by Moulton, CD
"Why didn't you ask them about this when they were here? Was it something that might have come with them? An alien sickness? Could that be why it's such a dangerous thing?"
"No! Believe me, this thing takes three years or more to incubate. It's NOT a thing from the aliens and we must be absolutely sure this is made plain. They've done much harm in some ways, but they've done much more good. Releasing the people from the tyranny of the churches will ultimately free us from our terrible heritage. The disease started among the Cult of the Passioneers – a mutation of a virus found in the desert rodents. I had initially hoped the agent from the rodents could be used to form a usable immunological serum, but it can't survive in primates while the one affecting us can't survive in rodents. It was ignored for the most part because of the prejudices against the sect.
"It's no longer a thing that only affects those few people. We can't be sure it actually started among them and a lot of baseless prejudice now will be totally negative to controlling it. Those prejudices came over here with it. People's ideas about.... Those ideas and prejudices are the things that allowed it to spread. A person doesn't even know he has it until a minimum of three years have passed. From what we know it can take a very great deal longer. The churches of Soolinn made it a far worse situation in one way with that infidel and sinner garbage. Their rhetoric left the people with the feeling they had been disgraced if they had the disease, guaranteeing they would hide the symptoms and wouldn't seek treatment – though there still IS no treatment. You can see how widespread it's become before it begins to show physical symptoms in the local population. Exponential progression. If we can't do something the entire race will have it in less than a hundred years. It's ALWAYS eventually fatal!"
Enn Far joined us and we discussed the plague for a few more minutes, then the lawyer, Sop Lett, came. Sop said that should we find a way to tell exactly who had the disease they could be quarantined somewhere. He deplored the act of quarantine, but the survival of the race would surely take precedence.
"I am more than glad we have not yet adopted the constitution, but at least we know to add a section the aliens did not mention. The survival of the race in a health situation of this gravity must immediately become of overriding concern and extraordinary measures must apply," Sop remarked during the arguments that followed the announcement of how the disease was spreading. That was more than just a bit chilling. I almost rejected the proposal out of hand, but he's an intelligent man and explained carefully how the clause would have to be worded so it would only apply in a case where definitive proof could be shown before the emergency provision could be enjoined, then only under the most stringent of guidelines. If it's to be handled properly I'll be able to endorse it. Like it or not, some things must be accepted as necessary to a situation and lived with. If it is a choice between freedom for the ones who have the disease, regardless of how blameless the individual may be, or the death of the entire race I think there can be no reasonable argument, though I'm equally certain there would be ceaseless emotional arguments. There are those times when acceptance of the emotional argument can be deadly. It's a decision that will make me withdraw any help I may give to Enn Far and the council. I will not be placed into a position where I must make that kind of decision. I'll agree to read this constitution document, THEN decide if, as Sop declares, it makes such things a matter of concerted effort of all houses of the government with no provision for any decision by any one person under any except full emergency circumstances. The way it's to be worded forecloses any chance of that.
Time speaks on such matters. We don't have time for silly philosophical arguments now.
Enn and Sop both claimed they had other things to discuss with me, but if this is as presented by Mi it's beyond any question the important matter. She isn't prone to panic. She's easily the most respected scientist in her field in all of Kroon and is known to be so very careful in all things she's sometimes as much as hated by her lab assistants and fellow researchers, who say there should be limits to her retesting after a thing is determined. She just smiles at them and continues with that extreme care in all of her work. The results she forces from people and the exactitude of those results ensures anything she guarantees is foregone. There is simply no question at all she's exaggerating this. It's precisely as she states it to be.
Knowing what little I do about plagues and viruses means I have to agree she's definitely not overreacting to this crazy situation. If it's only a percentage of the things she told us about it's beyond anything else facing us. It's beyond anything that's ever faced the Kroon race. She's also correct in stating that there couldn't be a worse imaginable time for such a thing to appear. The whole world's in turmoil, communications are poor – education is the only way, but how to educate a world population with the problems in reaching them is a seemingly insurmountable task! It wouldn't be so hard to reach the people in the big cities, but that's reaching less than one third of the people of Kroon. That isn't nearly good enough!
Enn Far drummed the table with his fist, Sop was laying back on his chair pushing the front legs off the floor with his hands folded across his ample stomach and his eyes out of focus at the ceiling and Mi was staring into my eyes while tapping her front teeth with a fingernail when I again became conscious of them.
How do these crazy things ever get started? What's the mechanism? I'm a professor and historical researcher, not a politician! Why have all these people descended on me in this insane manner? What am I supposed to do? Tell my classes in ancient history at the university? Try to get other universities to tell their students?
Television is faster and will reach far more people!
I was to learn rather quickly the mannerisms being displayed were signs of nervous tension in these people that were unrealized by them. They all three had very quick minds and were capable of deep and careful thought. They were the tops in their fields – but what was I doing here?
* *
Mi Yinn rushed around the room gathering her notes and reviewing them. She absolutely MUST make the proper impression with this or much would be lost. Much time would be lost and that was easily the most important of all the things working against her. It was working against the whole race!
Hal Korr said he was dining with Enn Far and she could join them. That was a break!
She hadn't slept in three days and looked it. She would clean up, take a stimulant (Gods but she hated those damned things!), splash on some makeup and wear something simple.
What was the rush? She had four hours!
"This is much too important to do the wrong thing," she mumbled. "I simply HAVE to get across to them how serious it is! They'll think I'm an alarmist – a hysterical female. They must know how serious this is! If I fail it could mean disaster that ... it could mean extinction of the Kroon race and more!
"There's that septicemia plague that made periodic attacks on the race throughout history. Maybe this Hal Korr character will have some insight into what was and can be done in critical situations. People survived that, but there's no way anyone will survive THIS thing! There is no immunity! We don't even have any way to know exactly how widespread this thing may already be!
"I can't use technical terms. They won't understand and will pat me on the hand and say 'I'll put someone on it tomorrow.'
"I'll scream in their faces! I know I will! I simply HAVE to get a historical perspective. I hope these people are even half as intelligent as they seem to be. Gods! What if all they are is media hype?
"Grumm! Am I falling into the publicity and hype trap? Why in the world should I choose Hal Korr to confide this crisis to? Because he IS in the media? There are historians right across campus! Wouldn't one of them do as well?
"No! Enn Far is meeting with him tonight for some solid reason so I can be sure he's the best. Enn Far has a whole government to run in an impossible time in a more impossible situation and doesn't go to dinner only for social reasons anymore. His time is not his own. I feel
sorry for him! This on top of all the rest! Just what he needs – a few more crises!
"Now I'm talking to myself.
"I'm mostly blues and reds so this silver blue sheath with a black sash and the green brooch to hold a white scarf. Just enough clash in the brooch to detract from my look of fatigue.
"Great! The whole race is about to die and I worry about what to wear!
"Am I a hysterical woman? Am I an alarmist? What does the well-dressed airheaded fool wear to her own extinction?
"Gods! I need that stimulant!
"Where are those contagion reports? Where are the spread maps? What the hell am I doing here? Why don't I shut up? I am SO damned TIRED!
"Oh! Where are the mathematical projection charts?"
She suddenly dropped into a chair where she began an almost hysterical sobbing. She had to fight for control. When the spell finally passed she got up to go to the shower. She got partially dressed, set the alarmbuzz to allow her half an hour leeway to arrive at the restaurant, rechecked the alarmbuzz, put two strong stimulant tabs on the table and grabbed a nap. She awoke ten minutes before the alarm would have sounded and sat up, downed the two stim tablets, stood, dressed, fixed her makeup and was out. She would be a few minutes early so maybe she could go through her notes one more time. She must impress them that she was serious and was not reacting hysterically to insufficient information from dubious sources. It was all too real.
Was it? Was there any possibility she actually was overreacting?
No! No! No! The facts were plain and undeniable. It was right there for even the dullest and slowest to see. The charts were undeniable.
The car delivered her to the restaurant. She went in to ask where the Hal Korr party was to be seated, was taken to the table where Korr was already having a cocktail. She wouldn't have time to go over the data.
She was surprised in a way. Historians were generally fat, sedentary and over-studious older males with terrible complexions and watery eyes. The Kroon had very wildly patterned skins of many colors. The sunlight brightened the colors and strengthened the contrasts. Historians and mathematicians were generally among those who didn't get much sunlight so were generally faded to pastels. This one seemed in excellent shape for one his age!
Oh, that's right. He returned from a dig only a couple of days ago, but his complexion indicates that he's the outdoors type. He has an athlete's body. How strange.
She stood back tapping her tooth with an index fingernail.
Stop that! It's a habit that isn't attractive! He, surprisingly, is. Very! No wonder that the news media seized on him, though the pictures don't begin to do him justice. He's one of those who don't photograph well. Non-photogenic, they call it. He has charisma, that’s more than certain!
"I AM an air head! What IS the matter with me? Now I'm talking to myself again in a public restaurant!" she mumbled.
She took another deep breath, then went to the table, introduced herself, then went right into her spiel. This was probably all wrong and he'd think she was a fanatic idiot! He probably didn't have any idea what she was babbling about!
But it was important!
Soon Enn Far and a lawyer came and to her great surprise and greater relief didn't question the importance of her information for a single second. That was mostly due to the fact she had caught Hal Korr's attention, she decided, but maybe something could be done now. Maybe the thing could be controlled somehow. It was the end of everything if they couldn't do anything! It was more than obvious Far and the lawyer, Sop, were there for government business, but they could see the importance of her findings so were spending the time discussing them.
The lawyer was the same one who was drawing up a constitution for Far. He said something about quarantine.
NO! That must never happen! Quarantine is against everything I believe in! – Be reasonable! This thing could destroy the Kroon race! It's TIME for extreme methods!
For the first time she suddenly realized this wasn't a drill. It wasn't just another hypothetical lesson and her research wasn't something to do with someone or something else. This was real! This was right here. This was right now!
She shook with a sudden chill as it hit her how close they were to destruction of their very way of life. It could all go.
Perhaps – just perhaps, they could find some solution. The fate of every one of the two point eight five billion people on this planet rode on the decisions of the four people sitting at this table – a preacher, a lawyer, a historian and a health researcher. The people must be told in such a way they wouldn't panic. A panic could be as bad or worse a disaster than any of the rest if it got out of hand.
On the other hand they MUST get the point across with force. It wasn't fair! It was too fine a line!
But then, who ever said life is fair? Isn't that asking a bit much?
She shivered again and wondered if she was getting something. Damn! That would be all she needed! Some debilitating virus or worse at this point was unthinkable!
Was any of this mess even possible? Could the people be reached and convinced while not being panicked?
She drew a deep breath. "I think we must use a modified form of quarantine immediately," she agreed. "The ones we must quarantine are those researchers who may be able to find a cure for this thing, not the ones who have it – although it will almost surely come to that. Our personal freedom means nothing now. We must think of our race, not ourselves, or all is lost – and I do mean all!"
"But to work with the virus means your taking it into quarantine with you," Enn Far protested. "A quarantine would serve little purpose."
"The virus can be isolated and is no threat to anyone with training in those things," Hal said. "There are several large islands off the coast from Klevr about a hundred kilometers. They're well isolated and are large enough for perhaps twenty thousand people.
"Is there a test to determine who is fully free of the virus?"
Mi nodded and said, "We could possibly place our people in isolation for sixty days somewhere here before the test to be absolutely sure they haven't contracted the virus, then send them to the islands. Facilities will have to be built.
"You realize, I'm sure, there will be many riots and the necessity of strongly arming the islands. If this thing gets much out of hand people will try to get to the islands to save themselves and will definitely bring the virus with them. That's one huge danger of public panic. There are literally hundreds more."
"Then the people must not know anything about it," Sop said. "I think that is plain enough."
"You're crazy!" Korr shouted. "They'll be dying! They'll know! I mean to see we have as widespread and strong an education program as we possibly can."
Sop was shaking his head. "No! People will certainly know about the disease – it is the ISLAND they must not know about. Let us not sit around arguing stupid inconsequentialities and misunderstanding one another."
"If we post the Mekos Islands as forbidden they'll know something's going on there," Korr warned. "We can't sit around assuming that everyone's stupid!"
"We'll tell them that research on the virus is going on there and other places," Mi said triumphantly. "They'll be lied to only in that the rumor will be spread there's an even deadlier more horrible strain of the disease there and we must see it doesn't get to the mainland for any reason. Leak information after we've gotten our people there that there was a terrible accident – that the islands are contaminated for the next fifty years minimum. Phony photographs of some truly terrifying and sickening results of the accident will make them avoid the place like ... like the plague."
"That would make the place safe for a little while, at least," Far agreed. "I guess we'd best handle this virus problem immediately and the constitution later. The chronology of these things is definitely out of our hands as of now. There won't be any great need of a constitution if we're thrown back to barbarism by this thing!"
They all agreed on that point.
"I am go
ing to work on the constitutional thing and release reports on progress at intervals," Sop said. "If we suddenly stop now we will not fool anyone for one short minute. It will give us very obvious reasons to meet regularly, too.
"People, I wish I had stayed home and told you to shove your constitution where the air is bad. I never bargained to get into something like this!"
"You are NOT, most assuredly, the only one!" Korr said, sadly.
* * *
"Meet Enn Far at Kehol's Restaurant at 18:30," Sop said into the recorder, then punched back to the study.
"I must be certain I leave nothing out of this document that should be in it and put nothing in that should be excluded. This has to be basic and this has to be complete at the same time.
"Let me see. There shall be three parts to the governing body. The legislative, the judiciary and the executive."
He paused and thought of what the alien had told him.
Damn! Let the alien tell them everything they should do? That is not reasonable! The Terran merely suggested guidelines and tried to cover things that would be important. It is still our decision, but that doesn't lessen the pressure!
"The legislative branch shall have two branches itself, the commons and the elite. The elite shall be a fixed number and shall have control of the budget formation while the commons shall be chosen on the basis of area population and shall control programs. The elite shall be chosen for a period of six years with an election each three years for half of that house. The commons will serve three-year terms.
"Straighten out the way this is presented and the wording. The elite can control the programs by refusing funding for those programs they feel are not proper while the commons can override the elite by a three-quarter's majority.
"Put something in about a ... yes! The executive may suggest programs and will have the power to take those programs directly to the public, who may then demand consideration. The executive may veto any programs or funding, but can be overridden by two thirds vote.
