by John Dizon
"Well, since we're all agreeing to disagree, let's see if we can find something to argue about," Marcella managed a smile, brushing her platinum mane from her mature yet attractive face. "We know that whoever's got Styrena is trying to force our hand. I'd bet the asteroid colony that the Empire's behind it. Only all the reports indicate that a Deltan craft was involved. No matter how it goes down, if we accuse the Deltans, the Empire will rise to their defense. And since our Betan friends seem to be more yellow than blue these days, they won't be much help."
The others chuckled at the double entendre. Although it seemed a slur against the complexion of the nations' frontier settlers, it was also a gibe aimed at the lukewarm fence-sitting attitude adopted by the Deltans as of late.
"The problem we're facing is the pacifist attitude that's spreading across the quadrant," Obanion insisted. "Everybody's so scared of getting into another war that we're forgetting what it means to having to defend ourselves. Those damned Scorps would invade Beta in a heartbeat if it weren't for us. And where'd that leave us? Surrounded by hostile planets with our backs to an unknown area of space that god knows what inhabits."
"So of our five nations, three are pro-Republican and two pro-Democrat," Pluribus pointed out. "Canadia, Americana and Suramerica are on board. El Caribe and Polynesia think that we're trying to homogenize them. They think if there's another war, we'll tip the scales so that their people will supply the manpower and resources for the effort. It's helping their politicians develop the leverage they need to vote us out of office."
"I don't give a mutant's ass about elections," Morpheus snapped. "I'm worried about what we need to do to secure our quadrant's future. I don't want to leave a war behind me any more than the rest of you. But I'm not willing to let the Empire roll up the Betans just because their dishrag politicians are giving their quadrant away. We sign the MPP, leverage the Betans to put their fleet on the border alongside ours, then we can withdraw and consider an NAP with the Empire."
"The socialist government on Beta is trying to draw all their citizens back onto their four planets so they can nurture their society back to health," Marcella explained. "They're imploding while we're hoping to be exploding. Only if they leave all that barren space along their frontier, either we'll need to fill it for them or the Scorpions will move in. It's one or the other."
She remembered her meeting with Betan Prime Minister Brackett just three days ago. He was a dignified though somewhat pompous man who was unused to dealing with a woman in a superior position of power. Marcella was gifted with her perception of the personalities of others. She could read people like a book at times, and Brackett posed no real challenge of her ability.
"Let me share something with you, Mr. Brackett," she said as they settled back in their seats in the Oval Office. It was named thusly in homage to the fabled meeting room in the White House back in the Old System. "My ancestors are from a place called Texas back on planet Earth in the last century. They had this thing known as Southern hospitality which was considered a source of pride. It was important that, no matter what the situation, a visitor had to feel like he was home. He could just kick back and relax, speak like he was among friends."
"I'm somewhat of a history buff, and I am familiar with American history. Texas has always been very interesting to me," Brackett admitted. "I've also read a lot about you, Madame President. I know that you like to take guests into your confidence, and I am honored that you would favor me so."
"Well then, you know my ancestors had the same problem I have right here," she smiled tautly. "Too many damn scorpions all over the place."
"You certainly don't mince words in coming to the point, as I've heard," Brackett chuckled. "And so it seems that we've got the same problem though there are many issues to address. I also feel as if we may be considering different solutions."
"Starnet's being flooded with stories about extremists crossing the border and massacring innocent civilians along your outer frontier," Marcella's eyes flashed angrily though maintaining an even tone of voice. "The Empire has been reporting that it's the work of pirates and mercenaries, but I think we both know better. They're allowing their religious fanatics to come into Betan territory and try to convert settlers to their demon worship. Your military has found dozens of burned-out farming colonies, and they've interviewed hundreds of witnesses. What they're doing is an act of war according to the rules and regulations of the Interplanetary Council. I can't make a declaration if my planet hasn't been attacked."
"You know what's going on out there," Brackett replied. "There are outlaws flooding the frontier, spreading anarchy across the Outer Territories. Maybe the Empire is denying their complicity, but it is nowhere near a military invasion by uniformed troops. I can't declare an act of war either. I can station ships along the border, but it not only places my troops in harm's way. It increases the possibility of running afoul of Imperial troops and creating an authentic conflict."
"My troops will be right out there alongside yours."
"Perhaps. Yet my people beg to ask a very important question. We know your daughter has gone missing. There are many who feel she has been abducted by hostile forces. As a mother, what will you do when the abductors demand that you withdraw your troops from our borders or face consequences? Could you possibly forsake your daughter's life in promoting your agenda?"
"Mr. Prime Minister," she stared into his eyes, her voice thickening yet vibrant. "I am considering this from my daughter's position. She is a loyal Alphan. She is devoted to our people, our planet and our government. If she became a bargaining piece, if I allowed her to become the reason for our country backing down from the Empire…she could never live with it. And she would never forgive me for allowing her to become the reason for Alpha giving place to the Empire."
"I have no reason to believe you would go back on your word, Madame President," Brackett relented. "I will have my Defense Minister contact your Defense Secretary at the earliest convenience. If the time has come for us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in confronting the Scorpion menace…then let it come to pass."
Seventy-two hours later, Director Morpheus took his leave as the meeting in the Oval Office adjourned. He made his position clear as he exited the premises.
"Mark my words," he said sternly. "You can send your kid out on a planet surfer with a bot and teach him to fly. But the day comes when you have to pull the bot and let your kid learn to fly solo. The time has come for Beta to fly solo."
"It's easy enough for the spooks to say," Obanion scoffed once Morpheus and his entourage returned to their cruiser and flew off into the stratosphere. "They either shoot somebody in the back from a thousand yards or drop a neutron bomb on their position. Steering your ship into a skirmish line facing off against a fleet of hostile warships is a different story. If there was a confrontation and we weren't there to back them up, the Empire could destroy the entire Betan fleet in one battle."
"What about the Deltans?" Pluribus mused. "Marcella, you met with Chairman Tong two days ago. If we can't convince them to take a stand against the Empire, at least we can demand their neutrality. Having them on the sidelines may make the Scorps think they're all alone on this crusade of theirs. It may make them rethink their position."
"If we could take them for their word, everything would be fine," Marcella pointed out. "They say they're assuming their traditional isolationist position. Only history shows they're more than willing to come pick up the scraps once a rival's been vanquished. We saw that last century during World War III when Russia and its allies invaded the Middle East. We also saw it in this century when they came in behind Russia and the Islamic Empire during the Interplanetary Wars. I don't trust them any further than I could launch them. Chairman Tong says they're sitting this one out. Only I'm feeling this burning spot between my shoulder blades."
"Those snot-colored goons aren't going to do anything but sit and swelter under that green sun of theirs," Obanion sneered. "Even the Scorps don't know
what to make of them. They've made some runs into Deltan territory, and they keep drawing blanks. Those greenies haven't worshiped a god in over a century. Their official credo is atheism. I don't even think the word 'worship' exists in their vocabulary."
"You know, you should really try and tuck that in a little bit," Marcella was somewhat offended. "There's a lot of pundits who say there's a racist subnetwork in this government. That kind of talk isn't helping to squash rumors, let me tell you."
"Yeah, well," Obanion huffed. "There's enough backstabbing and throat-slitting in this System without an entire government making it their national policy. I agree, they've got a history of betrayal going back over centuries. We should be learning from it, not repeating it."
Marcella recalled her meeting with Chairman Tong as if sitting with a Deltan android. She could not help but think that he was the sort of person who would move a chess piece out of turn while an opponent was distracted. He had a serpentine quality about him, and the nearly-imperceptible greenish tinge of his skin further enhanced the impression. Throughout their meeting she was reminded of photos of Texas rattlesnakes ready to strike.
"You know, back on Earth in the last century there was a powerful underworld family known as the Tongs. Are you familiar with them?"
"Ah, so. You know your history," Tong grinned, seated in the same place as Brackett was the night before. "They were one of the few Chinese enterprises that ventured far from the homeland. Unfortunately they paid the price, as did many others during and after the Great Collapse. There is an old Oriental saying: the grass always appears greener on the other side. Only so many lose their fortunes and their lives in finding out the hard way."
"I truly respect your non-interventionist policy," Marcella came to the point. "I just ask you to see things from my perspective. The Scorpion Empire shares borders with your people and the Betans. My quadrant sits alongside yours and the Betans. If the Empire manages to occupy the Betans' Outer Territory and compromises yours, they are not only encroaching upon our quadrant but threatens to consume everyone else's."
"Consider this, Madame President," he smiled enigmatically. "Our people built a Great Wall on Earth many centuries ago. It acted as a great divide between us and hostile neighbors. In this day and age, outer space itself serves as an immense barrier. There are space pirates, mercenary forces and rebel coalitions spread across the Outer Territories of each quadrant. They are coiled like vipers, ready to strike. Do you think the Scorpions, the most hated and feared of all the powers within the New System, would dare cross the great void? I would think it would be a most perilous voyage, with our Starfleet awaiting at our border."
"They have four starships," she reminded him. "If they came in force, no group of outlaw ships could withstand a single starship. If they sent all four, they might spearhead an attack that no one nation could withstand. And how could any one of us rescue another if their home planet was captured? If Delta itself were taken by the Empire, even an Omega bomb would be little more than a retaliatory strike by a doomed government."
"That might be true if our entire government was stationed on Delta," his eyes glinted. "And if we had only one Omega bomb to fight back with. I assure you, if the Empire were to disturb the peace of its friendly neighbor, they would quickly regret incurring the wrath of the Dragon."
"And what of Beta?" she pressed. "Suppose they violated the peace of your neighbor? Would you stand by if the Empire overran the Betans and placed their Starfleet on your border?"
"There was a tale in ancient mythology about two brothers who fell afoul of one another," Tong related. "One killed the other, and when the gods came to inquire, he asked: 'Am I my brother's keeper'? Obviously if the answer was positive, then it could be assumed that he was therefore responsible for his brother's death. No, Madame, we could not interfere in the destiny of Beta. If they were strong enough to endure the Migration, they should be able to withstand the challenge posed by the Empire. If they cannot, perhaps their endurance was a mere illusion that deceived the Betan people into rejecting their ultimate fate."
"We all came here as a family, the remnants of the human race," Marcella insisted. "We all encouraged each other, we were all there for one another. Only the Cetans began fighting amongst themselves. Gaius Scorpius developed a military dictatorship and declared himself Emperor. They grew apart from us and from themselves. They overthrew Scorpius and gave the power to a man even more evil than him, the Supreme Leader Vernu Hyte. Now he's empowered the Dark Knights, a Satanic cult that will stop at nothing to rule the universe. We can't let this happen, Mr. Chairman. We can't allow interplanetary society to collapse again after all we've survived and overcome."
"And what of your daughter, Madame?" he asked softly. "What would be your choice if you had to decide between the Betans and your only child? Would your vision of interplanetary peace and harmony force you to forsake your own flesh and blood?"
"It was said that a Deltan cruiser was sighted in the vicinity where the abduction took place," she stared into his hooded eyes. "I would lose my faith in mankind if I thought that was true."
"And so you should," his smile faded. "I myself would think that anyone in the Deltan Starfleet who took such an action without the consent of his superiors would be risking his very life. In fact, he would be risking a terrible demise. A very terrible demise."
Forty-eight hours later, Marcella would find herself at odds with Chief Strategist Obanion before he departed from the Oval Office.
"This reminds me of the fable about the old woman and the snake. The old lady rescued a frozen snake during the winter and nursed it back to health. Come springtime, it bit her and she died. Moral of the story was: once a snake, always a snake. I just hope those green bastards don't bite us in the butt."
"Gotta love that bawdy sense of humor," Marcella chuckled as Obanion stormed out of the building.
"He does have a point," Chief of Staff Pluribus admitted. "We don't have commitments from the Betans or the Deltans. If the Scorps roll up either one of their outer territories, we're at a military disadvantage. Plus if we find out that the Deltans had something to do with Styrena's disappearance, there's no doubt that it's two governments against one. I think we have to present a case before the Interplanetary Council. If we can prove a rogue Deltan cruiser took your daughter, then we can still force the Deltans and the Scorps against each other. If the Empire backs down, then we can move our Starfleet into Deltan territory and establish a permanent buffer zone."
"At the cost of Styrena's life," she got up and walked by the transparent glass wall. "My god, how did it ever come to this?"
"It's far from over," Pluribus insisted. "Morpheus and the GIA have a number of strong leads they're following. Defense Secretary Amadeus also has Starfleet searching far and wide along and past our borders. The outlaw networks along the Territories can't handle that kind of pressure for long. Somebody will give us something sooner or later. The only reason why we haven't heard from the kidnappers is because they're on the run. That much is certain."
"If only we knew for sure whether it's the Deltans or the Scorpions who have her," she exhaled heavily. "If we only knew the face of the true enemy."
"Whether it's Chairman Tong or Vernu Hyte," Pluribus assured her, "I can guarantee they won't be able to deal with the pressure. We may have signed a treaty, but there's no doubt who won that war. And if it breaks out anew, we'll damn sure do it again. And this time there won't be any black holes for them to escape through."
Her meeting with Vernu Hyte the previous evening left her more uncertain than ever. The Supreme Leader of the Scorpion Empire arrived at the Oval Office just before sunset. A squad of Revolutionary Guards were positioned in and around the Capitol building as the universal leaders met. Marcella's own Secret Service units were deployed and easily outnumbered the Scorpions. Only they were more than perturbed by the masked men packing xaser guns as they stood guard in the inner sanctum.
Marcella considered the ph
ysical presence of Hyte, a handsome man standing six feet tall with an athletic build. His only flaw was his lupine eyes that gave him the look of a mutant idiot at a glance. Yet his gaze could be captivating, and his thick mane and fair skin made him quite a catch. She recalled the days of yore when royal marriages were arranged to secure the peace between empires. On second thought, she decided she would not wish Hyte on her worst enemy, much less her daughter Styrena.
"I'm sure you realize that we may be approaching a new crisis facing the Interplanetary Council," Marcella confided after they exchanged pleasantries before settling down to business. "All four nations have dealt with unparalleled challenges since we colonized our respective quadrants. We've managed to rebuild our civilizations, create settlements throughout the System and harvest our resources for the betterment of our people. Only we are coming dangerously close to falling into the same pitfalls that led to the destruction of the Old System. We cannot allow the Omega Bomb to threaten the existence of mankind once more."
"Madame President," Vernu smiled, "you can be certain that no one wants or needs another Interplanetary War. The Old System was the home of eleven planets. This System has but four. Omega Bomb exchanges would lead to the annihilation of our planets. And where would we go? There are no black holes to escape to, and we have no idea what lies beyond the Great Unknown. This impenetrable blackness surrounding this System is unlike anything mankind has ever dealt with. For all we know, if we were to leave this System we might disappear without a trace."
"If you realize this, then you must share my belief that another war will mean the end of us all," Marcella was fervent. "We cannot allow ourselves to set our military against each other. We can do so much more by combining our resources and exploring the Outer Regions, finding out what's out there, expanding our horizons. We might even be able to find the Lost Nations of Earth that disappeared during the Migration. The Pakistan Empire, the East Indian Empire, the Arab League, the Australian Empire, the African Alliance…no one knows where they are, or if they survived. We have a responsibility to mankind to see if they're out there somewhere."