Contact

by M. D. Neu

  “You would be crazy not to take it,” Dan said.

  “Wait. You both read the document and the offer letter?”

  Dan and Kati nodded.

  That would explain why the seal faded from the blue it was to now almost white. I’d thought it just changed over time.

  “I can’t believe you two.”

  They shrugged.

  Todd’s eyes narrowed at Dan. “Speaking of decisions, have you figured out what you’re going to do? I’d like to get my guest room back at some point, and you still won’t wear the French maid outfit,” he teased. “I don’t need a resident hobo.”

  “Bitch! I’ve been waiting for your sorry ass to heal,” Dan said. “Then I thought I’d get a place here in San Jo’ and continue the travel and tour thing. With the Nentraee opening up a couple more of their ships for visitors and them not wanting to book the tours online, there is a lot of money to be made.” He pulled at his shirt collar. “Or that’s my hope. So, there.” Dan stuck out his tongue at Todd. “I’ve been taking care of business while you’ve been meeting all the ‘A’ list people. You nasty-ass ho, don’t even—”

  The phone rang, interrupting the conversation. Todd slowly reached for it.

  But Dan snatched it up and spoke into the phone with a high-pitched female voice. “His Excellency Savior of the Nentraee and Keeper of the Galactic Peace, Todd Landon’s Palace. This is his servant Crystal Chandelier. How may I service you today?”

  Todd grabbed a pillow and threw it at Dan’s head.

  Kati chuckled.

  Dan’s face paled. His voice dropped even lower than normal. “Oh, Mister McNeil…no, sir…you have the right number. Ah, sorry, sir. Yes, Todd’s here…sorry, sir. I thought you were the…um…here, let me pass you to Todd.” He hastily tossed Todd the phone, and it landed on Todd’s hollow stomach.

  Todd picked up the phone and glared at Dan.

  Dan’s face was awash with mortification and he mouthed the words, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Hello, this is Todd. Mister McNeil, hello, how are you?”

  There was a pause.

  “I’m sorry for my friend. He has a very rare condition of dumb-assness. We don’t normally let him answer the phone or talk to civilized people.” He scowled at Dan while Kati snickered.

  “Um…well, sir…” Todd turned his face from both Kati and Dan.

  He listened.

  “All right, yes, okay, Greg. I haven’t had a chance to consider it. There has been a lot of stuff going on. It’s indeed an honor.”

  Another break.

  Both Kati and Dan moved in closer, not quite crowding him.

  “Of course. I’m definitely, seriously considering the possibility.”

  He nodded.

  “Well…um…you see, Greg, I wasn’t sure I’d still be invited after the horrible things I said to you, which I’m so sorry for. I was out of line, and there is no excuse.”

  He waited.

  “That is very kind of you to understand. Thank you.” He shifted to face Dan and Kati.

  He paused.

  “In that case, I would love to come to Washington, DC. Thank you.”

  Dan and Kati faced each other, then turned back to Todd.

  “That is too kind. Thank you.”

  There was a final pause.

  “Definitely, I’ll let you know. Have a good afternoon too. Bye.” Todd clicked off the phone. Before he could put it down, questions flew at him.

  Twenty: Ultimatums

  “IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL here,” Laina gazed out of the hotel room’s picture window. “I wonder if they know how lucky they are?” It was a fall day, and the trees were a colorful array of golds, reds, and oranges. It reminded her of their home in OoNowa.

  Mi’ko had worked so hard toward this day. She wanted him to succeed, for this to work. Not just for him, but for the Nentraee. She understood that all their futures, human and Nentraee, were now tangled together and nothing could change that, not even everybody’s combined stupidity.

  “I doubt it. We never did. We took it for granted, even after the Clan Wars. Just like they do now.”

  Laina turned to her youngest son. She hadn’t expected him to answer.

  “Forever the optimist, Mi’cin,” Laina said, the afternoon sun warm on her face.

  She was proud of the male he’d grown into, despite his pessimism. His soft brown hair and his broad shoulders reminded her of her deceased brother.

  Mi’cin brought his foot up and crossed it over his knee. “I’m saying that it took our planet blowing up before we realized what we had. These humans don’t seem any different in the way they pollute their land, water, and air.” He adjusted his collar with a steady hand, loosening it, causing his dress cloak to shift.

  “What do you know of our home world? You were only a child when we left.” Laina floated over to him, and then fixed his collar, finally dusting off the lint. His clothing seemed to be tailored for him, unlike Mi’ko, who never had his tieback right. Males.

  “I remember the purple mountains that we could see from the house in OoNowa and going to the ocean for the day.” His eyes narrowed on her. “I remember more than you think.”

  “As well you should. Never forget our home, Mi’cin.” Mi’ko walked the rest of the way into the hotel room. The dark gray dress suit Laina had picked for him flattered his soft form, and the deep blue cloak was clasped at the shoulders with large blue stones. He commanded authority without needing to say a word.

  Mi’cin stood and bowed. “Hello, Father.”

  Laina drifted over to her husband, before stopping to fix the tieback that held his hair.

  I want my males to look perfect today.

  “Is everything worked out for tonight?” She touched his cheek, seeing the worry in his eyes. It had been a hard-fought battle within the government, but he had pulled it together. She couldn’t have been prouder of him.

  “It is. The president of the United States of America will make the greeting, then the speaker general will address the people and the media. She will announce the new position and give the special envoy the Kap’erin. It will be a big moment for our people. Once the media are satisfied, we’ll move on to the private dinner where I’ll introduce you to our special envoy.” The lines on his face softened. “Given the amount of planning that went into this, including the assurances we had to give the other world leaders, everything should be perfect.”

  Mi’cin sat back on the couch, resting his hands on his knees, a tight expression on his face. “As well planned as—”

  Laina stopped him with a stern look. He put a hand to his heart as a sign of surrender.

  “Fine, fine. Where are Shif and Ko?” Mi’cin asked. “I thought the whole family had to be present at this magnificent and glorious event? The moment that will change our futures.”

  Laina frowned at her son.

  Mi’ko sighed. “Hir-shif and Hir-ko are waiting for us downstairs in the lobby with security. There was no need for them to come up.” He walked to the chair and picked up his wife’s cloak to help her with it. “You’re beautiful tonight, my love. I adore how the light bounces off the flecks of your dress. You have such elegance.” He reached up and touched her hair. “Perfectly braided and in one of my favorite patterns.”

  “You flatter me, Mi’ko.” Liana touched his cheek again with the back of her hand.

  A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

  “Come in,” Laina said, as she clasped her cloak then took a step away from her husband.

  VI-NARM ENTERED THE room followed by two humans. “Mister Vice Speaker, I’m sorry for the interruption, but we have a situation. We must speak with you.” She turned to Laina and Mi’cin. “If you don’t mind joining the others in the lobby, security will escort you.” Her English and her tone were strong.

  Laina motioned for Mi’cin and he stood. “Don’t be long,” Laina said, and she and Mi’cin both bowed. They made their way to the door. Laina’s eyes met
Mi’ko’s briefly before leaving the room, and he offered her a reassuring gaze. She bowed again and left, closing the door behind her.

  Mi’ko scrutinized Vi-Narm and her two guests. Vi-Narm had spoken in English and was getting better the more she practiced. He was still having issue with the language. English was not easy to speak or fully understand.

  “Chief of Staff, Mister Greg McNeil and Secretary of State, Miss Martha Webster, what seem to be the issue? I thought we had worked everything out between the governments?” Mi’ko spoke slowly and focused on his pronunciation.

  “Mister Vice Speaker, as you know, we have been trying to work with your request, but…” Secretary of State Webster stopped, and her boxy, deep-gray skirt suit shifted, revealing the white shirt underneath. She reached up and adjusted the neckline. “Vice Speaker, may I be blunt?”

  Mi’ko’s head tilted slightly.

  Have you ever been anything but blunt?

  He turned to Vi-Narm and then back to the secretary of state. Vi-Narm stood tall and rigid as the secretary of state shifted on her feet.

  “Of course, Secretary of State Miss Martha Webster.” Vi-Narm spoke on behalf of the vice speaker. Her tone was shaky but firm.

  Martha clicked her fingernails together, then stopped, grasping her hands together and holding them in front of her. “We don’t feel your choice for this post will adequately represent our country and its people. Not to mention the entire planet. The president, as well as the UN Security Council, have further doubts.”

  Mi’ko was exhausted by these humans. He sat heavily on the couch, shaking his head at the floor. He took a breath before he spoke, his tone icy. “Secretary of State, Miss Martha Webster, both you president and our speaker general has been over this. We went as far to speaking with you UN Security Council on the matter, at you insistence. An agreement was met.”

  His ears started to swell and warm. This was getting annoying, and it had to stop. “The only way, and let me emphasize our position, the only way we willing to consider stay here is on this condition. We have assured you this will no affect our diplomatic efforts with you country or any other. The speaker general has stated so personally.”

  He turned to Vi-Narm. Remembering their conversation, his ears tingled with anger.

  You had similar words with me. Why are the two of you trying to sink my boat?

  Vi-Narm didn’t trust Mr. Todd Landon or agree that this was the right world for them or that honoring a human in this way would help their relationship. Luckily, her opinions on this matter were irrelevant. Once Mirtoff announced the special envoy position to her people it gave them hope. Mirtoff and the rest of the Speaker’s House had witnessed the excitement of their people. He was happy to see Vi-Narm supported him now, standing there straight and tall, her arms to her side and her palms down. She was a statue. He couldn’t ask for better support than this.

  Mr. McNeil spoke up. “Madam Secretary, Martha, we’ve done our due diligence. There is nothing in the files that says Todd Landon would be anything less than stellar in this position. Even several members of the Security Council have agreed his education—”

  The snort from her small, flaring nostrils cut him off. “It isn’t for us to question. We’re here to support and represent President Zachary. The president now feels differently, as does the Security Council.”

  When she focused back on Mi’ko, her face grew softer, and her tone seemed more civil. “Now Mister Vice Speaker, we have a list of several other civilian personnel who we believe better represent our world and who we feel would be—”

  “Enough!” It was Mi’ko’s turn. He was done. He had fought with the Speaker’s House, with the Speaker General, and he had fought with the House of the People. All he had done was fight, and he did not want to fight with this female anymore. “Madam Secretary, enough!” He stood, and the tips of his ears ached from the burn and puffiness. “Our decision is final. If you governments are no willing to cooperate, speaking behalf of my speaker general, tonight we announce that through much talk and based on the attack that occurred in you city of San Jose, we cannot and will not stay on the planet for fear of our safety. Since you government has no yet been able to find those who did the attack, an attack that almost took my life and did take lives of twenty-eight of my Nentraee.”

  The room froze as Mi’ko stood there, daring her to challenge him. The announcement tonight would be made on the spot, locking the Nentraee into this course of action. This was too important for them and to him. Yes, it took him opening his own eyes and looking to their past to move them into their joined future. To see her try to block the appointment of his special envoy, a human, not even a Nentraee…

  No.

  This would happen even if he was the only one who recognized how important this was to all their people. Nentraee and human.

  “Martha, you can’t let this happen. Not over Mister Landon or his personal life.” Greg broke the silence. “If the Nentraee want him, then who are we to say no?” His tone was intense. “If you and the president stop this, if you allow this to happen, the president will have my resignation in the morning, and I assure you there will be several others following. Not to mention the outcry from around the world. Can the United States afford to be known as the country that ruined our first contact with an alien race? This is politics at its worst, and frankly, I hate it!”

  “Mister Vice Speaker,” The skin around Martha’s eyes hardened. “It was only a minor concern on our part. Of course, we’ll honor your request. We only wanted to make sure all options were reviewed, and you were comfortable with your choice, and you didn’t make this offer because of some tradition we hardly know anything about. After all, this is a very important post, and we didn’t want you to think you had to do this out of some kind of obligation.”

  “Of course, Madam Secretary Webster.” Mi’ko bowed. “I assure you we are very please with our choice. I and my people have complete faith in Mister Todd Landon. After all, the man did save my life and the life of my aide, Vi-Narm.”

  “Of course,” Secretary Webster said with a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her fingernails clicked together again. “I apologize for any misunderstanding, and I hope you won’t think ill of me. After all, we all want the same things. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to see to the details for the rest of the address.”

  “I understand,” Mi’ko said. “It is possible there have been miscommunication on both our part. It is my hope that, with the help of Mister Todd Landon, such poor communication will fall to the past.”

  She marched to the door, her body moving in a stiff manner that seemed abnormal for humans—at least the humans he had seen. They tended to bounce when they walked, like Mr. Greg McNeil did.

  Mi’ko turned to Vi-Narm and then back to the secretary of state and decided now would be the time to assess this relationship. If he had learned one thing, it was to test these creatures. It seemed that with humans, their words did not always match their intentions. “Madam Secretary of State, Miss Martha Webster, please inform you government and the other governments Mister Todd Landon, once officially given this post, will be considered the honorary top-level special envoy for you world. As such, he is important to us and will, of course, be extended all rights and privileges that we, the Nentraee people, can afford him. Also, he will be addressed as Mister Todd Landon, Special Envoy to Mi’ko Soemu for Terran Affairs. Or Special Envoy Landon for short, if they prefer. We expect this from anyone who address him.” The air seemed much cooler in the room as she turned to acknowledge him and his request.

  “Absolutely, Mister Vice Speaker.” The smile was back. It appeared as if her mouth was going to envelop her whole face. “We’ll be certain he’s addressed as such, and you have my personal guarantee that Mister Landon will be afforded appropriate privileges to this very honorary position.” She opened the door and then stepped out.

  Greg turned, grinning from ear to ear.

  Once the door to the room click
ed shut, Vi-Narm’s shoulders lowered, and she shifted on her heels. “Are you sure this is a wise choice?”

  Mi’ko walked over to the window, massaging the tips of his ears. “It is beautiful here, Vi-Narm. The colors are amazing. All I’m missing are the purple mountains.” He stopped for a moment to take in the trees, the sky, and the clouds, then continued. “Mister Todd Landon has a psychology degree and went to one of their universities. He has broken no laws, no criminal record, and from what we have seen of him, is an outstanding example of all that is decent in these humans.” He turned from the window. “Plus, I like him. He speaks his mind, and that is something I find very refreshing. It seems to be a quality unique among these beings.”

  “His own people will make it very difficult on him.” Vi-Narm pulled out a datapad, tapping it and scanning the room. “Do you think he’s aware of what he’ll be up against?”

  Mi’ko was quiet.

  “You saw their secretary of state—she does not want him, and I wouldn’t doubt it was her trying to force this change.” She nodded, appearing happy with what she saw on the device, so she put it away. “Not to mention some of the other world representatives aren’t pleased. There is his personal life, one that is not fully accepted on Earth.”

  Mi’ko adjusted his dark-blue cloak, and examined it. Tradition and honor were held in his cloak, and yet it would be lost on most of these people tonight, except possibly Mister Todd Landon. He seemed to have an understanding unlike the rest. Not seeing them as aliens but as equals—even without fully knowing it. “I’m sure he can handle himself. Anyone who will sacrifice himself to save others going against the nature of self-survival is certainly stronger than others would think. And as for his personal life, that is these humans’ problem, not mine. Don’t you agree?”