The Sixteen Galaxies

by William Drayman

  This last was met with stunned silence. “However,” he continued, “The actual cost to make all this work is very high.” He grasped both sides of the rostrum and stared intently at the cameras. “We have to put aside our differences, our enmities, and our nationalistic pride. We have to make big sacrifices. Many will have to retrain for new occupations, as nearly all of the old infrastructure will be gone within just two years. The corporations who supply power, fuel, water, transportation and things like it will have to find new directions. We must accept the guidance our new interstellar friends provide, and, for the first time in human history, we must all work together with a singular purpose. I have taken the first step to get this started, and have appointed Hiram Sertan as the first ever American Ambassador to the Sixteen Galaxies.”

  He looked briefly across at GDR, who gave him a tight smile. He returned the smile before he brought his gaze back to the cameras. “Let me make this completely clear. There is no second option here. Either we carry out this transition successfully, or I have been advised the Earth will become uninhabitable within just 100 years.”

  There was another wave of alarm from the crowd. He held up both hands. “Now, let’s just think about that for a minute. 100 years. If we do nothing, in just on a century, the last pitiful remnants of humanity will succumb to extinction. Think about a baby, born this year. We will decide whether that baby is a member of the last generation of mankind, or the first generation of a new Earth. An Earth with the hope of a better life, and a better future. I know which I choose. I was elected to lead this country to a better place, and I will continue to do that. Therefore, I call on the senate, the congress, indeed, the governments of every nation on Earth, to accept the responsibility for our past actions. We must turn around and make the Earth a viable home for the generations to come. The eyes of history are upon us. The eyes of over 2,000 worlds are upon us. Let us shoulder this burden together. When our children’s children look back upon our actions, let them say, ‘Theirs was the generation that changed the world.’ Thank you. I will take questions, now.”

  *****

  Mandy Somers and Jack Short sat on a park bench together, each with a cup of coffee in hand. Mandy pulled up her collar against the frosty breeze. “I hate to admit it, but I’m too scared to go home right now.”

  Jack stared at the ground. “Yep, me too. I stayed at my sister’s last night. I guess we were supposed to be scared when they fried our computers like that. It was all over the top and melodramatic, but I’ll take it for what it was; a warning. We poked a seriously large bear when we found that guy in the clip.”

  Both were startled to hear a sharp sound behind them. This time, they knew what it was.

  “Hello Ms Somers.” Nuthros said.

  Mandy moved over and gestured for the alien to take a seat beside her. She gave Nuthros a nervous smile. “Hello again, Mr Nuthros.”

  “Just Nuthros is fine, thank you. May I call you Mandy?”

  Mandy nodded, and introduced Jack. Jack shook the alien’s hand and said, “I take it you know we’ve seen your friend, Nuthros?”

  Nuthros frowned. “My friend? You mean Hiram?”

  Mandy cut in before Jack could reply. “No, he means the other alien at the UN headquarters that day.”

  Nuthros shook his head. “I can assure you both, I am the only representative of the council present in this solar system, and have been for 2,500 years.”

  “That may well be the case,” Mandy replied. “But, I’m afraid you weren’t the only one from another planet at the UN that day. We have seen footage of another man like you in the assembly hall. I just wish I could prove it to you.” She scowled at the ground. “The footage was altered before we could do much with it.”

  “There was a man in the original footage,” Jack explained, “That isn’t there anymore. Even though the clip is all over the internet, he’s been edited out. That’s impossible to do with our technology.”

  Nuthros stared at the ground in silence for a minute. He then stood up. “Would you both be able to come with me to my ship? This must be investigated right away. The matter is unprecedented, and I sense you are in fear.”

  They both shrugged. “Sure,” Jack said, “I always wanted to see a real spaceship.” Within seconds they were greeted with the same view of the Earth that Hiram had seen just a few days previous.

  “Wow.” Mandy whispered in awe. “It’s just beautiful.”

  Nuthros nodded. “Indeed it is, Mandy. But it hasn’t faced a crisis of this magnitude in a very long time.” He conducted them both to the table. “Mandy, you mentioned footage, can you tell me which footage?”

  “The clip from your appearance in the UN building. There was a man in the background, who seemed to speak to himself as soon as the delegates were released from your hold on them.” She fished in her jacket pocket and brought out the slip of paper Belinda had written on. She passed it to Nuthros. “That is what he said. The girl who lip-read it couldn’t make it all out.”

  Nuthros read the slip and frowned. He waved a hand at the table. The footage appeared in the air above the table, with the man still there. Nuthros froze when he saw the man in question.

  “He’s back,” Mandy gasped. “How the hell did you do that?”

  Nuthros smiled distractedly at her. “This is from the ship’s database. Truly, that is the ship’s AI, uploads everything from your media and sends it for analysis to the council headquarters. She also keeps a copy here for our own research. Obviously, whoever edited this man out of your footage has no access to this ship.” He leaned forward, entranced by the image of the man before him.

  Jack blanched. “Everything? How far back?”

  “Well, ever since I arrived about 2,500 years ago. Obviously most data is collected by our micro-drones, but we keep all your media content as well, to pick up opinions and trends in thinking. You have to understand mine is first and foremost a research position.”

  Jack stared goggle eyed at the alien researcher. “You have 2,500 years of Earth’s history recorded and stored on board this ship?”

  “Never mind that,” Mandy said, “You’ve been here for 2,500 years? How old are you?”

  Nuthros rubbed his forehead. “Jack, Mandy, I’m sure you both have many questions. Indeed, my impression of Earth’s media people is that their questions have no end.” Jack and Mandy both shared a laugh. “The problem is,” Nuthros continued, “We have very little time, and this…new development…is going to take some time to analyse and respond to. Truly is now going back through our data to put together what she can on this man and any possible associates, but it may well take some hours before she has checked everything.” He gestured to Mandy. “The purpose of my visit to you both was to ask for your help. I require you to act as media liaison for Hiram and myself.”

  Mandy looked across at Jack. He gave her a slight nod.

  Nuthros held up a cautionary hand. “I warn you, it will be no easy task. The world’s commercial and industrial interests will be using the media to fight our efforts, let alone what this man might do to attempt to thwart us as well. You two will be our voice to the world. I will care for your material needs, but you will probably have to stay on this ship for rest, as the world will quickly become too dangerous for you to reside in.”

  Jack rubbed his hands together. “It’s been 15 years since I was a war correspondent, you can count me in.”

  Mandy shrugged, “What the hell, if I can help save the world, I will. It sure beats working for Darryl, anyway. I’m in, too.”

  Nuthros smiled at them both. “Wonderful, just wonderful. I shall arrange a meal for us all, and then we have much to discuss.”

  *****

  “We must turn around and make the Earth a viable home for the generations to come. The eyes of history are upon us. The eyes of over 2,000 worlds are upon us. Let us shoulder this burden together. When our children’s children look back upon our actions, let them say, ‘Theirs was the generation that chang
ed the world.’ Thank you. I will take questions, now.”

  The barman turned off the TV at a signal from John Crabtree. John pounded a fist on the bar top. “Now that’s what I call a total sell-out. Are we gonna take this?!”

  The men gathered in the bar filled the air with a resounding, “NO!”

  John nodded. “You’re damned right we’re not. And we’re not alone, not by a long chalk. I’ve contacted old army buddies of mine from across the country, and they’re ready to fight this, too. But we aren’t stopping there. First step in any campaign is to rally the troops. We will have potential allies everywhere, and we need to organize. Unions, veterans, and patriots the world over will be ready to fight alongside us. I need someone who’s good with computers to set up at my place and help with communications. I need you guys to get your guns and ammo stored somewhere where Sertan’s thought police won’t find them. I want you to-”

  John’s instructions were interrupted by a man who appeared in the middle of the room. The men quickly recovered from the shock and gathered around the stranger, who was elegantly dressed in a black three-piece suit.

  John put his hands on his hips. “Mister, you just popped into the wrong place at the wrong time. We don’t have any time for aliens here.”

  “Please relax, John.” The stranger replied. “I am, indeed, not from your world. But I am no friend of Nuthros, I can assure you. I am here to offer you some help in your fight to keep what is yours.”

  John slowly shook his head and pulled out a 9mm automatic pistol. He aimed it at the stranger’s head. “Another alien with a silver tongue and a hidden agenda. I say we don’t need your help, boy. Now why don’t you just disappear back to wherever you came from, and forget how you ever got here.”

  The stranger sighed. “Go ahead and waste a bullet if you must. The sooner you realize how out of your puny little depth you are, the better.”

  John didn’t hesitate, but shot the stranger point-blank in the forehead. There was a brief glow of light around the alien’s head. John watched a dribble of molten lead run down the stranger’s face, about one millimetre from his skin, and land with a hiss on the floor.

  The alien smiled at John. “Kinetic energy conversion field; I designed it myself. Now, put your little toy away, and let’s talk some serious business, shall we?”

  6

  Nuthros sat and gazed at the frozen image that hovered above the table in front of him. Kestil, he thought. After all these cycles; is it really you?

  He heard a voice in his mind. It was Council Member Brantok, one of Nuthros’ oldest friends. ‘There’s nothing to say it really is your brother. The chances are very slim that he survived the explosion.’

  ‘However,’ Council Member Trell chimed in, ‘We cannot rule the possibility out at this point.’

  ‘While that may be true,’ Truly added, ‘I feel we must proceed as planned. Any interruption to the procedure will make the time required even more constrained.’

  ‘No.’ Nuthros thought. ‘Your calculation is faulted due to the lack of available data, Truly. I must establish whether this man really is Kestil, or an impostor.’

  ‘That would be dangerous to both you and this assignment, Nuthros.’ Trell replied.

  ‘Agreed.’ Brantok and Truly both chorused.

  ‘Please call the council together,’ Nuthros said, ‘We must decide on the best way forward. My decision making is untrustworthy, as my feelings for my brother have influenced me towards a disregard for proper caution.’

  ‘Agreed.’

  ‘Nuthros,’ Truly interjected, ‘There is a situation with David Markham; life threatening.’

  Nuthros terminated the connection to the two available council members on his mind implant. ‘Please connect me to the micro-drones, Truly,’ he ordered.

  *****

  “Hey lazy,” David Markham said, “Time to get moving. We’re in no danger, now.”

  Christine Joyce lifted her sunglasses to regard her boyfriend. “So all I get is a lousy week in the sun for being a wanted criminal?”

  David’s smile faded. “You’re not a wanted criminal, and neither are any of the other guys. I just got off the server. Noddy said there’s no trace of the virus, or the mini-game. It’s like we uploaded it to a different internet. It’s not there. Noddy thinks the Nuthros guy blocked it, because no-one on Earth has the capability to stop something like that.”

  Christine frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he block it? It can only help him.”

  David shrugged. “I have no idea. But we need to get back on the grid. I can’t believe we wasted a whole week.”

  “Wasted a week, did we?” Christine scowled.

  “Ah, come on Chris, you know that’s not what I meant. It was nice to be here with you, but we need to get back in the fight again. Now is not the time to-”

  “To what? Waste time on our relationship, such as it is?”

  David threw his hands in the air. “I give up. I try to show you how much I like you and-”

  Christine threw a towel at him. “Wrong L word, you moron.” She stalked up to the cabin to pack.

  David cursed and kicked at a loose board on the jetty, and was reminded the hard way he was barefoot. He hopped around on one foot and cursed even more. There was a sharp sound behind him. He turned around and saw two men on the jetty, a man in a three-piece black suit and a guy in a worn set of army fatigues.

  “Hello David,” the man in the suit said. “My name is Kestil. I would like to discuss the theft of top secret files from the NSA with you.”

  David tried to sort through options in his mind.

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong,’ Kestil continued, “I’m not here to arrest you, goodness me, no. Though I’m sure the NSA would love to talk to you in regard to the matter. I don’t think they would be as…understanding as myself.”

  David decided to bluff his way out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sorry. Now if you’ll excuse me, I was about to leave.” He turned to walk away, but froze when he heard a gun being cocked.

  “Come now, David, let’s not get off on the wrong foot.” David turned to face the two men. The one in fatigues had a pistol in his hand.

  Kestil smiled. “That’s better. Now, all we need to do is reach an understanding. You see, I can’t abide seeing your talent wasted on the wrong team. Nuthros is not being completely honest with anyone, David. I admire your courage and zeal, but it is misplaced in this instance.”

  “Misplaced how, exactly?” David asked.

  “Nuthros has basically told the world what people like you wanted to hear. But, my data shows that a gradual change, over the next ten years, will put things to rights, without all the mess Nuthros has proposed.”

  David shook his head. “I don’t believe you. The NSA report showed otherwise, and I trust someone like Nuthros over someone who gets around with an armed henchman any day.”

  The man in fatigues stepped forward. “You watch your mouth, boy.”

  “So very primitive,” Kestil replied. “Have it your way, then. I shall make it simple. You stay away from Nuthros, or I will get my friend here to kill you. And the lovely Christine, of course.”

  “You leave Christine out of this,” David retorted. “She has nothing to do with it.” He felt himself shaking, but he couldn’t stop it. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but it’s clear to me that you’re nothing like Nuthros. You strike me as a pale imitation, at best.”

  The smile left Kestil’s face. He waved a hand at the man in fatigues. “Let’s not waste any more time here. Kill him and the girl now, and be done with it.”

  Christine was about to lug her suitcase out to the car when she spotted David through the window. He was still on the jetty, with two strangers. One looked very out of place in an immaculate black suit, while the other was dressed in worn army fatigues. Christine put her hand to her mouth when she saw the man in fatigues had a gun in his hand.

  David seemed to be a
rguing with the men. She went to call out to him, but stopped short when the man in fatigues raised the gun and pointed it at David’s head. The next sequence of events melted together in Christine’s mind. At the exact moment the gun was fired, David disappeared. She screamed and both men turned to the cabin. They ran towards her and she froze with fear. The next Christine knew, she was next to David, and the Earth was thousands of kilometres away, out in space. She had just enough time to recognize the Nuthros alien next to David before she fainted.

  *****

  Darryl pounded his desk. “This is the limit, Mandy, the absolute limit! I give you the lead of a lifetime and you up and quit on me?!”

  “Oh, come off it, Darryl,” Mandy replied, “You never gave me that lead, Nuthros chose to talk to me. Get over it, you clown.”

  Darryl’s face flushed deep red. “You what?! You’d still be making the coffees around here if I hadn’t spotted your potential.”

  Jack laughed, “Nice one Darryl, you hired us both as correspondents. Besides, Mandy couldn’t make a decent coffee if her life depended on it.”

  “Hey!” Mandy thumped Jack on the shoulder.

  Darryl slumped back in his chair. “This is unbelievable, absolutely and positively unbelievable.”

  Jack nudged Mandy. “Give him the good news.”

  Mandy sighed. “So, we’re leaving to work for Nuthros. But, we will need a channel to access, won’t we?”

  Darryl sat in silence for a minute. He pulled at his lower lip. “Of course you will, of course you will.” He smiled like a Cheshire cat. “Okay, so what do you need?”