And What of Earth

Chapter 9



Sleep didn't come easily to the three of them. Jennifer worried about what the symbiote would do while she slept -- if it would experience her dreams and how it would respond to them. Poke was once again sleepless because of the higher gravity and the longer Terran day wreaking havoc on her body clock. Myka spent the night rehearsing what he would say in separate calls to his father and mother. Short of the Emperor getting assassinated soon after landing, Myka couldn't see how the mission could get any worse. When he did fall asleep, his dreams were of a certain blonde alien.

Those dreams were shattered when a communication alarm sounded next to his bed in the pre-dawn hours. He waved his left arm, said the Wakiran word for "Answer", then sleepily greeted the caller, while still trying to open his eyes.

"Why are you sleeping?" his father's voice asked him. "It's practically midday!"

Myka finally opened his eyes and saw the image of the Emperor floating about a foot away from his face. "Father, I ordered this mission to run on Terran time. It is not yet dawn here. Aside from a handful of the crew, the change to Terran time has worked out well. The handful who are having problems cannot cope with the extra 8% in the day. So, Father, what have your spies told you this time?"

"They are not spies. They are honorable Wakira. They are following orders that I gave them."

"They are still spying. Each of them pledged fealty to me personally before we left Homeworld. To violate the implied trust for any reason is dishonorable. Once again, you and I seem to have a difference of opinion."

His father didn't take the bait this time. When he finally arrived at the barbarian planet, he would set his son straight. Now was not the time. "I understand that you have had some sort of medical incident. Your mother is worried about your condition."

"A medical incident? Medical incident?" Myka was incredulous. "I take it that you have not obtained the entire story -- your current emotions would be so much different than what they are now. It also proves to me that no one on the medical staff is amongst your agents. To answer your question, Father, yes, I had a 'medical incident'. Something that happens to nearly every one of us at some time in our adult lives."

He paused, throwing out the various rehearsed conversations he had composed earlier to let his father know what had happened. "Let us see how quickly you can determine just what this 'medical incident' was. We had an unexpected visitor appear on board this vessel yesterday afternoon local time. Not one any of us males expected to see. Any ideas yet, Father?"

The Emperor started taking offense. "Do not play games with me, pup. What happened to you. And who is this unexpected visitor?"

"The visitor came looking for my friend -- the barbarian female as you call her. It found her, and, after a discussion with one of our females, she accepted."

"It found her? What did she accept? What has happened? Answer plainly, pup. My patience has worn thin already."

"Disaster has happened, Father. Unmitigated, irreversible, unforgivable disaster. And this is all of your making. You insisted on sending me to this place on a survey mission. The medical scientists solemnly declared that it would be perfectly safe for us unbonded males. She, this unworthy barbarian female of a species you wish to exterminate, she is now the most important element in the survival of the Empire and our species. You, Father, you did this to us!"

"I order you to tell me plainly now, subordinate! What has happened?!"

"You want this plain, Father? I don't believe you are ready. I don't believe any of us would ever be ready --. The visitor was a symbiote. Jennifer and the symbiote joined. The symbiote accepted her, unchanged. Can you now guess what my medical incident was?"

The Emperor's expression changed three times then froze. "This cannot be. This is impossible. No alien has ever--."

"I am bonded to an alien female, Father. Not something that I ever would have wanted. Not something that the Empire should ever experience. But even with this horrendous concept, Father, consider what the alternative would have been. What if she had refused to join? What would have happened to us then? The only way this disaster could ever have been worse is if she had refused. If she had refused and walked away, where would we be in 10 years Father? Open civil war as clan fought against clan to name one of their own as your replacement. As planet fought against other planets in the Empire, seeking independence. She agreed to join in order to save us, Father. To save you. Someone who is bent on destroying her and her species needlessly. Now, given that she made this choice of her own free will, selflessly, while you Father wish to destroy her, which one of you two is the barbarian?"

"You are lying to me, pup. It is impossible for a Wakira to bond with an alien. It is impossible for a symbiote to accept an alien as Great Mother. This is a charade that you have concocted with your alien pet in order to preserve her species. It is not going to work. I have seen through your scheme already."

Myka refused to let this new insult anger him. "Once again, Father, you disregard what I am saying. You don't believe me? Fine. I'm sure one of your spies is sending you a coded message even now corroborating what I have told you. Ask the ship's medical officer. Ask the female who talked Jennifer into accepting the symbiote. Tactician Pokaifashta. One of the juniors you added to my crew just before we left. Have the lead medical officer from the wing in orbit around this planet redo the testing. I am bonded to an alien. She is my mate. I never wanted this. The symbiote has accepted her. She is learning the language and our customs in preparation for meeting you. This horrific disaster, Father, is your fault. You sent me on this mission. You chose this planet and this species, even though they are nowhere near becoming a Level 5 society. This is your doing. Do not dare to blame anyone else for this. I will continue this conversation once daylight arrives here. That will give your agents time to give you the bad news. Congratulations Father. You have a new daughter-in-law." With that, he severed the connection.