More tomorrow.
Entry 3-192: July 6, 2015
The chess match begins, part 2
Yesterday, I showed you that the Essessoni and Vuduri were at the precipice of war. But the appearance of the newly-evolved MINIMCOM was an event that nobody was expecting. His sudden arrival is at the center of the climax, or maybe it's anti-climax, of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution.
The ship hovered for a moment and rotated slowly in place then settled down to land. The rear cargo door split open and a ramp emerged and down it walked Rome and Rei, holding her elbow, steadying her. Behind them came Fridone, Rome’s father. As soon as they were clear, the ramp retracted, the cargo doors sealed up and the craft took off straight up hovering perhaps 500 meters in the air.
After the craft was clear, Rome looked back at the ranks of the Vuduri then forward to the amassed armies of Essessoni and Ibbrassati. She made her way forward with slow but steady progress, Rei at her side. She motioned to Trabunel who came forward. She spoke to him directly.
“E guarre sipra. The war is over,” Rome said. Her words were picked up by MINIMCOM from inside of Rei’s head and transmitted through the central EG lifter, turning it essentially into a giant PA system. Rome opened up her PPT transducers so that all the Vuduri could hear her thoughts directly.
“Cimi bita e guarre sar axcassi quenti nei cimacer eonte?” Trabunel asked.
“I Vuduri ceboduleda. The Vuduri capitulate,” Rome said. “Cimberdolherei ta dite e dacniligoe cim fica. They will share all technology with you. Fica a um lomoda nei meos lingi ei blenade. You are no longer bound to the planet.”
As if on signal, the warcraft and shuttles from the Vuduri side that had been hovering over their troops moved forward ever so slowly. They rotated around and backed into the space just behind Rei and Rome so that no one would misinterpret their actions as hostile. After they landed, the pilots and crew exited their craft and began walking back toward the ranks of the Vuduri leaving their ships unattended. The choreography was impressive.
Keller is stupefied at this point but he is not going to give up his chance at war without putting up some protest. He really wants to fight. Also, you can see Rome is taking her role as Queen of the Vuduri seriously or at least acting that way.
More tomorrow.
Entry 3-193: July 7, 2015
The chess match begins, part 3
Yesterday, we saw how Rome had to maneuver all the chess pieces aka the Vuduri into the right position so that Captain Keller would stand down. This is the climax of Rome's Revolution and one of Rome's crowning achievements. However, just gaining a tactical advantage was not sufficient. Rome had to gain the psychological advantage as well:
“Cimi a osdi bissofal?” Trabunel said. “I qua asde onti sipra equo, Fridone?"
“Monhe volhe fa-lha,” Fridone said to him.
“Hold on just one minute,” Keller said, moving forward, “This war isn’t over until we say it’s over.”
Ignoring him, Rome said as loudly as she could, “Nei hefare nanhume lude. There will be no fighting. Nis nei vezamis axema ta nei meos papa. We take no more babies.” Rome’s words were echoed by MINIMCOM’s speakers.
Then to Keller, she said, “We will share this planet with you as equals. No more master and slave.”
To Trabunel, she said, “Nei meos masdra a ascrefi.”
Then, to Keller again, she said, “There is no need for any bloodshed.”
“Why should we believe you?” said Keller.
“Because we could defeat you if we wanted to,” Rome said firmly.
“How?” Keller asked.
“Please pull your men back from that cannon.” She pointed to the nearest particle beam projector. “I do not want them hurt.”
“Forget it,” Keller said.
“Very well,” Rome said. “Have it your way.” She snapped her fingers.
Directly above one of the particle beam cannons, a pitch black circle appeared. The air began whistling out of it, like a reverse gale. The black circle started lowering toward the cannon. At the last second, the men manning it scattered. After the circle passed through the space that the cannon occupied, it disappeared. When the circle finally hit the ground, the cannon simply was no more.
“You are getting really good with that trick,” Rei thought himself.
“Yes, I am, am I not?” replied MINIMCOM.
“What’d you do to it?” Keller asked.
“It is elsewhere,” Rome replied.
Keller narrowed his eyes. “So why capitulate at all?” he asked. “You seem to have the upper hand.”
“The Vuduri are not stupid,” Rome replied. “I have opened their eyes. The Vuduri now know that the skies belong to the mandasurte, not to the mind connected. The space lanes belong to the mind-deaf. And to you.”
“What!?” Keller said. “What are you talking about?”
“The Asdrale Cimatiras, the Stareaters, are coming,” Rome said, lifting her eyes upward. “They are drawn to the Overmind, they seek it out and then they render the Overmind senseless in order to kill it. There is temporal leakage from the PPT modulators. The Stareaters are drawn to the Vuduri like moths to a flame.”
She lowered her eyes again to look at Keller. “Never again can Vuduri travel in space without being accompanied by mandasurte,” Rome said fervently. “It is too dangerous. We cannot know where all the Stareaters are. They can appear at any time. The very thing that gives the Vuduri their strength on a planet is their greatest weakness in space.”
I will have to explain to you why Rome had to resort to parlor tricks. But first, she has Keller on the ropes. Now all she needs is something to tip him over the edge. Tomorrow, the final hammer blow.
Entry 3-194: July 8, 2015
The hammer blow
Yesterday, we saw how Rome had Captain Keller at the tipping point. This is the climax of Rome's Revolution, Part 2. All she needs to do is apply one final hammer blow and she has the battle won without shedding even a single drop of blood. So now she plays her trump card, Captain Keller's very own words:
Rei spoke up for the first time. “Sir, the Vuduri acknowledge that the first humans on this world deserve to set the rules. If that is your guiding principle, then there is no need for war.”
“Damn straight,” said Keller. “The first of our people on this planet should be allowed to set the rules.”
“You and all your men vow this? That this world belongs to the first Essessoni to set foot here?” asked Rome with a hint of a smile.
“Yes, we vow it,” said Keller. “Everyone should yield to the rightful rulers of this planet. The first people from my time to start here.”
“Fica iufou-is. You have heard them,” Rome said to Trabunel and to all the mandasurte assembled there, amplified through MINIMCOM’s projectors and by direct thought to the Vuduri behind her. “Asda munti bardanca eis bromaoris saras humenis ti Essessoni ei ba ti jigi equo. Even Captain Keller acknowledges that this world belongs to the first humans from Garecei Ti Essessoni to set foot here.”
To Rome’s left, the air shimmered and two men appeared. They pulled back their hoods and all could see they were from the older Earth, Rei’s Earth.
“Who the hell are they?” Keller asked.
Rei said, “They are the Deucadons. They are descendents of the Ark IV, the mission to Beta Hydri. They have been here for 500 years.”
Rome interrupted. “According to you, they are the true rulers of this world.”
“This is some trick,” said Keller.
“This is naw trick,” said Bukky. “My people have been here for half a millennium. We have remained hidden because of the stroids and the flaggin’ little people.” He jabbed his thumb behind him, at the rows of Vuduri.
“Who are you really?” Keller asked.
Melloy stepped forward. “This is Bukky, our leader. He is takin’ a chance by even showin’ himself to ya.”
Bukky continued. “I come here to show good faith. We have decided that we will nawt be afraid of the little people any longer. We trust these people, Rei and Rome. We believe them about our common threat. Ya should too.”
“This is all bullshit,” said Keller. “Just some hocus-pocus to lull us into cooperating so that you can do what you want.”
Bukky lifted his arm and pointed directly at Keller. He said, “Captain Keller, I am the lawfully elected governor of this world and yar Commander-in-Chief. Ya report to me. I want ya to stand down.”
Keller’s jaw dropped. He seemed dazed. Rei knew it was time to deliver another blow. He stepped in front of his wife and spread his arms to both sides.
“Captain Keller. The Vuduri call us Garecei Ti Essessoni, which means the Killer Generation. Prove them wrong. You need the Vuduri. You need their technology to live in their world and to save it. They are offering to lay down their arms. The Deucadons were here first. It is their world. They are willing to live in peace. The Vuduri are willing to live in peace. The Ibbrassati…”
Rei pointed to Trabunel. “Fofe ne bez?” Rei asked. Trabunel nodded enthusiastically.
“The Ibbrassati, the Oppressed, are willing to live in peace,” Rei continued. “The time has come. You need to take them up on the deal. There is no need to fight each other.”
Hoisted or is it hung by his own petard. What the heck is a petard, anyway? I always thought it was like an advanced form of pantsing, that a petard was like a unitard or a leotard. But no, a petard is a small explosive device. An hoisted means blown up. So, according to Shakespeare, it means "to be harmed or disadvantaged by an action of one's own which was meant to harm someone else."
Oh well, regardless, Keller's words were his own undoing. But regardless of all of it, he did not have to capitulate. Why did he?
Tomorrow.
Entry 3-195: July 9, 2015
Technology versus magic
Arthur C. Clarke once said that any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic. Well, to a technologically savvy person, the reverse is also true. Something that looked like magic would be assumed merely incomprehensibly advanced technology.
Captain Keller was not stupid. He saw that the Vuduri, or more specifically Rome, demonstrated technologies that he could not fathom. Rome went one step further:
Rei stepped back and took Rome’s hand. She squeezed and he turned to look at her. She smiled and winked at him and he was shocked to see her rising up into the air. She released his hand and floated forward, toward Keller until she was, at most, two steps away from him, her eyes the same height as his.
“MINIMCOM, how did you do that?” Rei thought to himself.
“Smoke and mirrors, my friend, smoke and mirrors,” replied MINIMCOM, pleased with himself.
“No, come on,” Rei thought. “Tell me”
“It is just an extended repulsor field. A flying carpet, if you will. If you were standing directly behind her, you would have floated up as well. I think it is a nice effect.”
“Sleek,” thought Rei. “Very sleek.”
Floating before Captain Keller, all alone there, this tiny woman, eight months pregnant, so vulnerable, made her voice heard loud and clear to the thousands gathered around.
“Captain Keller. You must listen to me. The war is not down here. It is up there.” She pointed straight up. “It is not just control of a planet at stake. It is the very existence of life. There are things coming that are bigger than you and me and the whole world. The time has come to put aside our differences and work as one to protect our world and keep us safe. We are all human. We need to work together if we are going to survive as a species.”
Trabunel walked over to Keller and said, “Bir qua nei i danda? Nis bitamis sambra mede-lis meos derta," and then he laughed.
“Huh?” Keller said. “What’d he say?”
“He said you can always kill us later,” Rome said to him. “Why not give it a chance?”
Keller looked around him. Every one of his crew, all of the Ibbrassati, the Deucadons, all were nodding. None of them wanted war. All any of them ever wanted was peace and equality. He lowered his weapon.
“All right Mrs. Bierak, you win. We’ll give it a try,” he said. All four races shouted in glee including the Vuduri. In the heat of the moment, no one realized how truly remarkable this was.
Rome took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax for the first time in a very long time.
The Overmind took the opportunity to address her. “Good job, Rome,” thought the Overmind quietly.
Rome smiled and replied, “It is just the beginning. My work is over. The rest is up to you.”
“Then let us start,” said the Overmind as the Vuduri moved forward.
Keller chose to cooperate. But why? Wasn't the Darwin Project all about conquest and control?
Tomorrow.
Entry 3-196: July 10, 2015
Really. Why capitulate?
Yesterday, I showed you how Captain Keller gave in to the overwhelming desire of all the people of Deucado. This was the climax of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution. But why did he? He had his directives from the Darwin Project. Wasn't he violating his own orders and, in fact, betraying all the time and effort that went into sending people to the stars?
In short, no.
Even though he seemed like an odious individual, we learned about Captain Keller’s back story in Rome’s Evolution. Here is a brief excerpt:
Keller took a good long draft of beer then set his squeezebulb down. “Before you say anything, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m not the man you knew.”
“You aren’t?” Rei asked. “Ok, uh, go ahead.”
“Do you remember when the Bethesda bomb went off?”
“Of course,” Rei said. “How could anybody forget?”
“Well, I was stationed in Turkey at the time, fighting god-knows-who. Bethesda, that was my home. My wife and two daughters lived there. They were incinerated, along with my parents and pretty much everybody that I ever cared about.”
Keller sighed. “I was so angry, so blind with rage; I just wanted to kill everybody and everything that had even the remote chance of being related.” He shook his head. “There was no way to grieve,” he said. “The area was quarantined and off-limits for a hundred years. I wasn’t allowed back. My bitterness made me an easy recruit for Darwin. I believed in what they wanted with all my heart and soul. I just wanted everyone who wasn’t us to die. When I got to the stars, and there were already people there, I wanted them gone too. I held all of them responsible.”
Captain Keller wasn't stupid. Despite Rome's brave showing, he knew he didn’t have to capitulate. Even though the Vuduri had surrendered, our impression of Keller was that he was so bloodthirsty, that he only wanted to fight, even if he didn’t have to. But think about his mission. He needed to be safe on a planet, develop resources and eventually return to Earth with the virus weapon if necessary. Well, he had already accomplished three quarters of his mission just in those ten minutes.
The Vuduri, the Ibbrassati and the non-Darwin Essessoni would guarantee that the Darwin members would survive and thrive on Deucado. They had ready-made access to transport back to Earth. Maybe all they wanted was to take more troops? But it didn’t matter. That part was done. So all they really needed to do was to find and release Strain 5 on Earth. This forms the basis of the entire plot of The Ark Lords.
So what did he have to gain by continuing the fight? Nothing. He simply had to appear to be cooperative and everything he needed and wanted would be handed to him. Of course, he didn't know what was in store for him. Maybe he would have chosen another path.
Entry 3-197: July 11, 2015
Baby be ready
Aason Bierak was a wonderful boy. Even before he was born. His mother, Rome, and his father, Rei, were in a struggle to save mankind from itself with the battle playing out on the alluvial pla
ins of Deucado during the climax of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution.
However, he did not even pretend that he wasn't ready to come out. He wanted to meet his mother, face to face. He wanted to meet his father. He wanted to see the world. Never mind that he has his own adventures in The Milk Run. He just wanted to be born.
He was kind enough and caring enough to wait until Rome defused the incendiary situation. But that was it. That was all the patience he had. He left his parents no time to revel in the peace they had achieved:
Rei held Rome close watching all this occur. After the crowd had dispersed, Rei turned to Rome and said, “You did it, honey. You saved the world this time.”
She smiled at him and said, “I guess it was my turn, eh?”
Rei laughed. Just then, Rome doubled over in pain, grabbing her stomach. Rei kneeled down to hold her hand. He looked up into her beautiful glowing eyes.
“Sweetheart,” he said, “more pain? Is it bad?”
“It is not the same as before,” Rome said. “I think, mau emir, it is time to have our baby.” She pointed to the ground.
Rei looked and saw her pant legs were soaked and there was a small puddle pooled around her feet.
“I guess it is,” Rei replied.
“Yes, Mother,” Aason said. “I am ready.”
Already, there were three Vuduri running over to her to help her aboard one of the shuttles. Rei, of course, went with her.
The tiny craft lifted into the sky and flew them right into the courtyard of the enclave, leaving behind the mix of peoples who were really seeing each other as equals for the very first time.
Who could blame him? It was the 35th century, after all. What an exciting time to live. But little did he know that this was just the beginning.
Entry 3-198: July 12, 2015