Interstellar Mission

Chapter Four-2

IN THE END, THE CEREMONY really was as straightforward as Ethan had said it would be, though like everything else to do with the threads, it was weird and unsettling. When it was over and most of the creatures had left, they hung inside the threads’ spherical chamber. Only one of the organisms remained, a large specimen.

“Hey, Quinn,” said Ethan. “Long time no see.”

“You recognize it?” asked Cherry, gaping at the creature’s mass of gently writhing tentacles.

“Hello, Ethan,” said a voice that seemed to come from all around them, as if the walls of the capsule were broadcasting the sound.

“I do,” Ethan said to Cherry. “Remember, anything you say, he’ll hear.”

“Got it,” Cherry said. Then she whispered, “It’s a he? How can you tell?”

“It’s probably better to let me do the talking,” said Ethan.

“If you say so.”

“This is Cherry,” Ethan said to his thread acquaintance.

“Your second in command. Thank you for bringing him to us.”

“Her,” said Ethan. “Cherry is a woman.”

“I see. Thank you. It is difficult for me to see differences between you. I notice that Cherry is missing a tentacle too.”

“What?” Cherry asked.

“She’s missing an arm, Quinn.”

“Ah yes. You have different words for your tentacles according to where they are situated on your bodies. I remember now.”

“Cherry lost her arm during the second Scythian attack.”

“But why hasn’t she grown another one?”

“I can’t grow another one,” said Cherry.

“You can’t? Are humans not able to regrow their tentacles?”

“No,” said Ethan. “I still only have half of one of my legs. I wear a false one.”

“I didn’t know,” said Quinn. “We still have so much to learn about human anatomy. That seems a great disadvantage to be unable to regenerate your limbs.”

“We manage,” said Ethan. “Quinn, we have more important matters to discuss.”

“Yes,” said Quinn. “The Scythians. I have bad news, Ethan. Our seeding ship, which came to your defense, must depart soon. Our young ones are growing to maturity and if we do not find a home in which to release them they will die.”

“I understand,” Ethan replied. “We appreciate your help, but we realize we can’t rely on you forever.”

Cherry’s heart sank. How could they hope to defend themselves from another Scythian attack without the help of the thread creatures?

“When the Scythians arrived to destroy your colony,” Quinn said, “we had grave fears that they would succeed. They are an ancient and highly developed species, and we doubted that they would allow any remnant of a foreign intelligence to remain on a planet they consider their own. Yet they did withdraw, after your ship self-destructed by crashing into theirs. The message they broadcast as they left did not make much sense to us until we discovered words in your language that seemed to describe similar concepts—concepts that do not exist in our culture. Words like sacrifice and tribute. You know what their message means in terms of what you can expect.”

“I know,” said Ethan. “I haven’t thought of much else since the battle.”

Quinn said, “It appears the Scythians decided to accept the deaths of the crew in exchange for the cessation of their attack. If that is the case, it seems reasonable to predict they will return at some point, expecting further offerings, or they will not allow your continued presence on this planet.”

“It’s lucky they didn’t realize no humans were aboard the Mistral,” Cherry said. “Do you think the Scythians might accept something other than human lives as tribute?”

As always, Cherry felt conflicted by the memory of the enigmatic Guardians, androids sent from Earth to save the colony from sabotage. They had masqueraded as humans, and when their artificiality was revealed it explained the creepy feeling she’d always had about them. Yet it couldn’t be denied that these sentient machines had sacrificed themselves in battle without hesitation.

“We cannot say,” Quinn replied, “but we believe it would be prudent to act as if this were not the case.”

“Could you transport us somewhere else?” Cherry asked. “A place where the Scythians won’t find us?”

“We have considered that, but we do not know of any other planets that would support you indefinitely and that would not also be known to the Scythians. We continue to search, but it would be wise for you to make alternative plans.”

“What kind of alternative?” asked Cherry. “We only have two: run and hide or stay and fight, and currently only the second one is open to us.”

“You do not have to fight,” said Quinn. “There is a third possibility.”

“You mean we should sacrifice some of us as tribute?” Cherry asked.

“It is an option to consider.”

“Okay, let me consider it,” said Cherry, her heart racing with rage. “Er, NO! I’m not going to suggest that some of us die to save the rest. That is not happening. We would never sacrifice one of our own, even if it were to save all of us.”

“Don’t worry,” said Ethan. “There’s no question about that. But I’m guessing Quinn has more to tell us. Am I right? There’s a reason you asked me to bring another representative from the colony to Join with you, isn’t there?”

“You are right, Ethan. As I said, our seeding ship must depart soon, and it’s doubtful it could return again to help defend you from another Scythian attack. Furthermore, I must warn you that the Scythians are growing stronger, and we are not a warlike species. We could not have defeated them the last time we tried, and we won’t defeat them the next time.”

“So we’re on our own?” asked Cherry.

“Perhaps not,” Quinn replied. “If we cannot help you, perhaps others might. You are not the only ones who have been targeted by the Scythians. Other intelligent species have been attacked, and in response they are forming an alliance called the Galactic Assembly. It’s possible that they might accept humankind into their midst.”

“Is it likely, though?” Ethan asked. “I mean, what do we have to offer them?”

“You’re assuming the alliance exists only for self-interest,” Quinn replied. “Do you find it difficult to believe they would try to protect other intelligent species without receiving anything in return? Only because they believe it is right?”

“Of course not,” said Ethan, looking abashed. “That’s exactly what you’ve done. Even though you were here on Concordia first, you’ve protected us when you didn’t have to.”

“We are grateful,” said Cherry, her aversion toward the thread creatures beginning to fade. They could have easily allowed the Scythians to do their work and rid Concordia of the uninvited newcomers.

“Species come into existence and die out all the time, but we believe your destruction would be a loss to the galaxy,” said Quinn.

“We think so too,” said Cherry.

“The Galactic Assembly may come to the same conclusion,” Quinn continued, “but they will not accept you without meeting you first. But our seeding ship cannot take you to the site of the Assembly. There are no suitable planets for colonization in that sector and our ship could not sustain human life. Therefore, before it leaves, we will build another ship. This vessel will journey to the Assembly, conveying one or more representatives of the colony. Perhaps you could go, Ethan?”

“No,” Ethan replied. “I’m needed here.”

“Of course. I should warn you that the Assembly is a fragile organization. As far as we know nothing like this has been attempted before. Bringing many disparate, intelligent species, each with their own interests, into agreement is difficult and fraught with danger. It is very easy to cause great offense when interacting with unfamiliar cultures. I would advise you to carry a weapon, Cherry, to reduce the risk of attack.”

“Wait. What?” said Cherry.

“You will go to the Galactic Assembly,” Quinn said, “and seek admittance to their alliance, in order to ask for help to secure the future of humanity.”

“I heard you,” Cherry said. “I just don’t quite believe it.”