The outcome of each meeting was very similar to that of all the others, the only difference being the formalities of the individual receptions.
Tens of audiovisual messages, both of human and Ikalian origin, recounted the long wars which had taken place in the Milky Way.
During one of these cultural exchanges at Stanford University, there was a tremendous revelation:
according to data collected by the Ikalians over centuries of space travel, the Taahrians' AI's had visited and destroyed a number of impressive civilizations. In support of their shocking thesis, the Ikalians transmitted pictures and videos of worlds which had been invaded and devastated. Thanks to their technological advances, the only ones capable of repelling them were these same Ikalians, who, over the centuries, had come to assume the role of galactic protectors. The only way to defeat the Taahrians, and prevent them from conquering new worlds and increasing their resources, was to give people the necessary means to defend themselves. This was why they had come to Earth, as a message to the enemy to keep away. The Taahrians' hasty departure, at least according to the Ikalians, was because of their fear of a galactic war against an enemy who would be hard to beat. The Taahrians were portrayed as invaders, who, under the guise of an anomaly affecting their on-board computer, had purposely exterminated billions of living beings. Their reaction to the Korean missile launch was merely a pretext for them to launch their attack sooner. Even the reconstruction had been a hoax, perhaps the most insidious and clever part of the process. When completed, and only then, would a world fit for the Taahrians emerge.
During the first press conference with the Ikalians, held in Abu Dhabi, journalists they were able to press the newcomers for information.
“How did you learn these details about the events three years ago?” was one of the first questions directed to the Ikalian delegate.
“Civilizations such as ours, able to travel among the stars, have the capacity to exploit dimensions of the universe in ways that you cannot. This allows us to communicate and intercept transmissions, even light years away,” the alien replied, unperturbed. “We've studied, and seen with our own eyes, many of the things that the Taahrians recorded on their ship.”
“Those Taahrians seem very naive!” a second journalist interjected.
“Quite the contrary. They're one of the most advanced populations in the galaxy. However, our system of interception is more advanced than their subspace encryption.”
The reporter understood the response, up to the word encryption and let it go at that.
“If the Taahrians are the conquerors,” the first journalist began again, “Why did they even bother to begin reconstructing our world?”
“Your world?” replied the Ikalian with distinct irony. “You mean their world! Did the sizes and shapes of the buildings they erected escape your notice? They're much more accommodating to their size than yours. Taahrian-inspired skyscrapers and buildings aren't just part of some random architectural type, but faithful reproductions of what exists on their world. Over seventy percent of what was destroyed on Earth is still in disrepair. Drones and droids have managed to construct millions of new buildings in just three years because they were already programmed to do so, in just this way. It was all planned. If we hadn't intervened, they would've slowly insinuated themselves into your social fabric. The systems installed in new buildings would begin to condition the air, to adapt it to their bodies' needs. Perhaps, in the end, they would've even terraformed the planet.”
“Terraformed?”
“Terraforming is an artificial process used to render a planet inhabitable by altering its atmosphere: creating or changing its chemical composition to make it similar to that of their planet of origin and capable of supporting a new ecosystem. The expression terraforming is the only one that conveys this idea in your language. Your scientists have speculated that one day humanity will be capable of going to other worlds and reforming them, to make them similar to the Earth. I can assure you that some galactic civilizations have managed to render new planets similar to the ones they came from. The process is already feasible.”
“So why not use that on an uninhabited planet like Mars?”
“Terraforming Mars would take dozens of years, if not centuries. Earth is very similar to the Taahrians' planet of origin. The process would only take a few years.”
“Greetings. Richard Montgomery. New Times,” interjected a third reporter. “First of all, I want to say hello and welcome you to Earth.”
“Thank you.”
“Now here's my question: Why should we believe what you're telling us?”
“The Taahrians fled suddenly, after investing time and resources. The only explanation, which demonstrates the truth of what I'm saying, is the fear generated by news of our imminent arrival.”
“And what if we were to side with them? What if this is all a trick?”
“I can't blame your distrust after what's happened. But we're ready to prove the truth of our words with deeds. Unlike the Taahrians, if your governments will allow us, we will rebuild your cities with Terrestrial architecture, ideally designed for you. We will not leave a single area in disrepair. We are ready to share a large part of our knowledge, but without imposing it on you. In a gradual manner, which is consistent with your social needs, and only if you wish, we will take you by the hand and lead you to interstellar travel, until you are independently capable. We are here to give you a quantum leap in your evolution.”
“So we should consider you to be humanity's benefactors? And if so, to what end? What do you get out of it?”
“This isn't about generosity. Far be it for us to utilize all of our resources to give knowledge and well-being to civilizations who are less advanced, technologically speaking. Our spirit is nourished by a love of exploration and knowledge. We seek out new civilizations to better understand ourselves and the grand design of the universe. It is a desire rooted in our culture. Once here, as on other worlds, we will obviously work to offer you protection from the Taahrian threat. It's because we love to preserve the cultures of others. We want to make other species, who are the objects of their attacks, capable of defending themselves. It's in the interest of the entire galaxy, as well as our own.”
“If you're so evolved and powerful,” the journalist urged, “why waste your time on Earth instead of just wiping out the Taahrian threat directly?”
“We are capable of damaging and even destroying their largest battleships, but for us to enter their star system would be like suicide. You can't imagine how well defended it is. It would be too much, even for us.”
“So there's some great turmoil out there? According to you, what should our role be?”
“I've already pointed this out to you in part. You have a need for rapid progress to become key players in this delicate intergalactic balancing act.”
“Okay, but what should the first steps be?”
“Before anything else, the Terrestrials need greater world unity, both in a cultural and economic sense. Second, a total reconstruction; and, finally, the beginning of a singularity, or a point in the development of human civilization in which technological progress will accelerate beyond your current understanding.”
“So you've already decided our destiny? The human race is going to be subject to your will.”
“Absolutely not. What I've given you are merely suggestions. We will discuss all of this with representatives of the Earth's governments, but it just seemed right to share this with all of humanity.”
Another journalist wanted to get a word in. The Serbians had a myriad of questions. Part of what he intended to highlight was how ill-founded and implausible their claims were. Could they really demonstrate that the Taahrians' departure was due to their ship approaching? The Terrestrials were just supposed to believe that the Ikalians were champions of the universe because they said so?
When he finally stood up to speak, the Ikalian glared at him.
What, are you reading in
my mind?
“Additional considerations will be discussed with your government leaders,” said the alien. “I'm sorry, but the conference is over. Harmony and abundance,” the Ikalian delegate concluded.
When the alien had left, the still-petrified journalist had a dramatic insight: the Ikalians hadn't gone to the trouble of concocting the most effective excuses because they didn't have to. For them, it must be like a game. A rabbit hunt. And if he understood that, the Heads of State must've already done so too. So why did people seem to hang on their every word? Perhaps to confuse them and buy time, in the hopes of finding a way to deal with them.
We're done for! was his last thought before leaving the press room.
14
After yet another physical and a bio-nanocapsule injection, Namiko seemed to regain her strength.
“Are you all right? Sju is a medication that should be compatible with your biology,” said Eldgh, who was seriously worried about her condition.
“The Cju, Siu, or whatever the heck it's called is working. I'm better, thank you.”
“Excellent. At least we've solved two problems.”
“It doesn't appear that things are going all that well, at least to me,” commented Namiko, still confused.
“They could be far worse. Trust me!”
“But if you could at least tell me what happened... Who was that Taahrian? Why did you make me kill him? And please, cover his face with a cloth and let's get out of here: I can't stand being so close to a cadaver.”
“It's not that simple. We need to make sure that the C6 units don't see him. A lifeless Taahrian won't go unnoticed by their sensors.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Hiding the body in a place where it won't be found, then simulating a natural death or reprogramming the C6 units, which I don't think I'm able to do.”
“It's enough to just get it out of my sight! But you still haven't answered my question: why did you want me to kill him? Who was he? What did he want?”
“To imprison and freeze me, if not outright kill me; and, if he had seen you, he wouldn't have been quite as nice to you as I am.”
“I can't understand why he'd have bad intentions towards me. I need more details,” she urged him, deep in thought. “Dammit!” she then exclaimed. “I don't think I'll ever forget those big, staring eyes. He knew he was going to die when I stabbed him with the scalpel.”
“He was the Commander!” Eldgh stated.
“What? What kind of madness is this? What awful disaster have you gotten us into? Tell me everything, without any misrepresentations, before I lose patience and go nuts.”
“A possible hysterical reaction won't help at all.”
“You're always the messenger of doom!” Namiko said, almost viciously, as if she was addressing an agent of the devil.
“Your attitude is adversarial. I've learned to understand human behavior. In any case, I can assure you that I am not directly responsible for what just happened.”
“That's a little too convenient. You and your kind have killed billions of people.”
“You know that there's far more to that story. Haven't I always been your friend?”
“I don't know what to believe any more... but I promise that I'll listen to you.”
“That I believe. You don't have a choice.”
The two stared into each other's eyes: beings from different worlds; victims of a cosmic plot, greater than themselves.
“You can't remember, but this is the second time that we've met since you left the Alpha Orionis.”
Really?
“We crossed paths at the construction site of a large solar power plant. You and Sirio had gone to see Tylor, in Australia.”
Osaka, the airline tickets, the high-velocity flight,Australia, and the solar power plant… Now I remember it all!
“After a few pleasantries, you suddenly fell to the ground, the victim of a severe stroke.”
At that point, Namiko understood, as though she'd had an epiphany.
“That's why I'm here! We didn't have the technology to treat my condition on Earth, but on board the Betelgeuse, you do.”
“Yes, but as you might imagine, that's not all of it. Things are more complicated.”
“I'm sure.”
“You were hospitalized. Your condition was practically hopeless, as were Sirio's and your parents' feelings.”
Thinking about her loved ones' suffering, Namiko was overcome with emotion.
“It all happened a few days before the Betelgeuse's departure.”
“How could that be? The ship left? Suddenly? Just like that?”
“Yes, after we boarded.”
“Oh, my God!” The Japanese woman was upset. “Do you mean to tell me that we're no longer in orbit around the Earth?”
“Please, let me explain things in order and you'll understand everything.”
Eldgh gave her every detail. He didn't leave anything out. Namiko couldn't hold back her tears. The Taahrian had risked his life for hers, for that of a perfect stranger, an alien. And Sirio. What must he have gone through? What dilemmas must've tortured his soul? What kind of strength must he have found in his heart to make such a decision? She herself, in Sirio's position, wouldn't have known what to do. In the end, he had chosen for her to live, which he believed was an act of love; losing her forever, no longer being able to even see; and living in perpetual doubt that he might've made the wrong decision. Living inside a Taahrian ship, would it be bearable? At that point, even she didn't know.
Eldgh waited to tell her about the events that followed. Just the two of them, on board a city in space, with a useful surface area of three thousand square kilometers.
The woman was crying in front of him, oddly composed, with her face covered in tears.
She felt her parents' pain and Sirio's suffering; but what was worse was the realization that she would never see any of them again.
“You should've let me die...” she whispered, almost choking. “That way I wouldn't...” she stopped. She couldn't blame Sirio, trapped between two possible solutions, both of which were unfair, and damned either way. The real culprits were God, the universe, fate, the laws of nature, bad luck or whatever other evil thing had condemned her forever, in one way or another.
15
In the hours that followed the Ikalian press conference, heads of state, television hosts, writers, the military, the elderly, children, and ordinary citizens began to ask themselves the same questions.
The discussions on The Night SuperShow, an evening program hosted by Mario Chandler, which had the highest ratings in North-Central America, were a prime example of the concerns on every Terrestrial's mind.
“I can't fathom what philosophy obliges us to accept the presence of these Ikalians on our planet,” commented Mr. Shatner, a journalist from a famous newspaper. “And I wonder,” he continued, “why no one takes the possibility of opposing them seriously.”
“We're just evaluating what they have to say,” said Ms. Andersen, a known opponent of Shatner, “to see if there are more advantages or disadvantages; and all of the greatest minds seem to lean towards the former. It amazes me that a famous journalist such as yourself isn't better informed.”
Shatner smiled: this charming blond career woman in front of him, the age of his daughter, strutting around is her impeccable outfit, was building her reputation by disputing his every word; but that didn't bother him. He loved to have a counterpoint that was free of hysteria and vulgarity, and of that, the attractive Ms. Andersen was a master.
“Statistics are always biased, Ms. Andersen,” Shatner replied. “My point is to make you think, or, better still, provide a jumping off point for an understanding of who these Ikalians may be. How will they react if we reject their offer? Will they continue to be kind to us and available, understanding our reasons, or would their attitude change, and would they make us do what they want by force?”
“It's useless to oppose them. You know th
at better than I do. Ever since they arrived, no one has done anything but compile long lists...”
“Of nonsense motivated by fear,” Shatner interrupted her.
“No, of valid reasons that support their presence.”
“With that kind of thinking, we'll never discover why they're really here.”
“We appreciate your strategy, Mr. Shatner,” Chandler interjected. “But I think that divulging it on a program being broadcast worldwide precludes the possibility of catching our Ikalian friends unawares.”
Several people in the audience laughed. Others, those personally affected by the Taahrian attacks, had little appreciation for the irony.
“No!” Andersen exclaimed loudly, then fell back into silence. “Let's follow Mr. Shatner's suggestion: we'll resist the Ikalians. Let's mount an opposition. I've suggested something like this to a friend of mine: that he answer his wife back and find out who she really is; see if she cuts off his balls!”
You could then see part of the audience: cheering, cursing, yelling and applauding in every corner of the television studio.
The host made a gesture with his hands, urging them to quiet down and trying to restore calm as quickly as possible.
As soon as it was quiet, Mr. Shatner began to speak again: “Don't you think you're going a bit far?”
He didn't have to wait for Ms. Andersen's response.
“Absolutely not! An intelligent and powerful species travels a hundred light years, is willing to defend us from a galactic enemy, offers to complete the reconstruction of our world, promises us knowledge and technology that we can't begin to imagine, and what do we do? We tell them to go to hell, highlighting, once again, our human pomposity, stupidity, short-sightedness, mistrust and ingratitude; giving up the opportunity to progress and, above all, to defend ourselves from beings like the Taahrians. The world out there is buzzing with interstellar civilizations and you'd like to condemn us to going around in horses and buggies?”
Live or Die Trilogy Page 18