Part 6: Angels and Amazons

Zhongshan Civic Center, North Hong Kong (formerly Shenzhen Special Economic Zone)

Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China

March 12th, 2016

Renaril had been wise to pass over the formal uniform's boots and gloves, but the sooner she could get out of the sun and remove her cap and cape, the better. She was struggling to imagine how the local forime could stand this climate, the more so since many of them dressed far more heavily than she did.

''Group Commander,'' one of the two aides behind her panted wearily, ''was it necessary to land the shuttle so far from the meeting place?''

''It's better that we avoid accidentally antagonizing the residents of this sector,'' the officer replied. ''More importantly, we are showing the forime that we don't wish to tread on them.'' When the other Arume made a noise of depressed acquiescence, she frowned. ''Anyway, we're here. Don't look so gloomy.''

The civic center was a squat concrete monolith of recent construction. A pair of green-uniformed soldiers stood rigidly on either side of the front entrance, flanking a slender young woman in a brown skirt and jacket typical of that social stratum known to the world as the 'office worker'. ''Good morning,'' she began in English with nervous formality as Renaril arrived before her. ''My name is Zhu and I will be your interpreter today.''

''Pleased to meet you,'' the alien returned, hoping the stock phrase and proffered hand were acceptable gestures of friendliness here. When such proved to be the case, she continued. ''I hope we have not kept you waiting long.''

''Not at all,'' said Zhu earnestly. ''The ambassador is waiting inside, but I fear our military consultant has not yet arrived.''

''We aren't in a hurry.'' Renaril tried her best to sound gracious and not disappointed. ''But perhaps we should meet the ambassador before the talks begin?''

''As you say.'' Zhu held the door open. ''After you, ladies.''

There were more soldiers standing guard in the lobby, all as stiff as the bronze statues placed along the walls. Following Zhu to the elevator, Renaril found herself hoping her trailing subordinates weren't staring at anybody. She was distracted from that line of thought by the look which scurried across the interpreter's face when the vertical people-mover arrived, a look which seemed to suggest Zhu didn't dare assume that Arume understood elevators. Determined to prove otherwise, the commander placidly stepped into the narrow space, turned around and stood with her hands behind her back. Her aides filed in after her, and Zhu was doing the same when trouble came running. The only warnings were an incoherent yell from outside and a startled cry from the forime intermediary. When Renaril regained her bearings, there were five pairs of feet in the elevator.

The Arume's first impression of the intruder was formed quite literally from the ground up: shoes and olive trousers of the same style as the soldiers' uniforms, then a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the two uppermost buttons undone, all crowned by a young adult face comprised of lips compressed in silent irritation, an inoffensive nose and dark eyes which suffered from a clearly habitual squint. Though the frame on which all these details were mounted was unquestionably female, the brown hair at the top was cut to a decidedly masculine standard of shortness. While the Arume absorbed this data, the subject of observation had already resumed her furious scribbling with a pencil upon a well-weighted clipboard, both articles having been in her hands the entire time. She paid no attention at all to the others, nor did she acknowledge being the cause of considerable alarm.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Renaril was just working up the courage to ask the typhoon to explain herself when Zhu spoke. ''Ahem... Group Commander Renaril, this is our consultant, Colonel Kang Li of the People's Liberation Army.''

''I see...''

Colonel Kang spoke abruptly, her voice as gruff as her looks and then some. The rapid syllables were all gibberish to Renaril, but Zhu replied in kind. The Arume wondered if the other forime found the colonel intimidating: though shorter than any of the male soldiers, she loomed over the alien. Her bare forearms weren't those of someone who gave a lot of tender embraces, either. When the elevator lurched to a halt, she strode out and disappeared with as much subtlety as she'd entered.

''I apologize,'' Zhu said, faltering momentarily as she directed the elevator to its next destination. ''The colonel has to deliver some papers and will rejoin us soon.''

''She seems... driven,'' Renaril observed quietly.

''The colonel has been primarily occupied with the problem of the separatists in Xinjiang,'' the interpreter explained. ''I do not think anyone envies her for it.'' Another lurch signaled the entourage's arrival at the desired floor. ''This way, please.''

A minute's walk through a maze of corridors brought the four to a spacious room with a long table in the middle and a long window at the far end. Inside waited a rotund middle-aged man with an impeccable suit and a wide smile. ''Group Commander,'' Zhu announced, ''I present Ambassador Zheng Wu.''

Finally, Renaril thought. Time to get to work.


The next seven hours were a blur of proposals, settlements and myriad minutiae of diplomacy. Zheng appeared satisfied with the results, even as Colonel Kang - who had slipped into the room shortly after the Arume entered and stood at Zheng's elbow ever since, speaking only when spoken to - seemed more and more as if she were struggling to contain some immense displeasure. ''The ambassador looks forward to working with you again,'' Zhu translated as the man rose to leave, the latter oblivious to Kang's tension. ''If there is anything else you need, please do not hesitate to ask.''

''There is,'' the alien officer answered, carefully waiting until the ambassador made his exit. ''I'd like to ask the colonel a few questions.''

Zhu relayed the request to Kang, who replied in that same curt tone as before. ''Well then,'' the interpreter said meekly, ''excuse me.''

Renaril blinked as she slipped out. ''Um...''

''We don't need her,'' Kang said, speaking English for the first time. ''Unless you found her pleasing to look at.''

The Arume officer suspected she'd just been made a fool of. ''You can speak..?''

''Not in front of Zheng.'' Kang slowly walked around to Renaril's side of the table. ''Well?''

''Just a moment.'' Renaril turned to her aides. ''Wait outside,'' she ordered in Arumic. ''This should only take a few minutes.''

The aides plainly objected to the idea of leaving her alone with Kang. ''But - ''

''I'll be fine. Go on.''

''...Yes, ma'am.''

Kang watched them depart impassively before returning her gaze to Renaril. ''So what do you want?''

''You...'' The commander stopped herself and considered her words carefully. ''You looked as if there was something you wanted to say without the ambassador hearing. If you'd like to speak...'' Her voice trailed off as the colonel stepped past her and strode to the window.

''May I speak honestly?''

''Of course.''

''Very well... Group Commander, how old are you?''

''One hundred and two,'' Renaril answered automatically. ''Oh... By your calendar, about twenty-five.''

The colonel's eyes were on the cityscape outside. ''Do you have any prior experience in your current position?''

''No,'' the Arume countered defensively, ''but I've trained extensively and studied the necessary - ''

Kang cut her off. ''Do you have any idea what you're doing? What you're getting into?''

''I understand that your country is facing serious problems, and that I am accepting a responsibility to do whatever I can to help you solve them.''

''Do you?'' Suddenly Kang was right beside her seat. ''Then why did I spend these past hours watching you smile and nod your head and agree to whatever that man put in front of you?''

''What do you mean?'' Despite her efforts at self-discipline, Renaril was getting flustered. ''I have to support your interests by working with the representatives and practices of your government, of course.''

''Interests?'' Kang's lip curled. ''You really are naïve if you believe that.'' She returned to the window. ''I didn't go to Cambodia so that his kind could maintain their rich lifestyle, let alone sell us out to an alien empire.''

''We aren't - ''

''Liar.''

Renaril's heart skipped a beat. It was only one word, but there was no explaining it away: Kang had just spoken in Arumic. ''H-how did you..?''

The soldier reverted to English. ''I thought so,'' she said flatly, advancing again. While the other went through Abort, Retry and settled on Fail, she extracted a folded bundle of papers from a back pocket and tossed it on the table. ''I assume you haven't seen this.''

Renaril unfolded the document with growing trepidation. It was a laser printout with rather small type, and its header simply read: Who are the Arume? The author, if the subheading could be trusted, was one E Nani Moose. There was nothing overtly critical or judgmental in the tone of the paragraphs which followed, yet their content was a damning indictment for Renaril and her peers. The origin of the Arume, their culture, their way of life, their invasion of the second universal layer and occupation thereof, their weapons of terror... It was all there, clinically summarized.

''Well?'' Kang prompted, ending the long silence.

''...Where did you get this?''

''It was in my inbox this morning. I don't know how far it's proliferated, but Beijing will notice it soon... I suppose some conscientious party on your side leaked it?''

The shock didn't wear off quickly. ''It must have been...''

''So it's true, isn't it?''

''Yes,'' Renaril confessed numbly. ''We're a race of women who have... relationships with other women.''

''That's fine,'' Kang said bluntly. ''I'm not asking about that.''

The commander was still floundering ''This... makes our meeting today pointless, doesn't it?''

''I don't think our leaders have any choice but to go through with the deal, not if they want to retain any of their privileges.''

''What do you mean? ...Wait. Before that, what were you saying about Cambodia?''

''It all comes back to the same thing.'' Kang returned to the window once more. Her anger seemed to be giving way to a heavy weariness. ''I'm twenty-eight years old. I joined the army at sixteen. Underage, you understand? I was a hot-blooded young patriot and I wanted to do my part for the country.'' She shook her head. ''They sent us to Cambodia to fight an Islamic insurgency... Barbarians, especially towards women. The insurgents blew up Angkor Wat a week after we arrived - that should give you an idea of how bad they were. We spent nearly two years there, trying to survive on the far end of a logistical system still reeling from the losses of Second Impact, surrounded by the enemy on all sides and with no fire support and guns that were nearly useless in the jungle. By the time the campaign was over, every surviving man in my platoon had replaced his issued rifle with something captured from the other side or bought on the black market... Do you understand?''

Renaril was beginning to understand the origin of Kang's personality, at least. ''I think so.''

''After Cambodia, they sent us to Xinjiang to put down another uprising there. More Islamists, pushing for an independent state in that region... They were much tougher and more resilient than the ones in Cambodia. The Americans regarded them as terrorists, so they promised to help us if we granted Tibet independence. We did what they asked, and the help never arrived.'' The colonel turned around. ''It's been ten years since I first set foot in Xinjiang. The insurgents there are stronger today than they ever were before, and now they are supported by extremists from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the former Soviet states to the west. They have techniques inherited third-hand from the Americans and weapons we gave them to use against Russia in the eighties.'' There was a sardonic chuckle. ''Because of ten years spent pouring money into the bottomless pit that was the Evangelion project and selling off our tanks to make the UN happy, the mighty People's Republic can't even clear out some throat-slitting guerrillas. Domestic discontent is steadily rising as well... So you see, our proud leaders will do business with you regardless of that document.''

The commander was now solidly confused. ''But you... don't want me to 'do business' with them.''

''You'll have to, at least until you have enough space to work around them, but that doesn't mean you should do as they say. They're all like that ambassador now, fat parasites who don't care about the ordinary people even though shortages are growing... The emperor is dead and the eunuchs are running loose in the court.''

Renaril thought about this for a minute, then braced herself. ''What would you have me do?''

''If you sincerely want to help us, find some honest, competent advisers who genuinely care about the welfare of the people, and listen to them.''

''Like yourself?''

Kang shrugged. ''I'm a soldier, not a sociologist. I could help you manage the military and speak from my own experience, but that's all.''

''And what if I wanted that? I'd like someone with your frankness and dedication. Would you work for me?''

The forime walked to the window and looked out pensively. ''If you can get Beijing's endorsement and convince me that you mean what you say...'' She went silent for a few seconds, then whirled and rushed at Renaril.

''Eeek!''

The chair tumbled onto its side as Kang hit the floor, wrapping herself around the Arume's smaller body and rolling both of them under the heavy table. There was an earsplitting bang followed by the zing of a hail of glass flying overhead. Renaril lay still, whimpering a little despite the soldier's protecting body above her, until Kang raised herself. ''Are you all right?''

''Y-yes,'' the commander gasped, her mind far removed from the deep cleavage before her eyes. ''What was that?''

''RPG.'' Kang rolled to the side and drew a pistol from a shoulder holster. ''We need to move. Follow me, keep your head down and stay quiet. Watch out for the glass.'' With those instructions, she began to crawl towards the door.

Renaril followed, desperately hoping no harm had come to her staff. ''Um... My request...''

''I'll do it.''

Relief flooded through the commander's slender frame. At least one thing had turned out in her favor today.