by Shawn Jones
Still not completely satisfied, Lex relented but asked, “How long will you be dirtside, sir?”
“I don’t know yet, but I will keep you informed.”
H’uum Homeworld
Dalek held his hands over his ears to lessen the noise of the crowd. He walked between Cort and Kim, with the two larger wolves just ahead of them. Shart was in Cort’s right hand, and Cort’s left was awkwardly holding Dalek’s. It was a short walk from shuttle to the building where they met with H’uum and his staff, but the noise from start to finish was deafening.
After the meeting, Snirl and another queen took Dalek to a H’uuman nursery, where he played with other children, and Cort and Kim went with H’uum to the spot where the kidnapping had occurred. Kim cried, because like Cort had done on Solano’s World, H’uum had torn down the old structure and turned the area into a memorial to Heroc, Zandra, and the others who had died defending Dalek. Bane and Coke whined, seeming to sense something of their old companion, and Kim felt Cort’s FALCON-clad muscles become rigid again as he read the names of the fallen in both the H’uuman language and their own. As they turned and walked away from the shrine she thought, He will set fire to the entire Collaboration if they give harbor to those bastards. Kim remembered Heroc by her side when they thought Cort himself was dead. And I will scream Heroc’s name as I watch it burn.
After visiting several cities on the planet and picking out the members of the security team that would protect Dalek and Kim, Cort met with H’uum one more time. In the meeting, he was given a comm device that was more secure than the one he had been using, and H’uum admonished him to only use it for contacting the agents on Government World. “The unit is like the one that you took from Heroc when you first captured her,” Heroc said, “but it is more secure. You will communicate only aurally to protect their identities.”
“I understand. I’m not planning on contacting them at all. I just want to know when the Tapons make their move.”
“I am sure my people will be able to provide you with much more than that, Cortland.”
Cort smiled. There were questions that begged to be asked, but he knew better. His own experience with the intelligence community back in the twenty-first century taught him not to ask the kind of questions he knew that H’uum would be hesitant to answer. Especially when those answers might endanger his agents. “I look forward to hearing from them.”
When he was back aboard the Mare’s Leg, Cort commed Jade Jones. “Are we in place, JJ?”
“You know, Cort, you always seem to need our new ships before the old ones are even cool from the printers.”
“I would have made do either way, Admiral. But as long as you keep building me new toys, I’m going to keep playing with them.”
“I suppose. Yes, your new toys are in place and so are all of the ships. We’re just waiting for your word.”
Eight
The Isthmus
Have you decided what you wish to be called?
I HAVE NOT. DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION?
If you wish to establish a relationship with the humans, you should choose a name that is both unique to you, as well as easy for them to remember and associate with you.
THE LAST HOMINIDS HERE WERE NOT KIND. I QUESTION THE HUMANS’ INTENTIONS.
Humans are like other species. They have good elements and bad elements. But I have told you the history of their leaders. Their war leader is honorable.
YOU SAID HE HAS KILLED BILLIONS, EVEN HIS OWN KIND. HOW IS THAT HONORABLE?
He has also spared billions. And he is inclusive. He does not tolerate those who discriminate against other life.
BUT I AM NOT LIKE THEM. I AM SYNTHETIC. WILL THEY BELIEVE ME TO BE ALIVE?
They already do. That is why they asked me here. To find a way to communicate with you.
AND YOU TRUST THEM?
Not all of them. But the good ones do not tolerate those who are not good.
WHEN THEY CALLED TO ME, I DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE BIOLOGIC.
They did not even know you were here. They were studying the hominids who were here before.
I CAN TELL THE HUMANS ABOUT THEM. BUT IF THEY ARE LIKE THE OTHER ONES, I WILL NOT TALK TO THEM.
They were bad then?
THEY WERE BAD TO ME.
Would you like to tell me about them?
--
A few hours later Bazal was speaking in the main dining room with Tsao, Cort, and Kim. Dalek was already asleep, and the wolves were resting near the door to his room. “The being does not trust biologic life, and it feels that the previous species, its creators, abandoned it.”
“Why did they build it, only to leave it here?” Kim asked.
Tsao replied, “I think the answer to that is more complex. I believe the previous inhabitants of the planet built a synthetic neural network to use in their scientific endeavors. The network somehow discovered the quasar event, then helped the inhabitants of the planet find a way to leave and a place to go.”
“They are still out there somewhere?”
“I cannot answer that, General. It has been one-hundred million years since they left,” Tsao said, “but what they left here is what we are concerned with right now. For some reason, they did not take the neural network with them, and when the quasar’s effects reached this planet, the being was somehow affected and became completely self-aware.”
Kim asked, “Why is it so deep in the planet?”
“I must be clear again,” Tsao said, “everything I am saying is only speculation, because I have not communicated directly with the synthetic. Bazal is not pushing it for information, so I have to extrapolate from what the being does share. But I believe the answer lies in the same reason we have found so little evidence of the species that was here before. From what little we do know, the species was very aware of its own effect on the planet. We have no record of non-natural greenhouse gases, no evidence of fossil fuel usage, and no evidence of any lasting effect on the surface of the planet.”
“So they were hippies.”
“Hippies, General?” Tsao asked.
“Nevermind. Go on, Doctor.”
“Yes. Well, I suspect that the previous inhabitants used some form of geothermal energy to power the synthetic. It is certainly how it survives now.”
“Has it always been this large?”
Bazal said, “No, Kimberly. It has been able to grow by absorbing what I believe to be silicates and other minerals from the ground around it.” Looking at Cort and then Kim, he added, “I must say, now that I have learned to communicate with the being, the process is somewhat similar to communicating with Dalek.”
“So we are dealing with a hyper-intelligent toddler that doesn’t trust us,” Cort said.
“Yes, sir,” Tsao said, “That is an apt description of the situation. And our hyper-intelligent toddler has absolutely no social development whatsoever, and it is lonely.”
Kim added, “And probably a little insane. I mean after all, you just said it has been alone for one hundred million years.”
“That’s a good point. Get the child psychologist that Dar sent to check Dalek out,” Cort said. “He’s already passed the ‘Bazal’ tests and he might be able to shed some light on our underground friend. In the meantime, Bazal, keep talking to it. But don’t push for information, I don’t want it to feel used. Just listen and make friends.”
“What do you hope to gain from it, Cortland?” Bazal asked.
“Nothing. I’ve spent a lot of time alone, Bazal. Not millions of years, but I do understand loneliness.”
“As do I, Cortland. And perhaps, as you did with me, you will be able to give this being a sense of family.”
“Okay, I’m leaving for Mars in the morning, so I won’t be able to meet about this for a while, but keep me updated, okay?”
Phobos Shipyard
“Why are we waiting, Cort?” Dar asked. “We are giving them more time to get ready.”
“I need to know what Lap is going to do. If
the CG refuses to back the Tapons, then I’m still willing to deal with them. If Lap signs up with them, though, we are cutting all ties with the CG.”
“And you want Lap to decide without knowing what our response will be.”
“Exactly, Dar.”
JJ asked, “Why not just have Bazal look into it?”
“I’ve been asking too much of him. I let Speral off the hook and I told Bazal that I don’t want anything from the being under Solitude, but I keep asking him for help. I need to get past that. We need to treat him as an equal, not a tool.”
“I can understand that.”
“I’m not saying we won’t use him in a pinch. I just want him to know that he is more to us than a telepath. Especially to me.”
Dar said, “Cort, he knows that. But I get your point. I want to talk about staffing and bringing the H’uumans into the fold.”
“I wanted to ask about that, too. Who is taking over for Admiral Book, JJ?”
“General I need you to hear me out. I want to promote Captain Liz Thoms. She has...”
“Okay, do it,” Cort interrupted.
JJ was surprised, and it showed. “Just like that? I do not have to convince you?”
Thoms was a close relative of the two of the first men Cort had killed in this timestream. “I told you, it is your decision. I trust her or she would be dead, so if she is the right person, promote her.”
“I am glad you feel that way. I will promote her today.”
“You should do it, Cort,” Dar said.
“That might not be a bad idea,” JJ agreed.
“Fine. Set it up, but let’s make it on Solitude. She is going to be stationed there anyway. What about you Dar? What is your staff situation?”
JJ said, “Before we go there, I want to bump Kate Williams up too. We can promote them both at once.”
“Intelligence, I assume?” Cort asked.
“Yes. And unless you have a problem with it, I think we should talk to Bazal about becoming a part of her group. It is what we use him for anyway.”
“Yes to the promotion, but I want to talk to Bazal before saying yes to making him a spy. Anything else?”
JJ shook her head so Cort turned to Dar. “What do you need?”
“I am way overstaffed. Since you withdrew our diplomats from the Collaboration, I have plenty of people for once. Oddly enough, the H’uumans will have our first fully staffed embassy.”
“But that one is only going to be temporary, right? And you are going to call it something else.”
“Why?”
“Because an embassy is something that exists between separate governments. We are merging with the H’uumans,” Cort said.
“You mean completely then? Not just diplomatically?” Dar asked.
“Yes. Completely. They are our equals.”
“I will have to make some changes and there will have to be a heavy PR campaign in both empires, but it is doable. The war was not that long ago, though, Cort. There may be some issues on Earth.”
Cort said, “You won’t need a PR campaign with them, I was just there and they love us. And I won’t tolerate race issues in the military, but after Tapon, I don’t really expect them anyway. For civilians, I want punishment to be swift and harsh for either side, and H’uum feels the same way.”
“Well, Rand has the most experience in dealing with other species, so I am inclined to hand the entire project to him,” Dar said.
“I take it Chief Rhodes is still not interested in participating?”
“He won’t even return my comms. He requested, through civilian channels I might add, transport back to Earth, and is now living somewhere in Africa.”
Cort didn’t know what happened with Rhodes. He was an ally throughout the formation of the AF, but as soon as the Cuplan war was over, he quit and left the public eye. “That’s too bad. He would have been great for this kind of stuff.”
“Not to be the discordant voice,” JJ said, “But I don’t want anyone having anything to do with the government who is not one hundred percent committed to the system. He is clearly not, so I say good riddance.”
“I can’t argue with that, JJ. But Chief is a good man, nonetheless. Go ahead Dar, give the merger to Rand,” Cort replied.
“All right, moving on, I talked to Lee Pan. He wants to meet with you before he decides whether or not to take the Sciences job.”
“Any idea why?” Cort asked.
“None. He said will not discuss it with me or anyone else. Not even Doctor Tsao.”
“Okay, will he come here, or do I need to go to Earth?”
“He is actually at Scorpion Station now,” Dar answered. “He wanted to see the fruits of his labor regarding Mars. In many ways, it was his life’s work.”
“Okay, I’ll head down after we finish here. Is there anything I need to know?”
“I wish I could say, Cort, but he will not speak to us at all about it.”
JJ said, “He does speak to Tsao regularly. There is comm traffic between them almost every day.”
“Okay. That should play in our favor. I’ve given Tsao virtual carte blanche in studying Solitude.”
“He should also meet with Bazal,” JJ added.
“He will have to go to Solitude for that,” Cort said, “Because I am not inconveniencing Bazal. But I agree. The Head of Sciences is too important a position not to have a full impression of his mindset.”
“Dar, I am going to need some diplomatically minded people to coordinate with the H’uumans to start colonizing the planets we are keeping.”
“What if we put together a group of both species to act as an advance team?” Dar said.
“That would work,” JJ replied. “In addition, we can use the modified ship to get some human armor onto the planets quickly.”
“That leaves me with just one more thing, and I need military input on it. We need a unified tax code, and we need it yesterday.”
“Politics. Not our problem,” Cort said.
“Yes, it is. Otherwise you are going to have to give me some troops just to keep the peace on Earth. We’ve been trudging along with a bunch of different codes from different alliances and independent countries. Now that everyone is trading across the galactic arm, we need a single code that everyone is bound by.”
“What do the governors think?” JJ asked.
Dar replied with both frustration and disgust. “We cannot agree on anything. The little countries need help catching up, and the larger countries have overly complex codes that are letting too many affluent people and corporations off lightly, creating a tax burden for lower and middle income workers. And we’ve been going at it long enough that trade is being affected, so we are formally requesting military guidance.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Cort demanded. “You know, this is an argument that goes back a long time. You probably won’t like my ‘guidance’, Dar.”
“Nevertheless, we need it, Cort.”
“Okay, so what does ‘military guidance’ entail?”
“I really need you to read the Articles of the Federation, Cort. Put down your history books. You lived most of that crap anyway.” Dar smiled at JJ, who was laughing at his last comment, as he continued, “When the civilian governments cannot agree on something, we ask for ‘military guidance’. Then whatever you say is law, unless seventy percent of a popular vote overrides your input. And to vote for override, there must be a previously approved alternate system to replace yours.”
“Why do I have so much power?” Cort asked.
“Because the purpose of our federation is to support the military. You decided that yourself.”
“Proof that I am not a government leader. I decided that based on the fact that we were going to be the police force for the galaxy. That’s no longer the case.”
“That does not change our current circumstance, Cort. We need a decision. And technically, it is not just your decision. You have the final say, but your admirals should have input, as
well as the H’uuman military leaders. Talk to them and get back to me. I need an answer soon, though. I would prefer one before you leave the system.”
“I can’t promise that, Dar. I’m getting ready to make a species of child stealing monkeys extinct.”
Scorpion Station
“It’s good to finally meet you Doctor Pan,” Cort said a few hours later. “I understand you want to talk to me before deciding whether or not to accept the position as Head of Sciences.”
Lee Pan looked at Cort for several seconds before responding. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you as well, General. Yes, I do want to speak to you. I have many questions for you about your transition and the decisions you made when you first arrived in our time, but if you will agree to address them later, perhaps on Solitude, I will get right to the point.”
“Okay, Doc. If you take the job, I will answer your questions. So get right to the point.” I think I’m going to like you, Doctor Pan.
“Very well. The entire episode that led to the founding of the Ares Federation could have been avoided had the civilian government of Atlantica listened to me. Granted, the actions you took led humanity down a much more promising path, but the entirety of the Atlantic Alliance was destroyed because its president thought he knew best. I will not be part of such a government again.”
“Yes. I’ve studied that quite a bit, Doctor. It seems to me like a lot of mistakes were made. But there was really only one mistake that mattered. Beard or Beards or whatever his name was didn’t listen. He didn’t listen to you, to Dar Sike, or to me.”
“Agreed, General. But are you the same? Will you do what you want, regardless of what is best for humanity.”
“I could argue that if I was intent to do what was best for humanity, I would exterminate every species we come in contact with, to make sure they posed no threat to us. I won’t do that. There are some that I will no doubt destroy, such as the Tapons, but I believe I have shown a great deal of temperance when dealing with the H’uumans.”
“Is it true that we are going to merge with them, General?”