The Alpha Choice (11 page)

‘In time, we will involve them, but which government would you suggest? They each have territorial agendas, but what we offer will benefit the whole planet. We think the most appropriate way to distribute our knowledge is through what you call a multinational corporation. We’ll then arrive at a point at which your various governments will decide if they are prepared to become involved…’

‘I’m sorry,’ Hugo interrupted, ‘
if they are prepared
, what do you mean by that?’

‘When they decide to act in concert, and move on to the next stage, as one people.’

He looked down at his desk, and at the cup with its now, cold contents. He had no idea how long he stared, but was not interrupted before asking the question which had been waiting, impatiently, since the first demonstration. ‘Where are you from?’

Tala was pleased she had read him correctly, this was a man she would be able to deal with. ‘Our home world is almost seven thousand, five hundred light years from here. We are Te’ans, and our home planet is called Te’ath.’

‘This is a lot to take in, never mind believe. For the sake of argument, let’s say you’ve convinced me, what’s your ultimate intention, and why involve me?’
 

‘Ultimately,’ she repeated his word, ‘the Earth would become enrolled in an interplanetary affiliation, one that stretches over a full third of this limb of our galaxy.’ She sat, totally relaxed, completely in control of the situation, and he was reminded of the cats owned by various friends who demonstrated that same air of total mastery.

‘Why do we deserve this, largesse?’

‘Four and a half thousand years ago we escaped the confines of our own planetary system, when we developed a capability for interstellar travel. Try to imagine the excitement we felt, as we began to explore the vastness of what lay before us, seeking out other sentient beings. Now, picture our disappointment when one planetary system after another revealed nothing more than rudimentary life, at best. As our technology advanced we ventured further out, until we found what we’d been searching for, another advanced life form. In all, throughout those long years, forty-eight advanced, empathic civilisations have joined with us, to mutually nurture and protect each other.’

Hugo felt alarm welling up inside him at her reference to the need for protection. It showed in his face.
 

‘Yes, there is a need for protection, for we’ve also discovered, during our many years of searching, violent societies of immense destructive force, who appear to thrive on conflict and pillage. The affiliation of worlds affords mutual protection against these destructive forces, and we can say that not one has fallen prey to non-affiliated powers. We’ve realised a dream in which a few worlds have enriched each other with their culture and technology, achieving far more than they could, alone.’

Despite his natural cynicism, Hugo could feel himself being drawn into a conjured image of Elysium.
 

Tala continued. ‘Fifteen hundred years ago it was decided that we would reach out to civilisations, such as yours, who had yet to attain the stars. We would help them, particularly if, despite great potential, they stood at a crossroad that threatened their very survival. Three of these infant races have joined the affiliation enriching us, in turn. You may be the next to take that step, but we have to proceed with caution. We can’t simply announce our presence to the inhabitants of your planet. Our research tells us such a bare declaration would create chaos, and so we decided to introduce ourselves and our technology gradually, through an intermediary, the corporation. But we need a central figure through whom we can liaise. Someone, who will be the CEO of the corporation, a person who’ll be remembered, for all time as the person without whom none of this would happen, you.’

She continued, evidently thinking it unnecessary to elicit a response from him, just yet.

‘Sometimes we come across a world where the potential is unlikely to be realised, without intervention. A team has been tasked to help your race achieve its true potential, and in order to do that, we need to save you from yourselves.’

This was not what Hugo had been expecting. Tala had been right about his reaction, but not in the way she meant, rather, it was his own response to what she had said: the tiny residue of his natural cynicism had evaporated.
 

A critical man by nature, at least professionally, he would automatically look for weaknesses in what he was being told.
Why am I not doing that now
?
He certainly
had unasked questions about these two strange people, but the questions were not deal breakers.
Maybe they don’t fit into my preconceived patterns of behaviour simply because, they aren’t from around here.
‘Your motives sound very noble,’ his cynicism was trying to reassert itself, ‘but why here, and why us?’

‘Without wishing to sound trite, we rarely encounter races so like our own, and finding you has been bittersweet. You’re so much like us, as we once were. Just as you are now approaching your critical point, we once came face to face with our own. Long ago, our entire survival depended upon a few pivotal choices. We were lucky. In you, we see what could have happened had we chosen, unwisely. You’re on the brink of total destruction and, without our aid, will certainly not survive another hundred and fifty years, but that decline can be halted and eventually reversed.’

‘You can look into the future?’ he was looking into a deep, dark hole, unable to escape the dreadful feeling that these people were what they claimed to be, and the inevitability of Tala’s pronouncement was most likely correct. Most people knew mankind had squandered, and abused the resources of the planet. All the time there were experts ‘slugging’ it out, each contradicting the other, there was hope that everything was going to be all right, but they were kidding themselves.

‘No,’ she replied, ‘we can’t see into the future, but we have seen this scenario, many times before. When we originally encountered such situations, we held fast to a non-interference policy, with the consequence that every race, faced with your predicament, perished. After long debate, we reached the conclusion that sentient life is such a rare and precious commodity, to allow it to fail and die could no longer be acceptable. Fifteen hundred years ago we decided that interference, limited interference, is not always such a bad thing.’
 

She looked at him. ‘I can sense your disbelief. ’

‘It wasn’t disbelief,’ he replied, ‘although I’ll reserve judgement on whether an entire race can be so universally benign,’ no hint of annoyance registered on Tala’s face, in response that last comment. ‘I was actually wondering why you need a lawyer. I’m flattered by your offer to make me CEO of your corporation, but if you had done your homework, you’d know that I’m not likely to be swayed by any grandiose epithet.’

‘I apologise if I offended you. Our homework, as you put it, was extensive and we certainly didn’t think, for one moment, that you were a man who would seek kudos. My enthusiasm got the better of me,’ the earlier, guileless smile reappeared.

Hugo nodded, but was unconvinced anything said by this woman was by accident, and that gave him pause for thought. If, as was likely, they were what they claimed to be, it was a dead certainty there would be lot of people who would find the name
Hugo Black
synonymous with the person responsible for saving the world, and that made him feel very uncomfortable.
   

Tala added. ‘I’ll get around to answering your question, I promise,’ and Hugo resigned himself to being patient. ‘It isn’t our intention to impose anything upon your people. You have free will, and if you choose not to avail yourselves of our assistance, we’ll move on, and leave you alone.’

A flicker of expression flashed across Beron’s face, so fleeting Hugo was unsure he had actually seen it. The look, for as long as it lasted, was of thinly disguised impatience. If Tala knew, she kept it well hidden.

Of course, the lead Te'an agent was fully aware of what Beron thought, but she had already swept the Tellurian along into her imagery. If their plan was to succeed, it was critical he was totally committed to the enterprise, or at least what he perceived it to be. She would deal with Beron later, no matter that his father was on the Supreme Council, Garnoth would not tolerate failure; a simple reminder to the son of Vaaris would bring him back into line.
 

She returned her attention to Hugo Black.

‘Let me explain our specific plans: we intend to repair the damage to your atmosphere, which goes far beyond the disruption of the ozone layer. To do this without giving you the means of avoiding the same pitfalls in the future would merely postpone the inevitable, and so we'll also provide you with the key to fusion power.’

Hugo knew that fusion power was an elusive source of energy, that would be within the reach of researchers during his lifetime, he had half expected something more exotic.

She saw the look of disappointment on his face. ‘You're right, of course, we don't rely upon fusion reactors, they're far too crude and inefficient for our needs, but they'll serve you well, as they provide a source of energy that will be plentiful, inexpensive and relatively safe, and the reactors we will provide are hundreds of years away from your scientists. Perhaps of more interest to you will be an anti gravity system to serve as the basis for all of your transport needs. The energy system utilised is almost as sophisticated as that used on our home planet. We've ascertained that most of your problems can be traced to energy and transport. If they're resolved, you will survive, and only then, might you progress.’

Hugo looked at the small pebble.

‘Yes,’ said Tala, ‘just an extension of what you’ve already experienced. You're probably wondering why we won't provide you with more sophisticated technology...’ she paused long enough for him voice his question. If she genuinely expected him to say anything, she was to be disappointed. The truth was, he had no question. He went over, in his mind, what she had offered:
clean atmosphere, limitless ‘safe’ energy, and revolutionised travel, what’s not to like?

In the absence of a response she carried on. ‘There are two reasons we're reticent to provide you with more highly advanced technology: first, your people mustn’t know we're involved, hence our visit to you. It will be difficult enough for you to convince them that the discoveries your corporation announces are Tellurian in origin, but at least they’re within the bounds of possibility. Anything more sophisticated will strain credulity too far.’

Hugo was now ready to ask a question,
what’s Tellurian?
he thought, but did not want to stem the flow of information. The question could wait.

‘Second, and more importantly,’ she continued, ‘more advanced technologies are restricted to civilisations that have already achieved a minimum level of advancement, the key determinant of which is interstellar flight. You're nowhere near that stage of development. There’s a very good reason for the restriction. We’ve found, on our travels, that races who've attained interstellar travel, we call them
emergent,
have usually lost their desire, or need for conquest, despite what your more lurid science fiction would have you believe,’ she smiled at the reference, ‘I know that I alluded to dangerous races but they, to use one of your colloquial expressions, buck the trend. Your race has immense potential, yet you're still a very dangerous people, at least at your current evolutionary stage.’

Hugo was confused,
then why bother helping us?

She raised her eyebrows as Beron shifted in his seat.
 
‘We've watched you for a long time. You fight amongst yourselves, seeking to destroy each other. When your conflicts are over, you start all over again, because at this stage of your evolution you’re incapable of learning lessons from your mistakes. You justify them to yourselves, and refuse to move on. In time, if you survive long enough, that will change, but for now you're too immature to be trusted with the full power of our technology. The local stellar region wouldn't be safe from you. From our objective standpoint, we've decided to help you save yourselves, while recognising our duty to protect your galactic neighbours.’

Hugo was shocked, he had never thought of the human race as being something to be protected against. It was a sobering thought.

‘It was initially decided that we should provide no more assistance than I've outlined, but that still leaves a gulf that will take many generations to bridge, and the plight of so many of your people is grave. In our study of your planet, we discovered vast numbers living in appalling conditions with few, if any amenities to enable them to enjoy the life that all advanced races should expect. There needs to be more to what we are doing than simply preserving the species, we must do what we can to make life easier for the individuals who make up your race,’ it seemed to Hugo that she was speaking to herself as much as to him. ‘To this end, my superiors have obtained a dispensation from our Supreme Council, which means we can provide you with something best described as a vastly more sophisticated version of, what you call, nano technology.’

‘To do what, exactly?’ he asked.

‘It will enable you to transform landscapes, and create buildings by use of programmable, self-replicating particles to any sustainable pattern, or design. Buildings using this technology are stronger, and more resilient than anything you know. The programs can be altered to evolve as needs change, and have inbuilt safeguards to prevent harm to occupants. That, together with the provision of stations replicating the basic staples of your diet, will provide for the larger part of your population, while you make the choices that will determine your future, in particular, whether you survive as a species. Make no mistake,
 
none of this will count for anything, if you don't control your appetites.’