Victim of Circumstance (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 3)
Page 33
“Four reasons,” Halbert said. “First, they were waiting for us to get our act together, stop fighting each other and form an efficient governing system, which we have.
“Second, they wanted us to know our full history, both good and bad, before and after we went to the stars, and, above all, understand it.
“Third, they wanted to be sure that we actually took care of the planets we occupied.
“Finally, the human species is now more complete with the inclusion six years ago of the missing races of mankind.”
“Most of that is thanks to your friend Mr. Young,” Nagel said.
“That it is,” Halbert said.
Nagel turned to the camera. “I have just heard that the Nosurshin landing craft is separating from the mother ship and is preparing to enter the planet’s atmosphere. I’ll turn you over to Fred McCurry on the Federation cruiser Gilbert for his description of the preparations.”
Halbert turned and wandered over to where Jim and Edward stood.
Jim smiled. “You do know that if you had said what you just did before we established parallel space contact with the aliens you would be carted off as stark raving nuts?’
“Yes, that’s why I very much enjoyed saying it,” Halbert chuckled.
“I think I would too,” Jim chuckled. “And the name Nosurshin was an alcohol distorted childhood flashback.”
“I did not mention the fact until everyone was calling them that and it was too late to change the name,” Halbert said. “I like that name. The Nosurshins do too.”
“What’s this about your famous ancestor? Carl said nothing is known about him. Do you have any records at all?”
“According to family oral history there are two cases of documents and recordings Barry Tolliver dumped into a well in the Merinda Valley. They’re a complete record of the first colony on Batalavia. I know exactly where they are.”
“You haven’t tried to dig them up?”
“The area was built over and covered six hundred years ago. Since then there’s been something built on top of it. Currently it’s under the parking lot of the Merinda shopping mall. The owners of the mall say we can dig them up if we pay for the repairs.”
“You haven’t already done that?”
“My family’s never been wealthy enough to pay for it.”
“I’ll pay for it,” Jim said. “It’s the first thing you do if you ever go back there.”
“Jim,” called Carl Nagel from a distance. “The Nosurshin ship has separated from the mother ship and has started its decent.”
“Are you sure you want me in the welcoming group?” Halbert said.
“It’s logical. You’re our liaison, Edward is the President of the planet they’re landing on and I’m the caretaker President of the Federation of Planets. Sitting right behind us will be all the chairmen and governors of the different planets within the Federation.”
“Why am I here?” Edward said. “I’m just a Pinoy boy that was part of an endangered species.”
“Edward,” Jim said. “You were the last human to stand up to human tyranny.”
“Also, why did they re-elect me President?” Edward said.
“Colin recorded everything you said at the confrontation with the Bund. Your statement ‘We will move only if we want it. We will be known to the rest of the planets as men, not as goats to be herded’ that has gone into the history books.”
“So?”
“Someone once told me in a back alley on Casia, in politics, it’s not what you know or even who you know, it’s more who knows you.” Jim turned to Halbert. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
Halbert nodded. “I believe it was.”
Jim smiled. “Thought so.”
Halbert turned to Edward. “I like the name of your planet,” he said. “Uniseya has a ring to it.”
“I like the name of your planet,” Halbert said. “Uniseya has a ring to it.”
“We just took first letters from the registry UNI-57433C put extra letters for us and inserted ‘y’ because it made it sound better.”
“Similar to the way we got the name Casia,” Jim said.
“I like your planet,” Edward said. “After Colin and Malia’s wedding I took a tour of everywhere. I like it better than Pellan where I went for Ken and Tanni’s wedding.”
“You’re becoming quite a space hopper,” Jim said.
“Looking at what others have. We will have standard of living same soon. Much has been done in last six years; next six will be much more.”
“Now that the majority of your population can see again,” Jim said and looked up to a small hill where Elder Hansel sat on a chair covered with a light blue canopy. “What percent of the population is it now?”
“It’s eighty two percent. Many of the older people don’t want eyesight. They’re too used to being without. They’ve had the lymph node implant to destroy the virus but haven’t done the therapy so their brains can see.”
“That’s why I admire Elder Hansel up there,” Jim said. “Being able to see for the first time at his age, even if it’s just in black and white.”
“It has been major culture shock for many,” Edward said. “For me, I didn’t know Bugs Bunny was so tall. He is as tall as humans.”
“Jim,” called Carl Nagel from a distance. “The Nosurshin ship is entering the outer atmosphere.”
All three looked up at the sky.
“Five more minutes,” Jim said. “Colin told me that if I greeted them with the words ‘live long and prosper’ he’d shoot me.”
Halbert chuckled. “And I’ve never known Major Young to go back on his word.”
“Major Young of the Federation Rangers,” Jim said. “This is my last official act as leader of the human race. After that, I’ll go back to being a retired Army Sergeant. If he thinks I’ll salute him, he can kiss my ass.”
“Your other son,” Edward said. “Is he doing well?”
“Mike just graduated university with a masters in law. He’ll go on to do another graduate degree in political science. He wants to be a politician.”
“He’ll be a good one,” Halbert said.
“It just pisses me off that he knew about the Nosurshins five years before you told me.”
“Even better,” Halbert said. “He can keep a secret. He found out by accident when he came back for a duffle bag he left at my place.”
“He told me that,” Jim said.
“Jim,” called Carl Nagel. “The Nosurshin ship is just over the horizon. It’ll come into view any second.”
“So what’ll your first words to the Nosurshins be?” Halbert said.
“I’ve got it memorized,” Jim said. “It took a team of twenty writers and historians just to compose a twenty three word greeting.”
“The Nosurshins are quite friendly,” Halbert said. “They just have a weird sense of humor.”
A roar from the crowd went up and they looked to see the huge ship breaking through the clouds.
“I just have one question about this whole thing,” Jim said. “Why me?”
“We are all same position,” Edward said. “As Curly of Three Stooges say: ‘I’m a….’”
“Please Edward,” Jim interrupted, “no more film quotes.”
THE END
Victim of Circumstance
The Time Stone Trilogy
Other Books by the Author.
The Mediocracy Trilogy.
The Mediocracy
Of Mud and Time
Counting Comets
The Mediocracy
The new human colony on the planet Pollux 4 is a disaster. Barry, a new arrival to the planet, suspects the leadership is to blame. Mismanagement is rampant amongst the entrenched leadership clique. Something is drastically wrong with the way the colony was assembled.
Persecuted as malcontents by the governing body, who see them as a threat to their positions, privileges and especially their egos, Barry and his fellow dissenters have to escape this rule by the med
iocre. They decide to leave the main colony and brave the hazards of the newly terraformed, alien planet on their own.
An action adventure and an exploration of an alien world.
Adult Language and Situations.
www.WhiteOaksProductions.com
About the Author
Robert F Hays – Retired from the military in 2001 with a total of 28 years in service. As a member of both the U.S. and Royal Australian Army he served in Vietnam, Sarawak, Panama and the first Gulf War as well as UN peacekeeping in the Sinai. Brought up in Australia, he has traveled extensively. Degrees in Mathematics, Earth Science, History and Education.