He had been ordered to concentrate on the west coast of Ireland. As usual the vast majority of the work would be done by the ship’s AI. He was to land and take samples of water, soil etc at a village previously known as Headford. He did this and created holos of the area. It was typical west country Ireland. It had been a small and pleasant village with the usual amenities, ancient church, drystone walls, narrow lanes now overgrown. Hawk broke into the hotel to find a bottle of whiskey that had escaped looters. The village looked as if it had been carefully cleaned, locked up and all the inhabitants had left on a three-week holiday. Although bird life was prolific, the absence of mammals gave the place an eerie quality. Hawk even noted this in his report. A bit further north he landed on the shore of Lough Corrib and sat with his back against a pine tree and sipped on the bottle of whiskey. It was very pleasant. He could see fish rising to feed on insects as evening approached. He was very cold but the whiskey helped. He remembered the stories of places like this. The stories of the leprechauns and fairy folk were his own people woven into the fabric of Irish history and art. “We were a big part of this place and remembered right to the present time, even though Christianity tried to deny us. Perhaps that is why I have been sent here? Is this the centre of our own heritage, I wonder?” The whiskey was doing a fine job. Hawk looked up at the stars and of course they were smiling on him and he laughed back at them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
JANUARY. 2043
One of a fleet of six ships, broke off formation and headed for the Martian base. The rest proceeded to the New Tuathan Territory as it was to be named officially on this visit.
Jade, Mark and Conor were at the Portal when it opened, and their ship leapt through in a silent rush. They appeared at Gateway and Mark ran to a viewing window to see how the place had progressed since he last saw it. Nothing noticeable; it was basically the same as when he had left. The reception at the capital’s spaceport was very friendly. They were welcomed but not overwhelmed and were encouraged to go home and relax. They were very grateful for this as their home on Tuath was far superior to the unit on Mars. Conor was especially delighted with all the new sensory experiences he could investigate. Mark carried Jade into the bedroom and threw her onto the bed laughing. “It’s so good to be here, away from all the annoying restrictions we had to put up with on Mars,” said Mark. Jade agreed and thought of her ancestors and the years of deprivation they had endured. Conor was walking well now and was having a good time exploring all this big space around him with its hundreds of new objects to pick up and apply all his inbuilt sensory equipment to. They were allowed to spend the next month just being a normal family.
Then,, the inevitable call came to attend a meeting with the elders. It was going to be payback time, as Mark said, but it was not going to be all one way; Mark had been thinking and rehearsing.
The Hall of the Elders was remarkably full. There seemed to be a lot of interest among the populace to hear what was going on.
“Mark, firstly let us welcome you back. As you are already aware we wish to monitor the progress of your son. He is unique and we are hoping to learn much from him. He is half Tuathan, Jade is a full Tuathan so as you can imagine we did not want them stuck in a nowhere situation on Mars with a limited future. So thank you again for choosing to live here with us even if it meant leaving your friends behind on Mars and Earth.” There were nods and grunts of approval. It was time for the bombshell to be dropped. Mark waited while the diplomatic papers from Earth were handed around for all to read.
“The papers you are reading, represent the current feeling of the survivors to the situation on Earth and Mars and have, in my humble opinion, serious ramifications for Tuath.” He took a slow drink from his water glass, allowing the now very silent elders time to ingest the request before them. “As you can see, the Consortium wishes to come here and seeks your permission to enter this system once it develops a fast-as-light ship capable of the journey to the Portal.” The elders were nearing the completion of the reading of the papers. The looks on their faces showed they were not happy. Eventually, one stood up and requested a one-hour break to discuss the content, followed by a question and answer session. They all filed quietly out and half an hour later the President arrived and was summoned to the chambers; another hour went by before they returned. Mark knew he was in for a grilling, he was determined to press home his views on this and he had a unique proposal he felt they may accept.
“Firstly, it may never happen. They may never get a light drive before they lose the capacity for producing any form of technological innovation. AI, what’s the likelihood they will produce a light speed ship in the next three years?” They had to wait as the AI was searching all the myriad sources of relevant data.
“Eighty-six to ninety-three percent probability,” said the AI.
“So our options are to close the Portal and cut off contact with our people on Earth, or let them come here and establish what? An embassy? Trade centre? And expose ourselves to their madness.”
Discussion went along these lines until eventually, they decided to confront Mark with a directive. They all filed back into the main chamber where Mark was waiting.
“Mark, we know your intentions are sound but what this paper suggests is unacceptable. You are asking too much of us. It is asking us for everything we have tried to protect ourselves against for millennia. It is asking us to lay down on the sacrificial altar again hoping you won’t slit our throats. Tell your people on Earth this, explain the magnitude of what they are asking and tell them the answer is no. We will abandon Earth and request the Friend to close the Portal as soon as possible. Tell them we did not even bother putting this to a vote. They have severely underestimated our fear of your species. We hereby instruct the President to start the logistical task of bringing our people back from the Earth. None shall remain there and the research into finding a cure for the Plague will cease.”
This was even a more radical response than Mark had imagined. They clearly felt as though they had been stood over and exploited. The situation was a disaster. He had to diffuse this as quickly as possible.
“I will return to Earth next year and convey your message. However, there has to be a solution to this problem as what you have proposed is a retrogressive step in our relations. I have a suggestion that may be acceptable as a compromise is always the best solution at times like this.” Mark knew he would be clutching at straws now. “Tuathans do not want to give up Earth. Your people are thriving there. Earth people cannot live there until the cure is found. There are very few people left in the bunkers now. I request that you do for us that which we did for you. A reservation on a uninhabited land mass here on Tuath in return for the complete sovereignty of Earth.”
The President saw his dreams falling into place, a Tuathan Earth. But he needed a lot more than words.
“Mark, you are missing the point altogether. The problem is one of trust. If you come here to our home, once you get your foot inside our door what is to stop you killing us? Distance and the Portal keep us safe here. Take that away, and we are just food waiting for you to get hungry.” The President was seeing plenty of possibilities however, but they had to come from Mark.
“We cannot live on Earth. Stop looking for a cure until such a time as you feel we can coexist on Earth. We then can only visit Earth in enviro centres controlled by you. We will share Mars with you if you wish and if the Consortium agrees. Here on Tuath restrict us to a single land mass and a maximum population limit with no access or limited access to the rest of Tuath. Your science is far ahead of ours, so let’s be honest and say if Tuathans don’t find a cure for the Plague it is highly likely one will not be found. If we do not behave ourselves, then you are free to ignore our plight.”
Mark had played into the President’s hands. Now he had what he wanted and aimed to spell it out loud and clear.
“If you fail to live harmoniously here on Tuath we can abandon you here, then migrate all our pop
ulation to Earth? In effect exchanging Tuath for Earth?”
“That would be my counter proposal, yes.”
“Such an eventuality would still not be acceptable to us as Tuath is our home and we have no intention of abandoning it. It was also a gift from the Friend and we cannot blithely throw away such a gift. Therefore, we would insist on the examination of all prospective migrants to Tuath and their re-education before they would be granted the right to live here. It would be your responsibility to work out what to do with the rejects.” The President was feeling things were falling into place very nicely. Mark was feeling out on a limb with the ground a lethal distance away. Mark had at least stopped the head-on rush of the elders towards isolationism. He had spoken without authority and had no way of backing up his proposals. He reasoned there was nothing to lose by advocating this agenda. The survivors on Earth had their backs against the wall, any deal was a good one for them. The Consortium was going to get what it wanted, admittedly with heavy provisos. Tuath was getting control over Earth while not losing total control over Tuath. He looked into the President’s face and knew he was on side. An elder stood who looked agitated.
“I feel you are all overlooking an important fact. The Portal does not belong to anyone except the Friend. Without it all these grandiose schemes mean little. The Friend can end your plans in an instant and therefore it would be wise to seek its approval before any decisions are made or contracts drawn up.”
It had been years since the last visit by the Friend. Some were saying it was because it disapproved of the situation on Earth. The elders were becoming uncomfortably aware that the original bending of the non-interference law was resulting in Earth’s and the natives’ future being involved. It could be argued that it was the Friend’s original construction of Tuath that started the chain of events. As no one could be sure when the Friend might visit again, it was decided to act as though the Portal was a permanent feature. The elders deliberated on the merits of Mark’s proposal. The President pushed for an acceptance of the deal. He saw the karmic nature of this development which could fulfil his ambitions for a Tuathan-dominated Earth. The debate was long and heated, some insisted a referendum should be called. Mark was eventually given the green light to try and negotiate the deal. It became just a matter of waiting until the Portal opened again.
Paul had been in constant contact with the Consortium and knew Richard and Kana had given up on research into the Plague. They were fully focused on abandoning Earth in the medium term in order to put resources into getting to Tuath. Paul now saw the future as very dim and had decided by the end of the year to start lobbying Hawk to take them to Tuath; if that wasn’t possible, he wanted his people to go to Mars.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DECEMBER 2043
The Friend had still not made an appearance. There was nothing else to do, but prepare to return to Mars and then Earth. Mark was to go alone, Jade was not happy about it but Conor had been exposed to far too many disruptions in his short life. Mark would be gone one year but it would be a small price to pay considering the fate of humanity was at stake. He was hoping that when the Portal opened, news of a cure would come through, making his journey unnecessary. The Tuathans were still confident they would eventually find a cure but “eventually” was no longer an option. Mark had also decided to go to Paul in person first as his loyalties were still to his Prime Minister, not the Consortium. The disc ship swept through the Portal and hailed the ships returning for more Tuathans; telling them to turn back to Earth and await further orders. They then all returned to Earth together.
Once landed, Mark waited on board while an environ suit was brought to him. It felt strange and vaguely annoying to wear the suit on this, his own planet and see Tuathan children playing on the grass staring at him as if he was an alien invader. Hawk and Clover met him joyfully which helped, although Clover was well aware of his discomfort.
“I have to sadly report to you, Mark, that depression has taken hold of the occupants in the bunkers. I will support this proposal to the maximum of my abilities as the time has come where they may all start to request ‘the treatment’ even though they are not really able to justify it by being old. This would pose a moral dilemma for us as we believe an individual has a right to end their own life. However, this would involve them asking us to end it for them, and that would not be appropriate.”
“I understand. Take me to Paul’s bunker as soon as possible, it sounds like we are at the end of our rope.”
The ship landed outside an airlock. Mark and Hawk ran the short distance to it through the snow. They could see Paul and Barry watching from the second-storey observation area and waving to them. By the time they had shed their environ suits, he had reached them, smiling.
“I’m glad to see you both and really hope you have some good news. We need it.”
Mark outlined his proposal to Paul who without any hesitation said yes. “I realise this means we have to abandon Earth, but we have no other option if we are going to have hope in a future. “
They looked at the logistics involved and realised it would take six years to move the survivors to Tuath. “That will be too long, depression and deprivation will kill them off. Let’s ferry people to Mars first, then on to Tuath; they will be better off waiting on Mars for a couple of years. Convince Richard and Kana of this, Mark,” said Paul.
“We will have you out of here in June, Paul. We will take you to Mars for a six months’ rest then, off you go with Barry your security personnel and their families,” said Hawk.
Hawk and Mark returned to the settlement, which was now a small city.
“I want you to spend a couple of days here first before you go to Mars. We both know you will have no trouble selling your proposal to the Consortium, but there is something you may need to consider. I have been given orders in the event that all negotiations are successful to set up the scanners for testing suitability for living on Tuath,” said Hawk with a worried expression.
“What’s the problem? If some are sick they can be treated then be shipped later,” said Mark.
“Umm, no. It’s not that simple. Physical illness is not the issue. It’s the mental attitude of the subject that will be heavily scrutinised. Do you remember when the Islamic raiders were examined and were found to be highly delusional and unstable?”
“Yes, we were not all that surprised to be honest.”
“This test, I believe, will fail many natives, possibly the majority of applicants for Tuath. I doubt if the elders explained that. Or maybe it was the President who may have glossed over it?” Hawk was thinking back to his trip to Ireland and had become increasingly interested in the President’s motivations.
“The latter I think was the case. What you’re saying means that the total number of ‘natives’ on Tuath could be reduced to as low as around three quarters of a million?”
“Less. I would expect a failure rate in excess of 60%, Many in the northern bunkers still hold on to primitive concepts that make them a threat to our way of life.”
“So they are condemned to stay here and die if they believe in God? Is that what you are saying?”
“Oh no, no! A belief in God, a supreme being, is not by any means insane. It’s the religious concepts that erode reason, we cannot tolerate them. The scanners will psychologically probe attitudes based on dogma looking for natural reasoning flaws. These people will be given a choice: either live on Mars, stay in the better bunkers, undertake deprogramming, or take the treatment.”
Mark was doing some quick calculations and was not liking the end result. “Six or seven hundred thousand including those on Mars? Maybe only half a million on Tuath?” asked Mark, shocked at so low a number.
“Yes, that sounds realistic, although it depends on how quickly we act,” said Hawk, looking concerned.
Mark at a semi-conscious level noted that his belief that Tuathans were all atheists or agnostics was possibly ill-founded. Hawk had said a belief in God was not i
llogical. He would pursue this later, but right now, humans or at least natives were so close to extinction nothing else mattered.
Mars was changing slowly. The colonies were getting more comfortable, one canyon had even been set up as a game park where mammals were wandering free. The Consortium had encouraged the Tuathans on Earth to do the same. The Tuathans had constructed free-range zoos under protective shields, an adaptation of the defensive shields used around the disc ships. Kana told Mark that the park on Mars was hard to justify as it claimed a significant amount of resources. It was intended to close it down in a year or two once viable populations on Earth were safe. Mark reminded her that Tuath already had such parks and it was possible to restock Earth with mammals from there once a cure was found. She did not seem impressed and said that they may have adapted to Tuath in ways that detracted from their original nature. Mark was about to debate that with her but thought better of it. Mark had become aware of an underlying resentment by the Consortium to Tuathans on Earth.
MEEK Page 42