Alien Love
Page 19
“Sure, I assume when the air’s too poisoned for us, the Draconians will come to the surface and live here.”
The Gliesian’s laugh was short and unpleasant. “Those poor creatures cannot breed on this planet nor can they survive long because of their bulk and your planet’s gravity. Part of their arrangement with your government was to help develop a hybrid race that could survive the climate conditions your race’s stupidity are creating.”
“I don’t believe you. What do they get out of it?”
“Well, nothing much now that you have destroyed their ability to transport valuable minerals back to their world. They have little excuse now to cooperate and may turn even more violent.”
“Then you should help the Androvians since they have technology that can contain the Draconians.”
The alien dismissed that statement with a hand gesture. “None of these races pose a threat to this world as long as we decide they should not. We have the power to destroy all of them, and they know it.”
“So, what gives your people the right to play God and decide which races live and which ones die?”
“Interesting question. We seeded this world and most of the others including the worlds of the Draconians, the Lyrians, the Travelers, and your friends, the Androvians. So, in effect, we have been God to all these races. Does that answer your question?”
“When I destroyed the transporters, I did so because humans should control their own destinies and not have to grovel to alien races to beg for survival.”
“Interesting choice of words, but I understand you are a warrior. No one is asking humans to grovel. They simply are not ready for venturing beyond this world until they are willing to give up their nuclear weapons. They cannot be allowed to threaten other worlds that are occupied by other intelligences.”
“So you make the rules for everyone?”
His biological father shook his head sadly. “We all are controlled by powers beyond our own. We also die and go to a place we did not create. Still, our civilization is so much older than the others around us, we feel an obligation to ensure that all intelligent entities survive and do not kill each other off. We do not want to be alone in this vast universe.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I guess I had a very human impulse to want to see my biological son after I found out you exist. I also understand that you presently are not employed, is that true?”
“Yes, who would hire me? Half the people avoid me because they think I’m insane while the other half fear me. After all, I told the world that I’m half-alien.”
“You are unique, and apparently you held your own with the Androvians and Draconians who both are known as very efficient killers. We think you could play a very valuable role now that the Moon’s secrets have been exposed.”
“I won’t spy for your people.”
“You don’t understand. We have been in contact with your government and they agree that you would make the ideal bridge between our races. We already have made it clear to your Majestic-12 group through some extreme measures we have taken that should they try to harm you, we will intervene in a very unpleasant way. The result of our conversation with this group is that they now find you acceptable as the first Ambassador to our people. What you learn from us, you then can bring back here to Earth.”
“Doesn’t that mean that you just want to use me just as you say the Draconians and the Androvians tried to use me? You’ll try to brainwash me to become a defender of everything your race does.”
The older man looked thoughtful and bit his lip before replying. “In exchange for helping your people see the need to destroy their nuclear weapons, we are prepared to give you the stars. You’ll be able to explore the universe and even colonize any uninhabited planets you find. It would mean that your race never must fear that a collision with a meteor might mean the end of your kind. You will spread through the universe and make your homes on countless planets.”
Jack’s eyes brightened as he thought of that possible future. “What if a country believes America is just trying to disarm them to conquer them?”
“We believe you can convince them of the error of their ways with our help, of course.”
Jack saw a bottle of Scotch and some glasses on a sideboard. He rose and filled two glasses and then gave one to the biological father he had never known.
“Let’s toast the future of humanity on a hundred different worlds,” he said.
More Great Reads from Booktrope
A Shadow in the Flames by Michael G. Munz (Science Fiction) 2051, in the city of Northgate: There is more behind the fire that took his home than Michael Flynn would ever suspect, and more darkness in his only friend than he could ever admit to himself. In a decaying world of cybernetics and chaos, can Flynn rise above the madness?
Cathedral of Dreams by Terry Persun (Science Fiction) A compelling tale of a dystopian future and personal heroism, pitting the outsiders against the mind-control machine of New City.
EXODUS 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett (Science Fiction) A young man discovers that the hallucination destroying his mind holds clues to a looming global calamity.
Ouroboros by Christopher Turkel (Science Fiction) In a dystopian future, Thomas the assassin is about to face the job of his career—and his life.
The Water Sign by C.S. Samulski (Science Fiction) In the post-diluvian world of the future many children find themselves lost in the fog of war.
Undersea by Geoffrey Morrison (Science Fiction) In a world flooded and irradiated by a nearly forgotten cataclysm from generations passed, all that remains of civilization clings to life in two war-torn, city-sized submarines . For fifty years, the only peace between them had come from separation - that is about to change.
Discover more books and learn about our
new approach to publishing at booktrope.com.