by A. K. DuBoff
“So, fourteen,” Kaiden said, counting the red points. “Do we have the resources to offer planetary shields and other defenses if they accept our offer?”
“Emergency provisions aren’t an issue,” Liam Makaris stated on behalf of Makaris Corp, the overseer of food production and distribution throughout the Empire.
“We can re-task one of the DGE ship manufacturing facilities to construct orbital defense satellites, if needed,” Ryan offered.
“I know there’s a stockpile of shield generators, so they’d only require power,” Cris said.
“Most are powered by geothermal, right?” Eduard asked. Baellas, as a textiles and home goods company, didn’t have much to offer in terms of defense, but they would no doubt be pleased to have new sales markets open to them.
Cris nodded. “That’s a large construction undertaking, though. A PEM array would be much quicker to set up.”
Celine gave a prim nod. “Don’t some of these worlds already have planetary shields in place?”
They checked over the records in a data table next to the map. Almost half of the worlds did, but eight were defenseless aside from asteroid-spotter turrets.
“I think we can swing it in short order,” Cris assessed. “They’ve been staging materials on Phiris for a set of new colony worlds out that way, right?”
“Yes, DGE has been handling the shipments,” Ryan confirmed.
Celine was looking decidedly unhappy as the attendees waited for her to confirm that MPS could provide the necessary PEMs for the project. Raena didn’t understand her hesitation.
“What’s going on with her?” she asked her grandfather.
His outward expression remained neutral. “Shite, your dad might be right. Keep this to yourself—there’s concern that MPS’ production capacity is at its limits.”
She followed his lead and remained outwardly serene. “How is it possible this is only coming to light now?”
“This expansion campaign is the largest the Empire has undertaken in recent history. More ships, more shields, more cities. Their production limits might never have been tested before.”
“But don’t they have a stockpile?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” Cris returned his attention to Celine, though only a second had passed during the telepathic exchange. “When can you have the PEMs ready for delivery, Celine?”
“I’m not convinced this course of action is the right move at all,” the woman replied.
Eduard waved his hand dismissively. “Those worlds knew what the danger was when they stepped away from the Empire. Their fate is their own to bear.”
“My sentiments exactly.” Celine inclined her head. “I would, however, be happy to provide the PEMs to support a planetary shield grid for Earth. The situation of that planet—and its strategic importance to the TSS—make it the priority.”
“This is all a cover, isn’t it?” Raena said to Cris. “Celine has enough to help Earth but not the others, and she’s making it about political allegiance.”
“I fear that may be the case. And if that’s true, the worries about PEMs are far from over.”
“To a vote, then?” Kaiden proposed. “All in favor of bringing Earth into the Taran fold?”
The hands of the seven High Dynasty representatives all raised.
“The motion carries,” Kaiden stated. “We can revisit the matter of the other worlds at a future time.”
“Thank you all for meeting on short notice.” Cris bowed his head to the group before standing. “I will file the results of the vote and forward the decision to the TSS.”
The representatives filed out of the room in short order, leaving Raena, Ryan, and her grandparents alone.
“That went pretty well,” Kate assessed.
“We’ve come a long way with being civil to each other,” Cris said. He telekinetically swung the conference doors closed. “However, we might have another problem.”
He filled them in on the conversation he’d had with Wil. It was all speculation, but Raena had to admit that Celine’s behavior during the meeting reinforced the other observations.
“What can we do about it?” Ryan asked when Cris had finished his account.
“They’ll need to admit there’s a problem before we can make an accurate assessment,” Cris said with a heavy sigh.
Kate shook her head. “I always knew something was off about that Dynasty. The comparatively quick leadership turnover. How cagey they are.”
“This would explain a lot,” Raena agreed. “They had to have seen this coming.”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to table the concerns for now, but keep an eye on the situation,” Cris said. “This matter of Earth is going to demand a careful touch and you’re in the best position to advise, Raena.”
“Me?” She realized how silly that sounded. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
Since learning about the civilization spanning the galaxy, she’d dreamed about the day when the people who’d been close to her as a child on Earth would finally understand why she’d disappeared from their lives. The technology, medicine, and interstellar reach was the stuff of fantasy. She’d been looking forward to sharing the wonder and excitement with them. Now, though, the threat of an alien invasion cast a shadow on the upcoming revelation.
“Knowing your father; I’m sure he’s already thinking about how to approach it. Why don’t you coordinate with him and then let us know what support you need from the High Council?” Cris suggested.
“Yes, I will.”
“Good luck. And stay in touch.”
They exchanged goodbye hugs before Raena and Ryan headed back toward their shuttle.
“This freaking week.” She couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’ll be okay, Raena. We’ll get through this.”
How can he sound so calm and collected with everything going on? She appreciated his measured presence, but stars! It would actually make her feel better to see him flustered, too. “When did you become the one to talk me down?”
“Oh, come now. We have a long history of alternating roles. Admittedly, though, you were always more confident during our early years together.”
“The enthusiastic over-confidence of youth,” she huffed. “Now, I know better.”
He beamed, seeming almost satisfied.
“What’s so amusing?”
Ryan chucked softly. “I know this is part of your process and you’re about to crest the curve. The freak-out followed by a renewed wave of determination. A good challenge is definitely among your Top Five favorite things.”
She rolled her eyes. He really does know me well.
He took her hand. “No matter what, we’re in this together.”
“Thank you.”
“Always.”
“But really, though, this whole thing is a nightmare.”
“It is, no doubt,” he agreed. “However, sometimes it can be good when circumstances force your hand.”
“I much prefer having the opportunity to plan.”
“Certainly. But hey, were it not for unusual twists of fate, we may never have met. I might still be a random Ward working as a servant to the Sietinen Dynasty.”
“That’s true.”
“So, this business in the Outer Colonies and with these aliens could lead to great things on an even larger scale.” Ryan squeezed her hand. “Adversity has a way of showing you what’s really important.”
— — —
“We’re going to do what?” Even though Jason had heard the statement clearly, he couldn’t believe it.
“I know, this isn’t how I pictured Earth’s reintroduction, either,” his father said. “I wish it was all of the unincorporated colonies and not just this one, but I suppose we should be thankful for the small victories.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a ‘victory’, exactly. This is going to be rough.”
“Which is why it is so important that we’re involved. All of our inside knowledge of the cultural nuances
will be critical to making this integration a success.”
Jason winced. “I suggest keeping expectations low. For that matter, maybe rather than ‘integration’, just ‘maintaining peace’.”
“Fair.”
“This is going to be crazy, Dad.”
“No crazier than when we announced that the Priesthood had been removed from power. If anything, this will be easier because we’re only dealing with one planet.”
“There is that.”
Jason had watched the political ramifications of the Priesthood’s fall play out from afar. Earth might be a smaller group of people than the Taran Empire as a whole, but that didn’t make its political and socioeconomic dynamics much simpler. Sides would no doubt be chosen. People would lobby for their place in the new, expanded scope of life. Perhaps not right away, but the power struggle would happen eventually.
“How are we going to approach this?” Jason asked.
“The High Council has agreed to your sister serving as a political liaison, given her firsthand knowledge of the ‘local culture’, so to speak. We may as well bring her into the conversation before we go any further.”
“Sure, of course.”
Wil dialed through to Raena’s office.
The image of her appeared on-screen, and she folded her hands on her desktop. “Hey. Are we really going to do this thing?”
Wil smiled. “I think so.”
Raena looked over at Jason. “Hi, Jace. I’m so sorry about Tiff.”
Bringing it up doesn’t make it any easier. He knew she meant well, but not thinking about what had happened was the easiest way to cope right now. “Yeah, thanks.”
His father picked up on the shift in mood and jumped in to move things along. “So, Raena, have you given any more thought since we spoke about how to approach the disclosure?”
“Well, it needs to circumvent political boundaries somehow. We don’t want political leaders to think that whoever makes first contact somehow owns the relationship above all others.”
“Agreed. It needs to be an international event. An opportunity for unity,” their father said. “Earth has been through a lot in the past several decades. Disease, war, civil disputes. The people on the planet seem intent on finding any excuse to rip each other apart.”
“I never saw it that way—that they wanted division,” Jason countered.
“I was being facetious.”
“Even so. Don’t take this the wrong way, Dad, but you always looked at Earth from an outsider’s perspective.”
“I did, no doubt about it.”
“Speaking as someone who grew up there,” Raena jumped in, “my opinion is that in the attempts to make sure everyone is represented, in some ways, people have lost sight of the bigger picture: the shared humanity. There’s such a focus on uniqueness and differences that it’s divided people more than bringing them together. What’s needed now is a big, outside demonstration to remind people that they’re in it together on their little planet Earth.”
“In other words, we need to make a big splash?” Wil asked.
“Yeah.” Jason nodded. “Make an undeniable show of it being Earth against the rest of the galaxy.”
Raena’s face lit up. “I think I have an idea.”
CHAPTER 17
Wil was known for a multitude of professional accomplishments, but being the person to officially invite Earth into the Taran Empire was one of the most significant. Sure, the independent jump drive and his command of the TSS forces had had far-reaching impacts, but he was about to open up a veritable universe of possibilities to billions of people who’d been trapped on their world.
It was a big responsibility he took seriously—but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun with it. Stars knew they needed a happy moment with everything else going on.
He’d talked with his children at length about the best way to approach the disclosure. They’d walked through the official military and government response plans on record, collected by the TSS Agents who’d been doing their part over the decades to maintain distant relations with the planet’s key influencers. There was nothing in the Earth armory that could threaten a TSS ship, so the biggest concern was taking an approach that wouldn’t spark an immediate world war.
The best way, therefore, was to make the first contact very public and highly watched. World leaders were far less likely to take adverse action if everyone was in a simultaneous state of shock.
What it came down to was they needed to make a spectacle of first contact. Wil had spent enough time on Earth to know how much humans loved their big-budget movies about alien encounters. Though most of those films ended with lots of explosions and the vanquishing of the would-be extraterrestrial invaders, he was optimistic that first contact with the Taran Empire would go more smoothly.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” Saera asked with a raised eyebrow as she reviewed the manifest Wil had prepared of ships to encircle Earth.
“Do you really think the media would be satisfied with anything less?”
She took another look at the lineup of vessels. “We should probably take the Conquest, too.”
He smiled. “That’s what I thought.”
No matter what they did, some people would freak out, many wouldn’t believe it, and some would be excited. Wil’s bigger concern, though, was the backlash about why Tarans hadn’t made contact sooner; millions of lives could have been saved with the medical technology he took for granted in everyday life, let alone the specialty tech. They’d need to tackle those bigger issues in time; for now, his immediate concern was simply making the presence of the Taran Empire known to all.
“Have you finalized the landing details yet?” Saera asked.
“Yes, and I was trying to settle on phrasing to send to our government and media contacts that our field Agents have been working with.”
She looked over the draft language. “Fairly casual, isn’t it?”
He smiled. “Come on, Saera. This is me. There’s no way this is going to be a formal affair of pomp and circumstance.”
“Good point.” She read it again. “I think that’s a reasonable list of requests and clear instructions. Send it.”
“All right, no going back now!” He delivered the written message and attached instructions: >>Greetings from the Taran Empire! Upon review of your planet’s state of development, we have determined that you are now eligible to join the rest of the galactic community. Our liaisons will land at the attached coordinates at 12:00 local time to initiate formal relations. Please send impartial members of your press instead of government representatives. We are making contact with the people of Earth, not the planet’s governments, specifically. We look forward to meeting you soon.<<
“Do you think they’ll go along with it?” Saera asked.
Wil laughed. “Not a chance.”
—
Sure enough, when the designated meeting time arrived, a swarm of military personnel had descended on the specified landing field in the Virginia countryside. However, along with the military was a large contingent of international press.
Wil took in the scene displayed on the viewscreen in the Conquest’s Command Center. “This should be interesting.”
“Are you sure you want to go in-person?” Saera asked not for the first time.
“I’ll have a dozen Agents watching for security threats and my own personal shields will be up. It’ll be even safer than when we were living there.”
“Okay,” she agreed, though apprehension still sharpened her features.
He’d fantasized about what it would be like to reveal the truth about the Taran Empire to the people of Earth since he’d first visited the planet as a young man with Saera. At the time, the world was reeling from political unrest and recovering from a worldwide pandemic, though that hadn’t directly impacted their travel. However, reviewing the news reports had revealed to him that humans were a passionate race with good intentions but prone to tribalistic thinking. They we
re similar to other Tarans in that way, and at least that offered a common frame of reference for how best to approach the integration.
It wasn’t until he’d lived on the planet while his twins were growing up that he’d learned to appreciate the intricacies of Earth’s cultures. He knew it would be impossible to approach each of the major governments in an identical manner and expect the same, welcoming result. That was why he’d made it a point to address the citizens of Earth as a whole, not any single governing entity. It was about promoting commonality. He sincerely hoped it would work.
But, to hedge his bets, he wanted to also make the most spectacular show of power they could with their already stretched resources. If he was to convince Earth that they were better off unified with the Taran Empire, then they needed to make the Empire look like the shining jewel of the galaxy. And he was prepared to put on a bomaxed good show.
All of the TSS ships they could spare were set to simultaneously jump into Earth’s airspace and take up low orbit. Though the craft wouldn’t be particularly visible from the ground, an array of new lights would join the night sky on the opposite side of the planet from the meeting. Government and military surveillance would see the full picture, though, and some of those images would no doubt make it onto worldwide media outlets, probably along with headlines like, ‘ALIENS!’ and ‘They Have Arrived!’ in bold letters. He couldn’t help but smile thinking about it.
The door to the Command Center opened. Jason and Raena entered together, not nearly as in sync as they’d once been with each other.
“Go time?” Raena asked in English. It had been a while since Wil had spoken the language, but he was fluent from the years spent living as a local.
“All good on this end,” Wil confirmed.
She rubbed her hands together and grinned. “All right.”
He was glad to see her focused and excited. When he’d last visited with her on Tararia not long ago, she’d been too tense. However, the spark had returned when she offered to travel to Headquarters and be a part of the big show. She’d always thrived in challenges when she had control over the action, so she was in her element; the business with the Outer Colonies was different, requiring her to remain hands off. Perhaps this project with Earth was a therapeutic displacement of those frustrations.