Leumas quickly checked his navigational display for the distance to Zire. As he read the illuminated numbers on the screen, he slammed his fist on the console. He was still too far away to do anything. His attention was then drawn to the ship's planetary monitor that had just registered a very large seismic explosion on Zire.
"Damn it, Copolla! What have you done?" he cried, as he watched the intensity monitor continue to grow. The monitor showed that the center of the explosion was exactly where the Council hall was located. The register finally leveled off and began to drop. The high point on the scale glowed where the measurement had peaked.
Leumas continued to stare at the screen in horror, his stomach beginning to churn dangerously. He knew that an explosion of this size would take out the entire Northern continent, along with its three million inhabitants. "No!" he cried, as he continued to pound the console, tears streaming down his face. Finally, exhausted, he collapsed on the floor and he wept for the innocent victims of Copolla's madness.
"You bastard!" he cried. "You bastard!"
Chapter Nineteen
THE PLAN
As Leumas neared Zire, the readings from his computer displays showed him that Copolla had been very thorough. The entire continent that had been the site of the Hall of the UCDW for centuries, along with its three million inhabitants, was gone. Checking the computer-scheduling screen, he was appalled to discover that the full Council had been in session at the time of the explosion. With the exception of a few members who were absent for illness or who had to attend to more serious business, the entire Council, plus at least three million inhabitants, had all been killed. He was sickened by the thought that one person could be so evil, so vindictive, as to cause the deaths of so many innocent life forms.
He landed at an alternate spaceport on the southern continent and made his way to his old quarters, a small compartment he rarely used anymore but had never disposed of. He needed time to think. The Council must be reorganized as soon as possible before a total breakdown occurred in the galaxy. He did not want a reoccurrence of past history, when a communication breakdown caused more damage than actual fighting did. It was a sad fact that history had a way of repeating itself, no matter of how severe the consequences.
Through the use of his personal communicator, he linked with the central communication control and contacted many of the other worlds that were members of the UCDW. Word travels fast, he learned, even when light years separated the planets, for most already knew what had happened and were hesitant to reform the Council. How deep had Copolla's influence gone, he wondered.
Splintering was already occurring. Many who Leumas contacted regarding reformation questioned what would be done to prevent this same type of thing from happening again. Leumas could offer no solid answers at this point. From what he could learn from his contacts, the agents in Copolla's employ had hastily left the solar system or had gone underground for fear of retribution for what he had done.
Leumas realized whatever he was going to do, it would have to be something that would draw all the worlds together, and fast. The longer the UCDW was without a unified body, the harder it would be to put it back together again. The galactic implications of this catastrophe were phenomenal.
Such a mess, he thought sadly, shaking his head. He had been looking forward to returning to Zire from the moment he had been sentenced to his duties on Earth. To come back to this disaster was not exactly what he had in mind.
He downloaded the data from the old computer core, sending pertinent data to all of the Council Worlds that had not received it from his earlier transmission. He thought that maybe if he proved how evil Copolla's veins ran, his arguments might sink in and serve as a catalyst for the reformation. There was indeed many a lesson to be learned from this information and, at least with Copolla gone, the Worlds would have a chance for a clean start.
He sat in a chair and leaned his head back as far as he could, pressing his fingers on the base of his neck, seeking to relieve the enormous cramping in his muscles from all the stress. He tried to relax his body and mind for a few moments as he closed his eyes.
Fate and chance had thrown the galactic world he had known into utter chaos. The chances of Copolla destroying the entire Council along with the entire continent had been miniscule, not even one of the scenarios he had considered possible. He shook his head sadly; it had been too severe an action, even by the most deranged individual's standards.
Then again, he thought, look at what had happened to Greg and Sarah. Who could have imagined this development of their telepathic powers by the freak mating of two aliens with humans? Yet it had happened. Leumas made a mental note to himself that he needed to get a better look at those two later. Remember your promise, he reminded himself. Was there some deep meaning to all of these occurrences? Yes, the long shots had come home. And that was exactly what it was going to take to have the Council reassembled again, a long shot.
He tried to imagine the situation and the type of conditions that would be required to bring new Council members together. First, they would have to find a safe place for the Council to conduct business. Zire was obviously out of the question since it had already been almost annihilated twice. They would have to rebuild again somewhere else. Leumas stretched his neck, continuing to massage his tense muscles as thoughts raced through his mind.
Second, they would have to elect a leader. Probably the toughest choice they would face. He could envision a lengthy process; psychological profiles would have to be a priority this time, and they'd have to know where that life form had stood during the reign of Copolla. All in all, this life form would have to be virtually untouched and unknown by the Council or any of its past actions.
Third, they would have to redefine the Council’s charter to limit the authority of the leader, once they agreed on one. They would also have to devise explicit controls and safeguards to avoid what Copolla had done for so long without the Council’s knowledge, a check and balance system that was incorruptible.
He thought wryly that he might even have a chance of taking over the Council himself. He was the one who had found the proof that the whole scheme with the Earthlings was purposely staged by Copolla to discredit him. A plan designed to fail on purpose by Copolla, and was not caused by any incompetence on his part.
But, after thinking about it, he decided not to pursue that path. There were still unanswered questions lingering in the air that could possibly hurt his credibility. He couldn't take the chance of his own ambition hindering the Council from being reformed as soon as possible. There was just too much at stake.
The reformation of the Council would demand that the leader be an impartial selection, and not a member that may have secretly subscribed to Copolla's ideology. It would have to be someone from one of the more distant worlds, perhaps even a non-member world.
What about…a sudden thought worked its way into Leumas’s mind. He began to smile. He chuckled aloud wondering why he had not thought of this before then said, "Odds. I wonder?" Suddenly, he began to key information into his computer terminal, then sat back and waited, his eyes never leaving the screen. Seconds later the percentages flashed before him and, as he read them. He smiled thinking it might just work.
Leumas began to prepare a message to send to all the Council worlds. He carefully phrased the message, wanting to ensure that he addressed as many of their concerns as possible. "This may be the last chance, a make or break evolution," he wrote, a phrase he had heard used on Earth.
Not wanting to divulge too much in the message, he was brief and to the point. Too much information might lead to questions that would have to be answered now and he did not want the process to get bogged down too early. He wanted this message to prompt action, not bring about questions and speculations. Reading it for a third time, he felt satisfied with what he had prepared and pressed the send button, thinking, The dice have been cast.
With his words now flowing throughout the galaxy, he stood and look
ed slowly around his old compartment. He looked at the room as if he would not see it again. He shrugged and said, "Back for such a short time, and now off again." He ran his hand along the wall as he walked toward the door. He opened it and walked out, never glancing back. He hoped, for once, that the odds would work in his favor.
* * * *
Sarah and Greg returned to her apartment to sort the day's events out. Once inside, he knew it was time to explain more fully what was on the computer core. He especially wanted her to know about the information he had discovered regarding their fathers. They sat down on the sofa and Greg began to explain.
She was both amazed and angry, but even learning that her father was an alien didn't detract from her loving him, nor did it affect Greg's opinion of his father. She was angry because she hadn't known, but she understood why he had not told her. Still, she would always wonder if maybe she could have done something had she known.
"Do you want me to go on, Sarah?" he asked, hesitantly.
"I have to know," she answered. The sad expression on her face made Greg unhappy.
He continued, "Apparently our fathers, who were the two agents from Zire, originally had not intended to stay on Earth for the rest of their lives." He looked into her moist eyes. "It happened for two reasons. The first and foremost was that working for Copolla was not exactly the most desirable employment for them. So, when they saw the opportunity to fade into a society of millions, defection looked very appealing. They were both humanoid in appearance, so it was a golden opportunity to blend in."
Greg paused, gently grasping her hands. "The second reason was that, after being on the planet for a while, they met and fell in love with two beautiful Earthlings, our mothers," he said, watching a smile spread over her face, one he mirrored as he remembered his own mother.
"Their downfall was that the mission was only supposed to last a short span of time, so apparently a few corners had been cut. Certain important tests were skipped regarding the long-term effects that Earth's atmospheric bacteria might have on a Zirean's physical system. If they had planned their permanent departure from Copolla's service prior to arriving on Earth, they might have conducted further simulations on the Earth's atmosphere and diseases that Zireans could contract."
"Or maybe Copolla didn't want them to have protection, just in case they did decide to leave his service," she added.
"That's possible," Greg agreed. "That's the real shame of it all because, if proper procedures had been followed, our fathers would have seen the bacteria and probably received inoculations that would have saved their lives. It took thirty-eight years to kill them, but it did, eating away at their immune systems slowly every day."
Sarah leaned into his arms and sobbed. They both shared sorrow over the senseless loss of both of their fathers. At least, now they knew the truth and that made all the difference.
Greg had been able to retain some of the images from the core, and he mentally sent them to Sarah. They were happy images showing family outings and memorable moments that Sarah and her father had shared. She stopped crying, and began to smile as she drifted with the images in her mind, finding a momentary peace and calm in them.
After they sat in silence, just holding each other for a few moments, she suddenly asked the inevitable question, "So what about us? Are we human or alien?"
"Both," Greg said, and explained. "As Leumas said, we are basically a human-alien hybrid; physically we are virtually identical. Mentally, though, is another story, along with the telepathic abilities we seem to have inherited."
"I guess you're right," she responded. "We have both undergone numerous physical exams, blood tests and all that good stuff. Nothing has ever been said about anything being odd."
"Regardless, these things are in the past now. We have our futures to consider," he said, exhaling strongly. He smiled at her and then kissed her.
When they moved apart, she smiled into his eyes and said, "Look at it this way, if all of this hadn't happened, we would never have met, would we?"
"Probably not," he chuckled, squeezing her hand. "Leave it to you to find that silver lining in all these clouds." They laughed together at the statement, and felt some of the earlier tension dissipate. Feeling more relaxed than he had in an awhile, Greg moved his face towards her and kissed her again, this time with a bit more passion behind it.
"Well, it's about time, young man," she said as they parted from the kiss.
"I guess we've both been a little preoccupied with everything else going on," he said, and they both laughed deeply.
Sitting on the sofa, they talked a while longer as Greg tried to remember as much as he could from the images of the computer core. When he was tired from trying to recall information, they decided to take a break and check out the news to see what they were saying about the disappearance of David Wright.
The breaking news about what had happened at Edward Samuel's campaign headquarters was garnering the top stories. Theories ran from political party sabotage to blackmail and, amusingly enough, there were even speculations about an alien abduction. They burst out laughing at that one, and it was several minutes before they could speak rationally.
"Maybe we should call the National Enquirer or something. Inquiring minds want to know," Greg said jokingly. Sarah got up from the sofa and switched the TV off.
"Well, that's enough for me for now. I think every channel is covering the mysterious disappearance of David Wright and the disastrous effect on Edward Samuel's political campaign," she said, as she headed toward the kitchen. "How about something to eat?"
"Sure," he said, although he didn't feel terribly hungry.
"I know a half-hearted appetite when I hear one. Stop thinking about this election stuff for a while."
A thought jumped into Greg's mind and, without even thinking, he said, "It won't matter. Samuel is going to win the election anyway." Whether it was from Leumas’ influence or from Edward's honest appeal, he wasn't sure. "I know he will."
His thoughts left Edward Samuel and Leumas, and he was suddenly confronted with the realization of what was really out there in the galactic universe. Other worlds and civilizations, the cultural aspects alone were mind boggling, yet Earth didn't have a thing to do with it. These were exciting thoughts, given the potential of what they could be involved with, but not in the clandestine way that was Copolla's current mode of operation.
But our position is still the same, he thought defensively. No planet should be led in any particular direction; it should be allowed to develop on its own.
But, a little voice entered into his thoughts, there were certain advantages to helping a planet develop to a certain extent if the right individual was in control of it.
The last part of his thought surprised him. Maybe knowing there were other worlds out there made the situation appear in a different light. Either way, it was a very interesting concept.
Sarah came back into the room and sat next to him on the sofa, placing a plate of sandwiches on the table.
"You're really down deep somewhere, aren't you?" she asked.
He smiled, but said nothing.
She returned the smile and said, "I'm getting to know you too well, Greg. I'd gamble that you were wondering if we did the right thing or not…weren't you?"
He chuckled at her intuitiveness. "Well, yes, kind of. I know we did the right thing, and our point of non-interference is still a valid one. But think of all those other worlds and alien races out there. How long will it take Earth to reach their level? Twenty years? Fifty years? Maybe even a hundred years? Maybe never if we continue to squabble amongst ourselves and between countries. It just seems like such a waste to have to wait that long."
"It's only a long wait if you know about it. Ignorance is bliss, they say. Right now, we're the only two Earthlings who have asked to join that club, remember?" she said teasingly.
"I know," he said. "Yet I feel that we should do something to get the people of this planet moving in the direction o
f the tremendous future of expanding out into space. The economic implications alone are staggering."
"I agree," she nodded. "But it must be a conscious decision by the people and not one where influence is applied to make them do things they wouldn't normally do."
"What if…" Greg began. "Well, what if we went to Edward Samuel and explained the whole thing. Start to finish. Tell him everything that has happened. Tell him about the UCDW and who David Wright really was, or is."
"He'd probably have us locked up!" she said incredulously. "But you know, on the other hand, if he did believe just a little of it, it might start something at least. And if he believes us about Leumas, or David Wright, he might believe the rest of our story."
"We should at least try, Sarah. It just seems like the right thing to do," he said.
"But what if he just dismisses the entire thing?" she asked. "Do we form our own expand into space movement?"
Greg shrugged. "Maybe. It's always a possibility. At least it would be something."
"What about these powers? These telepathic abilities?" Sarah pointed at her head with her index finger.
"We'll play that one by ear for now," he said, then changed the subject. "Do you think you can get us in the campaign center again?"
"I'll call and tell them my interview was interrupted by the events today and let them know that I still want to join the campaign. Hopefully, I can get close enough to Samuel to set up a conversation between us."
"Sounds like a plan to me," he said, leaning back on the sofa.
The sudden ringing of the telephone interrupted their silence.
Sarah picked up the phone, and said, "Hello? Yes, this is she."
There was a long stretch of silence, as Sarah listened intently, her face passive. Greg looked at her questioningly, but her attention was focused on the voice at the other end of the line.
"Yes, I understand perfectly. Tomorrow morning. Yes, I know the place. We'll see you then, Mr. Samuel."
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