“Heya Boss, have a nice lunch?” She held out a UEA Tablet that had been locked down awaiting my authorization. I hopped over and sat my paw on it and then read the message.
“Oh great,” I said, and read it aloud to Jill.
Snow,
Those friends I have are seeing lots of movement of Earth First types since the press conference a few weeks ago. There is a major push underway for an emergency session of Parliament and there are rumors that Rusch may actually order them all in. Sources seem to indicate that we may be nearing a vote on Farthest Star.
Regards,
Jon
“Well, that’s just perfect,” I said and grumbled. “Sons of bitches…”
“You know Earth First likes to do this every time we head off on a mission,” she said.
“Yeah, and it’s a good tactic. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” While there were many morphic leaders, since Apocalypse Day, the world had looked at me more and more as if I was a major leader among the morphic movement. In reality though, it was a mixed bag. Some morphics loved me, others hated me. The only constant was that I was continually asked to speak for them, and over the last ten years, it had come to feel more and more like my responsibility.
“There’s nothing we can do about this now, and if the next thirty-six hours go well, we will hopefully have something to drown out the fear, at least for a little while. The first Earth mission to an inhabited world. Today is going to be historic,” I said, cheering a little as I shifted my focus.
“Absolutely Boss, and we need to be ready. You still have that list of the reporters cleared for bridge access when we take orbit?” she said, switching fully into ‘get-things-done mode’.
We worked steadily, going over the events and the order of them until the plan was a smoothly oiled machine running in my head. I had learned years ago that preparation was the only way to really keep me from descending into a spiral of nervousness and worry before big events like these.
In just thirty-six hours, I would be in the center of the storm.
Chapter 8
“Ambassador, this is Ops. The Time is 1715 hours and we are about to make preparations for orbit around Corval Prime. Please come to the bridge,” he said, respecting my civilian status.
“Inform Captain Ndungu that I will be on deck in ten minutes,” I replied. Jill already had my harness ready to help me wiggle into it.
“Roger that, Ops out.” The speaker clicked off, and I saw my assistant’s ears twitch, tracking the sound.
“Come on Boss, hop to it.” I groaned inwardly, lamenting the fact that Jill loved being a smart ass almost as much as I did.
“You know, after almost ten years working together, I’d think you’d have found a better joke by now,” I replied, taking the bait.
“This one still works quite nicely,” she said. I let out a brief squeak as the nanocord cinched home. It could be quite grabby, and I felt the pressure make my ribs creak before it mercifully slackened.
"We should have that re-calibrated," Jill remarked, and made a note on her clipboard.
"Why? This is an improvement." Her ears flattened, and she shot me a look as soon as the reply left the speaker of my voice collar.
Smoothing down my fur and checking myself over once more in the mirror, I was quickly satisfied. One abnormally sized, talking Snowshoe hare, ready to go.
“Come on Boss, enough primping," Jill reminded. "We need to get to the bridge.”
We met Etrana on the way and entered as a group. The few members of the press that were allowed access loved it, and the bridge was briefly lit by a strobe effect from all the camera flashes. The light show quickly ended and they returned to what they were doing before our arrival. Namely, their level that best provides the largest distraction possible to the crew from their dedicated station. The light of LED strobes returned at regular interval, exploding out with luminous ferocity as they attempted to capture every inch of this historic moment.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the captain said. “If I may have your attention please.”
The room fell silent and the captain was briefly blinded by the myriad of flashes.
“The United Earth Alliance would like to welcome you to this evening's historic event, the conclusion of our journey to Corval Prime. Given the nature of this evening's events, I am handing over ceremonial command of the Danube to Ambassador Snow Dawkins, our honorary flag officer.”
The room broke out in murmurs of both dissent and agreement as I took my place beside the captain.
“Ma’am, the bridge awaits your orders,” she said, in traditional UEA military style.
“Ops. Establish communication with Corval Prime flight control.”
“Aye, ambassador. Commencing.”
“Corval Prime welcomes the Earth delegation!” streamed over the speakers. Every reporter was quiet, eagerly recording the events of the moment.
“On behalf of the United Earth Alliance, I bare you the greetings of my people. May this historic day be the first of many joyful greetings of our worlds,” I said, following protocol.
“Gleaming! Yes yes yes! Most shiny!” Etrana seemed to quiver a bit and my ears detected a low-throated click she was making at hearing the voice of her people.
“This is the Earth Diplomatic Corps Ship Danube requesting orbital instruction,” I said, attending to business now that formalities, for the moment, were out of the way.
“Yes yes! The Danube is to come to grid coordinates 65X.59Y.45Z relative center to planet and await further instruction.”
“Roger that. Ops, take up position and coordinate with the House Lethine.”
“Aye aye, ambassador.”
“Raise the blast shutters, disengage deep space protocols. Calibrate Higgs field for orbital GEV range,” I ordered, as the bridge officers worked efficiently at their consoles.
“Aye ambassador.” There was the sound of mechanical metal slowly retracting. Corval Prime hung like a green and blue Jewel against the black backdrop of space.
The planet looked much like Earth, but did not have quite the color range. The largest dominate color was a dark heavy green betraying the lushness of the world. In orbit was a series of small chromatic spheres all connected by tether to both the planet and a larger sphere, a little farther out.
“Are those nest spheres?” I muttered to myself, shocked.
“EDCS Danube, this is Corvaldian Flight Control. These ones are cleared to dock in Council Star Port C. Coordination and travel instructions being transmitted now. These ones welcome the humans to this star port! It is most shiny!” Came the excited reply from ground control. I looked out over the world, amazed.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I would like to hand this part of today's historic events over to Ambassador Etrana."
Etrana pulled her wings around her like a cape, her emerald eyes gleamed and sparkled. “Etrana welcomes the humans to Corval Prime. There is much shiny to be had! This day will be gleaming! Etrana wishes to drive out confusion. Do these ones have questions? ” she chortled in utter rapture. Alice Bolter raised her hand.
“Yes yes! Alice Bolter of Space News. Alice Bolter will unite with Etrana and drive out fear!”
“Do the Mendians have a permanent presence on Corval Prime?” she asked, smelling an opportunity.
“No. Only Corvaldians live on Corval permanently.”
“However, that is a nest sphere,” she said on the rebuttal.
“No no! It is a council sphere built for the Corvaldians by the Mendians! Grand grand trading port and place for all! Do not be fear fear buy buy buy! Etrana has seen, Etrana disapproves… All is well! All is well!”
What seemed innocent to Etrana was, from the right vantage point, evidence of occupation.
Oh shit.
My jaw hit the floor, as did Alice Bolter's. You could have heard a pin drop. I was about to speak up, but Etrana spoke just before me.
“Etrana desires next question,” she said. “Do not
fear.” She made a contented chirping noise.
The rest of the reporters snapped out of their moment of shock, and again raised their hands. I had to stop this.
“Gerome Butler of the Hague International, are you stating the galactic council maintains a presence in orbit around Corval Prime?”
“The council only meets every 71.6 earth years,” she warbled. “It is accorded neutral territory under councilor law. It is safe! All is well!” The reporters began to furiously scribble notes.
“Ladies…” I began to speak only for Etrana to cut me off.
“Etrana will continue,” she clicked at the end of her sentence, as if for emphasis. “The Mendians installed it as gift to Corval Prime on behalf of the council. It is a most shiny gift. The Mendians gave the Corvaldians space! Most shiny! Most gleaming. Many races come now. Many races teach the Corvaldians!” she chortled, obviously proud. The nanocord around my neck began to feel tighter, like a noose closing around me.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I interjected myself into the conversation before this run away press conference derailed any more events of the day.
“That’s enough questions for now. I assure you we will address as much as we can about our new Corvaldian neighbors at the evening's press briefing. Until then, I ask that you please hold all questions. Thank you for attending this historic occasion, but we must ask that you now leave the bridge, in accordance with UEA safety regulations. Captain?” I looked to the true master of the Danube. It was her ship to take into port if she wished it to be.
“Thank you ambassador, but I would prefer to give you this honor,” she replied, and I smiled at her. She was trying to end this on a positive note.
“Aye, captain, and thank you for the honor.” I nodded to OPS and the official system tone sounded through the intercoms.
“Attention! This is a ship wide general order. All to quarters! Prepare for dock!”
Etrana, Jill and I took up the official guests section on the bridge as the reporters and other dignitaries cleared the deck.
It had started off as such a nice day.
The docking went off without a hitch and everyone filed back to their quarters. Tomorrow we would venture to the star port and Etrana would show me the planet.
“Boss, I have a message here from security confirming the times for tomorrow’s honor guard and want to know if Jeremy Ngata will still be our press liaison,” Jill said, trying to get as much work done before we inevitably had to rest for tomorrow’s early morning events.
“He’s the only one I would trust with this. Let me just confirm with him a moment.” I tapped a pad near my working space and the ship’s intercom responded with a ready tone.
“Jeremy Ngata, this is Snow Dawkins, are you available?” I said, letting the system place the call.
“Kia ora Ms. Dawkins! I am quite busy tonight, trying to get my feature on the dual planet system back to the Intergalactic Explorer before my deadline. Is this important? Can it wait?” he said. He had completely forgotten about his trip to Corval Prime.
“Yes it is actually, security has your visa in place and we have spoken with the Corvaldian government. You are still on to be the press corps liaison for first contact?” I replied. I suddenly heard the shuffling of papers over the intercom speaker.
“I almost forgot! Thank you for the reminder, my friend.” His warm tone flowed through the speakers. I had relied on him and his apolitical nature to do a story on the Mendian Nest in congruence with the Treaty of Light. It had made his career, and it gave me a key ally that I could always trust to avoid the politics of a story. Jeremy had no interest in anything but wonder, and I, thus, regarded him as a very rare human.
“Happy to remind you Jeremy, and please, send me your article once you get it done. You know I’m a fan,” I said. I truly enjoyed his work.
“I will do just that and contact security for my permits. However, I must go and get back to work. The office in Portland is really breathing down my neck to get this in. It must be the weather that makes them so cranky,” he laughed jovially, then the speaker fell silent and a tone indicated a break in communication.
“One of these days, I am going to ask him his secret,” I said to Jill, who was busily working away on one thing or another.
“He simply doesn’t worry Boss. As long as there is something to explore or a new thing to photograph, Jeremy will never have a worry,” she said, and I briefly thought of Etrana.
“Alright, let’s get back to work. We need to work on our statement to the press after that wild press conference,” I said, eager to get the last official events of the day handled.
“On it, Boss,” Jill replied.
Chapter 9
I had barely slept. Adrenaline warred with fatigue on the front lines of my neurons, leaving me fuzzy and on edge. The caffeine I had consumed to buff the forces of alertness in my system served only to make me jittery.
The intercom chirped and I about leapt into a bulkhead.
“Yes. What is it?” I demanded, panicked.
“Good morning to you too, Boss. You wanted me to contact you at this time to make sure you were awake?”
“Thanks Jill, grab your favorite tablet and get here as soon as possible. It’s going to be a busy day,” I said, and cut off the feed.
“I hate big press days,” I said to no one in particular, reaffirming my loathing of protocol and blearily made my way towards the shower. The warm water relaxed me, almost too much, and I felt myself drift. Only the caffeine was keeping me awake.
The intercom chimed again.
“Earth Central Command,” I said, testily.
“Excuse me?” It was the head of ship’s security.
“Oh, I’m sorry major. This is the ambassador. It’s been one of those mornings.”
“It’s fine ma’am, sorry for having to disturb you. Just needed to go over some security details with you,” he said, sounding genuinely apologetic.
“No problem major, I will have my assistant coordinate with you as soon as she arrives,” I said, cutting the water, as the cool mechanical air of the ship caused me to feel immediately chilled.
“Well, it’s about your order that no weapons be taken with the honor guard. Ma’am with all due respect.”
“Major,” I snapped. “I don’t know what is so hard to understand about ceremonial swords only. These are a peaceful people that have not had a war in a thousand years. I will not have their first impression of the UEA being one where we are armed. This isn’t Earth, major. I am probably safer out there than I am in orbit.” We had been having this fight via e-mail for days, and I had refused to budge. This was a final counter attack.
“Very Well, ambassador, but I will be entering this into the log with a strong statement of protest,” he replied.
“Whatever you feel you need to do, but major, do not push me on this, no weapons. Do you understand me?” I replied, not giving an inch. He could protest all he wanted, the Danube was officially a diplomatic vessel, not a ship of the line.
“Crystal. The honor guard will be ready to meet you at 0545 hours at your quarters and from there we will proceed to the space port. Security, out,” he replied curtly.
I was shivering in my shower, trying to get warm and get some traction on the day, when Jill arrived. Nothing was out of place and she looked perfectly put together. My fur wasn’t even brushed and there she was in a dress with tasteful gold accents. It was obvious in that moment who kept who together.
“Busy morning, Boss? Been hitting the coffee again? You know it makes you jittery,” she said in her caring way.
“No coffee, but didn’t really sleep, up before the alarm, then a cavalcade of intercom pages. Contact Corval Prime and bump first contact till tomorrow,” I lied in an attempt to reassure her.
“Sorry Snow. We are locked in. Get ready and I’ll get some breakfast set up,” the intercom chirped again.
“This is the ambassador’s assistant, Jill Saito. I’m sorry, but s
he is preparing for this morning’s events and is currently unavailable,” Jill said, taking over.
“Etrana apologizes. Etrana will contact later,” she said, and I quickly intervened.
“It’s fine Etrana.” The weariness oozed through my voice collar. “It’s just been a busy morning.”
“Ah! Etrana will join Snow Dawkins at 0530 Earth ship time. Most shiny!” she chirped and cut the feed.
“Ok, I think that’s probably everyone. Did you complete your mission?” I said, looking to my assistant as I jumped in the fur dryer.
“Jeremy is awake and he got his credentials, so yes,” Jill replied. The warm air currents flowed through my fur and relaxed me, and I drifted again, briefly.
“Boss, wake up, you don’t want to get singed like last time,” she said, prodding me.
“Just leave me here to die happy,” I joked and shut it down. As I exited, Jill knelt and offered her paw, cupping mine. I took the two pills she held and swallowed them without water, a function of practice and familiarity.
“Bless you, my daily morning headache was sending particularly nasty ransom letters,” I said, grateful for modern medicine.
The previous night’s preparation paid its dividends as the morning churned along like a well-oiled machine. Soon, my door chime sounded. It was 0530, it had to be Etrana.
“This day will gleam! This day will shine!” Etrana said, briefly distracted by a large bowl of fruit I had set out, waiting for her.
“Ah grapes! Snow knows how to make this day shine for Etrana!” she warbled happily, crushing and gobbling a few down.
“Well, I like to nibble while I work. You seem to do the same,” I replied.
“Yes! This is most gleaming! Today Etrana will show Snow Dawkins many many things! Today Etrana will take Snow to the choir of sages!” she chortled excitedly, and bounced from foot to foot.
“The choir; that is your capital correct?”
“Snow Dawkins preparations are most shiny! Yes yes! It is the capital of Corval Prime and more! Much much more! Snow Dawkins will see, much shiny, much gleaming!” Her chortles kicked off a nasty spike of pain from my daily morning migraine.
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