Aliens Vs. Humans (Aliens Series Book 4) (21 page)

He laid the helmet in his Tech station seat, gave a smile to his lifemate, then ran his hand down the right side of the suit, causing its seam to open. He bent down, used both hands to pull the suit away and stepped out, clothed in a leotard like everyone else in the cabin. He laid the suit atop the helmet and faced the motion-eye above the front screen.

“Nikola, I want these Doomat to see me as a human. See how we are quite different from the Rizen. And from the Megurk, whatever their form. Anyway, Maureen is always watching our back. She can alert me if some danger approaches.”

“Smarty pants!” the woman muttered from his holo.

Jack heard her over the ceiling intercom speaker since he had left the suit comlink on his seat. He gave her a Belter finger-talk gesture which made Elaine and Cassie giggle while Max chuckled. The rest of his crew were newer natives of the Belt and had yet to learn the silent chat mode of folks roaming the dark spaces of the Belt. Well, maybe they would pick it up in the future. He gestured backward.

“Denise, transmit my image on the strongest AV channel used by the Doomat people. Set your SETI program to translate my speech into Doomat and vice versa.”

Tap-tapping sounded from behind. “Done. I’m transmitting on the strongest Doomat-only AV channel.”

He almost smiled. But stopped himself. “Greetings to the senior matriarchs of Green Grass and the continent of Lush Fields. I am Herd Leader Jack Munroe. While male, I am the primary herd defender of my people, who are humans. However, my crew of fellow humans is dominated by wise females, who rest beside and behind me. As you surely have observed, my fleet of spaceships has destroyed the Rizen Colony Fleet. Other human ships are destroying the remaining Rizen ships in your system. While humans are apex predators in our system of Sol, and are omnivores, we do
not
seek to dominate you Doomat. We humans came to this system to free you from domination by Alien predators who ate your young calves. Humanity calls this slavery. We hate and defy all slavery! To do this we have created a Freedom Alliance made up of humans and seven other Alien peoples from different star systems. We invite you Doomat to join this alliance. But we will leave your system if asked to do so. Your system, and your world, are now yours to manage.”

He paused, reached down to grab his water bottle, took two sips, and resumed standing before the motion-eye.

“Incoming AV signal!” Denise called out, her tone excited. “Going up front. Oh, I’m also sending your first words and this AV encounter out to the rest of the fleet by way of encrypted neutrino broadcast.”

Jack almost smiled again. Showing his teeth, even the stubby human ones that the dino Arbitor had scorned, did not seem smart when dealing with herbivore folks who had watched their children being eaten before their eyes for centuries. A new image replaced the true-light image of the planet below. Nine Doomat elephants stood under a white dome, each with Tech devices dangling on a neck strap while, to the rear, there stretched a field filled with tall wheat-like grasses. A small blue pond lay to the right of the cluster of elephants. Nine pairs of dark brown eyes looked at him. In the center of the row stood a Doomat larger than any other. It stepped forward three paces.

“Greetings to Herd Leader Jack Munroe of the Human people,” she hooted in a low rumble. “My title is Great Mother. My family herd knows me as Green Morning. With me are other Great Mothers who lead the herds of Doomat who live on our world. We have heard your hoots. But we are confused.” She stomped a front leg, making a dull thudding sound. “What do you mean that we must manage our system? For scores of generations we Doomat have been told what to do, when and how by a Hunter of the Great Dark. First were the Megurk Hunters. Then 300 cycles ago came the Rizen Hunters. We . . . we are used to guidance.”

Jack gestured back to Denise. “Great Mother Green Morning, here is an image of a Doomat spaceship that orbits your moon Mother’s Milk. It moves about your system without Rizen guidance. Or are there Rizen onboard this ship?”

“Good question!” murmured Maureen.

“Transmitted,” said Denise softly.

The Doomat matriarch looked to her left, lifted her long trunk, gave a loud snort, then faced him. “Herd Leader Jack Munroe, that is an image of the ship
Starshine
. There are no Rizen on it. It is guided by the senior male Solemn Walk. He takes his ship out to the Rock Fields to mine for minerals that are brought back to metal fabrication factories on our southern continent of Stormy Land. Our other Doomat ships that orbit the gas world Rizen undertake mining of its air for isotopes needed to fuel our ships and our power reactors. This is what our ships have done for 1,200 cycles. According to our histories.”

Jack gave a slow nod of understanding. “We hear your words, Great Matriarch. We understand you are confused. Tell me, what is the name of your home star? Which provides light for all life on your world?”

The giant Doomat blinked, bringing black eyelashes down and then up. She hooted. “Our star is called Morning Light. Why do you ask?”

“Who gave it that name?”

The matriarch shuffled her thick legs. “We Doomat did. Long long ago.”

Jack nodded. “As you did the same when you named your moon Mother’s Milk. Correct?”

“Yes. Our ancestors did so,” she hooted low.

“Well, no Hunter of the Great Dark told you to do that. Nor did any Hunter tell you to build your first spaceships. Which explored your system including your outermost ice world. Who among you led your spaceships in their voyages of discovery?”

Every Doomat matriarch shuffled their feet. Low moans sounded. The central Doomat lifted up her trunk-hand, flaring its four finger segments. Below it her mouth opened, showing a pink tongue surrounded by flat white teeth. She hooted.

“Those ships were led by senior males of the Doomat. Our males have always explored beyond the home ground of the birth herd. It is our way.”

Finally. “Are there any senior males near to where you matriarchs are now gathered? Perhaps one could join our talk. As a means of reducing your confusion.”

Green Morning lowered her trunk-hand. “There is one nearby. He is Ship Guider.” Her trunk-hand twisted around to touch a silvery globe hanging from her strap neck. She hooted low in a complex series of sounds too fast for their SETI translator to convert. She flapped wide ears. “He is summoned. He will arrive shortly.”

“What is his function?” Jack asked. “What does he do for you Doomat?”

Two matriarchs near Green Morning butted her rear with their blocky heads. Other matriarchs shuffled in place. The central matriarch kicked back with one hind foot. “Calmness! None will be eaten, this . . . this Human says! The damage to our eastern coast will not spread inland, according to our Sky Watch sisters.” She looked directly at Jack. “Herd Leader Jack Munroe, the senior male Ship Guider is in charge of the spaceships that do the jobs I just described. He sees to the provision of crews, of food, of fuel and such. When repairs are needed, ships are sent to our base on Mother’s Milk or to our orbital station Mother’s Eye.”

Jack nodded encouragingly, though he doubted the human body gesture meant anything to Aliens such as the Doomat. “The crew of
Starshine
and the other ships, are they male, female or both?”

Several matriarchs made loud hooting sounds that suggested startlement. Green Morning twisted her trunk-hand in a complex mode. Which surely meant something to other Doomat. “Spaceship crews are always males. We do not risk mothers and fertile females on such dangerous ventures.”

Which made him wonder what she thought of so many females in the
Uhuru’s
crew. “Thank you. My reason for these spaceship questions is simple. These ships, and perhaps your ships that move over the waters of Green Grass and in its skies, do so by the guidance of fellow Doomat. Doomat who understand their tasks, who accept the risks and who work for the good of all herds. As I assume you and your fellow Great Mothers so work.”

Green Morning snorted loudly. “You state the reality of our world. Why?”

“Well, if fellow Doomat can direct such complex efforts as spaceships and planetary vehicles, it seems to me you matriarch Doomats can do the same for your entire world.” He gestured back to Denise. “Here is a schematic view of your system. Which surely your Sky Watch sisters understand. You Doomat can continue mining the air of your outermost gas world, visit the icy comets that lie near your distant ice world—”

“We call it Dark Sleep,” she hooted abruptly.

“Near Dark Sleep,” Jack continued. “You can end all the chores given you by the Rizen and do only those chores useful to your people. We can help by sharing—”

A new Doomat elephant lumbered in on four thick legs. He was nearly as large as Green Morning, but his head and upper back were covered in dark brown bristles. With a glance at the gathered matriarchs, he stopped at the side of Green Morning. “I respond to your call, Great Mother. How may I assist you and your fellow matriarchs?”

Green Morning gestured to one side with her trunk. “Ship Guider, see there the hologram image? The being in it is called Herd Leader Jack Munroe. He is the leader of the people called Humans. They are the ones who destroyed the Rizen colony on the east coast, and the Rizen fleet during its annual practice. Look this way to our perceptor device so this . . . senior male of the Humans can perceive you.”

The large male Doomat gave an involuntary shiver at seeing Jack’s image on a hologram out of view of the perceptor that transmitted the gathered matriarchs, then shifted so his blocky head faced Jack. A low hoot sounded from him. “Strange looking are these new Hunters of the Great Dark. Smaller than Rizen. Perhaps their appetites for our calves will be less.”

The big female gave a forefoot stomp. “They will eat none of us, says this Jack Munroe.”

“Truth?” loudly hooted Ship Guider, who glanced aside at the holo of Jack facing them, then looked directly at him. “That makes these Humans a different kind of Hunter.”

“We are indeed different from your Megurk and Rizen dominators,” Jack said firmly. He braced his hands on his hips and leaned forward. “Senior male Ship Guider, I asked Green Morning to include you in this discussion because you provide crew, construct and guide the spaceships of the Doomat people. I have said to her that we humans will not plant a colony on your world. We will not eat any Doomat, young or old. We will not give you guidance on how to live your lives. You Doomat must manage your world and your system
now
, without guidance from any Hunter. Perhaps you and other senior males who take risks for the entire herd can offer . . . guidance to these Great Mothers on the many ways in which your world must now be managed.”

The large male stepped back a step, as if in shock. Shaking his reddish-brown head, his eyes going wide, he lifted his trunk-hand and hooted loudly. “What you suggest has not . . . cannot . . . it has echoes of our ancient history. When much violence happened among the various herds. We have never liked the death of our calves, but the Hunter guidance brought peace to our world. How can . . . how can we senior females and males do as much?”

“By thinking, you idiot!” growled Maureen loudly from behind him. Clearly no longer at her Battle Module.

Jack gestured for her to keep quiet. “The senior female behind me guides the deadly weapons we used to destroy the Rizen fleet. And the Rizen cities on your coastline. And her comment is truth. We humans think for ourselves, as individuals and as groups joined in common effort. Surely with your worldwide diginet, your AV channels and your systems of food distribution, you leaders can guide your herds better than any outsider. Green Grass is your world! Take a grip of it and you Doomat may discover abilities you thought lost to the past.”

“Interesting,” Ship Guider hooted low. “There is much we Doomat already do for ourselves, with the knowledge the Rizen would correct our behavior if we did something wrong. It seems we must now make our own behavior corrections.”

“Exactly so!” Jack said, grinning naturally at last.

Green Morning stepped forward. “We Great Mothers will consult with useful senior males such as Ship Guider on the ways in which to . . . to lead our world by our own choices.” She paused, glanced back at the other Great Mothers who were hooting low among themselves, then faced him. “Herd Leader Jack Munroe, you also spoke of this Freedom Alliance of you Humans and other lifeforms. What is its purpose?”

Finally!
“Its purpose is mutual defense from future attacks by other Hunters of the Great Dark. When we leave your system, we humans will deposit a Predator Alert probe near your outermost world of Dark Sleep. It will warn other Hunters to leave alone your system because we humans will claim it as part of our Hunt territory.” Startled hoots sounded from several matriarchs. “I see you understand this. However, you must control your world and your affairs. We offer help, though. My Drive Engineer will speak with your engineers of solid and energy matters. We will give you the designs for a neutral particle beamer and lasers, both powerful weapons that can destroy another spaceship. If it is hostile to you Doomat. We will also leave a neutrino communications pedestal with you. So you Great Mothers can call our star system for help if attacked, or to share information with our scientists. Behind me is my lifemate, Nikola of the Wandering Lands. She is a Sky Watcher like your sisters. We humans also believe in trade that benefits both parties. Perhaps we can meet with you, with Ship Guider, with other Doomat as you wish, at your orbital station Mother’s Eye? To discuss these matters.”