Work in Progress

Chapter 9

         The return was uneventful.  Mikhail pulled out all of the stops without exceeding light speed and they were back at the Air Force Base within the hour.
         "I want the rest of you pilots," Admiral Teramore addressed the men assembled on the control deck, "to pull your planes out of their bays and stand ready with them nose forward to the runway and stand-by for further instruction until you get the order to stand down."
         "Yes, Sir!" came the response from the assembly that had drawn up to attention.  They trooped to the elevator and down to the hangar deck.
         The journalists were silent for the moment. 
         "Galactica.  Cut transmission."
         One of the screens in front of Carol went dark.
         "The next five hours are going to be boring as crud.  Why waste the bandwidth?" Mike said to the ladies.
         Both nodded and everyone made their way to the elevator.
         
         As they arrive outside, Mike watched as the remaining fifteen MiGs slowly backed out of their berths and positioned themselves around the main runway with noses facing the runway.
         A few moments later, Vesna parked next to Galactica in front of the maintenance hangar.  A few minutes after that, President Dubinov of the Russian Federation emerged from the airlock.  Mike walked over and extended his hand.
         "I really hope you know what you're doing this time."  The President took Mike's hand. 
         "I haven't let you down yet.  We're pretty much prepared for anything."
         "It only takes once," was the President's reply.
         The pair turned and walked towards the office building.
         
         Mike poured chai into a glass cup from a samovar in a corner of his office.  Dubinov accepted it and took a sip.
         "Excellent!"
         "That's Olga Ivanova's recipe. When it comes to food, she's world class."
         "Yes.  But that's only one area."
         "Look.  There are a lot of things that I can do, but Mikhail's a better pilot than I; Oksana's a better engineer than I; Carol is a better mathematician than I am.  I can do all of their jobs, but in their specialties, they are better.  Even Olga's a better cook than I!"
         The President laughed and took another sip of his tea.  "I will not argue with you, because I know you are better at debate than I.  I will only say that it is you who taught each of these to be what they are."
         "It is the job of a teacher to bring the student ahead of themselves."
         "Then, this is what you have done well."
         
         Air Force One landed four hours later, followed by a private Boeing 767 carrying Secretary Jopurnan.  The aircraft both parked at the end of the runway as Mike and President Dubinov left the building to greet President Link and the Secretary General.
         "What the devil's going on?" Link said as the four entered Mike's office.
         Mike sat and responded, "I've got a bunch of people on their way with a couple hundred more years experience wandering around the galaxy than we have.  Rostov and the Anglii tell me their OK and I believe them.  I think there's a lot we can learn from their experience, like who to avoid.  Two years ago, I showed you we're not alone.  Now we've got a species that bears no resemblance to us, but they're friendly, or want to be friendly.  My personal take on this is that we see where it goes.
         "They tell me they want a treaty for trade and protection.  I don't see where that's a problem until proven otherwise."
         There was a tap at the door and Admiral Teramore entered, uninvited.  He took a chair next to the wall at Mike's right.
         "We need some advisors here to work out a treaty," Link said.
         "Why?  I have the three most powerful men in the world sitting here drinking tea.  If we can't come up with a good treaty, who can?  We'll sit around and discuss what each wants and needs.  We'll come up with a treaty (I have a secretary that can type 110 words a minute), we'll sign it, and everyone goes home happy."
         "You trust Rostov's evaluation," Teramore interrupted.
         "You trusted me, I trust him."
         "Gentlemen," the Admiral said to the trio of diplomats, "You can bet the farm on it."
         The intercom on Mike's desk buzzed.
         "Sir, Family Squadron reports they're on final approach."
         Link gave Mike a puzzled look.  "You kept the name?"
         "Why not?" Mike splayed his hands.  "It works for them.  We're more than a team.  All of us here are family.  We may squabble amongst each other, but if anything outside bothers us, their ass is grass."
         Jopurnan looked slightly puzzled, not understanding the colloquialism, but it wasn't lost on either President or the Admiral.
         "Gentlemen.  Shall we welcome our first official guests to planet Earth?"  Mike stood and the others followed suit.
         
         Oksana met them on the tarmac and presented each with the newly modified translation units.
         The Nevada sky was absolutely clear, with no cloud cover as the ten modified MiG 29s dropped from the sky to take position on the runway with their comrades.  All noses pointed in.
         A few moments later, another, larger and unfamiliar craft silently descended through the atmosphere to land on the end of the runway, directly in the target area of the MiGs. 
         It was ten minutes later that the airlock of the alien craft opened and a being stepped out.  Even from this distance, it could be seen that it was a bipedal being with scales.  There was no tail, but the reptilian relationship was unmistakable.  He wore dark blue pants, with a light blue tunic that was low-cut to expose the dewlap used for communication.
         Lana and Sharon stood off to one side of the group of politicians with their shouldercams running to broadcast the first contact of humans with a truly alien civilization.
         Mike stepped forward.  "Welcome to planet Earth."  He extended his hand.
         "We also open our hands to prove we are not armed," the alien said as he grasped Mike's hand.
         "Captain Roshama?"
         "Yes, it is I," came through the translation devices as the reptile's dewlap flashed colors.
         "I'm very pleased to meet you.  I am Mike Angel, representative of the defense forces for this planet."
         The alien grabbed his arm.  "It is pleasant for me also.  Your Ambassador to Anosh, Rostov, has told us much about you.  It was you that has brought your race to space.  We wish only to ally with you.  We have traded among the stars for many generations, but in our travels we have met several species that do not wish to trade, but to conquer.  We would appreciate your cooperation with us for trade and mutual protection."
         "I would like to introduce you to our leaders on this planet," Mike said turning to the politicians.  "This is President Link, the elected leader of my country, America."
         Link stepped forward and shook the reptilian's hand.
         "This is President Dubinov, the elected leader of this planet's country, Russia."
         Dubinov followed Link's lead and shook the alien' hand.
         "Secretary Jopurnan of our United Nations, an organization consisting of representatives of all of the countries of this planet for cooperation and peace."
         "And these are Ambassadors Stevenson and Mashkadev who are our diplomatic representatives to the United Nations.  Any negotiations will be aided by all of these people."
         The ambassadors also shook hands and Roshama turned to Mike.  "You will not be negotiating?  Ambassador Rostov told us you were the greatest leader on this planet.  You led your people into space; you saved the people of his planet. "
         Mike laughed, "Valery exaggerates too much.  Yes I did those things, but I am only a minor functionary in the grand scheme of things.  Yes, I drug our governments into space kicking and screaming and got them to cooperate with each other and me.  I have a bad habit of doing what I want.  These people here," Mike waved at the leaders and diplomats, "will all tell you the one talent I don't have is diplomacy.  I'll sit in on the negotiations and make recommendations if I think it's necessary, but these are the people skilled in understanding what is best for all sides.  I have a bad habit of making up my mind and moving full speed ahead.  We have a saying here, 'like a bull in a china shop.'"
         Everyone on the tarmac smiled at this and Stevenson suppressed a laugh.  The alien's dewlap glowed a bright blue the corners of his mouth turned upward.
         "We also have a similar saying.  I understand and I appreciate that you will be there.  I will appreciate your comments because Ambassador Rostov told me there are many things that you understand by instinct that most of your people do not.  I will value your comments very much."
         "Thank you.  I have already made up my mind, but I value the opinions and skills of the others so I will only be in an advisory role."
         "I understand."  The alien nodded his head.
         "Please follow us," Mike said.
         The group turned and walked into the headquarters of the Earth Defense Forces.
         
         "You are empowered to negotiate for your people?" Jopurnan asked as the group took seats around a great table in the conference room.  Lana and Sharon were not present to broadcast the negotiations themselves.
         The alien's dewlap again glowed a bright blue and he smiled. "Yes.  My people are not organized like yours.  Certain people are trusted with certain tasks by a consensus of all of our people.  I was chosen to introduce ourselves and also to explain what we want and need.  Because we are a simple people, there is nothing to demand, only a peaceful representation and mutual defense pact between us.  We had developed the method to travel between stars several centuries ago, but we never had the necessity to develop weapons for aggression or defense.  The result has been that many of our traders do not return home each of your years.  Not all species will welcome a new species into their presence."
         "If you'd been here 15 years ago, that would have been the case on Earth," Mike muttered loudly enough for all to hear and his panel translated.
         "I understand that the change is your doing," the alien addressed Mike who blushed deeply.
         "Partly," Mike admitted.  "The time was right.  I only pointed out the foolishness of mutual distrust.  These gentlemen here understood and changed our entire culture to one of trust and negotiation."
         "This is what your Ambassador Rostov explained.  You have come so far in so little time.  You are a race who must become an ally.  We entered space and held the opinion that because we have goods and technology to trade, we would be welcome.  Unfortunately, we were wrong and have lost many good people.  We are not afraid to admit that we need assistance to protect our people and to extend our trade."
         "You understand that my race is quite aggressive" Mike said.
         "Yes.  Your Ambassador explained all of that.  He also explained that we resemble a species native to your planet called 'reptiles'."
         It was Mike's turn to blush. "Yes.  Many people today are very afraid of reptiles.  You were the dominant species on this planet until a few million years ago when a large asteroid clipped us and it killed all of them.  The only members of your species that remain are very small and not intelligent.  Those like you once dominated our world, but only the mammals, like us, survived the tragedy or the asteroid.
         "One of my crew, Dr. Peter Jameson, was the one who discovered what happened to your species so many years ago."
         "We understand.  Our world is at the very edge of your galaxy and we have not had the problems that yours has from other matter striking our planet.  From our history and our science, we are the only species that developed on our planet.  Most of those we have met and traded with are more like your species.  We have spent many centuries learning to communicate.  We are miners and traders by our nature.  We produce minerals that are of value to other people that we have met.  Our system is rich in a mineral that we use for our travels and our machinery.  I believe that, on your world, it is called element 115.  You do not have it in your system."
         Mike looked down at the table for a few minutes before looking up at President Link.
         "Sir.  I think we've just passed time to declassify most of what's on the other side of the base.  Give Oksana a couple of hours examining those things you've had stored over there for 60 years that use 115 for fuel and she'll come up with a working design within a week.  Every country on this planet could be space-borne within a year with that fuel.  Even Boeing and Airbus could manufacture space vehicles that are faster and more reliable than the shuttle with that.  I've managed to bring the national pride of the U.S. and Russia to where it should be, I think it's time for everybody else to join us.  This isn't weapons material like my drive is.  This can get us all into space."
         Link looked over at Stevenson who just noded.  Then to President Dubinov who also slowly nods before saying, "Da.  I think that it is now time for all to join us.  We will also release what we know."
         The alien looks between all people at the table, not comprehending.
         "Captain," Mike interrupts.  "You must understand that my people's space travel has only been at my permission.  It is because the drive that powers our ships may also be used as a weapon, I have only allowed those that I have personally chosen and trust to use it.  We have studied the propulsion systems that use the Element 115 for many years.  We have never been able to duplicate them because we do not have that element on our Earth.  If we begin to manufacture vehicles that use this, then all of our people will be able to freely travel in space."
         Both presidents and the Secretary General nod and Mike reaches for the telephone.
         "Airman, please notify Oksana Ivanova to come to the conference room."
         A few minutes later, there is a single knock at the door and Oksana enters the room.
         "You wanted me, Mike?"
         The girl isn't wearing a translator, but the panels held by the diplomats translate for the alien.
         "Captain.  This is my most trusted assistant.  May she have permission to study your ship and cargo so that she will be able to report to my people here how each of us can be of assistance to the other?"
         "Certainly," the reptile's 'voice' came from the communicators around the room as he pressed several buttons on a device he removed from his tunic.  "My first officer is waiting for her and will be pleased to show her what she needs to know."
         "When you're finished," President Link added, "stop off at area 51.  You'll have full access there, too."
         Oksana looks startled, but nods and leaves the room as the President picks up the telephone and issues several orders quietly.
         Mike picks up the desk set on the table and dials several numbers.
         "Pete.  How fast can you get up to Nellis?  I need a good geologist and metallurgist to analyze some samples I'm going to have shortly.  We've still got your lab on Vesna."
         "I don't know," Dr Peter Jameson replied.  "It's about a 10 hour drive from Tucson if I push it."
         "Tell you what, then.  I'll have one of the guys take a runabout down to the University and pick you up in about 30 minutes."
         "Great.  I'll be waiting on field at the stadium."
         Mike dialed more numbers.  "Misha.  Would you send one of your guys down to the U. of A. to pick up Pete Jameson?"
         




Ben W. Gardner
Sedona, Arizona

"I do not fear computers. I fear lack of them." --Isaac Asimov

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In The Beginning - ISBN:  1-4116-3848-4
Just In Time - ISBN 1-4116-3851-4
Ad Astra - ISBN: 978-1-84728-518-8
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