The double tubes were actually shaped more like an elongated figure-eight and were not solid; but rather a powerful force field that kept the hundred miles-wide interior of those massive tubes in vacuum and kept atmosphere, birds, and orbital space junk from entering. They allowed planet based spacecraft to enter at the ground level of one of the tubes and accelerate at incredible speeds up into orbit without atmospheric friction or fear of collision. The other tube was reserved for traffic travelling down from orbit to the planet.
The Coridians occupied most of the ring while the Largans were for the most part planet-bound. Larga was an official protectorate of the Coridian Dynasty and one of the oldest. Even though we’d made it clear to Semi that we were seeking a solution that would leave Earth independent I was sure she still harbored hopes that we would want to accept a protectorship – like Larga.
In many respects the last number of months had been like the NCAA’s window for college coaches to get the best high school prospects to sign Letters of Intent with their respective schools – and with Earth being the nation’s #1 prospect. Everyone wanted to harness Earth’s (apparently) amazing potential and were (apparently) willing to do just about anything to get us – but how can you trust the words of a college coach during recruiting season? The funny thing is that Larga was so impressive that if we would have been recruited by the Coridians first we might have been seduced.
Of course the ‘recruiting styles’ of the two dynasties were at opposite extremes; Noridia had tried to scare us into accepting their protection and Coridia was trying to woo us into wanting it. It was probably a good thing that we were exposed to the Noridian’s ruthlessness first – it made it impossible to forget that independence trumps slavery every time.
After we docked with the habitat and exited the pressurized bay we were greeted by a small group that consisted of six Coridians and two Largans. The Coridians were smiling and friendly while the Largans were somewhat more ceremonial. When we were introduced to them the Largans spread their arms, palms up, and bowed deeply from the waist. We all more or less followed Hiromi and Kamiko’s lead in returning a perfectly equal bow. The Largans seemed deeply honored by this while the Coridians acted somewhat amused.
The lobby or reception area we were in was very large and comfortable yet had the empty feeling I was coming to associate with everything off-world. Three of the walls were entirely seamless windows, angling out at the top and permitting breath-taking views of the world below. As we watched we could see the terminator slowly sliding towards us across the face of the planet. This was a sight I realized that few Earthers had ever seen. Imagine looking down at Earth from orbit. As the planet rotated you could look down at cities and watch them rotate ever closer to the sun’s shadow that demarks night-time for everyone living below. This moving shadow line is called the terminator and if your orbit was geostationary like ours (when you’re orbiting at the same speed the Earth is rotating) it would look as if the terminator line is marching towards you. As we approached it I could clearly see the lights of several large cities that had just passed into darkness. As indescribably beautiful as it was I was still somewhat surprised that the cities were clearly separated geographically by large areas of darkness – unlike the east coast of the United States for example that I knew from photos was almost entirely lit up.
More Coridians had entered the reception area and were mingling, introducing themselves and offering friendly conversation. There were also a number of servers with finger food and refreshments that of course turned out to be happy Largans.
I couldn’t say the room was filling up but there were definitely a lot of people here and they were all beautiful. I think there were probably more women than men, although that could just be a matter of my focus, but they all looked young and seemed in perfect health. I didn’t notice a blemish, scratch, bruise, or scar and I couldn’t tell the Coridians and Largans apart (except perhaps by the duties they were performing).
As pleasing as the women were to look at the men left me with a non-feeling. They were not what I would think of as masculine and if I weren’t so dedicatedly heterosexual I might have felt different, but as it was I neither admired nor was repelled by them – they were just there. It didn’t help that their personalities, with some noted exceptions, were also bland. Somewhere during a conversation I addressed one of them as ‘Spock’ and I swear he raised an eyebrow at me in innocent query.
“Dr. Spencer, I hope you are enjoying this respite after what sounds like a harrowing journey.”
I turned from the window to discover I was being addressed by a stunning auburn haired woman that was exactly my height. Standing next to her was Semi with a twinkle in her eye.
“Mark, let me introduce you to my friend Ashima,” she said. “Ashima studies galactic history and the interaction of Planet-bound Cultures, Dynasties, and Houses – what I think you would call political science. I thought you two might enjoy knowing each other.”
“Ashima, please call me Mark,” I said as I glanced at Semi. Her smile seemed innocent but it was important to remember that this was a recruiting junket after all. I quickly returned my attention to Ashima and realized that she was the first auburn haired alien I’d met. As a matter of fact I didn’t remember seeing any shade or tint of red in anyone’s hair color outside those of us from Earth. I made a mental note to follow-up on that.
“Thank you Mark,” she replied. “I would love to know more about your planet’s history and how you have managed to survive and thrive with so many nation states that have competing interests. It seems to me it would be a formula for disaster yet your world has managed to excel.”
“I’d enjoy that conversation Ashima and I have some questions of my own about how your cultures interact and how differing social stratas determine their hierarchical relationship with one another.”
Her smile if it were possible became even bigger and after a slight pause she said, “I understand you need to settle in from your journey but when you are ready just let anyone know you would like to speak with me and I will come find you.”
Ashima really was very pretty and I couldn’t help realizing this at the same moment that I noticed Major Reagan, Major Reynolds and Silva hurriedly leaving the room.
ΔΔΔ
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Do you mean that there are only about 50 million Largans on the whole planet?”
“That is correct,” said Ashima. “If you count the Largans on all three continents it slightly exceeds 51 million.”
I thought she’d been talking about cities when apparently she’d been talking about continents.
“And is this the only Largan world?”
“Yes of course,” she responded.
Anzio, Semi, Ashima and I were still on the ring in the quarters I’d been assigned. We were sharing a quite good meal of fruits, cheese and what was probably some type of fish in a tangy white sauce.
“What happened to all the people,” asked Anzio?
“Nothing happened to them,” Ashima explained. “You probably need to know that Earth carries the highest population density in the known galaxy. Larga is a very developed planet by our terms and the population here is quite large by our standards.”
It was all starting to make sense to me. The longer lifespans didn’t lead to over-crowding; just the reverse. In an era of perpetual youth why rush into having children? Come to think of it I hadn’t seen any children…
“Ashima,” I suddenly asked. “Do mother’s still bear children in your society?”
Semi laughed and Ashima smiled. “Yes Mark, women can still bear children although many choose to only carry them in their womb for three or four months - and although we can still be inseminated in traditional ways most parents choose to have their genetic material combined under controlled conditions to assure no defects or mutations.”
“”But that takes all the fun out of it!” quipped Anzio.
“Where is the fun in allowing birth defects
in your children?” said an astonished Semi.
“No, not birth defects; I’m talking about the fun in making the babies,” he insisted.
“I just wish more of our males shared your sentiment,” Ashima said as Semi nodded. “Unfortunately most of our men look at reproduction scientifically and take it very seriously.”
“But you still have sex!” I blurted out.
“Of course we do,” Ashima quickly responded. “It just might not be for all the same reasons as what you are used to.”
I could have sworn I heard Semi mutter, “Or as energetic as what you are used to…”
If our Earther species of humanity was designated Homo sapien sapien, then I was going to have to unofficially start referring to these aliens as Homo sapien galactica; as similar as they were to us there were also some dramatic differences. It turns out that generally speaking the males in this new galactic civilization we were learning about were consistently less hormonally inspired than their Earther counterparts. When it came to sex this translated into less aggressiveness. It was normal in their cultures for the woman to do the seducing and while most men would be very willing to ‘do their duty’ it was simply lower on their list of priorities.
Why Earthers were different was something scientists would be arguing about for years. Was it a direct result of the ancient Noridian genetic manipulation that created Homo sapiens from Homo erectus, or was it more the unforeseen result of Homo sapiens later crossbreeding with the more animalistic Homo neanderthalensis? Few people realize it but we all have some Neanderthal DNA in our genome.
Either way it made for some interesting and very different dynamics. For example, nature’s way of balancing their male’s lower sex Drive was to increase the female’s. I recalled Silva having mentioned that of the female Coridians that had travelled to Earth none had returned home. I was beginning to suspect that the two issues were related.
“Do people marry? Do they form monogamous relationships?” Anzio wanted to know.
“It depends,” Semi said. “It varies somewhat from one planet-bound culture to another but most of the Dynasties have what you would call temporary marriage conventions for the purpose of having a child. Monogamy, even during those rare child raising years, is a personal choice.
“A significant number of planet-bound cultures, especially those that promote spiritual or religious beliefs, do tend toward monogamous relationships but rarely are they permanent. I couldn’t imagine spending 50 years with the same person, let alone 500!” Ashima exclaimed.
There was something wickedly beautiful about Ashima and from the way she was looking at me I was pretty sure that 50 minutes or even 50 days wouldn’t be out of the question but the truth was that I was more interested in her knowledge of how galactic societies worked. That was knowledge I desperately needed to take the next step.
I had been rehearsing in my mind the various ways I might ask and honing arguments to use if they tried to talk me out of it. Once I worked up the courage to ask how I might meet and talk to a member of a Lower House the answer was somewhat anticlimactic, “DanDreken and his daughter Malatina of House Gabloriel have been known to use the planet Dreken. It is not far from here. If you want to speak to them, go there.”
ΔΔΔ
It turns out that Ashima was willing to take me there and Anzio wasn’t going to let me leave him behind. As for Semi… well, it appeared that anywhere Anzio went she would be going too.
It’s not that Ashima and Semi expressed any confidence that DanDreken or his daughter would agree to talk to us but they were willing to humor my attempt.
The team had spent several impatient days preparing for the return to Earth while Anzio and I prepped for our own journey. Mainly my preparation consisted of spending as much time as possible with Ashima and other knowledgeable Coridians learning everything I could about what might help get the attention of a Lower House.
I learned from Major Reagan that Jaki and the Earth Team had not arrived back on Earth yet and that we had managed to get a message through. I don’t think we were holding a lot of confidence that the message was being received well or even believed but at least Earth had been warned.
Most of the delay in departure had been caused by Major Reagan’s insistence that all kinds of exotic equipment be manufactured for the team to take with them. The Coridians still wouldn’t give us anything in weaponry above what we usually carried but other things like communications gear they didn’t give a second thought to. While Major Reagan was stocking gear for every contingency the real coup was the ship itself that the Coridian’s had loaned us.
Maybe ‘loan’ was too strong a word but the Coridian’s were transporting the team back to Earth on a ship that not only had defensive and offensive capabilities but also carried mining abilities for system-wide raw material acquisition and extensive printing and manufacturing capabilities. They weren’t giving us these technologies – the ship and all its resources were apparently being placed under the authority of Silva. Toni was also a part of a small Coridian crew that would be travelling back to Earth.
If the Coridian’s had decided to rally under Silva’s leadership it was fair to say there had also been a subtle shift in our team. It wasn’t anything formal and while Major Reagan was still very obviously in command he more and more deferred to Julie for the Big Picture decisions. It was almost as if she’d become the military’s civilian oversight – and no one was complaining.
Come to think of it everyone seemed to be allowing me my own discretion as well. When I finally explained my strategy to a small group that included both Julie and the Major they simply incorporated what I was doing into their plans. I tried to make clear to them how much of a longshot this was going to be but they didn’t seem to give that much credence. They apparently had faith in me to achieve the impossible and the pressure of that caused me to wake up in a cold sweat on at least one occasion.
I noticed Julie in a small seating area talking with Toni and several other Coridians. It was the night before we all started our separate journeys and our entire team was involved in the Coridian version of a sendoff party; which to me, except for the number of people in attendance, so far had been indistinguishable from all the other receptions they seemed so fond of. The room was full and almost crowded – although it would never be confused for any nightclub, concert, or other public venue on Earth. The room was louder than any Coridian get-together I’d yet experienced but it was just the low rumbling of so many conversations that created the din.
The truth is Anzio and I could have left that morning, but I wanted to be here for what I deep down suspected could be a final farewell – and a last chance to see Julie and… what? Tell her how I felt? Ask her to wait for me from a mission I probably wouldn’t return?
Just then she looked up and saw me. It was confusing for me the feelings I experienced when she broke out in that incredible smile of hers. The next thing I knew she was standing close in front of me saying that we needed to talk. I know she kept at least one hand possessively on my forearm as we walked to a doorway and I simply don’t remember entering the small empty chamber off the main gallery. I do remember her in my arms, the smell of her hair, her body pressed closely to mine, and the longest most natural kiss in all of existence. While still holding on tight she whispered, “Come back to me Mark” and then with misty eyes she turned and ran away.
I spent some time with my thoughts before returning to the reception. At first I thought it must have ended, so quiet was the room, but then I heard a sweet, almost ethereal voice start to sing. The Coridians had an incredible fascination with our music and everyone knew that Julie had the best voice most of us had ever experienced; so I shouldn’t have been surprised to realize that it was her voice we were all so captivated with. Except for a few Coridian males that were glancing around apparently trying to figure out what all the fuss was about everyone in the room, Largan, Coridian, and Earther alike, were mesmerized. I found myself activating one o
f the new devices Major Reagan had given me, a holo-recorder. I wanted to remember this.
With everyone begging her for a song she had chosen one made famous many years ago by a singer named Mariah Carey. It was called ‘Hero.’ Julie’s eyes found me in the crowd and although something in my eye was keeping me from seeing perfectly I could have sworn she was looking only at me when she sang the last line; something about finally realizing that there was a hero inside of me…
Chapter 33
Major Mathew Reagan, US Army
“For the first time since this mission started I’m finally in a situation I was trained for,” said Major Mike ‘Iron Jaw’ Reynolds.
We were sitting in the quarters the Coridians had assigned me in their ring above the Protectorate Planet Larga. We’d just arrived earlier that day, met the Largans, and finally gotten a message off to Earth. It was a tremendous burden off my shoulders; now at the very least I’d done my duty to warn the world of the true alien threat. I’d had nightmares about not being able to get a message home and then arriving at Earth to find it was too late.
Here Comes Earth: Emergence Page 25