He tried again to brush the unruly hair back. What he said next caught her by surprise. “I think you’re beautiful, Tiger. Not just on the outside, but what’s on the inside. Every time I look at you, I am amazed that I helped make you. So kind. So gentle. So considerate. So marvellous. Despite what your mother did to you with all of her insults and screaming, you’ve turned out marvellous.”
A weak smile formed briefly, then quickly faded. “All the weirdoids with their ‘The End is Near’ signs are going to be proven right. Not that anyone will ever realize it.”
He kissed her temple. “Stop talking like that, honey. Stop thinking like that. You have to believe and hope that we’ll survive. Somehow or other, they’ll decide to not destroy us. You can’t give up now. The finish line is in sight. You’ve got to believe that God is going to stop them. Somehow. There is always a way. If you give up, you won’t see it in time to use it.”
She didn’t see the point in continuing to try, but she didn’t feel like arguing the point. She didn’t feel much like anything. “Why did it have to be me, Dad? Why couldn’t it have been someone else?”
He tickled her chin, just like he used to when she was a baby. “Like who? Jimmy? Can you imagine what Jimmy would’ve done, if he had been the one dealing with the aliens?” She tried to hide a smirk. “Or, how about Candy Underhill? Can you imagine what she would’ve done?”
She snorted a laugh. “She probably would’ve tried to seduce every male on the survey team. Not realizing that most were not in cycle, and that those that were would’ve been horrified by her advances.” She looked his way again.
He smiled his best fatherly smile. “They probably would’ve fled immediately and started firing right away. ‘Sex-crazed lunatics!’ they would’ve shouted to the ships in orbit. ‘We must cleanse the galaxy!’”
She giggled briefly, then stopped. “People who know what’s been going on keep telling me that I was the perfect choice. The General, Bethy, David. You. I just don’t see it. Maybe the perfect choice still isn’t good enough.”
“Perhaps,” he told her. “But maybe this time, it is. Just maybe—.” They didn’t say anything more the rest of the time they sat outside. They didn’t have to.
Chapter 21
Just before 10 AM, Jennifer was in her room, looking out the window that overlooked the slope and the stadium. Some Wakira were beginning to stow the various chairs and pieces of equipment that had accumulated on the field over the previous 5 weeks. Jennifer knew that it was almost time. In about 90 minutes, she thought, it’ll all be over. Seven billion people reduced to scattered ions. And I have to participate in a stupid welcoming ceremony. Lambs to a slaughter.
The thought rekindled her anger yet again. She knew that someone would be coming to their door in mere minutes to lead her down to the stadium floor. Fricking stupid aliens! All high and mighty. Haughty and superior. They’ll destroy their own empire just to follow foolish tradition. I just want to swear!
She grabbed the satchel she had made years ago from discarded jeans, and started filling it blindly. It didn’t matter what she put in — she was never going to be needing the stuff anyways. Why go through all this rigamarole, she thought. It would’ve been more merciful if they had destroyed us while we slept. She stopped, and rolled her eyes at herself. Nimrod! A third of us ARE going to be asleep when they do it.
She filled the bag until it was almost too full to close and hefted it back into the kitchenette, where her dad was now sitting. “Do you mind fending for yourself, Dad?” she asked him. “I’ll be sick if I eat anything.”
“It’ll be okay, Tiger. Either way, I won’t feel hungry for long.” He tried to give her a confident smile. He was sorely out of practice.
The minutes seemed to last eons while they waited. Finally, a knock was heard at the front door. She didn’t expect to see the person who was on the other side when she opened it. “Father?”
“Greetings, Daughter.”
“Come in, please.” She stepped back and he stepped into the small house.
Gerry Hodges stood and came to meet the Emperor. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Greetings, Gerry Hodges.”
“Father, I didn’t expect you to come take me down.”
“My son was uncertain if your order to not follow you back here applied to this morning as well, so he is remaining in his sleep cubicle. I felt that sending an armed party to get you would look like you were being seized, so I decided to come myself.”
Jennifer quickly translated for her father. “I guess it’s time then,” she said in English. She turned to her dad. “Are you sure you won’t come down to the field?”
“No honey. It’s going to be hard enough for you to leave. I’ll go into the backyard of #13 and watch from there. It’s pretty much lined up with the goal line, and the stands aren’t in the way.”
Her face contorted briefly. “Hug me Daddy.” They embraced. “If you see me running up the slope, you get back to our backyard right away. Okay? I want to be in your arms when it happens.”
“If that’s what is going to happen, then I’ll be there.” He kissed her on her bangs. “Remember what I told you this morning. There’s always a way.” He broke the embrace. She tried hard not to tear up, and stepped back. “I am so very proud of you, Tiger. So very damn proud of you.”
“I love you Daddy. No matter what, I will always love you.” She turned, grabbed her bag, then hurried away before she started crying yet again.
Jennifer and the Emperor walked up Thorn towards the stairs in silence. As they were approaching the corner, Jennifer said “I want to apologize for the language that I used last night, Father. I don’t apologize for the points that I was trying to make, but the language was—.” She got hung up trying to find the right word in their language.
“Regrettable?” he suggested.
“Worse than regrettable, Father. I still don’t understand why you destroy other civilizations, especially those that aren’t technologically capable of harming the Empire in any way. Instead of destroying them, you should be cultivating them. Into friends. Into allies.” They turned the corner and headed for the top of the stairs. “From what I gather, the Empire has no allies. Only enemies. You’ve cut yourself off from the rest of Creation. Species who would be willing to establish long-term alliances with you. All you would have to do is mentor them.” For the next term she used English because she could not create one from the root nouns she knew. “Shepherd them.” She switched back to their language. “We have a saying here, Father. You can never have too many friends. And, it seems, the Empire has none.”
He hesitated at the top of the stairs. “When I was younger, I was a dirteater. I would go on day-long marches with a heavy pack on my back. Yet, I find this gravity taxing to the extreme.”
She offered him her arm. “Lean on this while we descend. I don’t think anyone will suspect that I am supporting you.”
He looked at her, mildly surprised. “You are not still angry with me?”
She sighed. “I am still angry, not necessarily at you, but at your traditions and practices. Well, yes, I am still angry at you. That doesn’t mean that I can’t offer assistance. Anger does not necessarily mean hatred. The presence of anger does not preclude respect. Or submission.” He took her arm and they slowly walked down the stairs.
She broke the silence with a simple question. âWhat of Earth, Father? Terra,â she corrected herself, using the name that the Wakira thought we used for our planet. âWhat of my species?â
He stopped their descent momentarily, then restarted. âI have not yet made a decision, Daughter. Your mate turns out to be wiser than I gave him credit for. He told me a nineday ago that you would stay planetside and die with your species, rather than save yourself and come with us.” She looked at him, but said nothing. “He has tried very hard to defend this planet and your people, Jennifer.” She was surprised that he called her by name. “Some of his arguments were as co
mpelling as the ones you offered last night. Not as forceful, to be sure. Though he did terminate the communication with me on several occasions. It seems that I may have misjudged him.”
They had a dozen stairs left. “As have I, apparently,” she added.
Once they both had reached field level, he disengaged himself from her arm. “I must contact Homeworld before this ceremony starts.”
“Father, will you at least tell me your decision before it is time to leave?”
He brought his left hand up to shoulder level and rotated it. “Whatever that choice might be. You deserve that, Daughter.”
She started fuming again as he walked away. Why can’t he see? she asked herself. Cultivate friends for future security; don’t destroy them without cause. She growled inwardly, then walked over to where the state governor and General Comiston were standing, near the west sidelines.
“You don’t look well, Jenn,” the General said.
She didn’t respond to his comment. Instead, she looked at the governor and asked him where his wife was. He was confused by the question and told her that she was back home in Lincoln.
“Governor, if those two ships leave, and you see that I’m not on them — call your wife right away and tell her that you love her.” She turned back to the General. “They pushed. I called without looking. They turned over aces,” she told him, continuing the poker analogy he had created that first full day.
He swore. Jennifer didn’t react. “I saw a bombardment plan last night. The last revision was done 3 weeks ago. I tore a strip off the Emperor. I called them all cowards and hypocrites. As of 30 seconds ago, he still wasn’t sure what he was going to do. I tried to get him to see that we were no threat, and that he could help us develop into a friend and ally. I don’t know if it was enough. He promised me that he’d tell me before the ships left. If he decides to destroy us, I’ll be staying here. I’ll run up the slope to my backyard and wait with my dad.”
“All this time? They’ve been intending to destroy us all this time?”
“Myka has been trying to prevent it, so the Emperor just told me. But once the Emperor decided to come here and assume authority over the mission, Myka’s hands were tied. I should be hoping that he and I got through to his father, but I’m dry. Numb. Spent.”
“What do you think we should do?” he asked.
“Continue to appear warm and friendly. Aside from praying, that’s the only thing we can do.” She excused herself and headed for the ship to drop off her bag.
She didn’t respond to the greetings the sentries and the others gave her. She headed up to Poke’s cube. As the lift brought her up one deck level, she tried to suppress the feelings of anger and betrayal that she was once again feeling.
“Jennifer!” Poke exclaimed, as the Terran stepped into her cube unannounced.
“I’m trying so hard to not go into a rage, Poke. I’ve been trying to forgive you for misleading me. For pretending to be a friend.”
“I did not pretend, Jennifer. That first evening, when you struggled so hard to let the symbiote join with you — at that instant, you ceased being yet another alien female and became someone I wanted to be with. I was not pretending to be a friend. I was a friend. I AM a friend. And I will always be a friend.”
“Well, you won’t have to keep up the pretense for much longer,” Jennifer replied, coldly.
Poke looked hurt. “Why are you acting this way towards me? Why are you being so hurtful?”
Jennifer was incredulous. “Why am I being this way?! In 60 minutes, you and your species are going to murder me and my dad. Everyone I have ever loved. Everyone I would have ever loved! Just how am I supposed to act? How does your vastly superior civilization think I should act? I STILL can’t get over how foolish I was. How completely gullible!”
“I wish you would let me explain to you—.”
Jennifer cut her off. “I don’t want to waste what little life I have left listening to lies and vacuous arguments.” She thrust the bag at Poke. “Here. I have no idea what I packed. Then again, it didn’t really matter what I packed, because I knew I would never need the things again anyway. Consider them to be souvenirs. Trinkets to remember the foolish alien female you deceived. You can show them to your family during Reflection. They ought to get a laugh or two.” She turned and stormed out.
“Jennifer!” Poke cried out pleading. “Please! Come back!” Then under her breath, she added, “Provider, please don’t let this happen!”
Jennifer met up with the Emperor at the main hatchway. Together, they walked out onto the field to the southern 40 yard line, next to the ship. Across from them were the Governor and General Comiston. To their left stood the drill team participants. The stands were about half-full. Jimmy Rogers sat behind a camera in the stands, right on the midfield stripe. The thin overcast diffused the sunlight, but occasional blotches of sunlight burst through, shining down on the audience. To their right, in the north endzone, just in front of the goalpost stood the musicians — mostly brass instruments, with one woodwind and a violin. A ninth member was there (nine in an octet?), wheeling out a pair of tympani. Deep down inside, part of her wished she could have a go with those drums.
“Daughter,” the Emperor asked, “just what is supposed to happen with this ceremony?”
“Firstly, these are normally done when the visiting head-of-state arrives, though there are times when a small ceremony is done on departure. It is a way for one state, in this case, my country — and I guess the whole world — to greet the leader of another state. It is a sign of welcome. Of gratitude for the visit. It usually will also attempt to convey the hopes and wishes of the host state that the leader of the visitors will enjoy his time here, and will engage in a dialog of friendship. As for the order of the ceremony, it does not quite follow traditional norms. An announcer will ask everyone to stand. The musicians to our right will play our national song. It is a special song that in English is known as an anthem. It is a musical representation or emblem of this country and its people. The musicians will then play a song to represent the Empire. I do not know what they have chosen. I will tell you if it was a good choice, and if there is any hidden meaning or significance. During the playing of the songs, those in uniform will salute — place their right hand near their face. It is a sign of respect to the songs, to the flags, and to both the host country and that of the visitors. Then, the male opposite who is wearing — I don’t know what the word would be in the language — vision corrective device?, will walk across to the spot on the second line to your right. He is the governor of this sub-administrative unit. Nebraska. He will give greetings to you and the Wakira, and will pass on a message from our president. When he is finished, he will walk back across to where he is now, and the soldiers you see here on our left will perform. The weapons have been rendered harmless, though the blades at the ends are real. It is a test of trust, that the others on the team will do their jobs flawlessly. Any mistake, any hesitation, can cause serious injury. When they finish, they will march back to this area on the left, then you will go to the spot where the governor spoke from and say a few words of greeting. When you are done, thank the audience and come back here. The people will stand. Some will bang their hands together — that is how we show appreciation. Some have been told how the Wakira applaud — raising both hands in the air and do the affirmative gesture.” She paused. “Then you tell me whether I will live or die.”
The announcement was made, and everyone got to their feet. Three flags were marched out onto the field — the Stars and Stripes, the state flag of Nebraska and the flag of the United Nations. The soldiers saluted. Most of the rest put their hands on their hearts. At the end of the anthem, several whistled approval while many clapped. The announcer then told the audience that the Empire had no anthem, but that the band leader had chosen a suitable substitute. The crowd quietened, the trumpet player stepped forward, and played three distinctive notes.
“Also sprach Zarathrustra!” Jennife
r squealed. “An excellent choice, Father. From a fictional video of how an alien civilization helped Terrans develop, and finally explore space.” She stopped talking and listened to the band play what most people would know as the theme from the movie 2001, a Space Odyssey. The tympanist banged the skins hard at the ending. When the final note was played, the stadium erupted in shouts and applause. Jennifer, forgetting all about what was happening, lost all decorum and whistled her ear-piercing whistle. The one she used to get back at her mom. The Emperor looked at her, askance. “I am sorry Father. I love that song. And I love the message the band leader was trying to convey. It repeats what I said to you at the top of the stairs, about cultivating friends.”
The crowd sat. Jennifer turned to face both the governor and her father-in-law. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them as the governor spoke. He talked of a future of friendship and trust, of hope, and honor, and peace. He walked back to his spot to appreciative applause.
The drill team was next. They performed flawlessly. Jennifer kept looking at the Emperor, trying to see if he appreciated the skill required, and the absolute trust that each soldier had to have in his fellow team members. He stood, unmoving, as if entranced by the precision and the skill shown. At the end, they formed up, right-turned and marched back into the southern end zone. It was now time for the Emperor to speak. He slowly walked to the spot, directly in front of the camera that was 150 feet away, and collected his thoughts.
Tell us you like us! Jennifer hissed in her mind. Tell us that you will mentor us!
The Emperor spoke haltingly in English. He thanked everyone involved with the ceremony, and the people of the town for the welcome they had shown the survey team for the last 4 ninedays. He apologized for his deficiencies in English and began a brief speech on the history of the Empire.
Jennifer let her eyes wander. Looking up at her dad, in the backyard of #13. Searching for David and Amelia in the stands. Looking at Jimmy. There seemed to be a technical problem. He was reaching into the back of the control box for his equipment. She continued scanning the field, mentally noting who was there.
And What of Earth? Page 24