It didn’t take long for the bad attitude to show up and he slid off of the stool to sit cross-legged on the ground.
“Today, you are going to come all the way here if you want some of this.”
He held out a piece of jerky on the open palm of his hand and spoke evenly and quietly to the apprehensive animal.
“Come on, you really know I’m okay. I may not look like what you’re used to but you know a good guy when you see one.”
Hayes noticed that he was attracting an audience as the groups in the field coalesced into a single group focused on what he was doing.
It was easier this time; she, cautiously, slunk up to him and removed the meat from his hand with a delicate side-bite before retreating a meter to eat it. There was an approving murmur from the audience.
He smiled at the creature as she enjoyed chewing the jerky, “That was easy, wasn’t it?”
He slapped his legs gently, “Come on, you can come closer; I’m really very friendly.” He was counting on the fact that this animal had already been a companion to a Forester and would respond favorably. She was still apprehensive, but she did scoot a little closer. Another ten minutes and a couple of more small pieces of jerky, and she stopped moving away to eat, and he managed to stroke her head.
“See, I’m not so bad.”
He gave her a couple of large pieces, “Here, take this to your babies and I’ll see you later.”
He started to return to the stool as she disappeared under the bush but changed that to a full standing position when he realized that Joe and a couple of the leadership group had been standing behind him.
“I am Hayes; Ames and Twisst will be here soon.”
Joe did not look concerned about that.
“You <play> with <dog/dogs> and children - you are not <child> - explain function with Ames or Twisst”
Hayes waved a hand at the Santana, “I am the pilot, the controller of the starship. My job was to bring them here so that they could talk to you.”
“You <cannot/wish> talk with us <question>”
“I can talk with you if you wish. It is Ames and Twisst that were sent to do that, but I have knowledge of this problem.”
“How much knowledge”
Hayes thought for a moment then indicated that they should take seats; he took a seat close to them and swept an arm across the sky.
#
Twisst stepped off the ladder to stand behind Ames; the group of Foresters sitting in the field were facing away from them and watching Hayes talking to Joe.
“We’d better get over there.” She said.
Ames held up a hand to stop her, “No! Wait.”
#
“My people number in the tens of billions. We are spread across hundreds of light-years and hundreds of star systems. Yet, we are alone; we had never found another intelligent, tool-using species like us until we came here and found you. We found you about fifteen of your years ago, and, for the last seven years, I have been involved with others in watching you and learning about you and the problem you face.”
Hayes looked into Joe’s eyes and wondered what Joe saw in his eyes, “We formulated a plan to bring ships in and move you to another planet, but it looks like we have waited too long. The ships that are on their way here now are all we had in the area. A great plan has turned into an incomplete act of desperation.”
Hayes leaned closer to Joe, “Our best scientists believe that all life on this planet will end soon.”
Joe’s expression changed; Hayes couldn’t tell what it was because he just wasn’t familiar enough with Forester expressions. He did know it wasn’t a smile. Joe and his companions rose and walked back toward the town.
#
Ames glanced at Twisst, “It looks like we have the day off; come on.”
They walked through the Foresters toward Hayes, not noticing the startled expressions.
His head was bent forward and his eyes were closed as they approached.
“What did you tell him?” asked Ames, quietly.
“The worst thing I possibly could, their end and our inability to do enough about it. Sorry, Docs; I’m not much of a politician, I don’t lie very well.”
They took seats facing him.
“Don’t worry about it;” Ames said, “our job wasn’t to come here and lie. They got a bit of a shock yesterday, and they really have no time to make decisions. It is better that we get it over with. Now that I think about it, I have no idea what I would have done except tell them that we can save some of them and the rest must die. I suppose I must thank you for relieving me of that task.”
“You’re not welcome, Doc.”
##
A tendency to deny the existence of hostility during periods of peace and prosperity had led to a reclassification of the Kellogg and Rance as Patrol Escorts. In fact, they were both Grimes-class destroyers and had been kept updated with the latest advances in technology. As with many times in human history, the people responsible for such things knew that if there ever was a real need for destructive capability, notification would, most likely, come in the form of the pointy end of a weapons system of some sort oriented up one’s posterior. Advanced technology was part of the equation; paranoia, caution, preparedness--call it what you will--was the other part.
The confined and heavily armored bridge of the Kellogg is dark except for the glow of the readouts and consoles in front of the five, tightly restrained crew members.
“Breakout in five,
