by Doug Farren
As he passed one of the cottages on his way to the woods, the door opened and a very exuberant Falnath stepped out. She shouted a greeting in her own language and approached. It was more than obvious to Ken that she had been having a glorious time.
"I hope we are not going to be leaving any time soon," she said. "There is so much to learn here! Have you seen their physics lab yet? The Kyrra have developed the most unbelievable… " Seeing the look on Stricklen's face, Falnath paused. "What is wrong captain?"
Stricklen chuckled and through his smile replied, "It's just that I have never seen you act like this before. You are usually one of the most series, intellectual individuals I have ever met and here you are practically hyper-active. I take it you are enjoying your stay?"
"Very much! I have toured the most fantastic research laboratory imaginable. I have seen with my own eyes a power plant which could power my entire world with energy to spare. I have seen technological wonders that Alliance science hasn't even begun to dream of. I could spend several lifetimes learning their science."
"Sounds like you would be so caught up in your studies that you would forget to publish any of it."
Falnath seemed taken back by the remark. She cocked her massive head to one side then said, "I would at that. I will have to be more thoughtful — thank you captain." Without another word she was gone.
Ken looked after her for a moment then resumed his walk. He reached the edge of the woods and without a second thought kept going. The trees were widely spaced and the ground relatively clear of vines and the normal tangle of plants. Soon, the cottages were out of sight.
Through his knowledge of the Kyrra, Ken knew the woods harbored no dangerous animals. The Kyrra ecosystem did not include biting insects, poisonous snakes, or dangerous creatures. Ken could walk all day and not fear for his safety. He continued into the woods deep in thought.
Sometime later a low rumbling sound caused him to pause and listen. He had no idea how much time had passed since he had started his walk. The noise he had heard sounded like distant thunder. Ken knew it was impossible since he was not actually on a planet, although the illusion was virtually perfect.
Deciding he had walked far enough, he turned around and started back toward his cottage. Although there were no trails or markers of any sort he felt he could easily find his way back, he had always had a good sense of direction.
After a few minutes of walking, Ken once again heard the rumbling noise. This time he was certain it sounded like thunder, and it was getting closer. Activating his wrist-com he called the ship. "Komodo Dragon computer system responding," the small voice answered. "How can I help you captain?"
Ken explained where he was and what he was hearing. After a brief delay the computer replied, "The Kyrra have informed me that a shower has been scheduled to take place shortly. The thunder is artificially generated and acts as a warning to those who might be outside. The shower will begin in about ten minutes. Do you wish to have transportation sent to your location?"
Artificial thunder, and rainstorms for an artificial world — it made sense, Ken thought. "No, I'll tough it out," he replied. It had been a long time since he had taken a walk in the rain. Sure enough, ten minutes later, the rain started. It was warm and came down in a gentle shower. The trees were too widely spaced to provide much cover and soon he was soaked from head to toe. Ken, however, was enjoying himself. The shower ended about an hour after it had started, leaving the air clean and refreshed. Ken felt the same way.
Fifteen minutes later, still soaked and grinning from ear to ear, Stricklen walked out of the woods. He had made it back to the cottages and had come out of the woods very close to where he had entered. He made his way back to his own cottage and discovered that Doug had left on his own adventure. Tasha was also nowhere to be found.
After drying off and putting on a dry set of clothing he sat down in front of the data terminal and told it he would like to record a message for the Kyrra people. When the terminal said it was ready Ken started to speak.
"My name is Ken Stricklen," he began, feeling a little uneasy. This message, he knew, would be viewed by millions of Kyrra and could very well change how they would vote.
"I am the commanding officer of the Komodo Dragon. I am sure you are all familiar with the chain of events which has brought me before you here in this technological wonder that is your home. I just finished taking a walk in the rain, which is a luxury I have not enjoyed in many months. I must admit that I find this world of yours to be addictive, but I will be leaving soon and returning to my own world, provided it is not under the control of the Chroniech or as you might know them, the slavers.”
"When we left Alliance space, we were at war with the Chroniech. I know your race has had contact with them several times in the past. I am aware of your history concerning this race and of the actions which you took many thousands of years ago.”
"We have had contact with a Hess probe built and then abandoned by your ancestors that has provided us with a slight technological advantage in our struggle against the Chroniech but, I am not certain that this advantage will be sufficient to prevent them from accomplishing their objective of exterminating all other species. I feel compelled to return home so I can either live or die among my own people.”
"Until just recently, it has always remained a mystery as to why the Chroniech have attacked us as they have. Before the discovery of your ancient cargo ship, the Chroniech had attacked only remote outposts. After the discovery, they seemed to begin an all-out assault on the Alliance.”
"I believe the Chroniech have remember enough of their past in the form of legends to have recognized the markings on the cargo ship as one of their own ancient ships. I believe the Chroniech initiated their invasion in such force because they thought the Alliance was about to acquire advanced technology.”
"I personally do not believe that any race, no matter how evil it may be, deserves to be completely destroyed. I do know, however, that the Chroniech need to be stopped. The support provided to us by the Hess was a step in the right direction. The Kyrra, with your far more advanced technology, could possibly provide a solution to allow the Alliance to stop them. I know that violent and aggressive behavior is hard for you to understand, but it is a way of life for the rest of the universe.”
"Your race has a decision to make. Should you remain isolated and hidden, ignoring the fact that other races and cultures exist or; should you establish contact with other cultures and risk exposure to behaviors which you do not understand. I would suggest you use your technological knowledge and abilities toward the betterment of all life regardless of species or culture.”
"The Kyrra are the most technologically advanced race we have ever encountered. You control forces and energies we can only dream about. Because of this, you are immune to direct attack. You can either use this ability and become a guide to the less advanced cultures such as my own or you can retreat into your own world and ignore the fact that my race may soon become extinct.”
"You have an opportunity to atone for the error your race made thousands of years ago which resulted in the extinction of a number of intelligent cultures. With your help, the Chroniech can be stopped. With your guidance, our own violent behavior can be turned to more productive uses. The Kyrra hold the key to the future of the galaxy. The decision you are about to make will determine the future of hundreds of other races. Consider it carefully. Thank you."
Ken leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, held it, then slowly let it out. He hoped his message was not too harsh for the gentle Kyrra. After sitting for a moment longer, he got up and headed toward the kitchen. On the way, he wondered if the food replicator knew how to reproduce a good strong rum. There was only one way to find out.
23 - Decision
Stricklen had decided to take advantage of the unique opportunity presented to him. While waiting for the Kyrra to decide if they were going to help the Alliance he had spent the last couple of days ins
pecting the exterior of the Komodo Dragon without the use of a spacesuit. It was a rare captain indeed who could say he had had the opportunity to walk on the hull of his own ship in street clothes.
Because the Dragon was being held in a null-G field, Ken could jump to any position on the ship's hull without mechanical assistance. The Dragon's own artificial gravity generators were located centrally, down the axis of the ship. Ken had ordered the generators to be set to a lower field strength which created a very light gravity field along the exterior of his ship. This allowed him the luxury of being able to jump long distances along the hull of the Dragon. Two days after he had recorded his message to the Kyrra, a visitor arrived during one such inspection.
Stricklen was staring down the barrel of the massive sledgehammer weapon when a voice said, "May I speak with you for a moment Ken?"
Turning around, Ken was surprised to see Trel'mara standing only a few meters below him. "Certainly!" Ken replied. "What brings you here?"
"I have been watching the progress of our people's debate concerning whether or not we should abandon our policy of isolationism. I thought you should know that your message to my people has carried a great deal of weight. Falnath's also generated a large interest. The population will vote in six of your hours. If what I have been hearing is any indication of how the majority feels, then I believe the population will vote to rejoin the galactic community."
"That is good news. I'm glad my message helped." Stricklen stepped off the sledgehammer and floated down to Trel'mara's level. "But, you did not come all this way just to tell me that. Why are you really here?"
"In going over the historical information which you provided, I have discovered a cultural custom of yours which we have neglected. I have asked the council for permission to correct this oversight, with your concurrence of course."
Ken had no idea what Trel'mara was talking about so he asked him. "I have found that your society customarily honors those individuals who have performed great deeds with various types of public displays of appreciation. Since all Kyrra put forth their best effort towards the betterment of the entire population, such activities are unknown to us.”
"Your parades and ceremonies mystified us because we could not see the purpose in such activities. After a good deal of discussion and consultation we have concluded that these activities arise from the competitive nature of your species. Being publicly gratified is a method of showing your competitors that you have won at least one part of the competition. Does this not sound correct?"
Stricklen had never thought of parades and award ceremonies in such terms. But, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. After a few moments in silent thought he replied, "I think you are right. I've never looked at an award ceremony quite like that but, I think you hit the nail on the head. So what are you going to ask your council's permission to do? Certainly you are not going to have a parade in our honor?"
"No, nothing quite so dramatic. I would like to host a banquet for your entire crew at the largest entertainment center we have available. It will be my way of personally thanking you for returning me to my people."
"I think the crew would appreciate the gesture," Stricklen replied. "Just let me know when and where and I'll pass the word on. How have things been going with your re-introduction back into your society?"
Trel'mara hesitated for a moment, apparently considering how he should answer the question. "Before placing ourselves in stasis I was a communications engineer. My skills and knowledge served my people well and I was happy. Now, all of my knowledge and skills are no longer useful to me or my people. I have been learning, but even with our advanced learning techniques, the information will take a fair amount of time to acquire. The skills associated with that knowledge must then be learned."
Trel'mara glanced around and found a support beam to sit on. "There are other problems we have had to deal with. As you know, my people no longer require sleep. I, and the others that were in stasis with me, do. This initially created problems since my people have not had to deal with such lost time in many centuries.”
"Eventually, they accepted our needs, but we feel inadequate and hampered by this biological requirement. It has caused some concern for us."
"Where are the other members of your group?"
"They have decided to take up residence in other areas of the worldship. Norgoola, for instance has established living quarters near the center since that is where most of the activities associated with his field of expertise take place. Each of us wishes to be close to the centers of knowledge for the areas in which we are trained."
Stricklen had the feeling that something was bothering Trel'mara. He moved closer to his friend, sat down next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You feel as if you are a burden on your people, don't you?"
Trel'mara stared into the distance and for a moment, Stricklen thought he was going to cry. After a period of silence which Stricklen respected, Trel'mara turned and faced him. Looking at Ken, Trel'mara replied, "We Kyrra are a very social race. Each of us strives to become a productive member of our society. Humans obtain deep personal satisfaction when they have out-competed all others to the point they feel that they are number one. Kyrra, on the other hand, obtain a similar satisfaction in the knowledge that we have helped our society. No awards are given. One is simply recognized as an expert in one field or another. If another becomes more knowledgeable in the same field, there is no sense of loss because each of us is doing the best we can.”
"When a Kyrra can no longer provide a useful service in that person's area of chosen expertise, then the individual will change to a different occupation. Many of our elderly become clerks, child caregivers, or teachers. We must all work toward the improvement of our society.”
"If an injury or other such circumstance prevents one of us from being a useful member of society, that individual quickly becomes extremely depressed. It is not uncommon that such an individual suffers an early death. Recently, I have been feeling as if I will not be able to become a useful member of our society, not just because of my lack of skills and knowledge, but because the Kyrra culture has undergone such a dramatic change since before I went into stasis."
Stricklen was taken aback by what he had just heard. For a long time he did nothing other than sit close to his friend. He did not understand the Kyrra culture and his mind drew a complete blank as to what to say. Suddenly, Trel'mara's last statement replayed itself and Ken asked, "What do you mean your culture has changed? How? In what way?"
"The people of my era were explorers. We desired to see all there was to see and learn all there was to learn about the universe. Our thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. It was what motivated us to reach for the stars.”
"The people I see today are satisfied with exploring the microcosm within the worldship. They have focused inward instead of outward. I believe the Kyrra thirst for knowledge is beginning to decrease and my race will eventually reach a point where we will be satisfied with the knowledge we have. I foresee a time when the Kyrra will stagnate. We have lost the drive that has provided us with the technological knowledge we now possess. It is quite possible that your arrival here will change this, but I don't know for sure."
An idea had popped into Ken's head as Trel'mara talked. "I believe I know how you can become one of the most productive members of your society," Ken said. Seeing he had gotten Trel'mara's attention, he continued. "If your people decide to establish a relationship with the Alliance, a spokesperson will be needed. This person must be intimately familiar with how to properly deal with the Alliance. I believe you would be the best choice for such a spokesperson."
Trel'mara was silent for several moments and stared at the ship's plating, apparently deep in thought. When he looked up, Ken could see that his spirits were lifting. "For the moment, I agree with you. A change in one's chosen occupation should not, however, be taken lightly and I will give it the proper consideration. The banquet will be held at 1800 hou
rs your time two days from now. Transports will begin arriving at your quarters at 1700. Thank you Ken, thank you very much."
Ken watched as Trel'mara turned and executed a perfectly calculated jump which caused him to sail through the air in a wide arc. As the Kyrra disappeared behind the bulk of the ship's cargo hatch, Ken mentally patted himself on the back. He knew Trel'mara would make an excellent representative for the Kyrra. After glancing at his wrist-piece he decided to end the inspection and headed for the nearest maintenance airlock. He had some personal business to attend to within the ship.
A few minutes later, he was seated in the deserted mess hall with Tasha and two cups of hot coffee. "You seem to be in a good mood," Tasha said testing her coffee.
"I think I just saved the life of a very good friend of mine," Ken replied and related what had transpired between himself and Trel'mara. "I just hope he was right concerning the vote," he concluded.
"These Kyrra are going to be quite a psychological research project if they do join up with us," Tasha said. "Their society is unique — no Alliance culture even comes close to their sociological behaviorism's."
Ken was in no mood to talk psychological shop, but he did have one important question that needed answering. "How is the crew holding up?"
Tasha knew exactly what Ken meant by this question. "Despite having such a good time since arriving here, I have detected an underlying sense of concern for the situation back home. The crew is cut-off from all information concerning their homes and many are getting anxious to begin the return trip. This situation is, of course, more pronounced with those who have families.”
"I have also noted that we now have a few more couples to deal with since arriving. The release in tension has allowed several people to find a compatible person to share their time with."
Stricklen reached out and held Tasha's hand. "Then I don't feel obligated as the captain of this boat from refraining from taking advantage of a certain person whom I like to share my time with."