“This is paradise,” Jason said.
“It is the biosphere,” replied Norixum. “It regulates our atmosphere and gives us a small taste of home.”
“This is what your world looks like?” Jason asked.
“At one time,” the alien said.
“I would never leave,” Scott said quietly.
They wandered though the biosphere and eventually came to another set of doors. Daniel guessed that they were in the center of the station. The doors opened automatically again and led to another sterile hallway and finally to a set of rooms that were more ornate than the ones they had seen before. There was the familiar fur-like floor covering, and on the walls were vibrant images of alien worlds.
“May I interest you in some refreshment from the Free Worlds?” Norixum said as his flying seat came to rest in a frame at the end of a long ivory table. The table looked as if it were carved from a giant bone, and had engravings all along its edge. There were more seats and Daniel took one near his host.
“That would be great,” he said.
Scott and Jason sat opposite Daniel, and at the same moment another door opened revealing four aliens, all in white smocks and holding platters with food and pitchers of strange looking beverages.
Daniel sighed inwardly; he was not an adventurous eater. The alien servers moved quickly on their short legs. They made quiet grunting sounds as they moved, even after they no longer carried their loads. They placed the trays on the table, then disappeared back to where they had come from. On each platter was what appeared to be a crystal goblet with a narrow opening at the top and a fat, rounded bottom. The pitchers were made of identical, transparent material, and each held a different colored liquid, one red, one amber, one blue, one green. There were also large, squarish leaves on each platter, each with a rectangular block of what could have been tofu.
“We have the prepared juices of the Bulosch fruit,” Norixum said. “It is the preferred drink on my world; the colors represent the various stages of development. The red juice is freshly squeezed. The blue has been aged approximately one half of your Earth years. Blue is no longer tart, but it is still light and refreshing. The green is two Earth years aged and what you would call fermented. The amber is rare, aged at least ten years or more; it is exceptionally good, but I would recommend that you exercise moderation. It can go to your head, as you say.”
Daniel and his friends laughed at the little joke. They all chose either the red or blue beverage, while Norixum filled his goblet with the amber liquid.
“The food is Boortash; space food, I’m afraid,” the alien apologized. “Meat is rare on my world as well; perhaps that will change now that Earth is part of the Federation.”
Daniel noticed there was no silverware or eating utensils of any kind, and he decided to wait and see how Norixum ate his Boortash. In the meantime, he asked a question.
“It seems by both your actions and attitude that we really have no say in whether Earth joins your federation,” Daniel stated flatly.
“There is no central government on your planet,” Norixum began.
“So you are meeting with the heads of every government?”
“Yours is the only remaining organized government left,” the alien said, and Daniel heard a note of smugness in the artificial voice.
“Then I claim the right to speak for all of my race,” Daniel said.
Scott and Jason were sniffing the juice they poured into their glasses, either ignoring, or pretending to ignore, the conversation.
“Ah, yes, well,” Norixum said, a bit taken aback by Daniel’s declaration. “You claim ownership of a world that you cannot possibly occupy.”
“No, not since most of my race died shortly after your ships appeared.”
“All the same,” Norixum said, “you are now a minority on your world, how can you possibly speak for the planet? You can’t even unify your own species.”
Daniel ignored the alien’s question and asked one of his own, “How can you dare to have any claim on Earth at all?”
“We come because we can improve your existence,” Norixum said, leaning back from the table slightly. “We can have a very beneficial relationship or we can agree to disagree, as you say. That is up to you, but let me assure you this is your opportunity to improve life for all mankind.”
“You speak of improving life, but we are treated as less than equals,” Daniel said.
“We are not equals,” the alien said, leaning forward again. “My race is socially and intellectually superior in every regard. We have plumbed the secrets of the universe, unified worlds, and held tyranny in check. Humans are still divided, still fighting one another. Let us help you overcome these civil growing pains.”
“To do so would require that we give up our freedom.”
“On the contrary,” said Norixum, emotion showing in his posture. “We are a free people with the ability to make freedom possible for you as well. You say that you are free, but are you not slaves within your economic class? Your free market is dominated by a tiny fraction of your population. You are slaves to your environment, without the freedom to travel beyond the boundaries of your country without restrictions. Imagine traveling to China for dinner, or visiting friends on another world without spending time or money on travel. Imagine living in a society where everyone had an equal opportunity to thrive, and hunger and violence were distant memories.”
“I thought the Free People were at war?” Jason said, suddenly interested in the conversation.
“The war is far away,” Norixum said, turning to face Jason and Scott for the first time. “And kept at bay by the tireless efforts of our supreme commander.”
“Supreme commander?” Scott asked.
“Please, allow me to demonstrate,” said Norixum.
Above the table a light appeared, it stretched into a large square. On it, names began to appear in English. Daniel read the names and could see Scott and Jason doing the same on their side of the table. Although the projection was bright, Daniel could see through the holographic projection, and his friends were reading the information as if it had been projected for them, not backwards as Daniel had expected.
“This is an outline of our government,” said Norixum. “Supreme Commander Huxley is commander in chief and oversees all off world issues.”
“I’m sorry,” said Daniel, “this is all just too much to take in at the moment. I would like to cut to the chase: I know there are many issues that need to be ironed out before we can join your federation, but what I would like to know is what you want from us.”
The alien’s tongue slithered from his mouth and into the strange goblet as he spoke. “We will use Earth to increase agricultural productivity. We also plan to mine other planets and moons in your solar system for raw materials such as iron, nickel, platinum, and various gasses that are useful. In return, we offer the protection of our Galactic Navy. We will allow you to travel among the free worlds, to study our technology and elevate your civilization.”
“And if we refuse?” Daniel said.
“That would be unfortunate,” Norixum continued. “I’m afraid we have made a rather substantial investment to include Earth in the Federation of Free People. I do not think we would be able to stop the big wheel from turning, as you might say.”
“It sounds like you’ve made the decision already,” Jason said, his voice cold. “We either join you or get stamped out of existence, is that right?”
“We have far superior technology,” Norixum argued. “Resistance would be foolish. You have so much to gain and absolutely nothing to lose.”
“But we have lost,” Daniel said, leveraging himself to make his ultimate request. “We have all lost friends and family, people that were dearer to us than any technological advancement could ever be. In fact, I can guarantee that as things now stand, Earth will not join your federation.” Daniel paused for dramatic effect; it was not lost on his alien host. “I would at the very least need to meet your supreme
commander and have his word that you will not enslave us.”
“But I speak for Supreme Commander Huxley,” said Norixum. “I assure you we only desire a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
Daniel leaned closer to his host.
“I understand, in our old government it was the same. But now things are different, we aren’t as trusting as we once were. As much as I have tried to convince our people, they can’t quite believe that you didn’t release some type of chemical agent from your surveillance ships.”
“That is absurd,” Norixum said, but his body flushed with a greenish tinge. It was very subtle, but Daniel noticed. Since the alien’s voice seemed to come from an electronic speaker that perfectly mimicked human tone and diction, it was impossible to discern anything more than the alien’s words when he spoke. His mannerisms were few and far between, leaving his body language almost none existent. But the flush of his skin was unmistakable; Norixum was lying.
“I must insist on meeting Supreme Commander Huxley, or we will fight,” Daniel said suddenly, his voice harsh. “I want to see him face to face, experience your world and this technology you say will make our lives so much better. I want to meet other people in your federation, or I will aim my archaic, but very powerful nuclear weapons at your space station and blow you all to hell.”
Norixum didn’t move; Jason and Scott were both utterly still. Daniel was gambling everything on this sudden demand, but the slight flush by his host was like a poker player’s tell. Daniel felt it was his best chance to get what he needed from the ambassador.
After another moment, the alien spoke, “I regret that you feel as you do. We could exterminate your race, but we are a peaceful people. You will find that not all civilizations value life as we do. I again apologize for what was an unfortunate accident that your race was damaged at the time our ships appeared. Because of that coincidence, I might be able to arrange for you to meet Supreme Commander Huxley, but please understand that he is not a patient Toll. He bears the weight of responsibility of many worlds. I urge you to exercise caution.”
Daniel nodded and watched as Norixum’s trunk-like arm reached out to a corner of the Boortasch and pulled a perfectly formed square from the larger block of food. The Boortasch quivered slightly, much like tofu, and Daniel decided that the block must be made of many small squares, neatly assembled.
“It may take some time to arrange your meeting,” Norixum said even though his mouth was crammed with food. He had shoved the entire square into his small mouth. “But this will give you ample time to experience our world.”
“That would be fine,” Daniel said. “When do we leave?”
“Now,” said the alien.
It was Daniel’s turn to flush. “But, we don’t have supplies—”
“We will provide all you need,” said Norixum, waving his trunk over the food. “Please, try the Boorasch, I think you’ll find it rather tasty.”
Chapter 35
Norixum left the room to make preparations for their trip. Daniel looked at Jason and Scott, who sat across the table from him. They looked bewildered; the past several months had been full of surprises, new experiences, and things that were utterly strange, but the thought of traveling across the galaxy to visit an alien world was almost beyond comprehension. They had talked about it, even planned for it, but now that they faced it, the feelings they experienced were odd. There was fear and excitement in the pit of their stomachs; to Daniel it felt like standing in line to ride a roller coaster that you weren’t sure you were really brave enough to ride. Jason felt a heightening of his senses, the same way he had felt on the helicopter before his action in Iran. For Scott it was utterly foreign, he had spent most of his life in a simple, predictable pattern. He was now on a runaway train, racing toward the bottom of the mountain, with no way to know what waited for them.
“Well,” said Daniel, clearing his throat and trying to think of something to say.
“Are we sure we want to do this?” Scott asked, the fear in his voice evident.
“They could kill us or lock us in prison,” Jason said. “We’d never be heard from again.”
“I guess,” said Daniel. “They could just keep killing people until they finally found someone to agree with them.”
“Let’s not forget our protocol,” said Jason. They had agreed that with the alien technology being so advanced, they could not talk openly about anything sensitive. For all they knew, the aliens had managed to tap into the Oval Office of the White House and already knew all their plans. Their only advantage was the fact that they hadn’t really been able to make solid plans. Daniel was proud of his ability to adapt and stay flexible.
They all nodded before Scott said, “I wonder if I could stay behind?”
“Are you kidding?” Daniel asked.
“No, I was just thinking. . .”
“I was only kidding about them killing us,” Jason said.
“Yes, I know that. It’s just, I’m not very adventurous. And now that Amy is in my life, well… It’s just I have a reason to come home at night.”
“I understand,” Daniel said as a stab of pain shot through his heart. He was very aware of the fact that he didn’t have anyone to come home to. He didn’t want to come home to anyone but Lana, but she was gone. And it was better if he didn’t think about her.
“He’s got a point,” Daniel said to Jason. “You could go home to Dakota if you wanted.”
“No,” Jason was suddenly serious. “I like Dakota, maybe more than I have ever liked anyone, but I wouldn’t be fit to live with if I spent the rest of my life regretting the fact that I could have gone but didn’t.”
“Alright, it would probably be better if one of us stayed,” Daniel agreed. “You can make sure the council doesn’t vote me out of office prematurely. There is no telling how long we’ll be gone.”
“It shouldn’t be too long with you leaving without any supplies,” said Scott.
“You’re right, but we can’t count on that,” Daniel said. “Tell the council that we’ve gone, but don’t reveal our plans. They could change, depending on what we find.”
“No mission ever goes according to plan,” added Jason.
“And make sure that morale stays positive. We need to build unity as much as possible.”
“Alright, but how do I get back?” Scott asked.
“We’ll have to arrange that with Norixum.”
They sat and waited, trying to calm their nerves and remember anything else that should be done on Earth while they were gone. If Norixum was right and no other governments had been reformed, then Daniel wanted to focus on building towards a broader range of people than just Americans. He had no global ambitions, but he couldn’t ignore the opportunity that the plague had created to begin a new era in foreign relations, perhaps even draw new boundary lines, if boundaries were even necessary anymore.
When the small alien floated back into the room, Daniel, Jason, and Scott all stood to their feet. Daniel tried desperately to read Norixum’s body language, but it was impossible.
“Preparations have been made,” came the strange voice. “If you will follow me.”
“Uh, Norixum,” Daniel said. “Scott will need to return to the White House. We weren’t planning on being gone for more than a few hours.”
“Oh, I see,” said the alien. “We are taking my shuttle back to Tolligark, but we have a secondary ship that may be used.”
Norixum continued out of the room and Daniel, Scott, and Jason followed behind him. As they walked they felt a strange sensation, as if their ears were ringing but without the sound. Daniel looked at Jason as he tugged on his ear. The soldier merely raised his eyebrows and they continued walking.
Norixum’s seat continued to float along the same direction but swiveled around so he was facing the three men.
“We will take your minister to the secondary shuttle. The pilot has been instructed to return him to your White House, but he doesn’t have a translator unit and
will not be able to communicate.”
“That’s alright,” Scott said.
Daniel wondered how the pilot had been informed of their change of plans. Could Norixum have planned for this, anticipating that one of them, at least, would need to return to Earth? Were there plans already for the other ship to travel to Earth for some other reason? Daniel couldn’t shake the impression that something had happened when his ears had itched. It felt silly to speculate and the one impression he had seemed too much of a cliché to take seriously, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the aliens communicated using only their minds. Perhaps that had been happening when his ears seemed to itch deep inside. It had felt as if a powerful tool from the dentist’s office where being used, causing a vibration deep in his head that made him want to scratch his ears. He couldn’t dismiss the possibility and if it were true, then how advanced were the aliens’ abilities? Did it end at mere communication? Could they read minds? Was it only among their own race or could they probe inside Daniel’s head? Perhaps that had been what he had felt with the strange itch. It made him nervous to have so many unanswered questions floating in the theater of his mind, but he had no way of getting answers. And if the aliens could communicate using their minds, then why did Norixum speak to Daniel through the translator unit? He filed all these thoughts away, determined to find a way to get unbiased answers but needing, at the moment, to stay focused on what was happening.
When they reached the long docking tube, Daniel’s sense of fear began to overcome the sense of excitement. He wondered if he were being foolish, but told himself to relax. In fact, he and Jason would be the first humans to leave the solar system. His name would be in history books and memorized by fifth graders. So what if they said he was the dumbest president in history, he was also the youngest, least prepared, and most reluctant man ever voted into office.
The New World Page 31
