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 certainlyhad 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
‘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 certainlyhad 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
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