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The Fallen

Page 8

by Paul B Spence


  Inkeri was stunned. Never before had the Council ever communicated with any outsiders, even by proxy. The Concord had only learned of their existence a few years before. The Rhyrhans were a private people, mindful of their secrets.

  "I am honored, Chancellor."

  "As am I, Ambassador. Long have I wished for our peoples to have a better understanding of one another. This is difficult when so much must, by necessity, remain hidden." The chancellor shook his head in a very human gesture. "The message is more of a request, actually."

  "Anything the Sentient Concord may do for the Council is theirs for the asking, of course," Inkeri said diplomatically.

  "The Council wishes to speak to someone from your Concord."

  "This servant would be honored," Inkeri replied.

  "You misunderstand me. It is not you to whom they wish to speak."

  "Chancellor?" Inkeri was shaken by the response. "I hope that I have done nothing to displease you or the Council," she said with sincerity.

  "Fear not, Ambassador," replied the chancellor. "It is simply that they know to whom they wish to speak, and no other will do. Do not be offended."

  "I am not, Chancellor. Whom may I summon for them?"

  "They wish to speak with Admiral Mandor Shadovsky, of your Internal Security. It is of security that they wish to speak."

  "Admiral Shadovsky?" She was taken aback once again. That was not someone she would have expected them to name. "He is a very busy man, and not normally involved in politics. Are you sure they would not care to speak with someone else?" The admiral had something of a reputation in the Concord: he was a dangerous rogue. Anyone else would have been better. She could see years of careful diplomacy collapsing from one wrong action. She sighed.

  "They wish to share something with him, personally. It is related to what he is now doing, and cannot wait. Tell him to bring young Tebrey and those close to him."

  "I'm sure he will be honored to come and speak with the Council."

  "See to it," the chancellor said imperiously. "I shall notify the Council of his imminent arrival." He then turned away and stalked from the room, his tail swishing behind him.

  Ambassador Valkoinen shook herself out of stunned stillness and activated her air screen. "Jorgen, get me a secure line to the Office of Internal Security, priority one!"

  Ana smiled as she answered the door. "How are you, Admiral?"

  "I'm doing well; thank you for asking," Mandor replied. "May I come in?"

  "Of course," she said. "You have a knack for showing up when it's time to eat. I assure you that the rumors of my culinary skills are overrated. We were just sitting down for lunch. Would you care to join us?"

  "Thank you, I've eaten recently. Maybe just something to drink."

  "Certainly." She led him into the dining room.

  "By the way, I wanted to compliment you on your grasp of Normarish. You speak it quite fluently."

  "I had good instructors."

  As they entered the room, Dr. Bauval stood and greeted him, but Dr. Mason merely frowned and looked down at her tea. She was obviously still irritated with him and didn't bother trying to hide the fact.

  Ana returned from the kitchen with a glass of sweetened tea and gestured for Mandor to sit. "So what brings you here today?"

  "I received a very interesting message this morning," said Mandor. He took a sip of tea. "Just an hour ago, actually. It was from the Rhyrhan Combine. It was a very unusual message. The Council of the Eldest wishes to speak with me, personally."

  "Council?" Bauval asked, echoing the thoughts of the others.

  "We've known for a few years that there is a shadow government that effectively dictates policy to the Combine. Very little is known of this Council except the name. They have never before spoken to outsiders. It is a unique honor."

  "What do they want with you?" Mason asked. She was intrigued despite herself. As an anthropologist, she was always interested to learn about other cultures.

  "I don't know," Mandor said. "All I know is that they told our ambassador to summon me there. That they wished to speak with me about a matter that was urgent to me."

  "That sounds ominous," Bauval said.

  "I agree. It may also be exactly what we need."

  "What do you mean?"

  "How much do you know of Rhyrhan culture?"

  Bauval shrugged, and Mason said, "Not much."

  "Rhyrhan history is an unbroken line of steady advancement. As far as anyone has ever been able to ascertain, their society has never taken the downturns that are so common in human history."

  "Surely not," Mason exclaimed. "All societies go through dark periods. The rise and fall of empires is a common trait in every culture. Scientific progress falters when opposed philosophies arise."

  "Not among the Rhyrhans. All of the other alien species we have encountered, yes, but not them. Something makes them different."

  "It's unthinkable," said Mason. "The Rhyrhans aren't that different from us in their thinking, are they?"

  "Apparently," Mandor replied. "For instance, they have never had a global war."

  "How?" Mason asked. "How do you develop a global culture and not have wars?"

  Bauval snorted. "I seem to remember reading that they've had some fairly savage wars."

  "Yes. They have wars, but those are private affairs. The Rhyrhans were horrified when they first found out about what they called our uncontrolled animalistic urges. They don't involve innocent civilians in war. Ever. It's one of the reasons they hate the Nurgg so much. What is most interesting and relevant to us is that when asked, the Rhyrhans say that they have been guided away from such paths by the Eldest."

  "The Council of the Eldest?" Mason speculated.

  "Possibly," Mandor said. "Everyone always thought it was a reference to the ways of their ancestors. Only we know now that the Council is real. I can't imagine what kind of knowledge it represents."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "I'm going to get on the fastest ship I can find and get to Rhyr. I suspect that they want to talk to me about the Thetas. If so, I can't afford not to go."

  "As interesting as all this is," Mason said suspiciously, "why are you telling us?"

  "The chancellor told our ambassador that I should bring Tebrey and those close to him." Mandor looked at them pointedly. "I can only assume he meant each of you. I have no idea how they could know about you, but I'd like all of you to come along. Your insights would be invaluable."

  "I've always wanted to visit Rhyr," Bauval said. "The planet has one hell of a biosphere. The biodiversity of the mammals alone could keep a biologist busy for a lifetime. I'll go if the others agree."

  "I'd love a chance to study their culture," said Mason. "And if they know something about these Thetas..."

  "Ana?" Mandor said quietly.

  "What could I contribute?" she asked.

  "You're smart, and you're the catalyst for these two," said Mandor. "I suspect that your psionic talents pick up on the thoughts of those around you, and you're able to piece things together in ways that any one of us wouldn't have thought of alone. These two work well with you along, and you'll be in a position to let Tebrey know what we learn, if you can reach him."

  "Okay," she said. "I'll go. I guess. I don't know anything about the Rhyrhans, though."

  "I do wish I could bring Tebrey, but I don't see how I possibly could. The Federation and the Concord aren't exactly on good terms right now. I also don't want to leave you out when you may be the one they wish to speak with the most."

  "Why me?"

  "Well," Mandor said with a grin, "you are married to a man who has survived more Theta attacks than anyone else we know of. You're also a member of a race that may have fought the Thetas in the past, and won. I can see that the Council may be very interested in that."

  Chapter Fifteen

  "We'll be taking the Arcadia to Chi Draconis," Mandor said. "She's one of our newest battle cruisers, and more importantly, she's equip
ped with the Marcos drive. So she can go deeper into hyperspace and get us there faster. She's a sister ship to the Arcturus."

  Mandor had felt that the matter was urgent enough to call in the fastest ship he could. The Arcadia had only been on routine patrol and was therefore more readily available than any other ship. He could have recalled the Arcturus, but he didn't want to antagonize Captain Viknorov again, and the work she was doing at Cedeforthy was important.

  "Isn't arriving in a battle cruiser going to send the wrong message?" Mason asked.

  "That's what I was thinking," added Bauval.

  "The Concord and the Combine share a special relationship. They won't be offended, and they like displays of force -- from friends. It isn't widely known, but there has been talk of unification." Mandor let that sink in before continuing. "Besides, they made it clear that they expect me to arrive as quickly as possible. Since this is the first time the Council has spoken to outsiders, even indirectly, my superiors agree that the matter is urgent enough to risk stepping on a few toes to arrive within two days."

  "We'll really get there that fast?" Mason asked. "How far is it?"

  "Chi Draconis is approximately twenty-two light-years from here," Mandor said. "And yes, we'll arrive in just two days."

  "That's amazing," said Bauval. "It should take weeks. It is no wonder the Federation fears the Concord so much. A fleet of ships like this could easily outmaneuver anything the Federation has."

  "It is certainly one of the reasons," Mandor agreed. "I think it has a lot more to do with the fundamental nature of our constitution, however."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The Sentient Concord believes that all thinking minds are entitled to the same rights under the law. It doesn't matter if you are human or not," he said, looking pointedly at Ana. "You'll find members of almost all the known species living and working together here. We don't indulge in slavery, either."

  "The Federation has many faults, but slavery isn't one of them," Mason said testily.

  "No?" Mandor asked. "What do you call the engineering of intelligent animal-form beings and then forcing them to serve in the military?"

  "I hadn't really thought of it that way," she replied, disturbed by the thought. She was reminded of a conversation she'd had with Tebrey when they first met. Then, it had been her suggesting he was a slave to the military.

  "That's because you still think of such beings, even Hunter, as animals. Without an easy means of communication, neo-panthers would just seem to be bright animals to any non-psion, when in reality they are clones of their companions with a different physical form."

  "Are they?" Mason asked. She was troubled as she thought back to her interactions with Tebrey's companion Hunter. She'd always treated Hunter like a house pet.

  Bauval was nodding. "It is difficult to remember, but yes. It is one of the few types of cloning still legal in the Federation."

  "Exactly, Doctor," Mandor replied. "Here in the Concord, we don't produce any of the engineered animals, but those who come to us are given full rights under the law. It's a fundamental difference of thought. The Federation is still the Earth Federation, after all. They give rights to humans that look human, but no one else."

  "I would've had fewer rights there than I did on Cedeforthy, wouldn't I?" Ana asked."Yes," said Mandor. "They would have discriminated against you because you don't have the same genetic code as other humans, and yet you are human."

  "I am Taelantae," Ana said. "I'm happy with who I am."

  "I meant no offense," Mandor said. "I simply meant that your people and mine are from the same planet of origin. We share the same basic genetic traits. The Taelantae look more human than the Thyrna-Shae or the Jaernalith."

  "Jaernalith?" Mason and Bauval asked simultaneously.

  "Hmm. Remember the bodies you found in the ruins on Cedeforthy?" Mandor asked.

  "The tentacled things?" said Mason.

  "Yes. Those are Jaernalith. We don't know a lot about them."

  "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't telling us the whole truth?" Bauval asked.

  Mandor sighed. "The Jaernalith are connected to the problem of the Thetas. We don't know how or why, but they are. Some of the attacks you plotted were actually carried out by Jaernalith. Sometimes they work with Thetas."

  "You mean that these things are out there now?" asked Mason. "Those bodies were thousands of years old."

  "The ones on Cedeforthy were thousands of years old, yes, but the Jaernalith are still a viable race. We have encountered them many times now. They've attacked our ships."

  Mason shuddered. "How could something like that be human?"

  "All we know is that they seem to have split off at the same time as the Thyrna-Shae and the Taelantae. They have obviously undergone radical alteration of physical form through genetic manipulation. We don't know why, if they did it to themselves, or if they were changed by one of the other species in this region."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The Homndruu and the Nurgg were both altered by an alien species in the past, possibly the Achenar."

  "I thought the Achenar were one of those semi-mythical species of progenitors," Mason said.

  "Hardly semi-mythical, we have ample evidence of their existence," said Mandor. "We've found ruins, technological artifacts, and even derelict starships. They were quite real."

  "Is that where your technological superiority comes from?" Bauval asked.

  "Some of it," Mandor answered coyly.

  "Are they the aliens who took people from the Earth?" asked Mason.

  "We don't know."

  "We removed ourselves from the Earth," Ana said. "Our legends tell of the great war and time of the Exodus. No one took us anywhere."

  "Ana, that was a long time ago," Mason said. "We know that the Earth didn't support any technological cultures before a thousand years ago. Despite the claims of some crackpot scientists, no trace of an advanced civilization has ever been found."

  "As you say, it was a long time ago. I've read about the Earth. The ice ages could have destroyed the evidence. You can believe what you want," Ana said. "But I know that my people left on their own."

  "There is evidence that agrees with that," Mandor interjected. "Thyrna-Shae legends say that there were three giant colony ships that set out from a dying world. They say that two of the ships were lost in the vastness of space, but that the Bellinagara made it to their new home. Now, Bellinagara means unknown or unknowable in Thyrna-Shae. Some Concord scholars have speculated that it's some form of creation myth, but what if it's literally the truth? What if the Taelantae are the descendants of one or both of the missing ships' occupants?"

  "It seems strange," Bauval said. "But then, we had never heard of the Thyrna-Shae before coming to the Concord, either."

  "Another failing of the Federation," said Mandor. "They don't want people to know any of this. It would tarnish the image of a perfect humanity."

  "Are you originally from the Concord?" Mason asked him.

  Mandor laughed. "I know what you're thinking: no fanatic like a convert. No, I grew up near Valdosta on Home, in the Centauri system."

  "Really?" said Bauval. "That's right next to Kismet." He glanced at Mason.

  "Yes, I was born a farmer. I never suspected that the Jaernalith attacks would lead back to the sister planet of my home."

  Ana was only paying the barest of attention to the conversation of her friends as they talked about the worlds of the Federation. She was wholly captivated by the beauty of the blue and white world outside the large window on the side of the station. Dawn was a beautiful planet -- maybe not as pretty as Cedeforthy, but very nice.

  Near-space was filled with glittering sub-orbital traffic. On the planet below, she could see the line of the terminator and the shining cities of the Concord. She never got tired of looking at a world from space; it was so different from the fallen colony world where she had spent most of her life. The technology seemed so new and exciting, but it
was just different ways of doing the same things people always did.

  How did I ever come to be in a place like this?

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the announcement of the docking of the pinnace from the Arcadia.

  "That's our ride," Mandor said with a smile.

  They followed him across the concourse to the terminals. His status as a Fleet admiral allowed them to move through security quickly. Curious eyes followed them as they made their way.

  "Why did you choose such a public way of boarding the Arcadia?" Mason asked.

  Mandor chuckled. "Believe it or not, it was easier this way. I would've had trouble getting you all clearance to enter one of our military stations quickly enough for our purposes. It seems silly, but there it is."

  "I suppose it makes sense," Bauval said, "in a strange military way. We can travel on one of your ships, but not wander around a base."

  "Exactly," Mandor replied. "The onboard machine intelligence tracks everyone aboard a military starship at all times. You can't get into restricted areas without someone knowing. That isn't always the case with bases. They just aren't as secure in many ways."

  They reached the gate where the captain of the Arcadia was waiting for them, and Ana had her first surprising sight of a Thyrna-Shae.

  If Ana was surprised by the appearance of the captain of the Arcadia, it was nothing compared to his surprise. Captain Raoko Torenth had fled the tyranny of the Thyrna-Shae Dominion sixteen years before. He was tall for a Thyrna-Shae at one-point-six meters, but the woman with the others was only a few centimeters shorter than him and heavier built, more like a human. He didn't mean to stare, but he couldn't figure out what she was. She looked like she should be Thyrna-Shae, but she wasn't. She was also, in his mind, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  "Captain Torenth," Mandor said, shaking the captain's hand. "May I introduce you to Dr. Mason and Dr. Bauval. I see you have noticed Ana Tebrey."

  Torenth blushed. He hadn't intended to be rude. It isn't, he decided, that she is that beautiful. It's just that she isn't human, and that is a very good thing after all these years.

 

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