Seren- Legends of the Galaxy

by P H Campbell

  "This is true," Dr. Treah agreed.

  "The treaty between the UGW and the Shade Alliance doesn't allow anyone to just annex inhabited systems," Cinder confirmed.

  "I'm also told that this system is valuable, though only in very general terms," Seren continued. "Knowing what we have regarding what we need would help us in knowing where we stand in the galactic order of things."

  "Our scans show that this single system has the potential equivalent resource value of at least two thousand average planetary systems, at a conservative estimate," Dr. Treah informed her. "we would need a more comprehensive survey to be certain of its gross value, however it is with no question, exceptionally valuable."

  "It's not the night life that's valuable, so what is it that is?" Seren asked.

  "From the data my kids sent me, it's got the richest concentration of rare metals anywhere in the known galaxy," Cinder confessed. "we use rare metals in millions of applications and devices across billions of places and trillions of people. A shortage in them is a crisis for everyone."

  "Is there such a shortage going on now?" Seren asked.

  "Shortages happen sporadically when systems mine out their available resources," Treah replied. "Therefore, we are always in need of reliable supplies of such metals once they are no longer available inside a system. In that respect, we must always find new sources of them to replace old, played out sources," Dr. Treah explained.

  "That gives me a good idea of our position, thank you, both," Seren nodded. "But where does that position stand in the grand scheme of things, out there?"

  Cinder and Treah both looked at each other.

  "Be honest, please," Seren added.

  "She knows when someone lies," Cinder mentioned to her UGW counterpart.

  "Indeed?" Dr. Treah asked. "That is a very handy talent."

  "The Shade Alliance is small, and pretty new," Cinder told Seren, laying out the galactic status quo. "We're resource hungry and don't have the credits to pay for them. We have nothing the UGW wants, except planets. We're left up to our own devices, which is fine, but we do need to find resources to grow, and this system would set us up for the next thousand years."

  "Is that an accurate assessment?" Seren asked Dr. Treah.

  "Reasonably so," she replied. "The genesis of the Shade Alliance began when Ambassador Cinder, along with her companion, stole a Seeder ship earmarked for another system, and then subsequently collected all the Shade members from all the planets where they had gathered, then retreated to the UGC eleven eighty two star system, which has five inhabited planets.

  "Although many other things transpired, that is the essence of the situation. They have no other systems in their alliance."

  "Because the UGW keeps annexing systems faster than we can find them," Cinder pointed out.

  "Given that the UGW has several orders of magnitude more ships and exploration vessels than the Shade Alliance does, this is not unexpected," Dr. Treah replied.

  Seren detected the notes of discord in their conversation, and instead of allowing them to argue about it, she intervened.

  "Is there any hint that what the UGW is doing might be deliberate in their annexing systems where the Shade Alliance could otherwise expand?" she asked.

  Dr. Treah, mindful of the possibility that Seren could tell when someone was lying, thought for a moment, considering the way to phrase things that didn't immediately condemn the UGW's actions.

  "It's a possibility," she finally stated, concluding that being truthful as better than prevarication. "I have no knowledge that it is formal policy, but what Cinder describes is truthful in effect. Given that the UGW could well expand in a myriad of other directions, and is, but possibly not to the same extent as they are toward the regions of the Shade Alliance, I can't deny that such a policy is in effect."

  The way Ambassador Treah worded her reply made Seren realize that it definitely was policy, but one that was both informal, and off the records. Nothing she said rang false. But what she said left a lot of wiggle-room where an uncomfortable truth could easily hide.

  "Which I take it is your way of saying yes, it's probably policy," Seren correctly translated, "So why would they be doing that? What is it about your two sides that's different, other than size?"

  "I believe that Cinder would be in a better position to answer that honestly than I would be," Dr. Treah admitted.

  "I wish Lyle was here," Cinder admitted.

  "He is unavailable," Dr. Treah stated flatly, belying some kind of issue regarding that individual. It wasn't the first time his name had come up.

  "Who's Lyle?" Seren asked, knowing that some context would be helpful.

  "He's the guy who helped negotiate the original treaty," Cinder explained. "He knew about the Shade, and the UGW. Very helpful, and a good person."

  "It sounds to me like I'll need to see each side for myself, and learn about what being a member of either really means," Seren remarked. "But before we embark on epic voyages across the stars, I need to know, do we have the option of staying independent, and using our resources to buy or barter for what we need from whoever can get it to us?"

  "In theory, yes," Dr. Treah confirmed.

  "Care to explain that?" Seren requested when Dr. Treah didn't elaborate how that theory might apply.

  "It's a matter of practicality," Cinder told her. "If your planet isn't allied with either side, technically, it would have to defend its own resources from being pilfered from both sides."

  "Would the UGW really do that?" Seren asked.

  "Not as an official policy, but we can't patrol everywhere all the time," Dr. Treah admitted. "Like the Shade Alliance, we have a criminal element, too. They are organized and well armed."

  "Yes, but Shade ships can't sell outside of Shade space, so anything pilfered by a Shade ship would go to us anyhow, and we'd know who did it," Cinder pointed out.

  "How does that matter if illegalities are more nuanced in the Shade Alliance?" Seren asked.

  "We don't have many rules, granted, but we do NOT steal from our own, and sanction those who do," Cinder replied.

  "That means they push them out of an airlock," Dr. Treah clarified the Shade Alliance's definition of "sanction".

  "Not in so many words," Cinder denied the allegation that the Shade committed summary execution. "We don't kill anyone like that. But the 'crime' we have among the Shade is almost zero," Cinder added.

  "With very few laws, regulations or rules," Dr. Treah mentioned, "it's easier to have a considerably lower crime rate when what would otherwise be crimes aren't crimes."

  "So, the advantages to siding with the UGW are that we'd have patrols here making sure our stuff stayed our stuff, and the advantages to siding with the Shade amount to them knowing who did what and punishing them?" Seren asked for further clarification, cutting off what sounded like an impending tit-for-tat disagreement. "One side keeps the other side and themselves from doing anything bad that we'd have to do ourselves if we don't pick a side?"

  "That conclusion is not as nuanced as I would have phrased it, but that is the unfortunate position you are in now," Dr. Treah agreed.

  "I'd say that's right," Cinder concurred.

  "That's a pretty fucked up arrangement, but I understand it," Seren had to admit. "Still, if forces us to pick a side, it's best to get to know that the neighbors are like before moving into their neighborhood."

  CHAPTER 5

  While the decision more or less made about what to do – visiting each side's people and trying to get a feel for what it would be like being part of their group – exactly when to do it and the means by which it would be done still had to be worked out. They agreed to hold off on further talks for that day to focus on treating those who still needed aid. Seren returned to her duties overseeing that treatment effort, but the fact was, the arrival of the UGW and Shade Alliance had rendered most of them moot.

  The vaccination program was still going strong, and that would keep going indefinitely. Se
ren could delegate the oversight of that new industry to others. The conditions for joining either the Shade Alliance or the UGW displeased the grand councils, even if they were grateful to both for the fact their kids were being saved.

  Once the lab test reports showed that all traces of the virus vanished in those who had crossed the threshold of the Twin's ship, and that more help was being provided to the critically ill (unbelievable as the means of that aid may have been), they could address the rest of the business that had come up since the "spacers" arrived. At the moment, that business was fairly limited. Seren spoke with the Council leader to work out the strategy they'd use going forward with the plan to visit both sides.

  "Seren, you've spent some considerable time with the Spacers," Thoria noted. "What is your impression of each side?"

  "It's just a first impression, but were I to judge now, I'd say the Electrians would probably love the UGW, the Magentians would hate both sides and the Borderlandians would be content with the Shade Alliance," Seren replied. "Both sides want us on their side, which is the good news. We have something both sides need – and from that I gathered, the needs are equal, differing only in scale. And what we have out there is immensely valuable. There were numbers used I've never heard before, but I'm guessing about a billion, billion, billion of something the value of which I still don't know, and that's per person on our world, so it's a lot. Since I have no idea what their economic models are all about, I can't be specific."

  "The estimates are fairly impressive, thank you Seren," Thoria chuckled. "So the next step is to visit their societies. Will you want a delegation?"

  "I'd want others, yes, but not a large group," Seren decided.

  "Do you have anyone in mind?" Thoria asked.

  "Markov Gravtok would be good to have along," Seren told them. "He's steady and unbiased. His companion Koreen, if she's up to it, would help represent the Electrian viewpoint. Morlendrus would help represent the Magentian view. I'm a little removed from the Borderlandian viewpoint, so I'd recommend we include Master Majel for her insights. And I'd also recommend we bring Sasha Wilson along, for both personal and professional reasons. They're probably not the hand-picked team that a diplomatic corps would be made of, but they're a very good cross-section of our society, if not numerically representative of them. They'll give honest impressions, and that's what I think we'll need."

  "Will they all agree to accompany you?" Thoria inquired.

  "I'd have to ask," Seren admitted. "Markov and Koreen had been on the island manning the radio, but they've been back for a few days and I haven't seen them yet. Majel should be in the cafe, Sasha's still monitoring the medical side, so she may be busy for a long time. Morlendrus would go if I asked."

  "And if they don't all agree?" Thoria asked.

  "I'll go with whoever does," Seren told her. "If the grand council thinks I need more, they should probably appoint a representative instead – one from each society, including the Human society."

  "Thus far, they've demurred joining our number," Thoria reminded her.

  "That's mostly because they didn't want to get infected, I think," Seren pointed out. "The illness was in full swing when the offer was first made, after all, and even I wasn't allowed to be down here until just the last few days. They're still adjusting to the fact they're not on a pristine, new planet, but one that's pretty much trashed, and they've got other people to contend with they never expected to be here. I don't think we can translate their disinterest in joining the council with a disinterest in their own futures."

  "A fair point," Thoria agreed. "Very well, we will consider our candidates and await your call to tell us, which, if any, are to go with you."

  "No, go ahead and send them," Seren suggested. "No sense asking for volunteers to be away from home for however long we're gone and then disappointing them. Even with one more from each society, that keeps the group under ten, and I don't think that's excessive, considering how eager both sides are to get us to join them.

  "If I can sit them down and get an impression of them beforehand, that would be helpful in evaluating how they're reacting."

  "How soon do you expect your choices to be ready to leave?" Thoria asked, wanting to get a time-line on their choices.

  "At least a quad," Seren replied. "Things are going smoothly, but we'll need time to get everyone on-line, and redirect efforts toward new things. Two quads for sure, though. That's plenty of time to get all our current affairs wrapped up and redirect efforts toward new priorities."

  "Then may I suggest we aim to be ready two quads from tomorrow?" Thoria proposed.

  The rest of the council heads agreed.

  "I'll be expecting your lists for those new priorities very soon, then," Seren told them in a wry tone, to which they chuckled. The crisis was ending, but that didn't mean her job was done or that the galaxy would stop spinning on that account.

  When Seren returned to Topside Village, she sent messages to the people she had told the council she wanted along with her, letting them know when they'd be leaving and that she wasn't sure when they'd be back – assuming they agreed.

  As for the means of getting from place to place, Seren wasn't entirely sure what to expect. She sent a message to the twins, asking them what the "other sides" had planned regarding where they were going and how they'd get there.

  As she expected, they were both confused about how Seren viewed the two, since the message implied they were on "her side", when she made no such agreement. She was still working on earning their loyalty.

  The two invited her to their ship to talk over what they knew about the arrangements.

  "Nothing," Ash asserted.

  "Mom's been tighter lipped about this than I've ever seen her about anything," Looie agreed.

  "Okay, good," Seren nodded. "That means she's probably waiting for us to figure out what we want to do while we get our shit together here."

  "Why is it you sound normal most of the time?" Looie wondered. "Most high-level officials are formal and very officious."

  "I wasn't raised as a diplomat," Seren winked.

  "That'd explain much," Looie nodded sagely. "So what do you guys want to do?"

  "I need people who know about the people we're going to see," Seren admitted. "I'll be bringing a delegation of my own, mostly friends I know and a few appointee representatives from the Grand Council. Nine of us in total, if everyone's available and agree to come. But I also need confidants. We don't know any of your societies. You have a clue about yours. I have a proposition for you two. I want to buy your services."

  "Will we be fucking over our own people?" Looie asked back, just as bluntly.

  "Are your people need to be fucked over?" Seren inquired.

  "Need to be?" Looie echoed, then shook her head, "No, not need. Deserving, sometimes, yes, but not need. And most of them aren't deserving. They're just people like us, sort of, trying to get by who need the means to do it, and this system has those means."

  "What kind of services are we talking about?" Ash asked, curious about what their duties would be once they had come to an agreement.

  "Transportation and advice," Seren replied. "I need both, and I'm willing to pay fair value to get them. I know I have a way to go before loyalty enters into it, but it's easier to win that loyalty if you're earning your keep in a fair and honest manner and we're not freeloading on you the whole time."

  She could tell from Looie's expression that the two had probably talked about how nothing had been said regarding Seren's intrusion on their time and supplies.

  "We've talked about it," Ash confessed, confirming Seren's suspicion.

  "It's a matter of negotiating the price and delineating the job," Seren shrugged.

  "And a starting date for payment," Looie added.

  "That too," Seren grinned. "We'll definitely reimburse you for your supplies, but until we can mine the minerals that would make you rich, we'll have to work out how you'll get paid."

  The two others did
n't sound thrilled about the terms of the payment. Seren noticed their expressions, then a thought came to her.

  "This is a mining ship, right?" she asked.

  Warily, Ash nodded.

  "Will a deal in mineral rights be acceptable?" Seren inquired.

  The two looked at one another, considering the potentials. A hundred billion credits in mineral rights was attractive, but there were costs involved neither of which were willing to bear without more details.

  "What are the terms?" Ash probed.

  "They'd be conditional on your fulfillment of the contract," Seren explained her idea. "That contract says you'll take us where we need to go – I'd bet we can get some kind of compensation from a diplomatic aspect – along with whoever else has to be along for the ride. You also provide whatever we need in food."

  "Only on-board the ship," Ash amended the terms. "We won't be going on any UGW planets with you. Technically, we aren't legal, since we're constructed clones."

  "I think we can arrange diplomatic immunity for you two," Seren hazarded a guess on that. "If they want to negotiate with us over our mineral rights, then that will be part of the deal. I want at least one of you with us in case I need a reliable opinion."

  Looie and Ash again consulted with one another, then agreed.

  "As long as we're not going to be recycled, that's fine," Ash nodded.

  "If the price is right, of course," Looie added.

  Seren could take a hint. The girls wanted to know how much they'd be paid and when.

  "Any funds you spend on us will be paid for by the respective governments," Seren stipulated. "So, fuel, food, expenses like that while on the trip are on them, and I'll make sure they pay you for it. The delegation's time is being invested in our future, so we don't expect to need payment to make a diplomatic decision. Your time, though, will be part of the payment we provide. And that's where we may need some help in figuring out how to make sure you get your hundred billion credits."