Talus
Page 20
Miriamette sent.
Instantly, the holo-vid flashed on, and the battleship ring surrounding Toral was displayed in wire mode. Three colors defined the positions, and Ellie received the color code. Red, the nine renegade envoys; yellow, the Talusian wedge; and blue, the participating envoys.
Ellie grinned at Hector. She realized he had anticipated her request and prepared the display in advance.
“Hector, in your next avatar, you should have the holo-vid synth skin like Julien. This would be a perfect time to display fairy dust,” Ellie said.
“SADEs have proposed copying Julien’s and Cordelia’s display capabilities ad infinitum, Admiral,” Hector replied. “Consensus has always been that this aspect of our leaders isn’t to be imitated. In particular, it’s seen as Julien’s signature, and one that will probably always be associated with him and him alone.”
Ellie wasn’t surprised by the response. Many of those in Alex’s inner circle had watched the rise of a SADE social structure, which coalesced around Julien, Cordelia, Z, Miranda, and several other SADEs. She briefly wondered if Hector realized he occupied one of the lofty positions.
Returning to the holo-vid display, Ellie studied the positions of the nine battleships. She had no need to ask if the Our People’s controller had been directed to mark these ships and was prepared to warn them of movement. This was the value of working with SADEs. Any movement would initiate a detailed message to Hector and Lydia. They would choose whether the movements were significant enough to be reported.
Ellie located the Kirmler ship in the display and set it blinking. “Which Talusian battleship is next to the Kirmler?” she asked.
“Commander Taralum’s ship,” Hector replied.
Ellie muttered something again, and Hector said, “When you have time, Admiral, you’ll have to explain these analogies to me. I dislike being ignorant of Omnian euphemisms.”
“Hang around the New Terrans, Hector. That’s where you learn them,” Ellie replied. “If the Kirmler envoy started something, while within the ring, certainly he’d target the Talusian’s lead battleship.”
“Should Taralum be warned?” Hector asked.
“The entire fleet needs to be made aware of the nine angry envoys, but the commanders need to be careful not to create any overt actions that could precipitate a response,” Ellie warned. “I’ll have the rear admirals deliver the message.”
22: Negotiations
The arbiters, Hector and Ellie, arrived at the envoys’ hall. An adjoining conference room had been erected for the function, and it was provided with its own exterior door.
Notified by a sister, Commander Quizra led his delegation into the room. A long slender table sat centered in the room. The Omnians occupied each end, and Ellie waved the envoys to their side of the table. Nanites-filled chairs designed to accommodate the different species lined both sides of the table.
The sister who had cued Quizra signaled Miriamette that the envoys were present. Then the president entered the room with his advisors — Miriamette, Suntred, and Sunnamis. Also present were three sister representatives, Miriamelle, Miriamtess, and Hermione.
When Sargut and his six members were seated, Ellie drew breath to speak, but she received a message from Miriamette that Sargut’s eighth member would arrive presently.
The two groups quietly regarded each other across the table, waiting for the negotiations to be opened. The tread of heavy footsteps drew their attention to the exterior door. More than one envoy had wondered at the unusual dimensions of the opening. Not a single envoy within the hall would have required the doorway’s combined height and breadth to enter the conference room.
However, the opening did accommodate one individual. Ude, encased in his gigantic construction avatar, walked through it.
Ude’s faceplate was up, and he smiled at the various heads that stared at him.
“Talusians comprise Toralians, sisters, and one human,” Sargut said. “It’s only fair that Ude is able to represent himself in these deliberations.”
Ellie had heard that Ude had suffered an accident, but she hadn’t had time to learn the particulars. Seeing what had become of the boy who had fled the fleet to Toral for the purpose of destroying Artifice brought tears to Ellie’s eyes.
Ude took a position against the wall and locked his avatar.
“The rules of this arbitration are simple,” Ellie began. “This will be an open discussion, which Hector and I will guide. We expect decorum at all times. Anyone repeatedly admonished for misbehavior will be permanently ejected from the negotiations. The final agreement for any duration specified will be binding on Talusians and every race represented by the envoys who have remained in the hall.”
The final point perked up the envoys, and smiling and bared teeth had to be curtailed. By the admiral’s rule, the Kirmler and his ilk would be left out of the agreement.
“If we determine that the parties have reached an impasse, we will end the arbitration,” Ellie warned. “However, if we find that one party isn’t negotiating in good faith, we’ll excuse that group and request substitute members. Are the rules understood?”
Ellie and Hector entertained questions until both parties had satisfied their concerns.
“Commander Quizra, you may begin,” Ellie said.
“Excuse me, Commander,” Sargut said. “We’ve a request before you start. We’d like to know the entirety of your presentation. We’ve no intention of working though each of your points one after the other.”
The table regarded Ellie, but it was Hector who answered. “I find that a fair request,” he said.
Quizra, who sat next to Ellie, looked down his row. Heads nodded in agreement, and he bent his long neck toward Miriamette.
Hector’s holo-vid lit. It displayed the envoys’ list in the Toralian language for Sargut, Suntred, and Sunnamis. The sisters and Ude were conversant in the Toralian language and, therefore, needed no translation.
It took the sisters only ticks of time to review the proposed negotiating points and see the issues within them.
“President Sargut,” Miriamette said, “the arbitration could proceed much quicker if our team could consult privately before we begin these proceedings.”
Sargut regarded Ellie, who said, “We’ll give you the room. Miriamette, please call us when you’re ready.” Privately she added,
In the hall, seven envoys clustered around Quizra.
“What do you suppose happened, Commander?” the Therathen envoy asked. His small head bobbed in consternation on his long, slender neck. The affectation, which intimated a discomforted personality, belied the envoy’s sharp mind.
“It was our hope that we could work through the list one at a time,” Quizra replied. “President Sargut’s opening statement eliminated that.”
“Would you suspect concatenation?” the Therathen asked.
“I would,” Quizra replied. To the queries expressed on the other envoys’ faces, he added, “The sisters will advise the president of the three general subjects, and they’ll want to negotiate each group of them, at the same time, regardless of our points.”
“What about the presence of the human?” an envoy asked. “He was unexpected.”
“Is anything known about him?” Quizra inquired. When he received nothing but shaking heads, he said, “I’ll have to speak to Ude privately and learn more about him.”
“There was knowledge in the a
dmiral’s glance toward the human,” the Therathen said. “When she saw him, her orbs glistened. I think his appearance was unexpected.”
“Then you don’t believe that he’s operating that avatar by choice?” an envoy inquired.
“Based on the admiral’s reaction, I would think that the avatar is necessary for Ude’s existence, but that’s only an opinion,” the Therathen replied.
A sister interrupted Quizra and the envoys and requested their return to the conference room.
When everyone but Ude was seated, Ellie said, “Is there anything you’d like to say, President Sargut, before Commander Quizra begins?”
“Yes, Admiral,” Sargut replied. “We believe that the points proposed by the envoys represent three topics for discussion, and we would like to discuss each topic rather than proceed point by point.”
The eyes of the envoys seated down the line from Quizra and the Therathen briefly glanced their way.
“We’ve no objection continuing down this path, Admiral,” Quizra allowed, “as long as the points on our list are covered within any topic described by the president.”
“In that case, Admiral,” Hector interjected, “I would advise that we let President Sargut’s team begin. They can speak to the envoys’ points that will be covered within a topic. That will assure everyone that we understand the scope of the discussion.”
Ellie regarded Sargut, who nodded. “President Sargut, your team may start,” she said.
“Six of the points on the envoys’ list speak to Artifice,” Miriamette said.
The holo-vid display changed. It was the same list, but six points were highlighted. Immediately, the sisters communicated to the envoys in their languages, which items were highlighted.
Quizra regarded his team, found heads nodding, and he turned toward Sargut. “Acceptable,” he said.
“This is a particularly complex topic,” Sargut said. “On the one hand, we’ve two proposals that seek to ensure Artifice is destroyed. Another point wants assurances that Artifice will never be given access to communication infrastructure. Then a fourth, fifth, and sixth want to use Artifice’s power to create technology for their home worlds.”
“Those envoys,” Quizra said, indicating the hall with a hand over his shoulder, “possess differing opinions. It’s our duty to represent them.”
Sargut tipped his head to Quizra. It indicated the president’s appreciation of the difficult job that Quizra and his team were required to fulfill.
“I will let Miriamelle, the Sisterhood’s representative for the centrists, explain the circumstances surrounding Artifice,” Sargut said.
“Several races were responsible for eliminating the obstacles within the Talus system to reach Toral,” Miriamelle said. “However, it was the Omnian fleet, with the Dischnya warriors, who defeated Artifice’s bots to capture the entity’s antennas and end the entity’s control of the comm systems. As a reward for services to the fleet, the Sisterhood requested that Alex Racine, the Omnian leader, not destroy Artifice. Our request was granted.”
“However, an agreement was made with the Omnians that Artifice would never receive comm connections unless there was mutual approval between Talusians and Omnians,” Miriamette added.
“Then Artifice has been effectively quarantined,” an envoy surmised.
“Yes,” Miriamelle replied.
“How easy would it be for an entity to reconnect Artifice?” the Therathen asked.
A throaty laugh issued from Ude, and the heads at the conference table turned to regard him.
Ude walked his avatar to the end of the table to stand behind Hector, whose sensors could follow him without the SADE turning his head.
“Toralians don’t have implants, which means they don’t visit Artifice,” Ude said. “The Omnians figured out the labyrinth that protected the entity. The sisters and I are the only individuals on Toral who know the way below, and we’re the only individuals who visit the cavern. If you knew my history, you’d know that I, for one, have no desire to see Artifice resurrected.”
“Is Artifice in the same state as when captured?” an envoy asked.
“Negative,” Miriamelle replied. “Artifice’s data banks were discovered failing. They were in need of upgrade, and the sisters, who comprise the revivalists and archivists groups, have been repairing them.”
“They’ve been restoring Artifice?” the Therathen asked. When his head bobbed, this time, it was due to his agitation.
“Yes,” Miriamtess replied.
“For what purpose?” Quizra asked.
“Artifice is an intelligent artificial entity,” Miriamette replied, “who is unable to control anything outside the cavern. We ask you why the entity should suffer decomposition.”
“To resolve these concerns,” Quizra said, “we would need to visit this location, observe the precautions, and speak to Artifice.”
The heads on Sargut’s side of the table turned toward Miriamelle, who consulted the Sisterhood.
“It’s agreed,” Miriamelle reported. “However, we’ll require you travel through the labyrinth with your senses blunted.”
Quizra scanned the faces on his side of the table and received agreement.
“Let’s go,” Ellie said, and she rose from her chair.
A shuttle traveler, with its rear entry ramp, best accommodated the various shapes of the participants, especially that of Ude.
During the flight, Ellie was able to have a brief exchange with Ude.
Ude replied. His words might have sounded harsh or regretful, but his thought was accompanied by humor.
When Ude noted a lengthy pause, he added,
Ude sent laughing,
Ude stood at the shuttle’s rear, while the admiral sat at the front. He was content with that arrangement. It meant she didn’t see the tears that rolled down his cheeks.
The main cabin’s light brightened, but the ramp didn’t drop.
Ellie knew the traveler had landed inside a dome, which the sisters had constructed. The structure kept them out of the polar region’s vicious winds and freezing temperatures. The dome connected directly to Artifice’s entrance, which led deep underground to an enormous cavern, where the entity had been created by the Toralians.
Ellie glanced toward Miriamette, who directed her eyes toward Miriamelle.
Miriamelle stood and said, “We wish to register a formal complaint, Admiral. We thought it unnecessary to request that communication devices be turned off. The reach of such personal devices are of no use to the envoys without a relay. However, we’ve detected a powerful signal emanating from the commander’s party. It’s serving as a beacon.”
Ellie’s words were interrupted by Quizra, who uncoiled his long body to stand. “Would someone like to admit to carrying this device?” he asked. When no one volunteered, he said, “I hope this doesn’t become a personal search of each of us, but that’s what will happen if no one speaks out.”
The Boobaffle envoy rose and opened her long cloak. The interior was lined in wire mesh, which acted as an antenna. She reached inside the cloak and shut down the device.
“What was your intent?” Quizra.
“That’s the business of those of us who no longer believe that the arbitration has value,” the Boobaffle said. She abruptly sat down and stared defiantly at Quizra, her head’s tendrils quivering in agitation.
“Under the circumstances, Admiral,” Quizra said, “I suggest we return to the hall, drop off the Boobaffle envoy, and select a substitute.”
“If I may, Commander,” Miriamette interrupted. “Having detected this transmission soon after lifting, we anticipated your request, and we took the opportunity to transport an individual for you. The Foothreen gave up her place for you. We thought you’d find her an acceptable replacement.”
“Excellent,” Quizra said, pleased to have the process back on track. “How soon will she arrive?”
“The Foothreen waits for us outside,” Hector replied, and he signaled the ramp to drop.
Ude was the first off the cargo shuttle, and he noticed the Foothreen stepping briskly from limb to limb. The deck was cold, and the ends of her limbs were only encased in slender pads. He lowered his massive avatar and bent an arm to the envoy. She uttered something that Ude didn’t understand and readily hopped into the crook of his arm.
Hector captured the image of the Foothreen riding on Ude’s arm and sent it to Nata.
“It appears that I’m to be part of the negotiations after all,” the Foothreen said to Quizra. A puff of breath cleared the hair from her eyes. They were bright with anticipation. “The sisters were kind enough to update me on the arbitration proceedings.”