The taxi dropped Nyk off in front of the college union. He looked at his
watch -- it was one in the afternoon. He fished his wallet out of his pocket, removed
the staff card he had used during his first tour and flashed it for the guard
at the door.
He stepped to the coffee bar and ordered a mocha latte from the barista.
This he carried to a table, sat and sipped it.
Memories of the place filled his mind. He was sitting at the table at which
he had met Suki. He had been onworld only a few days and had decided to take lunch
here in the union. He had just scooped a spoonful of chili when a woman's voice
said...
"Excuse me. May I join you? I think this is the only empty seat."
Nyk was jolted from his reverie. He looked up and saw a short, slightly
overweight young woman with a tray. "Please do," he replied.
"Did I startle you?"
"No -- your voice sounded like ... someone I know."
She extended her hand. "I'm Crystal."
He took her hand. "Nick -- Nick Kane. Pleased to meet you." He made
eye contact and stifled his shock. Her irises were bright orange-yellow and the
pupils were vertical slits.
She pointed to her eye. "Contact lenses. I belong to a role-playing club
here on campus. We're meeting after my class. I'm going in my persona as Lilea -- an
alien woman from the planet of Anthea ... you know, from The Man Who Fell to Earth?"
Nyk shrugged.
She picked up her sandwich. "I'm fascinated with the notion of life on other planets,"
she continued. "Do you think there's intelligent life in the universe?"
"If you consider humans intelligent," he replied, "yes."
She smiled. "No -- on other worlds. I think it's not only possible but likely. Maybe
beings from other planets are here, right now -- walking among us."
He sipped his latte. "I suppose anything's possible."
"I wonder if their intent is benign, or if they mean us harm."
"Benign, I would hope," Nyk replied.
Crystal wolfed down her lettuce and sprouts sandwich. "Well -- I'm late for class.
It was nice meeting you, Nick."
"Mi zidiri mu plaka es't," he replied. "Zi dev dulxe takta hav."
"What did you say?"
"I said, it was my pleasure speaking with you. Have a nice day."
"What language was that?"
He whispered. "It was Lingwafloran, the language of Planet Floran ... two hundred
lightyears distant in the direction of the great star Deneb."
Crystal's jaw dropped. "COOL! You should join our club!"
Nykkyo walked form the union to the house and unlocked the front door. It was now mid-
afternoon and he figured Dyppa was at the lab. He sat in a chair, locked his
fingers behind his head and waited.
Dusk was falling when the door opened. Dyppa walked in carrying a paper
grocery sack. She headed to the kitchen and set it on the counter.
"Dyppa," he said.
"WHAA!" She spun around. "Oh, it's you." She put her hand on her breast.
"You SCARED me."
"I'm sorry. Dyppa, tonight we need to make a transit."
"To where?"
"To Altia."
"NO! I am NOT going back there!"
"Dyppa, you don't have a choice. They've issued an interrogation warrant
for you."
"Interrogation?" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "Why
interrogate ME? I haven't done anything! I've paid my debt to that society."
"Dyppa -- trust me..."
"TRUST you? You came here to send me up and back to that ... that ...
that hell of a planet!"
"No, Dyppa. I feel as badly about this as you do."
"There's no way you could feel as badly about Altia as I do."
"Dyppa, calm down. I'll go with you. We'll go to Altia and meet with a
security officer. You'll be interrogated; you'll spend half a day recovering
from the drug and then we come back to Earth. It's that simple."
"SIMPLE? Interrogated about what?"
"About The Seven."
"I know absolutely nothing about The Seven."
"Then -- you have nothing to fear, do you?"
"I've never been interrogated before..."
"I have. It's no fun, but it's no big deal, either. You won't remember
anything. Any discomfort from the drug wears off quickly."
"Why would they think I know anything about The Seven?"
"I'm afraid that's my fault. It seems a man named Manrei Lom has been
detained under suspicion of association with The Seven. I told Seymor about
your friend Lom. "
Her eyes grew wide and she held her hand over her mouth. "You didn't!"
"No -- I didn't tell him any details of your relationship. I was
intrigued by the name -- that's all. I told him you fell in love with a man
named Lom, and that set into motion the events that brought you here. That's
ALL I told Seymor."
"You're sure."
He made an X on his chest. "Cross my heart."
"Still..."
"I know, I know. You told me that in confidence and I violated it. I'm
terribly sorry, and I'll never do anything like that again. I should've kept
my yap shut."
She sighed. "So many there will want to harm me. Their motto is, never
forget ... and, rarely forgive."
"You won't be out of sight of me or Altian security. No one will be able
to harm you. No one knows you're coming. Dyppa -- as I said -- you don't have a
choice. Well -- you do. Your choice is to go voluntarily or to be dragged
there."
"I'd almost rather be dragged there -- I'd have security officers around
me. Then, when the interrogation comes back negative..."
"Volunteering always helps your cause."
"I suppose..." She looked down. "I don't even know if this Manrei Lom is
MY Lom. I don't even know if it was his real name."
"The investigators are desperate to follow any lead. The Seven has made
another threat."
She nodded. "And, afterward -- I come back here?"
"Assuming your interrogation proves your innocence -- and I have every
confidence it will -- yes, you come back here."
"Promise?" He made another X. "All right -- I volunteer."
"Why don't we go someplace nice for dinner?"
Nyk sat across from her and scanned a menu. He looked up. Dyppa sat with
her arms folded, her menu closed on the table. "Buck up. There's really nothing
to worry about."
"Why don't you believe me?"
"I DO believe you."
"Why don't THEY believe me?"
"They don't even know you."
"Why can't you vouch for me?"
"If it were that simple -- I would in an instant."
She picked up the menu and set it down again. "I'm not hungry."
"Please, Dyppa -- let's have a nice meal before this ordeal."
"You said it! ORDEAL! That's what it is."
"I was speaking figuratively." He picked up the menu and handed it to
her. "Suki introduced me to this place. They make a nice manicotti here."
"Whatever."
The waitress approached. "Two manicotti."
"Anything to drink?"
"Water for me." He looked at Dyppa.
"Just water," she replied.
The waitress picked up the menus and left.
"Now, Dyppa -- tell me what you DO know about The Seven."
"I really know nothing."
"I can't believe anyone could grow up on that planet and not know
something."
"Believe it."
"What about the independence movement?"
"What about it?" she asked.
"Tell me about it."
"Well... We Altians feel we're being unfairly used."
"Used how?"
"What do you know of my world?"
"I know it's where most of Floran's mineral wealth comes from."
She nodded. "And, do you know where that wealth goes?" He shook his
head. "It certainly doesn't stay on Altia. We're tired of being oppressed."
"Oppressed? Isn't that too strong a word?"
"Coming from an oppressor's lips, I suppose it is."
"Dyppa -- do YOU favor the independence movement?"
"There isn't a single Altian who doesn't support it to some degree."
"What is your degree?"
"I really don't know. My degree changes from day to day." She shook her
head. "No one who hasn't lived there could understand."
"Try me. I'm an understanding sort of guy."
"You know Altia is completely dependant on Floran for our food supply.
We have no means to feed ourselves."
"Other colonies are in the same situation."
"Maybe so. But -- Floran is NOT completely dependent on Altia for
minerals. Floran can turn to T-Delta or another colony. So -- if Altians start
demanding a few more credits per tonne of pig aluminum or cobalt ... the next
thing we know -- there's no trade. If there's no trade -- there's no food. YOU
define the terms of OUR standard of living."
"Not ME, Dyppa." He pondered. "I think what you're describing sounds
terribly unfair."
"You're a Floran. You're a member of the society that imposes our
lifestyle on us." She looked down at the table. "So -- now are you going to
leave me on Altia? Send me up because of my beliefs? My politics?" Her eyes
brimmed. "I'll bet now you really DO regret that night in Scottsdale!"
"Absolutely not. I think everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I
might not agree with you, but I support unconditionally your right to believe
what you wish." He reached across the table and touched the back of her hand.
She snatched it away. He turned his hand palm-up and looked into her eyes. "I
won't argue politics with you. Your beliefs do NOT change my opinion of you --
or, my admiration."
"Really?"
"Really." She pressed her palm against his. "And, I DON'T regret Scottsdale."
"Do you mean that?"
"I do."
"I'm sorry, Nyk. This whole interrogation thing has me upset."
He squeezed her hand. "Me, too. I don't blame you a bit." He sipped some
water. "What do you think independence will bring Altia?"
"The ability to set our own terms."
"But Dyppa -- those terms are set by economics. Your political
independence has nothing to do with it. I think you'll lose more than you'll
gain by leaving the hegemony."
"I don't know about that. I do know this -- no matter how strongly I
want independence, The Seven is going about it the wrong way. The right way is
to work with the new Altian Senate -- to express the will of the people and to
create a voice that can be heard in the High Legislature."
"I'm with you on that," Nyk replied.
"It was also wrong for the High Legislature to dissolve our senate and
to put our world under Floran direct rule."
"That was done as an interim step after the Ricin plot," Nyk explained.
"Remember -- Floran isn't the same as the HL."
"It was during direct rule the seeds of the independence movement were
sown."
"Dyppa -- I won't dispute that the situation on Altia was poorly
managed. I think the most productive solution is for all of us to let bygones
be bygones and work together to improve things. Agreed?"
She smiled. "Agreed."
The waitress set two plates of manicotti before them. Nyk cut a piece
with the edge of his fork. "Have you been offworld?" he asked. "Aside from
Earth and Floran City, that is."
She shook her head. "No. How about you?"
"I spent some time on Lexal."
Her eyes narrowed. "That is one colony I cannot tolerate."
"Why not?" he asked. "You've never been there."
"All Altians swear an oath against them."
"Dyppa -- during my stay on Lexal, I didn't hear a single Lexalese swear
an oath against Altia. What reason do you have to dislike them? Have the
Lexalese ever fired upon your capital?"
"No..."
"Have they ever attempted to murder your leaders?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Have they supplied arms and men to insurgents wanting to overthrow your
government?"
"I don't think so."
"Dyppa -- Altia did all of those against Lexal."
"Those were defensive, pre-emptive actions," she replied. "We did so to
protect our own interests."
"Lexal is a tiny colony with less than 150 million inhabitants. It
doesn't make sense for them to invade Altia. At least, it doesn't make sense to
me."
"We wanted to send a message. We wanted to show our enemies Altia is a
force not to be trifled with."
"Don't you think attacking a colony less than a tenth Altia's size
might've sent a different sort of message?"
She looked up. "I thought you weren't going to argue with me."
"Dyppa, were you in favor of Altia's Lexalese adventure?"
She gazed at him, her eyes narrowing. "No one asked me for MY
permission, Nykkyo. Altian citizens didn't know about it until it was well
underway." She sipped some water. "It looked to me like a lose-lose
proposition. In the best case, we'd have an offworld territory to administer.
It would've stretched our security forces even thinner."
"Altia intended to annex Lexal?" Nyk asked. "What would be gained by
that?"
"Arable land."
"You would've used Lexal as your breadbasket. That hardly sounds
defensive or pre-emptive."
"It was one way to break the monopoly the Food Service holds over us."
"Don't you think the resources Altia expended building arms and deep-
space shuttles would've been better applied toward food production? Dyppa -- if
we can grow food on Floran, you can grow it on Altia."
"I didn't say I agreed with it, did I? Anyway -- it failed, and it set
us backward. Our deep-space fleet was grounded and now we're forced to pay
reparations."
"Don't you believe Lexal deserves compensation for what Altia did?"
"But -- Lexal has such wealth," she protested.
"Ah yes... Now it comes out. Lexal was once an agricultural colony
dependent on the rest of the Hegemony for minerals and manufactured goods. Food
from the homeworld and Gamma-5 were cheaper than from Lexal, so there was no
market. The planet was a collective of subsistence farmers. Mykko Wygann
changed all that. He built Lexal into a strong, self-sufficient economy. Dyppa -
- Altia needs to follow the Lexalese pattern -- not wallow in despair and
envy."
"It's easy for you to say. What about Mykko Wygann and his
ax'amfin princess? Altia is criticized for being a government of thugs
and Wygann gets away with crowning himself Chancellor-for-Life. He marries an
ax'amfin witch who then assumes the trappings of royalty."
"Wygann was asked to be Chancellor-for-Life by his own people -- the
same ones who call Janna their princess. The Lexalese want it this way. It
gives them a fairy tale to live out and enjoy."
"There are no fairy tales on Altia."
"Dyppa -- I don't think you get it."
She looked up. "Oh -- I get it, all right." She dropped her fork on her
plate. "I'm done. Let's make transit and get this over with."
