Unofficial observation from Ambassador Saltum to President Goesel: Trying to get these missionaries to work together…you had a better chance of herding cats on an open plain. Then, after the museum incident, everything changed.
Chapter Nine
The program on the flat screen began and both Luke and Elosha started to watch.
CNN news Presentation. An interview with Dina Stokley:
Good evening, everyone. We're grateful that you could join us on this Sunday evening as we bring to you the fifth segment in our hour-long series of interviews with our interstellar relatives. As our world has taken the first tentative steps into space in the last twenty years, we've found out that we are indeed not alone. We've met real aliens, some hostile while others who have become close friends throughout these past two decades. We have contacted people displaced from Earth, kidnapped by aliens known as the Goa'uld over the past ten thousand years and discovered some of the horrors and majesty that those people have endured. We've learned so much about the galaxy at large yet we know that we've barely touched the surface.
Some of our earlier first contacts through the now infamous stargate were friendly and filled with hope. We've met the Asgard, although at the time we dismissed the alien as a hoax when in reality it was a truth hidden underneath our very noses. 'Wormhole X-Treme!' a beloved science fiction program that dominated that airwaves is now known to have been modeled after the real life experiences of Stargate command. Their weekly adventured turned out to be far more than just the writers' imagination.
Not all of it has been positive. Other First Contacts have brought us close at times to utter annihilation. We've discovered that by our mere existence we've been labeled threats and targeted for destruction. The former Goa'uld Empire, despite its immense resources and powerbase that spanned this galaxy was broken by the determined and self-sacrificing efforts of the members of the SGC, our allies, newfound friends and more than a bit of luck. As our former President said, "we defeated them despite our overwhelming ignorance'.
However once the System Lords were all but wiped out, a new series of threats appeared to take their places. The new Goa'uld Systems Lords known collectively as the Astorath, have come into power and now pose a significant threat to several areas of the galaxy including our own region of space. The Lucian Alliance, originally a criminal organization operating under the collective noses of the System Lords, now a government unto itself, has threatened and attacked our forces and those of our allies. This human-based organization has filled the gaps where the System Lords once ruled and openly consider Earth to be an obstacle to be removed. Although the Alliance has many resources including forced slave labor of at least six worlds, they've also made many enemies. The Astorath have mounted several attacks against the Alliance and their long-term survival is in doubt as they are being forced to abandon several of their outer star systems.
However, as I've said, Earth has not escaped the attention of several nations that either wants to destroy us or ally themselves with us for mutual protection and survival. We've been the subject of attacks by aliens known as the Wraith, predatory aliens best described as space-vampires who think of us as little more than food sources. But we've also encountered beneficial aliens who by their actions saved Earth from destruction several times. The now extinct Asgard was one of the races instrumental in helping us to defend ourselves against the Goa'uld and they were the ones that ultimately chose us to bear the heavy responsibility of caring for many other worlds under the so-called Protected Planets Treaty, a controversial act that still has its distracters such as congressman John Kinsey and Senator James Kinsey, both sons of former Vice-President Robert Kinsey. Senator James Kinsey won the Indiana seat his father once held four years earlier after a contentious contest against his liberal opponent, Warren Zeinck. Their younger sister, Utah representative Janice Kinsey-Clark has joined her family at opposing any additional support by the United States of the treaty. Stanch opponents of President Hayes and current President Ernest Boyd, all three have voiced opposition of the US helping 'alien nations' in any form, stating that it only leads to a draining of our military and economic resources, and war. John Kinsey was quoted stating that Earth should take responsibility in developing and upgrading our own defenses, not trying to save people on worlds that we have nothing to do with. 'They should take care of themselves as we've done for ourselves. Their objections have resonated among the more conservative blocks here in the United States and our own world. In spite of the influx of enormous amounts of wealth in gold, silver, and other precious metals, minerals as well as technology, there are those who believe Earth has no business interfering with the natural development of the planets protected under the treaty. Despite their objections and their supporters, President Boyd, the government of the United States and the rest of the nations in the Stargate Coalition have continued to strongly support the treaty.
There are those who disagree with those assertions made by the Kinseys and others, however there are many people who are deeply concerned with the number of wars Earth has been involved in since the discovery of the stargate. The consensus is that there was no way to avoid the Goa'uld conflict as that empire would have rediscovered us whether we had opened the gate or not. If the Wraith or Lucian Alliance had found us before we discovered the stargate we would have been in a war many experts believe we as a world would have lost. But because we defeated the System Lords and changed the balance of power in the galaxy we precipitated the conflict between those empires. It does present a strong argument for those who would have been against opening the stargate. But it is a fact that if we hadn't had the fortune or as some would suggest, the misfortune of finding the gate, then the entire galaxy would have fallen to the replicators. Earth was directly responsible for destroying the mechanical entities, something the far more advanced Asgard failed to do.
There was another invasion, a kind of galactic foothold situation that occurred several weeks before the Terran Prometheus, as the designation was called at that time, made first contact with the colonies of Kobol. Our government has been very tight-lipped as to where the threat originated from, but we do know that several major military actions took place against what many experts still consider an alpha-level threat. Not none official government who was involved or has knowledge of his incident has commented about this threat except to say that it was an extra-dimensional incursion. Despite intensive investigations by our staff and others, we have not been able to uncover many details, but we know that the Asgard along with Earth's then meager forces stopped these so-called aliens from some other space, not hyperspace, a third space if you will, from gaining a foothold in our galaxy. Other than the name First Ones, we have little information about that threat. However, we do know that two populated worlds were destroyed and the Asgard race sacrificed itself to keep these entities from establishing themselves in this galaxy and save Earth once more as Earth was, for some reason that is still classified a the highest levels, targeted for destruction. It was the selfless actions of a fledgling Earth's military forces that convinced the Asgard to turn over all of their technological and scientific knowledge before they perished. With those gifts came a responsibility, the promise to protect other worlds under the treaty that the Asgard had enforced for thousands of years. What wasn't well known was that at one time, Earth was also under auspices of the Protective Planets Treaty. The Asgard trusted us to continue their legacy, and it is a responsibility that all of the countries under the IOA and their replacement organization has and will honor. For with the discovery of the stargate there came a responsibility. It is a two-edged sword that we as a people have to handle very carefully. Because of its presence, for better or worse, we have been seen by the larger galaxy.
In 2014, after the Prometheus incident the Kobollian-Cylon war heated up. Things came to a head in 2016 when an all out assault destroyed the Cylon civilization forcing the survivors to flee or be wiped out. In August of 2017 a Colonial expedition force tracking their mortal enemies discovered two previously unknown worlds populated by descendent from humans kidnapped from Earth more than three thousand five hundred years ago by the Goa'uld. It's been determined that those kidnapped were part of the last major incursions by the Goa'uld before the Supreme System Lord Ra forbad any more contact with Earth. Other than having met the Prometheus, this was the Colonials first known contact with people outside the Colonies in more than two thousand years.
The Cylon survivors unexpectedly found Earth in 2018. By then Earth had survived three 'known' extraterrestrial attacks: the renegade Goa'uld Anubis, the Wraith, and the enigmatic First One aliens whose name is still classified. We now come to another conflict that happened a little more than three years ago between Earth and the Colonies of Kobol. This happened inside our solar system close enough to Earth that it could be seen by a horrified planet as nuclear weapons were detonated within view of anyone looking outside at the sky. Colonial forces, incensed that we granted asylum to their enemies attacked the Cylon remnants, our own space forces and eventually struck out at Earth…"
Elosha looked on in horror as Luke paused the screen. "Is that what they think of us?"
"We attacked them," Luke said. "Notice that it doesn't quite match with what we were told but I had no idea that it was that bad." He shook his head in disgust as the realization struck him. "We used nuclear weapons on people we'd never really met before. It explains a lot. As much as we're upset by the number of our men and women who died, they haven't forgotten either and, I think these people have very long memories. This wasn't an 'it's over, and in the past' situation like it would be in the Colonies. We were at the brink of a conflict worse that the Cylon war."
"I don't want to think about it. Please, let's continue."
Elosha continued listening intently at the history of the Colonials being presented. It was nevertheless irritating that the Earthers knew more about the recent events happening on her world than she did. The priestess didn't even bother to acknowledge Ambassador Saltum as he quietly sat down next to here and began watching the interview. The man placed a package on the table as he began studying the interview.
"A recent incident between Tollanian forces and the Colonial military has sparked an increase in the lines of communication between the Colonials and us. A few weeks ago the Colonials have begun to reach out attempting to improve relations between our allies, themselves and us. Since that crisis there has been an uneasy peace between the two nations while Earth focuses on the new system lords on the other side of the galaxy. With hyperspace drives and interstellar stargates allowing us travel to anywhere in the galaxy, it's sobering to be reminded of the terrible responsibility we all have, not only to ourselves bu to those we make contact in the future.
The Cyrannus star system is home to approximately forty-five to sixty billion humans located on twelve different planets. The Cyrannus star system is a unique system which contains a pair of binary stars orbiting a common barycenter at a distance of one sixteenth light years from binary barycenter to binary barycenter. This unique system was discovered by the Colonials more than two thousand years ago. The people of the Colonies believe Kobol, not Earth to be the origin of mankind. They believe that Earth is one of their primary colonies that was lost to time and history during the great exodus from the planet Kobol. The religion of the Colonials is based on polytheism. Many of the people worship the gods that are present in the Hellenic beliefs of ancient Rome along with a smattering of other beliefs including some of the Nordic beliefs added.
The ambassador quietly said, "This is the type of information I've been sending back home. Their data about us is impressive and we've barely scratched the surface about them. They're speaking of aliens and non-human cultures, things we barely believed in until a few years ago."
The others all nodded.
Twenty minutes later, the program ended.
"This is out there for all Terrans to see," Luke said. "But is it real or is this some sort of propaganda to keep the people somehow off-balanced?"
"I can't see why they could do that," Elosha chided. "Their reporters are just as competent as ours and such a deception would be sniffed out. Besides, what reason would they have to lie about aliens? We know now that they exist."
"I know," Luke answered. "I'm agreeing with you. I'm just looking at it from another point of view."
"But they're talking about traveling to other galaxies."
"Yes, they are," interrupted Saltum. "I've sent reports home but I'm not sure they're believed me. For your information, our diplomatic packets takes about three weeks to reach Makaria. Then we can transmit our data home. That's a minimum of two months to get a response unless we use our embassy transmitter."
"But those transmissions can be easily intercepted," Luke surmised.
"That's why we've resorted to using diplomatic pouches," the ambassador affirmed. "This program," he said pointing at the television, "is specifically about us for this world to see. They've painted a huge target on us and there are a lot of people more than willing to injure or kill us just because we've dared to step foot on this planet. We're isolated behind these fences and walls for a reason, never forget that when you go out and speak to them."
Elosha glared at him. "We're not about to hide behind these walls. We can't learn about these people if we're too afraid to speak to them."
"I agree with you," Saltum said. "As you've seen, this particular program focused on us."
"It makes sense that the locals are as interested in us as we are in them," Luke said.
"True and we do need the exposure in a positive sense. We need to show them that we're not a threat and that we can work together if given a chance. That is one of your purposes for being here, isn't it?"
Elosha froze for a moment before speaking. "We're here to help them recapture their heritage, to bring back to these people into the gracious hands of the gods and for us to learn about each other and bring us closer together." She paused. "That is what I initially believed. But now, I'm not so sure," she quietly added. "We may be wrong in most of our assumptions."
"Finally, someone else has come to my own conclusions!" muttered Luke. "It only took me three days to see that we're way off base."
Apparently Saltum heard him because he nodded slowly. "We've many assumptions about Terrans that should be re-evaluated." Slowly he sat back in his chair. "I think they believe that I've been somehow compromised."
"Because you're sending them reports that don't coincide with their expectations?" Elosha gently asked. "Granted, some of what we've seen does seem impossible. I have to admit that and I'm here witnessing it firsthand. But this is why President Adar has been named the new ambassador?" As she said those last words, she never wavered at the Colonial ambassador.
"There are those who believe that I've either gone native or that I've been compromised by the Terran intelligence agencies here and have therefore introduced a questionable element into their data mining, or so I've been told by the President."
"That's foolish," Luke exclaimed. "If anything, you've probably understated the situation here!"
"Thank you for your vote of confidence. President Adar is of the same opinion. He's told me that he has no intention of taking over my position. In fact, now that he's been on Earth involved in the conference, he told them he has a more important position to fill."
"Well, please don't keep us in suspense. What is he going to do?"
"He will be the Colonial ambassador to the allied worlds of the new alliance the Terrans are forming."
"They're forming an alliance with other worlds?" Elosha asked.
"Yes, including the Tollanians."
This frightened Elosha. "What about us? Will we asked to join?"
"We've not been invited," Saltum drily answered. "They don't trust us."
Luke began banging his head on the table. "I wonder why?" he moaned. "Do you realize the opportunities we're missing? Even if they're not the Thirteenth Tribe, we'd be stronger with them than without. I don't want to be enemies with the Terrans."
"We acted harshly," announced an angry Elosha. "The scrolls says to treat others with respect if you wish for them to do the same to you."
"They need to get to know us, be exposed to us," the ambassador said. "We need to show them that we are not their enemies. The gods know we can't do anything to them without them crushing us. And–there are dangers out there we are not prepared to encounter without help. We simply must grow and spread but we can't do that without the help of these people. Their experience with the galaxy at large is invaluable. We need to have them as friends, real friends with these people for commerce, security and exploration. This is another aspect where I think you, our missionaries can help with."
"Help how?" asked Luke through narrowed eyes.
"The Terran news reporters have repeatedly asked me for interviews since you've arrived. Would you be interested in a personal one-on-one with them, to explain who and what we are, what we believe and why we're here?"
"Ambassador, you've been on Earth for more than a year. Why can't you do it?"
'I think it would be more effective if one of you did it," he explained. "You represent the common, average Colonial citizen, not the politician with an obvious agenda."
Both missionaries looked at him, surprised by the reasoning.
"I'll have a talk to the rest of us but I don't see a problem with it," said Elosha. "It will be fascinating to listen to the questions they ask. We can learn as much about them by their questions as much as by their answers."
"I'm glad you feel that way," he stated, "but first things first. I have your watches." Elosha looked at him curiously while Luke was positively beaming. "These are the Apple Four series specially made for us." Opening the package, he passed out an identified item to each of them.
Opening her package, Elosha scrutinized the catch carefully. It was beautifully designed with silver inlay as she requested. The movement looks and even the designed made it look as If it were a standard watch. Even the diamonds looked three dimensional instead of the digital image she knew it to be. "Beautiful," she said.
"And functional," Luke added. The watch was already on his wrist and he was looking at it like a master artist looking for flaws in the image. "It's so thin. But it's not selling as well the company hoped according to the net. A shame really. If they couldn't sell it to us. Caprica would be out of their minds trying to get one."
"Yes" Saltum answered. "It has a battery life of four days before you are required to recharge, if it's not exposed to the sun. The micro-solar cell collectors can keep it powered indefinitely as long as it's exposed to sunlight. The watch can tell the time in any region on this planet, plus it can convert to Caprican standard by voice command. "Of course," he sighed, "it's a full functioning phone and mini-computer. It has camera and video capability with super high definition capability with a max of 3 hours for video recording, full digital stereo sound and playback. It can translate any of thirty preprogrammed languages and transmit it to your micro-green tooth. It can automatically translate Caprican standard into Americana and Britania Englisa and three other common languages for anyone wearing a similar device. Now," the ambassador continued, "for your security, it has global tracking to within two meters anywhere on the planet. It will also monitor heart rate, blood pressure and skin texture and other biometrics. Any biological changed will be immediately detected and if necessary the watch will send out a warming to authorities. That, along with your voice and optical identifier will lock the device to you only. It wirelessly connects to your computer or tablet protected by your biometric code so it can't be hacked or interfered with. Once your biometric have been imputed, no one will be able to use it unless you specifically send the company the code to give permission to unlock it. The company will them transmit the code and the system re-activate your watch. Without that code the watch is all but useless."
"How can they put all of this into something this small?" a stunned Elosha asked. A few seconds later she frowned. "It's too small for me, I won't be able to read the writing on the screen."
"Old eyes like mine." Saltum smiled. "The face is smart glass and can the watch will connect to our tablet, the tablet Apple supplies, or most computers. But the face also opens into a four inch flat screen. It's some kind of metal glass expansion technique I've never seen before."
"How can that do that?" asked Luke with more than a bit of envy.
"I don't know."
"Wait until they see this at home," Luke smirked. "Does this have internet access?"
"This is Earth," Saltum intoned drily.
"Wait, will they allow us to keep them?" he nearly whined.
"Yessss, Luke. But many of the functions won't be active but it will be a great looking watch. I imagine that the camera, video and sound should work as well as the personal biometric security. However Colonial Intelligence may demand you hand over the watch and accessories to them when you get home."
"No!" wailed a very horrified Luke.
Julian Soter, carrying the package given to him to bring to the oracle, walked up to a door left ajar. He took a deep breath and knocked causing the door to slowly open. What he saw was Dodona lounging on large pillows. The oracle herself was dressed in a light grey robe and a blue turban whose veil was loosely draped on her chest.
Julian was slightly surprised by how quickly the oracle had decorated her room. Elaborate wooden candle-stands stood scattered around the room, somber draperies were hung on the walls and over the window to give the atmosphere of being inside a tent. More candles burned on a low table beside a stone-carved bowl filled with water. He knew that Dodona preferred the simple life of living in tents at the edge of the Pustiu Desert on Gemenon in the shadow of the vast and forbidding Gramada Mountains. Apparently she decorated her room accordingly.
"Come in, Julian. Don't be afraid. Poor thing, you must be hurting." Dodona winced as if from a particularly strong headache. She picked up a vial of what looked like grey-purple sugar crystals and poured out several of the crystals into the palm of her hand. She picked up an open bag of Hershey's caramel kisses and poured out some tiny dark pointed-domed pieces of chocolate. The oracle threw her head back as she tossed the mix of crystals and chocolate pieces into her mouth.
She grimaced and licked her lips. "Chamalla's so bitter! Thank the gods Earth has chocolate caramels." She smiled as she appreciated the sweet taste of the familiar yet alien candy. The favor was very close to what she was used to but at the same time, there was a difference that allowed her to tell that this particular type of chocolate wasn't from any of the worlds she knew. "Zeus sees all. Sees you, Julian Deliverer. Sees your pain. Your destiny. All the Gods weep for you."
Quickly he slipped in, placing the small package next to her. "I…I'm not sure why I came here, my real reason, that is. Oh, I know it's because of my outburst against the Terrans and my need to grieve for my father, but…."
Dodona inclined her turbaned head to show her appreciation of Julian's honesty.
"It is your pain that brings you to me. The pain of your father dying on the Severus when the Tollanians destroyed the battlestar, the pain of your mother being left alone at home, the pain of not having the time to grieve and…" Dodona glanced up into Julian's eyes. "…the pain of not truly believing in the gods."
Julian's eyes shifted around the room as he frowned, looking for a mental escape. "How…how do you know?"
Dodona smiled a smile that screamed 'hey, I am the Oracle', and gestured toward another pile of pillows, and Julian kneeled and sat disbelievingly.
The oracle pressed her point, "You don't know what you believe and that is why you're here."
"But…but I'm a priest, a priest of Apollo and Helios!"
"A priest who had not the time to grieve for his father's death and a priest who doubt the existence of the gods."
Julian opened and closed his mouth as he thought of ways to refute the oracle. He had no defense against truth. Finally: "I was chosen for the mission to Earth. Maybe the Synod chose me before I was ready, maybe it's an opportunity for me to learn about the Terran god." A wry half-smile on his face appeared and disappeared quickly. "If the Lords of Kobol are not real, then the Terran god is not real. Just what we've been saying all along."
Dodona glanced down at the flickering candlelight reflected in the pool of water in the stone bowl. Her head seemed a little unsteady. Julian thought it was the chamalla taking effect in her. "That god is not just the Terran god. He is also the Cylon god and the god of the old Monad Church."
Now Julian doubted her. "Really? The Terrans, the Cylons and the Monads all together?"
"I believe so. Each came to God in their own different ways," she clarified. "I've wandered the Pustiu Desert with the Borellian Nomen on Gemenon—"
Julian interrupted, "I thought the Borellian nomen are all in the Borellian Desert on Canceron."
"Some immigrated to Gemenon since the First Cylon War. Something about not putting all eggs in one basket, even though they're the only ones who've successfully repelled the Cylon Centurions in the ground war," she clarified dismissively. "Anyway, in my wanderings, I've often stopped in the ruins of the Monad Church's basilica and palace in a canyon in the plateau of Spatiu Gol. I've often communed with the Monad god there."
Surprised, Julian blurted, "But it's a false god!"
Dodona smiled. "Do you know of the Illumini Pantheon?"
Julian nodded. "A complex of temples on Gemenon where all the gods ever mentioned in the Sacred Scrolls are worshiped."
Dodona added, "…including the jealous god whose name cannot be spoken."
Julian recognized the description as coming from the Sacred Scrolls. From what little reading he'd done on the Terran internet, he recognized similarities with the Terran Hebrew God and to a lesser extent the Christian God derived from the Hebrew one. His eyes widened at the implications. Then they clouded under a frown. "But…I'm not even sure any of the gods are real."
The oracle shrugged as if that did not matter to her. "The Lords of Kobol are as real to their worshippers as the Unknown God is to the Cylons and the Terrans. They are as real as any of the other gods that you would dismiss as a myth because they are real in the minds of their worshippers. They all speak through me. Who are we to say that they are not gods?"
Julian frowned. "You're talking about ecumenicalism. But…the different religions cannot all be right."
"In the minds of the followers, each religion is right, the same as the gods. Again, who are we to say they're all wrong?"
The frown stayed on Julian's face. "And my father? Did he truly cross the river over to the Elysian Fields?"
"He believed he did. If you believe, when your time comes, you will see your father again no matter what religion you are in. You will be happy when that happens. That's all that matters."
Julian wasn't sure if he was al all satisfied with that answer. The Oracle's logic appeared correct but it sounded to him as if the gods were real only as determined by the minds of the believers. If no one believed then the gods therefore couldn't exist. But that begged the question were the gods real in spite of the believer's faith. Or, was she right?
Dodona winced in apparent pain. She rubbed her forehead and ate more chamalla with chocolate caramel kisses.
Julian frowned. Too much of the drug, no matter the reason wasn't good. "Are you okay? Should I get the embassy doctor?"
The oracle waved a hand and smiled tiredly. "No, it's okay."
But Dodona knew that she wasn't really okay. Ever since stepping out of that shuttle that brought the missionaries to Earth, she had been hearing a faint droning buzzing sound, almost like a distant diesel engine idling. It was barely audible to her. No matter where she was, she could hear it. It seemed that nobody else among the missionaries and other Kobolians could hear it. Earplugs and playing music did nothing. But the chamalla helped—only as long as the effects lasted in the oracle. Which meant being open to the voices of the gods.
Earth was a pain. Were the gods angry because she dared to step foot on this world in her personal search for truth?
Julian said, "I have your watch from Ambassador Saltum," as he pointed to the box next to her. "He wants us to keep it on whenever we leave the Embassy."
"He only wishes to help the gods protect us." Her second wave was a clear dismissal. "I will honor his request."
In another part of the embassy, Tyberi sighed as he sat patiently in his chair. In front of him, Ursula was in a high-backed chair, writing on a piece of paper on her desk. The priestess had rearranged this room into something resembling a principal's office. Tyberi mentally rolled his eyes at the arrangement. Was the woman trying to recreate the domain that she left behind in the Colonies? Tyberi fidgeted in his chair and sighed again, more audibly to get her attention.
Ursula continued to scribble, clearly ignoring him.
Tyberi frowned. The priestess was obviously making him wait to show her power and closeness with Livia. He looked around at the modest room. Very few personal mementos were visible. A closed door likely led to Ursula's bedroom.
Ursula, still writing, suddenly said, "You wanted to speak to me?"
Startled, he said, "Yes. About our mission."
"What about it?"
"I just wanted to make sure that we're on the same page about the mission to bring the Terrans back to the Lords of Kobol."
Ursula looked up, her eyebrows rising dubiously. What does that mean? Tyberi wondered.
Now focusing on her letter, she continued to write.
Tyberi sighed peevishly. "I would like to know what you can do to achieve the goals of the mission."
Ursula didn't even look up. "Whatever I can."
The priest pressed his lips in frustration at the priestess while she signed her name, folded the paper, inserted it into an envelope marked SPECIAL COURIER DELIVERY, and closed the envelope, pressing along the adhesive line. She pressed a stamp-seal into an inkpad and banged it on the envelope's top flap, causing Tyberi to jump in his chair. He sighed at his foolish reaction and wondered what Ursula was writing about to Livia. Livia could only be the recipient—it was obvious to him.
The priestess shook out another piece of paper from a drawer and started writing again. That earned yet another irritated sigh from Tyberi. He was supposed to be the leader of the mission and yet this woman was making him feel like he'd been sent to the principal's office.
Which might be the point.
Tyberi gave a small wry chuckle at the thought. "Did it ever occur to you that as leaders of the mission, we should be working together and you should be communicating your thoughts with me rather than some other cleric who is thousands of light-years away from here?" He smiled widely. "We are allies here, you and me. You care about Colonial integrity, like me. You care about the success of the Colonial people and the gods more than anything else, as do I. You certainly proved that with your own daughter. It's quite laudable, really."
Ursula threw a cold glare at him. Tyberi swallowed as he realized that he went too far with that last statement. Being too late to backtrack, he plunged on. "Well, I mean to say I wish to contribute to the success of the mission. I know you have ideas and I certainly have ideas. As the appointed leader of the mission, I have the most to contribute to the mission's success and its legacy."
Tyberi waited for a reply as the priestess finished writing. He resisted the temptation to fidget nervously. He was the leader, not some young student terrified of his cold-blooded instructor.
Ursula signed her name and folded the letter. She leaned back into her high-backed chair, dropped her pen on the desk and said, "All right. Contribute."
Tyberi smiled as he sat up straight in his chair. Finally some recognition from the hard-nosed Ursula. "The Earth Internet is a problem."
The priestess gave him a sidelong look. "The extent of network integration on Earth is certainly disturbing, but the internet is proving to be an invaluable source of information. It's allowing us to prepare for the end of the week when we officially go outside, meet representatives of Earth various religious counterparts and show them the true representatives of the gods."
"That's just it, Ursula. Some of us are not having reactions from the immunizations. Elosha, Luke, Julian, Silas, you and I. We can go now, begin things and let the others catch up when they're ready. It's the personal experience that will prepare us rather than some words on a computer screen."
Ursula arched an eyebrow as if she was surprised at Tyberi having this much insight. "I've had similar thoughts. That's why I had Ambassador Saltum arrange a visit to a school and a museum today for us."
Tyberi blinked. This was the first he was hearing of this. Then he flushed as he suppressed his anger at Ursula not running this by him. So that's why the ambassador gave them the tracking watches today. He was the mission leader! He swallowed his pride; after all, Ursula is still a close friend of Livia and was writing what had to be reports to that woman. Plus, at heart he was a humble man and had no wish to start a fight over this. "Ah…well. Thank you for anticipating the problem. It's too bad that Father Iblison is not at Tau Ceti anymore, otherwise he could easily send share his experience and wisdom with us."
There, Tyberi thought. That should put this, this usurper on notice that she's not the only one with friends in high places.
"Oh, Iblison," Ursula snorted. She put her folded letter in another envelope, sealed it and stamped it. Then she took yet another piece of paper and began to write again. "I've seen venereal diseases I've liked better than Father Iblison." Then she smiled coldly as she added, "don't you agree?"
Another recipient of her reports on the mission's progress? Just how many friends in high places did she have? Tyberi bit the inside of his cheek. Time for another tact. "Sister Lucy is becoming a concern."
"Oh?" she asked, inviting him to continue.
"She's proving to have the potential to be…a problem for us and the mission. She believes that the item Saltum gave her might be used to control her personal space and freedoms. That, and I'm trying to find ways for her to control her reactions to the Terrans."
"Good. You should." The pen kept scratching on the paper.
"She should follow the example of the gods and be an example to our people and to the Earth people. Let us work together to help her be professional rather than having her act like some reactionary fanatic to the local polys, monads, whatever."
Ursula rolled her eyes even as she continued to scribble. "Give me priests who are fat, corrupt and cynical—the sort who like to wear silks, nibble sweets and diddle little rumps on the side," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. Tyberi, it's the ones who truly believe in gods who make the trouble." She paused as she pointed the top end of her pen at Tyberi. "That's the thing about Livia. Livia is a woman of little morals and some persuasion. She truly believes but she knows how to rein in her beliefs and subject them to the goals of the Faith."
Tyberi was taken aback at this cold assessment of the high priestess who was supposed to be Ursula's close friend. It also place her in a totally different light in his eyes. "And what are we going to do about Lucy?"
The priestess hummed noncommittally as she went back to her writing. "For now, nothing."
He frowned. "Nothing? Are you going to let her make me look foolish in front of the Earth people?"
Ursula looked up and dismissively said, "You don't need any help from me, Father."
Tyberi smiled and confidently said, "That's right. I really don't." His answer had nothing to do with her insinuation.
She returned to the letter. After a moment, Tyberi started frowning. Wait a minute…. He shook his head, dismissing her crack for now. He wasn't here to fight. "There's just one thing I don't understand."
Ursula looked up from the letter incredulously. "One thing?"
"As you may know," he said, ignoring another one of her thinly-veiled insults. "I was once involved in psychiatry on Virgon."
"Yes, I know. You specialized in helping paranoid and homicidal lunatics suffering from delusions of grandeur."
"Yes, but now I work for the Colonial government."
"So your work has not changed," she deadpanned.
That infuriated Tyberi for a moment as he struggled to control himself. "Mother Ursula, I can tell that you don't trust or respect me. Why? Why is that? I mean, it's clear from the way you've made arrangements with Ambassador Saltum without my knowledge." He slid forward on his chair and rested a hand on the desk in a gesture of beseeching. "I may be a priest from Virgon and you're from Tauron, but don't let the past bad history of Virgon and Tauron come in between us."
Ursula stopped writing and sat back in her chair again. She frowned slightly at the priest sitting across the desk from her. Calmly, she said, "I don't distrust you because you're from Virgon and I'm from Tauron. I distrust you because you're not as smart as you think you are. Otherwise, you'd know exactly what to do with Miss Ferro and I wouldn't have to go to Saltum about the visit to the school and museum. If you were smart enough to know your limits, perhaps I will be more confident about the success of our mission." With that, she calmly returned to her letter, signed it and put it in an envelope. Tyberi slowly nodded as he plastered a small shaky smile on his face even as he reeled inside from the shock of Ursula's calm cold and infuriating delivery.
If looks could kill, Tyberi would've rapidly seen Ursula in the grave right at this very moment. He'd done nothing to her, except respect her and her position, something she didn't reciprocate. He was rapidly becoming sick of her snarky, disrespectful attitude. This wasn't some sort of competition. They needed to work together. Things here were far more complicated than first believed. If he wasn't mistaken these Terran priests were about to test Colonial beliefs and their faith to the limits. He and the others were already shaken by what had been discovered so far.
"Perhaps…," he ventured after a moment. "Perhaps you should take your own advice. Earth is far more complex than we took it for. What we've learned in the last few days should have given you notice of that. Perhaps you should rein in your narrow-mindedness and look at the larger picture instead just what's in front of your very prominent nose," he angrily said. "Perhaps you should use your vast intelligence to stop Lucy from doing whatever she wants on a whim."
Ursula looked up and gravely studied Tyberi. He was fighting back. Good–as long as he didn't overdo it. Finally she said, "I will."
United Terran Ship Achilles
Destination Home II
Time is not on our side.
Those words continued to echo in the mind of Risson, 37th to bear the name as the future Emperor of Home. But he wasn't the Emperor of Home. That honorable and terrible responsibility belonged to Runshan the current ruler. Home was recovering from what only could be described as a nightmare.
No member of the Race could ever recall a time when they weren't the rulers of all they surveyed. Worlds fell before them; they civilized the primitives on those worlds, converting those inhabitants into loyal members of the Empire. The Race feared nothing because they saw nothing to fear. The encounter with the Tosevites changed all of that and the Race would never be the same.
Time is not on our side.
Fleetlord Atvar met the Tosevites, or Terrans as they choose to be called, and that encounter fated him to become the first fleetlord ever to fail his Emperor's command to add another world to the Empire. In fairness, he could not be held responsible for that failure as the Terrans were frighteningly powerful, unbelievably advanced, and they possessed star-spanning vessels that traveled many times faster than the speed of light. They possessed weapons that dwarfed anything the Race had built.
When the conquest fleet arrived at Tosev's–or Earth's–star system in their great ships, they had come to conquer–they weren't prepared to lose. The Race never planned for, never imagined the possibility that the conquest fleet would have to defend against space-hatched threats and were therefore helpless against Terran ships that could have easily blown the Race fleet into small fragments of twisted metal and floating pieces of dead males.
When Emperor Risson heard of the spectacular failure, he, like so many others, first assumed that the conquest fleet had been, or would be destroyed within claw's reach of Tosev Three. But he was as surprised as Emperor Runshan when the Terrans instead traveled to Home to offer the gift of peace, and shockingly offered a different, new world for the Race when he half expected a dust storm of death and destruction to touch the surface of Home. Privately, the male blessed all of the ancestral Emperors of Home's past that his nightmare hadn't come true. Peace cracked its shell and crawled out into the hot sand instead of disaster.
The collective hiss of relief was in everyone's thoughts, but as with so many things, it wasn't to last. Risson should have realized that a storm was coming when he read the initial and then detailed reports of the Terran war with the Cyrannus Colonial human faction. Explosive metal bombs, the Terrans called them nuclear bombs, saturated space as the two enemies fought while the Race vessels hiding behind Tosev's forth planet called Mars by the Terrans were unable to do anything stayed out of the way and record the events. Emperor Runshan should have heeded that warning however he as with the rest of the Race had missed them. How could he have known? Never in the Race's history had something of this magnitude occurred. Not even the explosive eruption of the Sycissi super volcano some sixty thousand years ago could compare. When the volcano erupted, half the world died from the pollution and ash raining onto the whole of Home. Tens of millions of eggs failed to hatch during those five years of devastation. Many historians concluded that this event was what finally unified Home and stabilized the Empire into what it was today. It forced the Lizardians to look to the stars. From then to now, there was little incentive to change what wasn't broken.
When the Terrans visited Home that newest warning was noted but the Emperor waited. He (and every other member of the government) took the time to understand the importance of this unprecedented event and the impact it would have on the people of Home. The Emperor believed there was time. And patience along with caution was a virtue of the Race.
Time is not on our side.
It was Home that was conquered instead of some other world! Tens of millions died as the enemies walked on the Home with impunity! The conquerors hadn't stayed and only later did his people find out the reason why, but the Race had changed forever. No longer could they afford to believe that the members of the Race were the center of the universe. That belief shattered like an egg smashed against the rocks. Risson was most grateful Emperor Runshan survived the attempted regicide by the Cyrannus humans only by the fact that he'd ben spirited away from the enemy. His fleeing the palace saved his life. The advisors and leaders of the Council of the Race were dead, cruelly murdered by the orders of the monster called Iblison. Of course there was no confirming proof that it was by that alien's order, but who else could have ordered such a horrible thing? That Cyrannus male ruled Home, therefore, the fault lay with him.
Risson survived only because he males of his security detachment had literally dragged him away from the city long before the Cyrannus conquerors came to take over. Like Runshan, he changed his body paint, in his case, to reflect that of an assistant public conveyance driver. He was spared the fate of his fellow officials, advisors, his friends and competitors for the throne. Like his Emperor, the experience changed him forever.
Runshan, without the advice of his closest advisors made several truly remarkable decrees following his return to the palace, including the elevation of many second order rank and file males to positions of high authority. Using the subspace transmitter given them by the Terrans and kept hidden from the Cyrannus faction, he contacted the Terrans and arranged an emergence meeting with their ambassador. He ordered the males and females of Home to begin repairs and they did so. He instituted a permanent soldier's time on Home and ordered scientists to begin researching new technologies to better protect their world. This last order would prove particularly difficult as imagination and forward thinking wasn't a strong trait among the people and for the stability of the Empire had never really been encouraged. However the most frightening command he or any other Emperor ever issued was to decree himself Emperor-Prime and Risson the Emperor of Home II second only in power to Runshan, This effectively split the Empire into two distinct entities.
The males and females of Home, already traumatized, were near the breaking point and the emperor knew it. The Race didn't need more subjects, it needed allies. So, when he told the people of his sweeping changes, he also spoke to them of the survival of the Race and the Empire even if the Empire was fractured in the process.
Risson, the newly acknowledged Emperor of Home II, walked towards the window of his cabin to look at the bluish white of hyperspace. To his disappointment, it was unsurprisingly that the Race had never conceived of faster than light travel as a real possibility. Their scientists concluded that nothing could travel faster than light. Like the Terrans, the Race discovered that the speed of light is an unbreakable barrier at least by any known forms of matter. But the Terrans bypassed normal space-time laws by cheating. They continued to work to improve or change theories and laws that the Race knew to be impossible. That was the difference between the two species. Humans never stopped trying even if they knew it was impossible. That fearsome trait made them deadly enemies and even better friends and the irony was that these bad neighbors were also the best neighbors the Race could have.
First Imperial Advisor Tiryiss skittered next to and just behind the young Emperor. The male's excitement and fear was so evident that Risson and his other two advisors struggled mightily not to openly laugh at him–mostly to cover up their own fears. For the members of the Race to be completely dependent on the alien Terrans instead of their own species was more than frightening.
There was a soft ring indicating that one of the Terrans was at the door waiting to come in.
"Horrible sound." Tiryiss thought it uncivilized as everyone knew that hissing was so much better than some hideous bell-like sound that proved how alien they really were.
Risson's eye turrets swiveled towards his advisor. "Show disrespect again and you will be dismissed from your duties when we reach Home II and you will never see he face of the emperor again," Risson quietly hissed.
The young male's three head feathers flattened as backed away in horror. To be banished from the Emperor was the worst punishment a member of the Race could be faced with. "Please forgive me," he hissed back in supplication.
Risson's response was immediate. "You are forgiven. All of my advisors, listen to the words of the Emperor," and by that he meant the Emperor Prime. As one all eye turrets, including his lowered. "Our species walks on sands never before explored. Our Emperor steps before us. I step behind him. You follow me. Treat this not-empire as equal to our own. For the survival of the Race this must happen and we must not fear." The doorbell rang once more. "Let us speak with the ambassador and speak of the future of both our people."
With those words the matter was settled. He hated threatening his advisor, but the Race as a whole was uncomfortable with change and they were even more uncomfortable with the Terrans as it was their species that attacked and conquered and lay waste to Home. Risson knew better. The Terran Tosevite species was not the faction that conquered Home, but another faction separated and unknown by the Terrans for more than two thousand years. The Terran faction were actually friendly, helpful, literally gave them a world for their colony, and hadn't retaliated when the Race had tried to conquer them. But the Cyrannus faction was another matter altogether and despite the fervent desire to do so the Race couldn't return to the way things were less than a month ago.
One of the guards opened the door and Ambassador Bruce Anderson and his aide Sharon Lowe-Williams entered the room. Both humans towered over the under-five foot Lizardians, staring down at them in a scary, but non-threatening way.
"I greet you Emperor Risson," Anderson said as he bowed slightly. Sharon quietly followed suit.
"I return the greetings," Risson responded. One of his eye turrets swiveled around as he made sure that his advisors didn't do anything to provoke the Terrans. This wasn't Hone. The protocol for introducing one's self to the Emperor was different here. "Are you ready to reengage our talks?"
"Yes, I am," the ambassador said. All eye turrets pointed towards him and Sharon as she pulled out several documents that held points of concerns for the treaty that both sides were hammering out. "I have spoken to my leaders. They express their concern as to what the Cyrannus humans have done to your world but we will not directly involve ourselves in your war."
"Superior sir," began Yrir, Associate Imperial Advisor, and a female of the Race and the most vocal of Risson's advisors. She was shorter than the males in the room and if Anderson had to compare her to an Earth creature, she looked more like a version of some variation of iguana rather than the more Deinonychus, bird-like and warm-blooded creatures they resembled. "You have helped us in the past. You have given us Home II when you could have destroyed the conquest and colonization fleets. We have decoyed the Emperor's claim," and here she lowered her eye turrets as she mentioned her Emperor, upon Tosev III and possible colonies. The Cylon species live on Home II without interference. The Terrans live on Home II in peace. The members of the Race and the members of the Cylon and Terran species live in peace and wish only to continue to do so." She stopped for a moment and admired the translation device hung around her neck. "Why can you not help us to defend our world against the Cyrannus faction?"
"We are unhappy with the events that have happened on Home. The loss of life grieves us. But we will not go to war with them. If there were a formal treaty with the Race, then we would have helped you to defend your world," said Anderson.
"But the attacked you," Risson pointed out. "They are a threat to you and your world."
"The people of the Cyrannus faction are not a primary threat to us. They are a secondary threat. There are other, greater threats we must watch carefully and my leaders cannot expend resources in a war with them."
"No," First Imperial Advisor Tiryiss corrected. "You choose not to because they are of your species. Is this not true?"
"No, it is not true." The human male turned back to face the Emperor. "The empire of the Race has existed for more than fifty thousand Terran years. Now, it has been broken and you know that you are not what you believe yourselves to be. You have been broken and you eye turrets have been opened, but you are not weak."
"No," Risson agreed. "We are not weak. But my people have forgotten that they are strong. The Cyrannus Big Uglies have hurt us to the deepest core of our livers.
"If you are to survive then you must move past the hurt and regain your strength. You must prepare yourselves to take back what the Cyrannus Colonials took from you."
"We intend to retaliate," Yrir growled. "If it takes us a thousand years, we will not forget what was done to us."
"Emperor Risson, we will not fight for you but when the treaty is signed. We will help you to help yourself."
"When it is signed, we will mate ourselves to the Terrans as your other allies have. Everything we have we will share equally. No longer will the Empire be alone in this horrible galaxy. The Race always honor our promise."
Both humans were somewhat taken back. "We need a strong neighbor to protect our backs as we will protect yours and the others against our enemies. But, are you ready to be strong?"
"Yes," Risson said. "I know what you plan. You want us to seek revenge for you as well as ourselves. The battles in space were not the battles on the surface of your world. Cyrannus faction tried to wreak Earth with explosive metal bombs and they did to Home."
"We hurt the Cyrannus faction much more than they hurt us. They fear us because of our strength. If they didn't fear us they would attack again and do to us the same thing that they did to your world. They want to become friends but they conquered your world because they could. They would try to do the same thing with the other nations who are not as strong as we are. By ourselves, none of us are strong enough to fight against what is coming. The Ashtaroth are strong but what is coming is stronger. By yourself, you are not strong enough and the Cyrannus faction does not respect you. You must earn that respect from them without our direct help. That does not mean that we will not help you to achieve your vengeance."
"Why do you do this?"
"Because we can. And, it will help you to survive."
Politics. "Not only are you bad neighbors, you are dangerous ones. But we can play the game of politics as well as you and you offer us opportunity. The males of the Race surveying the damage conclude that we could not have made the bomb that wrecked Daiez and killed and injured tens of millions of males and females. We do not have the knowledge to create a bomb that powerful. It was too powerful and when we connect the deaths of our advisors we conclude that the Cyrannus faction was responsible. We will have our revenge. So we will do this for you and for ourselves. As Emperor of Home II, I promise this."
"Then I am authorized to help the Race so that you may do what the males and females need to do. But it will be done covertly. That is one reason why your people were not asked to attend the conference. Your people will be kept in reserve until they are ready to stand on your own. We will train your males and females for the safety and protection of both your people and mine."
"We have little choice in the matter. The Emperor Prime has agreed to this. But I also see the advantage of having strong neighbors."
"Yes, we are close to one another and it would be good to have our star systems strong enough to protect each other. Our trade and our joining together will make us stronger."
"But you will be in control, not us."
"The Race is an Empire. We are not. Trust will come in time."
Time is not on our side.
At times like this, the ambassador hated his job. The Race needed to be bloodied in a real war, something they had never experienced. But it was needed if they were to survive.
Proxy wars were always nasty.
Note: The Race could be described as a ruthless, arrogant species that believed that everything was centered on them. In the Turtledove timeline they attacked Earth, the latest of three worlds with the intent to conquer it and keep it in their empire literally forever. They attacked with space ships, automatic weapons, helicopters, tanks, and sub-orbital capable fighter jets (similar to the F-22-if they worked as they were supposed to). They expected that Earth was in its medieval age. In essence, they expected to use machine guns against bows and arrows and spears, and jets against armored horses and riders carrying pikes.
They were rudely surprise to find humans fighting a second world war with as compared to them primitive tanks and airplanes and millions and millions of armed hostiles that all hated them. The Race nuked Earth cities and human armies but thought it unfair when Earth figured how to nuke them back. Long story short: They could have cared less for the people of Earth and in later books even have considered nuking Earth to death even sacrificing their own people in the process. Then, they considered using asteroids to destroy Earth to keep its rapid advancement from spreading to Home.
Like the cylons, the Race is a dangerous foe. They are also loyal, honorable and fearless. However to deal with them from a position of weakness in the beginning is a foolish dangerous action. Same with the Cylons and the Cyrannus Colonials. Ironically, Terrans are very much the same.
Next: Let's go to the museum, or down the rabbit hole, depending on your point of view.
modified 5-19-2015. Thanks to all those who caught the errors and suggested