Chapter 14- A Lie Called Hope
Hunter stood near the corner of Locksley and Pelton, trying to look inconspicuous. Unfortunately, nearly every mammal that passed gave him at least one suspicious glance. Possibly it was because he was human. Maybe it was because he was clearly just standing in the cold, with no particular place to be.
Mostly, he suspected, it was because he was standing next to a hover-tank.
"You know," he said, "I think I might need to teach Tavi a thing or two about effective surveillance techniques. Rule One: Leave your gigantic armored fighting vehicle at the station."
"The commander felt it might be prudent to have me around as back-up," said the tank- somewhat smugly, Hunter thought.
The human shot Shepherd a look. "Really? And you had nothing to do with that decision?"
"I pointed out that the mission was potentially dangerous, and that my assistance might be of value," replied Shepherd.
"Uh-huh," said Hunter skeptically. "You know I'm here, right?"
"Given your operational history, the likelihood of the mission being dangerous seemed higher with your presence, rather than lower," said Shepherd composedly.
"Now what's that supposed to mean?" said Hunter angrily.
A wombat walking by carrying a bag of groceries gave him a wary glance and hurried on.
Hunter nodded to himself. "Right. The only thing more suspicious than a man with a flying tank next to him is a man having an argument with a flying tank."
He looked around for Tavi. She had gone to check out the church they had picked- one of the largest in the city, with some seven hundred frequent churchgoers. The church father- the leader- was supposed to be fairly important in the somewhat loose hierarchy of the Fellowship.
Tavi's goal was to make sure he was alone in the church. At this time- around seven in the evening- he was supposed to be.
She was still nowhere to be seen. He wasn't nervous- yet- but he'd probably be in five minutes or so.
"Officer Hunter," said the tank suddenly, making him jump. "Commander Tavi speaks highly of you, particularly with regard to your training capabilities and wisdom."
"I am very wise," said Hunter absently. "Ask anyone who doesn't know me."
The tank hesitated, but forged on. "I have a question to ask you."
"Okay, shoot." He winced. "I mean, go ahead. I really need to stop saying that to people and things that are armed." Though technically the tank wasn't armed anymore, he supposed.
"I have been listening to the conversations of police officers at the station. I am curious- is it wrong to lie?"
Hunter blinked. "That's sort of a weird question. I thought your AI was designed to always be truthful."
"Yes," said Shepherd promptly. "It is."
"Well, then? Why ask?"
"I am endeavouring to understand my mission here more clearly. It seems to presuppose a better understanding of human and mammalian nature than my pre-loaded behavioral algorithms are designed to necessitate."
Hunter turned to look at him. For a long moment he considered what the tank had said. "You mean police work means you need to understand people better than military actions do, I guess?"
"That is what I said."
"Okay." Hunter returned to scanning the street. "Is lying bad? Well, it can be. It's a tool, you see. You use it the right way, and it can help accomplish good things. The wrong way, and you can hurt people. It's not so much that you're lying, it's what you're lying about."
The tank was silent, as if mulling his answer over. "But the officers I have heard are very angry when someone lies to them. And I once heard a conversation where the officer spoke of someone lying to himself, which seems illogical. Either way, the context indicated lying was a negative act."
"That's because most people don't think of the good lies as lies," said Hunter.
"Good lies?"
"Hmmm. Okay, let me ask you something. What is your purpose?"
"To serve and protect the citizens of the Human Stars by following all lawful orders given to me," said Shepherd.
Hunter blinked. "The Human Stars? Aren't you supposed to follow Tavi- your commander?"
"I am given to understand that I was activated after being given to the Zootopian Police Department. Therefore, my presence here is in accordance with the wishes of the Human Stars government. Therefore, by serving the ZPD, I serve the Human Stars."
"Uh. Huh." Hunter mentally filed that under "need to speak to Tavi about". "Okay. So what if the Human Stars ceased to exist? What then would be your purpose?"
There was a long pause. "I do not know," said the tank finally.
"Yet I, too, have sworn an oath," pointed out Hunter. "To the citizens of AlphaCen. But I'd have at least an idea of what to do if the people my oath was sworn to didn't exist anymore. Why is that?"
The tank just looked at him, extending a sensor. "I do not know," Shepherd repeated.
"I have to fall back on some other concepts besides my oath, then," said Hunter. "Things like my sense of honor. My sense of right and wrong."
"I do not understand these concepts," said Shepherd. "Right and wrong do not seem to have an objective basis."
"No, they don't," said Hunter. "People can argue for their entire lives over what is right and what is wrong in different circumstances. But they still exist."
"How?" asked Shepherd, confused. "If they have no objective basis-"
Hunter pointed at him. "I just told you a lie, Shepherd. I told you that right and wrong exist."
The tank's sensor raised up to study him more closely. "I have not been told this is a lie," he said.
"So is honor. So is duty. So is, in fact, love. They can neither be seen, touched, heard, smelt, or tasted. They don't exist. But believing in them makes our entire civilization work." Hunter tapped his head. "They're only true in here. But that's enough to make the difference between a savage- an animal, if you will- and an intelligent, civilized being." He paused. "Assuming you think I'm intelligent and civilized. Bogo might take issue with one or both of those."
"I still do not understand," said the tank, bemusement in his voice. "If they are lies, why believe in them?"
Hunter sighed and scratched his head, looking around. "Okay, maybe I need a more concrete example- oh, wait a minute." He gestured around him. "What do you see?"
"My visual sensors detect twelve sapient mammals, fourteen non-autonomous wheeled transport units, and multiple structures capable of sheltering hostile enemy forces," answered Shepherd, after a slow sweep of the area.
"Yes," said Hunter dryly. "Now in a less psychopathic manner. What are we in the middle of, right now?"
"The city of Zootopia, on the Terran continent of-"
"I'm going to stop you there," said Hunter, holding up a hand. "Before Zootopia was here, what was there in this spot?"
The sensor swivelled back to look at him. "Based on the dominant biome, likely savannah or desert," said the tank.
"Uh-huh. And now there's all this-" he waved his arm vaguely "-stuff. Because a bunch of mammals told themselves a lie that they called Zootopia. Part of the lie was that different species could get along, even when most of their history told them that was objectively untrue. And now what has happened?"
"There is a city here," said Shepherd slowly. "Where different species all get along."
"Exactly," said Hunter. "They told themselves a lie. Then they made it true. And as lies go, it was a pretty good one. We call that sort of lie a dream, or a hope. The real universe doesn't care if you want something to happen. It doesn't care if it's 'right' that something happens. All that matters is what the law of physics says will happen." He spread his arms. "That might seem depressing, until you realize that what that means is that you have to build your own reality. That you have to make the lie become true. That's the kind of lie that needs to be told, that should be told. The ones that say the world- the universe- can be made into a better place."
For a long time, Shepherd stared at him, the unwinking optical sensor steady on his face. Hunter started to feel vaguely nervous, until suddenly the sensor turned to study the stars coming out. "Why are stars considered beautiful?" asked Shepherd.
"Nope," said Hunter, scanning again for Tavi. "One philosophical question a night is my limit."
"But-"
"Because, Shepherd," said Hunter impatiently. "Just because."
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Nick and Judy were led to a dining room, not far from the bridge of the Nike. They both glanced down the corridor, curious to see the bridge, but all they saw was a door, with an armed Marine standing next to it. "Is he always there?" asked Judy.
La Mancha glanced incuriously at the Marine. "Yes, Miss Hopps. Although during times of high alert we have at least two guards on the doors to the bridge. One is sufficient for a safe system such as this one."
"Safe?" asked Nick. "Because we're in the Human Stars?"
"Because we are well behind the frontier," answered La Mancha. "On frontier systems, such as Luyten, there are frequent raids by various enemies- aliens, of course, as well as a few of the independent human systems."
Nick and Judy shared a glance- while they were vaguely aware of the other human nations, they had heard little of them. "How many-" began Judy, but then the door slid open and la Mancha ushered them inside.
The dining room was, in contrast to the rest of the functional, utilitarian vessel, remarkably ornate. Massive columns of what appeared to be real wood ran along the sides, with complex carvings on their bases. Instead of the bright, almost actinic light that bathed the rest of the ship, a soft glow seemed to permeate the room.
The table itself looked to be a work of art, with intricately carved legs and a thick gold and black tablecloth- the colors of the Human Stars flag. Behind each place, set with gold trimmed china and glittering silverware, was a Fleet spacer in full uniform to act as a servant.
Captain Oakes, standing at the head of the table, glanced pointedly at a large, ornate clock above his head. "It is kind of you to arrive," he said coldly. They could almost hear the words "finally" appended to the statement. Barker, standing at a place near the captain, gave them both a frown. "Colonel la Mancha, would you please show our Terran friends to their places?"
At last seated and with the first serving coming out- different types of food for Judy than Nick and Barker, of course- Judy decided to try to make up for their tardiness. "So, Captain Oakes- I understand you're rather young to be a captain on one of these ships. You must have really stood out to be promoted so early." She had spent the time while Nick was sleeping to do some more research on the Human Stars Fleet. The computer system had been quite helpful, though much of it was restricted.
To her surprise, Oakes just scowled at her. "I go where the Fleet sends me," he said stiffly.
"For I am a man under authority," said la Mancha quietly, "having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to another, come, and he cometh."
Oakes, surprised, raised his glass to la Mancha. "Well put, colonel."
"Now if I could just say to my Marines, drink not, and they would drinketh not," added the colonel, "then I'd know I witnessed a true miracle." He flashed a smile at Nick, who couldn't help but grin. He was starting to like la Mancha, despite his many eccentricities.
"So how are you finding the trip so far?" asked Tosetti after shooting a worried glance at the captain. Oakes had lapsed into a brooding silence, concentrating on his food with a dour ferocity. "Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable?"
"It's been great," said Judy. "Although- is there some trick to using the room AI effectively?"
"Threats," said Bonnaire, sitting across from them. "Threaten to have maintenance wipe its memory."
Judy blinked. "And that works?"
"No, but it makes you feel better," said Bonnaire with a shrug.
"So tell me about Terra," said Tosetti. "Is it true you have no military at all?"
"Well, not most nations," said Judy. She spoke carefully, unsure how much to tell the humans about such things. Still, they would know pretty much everything she did from public sources alone- "The Norestrians- where most polar bears are originally from- do have a small force, but they're mostly ceremonial, I think. There might be a few others."
"And then there's the police forces, I assume," said Tosetti. "You've been trained with firearms, haven't you?"
"Yes," said Judy shortly. "I have."
"Perhaps you'd enjoy some target shooting," said Tosetti. "I find it's relaxing."
"Relaxing," repeated Judy flatly. She had brought to firearms training her usual focus and dedication, but couldn't say she'd enjoyed it.
Tosetti apparently was not picking up on her reaction. "Yes. Nothing like shooting targets full of holes to make up for an entire day of not shooting anyone." She glanced at la Mancha, who gave her an inscrutable smile. "No matter how much they might deserve it."
There was clearly some sort of subtext there, but Judy chose to ignore it. "Sure," she said without enthusiasm. "I'd be happy to- though I doubt you have a weapon I could use."
"Oh, you'd be surprised. We have a low-recoil energy weapon- not very effective against real targets, mind- that works well for target practice," said Tosetti. "It's mostly used for close-range boarding actions, being low-powered enough to avoid breaching the hull."
"I...see," said Judy, surprised. "I would have thought that I would have been issued something like that when they started arming ZPD. Highfall Armory built a gun pretty much from scratch for me instead."
Oakes looked sharply at Tosetti, who blinked. "The technology is still somewhat new," said Oakes, frowning at his first officer. "No doubt they wanted to give you something known to be more reliable."
Judy looked at Nick, who nodded. If they hadn't wanted to give her an experimental weapon, why give her that gyrojet carbine? The answer, she realized, was obvious- the gyrojet, while experimental, was based on technology the Terrans already had.
It reminded her of the nanites. Though they had more or less bullied a human doctor into treating Nick with nanites, the humans had thus far refused to give the technology to the Terrans, citing incompatible biologies. Yet they'd worked on Nick.
They weren't allies, she reminded herself. They were still suspicious and distrustful of the Terrans, despite all the shows of good faith.
Oakes seemed not to notice the sudden silence, but Bonnaire and Tosetti did. "So, Miss Hopps," said Tosetti, almost desperate to keep the conversation going. "You worked with a human for some time on Zootopia, didn't you? A Mr. Hunter?"
"Yes," said Judy politely. "It was part of an exchange program of sorts. He came over to Zootopia. Officer Barker," she added, nodding to the wolf, "went to FLPD."
"Really?" said Bonnaire, looking at her. "That must have been interesting."
"Yes," said Barker. "Most humans seemed to think I was some sort of talking dog."
Nick sighed. "Yes, I got a bit of that from the Marines, too."
Oakes looked up sharply. "Marines?" He transferred his gaze to la Mancha. "Why were the Marines in contact with Mr. Wilde, la Mancha? Have you disciplined them?"
"Now wait a minute," protested Nick. "It wasn't their fault. I wandered off and accidentally went into their barracks. Gunnery Sergeant Sadowski offered to lead me back to the officer's club-" well, he probably would have done, "-but I decided to hang out with them. They're nice guys, really."
"Sadowski?" said Oakes. He frowned. "It was Foxtrot Company?"
"Was it really?" said Nick, raising his eyebrows. "That's appropriate. Wait a minute- aren't companies supposed to have around one hundred soldiers?"
It was la Mancha who answered. "Yes, Master Wilde. They are." The normally cheerful colonel looked downcast.
Nick looked from him to Oakes. "What am I missing?"
The captain sighed. "Golf Company was deployed to- to a system near here shortly before I took command. They took over seventy percent casualties and they were already below strength." His face was grim.
"Wait," said Nick slowly. "There were only fourteen of them there. You mean- that's all that's left?"
Barker and Judy looked ill. "How did that happen?" asked Judy.
"The Larrat," said Oakes. "They show up in a system, announce how many of them you have to kill for them to leave, then attack. They keep killing until you kill the number of them you announced, then leave." His face hardened. "We generally count it a win if we double their 'kill tally'."
"Why?" asked Judy. Everyone looked at her. "Why do they do that?"
Bonnaire shrugged. "Nobody knows."
Nick thought of the men he had played poker with last night. They were friendly and kind, in a goofy sort of way. Even when they realized they had been played, they took it in good spirits. He felt anger welling up inside him, at the sheer waste of it all. "Why not? Haven't you tried to find out?"
Oakes looked at him, his eyes hard. "Of course we have, Mr. Wilde. Countless times, until we realized no one could figure them out. They are alien. Why do they do it?" He stabbed his fork at Nick. "It's their nature."
Judy put a restraining paw on Nick's arm, but he didn't notice. "Their nature? Maybe it's just human nature to destroy what they can't understand!"
The table went silent, and Oakes's face became as stone. "Sir," said Tosetti nervously. "Perhaps we should-"
"At ease, Commander." Oakes stood up, tossing down his napkin on the table. "Mr. Wilde, I think this trip will be a great opportunity for you to correct your thinking. You see humans as monsters, based on what our ancestors of many generations ago were perceived to have done. Despite what your ancestors of as many generations ago were known to have done."
Nick's eyes widened and he shot to his feet, angrily facing the human. "Now just a minute-"
"Six years ago, I was in the Ophiuchi Expanse," continued Oakes, his eyes boring into Nick. "I was in a under-armed Trident, a patrol ship. Two Karathi destroyers attacked a ship carrying colonists. Men, women, and a large proportion of children. They boarded the ship, because the Karathis like to hear the screams of their victims." His tone became even more grim. "We heard them too, as we strained our engines trying to reach them, over the distress calls. At first there were many. By the time we got there, there were none."
Barker shook her head in stunned silence. Judy stared at the captain, open-mouthed. Even Nick looked stunned. The humans merely shook their heads in sad resignation, as if hearing a story similar to many they'd heard before.
"The reason we humans are so distrustful, so barbaric," said Oakes, "is because we have to be. What we've learned in the ten thousand or more years we've been in space is that there aliens are not just misunderstood. They are not 'friends we haven't met yet', as I heard one Terran diplomat say. They are alien. They are different. And so far, we don't even know if they recognize us as sapient, or if they care if we are. What we are, Mr. Wilde, is alone. It is us against the cosmos."
He slowly sat down. "And you should be thanking us, Mr. Wilde. Thanking us from the bottom of your hearts."
Nick's throat felt dry. "Why?" he asked.
Oakes reached for his wine glass. "Because," he said, "if it hadn't been for us barbarians holding AlphaCen, then the terrors of the stars might have reached you long ago." He studied the wine pensively. "And you would have been entirely unprepared to meet them."
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"I'm not ready for this," muttered Hunter.
"What do you mean?" asked Tavi. "You've interrogated thousands of suspects."
"Yes," said Hunter, glancing again at the quiet church. "But none of them have thought I was a god." He paused, thinking. "Although some of them thought they were God."
The church was one of the few purpose-built Fellowship churches that existed. Instead of being in an out-of-the-way location, even part of a strip center, it was a free-standing building, with a large parking lot that surrounded it on three sides. The structure itself was a massive, A-frame style wooden building, looking out of place in the concrete or brick office buildings of the area. At the apex of the building, far above the massive double-doors, was the stylized star that was a key symbol of the Fellowship's faith.
"What are you worried about?" asked Tavi, confused. She had rarely seen Hunter vacillate, not when there was work that had to be done. As opposed to work he might avoid, of course. "We'll be right outside if anything goes wrong."
"That's not what I'm worried about," said Hunter pensively. He looked at Shepherd. "You'll keep an eye on her?" he asked.
"I'm right here," said Tavi, exasperated.
"The commander is often impetuous," said Shepherd dubiously. "And I cannot gainsay her decisions."
"Hey!" said Tavi, waving her arms. "Right here!"
"Well, keep her out of trouble," said Hunter. He turned to face the building and took a breath. "All right. Here goes nothing."
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"Wow," said Nick as they left. He let out a breath. "That was the worst dinner party I've ever been to."
"I don't know," said Tosetti, who came out right behind them. "There was one when I was an ensign on the old Poseidon where there was a sudden minor hull breach during the fish course. There was tilapia everywhere." She looked down at Nick. "Did you enjoy your meat courses, by the way? All synthetic protein, of course."
Nick looked surprised. "I thought it was insect meat. Do you mean it was manufactured? It was delicious- one of the best meals I'd ever had."
"I've never had a guest compliment synthetic protein by comparing it to insect meat," she said, amused. She looked thoughtful. "In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone compliment synthetic protein, period."
Judy looked vaguely ill. "Synthetic protein? How do they- is it, like, grown in a vat or something-"
Nick held up a paw, forestalling her. "I'd prefer to let that sleeping dog lie, quite frankly," he said with a grimace. "Let's leave it at 'I liked it.'"
"That's more or less the attitude we have," agreed Tosetti with a smile. Her expression sobered. "Mr. Wilde, Miss Hopps. I find myself in the awkward position of having to apologize for the captain."
Barker shook her head. "No, Commander, no apologies needed. The captain has clearly been through a lot-"
"It doesn't excuse impoliteness of that extent," said Tosetti firmly. "Although- look, I don't want to make excuses, but you must understand that Captain Oakes was recently up on charges based on the Horne fiasco."
"The corrupt bureaucrat?" said Judy in surprise. She looked at Nick, remembering his severe injuries, and her face hardened. "The captain was involved in that?"
"No, no," said Tosetti. "He had merely met with Horne a short time before Horne left for Terra. It was a perfectly aboveboard meeting, from what I've heard- a political thing. Oakes needed support from the Expansionist Party leaders to be confirmed for promotion."
Judy frowned. "That's aboveboard? Sounds kinda shady to me."
The first officer shrugged. "It's politics. Anyway, the captain was probably pretty worried- from what I hear, there were at least half a dozen officers of his rank shot for their part in those operations."
"Shot?" repeated Nick, unsure if he heard correctly. "Meaning-"
Tosetti looked at him in surprise. "Shot." She mimed raising a rifle to her shoulder. "Firing squad, blindfold, last cigarette. The whole nine yards."
They looked at her blankly. "They shot people?" said Judy in a near-whisper.
"Yes," said Tosetti. "Of course. I mean, how many of your people died? Of course we took drastic action. We may not be allies, but you are- or were- technically a friendly state."
"How many?" asked Barker.
"Did we shoot?" Tosetti shrugged. "Maybe twenty or thirty."
The mammals all stared at her, shocked. She didn't seem to notice, but checked her watch. "I'm on duty in twenty minutes. Again, I apologize for the dinner- maybe next time will be better." She nodded to them and walked off.
There was a long silence, finally broken by Barker clearing her throat. "Well, maybe this is sort of a good thing. I mean, if they'll execute twenty...or thirty..." she trailed off and swallowed nervously.
"I know what you're thinking," said Nick. "If they'll do that to their own people..."
"What might they do to us?" finished Judy.
Author's Note: You find your author in philosophical mood today.
Hunter's little speech to Shepherd is, more or less, a restatement of Nietzschean ethics. It boils down to deconstructing all existing moral systems, then reconstructing them based not on a nebulous idea like Kantian morals (which leads to some odd scenarios when taken to extremes) or a Rawlsian ethical system (which presupposes people to be better at game theory than they likely are), but rather is a realistic appraisal of how and why to have more or less absolute moral standards in a universe with no provision for natural justice.
At least, that's how I read it. Nietzsche is notoriously unclear in many respects.
It should be noted that this presupposes the non-existence of a superior being that creates morality and punishes transgressors. I mean no disrespect to those of faith- I do not believe that this way is the only way, or necessarily correct. It's just a very humanist philosophy, with an emphasis on agency and hope, which is one of the things I like to highlight in my works. As always, too, the opinions of my characters- even protaganists- do not necessarily reflect my own views, nor do I intend them necessarily to be always right or even wise. It's just a point of view.
It's been a minute since I thanked my readers, so I feel I should here. Every comment showing you're invested in my story helps keep my motivation high, so I really appreciate it. I'm not saying I would stop completely if no one commented/reviewed- I'm not holding the story for ransom- but it certainly helps me maintain my enthusiasm to see the enthusiasm of others. Thanks guys, and I hope you enjoy reading!
