“So you don’t care for telepaths?” Without an answer, Kantian adds, “You may speak freely, Resgram.”
“I detest them, Sir. Send them to their own planet. They are an affront to our freedoms. Thought control police.”
“They have laws protecting against unauthorized mind scans,” Kantian says.
“How do they know? A person has to be trained to know if they are being scanned, and they don’t teach that in school. No, Sir. No telepaths. My thoughts are mine.”
“So they are. But we need all resources in order to defeat the Mokarran.”
“Once the Mokarran are defeated, Sir, some other cleansing must occur,” Resgram says.
Kantian files Resgram’s opinion away as the lift doors open. He leaves the warrant officer inside the elevator.
Running along the corridor base are dozens of work stations, each with a humanoid jacker. Behind the station are tubes filled with a brown, murky liquid home to the Lissodelphis. They swim to their duty stations, needing to be immersed in liquid and ocean depth pressure to exist.
Other than Kantian, no species here can be scanned telepathically. Waiting to the left of him with cropped blonde hair is an Eir Basilica operative. Sable leather covers little of her curves except her gloves, which span to her biceps. A silver bauble dangles from the black choker around her neck. She joins him as they march into the control area.
Official duties of the Outer Dimensional Coordinator are tedious at best. Upon assuming the action status in place of Admiral Easter, his schedule tripled with appointments. Too many important state events were placed on hold due to her ailments. Now he must catch up on her backlogged obligations as well as deal with all forwarding functions. In order to appear competent for the job, he must dispatch all tasks at impossible speed and efficiency.
Dispatching the Vonnegut Simulacrum exploration cruiser on its maiden voyage. He has to investigate the assigned name’s origin. Too many Osirians cling to naming ships, cities and Lances after their forgotten mother planet. In a thousand years, none of these places hold any meaning. They even lack nostalgia since most relevance has been lost to history.
The UCP Academy trains all cadets in dealing with ambassadorial duties as all officers are expected to participate in formal ceremonies. Normal ambassadorial meetings of significance involve more brass, but the Gavertins encounters are unique in every aspect.
Faceless humanoids with a silicone physiology, the Gavertins control star systems on the far side of UCP space. Since their physio-anatomy has little in common with organic humanoids, they avoid contact. Neither species bid for the same planetary bodies to expand to, and the Vice-Admirals are hoping to expand into some the Uzara Pi Arabis Systems in exchange for permitting them to colonize certain planets in the UCP. These negotiations for allowing the Vonnegut Simulacrum to travel through their territory are the beachhead needed to build trust.
The Vonnegut Simulacrum’s unique as it combines both aquatic-based crew with land-dwelling species. The governing officials hope this will display the kind of unification the UCP desires from the Gavertins.
Unable to suppress detecting his question of her telepathic ability, she speaks, “I rate a firm nine.”
“Sorry.”
“Strong surface thoughts float around, Admiral,” she reminds him.
“Do you have a name?”
“Apollonia. Nothing shall touch your thoughts as I breathe. I understand your fear of me.”
“It’s not fear. But my mind is my sanctuary. Telepaths remove such securities.”
“It has been one of the longest running arguments in the galaxy and will keep repressing my kind. I will, however, endeavor to prove my worth to you, Admiral.”
“You’ll earn every minute based on what I’ve read of the Gavertins.”
First, Kantian notices the creature’s faceless rock appearance. It has a humanoid shape without distinct arms and with no legs. Instead, working together as a uniformed platform, rock-like crab creatures move, providing a transportation system for the being above it. Four bird creatures flutter around the cranial portion of the creature. They have a coarse outer skin lacking feathers. The biological information presented to Kantian at the preparatory briefing stated that the statue creatures are the Gavertins. They use telepathy to control the lesser creatures on the planet and speak to the bird beings who communicate with non-Gavertins. The report cites symbiotic relationship, but upon witnessing all three in congress, Kantian would relabel the term as slaves.
He understands why command fears a meeting with these beings, as it could leave the UCP vulnerable. They might have the ability to assume control of an Osirian’s mind.
“Greetings.” Kantian offers a bow of respect.
High praise be the Mountain.
“You do understand my voice?”
Communication in this manner is equally as strange for my species, but tolerable.
“We want you to be comfortable as you tour the Vonnegut Simulacrum. It’s the largest exploratory vessel we’ve constructed, allowing for our first deep space mission with the Lissodelphis.”
Strange creatures to exist in liquid. We care not for planets with liquid moisture.
“Our species are different enough we will never experience conflict over a planetary body.”
Your people squabble over tiny rocks in space. Even those with no moisture. We allow you to traverse our territory for the price…of one planet.
Kantian had been authorized to allow the Gavertins colony rights to a single planet. A dead world not worthy of even dome construction. A small price for a species who believes it will remain neutral once the Mokarran, more likely the Throgen Empire, reach their space.
His new admiral bars will tarnish a bit during the hours he must now spend in conference ironing out the specifics.
••••••
“AS YOU REQUESTED, Sir, I’ve monitored the traffic
