Vinium (The Silver Ships Book 10)

by S. H. Jucha

  While Alex and the fleet chased the second sphere, Haraken and New Terra began construction of the enclosed bays they would need to spray the faux shells on the manufactured frames and bulkheads of their first Tridents. Neither government saw a need to hurry and build scout ships. The tiny ships required SADE crews, and the Harakens and New Terrans thought the long-range searches were best left to the Omnians, who had a knack for it.

  On the other hand, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Gino with the Confederation Council, but he didn’t expect it to be. Rather than present the agreement directly to the body of Leaders, Gino gathered his strongest supporters, Bartosz Rolek, Emilio Torres, Shannon Brixton, and, of course, Katrina Pasko.

  “You want to convince the Council to build warships?” Bartosz asked in surprise, unable to let Gino finish his presentation.

  “Add the Omnians, Harakens, and New Terrans together, Bartosz. How many worlds do you have?” Gino asked rhetorically. “We can’t expect them to protect the entire Confederation.”

  “Look how many probes have already been discovered,” Katrina added. It was obvious to the small group whose side she favored. “And what have we been doing about them? Throwing rocks at them. Once, we were the technological leaders of humankind in this small part of the galaxy, and we prided ourselves on that. But we aren’t anymore.”

  “Sers, how many times must danger visit our worlds, before we decide to take up the defense of our systems in our own hands?” Gino asked, rising from his chair to address his friends. Unknowingly, he was imitating an approach often used by Alex and Omnian senior officers.

  “But you aren’t only asking us to build warships,” Emilio said. “You’re also asking us to provide military-trained personnel to crew them.”

  “Alex Racine has offered an idea for that,” Gino argued. “We can train our personnel at the Haraken naval academy. What better place could there be?”

  “I don’t see Méridiens volunteering for service,” Shannon Brixton said.

  “Perhaps, Ser, that’s because you don’t view the Independents as Méridiens,” Katrina replied.

  Gino’s friends glanced from Katrina to him and back. Gino wore a grin and cocked an eyebrow.

  “You’d force the Independents to serve in the military?” Emilio asked. He was incredulous and then taken aback when Gino and Katrina burst into laughter.

  “My friends, I love you dearly, but I must admit that sometimes I’m confused by your thinking!” Gino said.

  “It’s our thinking that has remained consistent, Gino.” Shannon accused. “You and Katrina have spent a great deal of time throughout the years with Alex and Renée.”

  “That’s true, Shannon, but do you know who else was in their company, in addition to New Terrans? Méridiens … Independents,” Gino replied. “They’re Alex’s fiercest supporters, and, with the SADEs, they’re the leaders in the fight against the Nua’ll.”

  “What’s your point, Gino?” Shannon asked.

  “It’s this, Shannon. We won’t force the military on the Independents. In fact, I’d like to suspend the process of branding our people as Independents. I believe the Méridiens who display a displeasure with our societal strictures, might be the individuals who would embrace naval service. And, if they don’t, we should find another means of keeping them within our society rather than shipping them off to some forsaken colony.”

  “Especially since Alex Racine continues to liberate them and make them a valuable part of his worlds,” Katrina interjected. “If nothing else, that should prove the insanity of what we do … discarding our citizens for what we believe are errant behaviors, while another individual, who has twice protected our worlds, collects them for their value to his societies.”

  Quiet followed Katrina’s words. This particular group of Leaders hadn’t been in favor of the harsh environment of Daelon, the dead moon that served as the last Independent colony. In contrast, many Council Leaders had been incensed at Alex’s efforts to support the evacuation of the first colony at Libre and, more so, when he liberated Daelon.

  “Are you intent on tying all this together in your presentation to the Council, Gino?” Bartosz asked, dubious about the success of that possibility.

  “How can we accomplish the goal of protecting the Confederation if we don’t line up every element … the agreement’s approval, warship construction, cease branding the Independents, raising a military force, and requesting training at Haraken?”

  Gino’s three friends looked from one to another, and the Council Leader shared a glance with his partner, Katrina. When no one had much to say, Gino thanked them for coming and showed them to the door of his luxurious sky tower suite.

  “That went well,” Katrina joked, but when she noticed Gino’s crestfallen expression, she hugged him. “Apologies, Gino. That was insensitive of me.”

  “I’d hoped for a sign of support, at the least from this group. In manner of thought, they’re closest to us. If I can’t convince them to see the way forward, how am I going to convince the Council, with the likes of Darse Lemoyne and Lawrence Teressi in attendance?”

  Gino walked to the slate of windows that encompassed one entire side of the salon. Clouds had moved in far below the sky tower’s uppermost level, where Gino’s suite of rooms occupied the entire floor. The lights of the Méridien capital were obscured.

  Katrina came up behind Gino and encircled his waist with her arms. “I don’t have an answer for you, my partner,” she said. Then she laughed softly.

  Gino turned around within her grasp and pulled her to him, nuzzling her ear. “Why do you laugh?”

  Katrina chuckled and said, “Of all things to think, I was wondering what Alex would do.” She could feel Gino’s soft laughter through her chest and she hugged him tighter. Then his laughter halted, and she pulled her head back to study his face. Gino was staring into space.

  “Yes, what Alex would do,” Gino repeated in a whisper. Then he smiled, a huge, broad smile, and kissed Katrina’s forehead.

  * * *

  In an unprecedented move for a Council Leader, Gino Diamanté waited for his guests in Confederation Hall’s ornate and awe-inspiring main entrance corridor. Translucent panels along one side of the corridor splayed the light of Méridien’s star in mesmerizing colors.

  “Sers, thank you for coming at short notice,” Gino said, by way of greeting the four SADEs who advanced quickly toward him.

  “Generous of you to say, Council Leader Diamanté,” Domino replied, “but we serve the Confederation and a request by your personage, as polite as it was couched, isn’t something we would ignore.

  Gino nodded in appreciation, and asked, “Were you able to complete your tables and come to a conclusion?”

  “For something as considerable as what you’ve asked, Leader Diamanté,” Serge replied, “we would have preferred considerably more time to research the data. However, we’re prepared to offer the Council a preliminary summary.”

  “Excellent,” Gino replied. “This way, Sers.”

  Those seated in the Supplicants Hall, which preceded Council Chambers, rose and nodded at Gino as he passed. The attendant at the Council’s massive doors was shocked to see the Council Leader using this manner of entrance to the exalted Chambers. He hurriedly signaled the doors aside, and his mouth was slightly ajar, as Gino and his guests marched inside.

  “To business, fellow Leaders,” Gino said, as he ascended his centrally located podium, which allowed him to meet the rows of Leaders at eye level. The four SADEs stood patiently beside the raised dais, waiting for their cues.

  Gino spent the best part of an hour outlining his plan, but his presentation wasn’t without interruption. He’d decided to divulge his entire concept in one go, and, as certain Leaders heard various elements that they found incredible, they vocalized their objections.

  In the case of each interruption, Gino halted and waited, while the Council’s controller called the Leaders to order, indicating to them that the Council Leade
r held the floor and hadn’t opened the meeting to discussion.

  When Gino finished and requested comments from the Leaders, Darse Lemoyne jumped to his feet. “This is a preposterous assembly of fiction meant to frighten us into tearing apart the fabric of Méridien society.”

  “Which part do you consider fictional, Leader Lemoyne?” Gino asked. “The second sphere the Omnians have located? The probes that have been found in every human system and that we are still finding in nearby systems? The Nua’ll aren’t a single event that we’re fortunate to have survived with the aid of others. They’re being considered an extensive and ancient civilization with an age-old habit of expanding their territory.”

  “The Confederation is wealthy,” Lawrence Teressi called out. “Even if we were to require protection from these aliens, we have the credits to hire others, who have a taste for killing.”

  “And how would you go about that, Leader Teressi?” Gino asked. “I have it on good authority from President Lechaux of Haraken, Envoy Gonzalez of New Terra, and Alex Racine of Omnia that they will be constructing warships to protect their systems and hunt the Nua’ll sphere. After that, they intend to find the aliens’ home world or worlds, as it might be. Do you think they’ll be eager to accept our credits, so they might protect us, while they leave their own people vulnerable?”

  “At this point, I must admit I’m undecided about the Council Leader’s proposal,” Shannon Brixton said, standing to make her statement. “But I must point out the fallacies in Leader Teressi’s consideration that we might pay for protection. The governments enumerated by our Council Leader have responsibility for a total of three worlds. They haven’t the time or resources, even if they had the will or desire, to provide the forces for the number of Confederation systems we presently occupy. And consider these additional two points: Are we to sit idle and cease expansion so that we don’t strain a military shield, if we could hire one? And how long would these employed forces be required to patrol our systems? It might be generations before the Nua’ll come our way. Then, when the incursion finally came, Leader Teressi has every expectation that these hired individuals would happily expend their lives defending worlds that aren’t inhabited by their people.”

  Shannon’s observations were scaring the Leaders, who, for the most part, wanted no part of Gino’s proposal. On the other hand, they disagreed with Darse Lemoyne that the threat wasn’t real.

  “I took the liberty of providing assistance to help you reach a decision on what I’m proposing,” Gino said. “All of you know the fours SADEs beside me, but you might not recognize them in their present guise since they were freed.” Gino had used a word unwelcomed by the Council Leaders. They preferred to refer to the SADEs as released, not freed. Gino’s term, although accurate, connoted the distasteful image of imprisonment.

  “May I introduce Domino, Serge, Linton, and Pierce?” Gino said.

  The four SADEs gave a Leader’s salutation to the Council, as they were introduced.

  Murmurs, whispers, and thoughts ran through the rows of Leaders. The four SADEs had never sailed a starship, managed a station or a sky tower, or run a House. The Confederation had installed these four SADEs independent of any such tasks. They were created specifically to offer risk assessment to any Leader, regarding business proposals.

  Across the Confederation, there were few SADEs respected more than these four, except for Winston, the ex-Council SADE, who now headed the SADEs’ Strategic Investment Fund, referred to as SIF.

  Compared to the flamboyant synth-skins adopted by many of the SADEs, who had immigrated to Haraken and Omnia, these four SADEs appeared normal, bland even. In most respects, they adopted common human characteristics, except for their avatars’ stature, which was neither the slender Méridien nor the robust New Terran.

  Domino took a step forward. “I have been asked to present our findings on the risk assessment of whether the Confederation should provide military protection for its colonies or not. We aren’t commenting on how a force might be procured if the Council chooses that direction. Despite the complex nature of Council Leader Diamanté’s query, we examined the financial risks of this choice, based on actuary data and standard risk management practices.”

  Domino outlined what data the SADEs had used to create their actuary tables. She enumerated the evidence collected about the Nua’ll spheres and probes. Carefully and succinctly, she built toward her conclusion.

  “In summary, Leaders, it’s evident that the threat is of such magnitude that it would be foolish not to provide some sort of insurance to mitigate a potential disaster,” Domino said.

  “My colleague is careful with her words, Leaders,” Linton said, stepping beside Domino. “In simpler terms, we believe the Nua’ll threat is severe enough that there is every possibility the Confederation could be wiped from its systems. Our advice is: Spend your credits and protect yourselves and us.”

  “While I appreciate the service of these four individuals, who have been of great value to all of us,” Lemoyne said. “I might point out that these are conjectures … what ifs that we can’t depend on to require us to make extensive changes in our society.”

  “Leader Lemoyne, I must correct your statement,” Pierce said, “Your House and you, personally, have relied on our recommendations for more than a hundred years. In every case, our advice was in response to your what ifs, as you refer to them. This is no different. It’s merely pondering a much more frightening scenario.”

  Gino was about to accept another question from the Leaders when Domino signaled him, and he offered her the opportunity to speak.

  “Leaders, the Council Leader asked a single question, which we’ve tried to answer,” Domino said. “However, due to the serious nature of the subject, we took it upon ourselves to investigate further and see if we could model the risk-assessment dynamics as events unfolded over time.”

  “We tried an experiment, in a manner of speaking,” Pierce said. He was the one who had suggested to the other SADEs that they delve deeper into the possibility of a potential crisis. “We formed our tables at three different points within the Confederation’s timeline … before the attack on the Rêveur, immediately after the destruction of the first sphere, and in the present circumstances.

  A Leader stood to speak, but Gino signaled for restraint, while Pierce continued. “At the first point in time, we saw little risk to the Confederation from any substantial outside interference … foolish as that conclusion now appears to be in hindsight. At the second point, we saw the elimination of the Nua’ll vessel as heralding an enormous future risk that this Council has seen fit to deny on many occasions. It wasn’t logical to us that Leaders would depend on our services for so many of their decisions, but, on this particular subject of possible outside interference in Méridien society, you would fail to heed our advice.”

  “Considering the present circumstances,” Linton said, picking up Pierce’s thread, “we’ve concluded the future is not one of measuring the extent of the risk, which would indicate the potential of the interference returning. It has become a matter of assuming a 100 percent probability of that happening. The only variable remaining becomes postulating when that might happen.”

  The Leaders spent hours questioning the SADEs before the Council broke for midday meal, and Gino thanked the SADEs for their efforts.

  “We’re concerned, Ser,” Serge said. “While I’m not astute at reading the body languages and facial expressions of humans in regard to this stressful situation, it appears the Council members are unconvinced by our presentation. We would appreciate an explanation.”

  Gino thought of some of the statements made by Alex about working with the first group of SADEs he’d freed at Haraken. Honesty and bluntness were what he advised.

  “Many of the Leaders are scared,” Gino explained. “They’re frightened by the difficult choice and of making the wrong decision. They worry that if they choose a military option and nothing happens, then they would have perve
rted our society, as they see it, for no reason at all. In the other case, they’re afraid of not choosing the military option and risk being responsible for the elimination of every human and SADE in the Confederation.”

  “But fear should not be part of the equation in making a decision of this magnitude,” Domino argued. “The more critical the subject, the more important to decide logically on weighted risks.”

  “That’s a SADE thing to do, Domino, and one that rational, calm humans can make.”

  “But frightened ones might not,” Pierce supplied, understanding what Gino was driving at.

  “And the fate of all of us is in the hands of scared humans?” Linton asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “A decision hasn’t been made yet, my friends,” Gino replied. “Have faith that the Leaders will find the courage to do what needs to be done.”

  The SADEs paid their respects to Gino with a salute and left the Chambers.

  Gino had invited his partner and close friends to his sumptuous offices and ordered midday meal served there. Now, he hurried to join them.

  “The SADEs did well,” Katrina commented, when the servers had left.

  “Yes, they did,” Gino agreed.

  “I find I’m leaning toward your proposal, Gino,” Shannon commented. “Our House has profited immensely from Serge’s advice. It seems idiotic not to heed it now because the question before us requires a significant shift in our future’s path.”

  “What about you two?” Gino asked Bartosz and Emilio, and he was disappointed to hear they were still undecided.

  “And if these are the opinions of my friends, I can imagine what the majority of the Leaders are thinking,” Gino said. Silence descended on the group, and the Leaders consumed their meal without another word.

  When the Council resumed, Gino was undecided how to proceed. He was loath to call for a vote, knowing his proposal would probably be defeated.