by John Scalzi
"Thanks," I said. "Although I don't think the Colonial Union will like that argument much."
"No," Gau said. "I don't expect they would. Which brings me back to my original point."
"What are you going to do with Eser?" I asked.
"My current plan is to put him on trial," Gau said.
"You could just throw him out of an air lock," I said.
"That would give me a great deal of personal satisfaction," Gau said. "But I don't think it would be good for the Conclave."
"But from what Zoe tells me, you've started making people give you personal loyalty oaths," I said. "It's just a short jump from that to having the right to space those who annoy you."
"All the more reason for the trial, wouldn't you say," Gau said. "I would prefer not to have had the loyalty oaths. But apparently there's only so much humility people will take out of their leaders, especially when their leaders have had their fleets blown out from under them."
"Don't blame me," I said.
"I don't," Gau said. "Whether I blame the Colonial Union is another matter entirely."
"What do you plan to do about the Colonial Union now?" I asked.
"The same thing I originally planned to do," Gau said. "Contain it."
"Not attack it," I said.
"No," Gau said. "All the Conclave's internal rebellions are tamped down. Eser isn't the only one facing a trial. But I think it's clear to the Colonial Union now that the Conclave is not easily eradicated. I'd hope they wouldn't try to break out of their box again."
"You haven't learned much about humans," I said.
"On the contrary," Gau said. "If you think I'm simply going back to my old plan, you're a fool. I'm not planning to attack the
"I could do that," I said. "But only three humans wouldn't be enough."
"The Conclave would still be happy to admit the Colonial Union," Gau said. "Or any of the individual colony worlds. Or even just Roanoke."
"I don't think tha: idea will get much traction on Roanoke," I said. "Or with the Colonial Union. And as far as the individual colonies go, I think they're still officially in the dark about the Conclave."
"Yes, the Colonial Union's informational stranglehold," Gau said. "I have to tell you that I've given very serious thought to skipping satellites orer the Colonial Union worlds and simply blasting down a data stream on the Conclave until the satellite is shot down. It wouldn't be efficient. But at least then the Conclave could be heard."
I thought about that for a moment. "No," I said. "A data feed wouldn't do."
"Then what would you suggest?" Gau said.
"I'm not sure yet," I said. I looked directly at Gau. "General, I may want to propose something to you."
"What is it?" Gau said.
"Something big," I said. "Something expensive."
"That's not really an answer," Gau said.
"It's going to have to do for now," I said.
"I will be happy to listen to your proposal," Gau said. "But 'something big, something expensive' is a little too vague for me to give approval."
"Fair enough," I said.
"Why can't you tell me what it is now?" Gau asked.
"I need to talk to Jane first," I said.
"Whatever it is, Administrator Perry, if it's something that involves my help, then you'll be permanently in traitorous territory," Gau said. "At least in the eyes of the Colonial Union."
"It's like you said, General," I said. "It's with whom your allegiances lie."
"I've been ordered to place you under arrest," said Manfred Trujillo.
"Really," I said. The two of us stood in front of the shuttle I was about to leave in.
"The orders came in a couple of hours ago," Trujillo said. "Along with the new communications satellite the CU just gave us. The CU's not pleased about a Conclave ship being in our sky, incidentally."
"So are you arresting me?" I asked.
"I'd love to, but it seems that you and your family can't be found," Trujillo said. "I suspect that you've already left the planet. We'll do a colony-wide search, of course. But I wouldn't really lay good odds on us finding you."
"I'm sneaky, I am," I said.
"I always said that about you," Trujillo said.
"You could get in trouble for that," I said. "The last thing this colony needs is another leader hauled up in front of an inquiry."
"As your colony leader, I can officially tell you to mind your own business," Trujillo said.
"So your ascension has been formally approved," I said.
"If it wasn't, how would I be able to arrest you?" Trujillo said.
"Good point," I said. "Congratulations. You always wanted to run the colony. Now you are."
"It's not the way I planned to get the job," Trujillo said.
"I'm sorry we got in your way, Manfred," I said.
"I'm not," Manfred said. "If I had been leading the colony, we would all be dead now. You, Jane and Zoe' saved this colony. I'm happy to have waited in line."
"Thanks," I said.
"I want you to know it took a lot for me to say that," Trujillo said. I laughec, and looked over to where Zoe was giving a tearful good-bye to Gretchen and other friends.
"Zoe is going to miss Gretchen," I said.
"Gretchen is going to miss Zee," Trujillo said. "I have half a mind to ask you to let Zoe stay. For Gretchen and for us." Trujillo nodded toward Hickory and Dickory, who stood off to the side, soaking up Zee's emotional farewell to her friends. "You said you reached an agreement with the Conclave, but I still wouldn't mind having the Obin watching our back."
"Roanoke will be fine," I assured him.
"I think you're right about that," Trujillo said. "I hope so. It would be nice just to be another colony. We've been the center of attention long enough."
"I think I'll be able to draw some attention off you," I said.
"I wish you would tell me what you have planned," Trujillo said.
"As I'm no longer your colony leader, I can't officially tell you to mind your own business," I said. "But mind it anyway."
Trujillo sighed. "You understand my concern," he said. "We've been at the center of everyone else's plans, and none of the plans have worked out even remotely as they should have."
"Including yours," I reminded him.
"Including mine," Trujillo agreed. "I don't know what you're planning, but given the failure rate around here, I'm concerned that the backlash is going to get back here to Roanoke. I'm looking out for my colony. Our colony. Our home."
"Our colony," I agreed. "But not my home anymore."
"Even so," Trujillo said.
''You're going to have to trust me, Man," I said. "I've worked hard to keep Roanoke safe. I'm not going to stop doing that now."
Savitri stepped down from the shuttle bay and walked over to us, PDA in hand. "Everything's stowed," she said, to me. "Jane says we're ready when you are."
"You said good-bye to everyone?" I asked her.
"I have," Savitri said, and held up her wrist, which had a bracelet on it. "From Beata. Says it was her grandmother's."
"She's going to miss you," I said.
"I know," Savitri said. "I'm going to miss her. She's my friend. We're all going to miss people. That's why it's called leaving."
"You could still stay," Trujillo said to Savitri. "There's no reason you need to go with this idiot. I'll even give you a twenty percent raise."
"Oooh, a raise," Savitri said. "It's tempting. But I've been with this idiot for a long time. I like him. I like his family more, of course, but who wouldn't."
"Nice," I said.
Savitri smiled. "If nothing else he keeps me amused. I never know what's going to happen next, but I know I want to find out. Sorry."
"All right, a thirty percent raise," Trujillo said.
"Sold," Savitri said.
"What?" I said.
"I'm kidding," Savitri said. "Idiot."
"Remind me to dock your pay," I said.
"How are you
going to pay me now, anyway?" Savitri said.
"Look," I said. "Something that needs your attention. Over there. Away from here."
"Hmmmph," Savitri said. She went over to give Trujillo a hug, then jerked a thumb at me. "If things don't work out with this guy, I may come crawling back for my old job."
"It's yours," Trujillo said.
"Excellent," Savitri said. "Because if the last year has taught me anything, it's to have a backup plan." She gave Trujillo another quick hug. "I'm going to go collect Zoe, she said to me. "As soon as you're in the shuttle, we're ready."
"Thanks, Savitri," I said. "I'll be there in a minute. See you then." She squeezed my shoulder and walked off.
"Have you said good-bye to everyone you want to?" Trujillo asked.
"I'm doing it now," I said.
Minutes later our shuttle was in the sky, heading toward the Gentle Star. Zoe was crying silently, patting Babar and missing her friends. Jane, sitting next to her, gathered her in a hug. I looked out the porthole as I left behind another world.
"How do you feel?" Jane asked me.
"Sad," I said. "I wanted this to be my world. Our world. Our home. But it wasn't. It's not"
"I'm sorry," Jane said.
"Don't be," I said. I turned and smiled at her. "I'm glad we came. I'm just sad it wasn't to stay."
I turned back to the porthole. The Roanoke sky was fading to black around me.
"This is your ship," General Rybicki said to me, motioning around the observation deck he'd just been led into. I had been waiting for him there.
"It is," I said. "For now. You could say we're leasing it. I think it's originally Arrisian, which is some irony for you. It also explains the low ceilings."
"So I should address you as Captain Perry?" Rybicki asked. "That's a step down from your previous rank."
"Actually, Jane's the captain. I'm her nominal superior, but she's in charge of the boat. I think that makes me a commodore. Which is a step up."
"Commodore Perry," Rybicki said. "Catchy. Not very original, I'm afraid."
"I suppose not," I said. I held up the PDA I had in my hand. "Jane called me as you were being led up here. She told me that it had been suggested to you that you might try killing me."
"Christ," Rybicki said. "I'd like to know how she knows these things."
'I hope you're not planning to go through with it," I said. "It's not that you couldn't do it. You're still CDF. You're fast and strong enough to snap my neck before anyone could stop you. But you wouldn't make it out of this room afterward. I don't want you to die."
"I appreciate that," Rybicki said, dryly. Then, "No. I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to try to understand you."
"I'm glad to hear it," I said.
"You can start by telling me why you sent for me," Rybicki said. "The Colonial Union has all sorts of diplomats. If the Conclave is going to start a parlay with the CU, that's who should be here talking to you. So I'm wondering why you asked for me."
"Because I felt I owed you an explanation," I said.
"For what?" Rybicki said.
I motioned. "For this," I said. "Why I'm here and not on Roanoke. Or anywhere in the Colonial Union."
"I assumed it was because you didn't want to be tried for treason," Rybicki said.
'There is that," I said. "But that's not it. How are things in the Colonial Union?"
"You're not seriously expecting me to tell you anything here," Rybicki said.
"I mean very generally," I said.
"They're fine," Rybicki said. "The Conclave attacks have stopped. Roanoke has been secured and we'll be landing a second wave of colonists there within a month."
"That's aheac of schedule," I said.
"We decided to move quickly there," Rybicki said. "We'll be massively fortifying its defenses as well."
"Good," I said. "A shame that couldn't have happened earlier, before we were attacked."
"Let's not pretend we don't know the whys and wherefores of that," Rybicki said.
"How did the Colonial Union take our victory, incidentally?" I asked.
"It was naturally extremely pleased," Rybicki said.
"Officially, at least," I said.
"You know the Colonial Union," Rybicki said. "The official story is the only story."
"I know," I said. "And that's the reason for all of this."
"I'm not following you," Rybicki said.
"Just before our battle with Eser back on Roanoke, you said something to me," I said. "You said that the Colonial Union more than anyone else was acting in the best interests of humanity."
"I remember that," Rybicki said.
"You were right," I said. "Out of every government or species or intelligent race, the Colonial Union is the one that is the best at looking out for us. For humans. But I've come to doubt that the Colonial Union is doing that job well. Look how the Colonial Union treated us at Roanoke. It deceived us in the purpose of colony. It deceived us in the intent of the Conclave. It made us complicit in an act of war that could have destroyed the entire CU. And then it was willing to sacrifice us for the good of humanity. But none of the rest of humanity ever knew the whole story did they? The Colonial Union controls communication. Controls information. Now that Roanoke survived, the Colonial Union will never tell any of it. No one outside the CU power structure even knows the Conclave exists. Still."
"The Colonial Union believed it was necessary to do it that way," Rybicki said.
"I know," I said. "And they've always believed it to be necessary to do it that way. You came from Earth, General. You remember how little we knew about out here. How little we knew about the Colonial Union. We signed up for a military we knew nothing about, whose goals we knew nothing of, because we didn't want to die old and alone back at home. We knew that somehow we'd be made young again, and that was enough. It got us here. And that's the Colonial Union way. To tell just enough to achieve a goal. Never more."
"I don't always agree with the Colonial Union's methods," Rybicki said. "You know I disgreed with the CU's plan to cut Roanoke loose. But I'm not sure I'm following you. It would have been disastrous if the Conclave had known of our plans for Roanoke. The Conclave wants to keep humanity boxed up, Perry. It still does. If we don't fight, the rest of the universe gets filled up without us. Humanity dies."
"You're confusing humanity with the Colonial Union," I said. "The Conclave wants to keep the Colonial Union boxed up, because the Colonial Union refuses to join it. But the Colonial Union is not humanity."
"It's a distinction without a difference," Rybicki said.
"True enough," I said. I pointed out the curving window of the observation deck. "You saw the other ships here as you arrived," I said.
"Yes," Rybicki said. "I didn't count them all, but I'm guessing there are four hundred and twelve."
"Close," I said. "Four hundred and thirteen, including this one. Which, incidentally, I've named the Roanoke."
"Wonderful," Rybicki said. "The flee: that attacks our next colony world will have an ironic tinge to it."
"The Colonial Union is still planning to colonize, then," I said.
"I'm not going to comment about that to you," Rybicki said.
"If or when the Conclave and the Colonial Union square off again, this ship won't be part of it," I said. "This is a trade ship. So are all the other ships in this fleet. Every ship in this fleet is carrying goods from the race whose ship it is. This took a lot of doing, you should know. It took a couple of months before every race signed on to this. General Gau had to twist a few arms, or whatever. It's easier to get some races to give a warship than a cargo ship filled with goodies."
"If a fleet of warships isn't going to convince the Colonial Union to join the Conclave, I doubt a fleet of trade ships is going to do it either," Rybicki said.
"I think you're right about that," I said, and raised my PDA. "Jane, you can skip row."
"What?" Rybicki said. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I told you
," I said. "I'm explaining myself to you."
The Roanoke had been floating in space, a prudent distance from any gravity well that might interfere with her Skip Drive. Now Jane gave the order to engage the drive. We punched a hole through space-time and landed somewhere else.
From the observation deck, the difference was not great: One moment we were looking at a random field of stars, and the next, we were looking at another random field of stars. Until we began to see the patterns.
"Look," I said, pointing. "Orion. Taurus. Perseus. Cassiopeia."
"Oh my God," Rybicki said, whispering the words.
The Roanoke turned on its axis, and the stars faded out, replaced by the immense glowing orb of a planet, blue and green and white.
"Welcome home, General," I said.
"Earth," Rybicki said, and anything he meant to say after that was lost in his need to stare at the world he left behind.
"You were wrong, General," I said.
It took a second for Rybicki to shake himself out of his reverie. "What?" he said. "Wrong about what?"
"Coventry," I said. "I looked it up. The British knew there was an attack coming. You were right about that. But they didn't know where it would strike. The British didn't sacrifice Coventry. And the Colonial Union shouldn't have been willing to sacrifice Roanoke."
"Why are we here?" Rybicki asked.
"You said it, General," I said. "The Colonial Union will never join the Conclave. But maybe Earth might."
"You're going to take Earth into the Conclave," Rybicki said.
"No," I said. "We're going to offer it a choice. We're going to offer it gifts from each world of the Conclave. And then I'm going to offer it my gift."
"Your gift," Rybicki said.
"The truth," I said. "All of it. About the Colonial Union and about the Conclave and about what happens when we leave our home-world and come out to the universe. The Colonial Union is free to run its worlds however it wants, General. But this world gets to decide for its own. Humanity and the Colonial Union aren't going to be interchangeable anymore. Not after today."
Rybicki looked at me. "You don't have the authority to do this," he said. "To make this decision for all these people."