by Jean Johnson
“Among the things we do know, while we have learned that the V’Dan and their Alliance allies are advanced in many ways compared to us, we know that they in turn do not have access to several of our technologies. These are the sorts of negotiations that need to be conducted: Information exchanges, threat assessments, tactical evaluations, and technology discernments. These things require a presence in V’Dan space, an embassy filled with agents who can observe, learn, understand, explain, and make decisions which, like soldiers in the field versus generals back home, have to be made on the spot with immediate knowledge and understanding of the situation at hand.
“Even with our advanced interstellar-communications abilities, we cannot peer over the vast distances into the heart of the V’Dan and Alliance problems nearly as easily as the members of a flexibly designed embassy would be able to do.” Callan stated, head held level but gaze flicking between his datapad and the Hall. “To that end, the Office of the Premiere of the Terran United Planets has ordered that the needs of such an embassy be examined, calculated, and enumerated. The lesser positions will be filled with specialists, but the ultimate authority of such an embassy must be entrusted to someone who lives, breathes, and recites every day the same Oath of Civil Service you and I have just recited today. Honor and integrity must be maintained within the embodiment of that on-the-spot authority, in order to properly represent our people before the greater galactic community that awaits our admission into its ranks.”
Jackie forced herself to take a slow, steady breath, listening to Augustus Callan’s words. Beside her, Li’eth debated making a physical show of support, or a telepathic one. The slightest flex of his mind made his head ache. He settled for shifting his knee so that it briefly brushed hers, along with a glance her way. She looked back and nodded faintly, encouraged.
“Up until today, that person has been one of our own, former Councilor for Oceania, Jacaranda MacKenzie, who has acted with honor and integrity in the role of Ambassador of the Terran United Planets to our foreign guests. Under other circumstances, I would simply confirm her appointment one last time and send her on her way when the new fleet is ready to launch, transporting the foundation of that embassy toward our potential new interstellar friends. Unfortunately, her situation—this entire diplomatic situation—has been complicated by a confluence of . . . fate, luck, and whatever sense of humor might be held by any Creator that may be out there.
“Ambassador Jackie MacKenzie and the confirmed thirdborn son of the Empress of the V’Dan Empire have been tested and vetted as a bona fide Gestalt pairing. As we have learned over the many decades in which psychics and their abilities have been proved to exist, these two share not only thoughts as telepaths, but gifts as well. Their abilities have been expanded to the point where they can each tap into the other’s unique abilities to at least some measurable degree, and their shared abilities have been magnified by verified kinetic inergy testing.”
He paused in reading his notes off of his datapad, looking up and around the Hall at his fellow Councilors. A faint rustle of movement, of startled whispers, had gone around the room at his announcement, but it settled quickly. Men and women from around Earth and its meager collection of research bases gave him their undivided attention, save for an occasional glance toward the pair under discussion. When he tried using his holy wabilities to read the crowd, which made his eyes ache, Li’eth could see the mass of their auras, a shifting opalescent display that nonetheless was predominantly lavender in mutual concentration.
“To separate such a pairing is to invoke emotional and psychological suffering, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, and other concerns,” Callan recited from his notes. “These sufferings increase over both time and distance, and can only be alleviated by frequent contact and/or close proximity. To keep them together is to strengthen the bond that has already begun to grow, and which to our knowledge cannot be broken without serious consequences. In all experiments and case files, once that bond has set, separation leads to suffering, and the demise of one will lead to the demise of the other. To separate such a pairing has therefore been labeled as cruel and unusual punishment, and is considered to be against both military and civilian law.
“It has also been determined through decades of research that we have no idea why this happens,” Callan asserted, ignoring the hands being raised among not only those in the white-seated tiers, but those in the other sections as well. “There is no cure; to try to prevent it from happening only leads to suffering . . . and we are bound by our oaths to be compassionate toward those who are suffering. These things are therefore not in dispute, and shall not be in dispute. Jacaranda MacKenzie and Kah’raman Li’eth Ma’an-uq’en V’Daania are a proved Gestalt pairing . . . so in the discussions that are to come, please keep to the actual topic at hand.”
“Is he ever going to get to it?” Li’eth asked under his breath in V’Dan.
“Shh,” Jackie returned in an equally faint hiss.
“The question, therefore, is not whether or not Jackie MacKenzie will be included in the mission to return the V’Dan to their homeworld. She will be going, traveling at the side of her Gestalt-bound partner, the Imperial prince. The problem lies in whether or not she should remain Ambassador, if she should step down and serve merely as a translator or a cultural liaison, or if she should travel with no official capacity save that as a Gestalt partner to His Highness. These things must be considered carefully . . . but while I have the executive authority to appoint Ambassadors, the potential ramifications are too complex in my opinion for the decision to be made by my hand alone.
“Please turn your attentions now to the screens as the Secondaire lists the various pros and cons. We will discuss whether or not Miss MacKenzie has the ability to maintain professional distance without undue influence from her partner while maintaining the office of Ambassador, whether or not she would be unduly influencing the prince, whether or not the V’Dan will understand and accept her professionalism if we judge her capable of doing so, and so on and so forth. If you have something new to add to the lists being assembled, please raise your hand.
“If all you have to say is a confirmation or a slight variation, please lower your hands as we go along. All speeches will be capped at one subject per discussion, one minute or less, so compose your thoughts before you raise your arm. If you have more than one point to make, please either state them within the allotted minute, or hold your second and further points while we move on to the others, so that they, too, may have their turn.”
“And now we get to watch the pretty words appearing on the pretty screens,” Jackie whispered in Terranglo. At Li’eth’s questioning look, she lifted her chin. “Graphics artists are compiling information charts on the fly, diagramming pluses, minuses, and caveats or points of insufficient information.”
“This feels more like a business meeting than a lawmaking session,” he observed. “A single minute to ask a question or make a point?”
She nodded. “That’s how it goes. Some days, the Council sessions pretty much are run like a business meeting. Technically, this isn’t a matter of law but rather a matter of business: the business of trying to figure out what version of my career is going to be the best for the United Planets.”
“I guess you did say you have rules to keep any discussions by committee from descending into chaos.” He sighed under his breath.
They sat in silence for a while, though the Hall itself was busy. When it looked like the additions being suggested were trickling down to minor variations, Callan switched to a number-coded risk assessment on each and every point raised: Was Jackie MacKenzie trustworthy enough to separate her personal situation from her professional one? That one was judged a middling risk. Would the V’Dan Empire accept someone as an Ambassador who was, in effect, in a personal relationship with a V’Dan of high rank? That was an unknown factor, and thus judged middling. Would they consider the Gestalt itself to be a positive, or a negativ
e, in building diplomatic relationships? Again, an unknown and therefore middling risk.
Next came a definition of different parameters, to try to move those “middle-of-the-road” risks one way or the other. Did the Council believe Jackie was capable of being a good Ambassador, period? That one was a strong belief. That one even came with five members of the Fellowship who stood up and spoke on behalf of her record of service. Did the Council believe that Li’eth had serious influence within the V’Dan Empire? Another unknown, leaving it in the middle.
Just as Li’eth was about to ask Jackie what the point of all of this was, he found himself called up to speak. She gave him an encouraging nod and gestured for him to rise.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for your patience with our government process,” the Premiere stated once Li’eth was on his feet. “As half of the grand equation in these debates rests on a knowledge and understanding of a culture very few of us have even begun to glimpse, let alone grasp, we would like you to answer what questions you can, and to answer them with absolute honesty. I give you my personal reassurance that these questions will not compromise the safety or the sovereignty of your home nation. Are you willing to answer?”
“I am willing to listen. I cannot guarantee any answers,” Li’eth replied, clasping his hands lightly in front of him.
“We have debated whether or not you may have a significant level of influence or impact upon the functioning of your government. Setting aside both humility and hubris—pride, if you will—and using a scale of zero to ten, with zero being an absolute lack of influence and ten being absolute control . . . when it comes to negotiating policies between the V’Dan Empire and its allies, what level of influence on your own government would you say that you have?”
“That is not an easy question to answer—since you say I should set aside both pride and humility in favor of honesty,” Li’eth clarified. “There are several things to consider. I do not at this time have an official policy-making . . . employment . . . in the Empire. Before the war began, I was designated to train as an officer of the Second Tier—First Tier is generally reserved for those with aptitude and preference for a lifelong profession in the military. It is a requirement that members of the royal family serve in the military in order to uphold our understanding of the rigors and dangers to which our soldiers are exposed and to ensure that we grasp the consequences of tactical and strategic decisions.
“However, as I am a member of the military, I have a working knowledge of what is going on in our unwanted war with the Salik species,” he continued. “In that regard, were I a normal soldier, an officer of common or noble birth, my reports could be flagged for attention at the highest levels of both the military and the government, should I encounter something . . . extraordinary. Such as a potentially helpful new ally. As I am a member of the royal family, I can make those reports directly to the Empress and bring to her attention any details that might be overlooked otherwise by those who are not as directly involved or able to observe as I myself might be.
“The way that the Imperial Family conducts its interactions is not quite as . . . It is not Terran,” he stated, changing his mind on how much he would reveal to these people. It would take too much time to explain the differences in the various Tiers of social life. “There is a lot of tradition and protocol involved. Where I not a member of the Imperial Family, I would be debriefed upon my return and my report distilled into a summary for the Eternal Empress to study. As it is, I will still be debriefed and my report distilled into a summary. I will, however, have opportunity to expand and explain in person. I have the right to demand audience with the Empress as a member of the bloodline, and I have the right to demand audience with the War Queen as a royal currently active in the military. I can and will be heard if need be.
“As for the other considerations . . . as a member of the Imperial bloodline, I am vetted with the power to give someone I deem worthy an introduction to the Imperial Court, and with it, a temporary amount of high-ranked hospitality. I cannot guarantee any results further than that, however. You will be judged through V’Dan eyes on your own merits after that,” he warned them. “As you say, on the bright side of things . . . because of my close familiarity with how our government thinks and works, I am able to make reasonable estimations of how my people will react to your people. I cannot guarantee that these estimations will be completely accurate, but I can attempt to make them in advance if I am informed of what you wish to attempt.”
“Does this advanced estimation include assessing whether it would be worthwhile to open an embassy with your people?” Callan asked.
Li’eth nodded firmly. “Yes, Premiere Callan. Even if my people were to lose their wits and decide not to pay much attention to the enormous tactical advantages you could bring . . . it is my opinion as an officer as well as a member of the Imperial Court that it is worth both our nations’ efforts in opening peaceful discussions and negotiations on many other topics. As an officer, my primary consideration is the tactical and strategic aspects, but I can see the advantages of the cultural and historical exchanges as well. Finally being able to answer where our species evolved will fill in a gap in our sense of self-identity, if nothing else.”
“So on that scale, with all these things considered, where do you think your influence in the Imperial Court ranges on a range of zero to ten?” Premiere Callan asked.
“Probably about an eight,” Li’eth stated. “I do not make policy. I do not have the final say. But I can pour information into the right ears, including Her Eternity’s. And if I am to be absolutely honest . . . I can also refrain from getting that information into the right ears. My understanding of how the Imperial Court works in general is probably ranked at an eight, perhaps a nine, but because of my absence for the last few years, my grasp of the most current flow of influences is probably a seven. It would rise to an eight once I have a few weeks to study the Court upon my return.
“As for how loyal I am to my own people . . . my probability of siding with you Terrans over my own people is at most a two . . . and only that high because I know, down to my boots,” he emphasized, using their own colloquialism on them, “that we need you. Your technology, your fresh eyes, and your unique strengths will give us an advantage over our enemies. We are the same species, but the Salik do not know you. They’ve had a little over a hundred V’Dan years, which I am told are within a few hours in length of your years, in which to study my people. Plenty of time to learn how we act and react.
“But you?” he said, turning to look at a face here, a body there. “You Terrans are very different in several ways from the V’Dan. If we can keep that knowledge from them while gaining access to your other advantages, we could win the war. What they do not know, they do not understand. What they do not understand, they cannot anticipate. What they cannot anticipate, they cannot hunt down, swarm, and kill.
“Your people and mine do share the trait of wanting peace rather than war. Which would be preferable, because while I am descended from War King Kah’el, and while my mother currently wears the regalia of the War Queen out of necessity . . . we V’Dan do prefer to live in times of peace and its corresponding prosperity. We understand and value cooperation as a social system, not just as a hunting strategy.” He swung around to face the Premiere again, in his business suit and long, sleeveless white overrobe. “With all of that in mind, I will admit openly that I do plan to emphasize how useful an alliance between our peoples would be, once I return home. I speak honestly because I believe your technology and your differences will help us win our war. All else can be explored at our mutual leisure after peace is attained.”
Premiere Callan nodded. “Thank you, Your Highness, for your honesty in your estimation of your influence, your assertion of your loyalties, and your evaluation of your people’s needs and policies. In your consideration, keeping all these caveats in mind . . . do you believe that Jacaranda MacKenzie could be a good Ambassador to your people?”
“While she does not grasp the nuances of the Imperial Court—few people ever perfect it when they start from outside the system—I know she is capable of listening to expert advice, and I do believe she is capable of smoothing over differences with a diplomatic touch. Comparing her to others whom I have met, she is at the top of the list of candidates I would recommend for the position. Her military background would enhance an understanding of the current difficult situation my people face—a bonus to our side evoked by her sense of sympathy, to be sure, but this is not to say she is pliable, or reshapable . . . What is the word . . .” Li’eth paused, trying to find the right word. “Za-der baduuj? Ka’a-stornei za-der baduu-aj, ai?”
“‘Easily swayed,’” Jackie translated.
“Thank you. She is not easily swayed—for her translative abilities alone, I would insist to the Empress that she be introduced to the Imperial Court and the Imperial Army,” he added bluntly, pointing at Jackie while looking at the others. “But I tell you, with the sheer honesty which your culture seems to prefer, that Ambassador MacKenzie can be quite stubborn and unmovable, not easily swayed, when she believes she is faced with a case of either doing the right thing, regardless of cost, or doing the wrong thing.