Steven Gordon 3: The Modloch Empire (21 page)

Steven nodded, ‘That’s why they left
our comms untouched.’

‘
Aye.’

‘
Glad you’re here
Charlie.’

‘
Just doing my job
Stevie.’ His head went up, ‘We got a wee lassie beginning to panic.
I’ll hunt her down.’

‘
Right. Anything else
let me know right away.’

‘
No
probs.’

Ten minutes before the allotted time
was up the ambassador got in touch with Steven through the same
network that Babes used. Steven knew every member of the crew heard
the message.

‘
You have ten minutes
before we order the destruction of your ships. We will allow you to
abandon them peacefully.’

‘
We will only abandon
these ships when they are disintegrating around us. So either carry
out your threat or leave.’

‘
You have ten
minutes.’

Members of the crew began to appear on
the bridge. Someone mentioned calling for help and Steven stood to
address them all. ‘Please listen to me everyone. The Builders are a
non-violent race. Yes, they obviously don’t like the fact that we
have two of their ships. But they would never risk the lives of
anyone or any species in the manner they are suggesting. The
original crew of this ship perished because they refused to fight
back against those who tried to kill them. They want these ships
back but the only way they can achieve that is if we abandon them
willingly. They would then tow the ships back to their home world
where they would be decommissioned. Stand fast and don’t
panic.’

Steven sat back down and the minutes
began to drag. It was five minutes after the deadline when the
ambassador got back in touch. ‘You are an arrogant race. Remove
yourself from these vessels, we have control of them.’

‘
No you don’t,’
answered Steven, ‘you are merely disrupting our communications by
the umbilical that joins our ships through the docking ports. All
we have to do to re-establish communications with our ships is to
undock.’

‘
Then why haven’t
you?’

‘
Because you also
have control over the docking port. To do so would mean wrenching
ourselves free. The damaged caused would be minimal, but
unnecessary. If you wish to talk ambassador then we will do so. If
not then please just leave.’

The ambassador was silent as he thought
it over, ‘Then let us talk. Please come aboard my ship.’

‘
Before I do so I
must inform you that I have ambassadorial status amongst our
people. Even though we are not yet recognised as a sentient race
this side of the great barrier our ambassadorial rights have been
granted by the Modloch Empire and its alliance members.’

‘
I see. If that is
the case then I grant you ambassadorial rights and guarantee that
no harm of any type shall befall you while on board my ship. We
will receive you in ten minutes. Both captains only
please.’

Steven looked to Charlie who nodded
slightly.

‘
We will be there in
ten minutes.’

Steven and Komoru held hands as they
walked on to the Builders’ ships. In their spare hands they held
baskets. The ceilings were far higher than they were used to. Both
loved the decorations on the walls. It gave the ships the feeling
of homeliness. They were guided to a conference room, a very plush
one. It was all both Humans could do not to stare open-mouthed. The
ambassador and his mate were sitting at the table in beautiful silk
robes.

He indicated two chairs, ‘Please sit.’
The Humans positioned themselves onto the large chairs. The
ambassador looked from one to the other. ‘I apologise for the
seating. I did not realise how inappropriate it would be. I would
have got you a pair of children’s highchairs; however it has been
quite a while since anyone in our crews have had children. We would
normally entertain our guests with food. Unfortunately we have no
meat aboard.’

It was the excuse the two captains were
waiting for to place the baskets on the table. It was Komoru who
took the lead, ‘We understand ambassador. We were aware of the
tradition, and of how hard it would be for you to procure foods
that Humans could consume. We took the liberty of preparing a
basket for both races. Let me reassure you that there are no meat
products. We Humans are omnivorous. Our world is full of wonderful
fruit, nuts, berries, and vegetables that we consume. Our ships
helped us select only those things your race can consume, along
with a selection of grasses from our home world that you may wish
to try.’

It seemed to catch them flatfooted. The
ambassador’s opinion began to change as he observed the two
diminutive creatures sitting at his table. They had obviously made
preparations for the day. Komoru reached for the first basket with
the intention of unpacking it, but the ambassador held up a hand to
stop her and the baskets disappeared. A few moments later the
contents appeared in dishes on the table, unpacked and unwrapped.
They smell of newly cut grass permeated the room.

The ambassador and his mate inhaled
deeply. Steven and Komoru took a few pieces of fruit, while their
hosts began to devour the offering. There was a little of each for
both. Babes had warned that if they enjoyed the meal they would go
into a strange catatonic state for a short period of time after
they had finished. Steven noticed they seemed to be falling into it
while there were still a few dishes left.

The ambassador came out of it first,
his mate a few minutes later. He blinked rapidly as his senses
returned. ‘You didn’t eat much?’ It was almost an accusation.

It was Steven’s turn to take over. ‘We
had already eaten only a short while ago. Besides, this was for
your benefit.’

‘
I see. To prove that
you are not entirely animals.’

His mate came to and heard his words.
She placed a hand on his arm. ‘That was insulting darling. I do not
wish you to continue in this tone. It is unwarranted.’ His reply
was a grunt; she turned her attention to Komoru. ‘That was an
exquisite meal my dear. You and your mate are to be congratulated
on your choice.’

Komoru bowed her acceptance of the
compliment, ‘Thank you, my lady. We have had a lot of time to
prepare for this meeting. Our ships helped us choose what would be
most appropriate.’

‘
They made a good
choice. Tell me my dear, was one of those grasses what we refer to
as the blue grass?’

‘
Yes.’

‘
Is it not
illegal?’

‘
No my lady. It is a
native species of our planet and grows wild on the vast savannas in
a country called Africa.’

‘
Yet it is known in
our part of the galaxy. How can that be?’

‘
We are in a war of
extinction with a race called the Albany. I am sure you are aware
of that. When the Albany first discovered our planet and solar
system they began to covet it. They took seeds from our planet and
sent them across the great barrier. This blue grass, as you call
it, was then cultivated in secret, the profits used to build a
great fleet and the city ship you no doubt saw on your arrival.
This fleet then invaded our solar system with the intention of
wiping out every species on our planet and claiming it for their
own. They conducted experiments on members of our race that they
abducted, and used them to produce a serum that would protect them
from the harmful effects of our sun.’

‘
Thank you my dear.
That was concise and straight to the point. We have already heard
much of this story. However, it is nice to hear it from your point
of view. The one we receive is far more biased towards your race
than the Albany. It is also known that you defeated the Albany in a
great battle.’

‘
There was a number
of battles, my lady. To this day the Albany have not sued for peace
and still covet that which is naturally ours.’

‘
Did you really
murder all of those prisoners?’

‘
No my lady, they
were responsible for their own death. Suspecting foul play, we
built a bio-dome on an asteroid, where we replicated part of the
great plains. When they released an agent that would have wiped out
Humanity, the bio-dome’s automatic defences came online and opened
up to the vacuum of space. If they had been in their homes they
would have been safe. However, the Albany prisoners believed that
they were actually on Earth and had scattered to prevent detection
and extermination by our armed forces.’

‘
I take it you did
not inform them that they were in a bio-dome and not on
Earth.’

‘
We were forced by
the Albany and a number of other races to sign the Balang treaty
covering care for prisoners of war. According to the treaty, we
were not obligated to tell prisoners suspected of plotting to do us
further harm that they were not on the planet’s surface,
specifically if the prisoners had previously used, or had intended
to use, weapons of a biological nature.’

‘
You have evidence of
this?’

‘
Yes my lady, the
Albany were being closely watched. We can supply you with any
evidence you require.’

‘
Thank you my dear.’
She turned to her mate, who had sat silently throughout the
conversation, and squeezed his arm.

The ambassador took over the
questioning and directed his remarks at Steven. ‘Captain Gordon.
Although every ship we build carry weapons, we rely on our stealth
capabilities for protection. We find the present configuration of
your ships extremely disturbing. Would you please explain to us why
they are so?’

Steven leaned forward, placing his
elbows on the table with his hands clasped in front of him. ‘As my
mate has already stated ambassador, we are involved in a conflict.
One that if lost will result in our race becoming extinct. But we
do not fight for that reason alone. Our planet is rich in its
diversity of life: animals, flora, fauna, insects, birds, aquatics,
the list is endless. Millions upon millions of different species
all dependent on us for survival.

‘
At this time we are
a race alone amongst many that would see us die, simply because we
eat meat. You may know that there is a bounty on the head of every
Human. The Albany have not given up their desire to take our world.
With a live Human specimen anyone can make themselves quite
wealthy. With a dozen you could make yourself stinking rich. The
Albany require live Humans to make serum from. A serum that allows
them to live in our solar system. From one Human thousands of
Albany can be inoculated.

‘
We know from the
experience of the crews that went before us that stealth technology
is no guarantee of safety. After the battle over the city ship we
realised that we could not even defend ourselves from an Albany
destroyer, let alone any other fighting ship. In our journeys we
may well be a target for every criminal in the galaxy. With no
formal agreement to protect us, in reality any race who wishes to
could attack a Human vessel and, if they capture it, turn the crew
over to the Albany for a reward.

‘
We will not allow
that to happen to us. We will go down fighting. Those guns are
there to give us a chance of survival should we ever be attacked.
To date, they have never been fired.’

The ambassador nodded his
understanding, ‘I see. Are you saying that you took no part in the
battles?’

‘
The crews did, yes,
but the ships did not.’

‘
I see, so you and
some of your people actually fought on the surface of the city
ship?’

‘
Yes ambassador, the
ships did no more than keep us supplied with food, water and oxygen
during the fight.’

‘
How much of this
meal could you have eaten Captain?’

‘
Everything except
the grass and the mushroom in the jelly.’

‘
The mushroom in the
jelly. Ah yes, that was exquisite. How is it that you cannot eat
it? It isn’t grass.’

‘
There are many such
fungi on our planet ambassador. Some of them are edible to Humans,
however many species are actually poisonous to us. That species
just happens to be one of them.’

‘
Is there somewhere
we can procure them?’

‘
Not at the moment
ambassador. Fortunately the mushroom itself is not included in the
treaties that we have already signed with the Modloch Emperor. It
may well be made commercially available in the future.’

‘
How did the Emperor
miss that one?’

‘
It is neither grass
nor seed, ambassador. I think someone brought it to his attention a
few weeks ago because he tried to have it included in the treaties.
We refused.’

‘
That must have upset
him.’

‘
I believe it
did.’

‘
Your people didn’t
gave in?’

‘
No.’

‘
Then there is
strength indeed in your race.’ His head lifted for a moment as if
he was listening to something. ‘It would seem our presence has
finally been detected by the powers that be. We have been called to
appear before the Emperor’s ministers. We have a small embassy on
the planet and shall retire there for the present. I shall convey
what you have told me to my people. I will also make general
enquiries about your race amongst the Modloch. Until then you will
be under no pressure to return the ships to us. I have to admit, as
a race you aren’t as repugnant as I thought you would
be.’