A Galaxy Unknown 10: Azula Carver (16 page)

"And how long do the cubs rely on their mother?"

"On home planet, babies need momma two annuals," Tayna said.

"Two annuals? Is that necessary?"

"Must learn swim, hunt, survive. As prisoners of men, babies taken away six moons."

"Well, you're not prisoners here," Jenetta said.

"Know," Cayla said. "With you is home. You belong us."

~     ~     ~

"Richard," Admiral Hillaire said to Admiral Moore during a regular meeting of the Admiralty Board in their new building on Quesann, "I just heard yesterday that you ordered the first CPS-14 with the new temporal generator to be sent to Admiral Carver for use as her barge while she's on leave. Isn't that a bit unusual?"

"Perhaps, but the circumstances are unusual. I recently learned that the King of Nordakia has asked Jen to head up a program to deal with refugees from the Clidepp Empire. I can't imagine anyone being more qualified since she's a Terran living among the Nordakians and understands the difficulties of adapting to a totally different culture. In accepting the job offered by the king, she is not only assisting Nordakia and Obotymot but the GA as well, so I felt it was fitting that we extend a bit of help to her in performing the job.

"A few days ago I received a vidMail from Jen with an attachment. The attachment was a list of requirements she's established for any émigrés who wish to settle on Nordakia or Obotymot. My aide has a copy for each of you." Turning slightly, he indicated to his aide that the handouts Jenetta had created on Obotymot should be distributed to the other admirals at the table.

After everyone had had a chance to read the handout, Admiral Moore opened the issue for discussion.

"It's bit harsh, isn't it?" Admiral Woo said.

"As the only Nordakian citizen here," Admiral Yuthkotl said, "I can say on behalf of my fellow countrymen that I think it's perfect. I received a copy of this yesterday from my king. He believes that Admiral Carver did a splendid job. We don't want immigrants who will establish their own communities within our communities and always remain apart from the rest of the population. They
must
be willing assimilate and actually do so. And while I know some will argue, I don't believe it's reasonable to expect ninety-nine percent of the population to change and adapt to the new one percent. Yes, I understand that the rules of social hospitality say a host must always cater to a guest to the point of bending over backwards. But these are not guests. They are future potential citizens and
they
must work to establish their place in the society of the planet they choose to make their home, not the other way around. We are only providing an opportunity for a better life, not promising them a better life without any effort or sacrifice on their part to fit in. It's all about opportunity and what they are willing to do to make it work."

"But Lesbolh," Admiral Woo said, "Admiral Carver is asking them to give up their religion."

"No, she isn't, Lon. She clearly states they are free to practice whatever religion they choose inside their homes. The government will not place any restrictions on their religious practices there, other than the normal laws that we all live under. For example, if someone subscribes to a religion that requires him to perform live sacrifices of his children or neighbors, we will step in and stop him, and punish him if he's already murdered or disfigured someone. All Admiral Carver is saying is that when outside their homes people may not broadcast their religious preference and differences by wearing clothes symbolic of a religion other than the main religion of the planet or engage in any practice that announces they do not subscribe to the one true religion of the planet's population."

"That's suppression of religious freedom," Admiral Woo said.

"Tell me, Lon, is every planet in GA space being required to allow refugees in?"

"Of course not. The GA Senate addressed that long ago. They decided that each nation can choose for themselves whether or not to accept refugees, and if they do, the nation decides what an acceptable number of them should be."

"Would you prefer that Obotymot and Nordakia accept no refugees at all?"

"Of course not. The nations should be free to accept or reject refugees as they choose."

"But you don't believe they can place any restrictions whatsoever on who they let in?"

"You're twisting my words, Lesbolh."

"Tell me how I'm doing that, Lon, because I want to understand your point, and I'm having trouble. It seems your arguments are in disagreement. By forbidding prospective émigrés from wearing special clothing dictated by their religious tenets and practicing rituals outside the house that flagrantly tout their religion on a planet that until now has had only one religion, we are trying to prevent confusion and confrontations between our citizens and promote harmony among the masses. If another culture is going to join us, they must make some small concessions to blend or there will be problems, as experienced in other nations throughout history. We do not ask refugees to change their private values, only their public appearance and image. And if the prospective immigrants can't agree to small changes in their dress code to conform to accepted norms on our planet, they are perfectly free to try to find a planet where they will be accepted unconditionally. Nordakia and Obotymot are sure to be the better for their departure. By accepting refugees, we're hoping to solve some of the galaxy's problems, but we don't want to cause new ones."

"Then you're proposing an isolated society?"

"No, quite the opposite, Lon. We proposing a homogenous society. Allowing groups to establish small enclaves all over the planet would result in isolated pockets in our society. If refugees are going to join us on Nordakia or Obotymot, they must actually
join
us."

"But Lesbolh, don't you see that by forcing people to change, you are destroying the very diversity you need to grow as a culture? And we all know that religious fervor is one of the strongest mind-sets in the general population. Often, it's even stronger than patriotism."

"That's exactly the point, Lon. We aren't seeking diversity; we're seeking unification. We don't want to introduce any mind-set that's stronger than love of family, love of community, and love of nation because it drives people apart without any chance of ever reuniting them. I believe that an individual's loyalties, in order of priority, should be spouse and family, community, nation, the Galactic Alliance, and lastly their religion. I put religion last not because it isn't important— we believe it is something special— but that it is between a person and their god. It isn't something you have to market by carrying a banner through the streets and screaming the name of your god for all to hear."

Admiral Moore had allowed the discussion to go unchecked so the two members of the board could get it out of their systems. Once ten seconds had passed without any new arguments, he said, "I've sent a copy of Jen's requirements list to the GA Council. They can decide if it should be distributed to all of the delegates in the Senate for review, although I'm sure that by now Azula Carver's list is being spread throughout all three regions of GA space by the media, and I fully expect it to be adopted by more than just Obotymot and Nordakia."

"Has Jen made a decision about her future in Space Command?" Admiral Ahmed asked.

"Not yet, Raihana, but I'm still hopeful we'll be able to get her to come back. For now, let's just give her the time and space to make her own decision. She's been such an integral part of Space Command for so long that it's hard to envision the service without her. I'm hoping she begins to feel the same way."

"What of your retirement, Richard? You were supposed to have returned to Earth by now."

With a smile, Admiral Moore said, "My wife keeps threatening to divorce me if I don't come home soon, and I keep telling her I can't come home yet and asking her to come here until I can return to Earth. I've sent her images to show her how beautiful it is here and how unspoiled and pristine everything is on Quesann, but her main concern is separation from our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and now our first great-great-grandchild. My decision to retire was only to placate her because she didn't want to come out here, so I'm not entirely unhappy Admiral Carver chose to take a leave of absence that forced me to change my plans. I miss my wife, but it's no worse for me than for all the men and women of Space Command and the Space Marine Corps who are separated from loving spouses for long periods of time."

"As we near mandatory retirement age," Admiral Hillaire said, "I'm wondering how I'll feel when I have to hang up my uniform and wear civvies every day. It's not that I can't envision the service without me; it's envisioning me without the service. And I can't hit a golf ball straight down the fairway to save my life."

~     ~     ~

"Madam President," the representative from Trigenetics Galactica Pharmaceutical said, "my people are demanding a token sample of the cloning documentation if they are to continue work on your sterility problem."

They were the only two in Madu's office, and the electronic scrambler on the her desk was flashing, indicating that no recording device could be recording the conversation. Madu was unaware that the TGP representative had ocular and audio implants like those used by SCI. They allowed her to record everything without relying on external devices.

"No," Madu said.

"No?"

"No."

"Madam President I remind you that you agreed to turn over all early research data before the formula has been tested and proven."

"But not before the formula has been delivered and initial tests in a Dakistee laboratory indicate it will actually cure the sterility. And the initial transfer of information will not happen even one day before we reach that point."

"My superiors insist that you give us the preliminary data now, or we might end all work on the formula."

"Very well. End it."

"Our scientists have determined that if we stop work, there's no chance you will ever cure the problem."

"Are you saying you've found the cure?"

"I'm saying that no one else will. We know that now."

"Prove it."

"What?"

"I said, prove it. Prove to me that TGP is the only company in the universe capable of solving this problem."

"Uh, I didn't say that."

"Yes you did. You said that if you stop work, there's no chance we will ever cure the problem."

"I merely meant that there's no one else willing to take on this extraordinary challenge."

"I'm not going to alter the original agreement. If you can't stand behind it, then let's mutually agree to cancel it."

"We're only asking for a small sample of what you intend to give us anyway."

"I'm not
giving
you
anything
. You're working to
earn
the materials. And so far I haven't seen any indication that you've made any progress. Or am I wrong?"

"We have made enough progress to know that none of our competitors will ever cure the problem. That's why they insist they be paid even if they fail."

"I'm willing to pay for a cure but won't pay for failure. And I've seen no proof that you can provide a cure. Now you want early payment. That may work with some governments where they foolishly begin to pay before any work is even started, but not with my government. We only pay once a project is judged successful. Now, if you have nothing to present to
me
, I have a full appointment schedule. You know the way out."

~     ~     ~

"I'm sorry sir. I tried my best. She refused. I'm forwarding the recording of our meeting."

"Then eliminate her. Perhaps we'll have better success with her vice-president."

"Uh, I don't do that, sir."

"I know that, but you know who does. Take care of it."

"Yes, sir. Uh, sir, her vice-president will not even discuss the issue."

"Then eliminate him also. And keep eliminating their appointed successors until we find one who will be more cooperative. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Accidents might be best. Yes. Yes, much better than assassins. Assassinations draw too much media attention and investigation. Make sure they all die in accidents. No, wait, make it just one large explosion that takes out Madu, her vice-president, and her entire cabinet. Multiple accidents in too short a time span would be too suspicious."

"Yes, sir. I'll contact the right people and pass along your orders."

~ December 8
^th
, 2288 ~

"Girls," Jenetta said to Cayla and Tayna, "I've been thinking about the upcoming blessed event. I remember when I was young a girlfriend of mine had a pet feline that was pregnant. As her time neared, she disappeared. My friend was extremely upset, believing that something had happened to her best friend. They found the new mother and her litter several days later in a small tool shed behind the house. My friend had fixed up a nice carton with soft blankets for the event, but it appears the cat wanted a more private spot for the birth when her time came. I thought you might also want some privacy when the time comes to have your babies."

"That be welcome," Cayla said. "A dark place with soft grasses for bed be nice for babies."

"Grasses? We could make a nice soft bed from blankets."

"Grass be nicer at first. Feel more natural. Then blankets later."

"Uh, okay. Grass it is. Do you want a spot in the palace, or would you prefer to be outside?"

"Outside in garden feel like old home," Tayna said.

"Okay. Pick a spot you like and I'll mark it off bounds to everyone at the palace from one moon before the expected date of the event until after you have your babies and tell us it's okay to have visitors. Uh, Mr. Wilkerson has requested that he be allowed to
record
the event."

"Like Wilkysson, but no want him there on day."

"He expected that. He proposes that he set up a camera for remote monitoring. He says you won't even know it's there. He says no one has ever recorded the birth of Jumakas and that it's important to document such events."