He concluded, “My position here is more important work than what the other translators do, and I will earn a larger share of the points awarded. I will never be led by Parkoda again anyway, because he would not accept me twice on his raids. However, I know your language much better than Parkoda, and he would not have put me here if he knew that. I have spent much time with humans on Koban, learning how you speak.”
Office Politics are universal, thought Mirikami. They would have to be careful what they said around Telour.
He also felt safer in further discussion. “I am a low rank leader of a race you call animals, so why am I allowed to know this? There must be an advantage for you to spend your time telling me this. Is there a mutual advantage to be found?”
“You are not like most humans I have talked with.” Telour admitted. “Your questions are like you have met us before. As you asked, there may be a possibility for mutual advantage.”
He explained with an example. “I learned Standard on Koban in two of your years because this helped me earn points, as I earn now as a translator. The humans on Koban that talked to me and helped me learn received better food, and I gave them immunity from combat testing.
“With my skill in your language, when I lead raids on human worlds I will have an advantage. Not all humans are willing to trade for the advantages I can give. Some other humans killed one of my protected humans in secret. Those that I discovered I challenged and killed.
“I let you know now of a possibility for your advantage. Other Krall may also offer you something in trade, but I will give an advantage that a human clan leader may want more. An advantage for your own clan.”
Mirikami knew he had to be diplomatic. “I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and to gain in return, so I will consider this possibility.” He could think of nothing that would make him personally want to strike such a deal. However, knowing deals could be struck was important.
The chime of the lift drew his attention, but only well after Telour’s head had already whipped around in that direction. Ms. Jorl’sn stepped out. Their Watch relief had arrived. Jake, if they could use him openly, would have served as watch stander while they were in the Hole, but they needed to keep him a tactical secret.
After Ms. Jorl’sn was briefed, she and Telour remained on the Bridge, as Mirikami and Noreen headed for the passenger decks.
13. Private Conversations
When the lift stopped at deck 8, the highest passenger deck, they were somewhat surprised to find quite a few people there. Clearly, they had moved back up from decks 5 and 6 once permitted. They found themselves surrounded by people begging for answers, or making demands.
He leaned into Noreen and spoke over the flood of questions. “Noreen, try to keep them talking to you, and ignoring me if possible. It’s vital I use this opportunity to do something I’ve needed to do.”
Not waiting for her reply, he walked several yards away, drawing some of the crowd with himself. Noreen gave him a curious look, but loudly began fielding questions, drawing more of the attention. The Captain looked about the central area, not responding to anyone.
There was one blue uniformed translator Krall on the far side of the lounge, near one of the side lifts and stairs, and a black clad warrior by another stair on the opposite side. Although they were watching the humans alertly, they were essentially unmoving other than their constantly shifting gaze. The humans maintained a wide arc around each, rarely looking at them, and then only a quick fearful glance.
Standing in the crowd, knowing his voice would be lost among those around him, he was confident that if Telour had ordered Ms. Jorl’sn to monitor this deck that he could not be heard. His shorter that average height made him barely visible to the two Krall. He angled his face away from them and down towards the deck, and said “Jake?”
“Yes Sir?” The AI’s prompt reply was reassuringly clear through the surrounding noise.
“Jake, I need to develop a way to communicate with you without calling your name each time. I know you can hear everything I say if that mode is activated, but do you hear what is said to me if there is no active audio pickup close by?” He was forced to ignore the jostling and crowd noise surrounding him. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to blot out the voices of people trying to talk to him.
“Sir, I hear conversations with you via your transducer, through the same bone conduction I use to pick up your words, and also through audio pickups if those are nearby.” Few passengers would have felt comfortable knowing how easily and often they could be overheard on an AI equipped Starship. A Captain had authority to ask to review what was overheard, but Jake would make an official log entry if that were done.
“Jake, I need to create an alternative method to ask you to pass me information I need, without my specifically calling you by name. I will furnish two example questions I want you to consider, but do not answer them now. Example number one; ‘I wish I knew where my First Officer is?’ Example number two; ‘I would like to know how many Krall are onboard?’ End of examples Jake. Could you accept these as questions directed to you even if I do not say your name?”
“I should be able do that, but perhaps not always consistently, Sir. There may be errors in understanding what data you are requesting, or if you intend the request for me or if it is for someone with you.” The AI advised.
The noise diminished a bit. He could hear Jake better now. After nearly being tripped once, no one was tapping him on the shoulder now or talking loudly at him.
“Jake, if you receive a data request, such as my two examples, always pass the requested information by transducer, or tell me if you do not have an answer, or if you do not understand the request. Can you do that?”
“Assuming that I understood your request was intended for me, yes Sir, I can do that.”
“Jake, if the information is not what I want, or is more detailed than I need, I will terminate your data feed by using a phrase similar to, but not limited to these three examples; example one; ‘never mind.’ Example two; ‘skip it.’; Example three; ‘disregard.’ Would you understand what I intended?”
“That too may not always provide the desired result, Sir. What if I need confirmation to start, to stop, or to change a data request?”
“Jake, if that happens I will repeat another request for data if I don’t receive what I need, or try again to have you stop a feed. If I start to talk while you are sending me requested data, you should stop speaking. The important thing is for me to receive information and to stop the data feed without saying your name when the Krall might be able to hear me. Do you understand?”
“I think I do, Sir. I will listen to you, and respond as I calculate you intended for a request of data. If there are mistakes in this process, I will modify or add to the phrases that produce results that repetition indicates you find acceptable.”
“That’s good Jake. Place this new protocol into effect for me only now. Other crew members will be included later.”
“Yes Sir.”
Mirikami raised his head and opened his eyes, only to find Doctor Fisher staring him in the face. Her arms were spread in arcs to either side of him, joining hands with someone on each side, holding people away from him. She smiled and winked at him. Clearly, she’d heard enough to understand what he was doing, and had done her best to give him a few moments free of distractions.
Actually, as he looked about, he found he was inside a small pocket consisting of Fisher and three other people. Unlike Fisher, the others had their backs to him, holding the crowd away. Doctor Martin was on his right, and he glanced over his shoulder with a nod and a smile. About twenty feet away he spotted Noreen’s tall figure, still surrounded by a press of people. They were mostly speaking over one another as they asked her questions. She was doing her best to answer, but seemed a bit overwhelmed, and looked his way in puzzlement.
“Thank you Doctor Fisher. I intended to find you when I came down here but this; gathering shall I call it
? Was frankly the first and best opportunity I’ve had to…, let’s say arrange my private thoughts among my own kind.” He winked back.
“Captain, I know some of what you have been confronted with in the hours since the boarding took place, thanks to Dillon’s observations and briefings to me and the Board of Directors. What’s left of the Board, I mean. We have not been able to locate two members, and we now know what that probably means. All Board members were assigned to the larger ring corridor rooms on deck 8, close to that large conference room. I witnessed some of what happened as the Krall came aboard. Dillon said you apparently saw me briefly from a screen on the Bridge.
“Most of our people don’t know where the dead were moved, though Dillon has informed the Board of what Parkoda had ordered done.”
Mirikami grimaced, “Doctor, I regret you will need to search your ranks for grief counselors or perhaps ministers of various faiths. There can be no funerals or cremations, but perhaps a mass service. I need to inquire if any of my crew members have had any experience in that area, but this isn’t part of a Spacer’s normal training.”
Suddenly, Jake was speaking in his ear, causing him to pause. “Sir, there are no members of the crew with grief counseling listed in their records.” Then he quit speaking. The new protocol might need tweaking, but it certainly worked after a fashion.
Fisher had noticed the Captain had taken on an air of listening, his head tilted slightly. He rolled his eyes briefly, “Actually, my recollection is that none of my crew has such training.”
She acknowledged Mirikami’s statement with a nod, recognizing what had probably just happened. “Actually, Captain, we have started our own inquiries in that direction. But I do thank you.
She told him a few things he probably didn’t know yet. “The eleven survivors from Midwife have told their stories to us, and we know that we fared much better than they, no small thanks to your swift actions and timely warnings. Even without knowing of Dillon’s restricted information, most of our folks have now deduced what the Krall probably have done with our casualties.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Gentle Lady. I’d like to address your Board to tell you what little I know that perhaps you don’t. Then we can edit that information if you wish, and speak to your people in groups, or brief them all together in a mass meeting as we once discussed, a century ago it seems now.”
“That we can do Captain.” She answered.
Stepping towards the yammering crowd surrounding Noreen, Fisher bellowed in a voice seeming far too powerful in proportion to the size of its source, “Quiet! Find your civility Gentle Ladies, and Gentle Men.” The hubbub subdued immediately.
Continuing in a lower but still forceful tone, “The Board of Directors will meet in closed session right now with Captain Mirikami and his First Officer Renaldo. We will learn what he can tell us about our status now and of our future as prisoners of the Krall.
“Based on that meeting, the Board can propose a policy to the full complement of the consortium, which offers the greatest level of security for us all. I remind you that the Krall will hold us to an agreement that allows us free movements and action, as we just exercised in this room. However, that requires that we obey them and cooperate without opposition. If we abrogate that agreement, the consequence would result in one eighth of us being killed in retaliation. We cannot permit rash individuals to endanger so many. Be prepared to consider our proposals when we meet in open session later today.
“I ask that the Board of Directors convene now in the large conference room here on deck 8. I believe all members were present here a short time ago. If not, would the rest of you Gentle Folk please disperse to find them? Thank you.”
A more normal background level of conversation resumed, and the crowd spread out, some descending to other decks.
Fisher, Mirikami, and Noreen started towards the conference room. Maggi gestured to Dillon to follow along. Cahill and other Board members detached from the crowd and followed.
They convened in the conference room with the door locked behind them and sat down. No sooner had Fisher called the meeting to order, than Cahill jumped up and challenged Dillon’s presence, “Why is a non-member of the Board here?” She demanded. “I understand the Captain and his officer, but why is Mr. Martin here?” with emphasis on the ‘Mister.’
Fisher had actually anticipated the petty challenge, pettiness being all that Cahill had left in her arsenal. However, the Vicechairfem’s impeccable timing allowed Fisher to make a point early and put her in her place.
“He is present for the same reason he was present at the last meeting Doctor Cahill.” She spoke in an icy tone. “Doctor Martin,” she emphasized his honorific, which Cahill had deliberately omitted as a slight, “is the only representative of the consortium who was present on the Bridge throughout the boarding process, and who helped the Captain direct the movement of passengers in support of subsequent activities demanded by the Krall. He is a witness to events that none of the rest of us of the consortium saw.
“He may have viewpoints to offer that could be useful to us in our decision making. I learned from Commander Renaldo that Doctor Martin suspected that the attackers were aliens even before we received a confirming transmission. This was a profound and insightful deduction on his part. In addition, he is a member of a First Contact response team for meeting aliens. That is why he is here.”
Continuing in a sharp no-nonsense tone she added, “Secondly, let me say that although I intend to relax formal rules for this meeting for the sake of expediency, you were not recognized and given the floor Vicechairfem Cahill. You will not jump up like some anarchist shouting out of turn again, so please sit down!”
With a grumble, Cahill plopped back down, but looked around for signs of sympathy or support from the other five members, and found none.
Fisher noticed that sweeping look at the other members, and the lack of support reflected in their faces. The two dead board members had been part of Cahill’s clique, and Fisher felt genuine sadness at their tragic loss. However, she pragmatically intended to take full advantage of the shift in the center of power.
“Captain, please provide us with your briefing.”
Mirikami stood, but started with a warning. “Gentle Ladies, I must advise you that at least one Krall translator may be observing this meeting, and there are three aboard now. They have periodically monitored my own movements, and I’m sure they have observed others on the ship. This is to be expected because we are their prisoners, and our good conduct is subject to verification.” He could see this distressed several of the Ladies; Cahill in particular looked frightened and glanced at one of the room’s cameras. He wondered what she had been doing to feel so guilty. However, that led to an inspiration.
“I would really like to know if any Krall is watching us right now, or listing.” He stated, and paused as if considering a profound remark.
Jake got it right. “Sir, there are no Krall using ship’s systems to do so at this time. Should I advise you if any of them start to observe you there?”
“Yes, indeed, that would be good to know.” He glanced at Fisher. “However, I know the Krall have no interest in those of us in this room right at this minute.”
Then he launched into a detailed briefing, sparing only the gruesome cleanup details, but not the confirmation of how the bodies had been disposed. He explained the Krall’s technological advantage in Jump capability and Trap field use. That they were in effect under tow by the Krall Clanship at a much higher speed than the Flight of Fancy could have accomplished.
He explained they would go farther, in less time that a normal Jump, to a camp on a planet he only knew was named Koban. There were an unknown number of other humans already held prisoner there, and the Krall were seeking many more captives. The time of flight would be short, perhaps only four days, so they needed to prepare everyone mentally for that arrival. There was a short period of Q & A, then Fisher cut it off and invited Noreen to talk.
Noreen offered only a few other details, mostly about the repairs her team had made. Then came Dillon, and contrary to Fisher’s claim that he might have unique observations to add, exasperated his mentor when all he did was confirm the two officer’s statements where he could. Oh well, he was here for another reason entirely, after all, and it had little to do with the current briefings.
Fisher stood, thanked the two officers for their remarkable service, and explained that the board would discuss matters further on their own, perhaps for hours. They would make decisions on how they would present this information to the rest of the consortium, probably in a ship wide meeting so as to do it more quickly. She promised to furnish the Captain with any recommendations they might propose concerning regulating themselves concerning interactions with the Krall. The latter would be up to the Captain for final approval, as master of the ship.
Finally, Mirikami and Noreen stepped out and closed the doors behind them.
Walking slowly down the corridor, the Captain spoke first. “Noreen, this has been a terrible and tiring night and morning. I want you to eat something if you can, and go off duty for some very well earned sleep.”
“Thank you Sir, I will, but I’ll check with Ms. Jorl’sn, and make sure I’m called if needed. You need rest more than I do I think. That hideous cleanup must have been more horrible than the gruesome glimpse I saw. Please tell me you will do exactly what you just asked me to do. We need you rested and your mind as sharp as it was today.”
“I will, Noreen. Like you, I’ll check on a few things first. I also need to update you on what I’ve just arranged with Jake concerning communicating with him.” He smiled and fingered his lower lip, pausing a moment. “I wonder if we are still unobserved by the Krall?” Noreen looked at him oddly.
“Yes Sir. No change,” answered Jake.
“Excellent Jake. Please describe by transducer to my First Officer my conversation with you earlier in the lounge, or better yet play it back for her. I’m just too tired to do it myself right now.”
Koban Page 15