The Khruellian Encounter Read online

  Samantha leaned forward, “And just where would he send these poor souls?”

  “To the colonies, of course,” the admiral replied.

  Samantha sat upright. “We are not colonies, Admiral Blockmeir. We are independent worlds joined in a legal Confederation.”

  The admiral smiled at her rancor. “Easy Samantha, I am merely expressing to you how he thinks of the members of the CSF. He is not alone in that thinking.”

  “And the Terran Space Force?” Samantha asked. “Where do they fall in the equation?”

  Admiral Blockmeir was candid. “Naturally, from a pride point of view, most of us would like to see one of our own appointed as the supreme commander-in-chief, but we are realist enough to recognize that the CSF has had more than forty years of experience running an interstellar space force. Also, under the terms of the agreement, our space force, at least the interstellar part of it is being phased into the CSF.” He looked at Annika, who like Jon had sat silently listening to the rapid-fire interchange. “Captain McKinnah is a prime example of that integration, although I think she carried it to the extreme.”

  Annika and Jon smiled at the reference to their marriage. Samantha came off her huff and asked the Admiral, “Any recommendations?”

  Admiral Blockmeir said tersely, “If you can find any bodies in his closet, then he’s vulnerable.”

  Samantha laughed heartily, “Blackmail, Eugene? You really should consider politics.”

  On her signal, the party rose from their chairs and made their way to the admiral’s door. Samantha stopped and gave the admiral a hug and a kiss on the cheek that was a little more familiar than protocol would have suggested. “Thank you Eugene, I look forward to that dinner.”

  On the shuttle flight to the surface, they discussed the admiral’s words. Jon said, “I think I understand what Admiral Dexter had up his sleeve when he ordered us to accompany you on this mission. He wants Talor to dig up anything in the minister’s past you can use as leverage. Pretty crafty, I’d say.”

  Samantha grinned and said, “He’s the Commander-in-Chief for a good reason.”

  Jon felt a little uncomfortable about using the minister’s past to coerce him into cooperation. He had a hard time believing the Minister of Alien Affairs would jeopardize Earth’s very existence by denying the CSF and the weapons they needed to fight the Hegemony. Jon preferred the direct approach, but until he was sure the direct approach would work, he would follow the Admiral’s suggestion to find some leverage in the minister’s past. He turned to Talor and mentaled, “Do you think you can find anything?”

  The android took a second to respond, which Jon took as a sign he was fully occupied making a connection to his buried alter ego in Earth’s massive, monolithic computer system. “I may have something, Jon, but I’ll need a little time to track down the details.”

  The shuttle landed in the North American Archipelago near the ancient capital of the United States. The Capital city Washington had been destroyed several times during the wars of unification, but the quadrangle had been restored along with the monuments to its namesake president and the especially inspiring statue of Abraham Lincoln, whose words still inspired society’s suppressed more than fifteen hundred years later. With the fall of the Industrial Council and the rebirth of democracy, the site had become a popular tourist destination. The McKinnahs had chosen to land in North America, not because of the local attractions, but because Annika’s family lived nearby. Coincidentally, Samantha also had a diplomatic function to attend in the old capital. They agreed to meet later that night at Samantha’s hotel where a set of suites had been reserved for them.

  Talor was a problem, not because he was an android, but because they were mobbed with autograph seekers as soon as they made their way into the terminal. The android bore a remarkable resemblance to the fictional character in the popular vid program. People were not sure if he was an actor or an actual AI. Jon had never seen any of the androids get flustered before, but it was evident Talor was at a loss on how to handle the mob of adoring fans.

  “What do you suggest I do, Jon?” the android asked.

  Jon couldn’t detect panic in his companion’s voice, but it didn’t take a lot of imagination to hear a sense of discomfort. “Do what they want,” he replied. “Sign your autograph.”

  “What name should I use?” Talor shot back.

  It was clear this was a unique situation for the Ankh Aries. Jon could not remember any of the androids asking for advice. “Use your own name, ‘Talor,’ not the vid name, ‘Ronnie’ or whatever it is.” He handed Talo a pen.

  With inhuman speed, Talo began signing everything presented to him. In five minutes he had autographed over three hundred caps, shoulders, pieces of paper and any reading material the fans were carrying. Satisfied they let the party pass. As they passed a souvenir store, Talor asked Jon to buy him a billed cap, a light jacket, and sunglasses. The Android did not wear clothes. His skin was smooth, dull silver that looked like a skier’s bodysuit. His skull was hairless with very human features that were mobile enough to express emotions. His eyes were uniform dark silver, like deep pools of water.

  Talo took the items and stepped into a men’s room, He soon emerged as a different “person.” His skin was now a light brown with a black line were his eyebrow would be located. With the jacket, billed cap and sunglasses he had a reasonable chance of escaping the attention of most people, at least long enough for them to get out of the crowded terminal.

  “Wow, Talor, how did you do that?” Annika asked, impressed.

  “Necessitas est ingenii mater,” the android answered cryptically.

  “Necessity is the mother of invention,” Jon translated with a laugh. “It’s Latin. I belonged to an ancient language club in the academy,” He explained to Annika.

  Samantha excused herself and boarded a waiting VIP transporter. Jon, Annika, and Talor piled into a less auspicious version and gave Annika’s family address to the transporter computer. As soon as the door closed and they started moving, Talor shed the hat, jacket, and sunglasses. Jon and Annika watched with interest as Talo skin morphed back to its regular color.

  Jon said, “I didn’t know you could alter your skin color like that, Talor.”

  The android was candid, “I wasn’t sure I could either until I had to.

  It was seldom that Jon discovered the limits of the Ares’ abilities. He stored it away for future reference. They entered an area of densely populated, high rises, buildings soaring to two hundred stories or more. There was very little green space and few places to spread out. Anita explained that each building had floors devoted to playing spaces for children, but little opportunity existed for the people to play games like soccer or any of the ancient games involving balls and large open fields. Nowhere was the impact of a population of thirty billion people more evident than here. Jon could not imagine living in these conditions. He felt a twinge of sympathy for Hector Andreas Gavito’s desire to reduce Earth’s population pressures, but not for his methods. Jon did recognize that the problem needed to be addressed as soon as possible. The tiniest imbalance in Earth’s delicate supply and demand structure could result in the deaths of billions of people from starvation which could lead to the collapse of society on earth that would take hundreds of years to restore. The problem was personal for Jon and Annika because her parents were among the most endangered class of people on Earth.

  The auto transporter stopped in front of a building that was indistinguishable from the fifteen other building within sight. Jon stared up at the canyon created by the close buildings and wondered how Annika had ever managed to escape such a life. She had grown quiet since the transporter had entered the warren of buildings and Jon could see from her body language she did not want to revisit the memories of her youth. He reached over and put his hand on top of hers and sent her a mental message of love and encouragement.

  She looked at him, bright eyes showing a trace of tears. “Please stay close to me,
Jon. I need you to protect me from my past.”

  “With my life,” he promised her and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

  The trio’s entry into the crowded lobby of the building caused pandemonium. The number of people trying to get a glimpse of the Android threatened to block their access to one of the elevators. Somebody recognized Annika and called out, “Hey Annika babe, who are your friends?”

  Suddenly a deep voice of authority sounded throughout the lobby, “These people are here to visit the Masterson’s in unit 18925. Please allow them to pass.”

  In a society accustom to obeying authority, the crowd separated quickly, and soon they were alone in an elevator. Anita pushed 189 and the elevator shot up at an incredible speed. She looked at Talor and said, “You did that, didn’t you, Talor? Thanks.”

  “It was a small matter, Annika. The com system in this building is very primitive,” the android answered.

  The trio walked down a plain white corridor until Annika stopped at the door with the number 18925 on it. She pushed a button on the entrance com.

  “Who is it?” a gruff voice said over the speaker. The com screen was cracked and obviously not working.

  “It’s Annika, Dad. Open up.”

  They could hear a series of locks being worked, and then the door swung open. A scruffy looking man with a day old beard looked at them in surprise. Seeing who was in his daughter’s company, he made a small, high-pitched screech and stepped back from the door. The sight of two space officers in full dress uniform accompanied by a gleaming android was too much for him to grasp in one look. “Annika, is that you?” he said at last. A woman appeared behind him and pushed him out of the way. There was no doubt she was Annika’s mother. Traces of her former beauty still shone through the hard life she had inherited. Without a word, she gathered her daughter in her hands and pulled her head into the crook of her neck. Both women cried silently, and the men stood and watched in silence.

  Her mother pushed her daughter back to get a good look at her. “You look so splendid,” she finally said with obvious pride.

  “I missed you, Mom,” Annika said in a soft voice. Her tone perked up, and she turned to Jon and Talo. “Mom, Dad, I want you to meet my husband, Group Captain Jonathon James McKinnah the Third, and this is Talor, his personal android. The pride in her voice lifted Jon’s heart.

  Annika’s mother was not awestruck like her father was. She stepped forward and took Jon in her arms. “Welcome, Jonathon, my name is Maria Masterson, and this dumb-struck oaf is Annika’s’ father, Robert.” She let go of Jon and turned to Talor. “I don’t know how to greet you, but if you’re a friend of my daughter’s husband, then you’re family.

  For the next hour, Jon and Talor watched the Masterson’s catch up with each other and answer questions directed their way. It was the first time Jon had witnessed how life was lived by more than sixty percent of the people on Earth, and it had a profound effect on him. In a moment of inspiration, he understood how to handle the situation with the Minister of Alien Affairs, not by subterfuge or confrontation, but by cooperation. He was sure Talor, Annika, and his Aunt Samantha would agree with his idea. At the end of the hour, Annika’s’ dad expressed a desire to migrate to another planet and asked Jon directly if he could help them. Before Annika could object, Jon said, “Sir, I will do all that I can to see that you find a good home and a job to go with it.”

  Tears of gratitude appeared in the man’s eyes as he took Jon’s hand in his and said, “I will be forever in your debt, Jonathon.”

  On the ride to their hotel, Annika and Jon were quiet, reluctant to express what they were feeling, but for different reasons. Finally, Jon said, “How did you escape from that life?”

  Annika smiled at the man she had come to love in such a short time. “When I was twelve years old, I saw a vid interview with a female captain in the Terran Space Force. She was beautiful, calm and commanded a ship much like I will be commanding. The interviewer asked her how she got to that position, and she told him she had been the top graduate in her school cadet corps, which had gotten her an appointment to the Academy.” Annika sat back in her seat. “That became my plan to get out of this,” she said as she gestured to the crowded buildings rushing past the transporter’s window.

  Jon touched her hand and said, “That took an amazing amount of courage and dedication.”

  She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Believe me, I was motivated.”

  Later that evening the four of them discussed their strategy for dealing with Hector Gavito, whom they were scheduled to meet in the morning.

  When asked, Talor said, “I believe Jon has an idea that might be better than subterfuge.

  Samantha looked at Talor and observed, “You couldn’t find anything, could you?”

  Talor said, “As obnoxious as the Minister may be, he is singularly dedicated to his desire to make it possible for billions of people to emigrate from Earth. I found plenty of evidence of a heavy-handed management style, but could find no evidence of corruption or misdeeds on his part.”

  Annika was curious. She had a different opinion of the man based on her firsthand experience. “What’s his motivation,” she asked. “What drives him?

  Talor said, “He came from the same circumstances as yours, Annika. It all started with wanting to get his parents a better way of life.”

  Jon told them what he was thinking. His aunt listened politely but appeared skeptical. They discussed the idea, and she agreed it was worth a try.

  The following morning the delegation from Newhope assembled in the minister’s anteroom. As Ambassador to Earth, Samantha McKinnah was accorded all the courtesies her position called for. The Minister had cleared his schedule for her convenience and came out of his office to meet her personally when she arrived. If he was surprised to see Captain Annika Masterson, now McKinnah with the ambassador he did not show it. He nodded politely when she and Jon were introduced and escorted them into his office.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure, Madam Ambassador?” Hector Andreas Gavito asked without including the McKinnah pair in his look.

  Samantha had a reputation for getting to the meat on the bone as soon as the carcass was dumped on the table and this time was no exception. “You’re about to get my nephew and his wife killed, and I wanted to look you in the face while you explain to me why you think that’s necessary.”

  Jon groaned inside. He had hoped his aunt wouldn’t start off the conversation like an attack dog, but there was no stopping her once she made her mind up about an adversary. In her mind, the Minister of Alien Affairs was an enemy of the CSF.

  Hector Gavito turned red in the face and started to say sometime in retort, but he had enough self-control to suck in his breath and remain calm. Jon was amazed at the man’s discipline.

  The minister said calmly, “I presume, Madam Ambassador you are referring to my position of having a senior officer from Earth’s Space Force hold the senior military position in the Alien Allied Defense Force.”

  “More specifically, Minister Gavito,” Samantha said, getting angry at the minister’s smug attitude. “I am referring to your call to withhold weapons unless we agree to your demands.”

  Gavito remained calm and answered, “It seems like a reasonable tit-tat to me, Madam Ambassador. We can’t seem to get anybody’s attention to our demand any other way.”

  Samantha started to answer, but Jon could see this meeting was just going to degenerate to a point where so much ill will would have been generated that no progress or compromise would be possible. He put his hand on his aunt’s arm to stop her. Samantha looked at him in surprise and then remembered what they had discussed the previous evening. She nodded her head in understanding and let the young man speak in her place.

  He looked at the minister whose back was stiff with resentment and said, “Minister Gavito, I know it is natural for Earth to want to take the leadership role in this upcoming war. You are obviously the most populated world in the
Confederation. Your manufacturing capacity and ability to provide weapons to the Confederation is unparalleled, but the truth is, we will fight this battle with or without the help of Earth. We have no choice, but Earth will suffer the consequences of failure along with every other world in the Confederation and the Alien Alliance.”

  Minister Gavito stared at Jon and took in the silent android standing behind him. The history of what had happened the last time an Earth official had tried to outfox one of these alien artifacts crossed his mind. He did not want to do battle with these people, especially the young McKinnah, whose father and grandparents were legends even on Earth. His anger at the Ambassador’s attack began to subside, and he waited for the young man to continue.

  Jon sensed the minister’s anger easing and continued, “The truth is, and every one of your senior Terran Space Forcer officers will agree, is that the CSF has over forty years of experience running an interstellar space force. That experience is what led to the choice of Admiral Chen-Warren as Commander-in-Chief, not some desire to exclude Earth from the command position.”

  Before the minister could offer a rebuttal, Jon said, “But that’s not the real issue is it, Minister Gavito?”

  “What do you mean?” Gavito asked, not understanding the Group Captain’s question.

  “Earth’s population is the issue and how to relieve it,” Jon said, now certain he was on the right track.

  The pained expression on Hector Andreas Gavito’s face told Jon he had struck home. He and Talo had discussed what the android had discovered in his search for background material on the Minister of Alien Affairs. He had grown up in the same environment as Annika and had the same desire to help his family move to a better place. The problem was, there were no better places except off Earth.

  “It is our most pressing issue,” the minister admitted, curious to know where the young McKinnah was going with his statement.