Shroud of Doom

by William Manchee

  Chapter 30

  Deceit

   

  Events moved quickly once the U.N. Ambassador had accepted the fact that Rammel’s delegation was really from another world. A permanent liaison to the delegation was immediately assigned and from that moment forward there was always a link between Rammel and the United States government.

  The first serious meeting took place a few days later when the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency came by Rammel’s suite at the Hilton. He was accompanied by representatives from the State Department and the Pentagon. Everyone introduced themselves and took a seat around a small conference table.

  “This is indeed an historic occasion,” the Director noted. “Honestly, I never believed that I would be having such a meeting. The idea that we have a sister planet is quite a shock.”

  “Yes,” Rammel said. “I can imagine it would be hard to believe. I’m not sure why, but we have always known about Earth. In fact we have studied your planet from a distance for over a hundred Earth-years. We call them cycles on Tarizon. The time they represent is not exactly the same, as our planet is a little bigger than yours, but they are approximately equivalent.”

  “So, why did it take so long for you to make contact?”

  “We knew our arrival might not be welcomed—at least at first. Humans fear the unknown and we didn’t want to create panic. We had to figure a way to make contact discretely so that we could let you know that we are here in peace.”

  “Along that vein,” the Director said. “We don’t think it would be wise to make your presence known yet to the American people. You are right about fear of the unknown. The people will have to be prepared for the news that life exists on another planet. It will be a delicate task and will take some time.”

  “We totally understand and will leave that up to your discretion,” Rammel agreed. “We did not come here to cause any kind of an upheaval.”

  “So, why did you come?” the Director asked.

  Everyone looked at Rammel expectantly. He sighed deeply. “I am sad to say it, but Tarizon is in turmoil. Just when a world government was finally established and we’d enjoyed twenty cycles of peace, the world was struck by super volcanic eruptions, thousands of tremors, title waves, fires, and every other imaginable catastrophe that could beset a planet.”

  “Oh, my God!” the Director said. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you. The net effect of these disasters has been loss of millions of lives, the destruction of much of our world’s infrastructure, the loss of forty percent of all our homes and buildings, the pollution of our air and water, and, worst of all, the loss of light from the sun.”

  “Loss of light from the sun?” the Director questioned.

  “Yes, Tarizon has been engulfed in a shroud of ash and other toxins that are blocking seventy-eight percent of the light that normally would fall on our planet. Besides the constant state of near darkness, the loss of this light has destroyed our primary energy source as well as most of our agricultural production.”

  “So, how can we help?” the Director asked.

  “Well, what I was sent here to negotiate was the resettlement of 20 million Tarizonians to your planet.”

  The director just stared at Rammel, thunderstruck by what he was hearing. General Stout, one of the representatives from the Pentagon cleared his throat. “So, you’re proposing to bring 20 million refugees to Earth?”

  “Yes,” Rammel said. “That’s exactly what we are asking but we don’t expect you to do it out of the kindness of your heart. We will make it worth your while.”

  “Assuming we agreed to this, which is by no means a certainty, what could you possibly offer us to make it worthwhile to accept your people, find a place for them to live, feed them, and deal with the incredible backlash that something like this could cause,” the Director asked.

  “Well, what we are offering if technology. Technology that will advance the United States by 50 years and insure that you are the dominate nation on Earth for a long time to come.”

  “What kind of technology?” General Stout asked.

  Rammel gestured toward Lt. Sincini. “Well, I brought with me Lt. Sincini. He’s our scientific director and he and your scientist can get together later to discuss this technology in more detail, but we can offer you the ability to travel through space faster than light, conceal your jets so they can fly anywhere undetected, set up a defense system that will insure no missiles will ever hit a target on U.S. soil, and generate enough solar power that your will never have to burn coal or oil again.”

   General Stout raised his eyebrows. “Okay, you’ve got our attention. Perhaps we can set up a meeting with Lt. Sincini with some of our scientist tomorrow. We will want a detailed report on this technology you are offering to show the President when we meet with him.”

  “That will be fine,” Rammel said.

  “Yes,” the Director said. “And my people will want more details on these 20 million refugees. We’ll have to figure out the logistics of handling so many people. The President will want to know if it is even feasible. You know, where would we put them? How would be feed them? Do we build a new city or integrate them within our own population. There’s just so much to consider.”

  “We are at your disposal. I know this is a monumental task and it will take some time to sort out, so just let us know how we can help.”

   

   

  Lt Commander Brunns, Commander Kulchz and Ensign Muri left Rammel’s suite and went down to the coffee shop in the lobby to talk. They had, so far, been silent observers, being content to watch how the negotiations were developing. But now some decisions had to be made.

  “So, what do you think the Americans will do now?” Kulchz asked.

  “I don’t know, but I know what I’m going to do.”

  “What’s that?” Aerial asked.

  “I’m going to get assigned to Rossi Sincini delegation to explain the technology incentive to the scientists and military. You should do the same Kulchz. We need to start making friends.”

  “Okay,” Kulchz replied.

  “What about me?” Aerial asked.

  “You better stick with the Ambassador so you can keep me apprised as to the progress of the negotiations.”

  “Yes, sir. No problem.” Aerial agreed.

  “I brought a few things of my own to help mold a few friendships,” Brunns advised.

  “Like what,” Kulchz asked.

  “Like gold and diamonds. I understand they are a very hot commodity here on earth.”

  Kulchz smiled wryly. “How much did you bring?”

  “Enough to make them very wealthy if they agree to cooperate.”

  “Do you think they will betray their own government?” Aerial asked.

  “They are human, so I suppose they will for the right price.”

  “But I understand patriotism is very strong in America,” Aerial argued.

  “Well, if money doesn’t do the trick I’m sure you could seduce them and we could get some compromising photos. Who could resist the opportunity to be the first man on Earth to sleep with a woman from another world.”

  “I’m not a prostitute,” Aerial objected.

  “No, but you are an officer and you will obey orders.”

   Aerial gave Commander Brunns a scathing look. “What about us?”

  “There is no us. You will do as you’re told.”

  “But, how—”

   “Enough!” Brunns spat. “You’ll do what is expected of you to make this mission a success. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Aerial conceded bitterly.

  “Now, you can start by going up to Ambassador Garciah’s suite and becoming his constant companion. I want to know everything that is going on.”

  “He has a mate and two children back at the ship. I doubt he’ll feel comfortable having me hang around.”

  “He’s a man. He won’t mind, I promise you. ”

  “Thi
s isn’t what I signed up for when I joined the party. I’m a military officer not a sex toy.”

  “Quit moaning and obey your orders. I know this is a diplomatic mission but I can still put a bullet in your head for insubordination.”

  Aerial signed deeply and stood up. “Alright, I’m going.”

  “Stay close by the Ambassador. Make sure you are in earshot at all times.”

  “Yes, sir.” Aerial said as she stomped off angrily.

  Commander Brunns shook his head and smiled at Kulchz. “What a frustrating woman?”

  “Why do you put up with her,” Kulchz inquired. “I would have shot her the first time she refused a direct order.”

  “She didn’t refuse. She just wanted me to know she didn’t like the assignment.”

  “Too bad. I don’t like many of my assignments, but I do them without question.”

  “Well, the truth is I like having her around so I put up with more than I should. She’s a very alluring woman. It gets lonely at night and being with her can be quite intoxicating.”

  Kulchz laughed. “Oh, I see. I’m surprised you gave her up to the Ambassador, then.”

  “Well, sometimes you have to make short term sacrifices to achieve your long term goals, right?”

  They both laughed heartily.

  “Besides have you seen some of the American wenches hanging around in the downstairs lobby.”

  Kulchz nodded excitedly. “Oh, yes. Indeed.”

  “Well, I needed to make room in my bed for one of them.”

  They both laughed again.

  “So, what are we waiting for?” Kulchz asked eagerly.

  “Nothing,” Brunns said. “Let’s go downstairs, get drunk, and find us couple of nice wenches to bring back with us.

  They both got up laughing and set out eagerly on their quest for a memorable evening.

   

   

  After the successful construction of a warehouse at the science laboratory in less than two phases, Central Authority decided to divide the nanomite swarms and start five new projects at Gallion, Mapi, Shini, and Vaceen. The projects were simple government buildings for bureaucrats who were working rather inefficiently in temporary structures. When Artis informed the nanomites of the move, they objected.

  “Central Authority is very pleased with the construction of the warehouse and would like you to do five projects now at other sites in Lemaine Shane. They propose to divide your hives by five and move you to these new locations.”

  “Some of the swarms can be moved, but not all of them. We agreed to build structures for the humans but they are also our homes now and some nanomites will have to be allowed to live there.”

  Artis relayed this to Baldrige who was surprised by it. He consulted with Central Authority who didn’t like the idea.

  “Central Authority doesn’t want nanomites to remain in the structures they build. They say they will provide you with farms where you can live between construction projects.”

  “No, we won’t build something we cannot live in. Besides, our structures will require maintenance which the inhabitants will happily perform.”

  Artis relayed this to Baldrige and asked him why it made a difference. The humans inhabiting the buildings would never even know the Nanomites were still there. It wasn’t like the Nanomites would play loud music or anything. Finally, after much debate Baldrige and Central Authority finally gave in and agreed that some of the nanomites could stay. Once this was ironed out twenty-five Nanomite blocks were sent to each of the five sites selected for new government office buildings. This meant Artis had to do a lot of traveling to provide the necessary communication between Baldrige and his engineers and the nanomite speakers. The upside to this was a dramatic increase in the number of nanomite swarms. In less than a cycle the Nanomite swarm population on Tarizon went from an estimated five million to 750 million, and this was just the beginning of the Nanomite’s entry into the construction industry on Tarizon.

   

   

  The President accepted the U.N. Ambassador, General Stout and the CIA Director into the Oval Office. After being served coffee and exchanging pleasantries, the President started the meeting.

  “So, it is true. There are aliens here from another planet?”

  “Yes,” General Stout replied. “It appears that way, although we haven’t seen their spaceship yet. They say it is hidden somewhere close by but won’t tell us where.”

  “So, it still could be a clever ruse. I could see the Chinese or the Russians doing something like this to embarrass us.”

  “I don’t think so,” Stout said. “We’ve had a meeting with their science officer, Lt. Sincini. He’s obviously a brilliant man and quite knowledgeable. He’s given us some rock and materials samples that are quite extraordinary. One material called limbidium is as light as aluminum but much stronger and tougher than any steel alloy we have on Earth. They claim it is nearly indestructible, but, whether it is or not, either way it is something that would revolutionize the construction of military equipment from tanks to supersonic fighters.”

  “They say they have fighters on Tarizon that travel mach 8,” the Director added.

  “What about this alien life-form, the Seafolken. Did our medical people check her out?”

  “Yes, they say she is very much a human but has adapted to live also in the sea,” the Director replied.

  “Could she just be some kind of mutation born here on Earth?”

  “I don’t know. They claim there were once Seafolken here on Earth—the mythical mermaid. They believe Tarizon is a sister planet and the original human settlers brought with them the same plants, trees, insects, birds, and animals to both planets. Although, humans are the only sentient life-form on Earth there are several other sentient life-forms on Tarizon that have lived in harmony for thousands of years.”

  The President stood up and began pacing. “This is just so mind boggling, I’m having trouble getting my head around it.”

  “Yes, sir,” General Stout agreed. “It is a lot to comprehend.”

  “I mean, the ramifications of this becoming public knowledge are staggering. There will be a media frenzy beyond belief.”

  “Yes, and since these aliens have superior technology what is to stop them from just taking control of the Earth once they get 20 million of their kind here,” the Director warned.

  “But, you’ve got to admit, they seem sincere,” the Ambassador said. “Particularly Ambassador Rammel. He’s obviously an honorable man, a statesman, you can tell.”

  “Yes, but with their 20 million people there will have to be thousands of spaceships, spaceships that most likely will be equipped with weaponry,” General Stout said. “What if this is just a ploy to get a foothold on Earth and then take over?”

  “What I think, Mr. President,” the Ambassador said, “is that the government of Tarizon is desperate. They have shown us video footage of the volcanic eruptions, tremors, tidal waves, and fires. The situation is cataclysmic. They are coming here whether we like it or not, so it is better that we accept them as brothers rather than as conquerors. We don’t want Earth to end up like Tarizon.”

  The President shook his head and sat down. “Alright. What you say makes sense. I assume Earth is the only suitable place for them to settle.”

  “So they say,” General Stout agreed.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like we have much choice. Why don’t we propose a compromise. There is no way we can allow 20 million people to come all at once. It would create a general worldwide panic.”

  “Yes, you’re right, Mr. President,” General Stout said. “I would propose a covert operation. We allow maybe one million to come spread out over a few years. We can let them assimilate into population centers all over the United States so they won’t be noticed.”

  “But with that many aliens there is no way their existence won’t be noticed,” the Ambassador argued. “I think it would be better to be forthright with the American peop
le and the world. It would be impossible to keep something like this under wraps. Either accept them or tell them no. That’s the right thing to do.”

  “No, we need their technology,” General Stout argued. “Once we have it we can better defend ourselves should they turn out to be hostile.”

  “You’re right. It may be impossible to keep a lid on this,” the President acknowledged.

  “Not necessarily,” the CIA Director replied. “It may be possible to swear the Tarizonians to secrecy. It would have to be a CIA operation, of course.”

  “Well, look into it. If Ambassador Rammel can guarantee to keep the project secret and the CIA agrees it can be done, then maybe we can work something out. But not 20 million! Get them to be more realistic. Won’t things get better on Tarizon eventually. Can’t we just help them get through this calamity somehow without bringing them all here?”

  “Yes, Mr. President. Perhaps if we just let them conceive their children here on Earth in a toxin free environment, then when they return to Tarizon their children will be strong and healthy,” the Director suggested. “That should guarantee that the human race survives.”

  The Ambassador shook his head. “I think this is a mistake, Mr. President. You should be honest with the American people and the Tarizonians. Either accept them here openly or refuse them. Even letting them breed on Earth is a huge risk. There is no way it could be kept secret.”

  “Right. Refuse them and suffer the consequences,” General Stout spat. “If they have the technology to travel millions of miles through space, do you think we’d have even the slightest chance of repelling their attack. Give me a break!”

  “Okay,” the President said. “See if we can’t work out a compromise and keep a lid on this. Only those who need to know will be brought in on this secret. And, for the record, this meeting never happened.

   

   

  Rammel smiled when Ensign Muri walked into his suite. He liked Ensign Muri. She was quite beautiful and had a most pleasant demeanor. Just having her around made him feel good for some reason. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the woman was like medicine. If he was tired or melancholy just seeing her picked him up.

  “Ensign Muri. To what do I owe the pleasure?

  “Well, I thought maybe you might need a dinner companion. Commander Brunns and Kulchz are out enriching their cultural experience, so I was left all alone.”

  “Really. Well, that’s their loss and my gain. I would love to have dinner with you.”

  “Good. I’ve heard there is a Chinese restaurant down the street.”

  “Chinese. I don’t think I know what that is?”

  “It’s a land on the other side of the globe. Apparently many of their people have immigrated to the United States and set up a Chinatown in every major city.”

  “How interesting. Let me get my coat and we will give it a try.”

  Rammel left the room for a moment and Aerial waited. She wondered if she should be honest with him or keep her assignment to herself. It would be dangerous for her to talk freely to him. She didn’t want to compromise such a good man. She knew if she tried to seduce him, no matter how much he loved his mate, he would be unable to resist her. When he stepped back into the room with his coat on she took his arm.

  When they left the suite the security team the CIA had assigned to them insisted on accompanying them, so they walked out of the hotel with two men following several strides behind them. It was a pleasant night and Rammel felt exhilarated with Aerial on his arm. He looked around taking in the bright lights and mass of people walking the streets, talking, laughing and enjoying the evening. When they got to their destination Aerial pointed up to the neon dragon that adorned the building.

  “That looks like one of our drogals on Tarizon.”

  “Yes it does. Maybe it is a drogal but on Earth it’s called a dragon.”

  They opened the door and walked inside the restaurant ornately decorated like an emperor’s palace with soft music playing in the background. A beautiful Chinese woman bowed and then took Garciah’s coat. Another woman showed them to a booth and gave them menus.

  “This is wonderful,” Aerial said. “It’s so different than anything on Tarizon.”

  “Yes. It is quite enchanting. America has a very rich culture.”

  The waitress returned with a pot of tea, poured them a cup and then asked for their orders. Neither of them knew what to order so they asked the waitress for a recommendation.

  “You should order a buffet and then you can take a little of everything and see what you like.”

  “Excellent idea,” the Ambassador agreed.

  “Yes. That sounds good.”

  The waitress escorted them to the buffet table and gave them plates. A few minutes later they were back at their booth with food piled high on their plates.

  “Oh, this is wonderful,” Aerial said as she stuffed her mouth with cashew chicken.

  The Ambassador nodded but was too busy eating to respond. They ate with little conversation until their plates were nearly empty.

  “Hmm. What a good idea it was to come here,” the Ambassador said. “I’m so glad you came by.”

  “Me too,” Aerial said, her tone suddenly getting serious. “Ambassador, I need to tell you something in confidence. Can I do that?”

  Rammel gave Aerial a hard look. “Confidential? What are we talking about? Something personal?”

  “No. Something about me. I’d like to let you in on a little secret that you have to promise not to mention to anyone else.”

  Rammel frowned. “Well, this is highly irregular. I don’t know if I can make that promise.”

  “If I tell you and you betray me, I will likely be killed.”

  Rammel sighed. “If I make you this promise, will I compromise our mission?”

  “No. Not at all. In fact it will make it more likely to succeed.”

  “Well, then I promise to keep your secret, whatever it is.”

  Aerial smiled. “Wonderful. You know I am a member of the Purist Party.”

  “Yes. That was made clear to me when you were added to the delegation. In fact, I was hoping to show you the error of your ways.”

  Aerial laughed. “Well, that won’t be necessary. I am part Seafolken and I detest everything the Purists stand for.”

  Rammel’s eyes widened. “Really? That is a quite a shock.”

  “Yes, nobody knows but Colonel Zitor, Threebeard and now you. So, you must never mention this to anyone, even your mate.”

  “No. I wouldn’t. But, why are you with the Purists if you don’t believe in what they stand for.”

  “We cannot let the Purists ever get control of the government. That would be the end of the Supreme Mandate and the end of freedom for all life-forms on Tarizon. I couldn’t let that happen, so I decided to be a spy and do everything I could to subvert the Purist’s agenda.”

  “Well, this is a very dangerous path you have chosen, but I commend you for your courage.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So, does Commander Brunns know you are with me? Isn’t it dangerous for you to go out to dinner with me?”

  “No. In fact, my job is to seduce you and keep you close at all times, so I can report back to the commander everything you are doing.”

  “Oh. I see. Well, that’s very interesting.”

  “Yes. So don’t tell me anything you don’t want the commander to hear.”

  “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “But, I will tell you everything that Commander Brunns and Kulchz are up to, so they won’t get the upper hand.”

  Rammel laughed. “Wow. Was this Colonel Zitor or Threebeard’s idea or yours.”

  “Mine. I only went to them because I needed someone to provide intelligence to. Threebeard was perfect since we could talk telepathically and nobody would ever know. But when I got assigned to the delegation going to Earth, I needed to find someone else to report to. Threebeard suggested you. He said I could
trust your discretion.”

  “Indeed you can.”

  “So, you won’t mind me hanging around and pretending to be your lover. I don’t want to cause problems with you and your mate.”

  “No. My staff will keep my secret. They will be surprised by my perceived indiscretion, but they won’t say anything to Petrina.”

  “You can’t tell her about our true relationship, even if she hears that we are spending a lot of time together.”

  Rammel swallowed hard. “I won’t compromise you. I promise.”

  “Good then. This will be a very pleasant assignment.”

  Rammel smiled broadly.