Murmurs and unrest fluttered across the assembly. The council members were not happy about this inconvenient truth.
“All that aside, Admiral, what I understand you’re saying is the DC would rather go to war and risk the wrath of the Gran than face public outcry against secret cloning operations at Nugene. And since the DC has secretly stockpiled stealth craft for years, might as well put the expensive tech to good use. Be a shame to have all those conscripted soldiers and stolen resources lie fallow. The Admiral’s sermon about ‘catering to slave-traders’ reeks of false indignation. After twenty years of peace and profitable trading, the DC attacked, focusing their firepower on the clones? This is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to eliminate the evidence of the DC’s illegal clone trading.”
I chose my battles and let fly with the razor edges of truth. I prayed the Chairman wasn’t as powerful as he’d threatened.
Ackerman’s face was only slightly redder than the Chairman’s, but it was the rustling and groaning gasps of the delegates that made the most impact on me. I hoped I hadn’t created a room full of enemies.
The Chairman put a hand on the Admiral’s shoulder and stilled him. My nemesis speared me with undisguised malice, and I knew he intended to make good on his threats. “A word of caution, Angel, Princess of the Gran, Royal Emissary to the Emperor. In this council, we do not fling accusations casually. You can be incarcerated for making unproven allegations against delegates of the UN.”
Doctor Vale nodded in my direction, and gestured to get the Chairman’s attention. “I think Angel has cut to the heart of the matter today, to the issues surrounding this war. We have a hostile alien invasion parked outside, Chairman. Now is not the time to stand on propriety. Let the Emissary speak without fear of reprisals. She has crossed the galaxy to be here, and we should all listen.”
The Admiral slapped his hand on the desktop loudly. “Let me make this clear, Angel!” He looked around him. “And to the council who might question the DC’s military actions.” He speared the room with the power of his militant aggression.
“It’s a damn good thing the DC cannibalized every resource from here to Jupiter to build our stealth fleets. We face a war like no other, and we need every ship we’ve got. As to who started this war, the Gran raided our system over fifty years ago, hauling away hundreds of people, and killing thousands. Now, it’s the Gran arrayed around Earth in attack formation. They have always been the aggressors in this conflict, regardless of the ridiculous treaty we were forced to broker in compromise. Do not forget, the treaty was the only thing that stopped the Gran from stealing able-bodied workers and dragging them across the galaxy for forced mining labor.”
Looking back on my life, I was just as much a victim of the Gran as any human. But I had loved these Cats like family … as lovers. I had known the very best of them and the very worst. I couldn’t help but feel the Admiral’s position, yet my knowledge of the Emperor, the responsibilities he carried, the position he was in, I couldn’t merge the two realities.
Each of them made sense from their perspectives, but that didn’t solve the problem.
Earthside faced harsh realities, and it was my job to ensure they understood the full ramifications. “Sir, you are correct, this is a war like no other – a war that could change the course of the human race. In light of the gravity of this situation, alternatives must be considered. The idea of selling clones to the Gran is distasteful – I know firsthand as I lived on Nugene. But it’s a far lesser evil than the mass destruction of all-out war with the Gran.”
Several men and women began speaking at once in objection, and I slapped my hand on the table loud enough to silence the room. “Don’t mistake this moment for another Waterloo or Gettysburg that you can win by sacrificing a few thousand soldiers. Mankind has never seen the full might of the Imperial fleets. At worst, you had a handful of disorganized raiders hitting some mining outposts and a few attacks on isolated areas of Luna during the thirty-year war. Here and now, this war you face is unlike anything in Earth history.”
I paused, but their immediate objections had been abandoned. Looking around the room, catching as many eyes as I could, I continued to push my message down their throats. “I know what the Gran are capable of. I watched them destroy the entire invasion force the DC sent across the galaxy. I was there when the Emperor and his Warriors cut through platoons of DC Marines in defense of the Gran colonies. I stood by the Emperor’s side as he marshalled forces to come here, to the birthplace of humanity, to face the threat the DC present to the security of the Gran colonies. The Emperor is not a monster, but the DC’s unprovoked attack on Gran colonies forced him to take on the role of a warlord.”
The Admiral coughed, and murmured something derogatory under his breath. “The threat of the DC…” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “The Defense Council of the United Nations are the defenders of humanity! You were born on Nugene, one of these clones you speak of. You lack a true sense of what it means to be human. The phrase you used was ‘something less than human’. You don’t understand we’re fighting for survival of the human race!”
I suppressed my desire to leap across the gap between our tables and break the Admiral’s greasy neck. My fists were clenched in my lap so hard my nails cut into the palms of my hands. I counted to three and tamped down my adrenaline rush.
“Admiral, I understand perfectly. The point I’m trying to convey is that we – humanity and the Gran – had a deal – a treaty – however unsavory it may have been. That deal served for over twenty years! Then the DC aggressively attacked the Gran and not only murdered thousands of lives, but also wiped out hundreds of worker drones – the clones the DC sold to the Gran. The DC added insult to injury by killing off clones the Gran paid for in fair trade. It is curious how the DC tracked the clones to each mining installation…”
“Yes, the DC attacked the Gran. Yes, we broke the ridiculous treaty! The slave trading business is finished. The public has seen the truth of Nugene, the holovids are everywhere. Billions of viewers watched them and the people will not stand for it. The world knows what we did to appease the Gran, and it’s over. We tried to keep it secret, to keep the Cats happy. The political leaders of Earthside and Luna have spoken, the deal is off! If you came here looking for human slaves, human clones, whatever you want to call them, then this conversation is a waste of time for everyone. The only peace treaty that will serve now is one of parity, of equal standing. We owe the Gran nothing, and they’ll get nothing but our plasma cannons, until they learn to respect mankind as a neighbor among the stars. If we have to teach them respect from the end of a gun, then so be it.”
Somewhere in the middle of his impassioned speech, I was convinced. The Admiral, in his obnoxious bastard way, sold me on the idea that humanity deserved a better deal. A sense of rightness descended on me in that moment. The Gran would have to accept this hard truth and learn to live with a new status quo. Humans had proven their right to live among the stars by force. I now faced the impossible task of convincing the Gran to accept this new paradigm.
* * * *
Chapter 15
The Chairman’s expression betrayed nothing as various delegates of the council prodded me for strategic military info on the Gran. I watched him watching me, looking for some sign, but the asshole’s poker face wouldn’t quit. I wished I was close enough to hear his respiration and heart rate.
The council got a series of non-answers out of me and several hours of feigned ignorance. The room reeked of dissatisfaction. I’d gotten what I came for. My visit was over as far as I was concerned. The delegates seemed to think otherwise.
Soon the questions turned more personal, like what I wore among the Gran, what I ate, the nature of my relationship to the Prince as his mate. Did I ever have intercourse with the Gran?
“No, I did not have intercourse with the Prince.” Not intercourse … no, it was more like making love.
Mostly I answered truthfully, short and d
irect, but what went on between the Prince and I was nobody’s business.
The DC prisoners being held up in orbit were mentioned repeatedly. Why weren’t they released? Why did the Emperor take prisoners? How were they treated? Did I have any evidence they were still alive?
I did my best to reassure. The delegates didn’t look very reassured by my one, two, and three word answers.
Then came the hypothetical and technological questions. If we agree to a new treaty will the Gran give us their anti-gravity tech? Will they give us jumpdrives and other space-faring tech? Will the Gran share their metallurgy and energy shielding tech? I had no answer for them – none they wanted to hear.
After hours of pointed questions and non-answers, I was escorted away through the halls and elevators of the building by my DC guards. I still had thirty-some hours to burn off trapped in this monstrous construct of human engineering.
The guards planted me in an immaculate suite with creamy carpeting in the living room, maroon linen in the bedroom and pearlescent tile in the bath. My suite also had a sweeping alumiglass wall and view of the city. I could look at that view all evening and never grow tired of the sight.
There were fresh bananas and apples on the table, which I devoured in seconds, and small bottles of liquor in the cooler. I debated the wisdom of getting drunk while trying to navigate this treacherous mess of humanity.
My need to unwind won over my desire for mental clarity.
Three empty bottles of rum later the guard tapped at my door. “Dr. Vale is here to see you Ms. Angel. We are entering now.” I got no more than a three second courtesy knock.
Since they didn’t respect my personal space, I didn’t move from the couch. I sipped my bottle which vaguely reminded me of something I’d tasted back in my days with Cronin, and waited for the good Doctor to seat himself and say his piece.
He nodded to the soldier, who immediately disappeared and closed my door on his way out. “I wanted to speak with you more about the fascinating culture of the Gran. You must have splendid tales of their great Empire.”
I sighed. “I think I hit my daily limit on Q and A, Doctor.”
In contrast to his warm words, his severe eyes watched me as he showed me a tiny round black button in his hand. He pressed his thumb to the center of the button, which blinked once, a red color.
“A necessary precaution, Angel. While I am fascinated by Gran culture – that is not the reason I’m here. This device nullifies all surveillance of your room. We may now speak frankly.”
His face and eyes finally matched the tone of his voice. The Doctor held me with his intensity. “Some time ago I came into contact with a man who desired to expose the truth about the DC’s relationship with the Gran. You knew this man well …”
“Jason.”
The Doctor nodded. “How unfortunate he didn’t survive to see his brilliant work illuminate the darkest corners of our corrupt government. It was his brother, Cesar, who finished Jason’s task.”
I downed my liquor with shaking hands. I was primed to kill or run, ready to do something to combat the hellacious truth this man could hold against me.
He watched me and his eyes crinkled in a warm smile. “Do not fear me, Angel. I believe we serve the same cause. You come to find peace, to save lives. I seek the same.”
“Look at the damage your truth has done. When you leaked Jason’s videos to the public you sparked the DC off across the galaxy on a suicide mission, burning every worker drone mining asteroid they could find. We both know the DC’s attack was designed to eradicate evidence of their crimes against humanity. The DC started an interstellar war because of your indiscretion.”
His eyes narrowed, but he was still smiling.
“There are some truths best left alone, Doctor. My life has been … complicated. If the information you recovered from Jason leads to me, recordings of my time with Jason, what good can come of that knowledge in the public media?”
He sighed and looked at me with sympathy. A thing I’d rarely seen to my benefit. Nugene doctors had little sympathy for D’Anton’s special project. Space pirates had no real sympathy for me when they found a lost soul adrift on the wreckage of Jason’s death. Why would this stranger be sensitive to my plight?
“I do not wish you harm. You are correct. The information I hold probably won’t do mankind any good, Angel. You survived horrors no one has seen, and witnessed miracles no human can know. You are an amazing testament to the wonder of the universe. The harsh reality, Ms. Angel, is that you are alone in your struggle. Earthside will never accept you. Luna perhaps, but only in the filthy tunnels of the underworld, a place you don’t want to see, I assure you.”
Sadly, I feared he was right. I didn’t fit in here. I’d never fit in at Nugene either. Only among the Gran had I found any real sense of acceptance, a place to call home.
He smiled gently. “I’m here to let you know you’re not alone. I’m part of a secret organization inside the DC. We seek to root out the corruption, to transcend the politics of personal interest and do what is right for humanity. I have the resources and connections to help you.”
He reached out across the low table separating our seats and grabbed my hand, his face filled with warmth and compassion. “I believe in you, Angel. If anyone can reconcile the darkness of human nature and find a way to make peace with the Gran, it’s you.”
I accepted his words at face value. He held all the power between us. But trust did not come easy for me. “Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. Now tell me why you’re really here. You want something from me … don’t you?”
He let go and leaned back in his seat. The warm smile gradually shifted to a knowing smile. Altruistic concepts flitted away as I waited for the punch line of this horrible joke.
“I propose we make a pact to work together, to our mutual benefit.”
“The only thing that benefits me is ending this war, and getting as far away from Earthside as a Gran Imperial Cruiser can take me. We both know I am not really human, and I don’t belong here.”
He nodded. “We both want to avoid this war. We both want to save lives and find peace … yet our reasons are not the same. You see, I love humanity, all that we are, even our faults. I wish the Gran prosperity and happiness, but not at the cost of human lives or subjugation.”
I nodded and waited.
“Humanity needs you, Angel. Regardless of your birthplace, or what lies in your DNA, you are essentially human. We need you to understand this fundamental truth. We need you to be properly motivated to see this negotiation through … to the benefit of the human race.”
“And by motivated you mean blackmailed?”
He frowned and sighed, as if exposing his dark purpose was nothing more than a slight inconvenience. “Those are ugly words, Angel. As I said, we are not enemies. I wish you all the grace of God in your negotiations with the UN council. I also pray you consider humanity first, above all else. It’s the right thing to do, and I believe you know that.”
“Right and wrong have no place in interstellar war. Don’t speak of what’s right as you try to coerce my support.”
* * * *
Chapter 16
The good doctor left my room with assurances we can work together, we can save two worlds. As I finished the last of the rum, I cared less and less about his manipulations. I had no illusions where this shit was going. The UN wanted loads of Gran tech, with nothing more than the promise of peace in exchange – definitely no more clones. The Gran wanted recompense for losses, and the continuation of the clone business. I was not capable of fixing this fucked up mess. I simply wanted to go home to my Prince and my pirate, where I could live among loved ones.
I slept fitfully for several hours until Colonel Mason woke me in bed with his hand on my shoulder and nearly lost his fingers in the process. I snatched him up hard enough to feel his knuckles crackle in my grip. “Don’t touch me!”
I shoved him away and listened to him curse as I wiped
the sleep from my eyes.
“You’ve been authorized for a brief tour of the city. Your transport awaits.” He shook his hand and watched me warily. “I meant no harm, Ms. Angel.”
I nodded. “I know. I don’t like surprises. Never do that again.” I hoped at the end of my visit we parted as friends. I didn’t want to hurt him.
He exited and gave me a few minutes to wash up in the bathroom. I had no other clothing but this silky purple dress Cesar had given me, which now looked like it had been chewed up and spit out wet. A few more hours to go … who gave a shit about my wrinkled dress anyway?
The Colonel escorted me to another floor of the building, where a launch bay held a sleek black vehicle with a snub nose and short wings. It hovered a foot off the floor, ready to take me out into the world. Once more I appreciated smooth black leather seats as my armed security escort joined me in the back of the thing they called a Limo-jet. The Colonel called out verbal commands and a sim voice answered him as we slipped through an opening in the alumiglass exterior of the building.
We swooped between and around the shiny-gleaming high rise buildings of Manhattan, with glorious views of a blazing bright sun across the sparkling horizon of the ocean. I caught glimpses of a body of water so large – it reached beyond the end of my sight.
Water conservation had been hammered into me from the first days of my life on Nugene. Yet Earthside had more water than they knew what to do with. If the media was to be believed, humanity had spoiled most of the freshwater and the seas were acidified by heavy metals and hydrocarbon contamination from centuries of petroleum exploitation. Oil companies of the 2100’s had devastated the ocean life and nearly bankrupted the economies of Earthside with reliance on fossil fuels that could not be cleanly extracted from the sea beds.
A great sense of loss flooded my soul. “I can’t believe industrialists were so reckless. So much water, so much destruction.” I ached to think of the ruination of all that shimmering blue-green water.