by D. J. Holmes
As Pawan stood back James shot a questioning glance across the aisle to where his uncle sat. His uncle caught his glance and shrugged but from the look on his face James knew he was worried. British Prime Minister Fairfax was sitting beside his uncle and before James could glean any more information from his uncle’s face, Fairfax nudged him and began to whisper into his ear.
“I bring greetings from the Indian Star Republic,” Prime Minister Devgan said as he took the podium. “And along with the other speakers here this morning I offer my warmest welcome to you Viceroy Pemel. I hope that our two nations will have a long and fruitful relationship. May I say, it is a privilege to share this podium with you and to be able to speak with you.”
Devgan paused to let Pemel nod his head in thanks. “However,” Devgan continued, “I am afraid that I have requested this privilege for a secondary reason, one that directly impacts the future relations of our two peoples.”
Here we go, James thought.
“There is a cancer within the Human Sphere, a disease that needs to be removed if we as a species are going to forge a friendly and peaceful future with our new neighbors. I am speaking of the Haven colony.”
“Oh crap,” James whispered only loud enough for Suzanna to hear. “He’s making a move on Haven and he has got everyone in the Sol system tuned in to hear his propaganda.”
Even as James spoke Devgan’s words thundered around the Committee chamber and across the Sol system thanks to the live broadcast. “It has not been made public knowledge yet but I know for a fact that the Haven colony has been lying to us from the day we first made contact with them. Worse, they have been actively involved in interstellar piracy against civilian freighters in British, French and Indian colonial space. Yet this is nothing compared to their latest atrocity.
“My intelligence agents have discovered irrefutable proof that it was Haven military ships, under the orders of their First Councilor, who launched the unprovoked attack on our new friend’s ship. They tried to kill Viceroy Pemel before he could get to Earth in an attempt to disrupt relations between our two nations.
“In fact, the proof of these allegations sits in this very room. For the British government, aware of these atrocities, have been actively colluding with Haven. Of this there can be no doubt for they have even gone so far as to sneak Haven Councilwoman Suzanna Rodriguez into this Committee chamber under a false name and with false papers,” Devgan said as he pointed right at Suzanna.
“Oh crap,” James said again as everyone turned to look at Suzanna.
A multitude of voices broke out across the committee chamber. Some shouted abuse at Devgan denying his allegations but the majority were angry comments directed in the general direction of British delegation.
In order to get a better view of Suzanna many of the attendants nearby stood to peer over those sat beside them. This caused a ripple effect among the entire audience as everyone tried to get a glimpse of Suzanna. It also served to worsen the racket that echoed around the chamber as everyone continued to try to shout over each other.
Suzanna remained perfectly still. Her stare never moved from Devgan’s face. As James gazed over to see what she was looking at he saw a small smile spread across the face of the Indian Prime Minister. With a motion of his hand he summoned Pawan back to the podium. As he was the chairman of the committee he was supposed to be keeping the proceedings under control.
“Order, order,” he shouted and when that didn’t work he upped the gain on his microphone and shouted the command again.
Pawan’s voice was so loud the second time that many people’s hands rushed to cover their ears. The noise died down and when it was quiet enough for Pawan to be heard without shouting into the microphone he continued. “Prime Minister Devgan has not finished his address yet. I am sure that at the end of this committee hearing you will all get a chance to review the information our intelligence services are releasing to corroborate all his claims.”
Stepping back, Pawan turned the podium back to Devgan. “As I was saying,” he began again, “there is a cancer within the Human sphere. One that has threatened the very life of my new friend Viceroy Pemel. However, I want to assure everyone gathered here in this chamber, and everyone in the Sol system, and especially you Viceroy Pemel, the Indian Star Republic will not let this cancer threaten our future friendship.
“Even as I speak an Indian fleet is moving into the Haven system and Indian soldiers are being landed on the Haven colony itself. We will find those responsible for the attacks on our shipping and on your personal space vessel. You can rest assured that they will be brought to justice and that the people of Haven will never again be allowed to threaten your people.”
James didn’t have to say it this time. The look he gave Suzanna said it all. Oh crap.
Chapter 6 – Propaganda Wars
‘All truth is relative.’ Or so they once claimed. One thing has certainly remained true for centuries. The will of the people can make or break a government. Since the advent of information technology no one man has ever been able to force his will on the people.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
21st March, 2467 AD, UN Interplanetary Committee, New York.
Almost before Devgan had uttered his last sentence a renewed uproar broke out around the Committee chamber. Once again people were on their feet shouting insults towards the British delegation and Suzanna, although James was happy to see that the majority of the antagonism was being directed at Devgan.
“Order, order,” Pawan’s voice boomed out across the chamber, sending people’s hands to their ears once again. “This is a formal meeting of the UN Interplanetary Committee. If you can’t keep control of yourselves, you will be forcibly removed. This is the last warning I am going to give,” he continued without even trying to turn down the gain on his microphone.
“Thank you Representative Pawan, Prime Minister Devgan said. “Now, to close, let me make some assurances to the people of Earth. It is not the Indian Star Republic’s intention to benefit from this move. We simply wish to stop the spread of this cancer. To that end, we intend to allow free traffic of all civilian ships through what was once Haven space. You have my promise that there will be no transition fees for anyone who wishes to trade with the Kulreans and the Vestarians.
As I have already said,” Devgan continued as he turned to address Viceroy Pemel face to face. “It is my deepest hope that our two peoples can form a lasting friendship. And now, I look forward to hearing what you have to say to our people.”
Turning back to face the chamber Devgan raised his voice and put on his best smile. “May I present to this chamber and to the people of the Sol system, Viceroy Pemel.”
As Pemel stood and approached the podium James had a hard time sitting still. The Indians were already on the move. Every moment counted. If his government and the RSN were going to salvage the situation they had to act fast. Yet almost everyone who was anyone in the British government and the Admiralty was attending this meeting. They wouldn’t be able to get away for hours.
Concerned, he glanced over to his uncle. The elder Somerville was already looking at James and as James caught his eye he motioned with for James to calm down. With a sigh James let out a deep breath. How can he be so calm? James wondered. If the Indians get Haven they will likely dominate that entire area of space.
Another glance at his uncle didn’t provide any answers and James’ attention was drawn back to the podium once Pemel began to speak.
“Men and women of the UN Interplanetary Committee and of Earth and the Sol system,” Pemel began.
As he went on James’ mind wandered. Pemel had discussed his speech with James at great length prior to the meeting and James had a fair idea of what was coming. Or rather, he had a fair idea of the platitudes that would be repeated a number of times. Pemel had already met privately with most of the world’s leaders and this entire meeting had largely been for show. It was a chance for the people of Earth and the Sol
system to see Pemel and Earth’s leaders getting on.
To keep his mind off of Devgan’s hijacking of the meeting and all the consequences that were soon to follow, James focused on Pemel himself. It wasn’t hard, for although James had spent a few weeks with Pemel in his home system of Kulthar, the alien’s appearance was still mildly shocking every time he looked at him.
From a distance, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that someone could mistake Pemel for a human. Unlike the Vestarians, Pemel and his people had two legs and two arms. Whilst he stood more than half a meter above James, from a distance he held himself in a very similar way to humans. What gave him away was his blue wavy hair. The thick blue locks that fell over Pemel’s shoulders as he turned his head just looked unnatural. The most unnerving thing about the Kulreans however was their three eyes. Everything else about their facial features looked somewhat human. Their eyes however, arranged in a line around their foreheads, made the Kulreans look like some monster from stories told to frighten children.
Thoughts of Pemel’s appearance turned James’ mind to the images of other Kulrean bodies that were still seared into his memory. After the Overlord’s fleet had been defeated in the Kulthar system James had taken Endeavour to Kulpath, a Kulrean colony in the same system that had been bombarded from space by the Overlord’s fleet.
The destruction had been almost complete, nevertheless, Endeavour and almost every ship the Kulreans owned had spent more than a week searching for survivors. James had watched the live images from the first shuttles as they landed near one of the large cites. What he and the rest of his crew had seen had shocked them. Hundreds and thousands of Kulrean bodies had been scattered across the landscape, every single one of them had been broken and deformed from the orbital bombardment. Even months later he often dreamt of that day.
Suddenly James’s attention was drawn back to Pemel’s speech. He had said something James hadn’t expected. Concentrating, James tried to replay what he had heard.
“And while I respect Prime Minister Devgan greatly, I must say that on this occasion he has got his facts wrong. I was there in the Alpha system. My ship was under attack, possibly by ships from Haven. However, I also know that Captain James Somerville and HMS Endeavour came to our aide. If it wasn’t for his ship’s bravery, I may not be alive today. I also know this; Councilwoman Rodriguez was on board Endeavour. She risked her life just as much as the British naval officers in their fight to protect my ship.
“I want to make it plain to everyone listening. I do not hold the British government or indeed the Havenite people responsible for the attack on my ship. I know that there can be rogue elements in any society. It is not my intention to judge your people based on the actions of a few individuals.
“I do want to add this however; among my people it is customary to allow someone accused of wrongdoing to defend themselves. I therefore wish to invite Councilwoman Rodriguez to join me on the podium and address this Committee,” Pemel said as he stretched out his hand, motioning for Suzanna to join him on the podium. “She too is a foreign dignitary and I believe she should be able to answer the charges laid against her.”
Devgan jumped to his feet and looked like he was about to burst with indignation but before he could say anything the British representative on the Interplanetary Committee turned on his mike and addressed the chamber. “As the representative of the British Star Kingdom, I welcome Councilwoman Rodriguez to the podium to address us all here. Haven is a human colony and the Interplanetary Committee was set up to represent all of mankind. I for one look forward to hearing her speak.”
Taking her cue, Suzanna stood up. Before she walked down the aisle towards the steps to the Podium she gave James a nervous smile. Good luck, he mouthed to her. She simply nodded as a look of determination came across her face. James knew what that meant. Suzanna would do her best to make sure her people had a safe and secure future.
As she walked the hundred meters to the podium a deathly silence descended on the chamber. No one was sure what Suzanna was going to say but they knew there would be fireworks. Prime Minister Devgan had just effectively declared an invasion on her home planet.
“Viceroy Pemel, I thank you for your kind words,” Suzanna began in a loud clear voice once she got to the podium. “People of Earth, it with great pleasure that I stand before you. Over two hundred years ago my ancestors left Earth to seek their future among the stars. Since that time, we have labored to build our own world on Haven. A world where peace and justice hold sway and every citizen is free to pursue their dreams. Aspirations I am sure every single person listening to my words can empathize with. Just as importantly, we have accomplished this without any help from the major space powers. What we have built, we have built ourselves. My people are a good, hard working people who wish to be accepted back into the human community that they left two hundred years ago.
“And it is because of this, because my people are honest and hardworking, that I must be honest with you today. It is true, our current First Councilor, Harold Maximillian, ordered elements of our navy to steal British, French and Indian freighters to acquire their technology. What’s more, it is true that those same elements of our navy tried to attack Viceroy Pemel’s ship to prevent him coming to Earth.
“Yet, they do not truly represent the Haven people. They have corrupted the values that my people hold so dear. That is why I am here today. I came to Earth to warn of this attack and with Captain Somerville’s help I succeeded. I also came here to address the people of Earth and this Committee. The Haven people are a proud people, yet we are not too proud to know when we need help. And so, I ask for your help today. It is my desire and the desire of the people I represent, that we become a protectorate of the British Star Kingdom. That way we can keep our sovereignty and benefit from the guidance and assistance of the British Star Kingdom. With their help, Haven can join the other worlds of the Human Sphere as a productive friend and ally.
“I have come to Earth to make this request to the British government and the UN Interplanetary Committee. The British government can help remove Maximillian from power and then provide a safe environment where the people of Haven can hold a referendum on their future. I believe my people have a right to freely decide if they wish to become a protectorate of the British Star Kingdom. Or they could decide to join the Indian Star Republic. Yet that is a choice they must make themselves. No colonial power should be able to just invade our sovereign space.
“With this Committee’s help, Haven can become a productive member of the Human Sphere and begin to make up for the crimes that our corrupt leaders have committed. I do not ask you for forgiveness, for I wish to see justice served to Maximillian and those who aided him. However, I do ask that you give the people of Haven a chance to prove themselves to you. Do not let us be gobbled up by a military invasion. Allow us to determine our own fate.
“This is all I ask, and it is no less than this Committee has done in the past. Former Politburo Minister Chang was declared a war criminal for his part in the recent British-Chinese war. Yet his people, the Chinese people, were not held responsible for his actions. I only ask that Haven be treated in the same way. Do not punish us all for the crimes of the few. Allow my people to determine their own future. Do not allow us to become slaves to the Indian Star Republic. Generations of Havenites have worked and sacrificed to make Haven what it is today. Allow my people to honor their memories by choosing our own future. I urge you to consider my words. Thank you.”
As soon as Suzanna stepped down from the podium the British delegation rose to their feet and began to clap. As James looked around he saw that the French and American delegations had joined them. The French would be even less happy with the prospect of the Indians gaining control of Haven and the new trade routes to Vestar and Kulthar. The American’s were long standing allies of the British and the French and they too would not like to see a rival gaining power. However, it was just as likely that many of the Americans were applaudin
g Suzanna’s speech for what it was. It had taken a lot of bloodshed to win back the democracy that had birthed the United States. With the rise of the American totalitarian state in the 21st century many had thought the American experiment in democracy had come to an end. Yet with the second revolution in 2270 freedom was once again the watchword of the American public. No more so than in the American colonies and so James knew Suzanna’s speech would go down well there.
Just as those who supported Suzanna’s speech were obvious in their approval, so too where those who disapproved. Both the Indian and the Argentinian delegations were firmly sat on their seats with stern expressions on almost every face. Both stellar powers were long standing rivals of the British Star Kingdom.
“Well,” Pawan said as he returned to the podium to resume control of proceedings. “Thank you Councilwoman Rodriguez,” he said without a hint of a smile. “If you are quite finished we must now get back to our scheduled speakers. It now falls to representative Muller of the German Commonwealth of Planets to take the podium.
To James’ surprise Muller declined to take the podium, stating that the current events had taken precedence over what he had to say. One by one the other scheduled speakers declined to speak. The American representative, Bob Slater, was the last to speak. He didn’t decline the podium but when he addressed the chamber he was obviously going off topic.
