by E. M. Haeger
"What's that got to do with anything?" It was becoming a rather typical occurrence that I had no idea what was going on. It wasn't so much aggravating as it was disorienting. I thought no one was going to bother to explain, but Lena decided to be my saving grace.
"The Etrallia didn't leave their homeworld recently," she said patiently. "According to Henry, they've been living aboard the ships of the armada for at least one hundred Earth years."
A century? Jesus.
One hundred years ago, our world was slightly less advanced. On the other hand, we were also blissfully unaware of the devastation to come, so much farther away from the end. Those were happy times, for the most part.
"You mean they've been living on limited resources for a hundred years." The President started pacing, her high heels clicking on the linoleum. "How is that even possible?"
I shrugged. "We've been doing it for two thousand."
She didn't laugh. Yet another thing no one seemed to appreciate around here.
"So, they were advanced." Maria nodded to herself. "Even one hundred years ago before they abandoned their planet, they had technology like the water converter."
"It would seem so."
"But they had limited water."
"What?" I didn't mean to open my mouth, but now someone had to be joking.
"Yes." Lena met my appalled gaze. "They abandoned Eros because of water shortages. Considering the similar composition of our planets, it's not completely unlikely. For all we know, it's the natural course of things."
"Right." I couldn't keep the cynicism from my voice. "They just happen to need water the moment our planet starts to dry up. Murphy's freakin' law."
The President ignored me. "How have they survived this long?"
"They brought millions of gallons with them, stored aboard their vessels. Basically, they ran into the same problem we did. Ran their calculations and realized that with exponential growth, they'd outlive their water supply. They sent a small group of their people on a desperate mission to find more water. It was either that or perish."
"They were doomed."
"By now, their planet's dead," I added unhelpfully. "They probably scoured the far galaxies and came up empty, same as us."
"They decided to do something radical," Lena agreed. "Not only did they leave home, but breeding is strictly controlled. Henry said he's the fifth youngest in the entire fleet. He was born thirty years ago."
The General huffed. "They're reproducing," he grumbled. "But only at the same rate that their number diminishes." He seemed impressed. Probably admiring their discipline.
President Burgess turned to me. "How long did you say their lifespan was?"
I shrugged. "A hundred earth years, give or take."
"Not so different from us," Lena said quietly.
"So they've had few births since they left their planet. On the other hand, we've instituted no measure to control our population. We have everything invested in research and technological innovation." The President looked mildly disturbed and I couldn't blame her. It was what I'd been trying to tell them all along. There was only so much a researcher could do within a limited timeframe. "But if what we've seen is true, the Etrallia hold the key to mass desalination efforts."
Lena smiled. "We could begin converting ocean water immediately if we forged an alliance with them."
"And yet they lied to us," I pointed out. "How are we supposed to trust each other now?" I turned to the President, looking for guidance, a decision, a plan. Anything that could get us out of this mess, preferably unscathed.
"We confront them," she said.
The General nodded. "Agreed."
"What about the alliance?" Lena glanced nervously at the General.
The others didn't seem to share her concerns for diplomacy. We were right back where we'd started the day the Etrallia had invaded our airspace. We were going to have a little chat with them and we were going to demand some answers again.
I managed to suppress my inappropriate laughter.
What could go wrong?
4
Confrontation
LENA
We were back in Galentide's Council Room except that this time there were fewer guards than before. Maybe the show of force was no longer necessary or maybe they didn't want us to feel threatened. Either way, I sensed Curran's mind behind the setup.
It was only him, Galentide, Zubeida and three other royal guards upon the dais. Still, I couldn't help but feel betrayed as I stared up at Curran. He'd known all along. It made sense now why he'd tried to placate us by showing us the water converter.
"I think you know why we're here," the President began.
Curran shifted uneasily.
"Yes," Galentide rumbled. "We've come to a crossroads. It was only a matter of time."
"And what do you propose we do now that we've reached said crossroads?" The President's tone was curt.
"My counselor here has advised me to propose a truce." Galentide gestured to Curran. "A lasting alliance."
"Will you?" asked Maria.
"Perhaps full disclosure is in order first."
I stiffened. There was more?
"Go on."
Galentide rose, dragging his bulk out of his seat. Again, I was impressed by his sheer presence. "As you know, my people are not secure. We are in need of water in order to replenish our reserves."
The President nodded, confirming our information. I was glad Henry wasn't here. Though I hadn't promised him secrecy, I felt responsible for whatever my people did with our newfound knowledge. Then again, maybe he wasn't here for a reason. Maybe he'd been fired for telling me the truth...or worse. A sudden fear seized me. What had I done?
"In the spirit of trust and alliance, we must warn you that despite how it may seem, we are not your greatest threat. There is a greater threat to us both and they will be here soon."
The President raised an eyebrow.
"The Vanlith. That is what they call themselves."
"Why should we be concerned with these people?"
Galentide chuckled darkly. "Because they are a race of monsters. A selfish and destructive species that will stop at nothing to get what they want."
"And what is it that they want?"
Galentide shrugged. "No one really knows. But your planet...mmm.That is a prize I don't think any lifeform is likely to pass up."
"How do we know you're not lying?"
"A good question." Galentide grinned widely. "Alas, I wish I were. I warn you of the Vanlith only because your weapons are hopelessly inferior. This is another thing we share in common."
My stomach hardened. If this species--the Vanlith--had weapons superior to the Etrallia, we were more than doomed. Resisting would be utterly pointless.
"We will take this warning under consideration," the President said slowly.
I remembered Henry's story of the race they'd left to extinction. Would the Etrallia help us when the Vanlith arrived or would we all perish alone?
The next day, I found Kymera in the medical bay lobby. She was gazing out the expansive window that made up the far wall. I was about to interrupt when I noticed what she was staring at.
Against the velvet backdrop of space, the blue orb we called Earth hung suspended among the stars, it's beauty a visceral thing. Even after weeks of seeing my home planet from this perspective, it was still breathtaking.
Sensing my presence, Kymera turned.
I offered her a smile.
"It's almost hard to believe it's real sometimes."
I was beginning to understand. When I looked out into space, I saw my home. A planet I'd come to recognize not only from the ground but also from images taken from satellites and space stations. It was beautiful in all regards, but to the Etrallia it was more than a pretty view. It was no ordinary planet, it was life itself, a kind of paradise among the barren rocks and stardust. Like Henry, she looked at our planet and saw something religious, a promised land of sorts.
But if Earth was an
answer to their prayers, what lengths would they go to in order to obtain it? This was the question at the forefront of everyone's minds right now--everyone on our task force and anyone else who knew about the Etrallia's current situation.
"As you know, water is rare..." said Kymera. In her eyes, I saw the depth of that statement, the years her people had struggled to find even an ounce of the treasures the Earth held. Our planet was everything they needed right now.
I met her gaze. "We need something, too.
MARS
On the bright side, we had something the Etrallia needed, something greater than technology or intelligence, something essential. On the dark side, they had the superior technology, the kind of weapons that, should they choose to use them, could substantially cripple us.
These were the things I contemplated as I sat in Gillis's private laboratory, watching him run the calculations for how much of Earth's ocean water it would take to sustain his people for the next ten years.
"Theoretical, of course." He tapped one claw against the table.
At my uneasy expression, he added. "It is the same as before."
I wasn't sure exactly what he meant.
"We need each other," he said, watching me closely. It was the first time he had admitted such a thing. The first time he'd said more than a few sentences to me, really.
I gave him an encouraging nod, but when he turned his back, I could see only the cup that he'd offered me earlier, water sitting motionless in the glass. I struggled not to reach for it.
The laboratory door eased open with a creak.
"Major Rhine." I leapt to my feet in relief.
He motioned me into the corridor and I glanced at Gillis. "Excuse me," I murmured and quickly shuffled out of the lab.
"What's going on?" I whispered when we were out of range of any Etrallians.
"I'm going looking for it," said Rhine.
"I'm sorry?" He was supposed to be with Lena today.
"Their armory," he muttered like I was a complete idiot.
"Okay..." What did he want me to do, read his mind?
"Are you coming with me, or what?"
I sighed. It was better than watching Gillis try to make conversation.
We began to walk in the direction of the restricted area. "How do you know it's even on this ship? Maybe they have hundreds of supply closets full of those blaster things."
"Regardless, we need to know what we're up against."
"What do you mean?"
"You heard the General. There's only one way this ends."
"To be fair, there's been a loss of life on both sides. More on theirs, actually."
"That wasn't intentional," Rhine shot back. "And thanks to Lena, they're closer than ever to developing a vaccine."
"Right, well. You better hope we don't get caught."
LENA
For the first time since they arrived in orbit, an Etrallian space pod touched down on Earth's soil. On Galentide's request, and as a gesture of good faith, I'd been asked to meet an Etrallian representative on Earth. The purpose of our trip was simple. The representative would survey our ocean water and we would show that we meant no harm, that this alliance had a real chance.
The pod door slid open. An Etrallian paused for a moment before stepping gingerly onto the ground. For a moment, I didn't recognize him. He wasn't wearing his usual guard uniform but was dressed instead in ceremonial robes.
Oh, god. It was Henry.
Without thinking, I ran to him. I threw my arms around him as far as they would go. He stiffened at my touch.
"I'm sorry." I drew back, trying desperately to regain my composure. "It's just that...I thought they might have fired you." I swallowed the rest of my words, unwilling to admit I'd feared the worse. Death by asphyxiation.
Henry raised his head proudly. "Guard no longer."
"No?"
He smiled. "Curran nominated me for the Pro-Alliance party. I'm to form ties with the people of Earth."
Oh. "You're a politician now?"
"An...ambassador, I think."
"But how?"
"I've learned much from you," Henry explained. "Galentide was pleased."
I looked toward the ocean across the street. Of course. I hadn't been the only one gathering intelligence.
"Well, thank god for that." I truly was relieved he hadn't been punished.
Henry nodded to the bay. "Shall we?"
Silently, I led him to the pier. It was a rickety old wooden thing, but it would do. We were in an abandoned fishing village off the coast of Maine. As the President had stressed, it was imperative no one saw us.
With every step, Henry's head turned to take in a new sight. Afterall, he'd never experienced anything quite like our planet.
When we reached the end of the dock, we stood there for several long minutes.
Finally, Henry swore softly in the old tongue. "There is enough water here to sustain my people for centuries."
His words hung in the early morning silence, interrupted only by the splashing of waves and the lone shriek of a seagull.
Henry looked at the ocean and saw life. Nowadays, all I could see was a cosmic joke, a riddle that was all but impossible to crack. It was as if God was making fun of humanity, tempting us with the great salt seas while people died of dehydration.
Henry sighed lightly, the weight of his world upon his shoulders. I couldn't help but feel a weight of my own. If the alliance fell apart now, under the stress of uncertainty and fear, I wasn't sure we'd be able to recover it. No amount of Etrallian technology would convince the military, or even the President, that the Etrallians meant well. Now that everyone knew what they wanted--what they needed--the only question remaining was how far were they willing to go? Did they truly want peace?
I didn't know the answer. Instead, I studied Henry, still gazing solemnly out to sea. No matter how hard I tried, I could find no deception in his face. But how was one supposed to judge an Etrallian? As far as I could tell, the rules and laws of his people valued honor and justice. How honorable was it for me to imagine him a spy? Or worse, a friend sent to sway me, manipulate me into--
"You're staring." Henry's lips twitched into the expression I'd come to recognize as amusement.
"Sorry." I tore my eyes away, focusing on the waves as they rolled to shore. "I was just thinking."
"Yes." Henry nodded as if he understood completely. Maybe he did.
"Can I ask you something?" The words were out of my mouth before I could consider whether it was wise or not.
Henry turned his light green eyes on me. "You may ask me anything, Lena." He was so serious, watching me with the same rapt contemplation he had given the sea.
"Did you know?" The Major and the others might have urged me to press for more, such as whether a trade for the Etrallian water converter was possible, but this was the answer I needed from him--from Henry--the foreign being whom I had come to know as a friend.
Henry's brow crinkled. "Did I know that your people were in need of water?"
"That we cannot drink the ocean and can't purify enough salt water fast enough. Did you know our people were struggling?"
Henry tilted his head. "We did not think it strange, but perhaps part of your culture. That only some had access to the water or to technology. We didn't know you were unable to desalinate, but our initial scans of the planet did indicate that lakes and rivers were drying up. Despite this, the oceans swell. For us, this is not a problem. Earth is not a dying planet, Lena. Only a changing one."
"But we are dying."
"I see that now."
"Before you arrived, we were making large-scale rationing plans. Plans that would hopefully last until we had developed a system, a technology that could desalinate a sufficient amount of water on far less energy."
"A wise plan," he said. He took my hand in his own. "It will not be necessary now."
I swallowed. "You would do that for us?"
"I don't make those decisions, but Curra
n trusts me. And Curran has great power. As the favorite to ascend after Galentide, he can help you."
"Why would you help us? After the epidemic, after everything..."
"We are all we have..." His shoulders sagged a little. "In this terrible, desolate universe."
I had a vision of our future together. Humans and Etrallians working side by side, operating the purifier plants, building starships. Then, I remembered the Valith.
Time was of the essence and there was no point in hiding our intentions. "We need your technology, Henry, and we need it now. If we can come up with a proposal for the coalition, ocean access for use of the purifier machine, then I think we'll have a deal."
"Will it be enough?" he asked.
I told him the truth. "I'm not sure."
MARS
We didn't find the armory.
We didn't even find a closet resembling an armory. Wherever the Etrallia kept their firearms it was clearly top-secret. Either that or on a different ship altogether. At least Rhine and I didn't get caught sniffing around a restricted area. That could have spelled bad news for our tentative alliance with the Etrallia.
"I didn't even want to go on this stupid treasure hunt," I complained.
"Then why did you come?" We were in an alcove of the Etrallian bar after a long day of pretending to be doing our usual jobs.
"You try working with Gillis." The Major didn't appreciate how easy he had it. All he had to do was stand around with a gun on his hip all day. Ignoring creepy Etrallians was basically part of his job description.
Someone approached our table and we immediately changed the topic of conversation. Lena stood over us, an intense expression on her face.
Rhine nodded to her.
"How'd your, uh...errand go?" I asked. She wasn't supposed to tell a soul where she'd been, but we knew full well.
"Fine," she said vaguely, glancing around to make sure we were alone. She braced her hands on the table. "Listen." She leaned toward us. "If we offer the Etrallia an access point to the ocean, there's a good chance they'll let us use the water converter to help our own people."