Terranus: Origins: Book one of the 'Terranus' series.

by Joe Crouch

  “Why do you think your species deserves special treatment?” the Councillor asked, “We have helped many species in the past, some in far worse condition than yours, and they haven’t made half the demands that your people require.”

  “I’m not demanding anything, Councillor,” he smirked, “I’m merely suggesting investment into our species would be a worthwhile venture, a strong Terran Empire would be a useful ally to have, wouldn’t you agree?” Pausing to consider his options, the High Councillor sat back in his lavishly adorned chair and spoke up.

  “Your stubbornness may have won you the day, Sean Maguire of Earth, and in truth, I am willing to help a promising species such as yours, there are preparations to be made for everyone, I request this meeting be adjourned until further notice.” The room shuffled into life as the elderly Ioutions rose from their seats and lumbered out the chamber. He turned with a smile on his face, feeling as if he had won the first of many battles he would face in the coming months and looking past the doors he saw his team waiting.

  “Well that wasn’t long,” Fez said, leaning against a wall.

  “I know, but they still had enough time to make me feel worthless.”

  “Try not to take it too personally, I’ve seen many races be included into the community and not one of them had an easy ride, there will be much larger hurdles for your people to overcome than bureaucracy.”

  “Yeah… right, I don’t think you know just how much people on Earth love having to do paperwork for every time you sneeze,” Sean bemoaned, stretching his limbs.

  “You really have to fill in forms for that?” Farel spoke up.

  “No.” Shaking his head, he walked towards the hall’s exit and looked over at the cleaners working away on the stain Fez had left over the delicate carpet-like material. Outside, an escort waited for them and sliding into the car he couldn’t help but reflect on what had been said, was his race that aggressive? There hadn’t been a real war in a very long time, people still disagreed with government actions, but nothing serious. It was time for Humans to face the music of reality, and to get on with their neighbours they would have to keep the music down low. They had proven to themselves they could do it, but the High Councillor was right, Humans are a fiery race, but that didn’t have to be a bad trait, just one they would have to market as a usable resource by others.

  The group arrived at a large house that was situated on the grounds, outside was decorated with colourful murals depicting what looked to be a mythological battle, lightning and flames ruled the two opposing sides. Stepping inside, the large open space was plain, standard tables and terminals were lined along the walls, a larger terminal was built into a small rock-like table that sat in front of what looked to be a red leather sofa. A lamp in the corner let off a dim light, giving the room a relaxed feel and made Sean feel like he needed to get his head down, waving his hand over a terminal, the purple engraved door unlocked. Throwing his bag to one side and slumping face-first onto the cushioned bed, his legs hanging off the edge, he was asleep in moments, dreaming about all that was to come…

  Chapter 14

  Sean woke to the pattering of rain against his window, a dense fog had covered the grounds giving the large, lumbering trees an ominous look as they rustled in the light breeze. A faint ray of sunlight shone in the distance, trying its hardest to punch a hole through the thick clouds that hung over the city. Putting his feet onto the cold stone floor, he stood up and stretched, peering out the window as he did, watching as cars trawled up the large winding road that snaked around the estate. It wasn’t long before he grabbed his clothes, freshly cleaned from the wardrobe that he had stored them in, and slipped them on. Opening his door, he saw Fez pouring freshly made mieno, not the replicated junk, into ornate cups and lining them up on a desk that stood against a brightly lit wall. Nodding over, he grabbed a cup and stared out the window, watching as the beads of rain ran down the transparent surface, dripping off into the flower bed underneath.

  Another round of talks was due today in the council chambers, if the previous inquisition was anything to go by they were going to be short and to the point, something he didn’t mind as he was radically out of his depth at this level. Turning, he saw his squad assembled on the large sofa watching a news broadcast on a terminal that inhabited the large stone table that sat in front of them. They reported on a string of probing attacks along the Ioution-Xuron border that had destroyed some industrial facilities but not much else, “Is this normal?” he asked the room.

  “Quite normal, yes, the bugs will attack us, we will launch a limp counter and the process will repeat.” It was surprising to Sean that the Xuron were even a threat, the Ioution’s weapons were superior and they had the numbers advantage, at least to his knowledge. Images flashed up on the screen of the spear like craft that attacked them back on Assira, they were breaking through the clouds and decimating the small industrialised settlements below, leaving nothing alive. This was a possibility that could befall Earth and her many industrial operations within the asteroid belt, it had to be a real concern, and one that would play on Sean’s mind during the upcoming talks.

  It wasn’t long before an armoured sentry walked through the large doors that led outside and motioned for them to follow, “Your appointment with the High Council is due soon, I’m here to escort you.” Stepping outside he was hit with the precipitation that drizzled down from the gloomy sky, feeling the strange warmth of the droplets as they meandered down his face.

  Pulling up outside the council chambers the team stepped out from the luxury of the car and onto the soaking steps, eventually taking up position below a roof that offered them shelter until they were granted access. Inside, a delegation spoke amongst themselves, their long, dark gowns inlaid with patterns that let off a multitude of vibrant colours. The group turned to look at him, watching as he took a seat at the large table, calmly sitting back he met their gaze and gave them a questioning look, willing them on to ask what it was they had on their mind. Fez stood on the edge of the room communicating back with Yumie aboard the Mar’Ell, all was quiet in orbit, as would be expected in the impenetrable capital system.

  Striding through the doors as they swung open, the High Councillors aide looked on, her bulky figure would be imposing to anyone, “The High Council is ready for you now, Earthling,” she said, her sweet voice betraying her ageing skin and bald head. He pushed himself up from his chair, dreading what was about to come, but he was ready, he would fight Earth’s corner on whatever decision they had made. Staying behind the large delegation, he shuffled into the room and sat on the central podium once again. Looking over he saw the High Councillor that beat him down yesterday was there and in a heated discussion with another officious looking Ioution.

  Coming to a serenity the muttering stopped as the Councillor stood, raising a hand from his large sleeve to silence all that had gathered. “We will hear the results of the deliberation among Council members about the Terran’s inclusion into our alliance,” he said in a weary tone, these discussions must have gone on long into the night, he thought, is that good or bad? “First, we discussed if enough effort was being made regarding the refuelling station,” he perked up, they must have revisited Earth recently, “The Council finds that sufficient work has been completed to our satisfaction, after communications with the President of the Empire the frame is under construction as we speak.” He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride at that and celebrated a victory within himself. The proceedings continued, multiple conditions were laid out with advice how to achieve the goals and where the race needed to be within the next 10 years, the majority were agreeable. “Finally, your request for technological assistance and an increased Ioution presence. We are willing to provide a boost to your infrastructure, but no military technology will be shared, that is non-negotiable.” It’s what he had expected, he doubted any weapons technology would be handed over to what they deemed a violent race.

  “And the increased presence
?” he asked.

  “An increased patrol scheme will run for the next Earth year while defences are replenished, after that they will be scaled back until check-ins will only be conducted infrequently.”

  “Agreed,” he nodded, glee coursed through his body as he felt as if he had triumphed against a vast machine.

  “Then let me be the first to welcome you, Sean Maguire and all of Earth into the alliance,” the councillor stood and walked towards him, his hand extended. Once the ceremony had finished, the hall quickly emptied and Sean rejoined his group.

  “Congratulations to you and all of Earth on becoming official partners,” Fez smiled, “I’m looking forward to seeing your species spread out and enjoy the pleasures of the galaxy.”

  “Well, first let’s hope Earth doesn’t break out into a civil war, as a people, we tend to over-react at times,” he admitted while strolling outside into the blinding sunshine. For the final time, the group slid into the waiting vehicle, eventually pulling away and heading towards the shuttle port where they would head back to the Mar’Ell.

  It wasn’t long before the car pulled up beside the Arrakis-two, letting everyone step out and onto the landing pad, Farel circled around the vessel ensuring the gunship was ready for atmospheric flight. Positioning himself in the pilot’s seat, he fidgeted around until he was comfy, leaning over towards the centre console he played with a few switches until he got the all clear from the Ioution engineer that they could leave. Wasting no time, he activated the grav-plating and shot the craft towards orbit where they would re-dock, this time, a video conference would be expected back on Earth with his progress, something he was nervous about.

  Breaking out from the atmosphere, the Mar’Ell was a speck of light in the black abyss as it orbited the planet below, he steered the ship on an intercept course and let the auto-pilot take control. The computer guided the vessel back home safely, docking comfortably and lowering the ramp for everyone to exit, the usual busy work of the hangar crew was a welcome sight. Stepping alongside Fez, the tall alien looked tired as he slumped down into a chair that overlooked the entire deck. “So, what are your plans now, Human?” Fez asked.

  “Well, I think it was about time I contacted the officials back on Earth, I’m sure they will be wanting to hear about my progress and what’s been going on,” Sean groaned, now I’m back I also wanna check that strange, freezing cold hallway again he thought. “So I’ll probably go and get on with that in a second. You look like you’re about to fall asleep old man.”

  “Old man,” Fez scoffed, waving his accusation way, “With your flying, I’m just giving my joints a rest,” Sean smiled as he turned, stepping over the bulkhead and exiting the hangar bay. He headed towards the communications room, it was the only place on the ship that long range comms could be made, the terminal that was in his quarters just received the forwarded messages that had been sent to him. Tuning in and speaking to the President of the Empire and no doubt general Hagen plus any others who were deemed important enough was a frightening thought. It was time to see if the institution back on Earth really did trust his judgement, or if there had been developments outside of his workload.

  Stepping into the dark, musty comms room, the lights flickered into existence around him giving every surface a faint, warm glow. The room was almost entirely taken up with the large comms terminal that sat pressed against the back wall, its surface an almost undecipherable jumble of flashing buttons and switches, something he was happy he could bypass by just instructing the machine on what he needed. He slipped into the large white chair and turned it to face the overhanging screen, “Sari, open a communications channel to Terranus Prime, specifically Terran command and enable video if it is possible.” The large screen flashed into life above him displaying images of different plants within the Sol system as the computer searched for the correct address to connect with, snapping to Earth the view zoomed and a large ‘connecting’ filled the screen.

  “Ambassador Maguire, how great it is to hear from you,” the female voice came over his headset, a few moments later the video flared into life as the link was established, the Presidents wrinkled but somewhat emotionless face popped into view. “We thought you may have gotten lost in the vastness of space,” she smiled, “Is there anything to report?”

  “Yes Ma’am, there is plenty to report, where would you like me to begin?” His voice rattled with nerves as he forced the words out, unsure of the proper protocols.

  “Well, why not from the beginning,” she said, giving off a forced, almost sympathetic smile, “How is life aboard the vessel? We are all very curious.”

  “It’s very comfortable, Ma’am, the engineer here replicated some mainstays from back on Earth and decorated my quarters with them, although when we arrive back I think requisitioning some provisions will be much needed…” a faint sound of laughter came over the comm-link, but not from the President herself.

  “Quite. Well make sure to forward any needs on your next text memo so we can have them prepared for you, do you know when the Mar’Ell is due back in orbit around Earth?”

  “Not yet, Ma’am, I can’t see it being too long, though, the Ioution High Council would like me to check up on the construction progress of the refuelling station as soon as possible,” he coughed, averting his eyes away from the President’s direct gaze.

  “They’re an impatient bunch, aren’t they?” the rhetorical question was not lost on him, “I suppose we best get to the meat of it all then, did they agree to provide any sort of defence and what more was discussed?”

  “They agreed to a heavier defence force for one Sol year, after that they would rather we rebuild our fleet and defend ourselves with the occasional drop-in from Ioution vessels.” The President’s face was unreadable; she gave nothing away.

  “Well, it’s something I suppose. Did they at least agree to exchange any relevant technologies?” she asked.

  “They agreed to assist us with technological improvements to our industrial infrastructure, beyond that I seriously doubt they will assist us with any sort of defence technology.” The general walked into view, his old face and grey hair seemed to have gotten worse since he had left. He sat down in a chair beside the President and flicked through some papers in front of him.

  “Ambassador, it’s general Hagen, it truly is a pleasure to see you looking well,” he remarked, Sean detected no deception in his voice. The general lifted a terminal into the camera’s view and swiped through different images showing pictures of Xuron ships in orbit around a foreign world. “Believe it or not, our original probe did return after a long absence, it had taken readings and images of different worlds and these are just a few of the images it captured, this one is especially displeasing.” Moving the tablet closer to the camera the image became clearer, the picture was of a fleet of Xuron ships in orbit above a decrepit looking planet, they fanned out in a cross formation with a massive entity at its centre. Sean couldn’t bring himself to call it a ship, it was nothing that he could relate to being ship-like, instead, it looked like a giant city, its six tentacles reached far out and spewed a liquid into the space around it, he could only wish they had a video of what it was doing.

  There was a long silence as he absorbed what he had just seen, a vast Xuron fleet was gathering with ship configurations they hadn’t witnessed before, it was news that would have to be shared with their Ioution allies. “I’m sure you can imagine my fright when I saw these images, Sean,” the general said, dropping formalities, “And with the news the Ioutions only intend to provide a real defence for a year, these are indeed troubling times.” Sean watched as the general slumped back into his seat, looking like he was already defeated, he threw the tablet onto the table and let out an audible sigh. “I will be honest with you, if even a portion of this fleet arrives in our backyard we won't stand a chance, Earth will be annihilated and all that will be left to show of our civilisation are the marks of industry scrawled across the surface.” The mood in the room gr
ew sombre, there was nothing they could do to pre-empt that kind of force, it would sweep over Earth and her colonies like a breeze across a field.

  “Surely if I warn the Ioution High Council of this threat they will provide additional resources going forward, it’s to be expected, isn’t it?” he asked as he felt the panic wash across him. “This kind of build-up cannot be ignored, not by us, not by anyone. There are so many races out here that Earth hasn’t even dreamt of contacting yet, if the Ioutions won’t help us, maybe one of them will.” He was desperate, he knew they wouldn’t assist, the galactic community was under the powerful thumb of the Ioutions, if they said jump everyone had to jump, the consequences were not worth non-compliance.

  “I hope you’re right, I truly do, you’ve already seen and experienced more than any of us could begin to speculate upon, if you feel there is a chance, even a small one, it is something we should seriously consider.” The President remained quiet, but snapped to the screen once the general had finished talking, she rose out of her chair and began to speak.

  “Ambassador, how long before the Ioution defence force arrives, did they give you a clear date?” They hadn’t, it was something that an experienced negotiator would have made sure to know before agreeing to any such deal, Sean’s demeanour dropped as he felt sorry for himself.

  “I’m sorry, Ma’am, it’s a question that escaped my mind, I can only apologise, we’re still in orbit over Desciea so I will try my best to get in contact with the Council and get a firm date.”

  “Make sure that you do, Ambassador, it’s crucial to many gears that are in motion,” the President sighed as she relaxed back into her dark coloured chair, the faint light gave her face an ominous look.

  “I will make it so,” he agreed, “Before I go, there is a list of other agreements that were made, I am packaging them up into a data file and sending them to the Institutes satellite, ping me back when they have been received.” He looked down at his terminal and entered the command to beam the different demands, schematics, and other proposed improvements back to Earth, “There will be a short delay of a few hours with the size of the file, but hopefully it is to your satisfaction.”