Cassie smirked, “What now?”
I shook my head and sent two more shuttles. That time to France and Australia, so the U.S. and China could lose out, as the other six of the countries I called the eight on my world got the jump ahead in space.
I also opened a channel, “Take the chance and claim my gift as I leave this all behind, or I’ll give the opportunity to other countries who will. The United States and China already lose out.”
Jessica snickered, “That should get them moving.”
I smiled grimly. Human nature, the best thing to overcome their fear of whatever I might be planning was to make them fear other countries getting the power instead.
It did work, and it was only fifteen minutes later when all the shuttles were loaded up with soldiers and an officer or two. As my last act, I transferred full control of the stations to those officers so they could distribute rights to others, then I was done with it. We had the stealth network to keep an eye on that universe, but unless Darrell saw something objectional I’d never look at that universe again, most likely.
There was a weight to all of this. Was what we were doing right? It felt a bit like playing god to shift the balance of power in other universes. There was also all the death’s involved, I had so many deaths on my soul already, taking out the Grays, Stolthrim, and Vrok not only in my universe but now in other places as well.
I also felt guilty. I could’ve been that Scott Akin so easily, if Jayna, Diana, and Cassie had died, I’d have done all the same things. It was a bit of a mind screw. Diana had a profound effect on my life, turned me into the man I am today, it was boggling to imagine myself without her in my life.
At the same time, it did feel right to give humanity a chance to reach for the stars in other quantum universes. Once every two days, for the rest of my life? I’d see how it went. I wasn’t sure if I could bear it, but it wasn’t all bad. I’d saved billions of humans today too, after all.
Chapter Nine
That same night was an extended family dinner night, and the sun rose to the east shedding its dawn light onto our beach as we prepared dinner. Weird, but I was used to it. It was also good for the soul, the sounds of my nephew and daughter carrying on in the water. Jayna and Carmine were laying on the beach, and Diana cradled Michael in her arms while I worked the grill. Cassie was in one of the bungalows, while Jessica was on a four-footed hunt.
It was my turn to barbeque, Carmine and I switched off every other time. I was in shorts and a t-shirt, and Diana looked great in jean shorts and a cotton shirt which clung to her in the direction the ocean wind was blowing.
I turned the barbequed chicken, then flipped the steaks and portobello mushrooms. There was also corn on the cob right on top of the briquettes wrapped in foil.
Diana asked, “You okay?”
I nodded, “I think so. I’m not sure letting our daughter see that was the best idea though. I think we did the right thing. We stopped a lot of suffering for many races, not just humanity, but the violence had a lot more weight to it than I expected. Maybe because they were no threat at all to us.”
Diana leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“We can’t protect her forever, and she needs to know what’s out there. I’ll talk to her later, but she looks fine right now. She’s not the one that did it, you did.”
I said, “True. There’s always a cost, even when doing the right thing.”
She replied, “I feel it too, and I bet she does a little. It’s our inventions that led to it. But it’s also something to be proud of, as you wield those technologies morally.”
“No pressure.”
She giggled, “It really isn’t, it comes from who you are.”
I stole a kiss, her confidence in me did make a difference and I felt better about the day’s events. Then I checked on the food again. It was close enough that I waved the kids out of the water so they could dry off before sitting around the outside table. Then I started to load up the platter.
We all converged on the table around the same time and took a seat.
“Selling ships, it was a good run, and we’ve made lots of extra cash from it, but I’m thinking of stopping. At least, military wise. I’ll still sell custom private ships to individuals, research groups, or companies.”
Jayna asked, “Why?”
“You know China is our equal now, they’ve upgraded all their ships, and their ships can fire on other human ships and even planets. That’s a concerning imbalance of power.”
Jayna snorted, “But you having the best wasn’t?”
I shook my head, and said in a mock offended tone, “Of course not.”
Melody giggled.
Cassie said, “So what exactly are you suggesting?”
“Well, we’ve all lived together in space, and managed to get along for the most part, and even present a united front to other races. I was thinking of evening the playing field. The other thirty-nine countries I sold to I can unlock the restrictions. That’ll give every country the ability to spin off new ships, even colony ships, and defend themselves with the best ships should another human colony or earth country attack them. I suppose we could still make a little cash, if I sold them all the breakthroughs we make in the future as upgrades, but maybe not? I don’t know, we could keep any new breakthroughs to ourselves to regain superiority, or decide on each one, like the four current ones we’re keeping top secret.”
Energy to matter device, stealth technology, quantum multiverse, and the singularity weapon.
Jayna said, “Sounds risky, right now we just have to worry about China going off the rails.”
I nodded, “But we can only protect them from themselves for so long. Sure, it’s only a matter of time before some other countries get the new technology through spying and espionage, but this way everyone has it. Cassie?”
Cassie replied, “That’s the kind of generosity I’ve grown to expect from you, but that will just make everyone else paranoid. They’ll be sure to think you already have technologies that so far outclass theirs that it wouldn’t matter as far as Astraeus is concerned, and that you’ve stopped selling and acted so apparently generous because you want to keep that new edge for yourself.”
I sighed, because she was probably right. No other country would do what I’d been contemplating. They were all too obsessed with power, and they would all assume the worst and ascribe those incorrect motivations to my actions.
Cassie shrugged, “My advice is to just let it ride. The balance will restore itself quickly, at least with the other three of your ship selling competitors. Keep selling to your loyal customers, and it might not be a bad idea to keep the next tactical breakthrough for ourselves, since we can’t depend on software limiting to ensure our safety any longer. We also need to keep a closer eye on them, they might come up with one first.”
Jayna said sarcastically, “Comforting thought.”
That sounded like the right course, but on the other hand it made me exactly like them. Looking for the advantage. Well, we were in a never-ending arm’s race with other empires, so what difference did it make if the rest of humanity had just joined that crowd.
I had faith Diana and Melody would reach the next breakthrough first, and if they didn’t, I could always engage in a little espionage of my own. Which of course, would make me exactly like them. The idea felt a little different than what I’d done in the past. Almost wrong, to be doing that against another human country, rather than stealing alien technology which didn’t tweak my conscience even a little bit.
Point was, I scrapped the whole idea of evening the playing field and unlocking my sold ships. I had good intentions, but I’d be misunderstood, and it would backfire.
“I’ll be guided by your pessimistic wisdom.”
Cassie smirked, “Realist.”
The next morning, I was working on a new product that would keep a house’s air ducts and pipes clean. As well as purify the air and water without needing to change filters every three m
onths. Not glamorous, but I was sure they’d sell like hotcakes on Amazon and at other colony worlds.
Jessica said, “We’re being hailed by Sophri.”
I nodded, “Open a channel.”
Sophri of the Bavoi empire appeared in a hologram above the command table.
“This is President Akin. It’s a pleasure to speak to you again.”
Sophri said, “You as well. I wish to inquire into a couple of matters.”
I replied, “I’ll assist if I can.”
Sophri said, “The first matter is the Intergalactic Union. We wish to join it and have a permanent trade presence there for ourselves as well as many of our trading races who have shown similar interest.”
I replied, “That’s not up to us. Although they enjoy our protection, they are independent, though we are one voice among many in that organization. You and the other races interested could send a delegate there to represent your worlds and races, and then apply for membership.”
Sophri nodded, “I thought to speak to you first, because trade is the secondary consideration of that union. We have learned the primary reason for its existence is all members agree to cede one percent of their galaxy for the protection you offer from the preying empires that surround your territory. We are not interested in that aspect of things.”
Right, where was my head? I obviously needed more coffee.
“That’s an excellent point. All the members are traders and merchants at heart, however. It’s still up to them, but I imagine arrangements could be made for a trader only type membership for those from other empires and territories. I have no objection or even influence if the Intergalactic Union is willing to do so, nor can I force them to make the change.
“All I could suggest would be to contact the human, Arnis, or Vax representative and ask them to submit the question to the floor for a vote.”
Sophri said, “Very good. The second inquiry was to ask about your interest in a possible mutual support treaty directly between our empires. The humans and Bavoi. We are enjoying the trade we have engaged in and would investigate deepening those ties slightly at this time, if possible.”
“Mutual support?”
Sophri said, “A small next step. I don’t think we’re ready for mutual defense, neither of us has reached a level where we would allow each other’s military ships inside our space. But we could freely assist merchant ships in trouble in each other’s territory, as well as humanitarian aid and assistance between our worlds during times of natural tragedy or hardship.”
I nodded, “I’m willing to look into the possibility, and personally would like to see it happen. Send me a treaty outlining what you have in mind, and I will introduce it to my people’s leadership. I can’t guarantee anything past that.”
I couldn’t act unilaterally on it. The U.N. would have to approve any treaties with the surrounding empires. Even if it would likely be my ships responding to an aid request, sans weapons systems.
The U.N. was mainly and almost completely ineffective when it came to internal matters between countries, but so far they’d been amazingly useful when dealing with alien races as a whole on humanity’s behalf.
Sophri said, “Stand by for a data stream.”
The computers picked the data out of the transmission.
I said, “I’ll contact you when a decision is made.”
Sophri bowed, and the communication was terminated.
Cassie said, “I’ll get that to our ambassador right away.”
“Sounds good.”
I got back to work on the house vent, pipe, water, and air cleansing system.
It was lunchtime, and it was me, Diana, Melody, and Michael in our kitchen, with two Darrell balls on overwatch for the latter two.
“You mentioned deeper possibilities for subspace and quantum fabrics?”
Melody said, “I don’t really have anything yet, but yes. We know about three levels of subspace, each one a harmonic of normal space’s quantum fabric and connected, but there could be even more compact layers of the universe. Conversely, I’ve been looking into lower harmonic frequency resonances as well, to see if normal space is really the largest layer or not. There could be dimensions that are larger than normal space, instead of more compact. Filled with… who the heck knows which may or may not lead to new technologies?
“Right now, it’s about learning how the universe, or universes, are set up and how they work and interact with all the different dimensional layers. I have no idea if further discoveries will lead to new technology, or merely just understanding. I want to know how it all works together, and to get there we need to find all the layered dimensions.”
“That sounds interesting. Are there any dimensions with a lower harmonic frequency?”
She nodded, “And that implies they’re bigger, if only because subspace with higher harmonic frequencies are smaller, but I can’t prove it. Mostly because I haven’t been able to run a scan yet. I lost contact with the tiny probes I sent there immediately. Imagine a dimension where one light second here amounted to fifty light years there, if it is the exact opposite of our relationship to the first level of subspace which I can’t prove.
“That would mean the size of our solar system alone is fifteen thousand light years across. Another step down our solar system would be bigger than our galaxy in normal space.”
“That’s hard to imagine. What do you think destroyed the probe?”
She shook her head, “I can only guess, and like mom I’d prefer not to. I’m building a new probe the size of a Gray scout, and I’m putting a fusion reactor on it. Just to make sure that dimension wasn’t simply cutting off our access to vacuum energy. I’ll let you know when I have it figured out if you want, one dimension at a time. I don’t think it’s infinite, like the quantum universes, but I imagine there’s a lot more layers to a universe than just the five we know about, even if we know nothing about the fifth right now.”
“But you have a theory.”
She made a face, “Not telling. But yes.”
I laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Diana teased, “You’ll have to be patient.”
I said, “I can handle that.”
I’d never gotten on Diana about her research, I wasn’t going to do it to Melody either though it was a little different.
Diana asked, “Movie night tonight?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Ten
Early the next morning I had my second coffee and sat at the command table. Darrell had gotten the next full stealth network built, and he’d transferred it to the next quantum universe frequency a few hours ago, so I started to comb through the data. The first thing I noticed was it was three frequency resonances down, and I tried not to think about what that meant, but it was unavoidable.
He’d skipped over two because humanity had been removed from those universes.
“Hey, Cass. Looks like this one is a lot different.”
Cassie said, “How?”
I said, “The Vrok, Stolthrim, and Grays are gone. I mean totally gone, their home worlds are scoured clean. Looks like they were taken out by the Keldet and Olmai, who each have a section of the seventy-six galaxies in our territory here. Umm, we’re in the Keldet section, and part of their empire. Or I should say the humanity in that universe is in the Keldet section, not us. Twenty-two of the original fifty galaxies belong to them, as well as another sixteen galaxies from their original empire here, if that makes sense.
“Earth is more advanced than we would’ve been at this time, they have FTL already, and obviously not from being uplifted by Grays’ technology. Their ships are similar to the new and weak FTL races in our territory. According to their internet, they had no World War Two, and they advanced a lot more quickly the last seventy years. They already have three colonies, and they’re working on getting six more ready for the last six worlds in that fifty light year radius sphere.”
Cassie asked, “Part of the
empire?”
I said, “The Keldet are similar to the Grays, and bipedal like our two races. The rules aren’t exactly the same, but they’re a little pessimistic and sadistic. Like the Grays the Keldet have a true empire that limits the FTL races inside it to fifty light years of sovereign space. Humanity can do whatever they want within those fifty light-years, but they can’t have any armed ships outside of that territory.
“If they’re caught doing so, they’d be wiped out. Unlike the Grays though, another race doesn’t have to report it, they just have to see it happen with one of their ships. They’re a lot more involved than the Grays were, even if there are some similarities. They’re allowed to trade in unarmed ships, and at their own risk while entering the sovereign territory of another race.
“The Keldet require all races to participate in a genocide against anyone that breaks the rules, which hasn’t happened since Earth got FTL, and it’s a highly contested Keldet law on Earth.”
Cassie nodded, “What do you want to do?”
I shrugged, “Humanity seems to be flourishing, all on their own, despite being in the Keldet Empire. I see no reason to interfere, although I’m tempted to leave the stealth fleet in this universe just in case the Earth gets a raw deal we can step in. They’re not even close to being able to defend themselves if the Keldet turn against them.”
Cassie asked, “You think that’s likely?”
I grimaced, “Probably, it depends. They’re following the rules, and have a strong trade relationship with the Vax, but just based on what I’m reading right now I believe they just might refuse to join with the other races in genocide against the next race that breaks those rules.”
There was a moment of silence as they both absorbed all I’d said.
Jessica said, “Our plan was to help and leave a stealth network, but if we weren’t going to help to move the stealth fleet on until we found a universe to directly help. This is the second universe we’re leaving be, but also leaving a stealth network. So, we won’t be helping a version of humanity every two days if this keeps up.”
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