Note: Sometimes the Kinseys tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Sometimes, they don't. The problem is - you can't tell half the time.
Chapter Fifteen
Family gatherings
Earth: Naperville, Illinois
Home of James and Lucy Ferro Houser
The one thing that everyone agreed to was that this was a perfect day for a family gathering. The weather was cool, but not too much so and the light breeze complimented the general attitude of the Houser family. Troy could easily see that her sister-in-law Lucy was having the time of her life. It was obvious to everyone that she enjoyed having her family coming to visit for the first time. Despite her happiness at being married, both Troy and her husband James saw the loneliness that sometimes overtook her, so he could easily understand the reasons why very easily. Lucy was isolated in ways that few people could ever even understand. Marriage was difficult enough and marriage between cultures was even more of a challenge. Yet, to Troy's surprise, the marriage between James and Lucy was working quite well so far.
Unfortunately, his mother Lafaye, wasn't happy by the fact that her son had merit an alien–a literal alien from another world. And it didn't help that before the marriage Lucy and his mother locked horns the first day they met. James had told him it was a nightmare and oh, how he wished that the translation program hadn't been available at that time. If it hadn't, maybe those two wouldn't have started arguing in the hospital room. The problems between them was as much cultural as it was religious, but James had admitted though that it was epic.
Lucy, being a priestess of the Colonial gods began arguing with James, a Baptist preacher. Really James described it as a 'spirited conversations of differences' in beliefs. Their mother just happened to be with him the one time he was visiting the sick at the hospital.
As James described it, "it was gloriously antagonistic." His mother had the same attitude then as she was displaying now towards Catherena. James saw what was happening with Lucy. Someone had tried to blow her, her companions and part of the museum into little pieces and she was deathly afraid despite her pretense of stoic strength. His mother was oblivious, however James recognized fear when he saw it. Lucy was by most accounts, arrogant, self-absorbed, and had very little regard for the feelings of other. Even now, Troy smiled to himself because ironically, that was the very reason why James and Lucy started bonding to each other in the first place, much to their mother's chagrin.
Each of them were polar opposites of the other and the two of them loved to argue over everything especially religion, although to be frank, Lucy attitude towardsJames primitive belief was a challenge in and of itself. Initially, Troy didn't understand what James saw in Lucy, but whatever it was it attracted him to her. It took a while but the reason why the two loved to argue so much was that they were unconsciously developing a bridge with each other. Whatever their discussions were, it could never be described as hostile, just competitive.
Her missionary companions did come to visit her from time to time but not as much as either of the two men expected. There were a variety of reasons ranging from fear of another bombing in the hospital to not liking the woman, all of those factors kept them away during her time of convalescence. And, it was this very lack of visitation and support that kept James coming back to talk to her. most of her own people didn't like being around her because of her self-centeredness. As James told him later, Lucy truly did not understand that the way she acted as a matter of course, drove people away from her. Much like their mother.
Each vowed to never, ever say that to mom.
There was no doubt that Lucy was essentially insecure and had trouble handling stress when things weren't going her way. Early, before their relationship really began, in a fit of anger, Lucy insulted James, misinterpreting his explanation and assumed that he was attacking her personal religious beliefs. Troy remembered James telling him that his response was to smile politely and to tell her if that's the way she wanted it then he would not come back so not disturb her anymore. He had said to her, "may the Lord bless you", which made her angrier and then he walked out the door. At that time James was really pissed and as he admitted later, very disappointed, and was done with her. He didn't dislike her, but he felt continued conversation was a waste of time as they did nothing but argue. That wasn't what he was there for. There were a lot of other patients at that hospital that he wanted to talk to and wanted to talk to him. It was a classic case of two people trying to communicate, but subsequently misunderstanding each other
It took one day for her to call James. He cautiously came back just to talk to her. They talked and talked some more and for the first time, they actually listened to each other. He began see her as a person and that was the turning point.
It didn't take much time for the bond to form between the two of them now that they moved passed the arguments stage of their relationship. James wasn't someone to just walk into a relationship. Troy knew his brother was careful, especially when it came to relationships, so when he eventually proposed to Lucy, Troy knew his brother was serious–and so did his mother.
Now, here they were in his bothers' house, with Lucy's prettier cousin glaring at him like a he was some type of creature about to bite her instead of the food on his plate, while his mother hovered in the background like some giant bat ready to strike. Lucy was laughing and along with James and his broken Caprican, talking to Theresa. They and the other members of the family were having an enjoyable time while Troy walked over and sat down next to a stiff-acting Catherena.
"Hello, cousin-in-law," he said in her native language. He smiled at her deer-in-the headlights look she gave him. "Sorry, that is all I know in your language," he continued, this time relying on his translator. "Don't worry, I won't get too close since you haven't blessed the air around me, yet."
"What?" Did this man just insult me? It took a second for her to decide that he had. "No," she answered all prim and properly. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of reacting to his jibe to that, that…barbarian Earth monotheist.
"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure."
Troy's half smirk infuriated her. She could tell that he knew that she was terrified, but the question was why was she terrified? So far, these people had done nothing but be kind to her–for the most part. His mother kept looking at her and she got the feeling that she didn't like her, but she couldn't quite understand why. She hadn't done anything to these people other than perform her religious duties, however as she thought about it maybe that was the problem. These people had no comprehension for the true religion of the gods. Her mind went through dozens of scenarios and she wondered if the monotheistic attitudes were the cause of his mother's instant hostility towards her. That seemed the most plausible possibility and If true, she hoped that they wouldn't hurt her or her cousin. They seemed to accept Lucy, but she was a convert and you never knew how people with those beliefs would act towards a true believer in the gods. High priestess Livia warned them of the dangers of the Earth's monotheist. Just look at what happened to Lucy! No one was sure why she even converted in the first place. It was an affront to the entire religious community, and she and her cousin were tasked responsibility at finding out what happened and why, and then attempt to bring Lucy back to the ways of the righteous, turning her from her heathen ways.
Troy had seen that look before in Lucy's eyes before. he'd seen it before in some of the foreigner who visited the US for the first time not knowing what to expect from Americans. "You know, you don't have to be afraid of us. We don't bite." Once again, he glimpsed the look of fear in her eyes appearing just for the merest instant begore she clamped down.
"I am not afraid," she answered, as she clasped her hands together. "Since we have come to Earth everyone has been very nice to my cousin and myself. Cousin Lucy seems to be very happy, so I have no reason to feel uncomfortable."
Troy smiled and clasped his hands mimicking her earlier movement. "I'm glad. I have to say that there are people who really don't want you here. They still haven't gotten over our battle and the near nuking of our planet. Those same people still hold grudges, but is getting better," he added.
"I don't understand why," she said. "Your people beat us. It's over."
Lucy had said the same thing and she hadn't at first, understood either. "I suspect some people here take nuclear bombardment seriously," he responded. "Some of our people have very long memories."
Her eyes brightened in fear. "You're going to hurt us, try to seek revenge for something we didn't do?"
"No," he answered, somewhat frustrated that he hadn't made himself clear. "Just because it's over doesn't mean it's over," he said gently. "I just want you know that you should be careful where you go. This is not the embassy. Most people don't care, but there are a few that would try to hurt you."
"It's Human nature." Catherena looked stricken, visibly shaking as Troy spoke to her. "We have security. They won't let anything hurt us."
"Yes. Plus, you're with family." Taking a breath and touching her hand he continued. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch. "James had to explain this to Lucy. The people of Earth are not the same
as the Colonies. We are culturally different. Things you take for granted at home are not the same here. For example, you use your eating utensils differently than we do. There are a thousand things that define your differences and we want you to be careful."
"She looked at him. "You keep calling us family."
"That's what you are," he told her. "Just like Lucy. You're from another planet. You don't speak our language. My church congregation, well most of them, will not have a problem with you so long as you didn't try to convert them. However, some will take offense, stare at you with pity, or considered a challenge and try to bring you to Christ."
"How horrible! I don't understand your people," she answered. Flushing, she moved her hand away from his. "Are all of you so violent?"
"Says the people that tried to take over the world," he countered. "Believing in Christ is not a crime. That's what I mean when I say that we need to learn more about each other. Cousin, I think that your people and mine might, just might become friends, but we need time to understand and get used to each other. That means first, you don't have to pray every single time one of us comes near you. And second, you can eat. Our food isn't poison."
"I know that. Besides, I've already blessed the food."
Troy sat back for a moment and smirked. "You really are Lucy's kin."
Catherena gave him what was commonly known as the evil eye. "Are you saying that I can't bless the food when James did? And your mother prayed over it like it was about to be sacrificed."
The man looked sheepish. "You're right," he admitted. "Cathrena, I would like to learn a bit more about your beliefs. I'm curious about it."
"Again, she gave him the evil eye. "I am sure you spoke to Lucy about it. Why speak to me?" she asked, not trying to hide her suspicion.
"I want to hear your points of view," he answered. "She was a missionary and you're a priestess and yes I know she was one, too. But I think your perspective is different. I may not agree with them, but I want to hear what you have to say. Call it, opening the lines of communication. I 'd like to see if we can be civil to one another and not get into a fight." The moment he said those words, he realized his mistake. Again, her eyes widened with alarm. "Please don't be afraid of me," he said. "I've heard what happened to your people, and your religious conflicts and that includes the Cylons and their religious beliefs."
"You heard about the Cylons' religious beliefs?"
"Yes. Their beliefs are a lot closer to what I believe than you might think. And I confess I find it somewhat strange, I really want to use the word 'hypocritical here but I won't," he clarified, "that you hate what's left of the Cylon and won't let that go but assume that we should have no hard feelings about your spaceships trying to blow us into the next world while trying to subdue what you believe to be the Thirteenth Tribe? We also heard about your Orders trying to wipe out the believers of the one God." He paused for a second. He could feel his mother's eyes locked onto him from a distance. It amazed him how he could know exactly what she was doing even if she wasn't in the same room. "We're cautious, too. But that doesn't mean that we can't talk to each other, especially family. I am not saying that you Colonials have exclusivity on religious strife and don't give me that 'we're unified, and all is right on the twelve worlds' excuse, either. But we've had our fair share," he told her. "We still do, even in this country…more than you know."
"Oh, I am surprised that righteous Earthers would admit that your planet isn't perfect," she purred. "You know more about us than I do about yours. So, what kind of religious wars have you poor Earth people had?"
Troy turned thoughtful, trying to figure out where to start. Well, he thought ruefully, he had cracked her exterior and opened the first tentative lines of communications. It wasn't what he planned but it was a start.
In the background, he heard Theresa laughing seemingly having the time of her life.
"You think we're perverted because of our ideas about our bodies and nudity?" Theresa asked. "You're so conservative! But let me explain that we're not all like your concepts of us. Besides I've seen some of your television media programming, and you call us perverted?"
Washington, DC
Quorum Minority Leader Cornel Minas sipped his cola drink as he watched the buildings of Earth pass by. His limo had tinted one-way glass, bullet proofed, he assumed, which allowed him to see the Apellai masses with anonymity. In public, he always used the name Terran. But in private he called them the Apellai, the name he truly thought of them as. Being on Earth didn't feel much different than being on Caprica. Naturally, there were no tylium fueled flying automobiles gracing the skies but that didn't bother him. The Earthers did have the capability to produce them, of that he had no doubt. The United Aerospace liner's antigravity units were proof of concept, but they didn't seem to use them here. He wasn't sure why they hadn't chosen to develop the vehicles. Or, maybe they had, and he just didn't know. What he did know was that the Earthers were so dependent on computer connectivity that if you took the devices away, they've probably all die of shock. And he could understand this, too. There was little doubt that the Colonies would soon follow in their footsteps since the Cylon menace was over. The colonies would catch up soon enough.
They were computer addicts but there was one area of that science that the Colonials were more advanced. As advanced as they were, Earth was behind in the virtual reality sciences, but they were catching up quickly. (it didn't help that the sciences were lost because of the Cylon menace). Their advances in 3-D holographic interfaces was nothing less than stunning. Even their super smartphones had the interfaces but apparently, they were tightly regulated, and he understood why, and he agreed. With everyone having these smart phones, no one was looking at where they were going. How many people had died while focused on their phones while crossing the streets? Oh yes, there was an app that screamed danger when something threatened its owner, like an oncoming vehicle, or maybe falling into a hole in the street…how did the app know in the first place? The interfaces on their eye glasses and contact lenses just aggravated the situation. He could imagine how many people would die driving flying autos while using their personal holographic interfaces. Deaths were probably in the thousands already.
The driver had already informed him that he'd be late due to traffic, so he indulged a bit, looking at the dynamic ultra-high definition twelve-inch television. He did admit that he was hooked on the National Geographic and Weather Channels. The Tornado Alley–updated every year he was told–series was fascinatingly horrific. Caprica, Picon and the other worlds had tornadoes but the sheer numbers and types just in Americana North was overwhelming. He would never believe that one tornado in the country called Bangladesh killed thirty-five thousand people! The reported causalities had to be an exaggeration or an outright lie. Gods, Earth tornadoes were so raw and untamed, much like this world. He wanted to see one before he left for home. Hopefully, he could get on one of the tours. Maybe the terror might pull his mind away from the revelations Agasha and Adar took so much delight in telling him about. How could the people of Kobol have originated from such a backwater world?
Those revelations plagued him, but not as much as the insult the Earther government had dealt him. He was Quorum Minority Leader of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol and this group of Earther rabble didn't even design to meet with him in an official capacity. He wasn't officially on their agenda and, as he was in an unofficial visitor they had no time to speak to him.
How. Dare. They. Imagine that he, the Quorum Minority Leader was regulated to speaking to some lower level government official at a hotel conference room instead at their seat of power. Barbarians!
Other countries on this planet would have treated him with a lot more respect but he insisted on speaking to the representatives of the Americana North government. That was his mistake, one he wouldn't repeat. Should have went to the Englanda government. He could have cancelled the meeting especially after the conversations with both Colonial ambassadors, but he just couldn't. Vice-President Willius was sure to tell Goesel how he humiliated himself and that couldn't happen without producing some type of political collateral. He had to salvage something from this trip or he'd spend years trying to rebuild his reputation. Too much was at stake. In hindsight, the Vice-President had warned him and he himself should have seen the signs. Willius' primary mission wasn't a good will tour of the new colonies. It was to garner some behind the scenes deal with the Earthers.
Ten minutes behind schedule, the limo pulled up to one of the landmark hotels located not far from the country's capital. In another ten minutes, he and both of his secretaries and two ambassadorial security guards arrived at a small conference room. The room was filled with the aroma of fresh foods a small side table was filled was filled with pastries, fruits and Earth variations of café. Sandwiches and various foodstuff were already prepared. Several Terran officials were milling around speaking to one another. A couple of them were testing their translator systems by speaking to his secretaries as they had never utilized them to speak Colonial standard. The man he'd come to see immediately came over to meet him. Cornel recognized him from the video conferences calls. Both men shook hands, meeting in person for the first time.
"Quorum Minority Leader Cornel Minas," the younger man said. "It is nice to finally meet you."
"Senator Robert Kinsey," Cornel replied.
"Senator Kinsey the Second," Robert corrected. "I don't want to be confused with my deceased father."
Minas took a quick moment to size up this Earth 'senator'. The man was young, no older than forty-five, well-tailored. In fact, Minas liked the cut well enough to ask what place of business had he purchased the suit. It was so close to the Colonial business-wear styles at home that it wouldn't be out of place anywhere on the main worlds. Even the tie appeared to be Colonial standard and those little parallels continually surprised him. The dress patterns at least in Americana North was amazingly close to what was worn at home.
The man appeared intelligent and smart with a relaxed style of speech that didn't fool Cornel for a moment. He could see the hunger for power in the man's eyes and he recognized it for what it was since he'd seen it too many times before at the Quorum as well as in his own eyes. In short, he wouldn't underestimate this Robert Kinsey. He'd have to be careful. "I am sorry for your loss" was the appropriate thing to say in such cases. Minas put as much sympathy in the phrase as he could.
Robert Jr's expression showed very little emotion, but he did acknowledge the token of sympathy. "He's been gone for many years, now," Robert said. "We, my sister and I, still miss him."
Cornel nodded. Being sympathetic to someone with power was never a bad thing.
The small talk continued for some minutes and Minas used that time to get a better feel for the translator device hanging behind his ear. It was a wireless earpiece connected to his embassy-issued smart phone that had the advantage of allowing him not only to understand the Apellai but also to hear comments from his own sectaries in private. It was far less cumbersome that what was available at home. It was another piece of technology the Earthers seemed to lavish in. after about twenty minutes the dozen people in the room sat down and the meeting began.
"First, I wish to thank you, Senator Kinsey for agreeing to this unofficial impromptu meeting on such short notice," Minas started. "I hope it's the first of many to come as our people begin to understand that our mutual unification will be in the best interest of all concerned. I wanted to meet with the members of your world's governments and your President in order that Colonial governing body and that of Earth's could begin to open the lines of communication so that we could lay the framework that could revolutionize the relationship between our worlds. We've barely known of each other's existence before we began shooting at each other." He saw Kinsey's darken at that comment. "That, I am sad to say, was an unfortunate occurrence that cost the lives of thousands of people on both sides. Although what has happened cannot be undone, we can take steps to make sure that it doesn't occur again between our two respective peoples.
The Colonial ambassadors, in their official capacity are doing their best to help normalize relationships with not only you but your pseudo colonies. Now, I imply no disrespect to your laws but according to the edits of Colonial law, the Orbanians, and the others that came from your world are therefore colonies of your world. Whether they are independent of not, they are colonies, hence the name pseudo colonies. There is some speculation that the Colonies of Kobol are somehow connected to Earth in ways that I have found unexpected. It will take time to prove or disprove the theory but in the final analysis the data, the beliefs, the very nature of humanity supports the supposition that we are intimately related to one another. As brothers and sisters, we should work together to provide a stronger united front against the aliens and predators that would undermine and even destroy our way of life and our people. We should, as the representatives of humanity be able to work together and not treat one other as second-class citizens which you, the people of Earth have attempted to treat us.
Despite our initial stumbles, the Colonies have shone mothing but good will to your people and in return you have threatened us and rebuffed us at every turn. With your technology and your threats, you have ignored the fact that the Colonial people are, at heart, here to guide and help you as you take your first true steps into space and the larger universe. You've made remarkable progress, but the facts are less than sixty years ago, you finally reached your moon while we traveled to other worlds as a matter of course. You have been in space for less than twenty-five years and although you are advanced, you are still newcomers to the great vastness. What you are learning about shipbuilding, living in space and ten thousand other problems we now take for granted. Our unified government has existed longer than yours. We've had interstellar wars while your people still fought on horseback. We've earned our experience while you are just getting yours. Instead of being dismissive of our ways of life I am hoping that you will realize what a fantastic opportunity it is if we can teach and direct your people towards a government mandate that reached all of your pseudo colonies as well as the ends of the Earth. You're still a divided world but with our experience we can teach you to be strong not just in technologies but in many other avenues of research, exploration, and cultural unity which seems to elude you. You've advanced so quickly, but do you have the maturity to keep from injuring yourselves in the long one?
Your computer sciences for example. How long will it be before you create your own Cylons? How long will it be before they rebel and try to destroy your people? Your movie fantasies of Earth fighting the Skynet-AI Cylon entities is a perfect example of what we've gone through in the Colonies and I wish that fate on no one. The many members of the Quorum understand that you are a proud people and we therefore offer our experience as a guide. But this will not happen if you continue to treat us with distain. I wish for peace between us, but this cannot happen in the short term if you continually treat us with distain when we are here to help you become more than you already are. If you continue showing and treating the Colonies as inferiors, I am afraid that it could lead to hostilities and that is something that I pray neither side wants. We both have enough enemies in the galaxy without battling each other.
You may ask why am I here? I am here to lay the groundwork so that your people can become part of the Colonies of Kobol, not junior partners since you may be the original home world, but as full brothers and sisters working together using the Articles of Colonization in conjunction with your laws to create a new, powerful society sometime in the future. I do not deny that this is our ultimate goal."
"And who would lead this new society, Quorum Minority Leader?" asked Senator Sheila Brataski, one of Kinsey's associates.
"The worlds with the most experience in governing," he answered. "Earth would be second in power with the rest following in order. Of course, this structuring would happen many years from now when I run for the Presidency. If I win and have your support, there is no telling how much we can accomplish together."
"Your Presidential elections won't happen for some time. I believe he has two and a half years left of a five-year term. Is that correct?" Minas nodded in affirmation. "President Goesel is barely halfway through his first term," Kinsey mentioned.
"He's had a difficult time from the start. A multitude of events are conspiring against him and the people are looking for leadership that doesn't depend on the will of the gods or their religious benefactors. My people are looking for true leadership that will propel them into a new age and I believe that I am that person to lead them."
Throughout Mina's speech, Kinsey had paid close attention not only to what he said but to his body language as well. That was something that his father had taught him which was a pity since he hadn't followed his own advice. He should have known the danger he had place himself and his family by dealing with aliens. His father made too many enemies in his life, some of whom were still alive like General O'Neill and his people. His father hated O'Neill, blaming him for most of the problems that he and America had suffered. Robert Jr. also hated him, placing the blame of his father's ruined career, his ultimate death, and the disgrace of the Kinsey name. But to whatever his misfortunes were, he believed in his country, and everything that he did was to protect it. This is something his son took to heart and it was his duty to fulfill that dream because he believed in the dream, too.
"Thank you for that most impassioned speech, Quorum leader Minas. I can see that you are dedicated to your worlds and that does your credit. However, I can't help but think that the words you spoken to us today and your actions of the last year or so on Caprica don't match." Robert smiled viciously at the man who was looking back at him in surprise and confusion. "I've heard some your speeches and diatribes about my world's political and cultural situations and I've heard your opinions about our maturity status and how we should do things here on Earth." Robert looked at Minas focusing only on him. "You shouldn't be surprised that we been listening in on the open transmissions coming from Caprica, Picon, and everywhere else in the Colonies. We've heard your speeches, your hostility towards Earth and what you think we should do, and who should be in control. We listened to you go on and on about us being a single, minor world not comprehending the true nature government and politics. I've heard you spout vitriol against our world's leadership and especially against the American government of which I'm a part of. You're here in, of course an unofficial capacity trying to convince my associates and I that we should follow your suggestions and submit ourselves to you Colonies of Kobol and the Articles of Colonization after you've publicly expressed disdain for our world and our politics calling us little children who have barely have an idea what they're doing." He took another breath. "Then, you have the audacity to come here and tell us that it is in our best interests for us to become a part of your colonies."
Kinsey's eyes bored into the man. "As I've said earlier, we've been listening to everything that your politicians have been saying, and I frankly find your speeches and your petty arguments offensive. Why would we possibly want to join you? What do you have the offer us? The answer is very little to nothing. I can't officially speak for the entire world, but I can speak for the United States of America. in an unofficial capacity of course," he growled. "Even if we weren't joined to the rest of the world, America can stand on its own. The Constitution of the United States is the single greatest written political document ever conceived on our world and America takes it to heart. All of my life, I've heard my father say America could always stand on her own, that America was the best country on this planet, that it was America's responsibility to set an example to the rest of the world and lead it accordingly and it's true. This is my belief. This is what I'm dedicated to achieving for the good of my people. My father was unable to realize his dream. Now, it has fallen to me to reset my country's agenda so that we will not have to be dependent on anyone or any other world.
I asked you earlier, what do you have offer? Well from where I'm sitting what you're offering is not very appealing. We have not forgotten that your military attempted to detonate nuclear weapons on our world without any regard to the consequences. Do you possibly think that such an action would bring my people closer to yours in the long term? If you did, you're a fool. The people of the planet Earth have their own concerns and we should not be involved in the affairs of other worlds. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues don't agree that we should stand alone and isolate ourselves from other worldly contamination. Instead they have foolishly chosen to join Earth with other worlds thereby forcing us to deal with their problems as well as our own. Many people like myself believe that those worlds should deal with its own issues and not have us solve their problems for them.
You people have their own problems; for example, the impending civil war is about to happen not too far from our borders. You have three worlds and they're not even real colonies yet, ready to tear at each other's throats. You have scores of spaceships coming to those proto-colonies not forty light-years from Earth. Do you think we're comfortable with your kind being so close to us with your crazed religious attitudes and your obsessive belief that we should become part of you as junior partners no less? Quorum leader Minas, we can't waste our time or resources with you people hanging on our backs." Kinsey took a sip of water. "It's nothing personal, but I just don't believe that our former and current presidents understand the true magnitude of what they've done by inviting aliens to be our allies as equals. Only the Asgard were worthy of that respect. As you may suspect, I have aspirations of my own, and it is my every intention to make sure that America and the world either leads or stands alone, and we'll do it because we can. This country was built on that principal and I intend to make sure that we return to that greatness again. Good day Quorum Minority Leader. May you have a pleasant journey home, using our space liner, of course."
Having made his point Kinsey and his aids stood up, signaling that the meeting was over.
Stunned, Minas set there for moment trying to rein in his confusion and his increasing anger. No one dared talked down to him like he was some type of low grade functionary who had absolutely no authority. He was also shocked by the amount of resentment that the Earth people apparently still had against the Colonies. The conflict was officially over, and they had won, so why was there still so much hostility? They had all the advantages anyone could want so he was perplexed. But he was also fuming at himself and how he had so completely underestimated these people as well as their ability to continually spy on his people. And no, that was not correct. They were following the newscasts. That was something he hadn't taken into consideration. Now those same people were leaving the room without a backward glance and Minas wondered not for the first time in the last few minutes if he just unintentionally planted the seeds for another war between Earth and the Colonies.
Cyrannus Star System
Caprica, Caprica city
President Antonio Goesel stood up and walked around his private chambers as he read extensive message for the third time. Thanks to the technology of subspace communications that the Colonials had acquired from the Cylons, the message came in time before the speech. The vice president's talks with the officials of Earth hadn't gone as perfectly as he hoped; however, the officials hadn't shut the door completely either so there was a possibility that Earth might help. The fact that they had invited Vice-President Willius back for further talks was taken and as a good sign by both him and the ambassadors. If they could get Earth's help in the coming war against the Ashtorath Goa'uld Lords and this new threat hiding in the wings, it would go a long way towards securing the safety of the Colonies. The safety of his people, one of the list of thousands of problems pressing him, was his primary concern and right now, his primary purpose as President at this crisis point.
He offered a silent blessing for faster-than-light communications. It was far slower than Terran subspace comms but six hours from Earth to the Cyrannus system was a marvel. The information in the packet sent to Colonial Intelligence hadn't come a second too soon. Some type of back channel was being opened by interested parties on Earth acting as an independent entity.
"Sir," Colonial Intelligence Rilson Guas started. "There was no way that this covert offer could have been orchestrated by some corporation." The balding stone-faced man quietly waited for the President to agree with him or argue the point. He expected resistance on the matter, but the President merely nodded.
"The Terrans have satellites watching our every move and I have no doubt that they are watching every Colonial on Earth," he sourly muttered. The fact that they still hadn't found the cloaked probes over Caprica and Picon was a source of nightmare for Colonial Intelligence and the CDF. They were still searching but so far, they had no luck in finding them. It was a continuing sore point for all concerned. "They have to know about this offer. They know the offer is far too tempting."
"Agreed, Mister President. But it also pulls us further into their web." Guas' continuing response was rueful. "A working hyperdrive with schematics? We've wanted that for years, and in return they offer us a communication system that would revolutionize the Colonies as well as allow us a real opportunity to build closer ties with them?"
"Exactly my point. I see this as a government back channel offer of some sort. They can't officially agree now because of politics, but they do intend to help us and at the same time allow us to save face. But…"
"Yes, but," the President finished. "I can see this coming. They offer us hyperdrive but not the DRADIS scanners to keep us from using the drives properly, not without killing ourselves. They did the same thing with the stargate addresses. We can't use the gate to its full capacity without encountering a disaster of some type, or running into the Goa'uld, or some other menace like those aliens we've discovered. So, we're neutered at this point with only three…?"
"Five," he clarified.
"Five gate addresses. And how will our telecommunications corporations going to take this if we agree?"
"Riots in the streets, and big money dedicated to your political destruction. But the people will love it. The Eathers will corner the market and they know it. even if they work with our corporation's hand in hand, the perception might cripple them."
"Maybe, maybe not. Thw corporation heads cant deny that we need these innovations and the promises that they bring to the table. Earth's offer has us hooked and they know it."
"Yes, sir, we need this. And that is what makes the trap so enticing. This is why I hate them. If we say not then it's our choice, not theirs and we will suffer the consequences. If we say yes, then they will ensure us sooner rather than later, but our people will be offered better protection against our enemies. "Now, you understand why I avoid family reunions. They're a pain in the long run. Especially with our cousins from Earth."
"I haven't had the time to fully study the proposal at length," Goesel slowly said. "But it is too good to reject out of hand. They've baited us at the worst possible time and we may not be able to say no. I need to review this after the speech tonight. But I'll decide by tomorrow." He looked at the Intelligence head. "I know it's not much time and I will discuss it with the heads and Quorum leaders. But we don't have much time. I can feel it. we may have to sacrifice our pride to save our people."
"This may destroy your presidency, sir," Guas said. "But I reluctantly agree with you. We're on borrowed time."
"Too bad Minas isn't around. He'd hate this speech I am about to give. But in the long run, this will hurt him more than me. I hope he hasn't damaged our standing with the Terrans."
"Sir, I can't see how he could do such a thing. He's only one man. I am more concerned at how the people will respond to your speech."
"You believe they'll want to burn me alive?" he laughed.
"For a start, sir. For a start."
"We'll, that is why I have battlestars," he smirked.
His own quip didn't amuse him the least.
TBC