Fire With Fire

Caine. “A second race chooses not to share its image? What does this mean?”

He shrugged, looked over at Elena, who shrugged back. “Let’s find out.” He nodded to Thandla: the water heater, the quatrefoils and Alnduul reappeared. “Our apologies. We are somewhat surprised at our inability to view so many of the species we came to meet.” No response. “Darzhee Kut, can you hear me?” Still nothing. Then a third artificial voice whispered out of the yellow diamond: “I am Zirsoo Kh’n. Speaker-to-Nestless Kut is indisposed. We, too, decline to share our image.”

Caine felt Visser look at him, then back at Downing: there was no mistaking the tone. Curt, clipped, no- nonsense: not exactly hostile, but certainly not friendly. “We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Zirsoo Kh’n.”

“We are gratified to participate in this process.”

But nothing nice to say about us, huh? Caine looked over at Elena, whose eyebrows were lowered into a shallow vee: she shook her head slowly. Nothing to add yet, evidently. “Alnduul, we are ready to begin.”

Alnduul’s fingers flared momentarily like pinwheels. “Very well. The member states have received the personal bona fides of your delegation. They are now permitted to inquire into them.”

Silence. At least ten seconds of it. Caine was surprised at just how long ten seconds can be.

Alnduul prodded the other members again: “I remind the delegations that if they ask no questions, and make no challenges, the governing construance is that silence grants consent. Once accepted, the personal credentials of the human delegation is immune to subsequent interrogation or challenge.”

Five more seconds-even longer ones-went by.

“So noted. The human delegation’s personal bona fides are accepted without reservation or question. We may now proceed with the legitimation of the government they represent, which has been outlined in the dossiers you received yesterday. If there are questions-”

“Yes.” The voice came from the yellow quatrefoil. The Arat Kur. Of course. “We do not understand some of the claims of the human government, which is referred to as the Earth Confederation. Specifically, it claims to be the collective medium whereby the will of humankind is solicited, represented, and made manifest. Do you dispute this?”

“Not at all,” answered Caine. “If I remember correctly, you are quoting our own statement.”

“I am. However, we find this claim suspect, since it seems that some nations were pressured into joining this Confederation.”

“There were some fierce debates, yes. However, any exertions of political pressure were strictly in keeping with the normal principles of democratic process.”

“Nonetheless, in the end, the greater nations imposed their will upon a number of weaker-albeit quite populous-states.”

“Speaker Zirsoo, I would express that differently. No nation was compelled to join the Confederation. However, the great majority of nations-and through them, a majority of Earth’s population-did agree upon a set of requirements that had to be observed by any country that desired membership in one of the Confederation’s five blocs.” Caine paused. “Just as the Accord imposes requisites for membership upon its member states.”

“Touche.” Caine could hear the smile that accompanied Lemuel’s interjection. He also saw Alnduul’s holographic mouth half-twist about its axis.

“He’s trying not to laugh,” supplied Elena.

But the Arat Kur were not finished. “We have another question. You categorize the Confederation’s governmental structure as ‘modified bicameral.’ Please explain.”

“Well, bicameral means-”

“Two houses of representation, now common among many of your nations. This we understand. We are interested in how this has been ‘modified.’”

Caine looked at Visser-who was clearly nervous. Yeah, I think this is where they try to put us in the bag. “The first house of representation-called the ‘Forum’-is the one in which all nations have equal representation: it is a ‘one state, one vote’ system.

“The second house-called the ‘Assembly’-is the one in which national representation is proportional to a metric which balances population against productivity.”

“This is what we noted with interest. As we understand it, nations with lower per capita productivity suffer a reduction in their total votes.”

“That is correct.”

“In other words, their populations are deemed less worthy of equal representation. Which, as a simple matter of mathematics, means that their citizens have a proportionally smaller number of votes representing their interests. This makes them, in your language, ‘second class’ citizens.”

“I would not agree with that categorization.”

“Perhaps not. But the fact remains that their representation in the Confederation’s Assembly is not proportionate to their numbers.”

Visser was shaking her head. Caine raised a-hopefully-stilling palm. “That is true.”

“So the structure of the Confederation actually contradicts its claims to legitimacy: it does not provide equal and full representation.”

“With respect, Speaker-to-Nestless, that is not what the Confederation claims. You cited the key passage yourself just minutes ago: the Confederation is-” he checked the paper that Visser had pushed into his hand-“the means whereby the ‘will of humankind is solicited, represented, and made manifest.’ There is no promise made regarding precisely equal representation.”

“Your terms are misleading.”

“Our terms are precise in what they claim and in what they do not.” Visser made a motion to stand alongside Caine: he nodded.

She leaned inward. “Honored delegates, pardon my intrusion. I am Ambassador Visser. As one of those who helped craft our Confederation, allow me to assure you that the language was not intended to be misleading. We could not claim equal representation at the global level because we cannot ensure it at the national level. Many nations have different limitations upon voting: age, sex, cognitive competency, group affiliation. If the political voice of each state is therefore created by excluding and including different segments of their society, how could we claim that the Confederation offered uniformly equal representation? Our objective was to produce the most representative, and yet workable, government that we could, with minimal intrusions upon each nation’s sovereignty. I thank you.”

Alnduul cycled his lids once, slowly. “Thank you, Ambassador Visser.” They waited for a similarly polite response from the Arat Kur. After a second, Elena-eyes no longer rounded but oddly angular-shook her head: “Don’t wait; they’re not going to acknowledge her.”

When the Arat Kur resumed, the simulated voice was slower, more cautious. “We are curious: was there a world organization before your current Confederation?”

“Yes.”

“And what became of it?”

Caine looked around the gallery; there were frowns on the faces of Visser, Downing, Durniak, and Elena. They see where this could go. Visser shook a hand at Thandla: she waited until he had cut the connection. “I think we must decline to answer.”

Elena spoke before Caine could open his mouth. “Madame Ambassador, I do not think that is wise. They are clearly seeking to indict our credibility and integrity.”

“So we must not allow them to. We must convince them that we are worthy of their vote.”

“With respect, Ms. Visser, their vote no longer matters.”

“What?”

Caine nodded. “The Arat Kur have already decided against us. So our strategy must focus on how our actions make us look to the other member states.”

Visser narrowed her eyes, nodded, gestured toward Thandla.

Caine resumed. “Our apologies for the brief silence. The organization which preceded the World Confederation was called the United Nations. We are currently in the process of shifting most of its responsibilities and activities to the Confederation.”