels like something was there.
BC has messages waiting for him when he gets to his temporary office. He gives a cursory glance to Vatican business, referring most back to the Curia.
They know what to do. They’d do it anyway! They’d just rather do it with someone telling them it’s “okay”.
What’s this?
A voice message from Anita: “BC? Guess I got an earlier start than you. Um, give me a call when you get this, okay? Bye!”
BC calls her back.
“Hey Anita, BC here.”
“Good Morning,” she answers. “The Eldred have been in touch. They seemed to know you wanted to meet with them. They actually said they had wanted to meet with you, to discuss religion,” she says, sounding a little confused. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No,” BC tells her, “But I am going to meet with them.”
“Okay,” she says slowly.
“Are you surprised?” BC asks her.
“A little bit,” she admits. “I don’t like surprises,” she adds quickly, changing her tone and again saying more than she’s saying out loud.
“I see,” says BC, but he really doesn’t.
I can only hope that it’s easier to understand these aliens than it is to understand women…
“I want you to set up the meeting for me, Anita, put all the details together. Then just let me know where, when and how. Use any of The Project’s resources you need to make it happen.”
“I’ll get right on it, BC,” she says. She pauses for a moment. “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”
she asks him.
What a question…
“No,” BC tells her honestly. “But I don’t see us having a lot of other options right now. That ‘us’
being the human race, by the way,” he chuckles at his attempt at humor. “I guess I’ve got to do it.”
“Okay… I’ll be back in touch soon,” she tells him. She cuts the connection. The wheels are in motion!
Now for Wentworth.
“Campion,” Wentworth answers BC’s call.
“Wentworth.”
“You’ve decided to do it, I hope,” Wentworth says.
“I’ve decided. I’ll do it. I’ll head up the UTZ Council. But I can’t be there for any speeches or announcements just yet. I’ve got a meeting to attend. Has to do with our new ‘friends’. The ones I was mentioning. The ones who may be responsible for the plague. I’m going to meet with them.”
“You are going to meet with them?” Wentworth asks in surprise.
“Seems like the only option open right now,” BC says. “Look, Wentworth… I’ll write up a statement for you on the appointment. Then you can coordinate an official appearance with the Curia for a week from now. Deal?”
“Deal. You are an optimist, Campion,” Wentworth says. “Or just plain crazy.” He ends the transmission.
Chapter Eighteen
A week later, BC is aboard a Project ship making a Transpace jump to the secret asteroid base, on his way to a meeting with The Eldred.
Travel by ‘Flasher’! Flying in a mystery ship to meet a mystery race that seems to want us dead.
BC goes over the details while he travels. Anita mapped out the itinerary for him. She’s also accompanying him on this first leg of his trip.
She’s the official liaison to The Eldred. She’d hate being called that!
I meet an Eldred ship at The Project base. From there, we’ll travel in the Eldred ship to their nearest home base. Nearest, of course, implying that they have many other home bases. How many homes can you have? Another question for the unanswered file. That’s a pretty big file with these clowns. I know I’ve got plenty of questions for them.
I want to meet those other ones, too, The Domo and The Flaze. Ask them a few things. But first things first, and my first stop is the planet they call Eldrey. Sounds like a home planet. Meet an Elder of the Eldred on Eldrey… while sipping Earl Grey. Now I’m getting sill-ay. BC smiles to himself. He glances over at Anita, still sleeping in her seat. I’m glad to have her with me, at least part of the way. Heh, glad she’s on my side, this time! I need all the help I can get! Funny that these aliens will deal with her. Strange. Guess that’s why they’re “aliens”, huh?
Not so strange? They don’t want us to reveal their existence to the general public just yet, they told her. Well, we’re trying to keep that proverbial cat in the proverbial bag. But here I am, the Pope, just disappearing. Hope no one notices this time. Things are so fucked up back home that it might just be okay. Fucked up actions by a fucked up Pope. Right. Most will assume I’m still on the Moon.
“We’re here!” Anita says, bolting awake and breaking BC’s train of thought. She wakes up fast… looks good doing it, too! Damn. It would be nice to be able to tell her that. I’m sure that would go over big. Man, she’s retreated from me big time ever since that kiss. Fuck this. Work to do, gotta focus on the task at hand!
Last time I came here, I was Van Kilner’s guest. This time I arrive as The Project’s new CEO, The Pope, head of the UTZ Council and Envoy to The Eldred. Too many fucking titles! My head would explode, but then I couldn’t try to save the entire human race.
“See that? Over there, out the viewport on the left, that’s The Eldred ship!” Anita says excitedly.
“They’re already here.”
Funny. It’s not as alien looking as I thought it would be. Doesn’t look all that different from The Project’s newer ships.
The exterior of the ship is smooth and silver, with a central core section flanked by what look like ship length engines on both sides. The smooth exterior betrays no hint of markings nor hatches nor viewports, if any do exist along it’s sleek fuselage.
BC can’t help but stare at it as his own ship lands along side it in the Project base’s massive landing bay.
“We should get going,” Anita says, by way of encouragement and motivation, “Time to go save the human race!”
“Oh, is that all? No pressure or nothin’,” BC cracks. He smiles and lets her lead their way off the ship and into The Project base.
Here I come! Watch out for me! The most powerful member of the significantly reduced human race! Grr! Argh!
Why don’t I feel any more secure? Any more powerful?
I feel less impressive, less powerful than when I was, like… nothing, I guess. King Nothing.
Why is everyone suddenly relying on me? What did I ever do to make folks want to put their faith in me? The more I learn, the more I know, the less important and powerful I feel. It’s not supposed to work that way, is it?
“Are you okay, BC?” Anita asks, seeing him spacing out in deep thought as they walk into the base.
“Yeah,” BC reassures her. “Just preoccupied, I guess. I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he tells her.
“I guess you’ve got a right,” she admits. “I can’t wait to get your take on The Eldred,” she says to BC, changing the subject slightly. “They are not physically intimidating in any way. I think you’ll be surprised when you meet them. They’re…” she shakes
her head, trying to find words to describe them. “They’re almost cuddly, BC!” She shakes her head again. “Well, you’ll see what I mean. It’s hard to describe.”
The next few hours fly by for BC. He meets various members of The Project staff. He receives official greetings. He finds himself in an impromptu ceremony as the base staff gives him their official welcome. Niceties, affirmations and other pleasantries are exchanged as BC is introduced as the new CEO, and they expect some cursory words from BC tossed in for good measure, so he makes a short speech about saving humankind.
By the time he’s alone in his stateroom three hours later, he realizes he’s met around fifty people in various administrative posts around the base.
It’s great. I’ve met all these people and remember none of their names. Funny how genteel it all is as we stand here on the brink of annihilation.
The tight schedule set by Anita allows BC about an hour to freshen up and gather his thoughts before he goes to meet The Eldred for the first time.
He enters the empty meeting room, a space favored by Van Kilner for its old earth charm, and makes himself comfortable in a large oaken chair at the end of a long wooden table. The room could be a library in any old mansion on Earth. Aside from the conference table and its chairs, books dominate the room: row upon row, shelf upon shelf of books in solid old wooden bookcases line the walls, giving the air in the room a slightly musty tang. The room is empty, save for him. He is to meet the Eldred alone. Oh my God!
BC has to stifle a laugh when he sees The Eldred for the first time. He tries hard not to crack a smile as they file into the room and take seats opposite him at the table.
They look like giant, powder blue Koala bears! With big eyes like those old Japanese comic books…
They don’t look real!
They look like big stuffed toys!
What, about five feet tall? Too cute! How can these creatures be agents of genocide? Fuzzy wuzzy widdle cute agents of genocide.
“Bernard Campion?” one of the koalas asks in a purring, deep voice, in clear, unaccented English.
“Yes,” BC answers. “I’m Bernard Campion.”
“I am Camex,” The Eldred says. “I am here to escort you back to our world, Eldray, to meet with our leaders. Are you ready to depart?”
Right to the point. Gotta stop thinking’ of them as koalas!
“I am ready,” BC answers. “Do you guarantee my safe return?”
“We guarantee nothing,” the giant light blue teddy bear informs BC. “Yet it would not benefit us for you to not return. So please, feel safe.”
Right, I feel reeeaaaallly safe right now… probably feel safer if I knew my way around that ship before we left.
“I have one request before we leave. Might I get a tour of your ship before we depart?” BC asks. “I’d like a tour of my transport.”
“Hmm,” Camex of the Eldred stops to think, rubbing a fuzzy blue hand across his chin whiskers. He appears almost a little confused. “I guess that would be okay,” he says, giving BC permission. “Shall we go?”
They leave the meeting room and head down to the landing bay. Anita is waiting by the back of The Eldred ship with BC’s luggage. Instead of heading over to her, Camex leads BC to a door in the side toward the front of the ship. Anita shoots a “What the?” look at BC. He just shrugs, and follows his furry blue host through the door, up into the front of the ship.
Camex guides BC on his tour. They travel quickly through the bridge, the cabins, and back through the engine room. BC notes viewports at even intervals, even though they can’t be seen from the outside. He’s led from the engine room back to a cabin with a bed, a chair and desk, all fit to a human scale. Anita is waiting there with BC’s belongings for the trip. BC shoots her a look, trying to say “I see what you mean. They look harmless!”
Nice room. Looks comfy. Alien, but almost familiar. Comfortable enough. When I saw how short The Eldred were I had my worries, heh. But everything on the ship is on a big enough scale. Maybe The Eldred used to be taller? Wouldn’t it be ironic if their whole beef against us was that we’re taller than they are? A whole race with a height complex!
Maybe they designed it to make me comfortable, put me at ease so they can take advantage?
Come to think of it, I kinda feel better than I think I should. Are there any drugs in the ship’s atmosphere? I’ll have to get tested when I get back.
“I trust your tour was… satisfactory?” Camex says as BC takes in the cabin’s surroundings.
“Yes,” BC says, “I guess it was. You are too kind, Camex.”
“’Too kind’, hmm,” The Eldred pauses a moment. “A curious expression. As if one could ever be ‘too’
kind. You humans are very curious.” Camex pauses again, as if hearing a signal inaudible to BC and Anita. “We are ready for departure. Shall we go?”
“Let’s get going, why not?” BC says. “I’m ready.”
Ready? Yeah, I don’t know about that ! But here goes, anyway. Camex turns to Anita, “Thank you again for your efficiency in scheduling this meeting. We will bring BC
back here in approximately one of your weeks. He turns to BC.
“You will stay in your cabin for the duration of our trip,” Camex says. “Any need you have will be taken care of, you have only to ask. The… computer, I guess you’d call it, is, um, voice activated.”
Camex again appears distracted by unheard voices.
“I must attend!” he says to them. “Please enter your cabin. Anita, please disembark. Good day!”
With that, Camex turns and walks away towards the ship’s bridge.
“Well,” Anita says to BC, “Good Luck, um… I guess.” She looks confused, but then her eyes clear. She steps up to BC and kisses him on the cheek. She whispers in his ear, “Don’t forget; they aren’t really big teddy bears!” Then she turns and races off down the corridor and out of site. Yup. Aliens might be easier to figure out.
BC steps inside the cabin and the door shuts behind him, closing him in. He inspects the closed door, but finds that any trace of the door has disappeared in the wall. BC is left alone, sealed in on the alien ship. He feels a small tug of acceleration as the ship leaves the Project’s base. The trip passes slowly, uneventfully. Excruciatingly boring for BC, kept isolated from any real stimulus. The computer can provide food and drink, but nothing in the way of entertainment. He tries to meditate, tries to sleep, tries playing games with himself to pass the time.
It’s like being in a doctor’s office waiting room for hours on end… without any outdated zines to look at. And no other people, not even sick ones. Even a sneeze would be a welcome distraction right about now. Achoo! According to Anita, this leg of the trip should take three days. Seems like forever!
The boredom is finally broken by a visit from Camex.
“We have some time before we reach Eldray. It has been determined that you need to learn of another alien species, a race you have not encountered. It is important that you know of them, for they were once the rulers of the galaxies. Their name translates as ‘Ancient Enemy’,” the fuzzy blue alien says to BC. The Ancient Enemy! Van Kilner and The Project guys mentioned them, said the Domo and The Flaze had mentioned them in passing, but they never heard about them from the Eldred. Now the Eldred are actually bringing them up! Maybe the Ancient Enemy is responsible for this plague after all!
“The Ancient Enemy?” BC acts as if he’s never heard of them.
“Yes,” Camex confirms. “They were once the dominant species throughout this part of space, long ago.
“They never actually reached your Earth during their time of conquest, and if they had you would not have known it, for your species had not yet developed.”
Camex pauses, and his brow furrows. A moment of confusion floats across his fuzzy face before his usual placid calm returns. “The time of the Ancient Enemy predates the development of your world.”
“I see,” BC says. “So, if they’re gone, and they neve
r reached the solar system, why is it that I need to know so much about them?”
“They shaped the universe as we know it. The Domo, the Flaze, even we, the Eldred, were shaped and affected by the Ancient Enemy.”
Might as well go for it!
“So,” BC says with a hint of challenge in his voice. “Are the ‘Ancient Enemy’ responsible for the plague that is killing my people?” BC presses on, “Because that’s really why we’re here. Why I’m here on this trip. We need to stop this plague.”
Once again Camex appears puzzled, and then calm.
“Actually,” Camex says, “They are. The Ancient Enemy is responsible for your current sickness,” the alien tells BC.
Oh really?! This is new!
“The Ancient Enemy was a violent race,” Camex says, explaining. “They left many legacies, all of them evil, colored by their twisted nature. The Ancient Enemy was capable of Great Evil. They killed each other as often as they murdered and subjugated other races. They were vicious, primal killers.”
It sounds like he’s reciting this from memory. Probably something they all learn as school kids or something like that.
“They swept through this neighborhood of worlds long before any of the local races were space faring themselves,” Camex continues. “The Ancient Enemy would land; take all they wanted, all they needed. They colonized any world they found that suited their species. They enslaved many peoples, many worlds.
“The history of my own race, the Eldred, is a history that begins in servitude and slavery to the Ancient Enemy. In our earliest memories, they were our masters. Our history begins with their interstellar civilization at its peak.”
“They sound like a fun bunch,” BC observes.
Camex stares at BC with an unreadable look.
He may be an alien, but that look is familiar, like he ate something nasty! Probably doesn’t get my sense of humor.
Camex’s calm returns and he continues. “The Ancient Enemy had no capacity for what you would call compassion, no ability to see beyond self preservation and self gratification. They were not, as you called them, ‘fun’.”
“Sorry. It was a figure of speech,” BC says in his defense.
