The Great Beyond
Page 23
For a moment, Jason wondered why his father hadn’t come himself in his place, knowing the importance of the meeting and what it meant for future collaborations. He already didn’t trust them. He needed to send someone who’d have an open mind.
Jason realized that he’d never suspected treachery or deceit. He’d gone into the mission with the expectation of forging a partnership with the Lynaedans, with their mutual best interests in mind. His father had been through too much to not immediately jump to seeing the worst in people—to close off a collaborative relationship before they had a chance to work through their differences. Jason was a clean slate, less burdened by those biases. It was up to him to find common ground, if it was possible.
Jason took a deep breath. “We got off to a bad start.”
The Lynaedans still seemed on edge, but Curtis’ stern expression softened.
“We’ll need each other one day,” Jason continued. “It may be in decades, or it could be tomorrow. But eventually, Lynaeda will need to cooperate with the rest of the Taran worlds. We have the opportunity now to begin building those bridges.”
Ambassador Greggor finally relaxed. “Yes, now you see. There are mutually exclusive belief systems, but ours are not. We need only be open and honest with one another.”
“That’s how agreements should be,” Jason responded.
“And yet, for generations, we haven’t been able to come to terms. The Priesthood liked their secrets.”
Jason nodded. “They did.”
“We hoped the new Taran leadership would be open to evaluating new policies regarding freedom of information.”
“We are. But we also recognize the risks and dangers of sharing information with those who won’t give it proper consideration.”
Ambassador Greggor inclined her head. “It is one of the reasons we were so interested in interfacing with you—someone walking the line between the TSS and High Dynasties. We have seen the purity of your intentions.”
“But others—”
“Yes, others do not show such care. Despite our openness, we have the same concerns about members of our own population. I assure you, there are safeguards.”
“So, what do you propose?” Jason asked.
“A dedicated, discreet research team to work with yours in the TSS to determine which tech, if any, is appropriate to bring to scale. If any is identified, we will negotiate further involvement and resources to bring those plans to fruition.”
“That’s—”
“Everything you asked for, yes,” the ambassador said with a cautious smile. “See how much easier this would have been if you’d simply been honest with us from the outset?”
“Lesson learned,” Jason acknowledged, returning her smile.
“To be fair, we can’t apply these same communication standards to all cultures,” Curtis interjected.
“No,” Ambassador Greggor replied, “but this is the common ground for our people, and it is how we will find our way forward. You must find that with each of your allies—and enemies, to resolve those conflicts.”
Jason nodded. “We’ll do our best.”
The ambassador smiled. “Now, what do you say we get to work?”
THE END
— — —
About the Author
Nebula Award finalist and USA Today bestselling author A.K. (Amy) DuBoff has always loved science fiction in all forms, including books, movies, shows, and games. If it involves outer space, even better! She is most known for her acclaimed Cadicle Universe, which serves as the backdrop for the “Integration” short story; this broader story universe includes numerous novel series and short stories by Amy and co-authors. As a full-time author, Amy can frequently be found traveling the world while writing timeless space-based science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys wine tasting, binge-watching TV series, and playing epic strategy board games.
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE LONG WAY HOME
THE MIXON DRIVE
A FAIR TRADE
WEIGHTLESS
IMPROBABLE MEAT
THE CAPTAIN’S YACHT
STAR CADETS
THE DAY THE EARTH WAS GRADED
RESERVATION EARTH
INTEGRATION