War of the Innocents

by Michelle Breon

  He filed away the recording and the image files, saving some on data crystals to put into the folder for the operatives near both planets. The computer had already intoned midnight when he switched it off and filed the folder away again, this time in the Potential Targets drawer.

  When Phil checked his messages around one in the morning, there was only one he needed to see. He quickly decoded the message, “On it. Saw the dog and pony show. Will take time.” He deleted the message and began reading the rest of his messages.

  Gillian and her family remained on Earth for almost a week, since Gillian wanted to spend time with Morgan. They all watched the news as the media chewed on the discovery. Jason’s office was bombarded with phone calls and visitors all wanting an exclusive story, despite the in-depth story that Ryan released the day after the press conference. His students were restless until he answered several questions. The other doctors visited as well, offering congratulations and asking about the president.

  Only Dr. Alan Gillespie offered his condolences. “How are you and Morgan holding up?” Alan had visited Llanelyn many times since helping with the Sleeping Sickness.

  “She thrives on this. Me, I just want to go back to the peace and quiet.”

  Alan chuckled. “You knew this day would come sometime. But seriously, the NASA archives? It took you all this time to check them.”

  “No. It took me the first twenty-five years to find someone who knew where they were and the next five to get permission to access them. It only took my tech students a few months to crack the ancient data structures.”

  “Typical government bureaucracy. The Mercy II is due back any day. Should we send her out to Parrhesia?”

  “No. The nanochips worked.”

  They talked for a few minutes before Alan left to teach his next class. With no reporters in sight, Jason headed home for the day.

  Morgan took Angel shopping several times. Angel was recognized once in a small boutique. After that she changed into Earth designed clothes when they went shopping. Nik changed as well, since he accompanied her everywhere. Gillian changed on the times she accompanied them. Mischka did not join them, since he hated shopping. The time allowed him to check into other matters. He and Gillian met with Ryan twice during the week.

  Finally Gillian decided they needed to return home. To avoid the reporters they left in the middle of the night. Jason and Morgan accompanied them to the transporter at the university. After hugs and well wishes, Mischka went first, then Gillian, and Angel.

  As Jason shook hands with Nik, he handed him a data crystal. “My office vidphone number is there, along with our house vidphone and Morgan’s number. If you ever need anything while you are here, do not hesitate to call us.”

  “Danku.”

  “Keep my niece and yourself safe,” Morgan whispered as she hugged him.

  Nik nodded and stepped onto the transporter pad, then stepped off behind Angel.

  Several transport jumps later, they arrived home as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Nik dropped Angel’s bag at her house before heading home.

  Several days later, the vidphone beeped startling everyone in Angel’s office. Angel answered it. “Goesh muirnon.”

  A well dress woman appeared on the screen, her hair and makeup perfect. “Good morning. I’m Ms. Winthrop assistant to President Liacomo of the Earth Alliance. I’m calling today to notify the Cerato of Llanelyn of the upcoming Peace Conference.”

  “I am the Cerato,” Angel said.

  The woman’s business like expression never changed. “Oh. The Conference will be held at the Embassy Building starting in seven days and will last for four days. Do you require assistance with transportation or accommodations?”

  Angel looked to Mischka and Gillian. “I have transportation for now, but accommodations close to the Embassy Building would be helpful.”

  “Very well. I will arrange for rooms at the Embassy Suites Hotel. How many rooms do you require?”

  “It will be just me and my bodyguard.”

  The woman nodded. “A one bedroom suite so that your bodyguard can sleep between you and the suite door. I will send you the transporter coordinates tomorrow. Food will be provided during the Conference. All delegates are being asked to check in by eight in the morning for security scans and ID checks. No weapons or video devices are allowed. Only one assistant may enter the Conference chamber with you at any time. Do you have any questions?”

  Angel shook her head, red ringlets bouncing a little. “Not at this time.”

  “Very well. If you have questions later, you can contact me at this number. Good day.” She terminated the connection.

  “Why do you not want to stay with Aunt Morgan?” Gillian asked.

  “I don’t want to burden her and navigating from her home to the Embassy Building might be difficult, considering the reporters. I thought twould be easier this first time.”

  “But you only said two. How we will know where to meet you?” Mischka asked.

  Angel turned to face them both. “I need you to stay here with our people. If the Gods are wrong and war does come here while I am off planet, I need you to lead our people.” She grinned mischievously. “Besides, we all know Mema hates the transporter.”

  Gillian smiled ruefully. “I don’t deny it. Are you sure you are ready?”

  “No, but I never will be if I keep leaning on you. Besides, I’m sure this conference will be boring.”

  Gillian and Mischka relented. “If anything happens you know we will help in any way. Amourité.”

  “Aiy. Amourité Mema.”

  The next seven days passed quietly for Angel. She packed and repacked for the trip several times, studied with Ian, and read what his friend Doug had translated so far. She rarely saw Nik though the rest of her friends stopped by her office often. Finally, she gave up trying to find Nik and left him a message as to when they would need to leave.

  Nik met her at her house at the appointed time.

  Angel insisted that Gillian, Mischka, and Mary not go to the transporter with them. When Gillian had disagreed, Mary had sided with Angel. “You have to let her grow up sometime, mama.”

  Mary hugged her. “Vidphone to let us know you reach the hotel.”

  “I will mama.”

  “When you need a break, Aunt Morgan is just a call away,” Gillian said with a grin. “She likes shopping with you.”

  Mischka pulled Nik aside. “Guard her well. She does not know everything about our Guild. That should not change.”

  “Aiy, sir.”

  Gillian gave Angel a last hug, then stepped aside to talk to Nik and let Mischka talk to Angel.

  Mischka hugged his granddaughter. “Stay safe Angelina. Go nowhere without Nik.”

  “I’ll be fine Papa.”

  Gillian gave Nik a quick hug. “Take care of her for me, Nik,” she whispered to him. Once she had released him, she turned to Angel. “Tis time for you to go.”

  “Stay safe,” Mary said as Angel picked up her bag. Nik immediately took it from her. “We will. Don’t worry so.” She headed off with Nik following her.

  Fortunately, her slow stroll to the transporter allowed Nik to walk without much stiffness or soreness evident. For the past week, Tashi and Mischka had kept him in training from before breakfast to after supper, often calling on other Apaugallas who were more skilled in certain areas to join the training. Mischka had insisted that he be able to handle anything that might endanger Angel, since she had insisted that only Nik accompany her.

  Angel noticed his stiffness, and chose to ignore it. “Where have you been all week?”

  Nik opted for the truth. “In training with the other Apaugallas. Tis my job.”

  “I saw some of their training. Tis not what I wanted to do. How do you find it?”

  “Tis harder than working the fields. But I dare not tell mi madret y mi padret that.” He smiled to hide his sadness at not being able to do what he wanted. “So what have you and the others been up to?”r />
  Angel told him all about their friends. “They all seem happy with their guilds.” She paused, then continued as she recalled something. “Except for Torvuld. He seems more resigned to Data Center than happy.”

  The operator signaled to them that everything was ready. Nik went first carrying their bags. Angel smiled at the operator to hide her nerves and stepped onto the pad. She nodded once and he disappeared. Nik appeared before her. She stepped off the pad for the wait at Tuttenrock.

  Several jumps later, they landed on Earth a few blocks from the hotel.

  Nik led the way to the hotel. Angel checked in at the desk and followed the attendant to her suite. Nik went first, then waited while the attendant showed her the bedroom and bathroom.

  While Angel settled into the bedroom, Nik secured the suite as Mischka and Tashi had instructed, checking the windows, doors, and closets for hidden entry points.

  The twelve-hour time difference caused Angel not to sleep that first night.

  General Peterson met Angel and Nik along with the Parrhesian Chancellor and Pieter in the lobby of the hotel in the morning. He led them out the back to a waiting transport pod. The square transport pod seated eight comfortably on cushioned benches around the edges. Once the guests were seated, Joel took his seat at the control panel. He initiated the takeoff sequence and the pod’s engines began to turn the fan motors on the bottom of the pod. It rose slowly straight up, then Joel guided it into the string of similar transports above the city.

  “I thought this might be less conspicuous than the transporter,” Joel said as he flipped on the autopilot.

  Angel grinned. “And less disorienting.” The others nodded in agreement. Angel turned to the Chancellor. “Has everyone recovered from the Sleeping Sickness?”

  The Chancellor and Pieter talked of the affairs on Parrhesia during the short ride to the Embassy Building.

  Joel showed his identification at the entry gate then followed the directions of the attendant. He finally settled the transport pod next to several others. “Inside there will be a line to follow through the weapons scanners. All delegates have to go through them. I cannot get you past that. I will wait for you on the other side.”

  “Danku. I have no concerns on the scans.”

  Nik pulled the small knife Mischka had given him from his boot. “I suppose I am not allowed to have this?”

  Joel looked at the small, ineffective, blade and kept a neutral expression. “Correct. No weapons are allowed by the delegates. Leave it here. We will use this transport to return to the hotel.”

  Nik laid the boot knife in his seat as Pieter withdrew a small knife as well.

  “I do not like being completely defenseless,” he growled.

  “You won’t be,” Joel said as he slid his uniform jacket aside to display his sidearm. “My job is to keep you and everyone in this building safe.”

  “Pieter, do as he says,” the Chancellor admonished. “We are with friends here.”

  Pieter set his knife aside.

  “Any other questions or concerns?” Joel asked, looking at each in turn.

  “No,” Angel said. “I just hope these talks work.”

  Joel led them from the transport, ensuring it was secured behind them. While he could have assigned several soldiers to this task, he, Phil Casey, and President Liacomo had agreed that it was probably better to keep a quiet profile for Llanelyn and Parrhesia rather than a large, attention drawing contingent. He refused to entrust their safety to any other single person.

  Inside the Embassy building, Joel indicated the line for the delegates. “I’ll meet you on the other side,” he said as they stepped into the line. He moved through the staff side of the scanners following the movement of his friends.

  Angel locked her smile in place as she had learned to do during her tour of the villages. She asked about the Chancellor’s trip and talked about her visit through the villages while they waited. All around as they talked she heard numerous voices talking about Llanelyn and Parrhesia. Apparently the other delegates had figured out who they were. She noted Nik’s tenseness and Pieter’s alert stance.

  “Seems our presence has been noted,” the Chancellor commented low.

  “Aiy,” Angel replied. She proceeded to talk about the harvest time soon to come. Gillian had schooled her in what topics to use as polite, non-revealing conversation topics in public areas. “Say nothing you do not want repeated and escalated many times over,” Gillian had warned.

  Finally through the scanner, Joel met them and escorted them into the meeting chamber. Tables and chairs were arranged in a semi-circular pattern around the central podium, each row raised up higher than the row in front of it. Joel led them down the steps between the tables to the front row. Brass edged glass dividers separated the tables into boxes. The tables in the boxes were the same brass edged glass, but the top of each table was colored to match the symbol or flag of the delegates in the box. Placards on top of the table further indicated the delegates in that box.

  Joel escorted them into a box with the Earth Federation logo on the table and box front. Placards for Llanelyn and Parrhesia sat on the table. The box was in the front row, centered on the podium.

  “We didn’t know if you had a flag or seal that you used,” Joel explained. “I can reprogram the table if you do.”

  “What do you mean reprogram the table?” Pieter asked.

  Joel accessed a control panel and entered something. The pattern on the tabletop shifted to show the Earth flag, then the presidential seal, then back to the Earth Federation Seal.

  Angel marveled at the tech and Joel spent several minutes chuckling as he showed her and Pieter the control panel. They found an image of a field with a lake and decided to use that instead of the boring seal.

  Nik settled into the plush gray upholstered chairs, grinning as Angel experimented with the front and sides of the box via the control panel. Looking around the room he noted other panels had become wood, stone, water, various flags, and seals as the delegates took their assigned seats.

  Joel leaned over to Nik. “The panels are also protective against weapons.” Nik nodded in understanding.

  Finally surrounded by fields, trees, and a lake Angel and Pieter took their seats. Joel punched some final buttons and the control panel retracted. “I saved this configuration so it will be here for tomorrow.” He settled into the last chair between the Chancellor and Angel.

  The Chancellor laid his datapad on the table and Angel pulled hers out as well just as the president entered with her entourage. They entered several boxes on the far right edge of the front row.

  As the President took the podium, a small hologram of her appeared in the center of the table. Several delegates slipped on slim headphones or affixed small devices in front of their ears. At Angel’s questioning look, Joel leaned towards her. “The tables also have a universal translator. Should a delegate talk in a language you cannot understand, the head sets are kept here.” He indicated a small drawer below the tabletop.

  “Welcome everyone, especially our new delegates from Jupiter, Parrhesia, and Llanelyn. I would like to thank everyone here for attending this Peace Conference.” Miranda remained calm as she launched into her prepared speech on the situation with the Drotz and Parrhesia, the values of Peace and coexistence with neighbors, and the goal of the talks to find a peaceful solution.

  Angel hoped that one day she would be able to speak to a crowd in such a stirring way while remaining that calm. Every time she had spoken to a crowd so far, she had sweaty palms and a fluttering in her stomach.

  “The Drotz Ambassador has requested permission to address this assemblage first.” The President left the podium and all eyes turned to the figure approaching the podium.

  A large humanoid looking figure strode down the aisle to the podium in heavy boots. His knee length over-tunic appeared to be of a dark metal as it moved stiffly when he walked. The blood red under shirt had sleeves that billowed around thick arms. Though he w
as bald, tufts of fur protruded from the cuffs and collar. Black pants were tucked into tall boot tops. Dark eyes looked out from between three hard ridges on each cheek that ran from the side of his head to the center of his face, ending in two small dark circles that Angel suspected were his nostrils. His mouth was set in a hard, grim line below his nostrils.

  “He’s not Drotz,” Joel whispered to both Angel and the Chancellor. “He’s Tarken.”

  “Then why is he representing the Drotz?” Angel asked in a whisper.

  “My guess is that he was born on Drotz and is their best public speaker,” Joel whispered back. “Or was coerced by them. We may never really know for sure.”

  The Tarken stood in a wide stance behind the podium. Angel felt that his whole demeanor was belligerent, meant to intimidate those around him. “Fellow Ambassadors, we have been sorrowfully maligned with these preposterous allegations. We are merely trying out some new tech that will help our people. That the emissions affect others is an unfortunate side effect. Should we be denied our sovereign rights to care for our people? I submit that we are allowed to conduct matters on our home world and colonies as we see fit. We are a benevolent people and we have rescued many other worlds from destruction. Why would we want to destroy another world?”

  The Chancellor bristled beside Joel. Joel leaned over and whispered. “He is allowed to explain his side.”

  The Chancellor nodded in understanding. “And I shall explain my side.”

  Angel listened to everything intently but when twenty minutes of the same rhetoric had passed she leaned to Joel. “How long does he get to talk?”

  “As long as he wants. That is the rule.”

  “And we are just supposed to sit here and listen?”

  “Look around,” Joel whispered.