And What of Earth

Chapter 21



Just before 10 AM, Jennifer was in her room, looking out the window that overlooked the slope and the stadium. Some Wakira were beginning to stow the various chairs and pieces of equipment that had accumulated on the field over the previous 5 weeks. Jennifer knew that it was almost time. In about 90 minutes, she thought, it'll all be over. Seven billion people reduced to scattered ions. And I have to participate in a stupid welcoming ceremony. Lambs to a slaughter.

The thought rekindled her anger yet again. She knew that someone would be coming to their door in mere minutes to lead her down to the stadium floor. Fricking stupid aliens! All high and mighty. Haughty and superior. They'll destroy their own empire just to follow foolish tradition. I just want to swear!

She grabbed the satchel she had made years ago from discarded jeans, and started filling it blindly. It didn't matter what she put in -- she was never going to be needing the stuff anyways. Why go through all this rigamarole, she thought. It would've been more merciful if they had destroyed us while we slept. She stopped, and rolled her eyes at herself. Nimrod! A third of us ARE going to be asleep when they do it.

She filled the bag until it was almost too full to close and hefted it back into the kitchenette, where her dad was now sitting. "Do you mind fending for yourself, Dad?" she asked him. "I'll be sick if I eat anything."

"It'll be okay, Tiger. Either way, I won't feel hungry for long." He tried to give her a confident smile. He was sorely out of practice.

The minutes seemed to last eons while they waited. Finally, a knock was heard at the front door. She didn't expect to see the person who was on the other side when she opened it. "Father?"

"Greetings, Daughter."

"Come in, please." She stepped back and he stepped into the small house.

Gerry Hodges stood and came to meet the Emperor. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Greetings, Gerry Hodges."

"Father, I didn't expect you to come take me down."

"My son was uncertain if your order to not follow you back here applied to this morning as well, so he is remaining in his sleep cubicle. I felt that sending an armed party to get you would look like you were being seized, so I decided to come myself."

Jennifer quickly translated for her father. "I guess it's time then," she said in English. She turned to her dad. "Are you sure you won't come down to the field?"

"No honey. It's going to be hard enough for you to leave. I'll go into the backyard of #13 and watch from there. It's pretty much lined up with the goal line, and the stands aren't in the way."

Her face contorted briefly. "Hug me Daddy." They embraced. "If you see me running up the slope, you get back to our backyard right away. Okay? I want to be in your arms when it happens."

"If that's what is going to happen, then I'll be there." He kissed her on her bangs. "Remember what I told you this morning. There's always a way." He broke the embrace. She tried hard not to tear up, and stepped back. "I am so very proud of you, Tiger. So very damn proud of you."

"I love you Daddy. No matter what, I will always love you." She turned, grabbed her bag, then hurried away before she started crying yet again.

Jennifer and the Emperor walked up Thorn towards the stairs in silence. As they were approaching the corner, Jennifer said "I want to apologize for the language that I used last night, Father. I don't apologize for the points that I was trying to make, but the language was--." She got hung up trying to find the right word in their language.

"Regrettable?" he suggested.

"Worse than regrettable, Father. I still don't understand why you destroy other civilizations, especially those that aren't technologically capable of harming the Empire in any way. Instead of destroying them, you should be cultivating them. Into friends. Into allies." They turned the corner and headed for the top of the stairs. "From what I gather, the Empire has no allies. Only enemies. You've cut yourself off from the rest of Creation. Species who would be willing to establish long-term alliances with you. All you would have to do is mentor them." For the next term she used English because she could not create one from the root nouns she knew. "Shepherd them." She switched back to their language. "We have a saying here, Father. You can never have too many friends. And, it seems, the Empire has none."

He hesitated at the top of the stairs. "When I was younger, I was a dirteater. I would go on day-long marches with a heavy pack on my back. Yet, I find this gravity taxing to the extreme."

She offered him her arm. "Lean on this while we descend. I don't think anyone will suspect that I am supporting you."

He looked at her, mildly surprised. "You are not still angry with me?"

She sighed. "I am still angry, not necessarily at you, but at your traditions and practices. Well, yes, I am still angry at you. That doesn't mean that I can't offer assistance. Anger does not necessarily mean hatred. The presence of anger does not preclude respect. Or submission." He took her arm and they slowly walked down the stairs.

She broke the silence with a simple question. “What of Earth, Father? Terra,” she corrected herself, using the name that the Wakira thought we used for our planet. “What of my species?”

He stopped their descent momentarily, then restarted. “I have not yet made a decision, Daughter. Your mate turns out to be wiser than I gave him credit for. He told me a nineday ago that you would stay planetside and die with your species, rather than save yourself and come with us." She looked at him, but said nothing. "He has tried very hard to defend this planet and your people, Jennifer." She was surprised that he called her by name. "Some of his arguments were as compelling as the ones you offered last night. Not as forceful, to be sure. Though he did terminate the communication with me on several occasions. It seems that I may have misjudged him."

They had a dozen stairs left. "As have I, apparently," she added.

Once they both had reached field level, he disengaged himself from her arm. "I must contact Homeworld before this ceremony starts."

"Father, will you at least tell me your decision before it is time to leave?"

He brought his left hand up to shoulder level and rotated it. "Whatever that choice might be. You deserve that, Daughter."

She started fuming again as he walked away. Why can't he see? she asked herself. Cultivate friends for future security; don't destroy them without cause. She growled inwardly, then walked over to where the state governor and General Comiston were standing, near the west sidelines.

"You don't look well, Jenn," the General said.

She didn't respond to his comment. Instead, she looked at the governor and asked him where his wife was. He was confused by the question and told her that she was back home in Lincoln.

"Governor, if those two ships leave, and you see that I'm not on them -- call your wife right away and tell her that you love her." She turned back to the General. "They pushed. I called without looking. They turned over aces," she told him, continuing the poker analogy he had created that first full day.

He swore. Jennifer didn't react. "I saw a bombardment plan last night. The last revision was done 3 weeks ago. I tore a strip off the Emperor. I called them all cowards and hypocrites. As of 30 seconds ago, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do. I tried to get him to see that we were no threat, and that he could help us develop into a friend and ally. I don't know if it was enough. He promised me that he'd tell me before the ships left. If he decides to destroy us, I'll be staying here. I'll run up the slope to my backyard and wait with my dad."

"All this time? They've been intending to destroy us all this time?"

"Myka has been trying to prevent it, so the Emperor just told me. But once the Emperor decided to come here and assume authority over the mission, Myka's hands were tied. I should be hoping that he and I got through to his father, but I'm dry. Numb. Spent."

"What do you think we should do?" he asked.

"Continue to appear warm and friendly. Aside from praying, that's the only thing we can do." She excused herself and headed for the ship to drop off her bag.

She didn't respond to the greetings the sentries and the others gave her. She headed up to Poke's cube. As the lift brought her up one deck level, she tried to suppress the feelings of anger and betrayal that she was once again feeling.

"Jennifer!" Poke exclaimed, as the Terran stepped into her cube unannounced.

"I'm trying so hard to not go into a rage, Poke. I've been trying to forgive you for misleading me. For pretending to be a friend."

"I did not pretend, Jennifer. That first evening, when you struggled so hard to let the symbiote join with you -- at that instant, you ceased being yet another alien female and became someone I wanted to be with. I was not pretending to be a friend. I was a friend. I AM a friend. And I will always be a friend."

"Well, you won't have to keep up the pretense for much longer," Jennifer replied, coldly.

Poke looked hurt. "Why are you acting this way towards me? Why are you being so hurtful?"

Jennifer was incredulous. "Why am I being this way?! In 60 minutes, you and your species are going to murder me and my dad. Everyone I have ever loved. Everyone I would have ever loved! Just how am I supposed to act? How does your vastly superior civilization think I should act? I STILL can't get over how foolish I was. How completely gullible!"

"I wish you would let me explain to you--."

Jennifer cut her off. "I don't want to waste what little life I have left listening to lies and vacuous arguments." She thrust the bag at Poke. "Here. I have no idea what I packed. Then again, it didn't really matter what I packed, because I knew I would never need the things again anyway. Consider them to be souvenirs. Trinkets to remember the foolish alien female you deceived. You can show them to your family during Reflection. They ought to get a laugh or two." She turned and stormed out.

"Jennifer!" Poke cried out pleading. "Please! Come back!" Then under her breath, she added, "Provider, please don't let this happen!"

Jennifer met up with the Emperor at the main hatchway. Together, they walked out onto the field to the southern 40 yard line, next to the ship. Across from them were the Governor and General Comiston. To their left stood the drill team participants. The stands were about half-full. Jimmy Rogers sat behind a camera in the stands, right on the midfield stripe. The thin overcast diffused the sunlight, but occasional blotches of sunlight burst through, shining down on the audience. To their right, in the north endzone, just in front of the goalpost stood the musicians -- mostly brass instruments, with one woodwind and a violin. A ninth member was there (nine in an octet?), wheeling out a pair of tympani. Deep down inside, part of her wished she could have a go with those drums.

"Daughter," the Emperor asked, "just what is supposed to happen with this ceremony?"

"Firstly, these are normally done when the visiting head-of-state arrives, though there are times when a small ceremony is done on departure. It is a way for one state, in this case, my country -- and I guess the whole world -- to greet the leader of another state. It is a sign of welcome. Of gratitude for the visit. It usually will also attempt to convey the hopes and wishes of the host state that the leader of the visitors will enjoy his time here, and will engage in a dialog of friendship. As for the order of the ceremony, it does not quite follow traditional norms. An announcer will ask everyone to stand. The musicians to our right will play our national song. It is a special song that in English is known as an anthem. It is a musical representation or emblem of this country and its people. The musicians will then play a song to represent the Empire. I do not know what they have chosen. I will tell you if it was a good choice, and if there is any hidden meaning or significance. During the playing of the songs, those in uniform will salute -- place their right hand near their face. It is a sign of respect to the songs, to the flags, and to both the host country and that of the visitors. Then, the male opposite who is wearing -- I don't know what the word would be in the language -- vision corrective device?, will walk across to the spot on the second line to your right. He is the governor of this sub-administrative unit. Nebraska. He will give greetings to you and the Wakira, and will pass on a message from our president. When he is finished, he will walk back across to where he is now, and the soldiers you see here on our left will perform. The weapons have been rendered harmless, though the blades at the ends are real. It is a test of trust, that the others on the team will do their jobs flawlessly. Any mistake, any hesitation, can cause serious injury. When they finish, they will march back to this area on the left, then you will go to the spot where the governor spoke from and say a few words of greeting. When you are done, thank the audience and come back here. The people will stand. Some will bang their hands together -- that is how we show appreciation. Some have been told how the Wakira applaud -- raising both hands in the air and do the affirmative gesture." She paused. "Then you tell me whether I will live or die."

The announcement was made, and everyone got to their feet. Three flags were marched out onto the field -- the Stars and Stripes, the state flag of Nebraska and the flag of the United Nations. The soldiers saluted. Most of the rest put their hands on their hearts. At the end of the anthem, several whistled approval while many clapped. The announcer then told the audience that the Empire had no anthem, but that the band leader had chosen a suitable substitute. The crowd quietened, the trumpet player stepped forward, and played three distinctive notes.

"Also sprach Zarathrustra!" Jennifer squealed. "An excellent choice, Father. From a fictional video of how an alien civilization helped Terrans develop, and finally explore space." She stopped talking and listened to the band play what most people would know as the theme from the movie 2001, a Space Odyssey. The tympanist banged the skins hard at the ending. When the final note was played, the stadium erupted in shouts and applause. Jennifer, forgetting all about what was happening, lost all decorum and whistled her ear-piercing whistle. The one she used to get back at her mom. The Emperor looked at her, askance. "I am sorry Father. I love that song. And I love the message the band leader was trying to convey. It repeats what I said to you at the top of the stairs, about cultivating friends."

The crowd sat. Jennifer turned to face both the governor and her father-in-law. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them as the governor spoke. He talked of a future of friendship and trust, of hope, and honor, and peace. He walked back to his spot to appreciative applause.

The drill team was next. They performed flawlessly. Jennifer kept looking at the Emperor, trying to see if he appreciated the skill required, and the absolute trust that each soldier had to have in his fellow team members. He stood, unmoving, as if entranced by the precision and the skill shown. At the end, they formed up, right-turned and marched back into the southern end zone. It was now time for the Emperor to speak. He slowly walked to the spot, directly in front of the camera that was 150 feet away, and collected his thoughts.

Tell us you like us! Jennifer hissed in her mind. Tell us that you will mentor us!

The Emperor spoke haltingly in English. He thanked everyone involved with the ceremony, and the people of the town for the welcome they had shown the survey team for the last 4 ninedays. He apologized for his deficiencies in English and began a brief speech on the history of the Empire.

Jennifer let her eyes wander. Looking up at her dad, in the backyard of #13. Searching for David and Amelia in the stands. Looking at Jimmy. There seemed to be a technical problem. He was reaching into the back of the control box for his equipment. She continued scanning the field, mentally noting who was there.

Her eyes drifted back to Jimmy. He was pulling something out. The Emperor was looking skyward, what Myka had done when he was trying to make a decision the first night. She looked back at Jimmy. Crap!

Everything seemed to be in slow motion. She took three steps to her right and dove, twisting her body so her torso would be between the Emperor and the crowd. "NO-O-O-O-O-O!" she yelled.

She felt the impact, dead center in her chest, then heard the bang. As she fell back to the ground at the end of her leap, she kept saying "I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead." She hit the artificial turf, and gasped for breath. There was complete and total silence in the stadium. No one moved. No one made a sound.

Jennifer sucked air into her lungs. The pain subsided. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see the Emperor looking down at her. "I'm not dead," she said confused. She kipped up to her feet, looked the Emperor in the eye and declared "I'm not dead!" What was that traditional right that Poke taught her? What was it called?

"Father! I demand the right of capture!" Without waiting, she masked and turned. As she strode over to the west sideline, she slapped her hip. "Weapon!" she said, and it appeared encompassing her lower arm. She pointed it at a stunned Jimmy Rogers. "Put the rifle down, Jimmy!" she shouted at him.

The muzzle of his rifle started drifting downward. She was a few feet from the sideline -- still a good 80 feet from where he sat, transfixed by her appearance and her approach. "You should be dead," he said, completely taken aback.

She was near the base of the seats. "Put the rifle down now, Jimmy. I broke your arm before. I swear I'll kill you if I have to. Put it down!" The weapon wanted to fire. Projectiles. No! she told it. That seat there. Short burst, just to show him what you can do.

A wooden seat back disintegrated into splinters as several dozen projectiles flying at hypersonic velocity shredded it in a half a second, then embedded themselves deep into the packed soil that the stands were anchored in. She pointed the weapon in Jimmy's direction again. "Your head will be like that seat back before you even realize that I've fired, Jimmy. Put it down. Now!" The rifle clattered as it bounced down three rows of seats. An MP hurried over and picked it up. Jennifer was now just a few feet away.

"You should be dead," he said in a whisper. "It hit you in the breastbone."

"I know. It hurt." She pushed the muzzle of her weapon into his midsection and leaned over him. "You idiot! You moron!" she hissed. "What were you thinking? You've got a brain -- I saw you actually use it when I taught you math! You've ruined everything! I've been working so hard to keep us all alive and you frickin' try to assassinate the Emperor! Why? Why would you do something so completely stupid as to try and kill the Emperor?"

"I didn't want you to go," he whispered.

"You didn't want me to go?!" she echoed, incredulous.

"Candy said that they were kidnapping you. I had to try and stop them."

This time, she didn't whisper. "Candy said? Candy said?! Are you crazy?! You must be if you believed her! I'm not being kidnapped! I volunteered to go. I don't want to go, but I volunteered. I can't believe you fell for her lies. Crap!" Her voice dropped back down to a whisper. "Dammit, Jimmy. You've just ruined everything. What did you think they would do? Get back on their ships and go home crying? No! They'd kill everyone on the field, they'd kill everyone watching from Emerald and Thorn, including my dad, then they'd lift off and destroy Jewel and the rest of the whole fricking world! You nimrod!"

"Jenny, please don't talk to me that way."

She looked down at him and sighed. "Oh crap, Jimmy. They're going to kill us all for sure, now." She hesitated then said, "Play along with me. Maybe I'll be able to save us. Maybe even keep you alive." She grabbed his left ear, twisted it and pulled him to his feet.

"Oww! Jenny! That hurts!" She said nothing. She used her grip on his ear to get him down from the stands and onto the football field. "Ow, ow! Jenny! Let go! It hurts!"

"Silence!" she screamed at him. She walked him over to where the Emperor stood. Everyone else was silent. Frozen in place. "Kneel!" she yelled at him. When he didn't obey immediately, she kicked him in the back of his left knee, which caused his leg to buckle. "I said kneel!" She looked at the Emperor. What was the other right she had to insist on? Think Jenn!

"Father, I have completed the capture. I insist on the right of disposition."

"You have that right, Daughter."

She looked to her right and saw an MP standing nearby. "Lieutenant!" she called.

He hurried over, and stood behind Jimmy to her right. "Yes Ma'am!"

She put the muzzle of her weapon into the base of Jimmy's skull and let go of him. She beckoned the MP to bring his own ear close. "Take this idiot and hide him somewhere. Let General Comiston do whatever he chooses to do later," she whispered. "Ignore whatever I tell you to do aloud. Understood?"

He brought his head back up. "Yes Ma'am!"

"Lieutenant, take this miscreant away, and prepare him for execution."

"Yes Ma'am. Right away." Two other MPs hurried over and bundled Jimmy away. Jimmy screamed as they dragged him across the field toward the stairs. "Jenny! Jenny! Wait! Jenny!"

She ordered the weapon to hide, then turned back to face the Emperor. "Father, on behalf of my species, I want to apologize --." She stopped. His eyes were wide in surprise. They seemed to be focused on the middle of her chest. "Father? What are you staring at?" She looked down and saw an expanding circle of red. "Oh crap! I'm bleeding!"

She then felt a tingling of her skin, just like her incident with Wally just over a week previous. She looked at her left arm, and saw that it too was turning red.

The Emperor's face registered both shock and dismay. "This cannot be," he whispered. "This is much too soon."

In ones and twos, the other Wakira on the field started dropping to their knees and placing their faces into the artificial turf.

"Father, what is happening? Why is the symbiote changing color again?" She looked down again; her entire torso was red, and most of her legs as well.

"The symbiote --" he hesitated, as if being unable to complete the thought. "The symbiote has just appointed you Mother."

"She's what? She can't do that. I'm not ready yet. I haven't even learned what the different ship types are, let alone how many we have in the fleets." Jennifer paused. This is the opportunity that Dad told me to expect. But what can I do? The Mother's responsibility is protect and nurture. The Emperor has everything else, including interstellar relations. He can still destroy the Earth if he wants, and I won't be able to stop him. Unless --.

"Father, at this very instant, am I the Mother of the Wakira?"

His face was drawn, as if his heart was broken. "Yes," he said quietly, now staring into her mask.

Oh God!, she thought. Please help me to do this right. If I mess up, we'll all die! She started speaking in the dominant voice. "Father, given my extensive knowledge and experience with the Terran species --." She hesitated again. Once I say the words, I can't undo them. "After my years of experience with this species, I am compelled to agree with the findings of the survey." There. Did I interpret the division of powers right?

His expression changed from one of dismay to surprise.

She switched to the command voice -- the one only the Mother can speak. The one that requires obedience. "However, I have chosen to not exterminate this species. This planet will not be destroyed. This species will not be harmed. In order to protect my children and the Empire, I impose a quarantine on this star system. No unauthorized vessels may enter or leave this system. The Terrans will be permitted -- encouraged -- to travel to the natural satellite, to the other planets, even to the cometary cloud at the edge of the system. But no farther. Will you obey Father?"

"You know that I must."

She switched back to dominant. "We both know that this species will not be able to attempt an interstellar voyage for at least 200 years. This will give them time to mature -- to become more like the Wakira. Honorable. Obedient. Generous." She almost choked on the last word. Once again, she spoke in command. "In order to ensure that they will never be a true threat to the Empire in the future, we will engage the Terrans. We will mentor them. We will gently and carefully manipulate their development so that they will end up being friends and allies, not a threat. You are to establish a liaison office, an embassy, here. It is to be staffed by Wakira who are in service. I leave it up to you, Father, how to accomplish the objective that I have just set out." She switched to the common voice. "Did I do that right?" she asked him. "Or did I overstep my responsibilities?"

He didn't answer right away. His eyes were looking upward. When they returned to looking into her mask, he said, "I can see no flaw in your commands. Even where it might be outside your authority, you managed to phrase it so that it is. Once again, my son has proven that he was right about this situation. And about you."

"This is the only way to protect my children and the Empire. Destroying Terra would have meant civil war and the destruction of the Empire. Yet, I am mindful of the dangers my species may pose to my children in the future." There was a pause, then she added, "I am sorry that I had to speak in the command voice to you Father. I find the concept abhorrent. I still cannot believe that the symbiote would appoint me already. I promise you that I will do my best, Father. For you, the Empire and for my children. I will not be an adversary. I will be your servant."

His face and his voice were grave. "I thank you, Daughter. These will be perilous times for the Empire, as you learn all that you will need to know. Perilous times."

"Must we leave now, Father?"

He raised his left hand and did the affirmative gesture. "The vice-chancellor of the Andante Federation insisted on a meeting with me. As a provocation, he also insisted that it take place late in the afternoon of the first day of Reflection. We have to leave within moments for me to get there in time. And, now that you are our Mother, you must be on Homeworld as soon as is possible."

"I will say my farewells" she had to use the English term "quickly. I have a suggestion and a request to make Father. The suggestion is that the first Wakira to staff the new embassy be males that served on the survey mission. They have experience in dealing with Terrans, and are familiar with many who live here in this settlement. My request involves those who are supposed to be on leave for Reflection. I ask, Father, that you give the orders necessary that would get them to their destinations on time, or as soon thereafter as possible. Please."

"Both are very reasonable, Daughter. I will make arrangements to have the Embassy established in the building behind us, and staffed with males who interact well with you Terrans. And it is my duty to our god to ensure that those entitled to experience Reflection get to do so." With that, he turned and walked back onto the ship.

In a loud voice, she said in their language, "Stand my children. Report to your superiors. You will be given new orders shortly. Those who were to go on leave for Reflection will do so. You may be a day or two late, unfortunately. But you will get to your destination as quickly as is possible." As they followed her instructions, she unmasked, turned, and walked across to where the governor and general were standing.

"Should I call my wife, Miss Hodges?"

Jennifer was awash with conflicting emotions -- relief, ecstasy, and despair. "You should always tell your wife that you love her, Governor. Geez, men!" she giggled. She then turned to the General. "I should be dead Frank. I don't know what the heck happened, but I should be dead. I felt an impact in my chest, but I'm unhurt. It's as if when the bullet hit the symbiote, she sent it elsewhere. I guess I felt the pressure wave hit me but the bullet and its inertia never touched me." Jennifer tried to slow her heart rate back down to normal. "I'm giddy, yet I'm feeling waves of sadness at the thought of having to leave."

"Does this mean we're safe?" Comiston asked her.

She nodded while still struggling to take control of her emotions. "Turns out one of my hold cards was a red queen. And in this weird game, a red queen trumps them all."

"A red queen trumps them all? Does this mean that you are the new Mother of the Empire?"

She fought to not giggle uncontrollably. "Yep. God help the Empire. Fortunately for us, it happened then. In order to be able to seize authority from the Emperor, I had to do the unthinkable. I had to declare us to be a threat to the Empire."

"Jenn?! Was that wise?"

"Being named a threat meant that I could determine what was required for the safety of Empire. I had to do something; I couldn't just leave everything as they were before they arrived. So, there's going to be a quarantine. We won't be allowed to leave the solar system. We can visit any planet we want to. We just can't leave. Not until we're mature. Golden rule type of mature. Since we won't be in a position to build a ramscoop ship for a couple hundred years, I'm hoping that that will buy our species enough time. Once whoever is the Mother at that time decides that we Terrans are now safe, the quarantine will be rescinded. Which brings me to favors that I have to ask of you, Governor.

"The Wakira will be establishing an embassy here in Jewel. The Emperor has decided to take the word 'here' literally. The embassy will be in the high school behind the east stands. So, I need you to get the President to make the area bounded by the barrier territory of the Wakira. People living in the houses behind the barrier will be allowed to continue to do so. They will be allowed to transfer ownership to family members, if no cash is exchanged. If they want to sell the house, they must sell it to the Empire. I'll make sure that we pay top prices. Now, school starts in 3 weeks. We'll need portables here in time for the start of school, and a new high school built as soon as possible."

"The President has already said that however much money is needed to be spent because of their visit, we'll get. They'll get their new school. We'll rush construction."

"The construction jobs will be most welcome here in Jewel, Governor. There's been almost no employment here for over 3 years."

Comistion interjected. "I've got trailers sitting about 50 miles away. They would work as class portables. How many classrooms are there -- were there -- in the school?"

Jennifer felt the ecstasy evaporating. "Ummmm, 22 classes, 2 offices, a teachers' lounge, a library and a gym with locker rooms. Kinda small for a school."

"We'll be able to manage that. We can get them set up next to where the temporary hospital will be established. I've been told that that was where the old Hojo was located. They should be in place in a week."

"And furnished and supplied a week after that, Miss Hodges," the governor added.

"I thank you, Governor." She turned back to the General. "I'm going to miss our chats, Frank. I've grown up so much in the last few weeks, just from our discussions. You've helped me to better understand how to analyze situations, and develop courses of action. I had thought that I could already do that perfectly, but you showed me that I had been deceiving myself all this time. For that, and the lunches," she smiled brightly, "and for your concern and your patience, I thank you. I WAS a head-in-the-clouds kid when we first met. I'm a little better grounded now." As they hugged, she whispered in his ear "Pray for me." As they pulled back, she added, "and take better care of that diabetes."

"How did you know?"

"Your breath. You haven't been monitoring your sugar levels. It'll kill you if you keep that up." Her face screwed up, the joy and relief now gone, with just the despair of knowing that she was about to leave her home. "Take care of Bethy and Barb for me? Assuming you'll be staying here."

"I am. And I will." He looked over her shoulder. "You'd better hurry. They look like they're almost ready to go."

She turned around and saw that he was right. "Crap! Goodbye Frank. Governor." She scanned the field and saw the Stones and ran over to them. "I gotta go!" she told them hurriedly. "I'm going to miss you two so much!" They took turns hugging her. "David, I kinda sorta expropriated the school. It's now the new Imperial Embassy. Frank Comiston said he'd have trailers installed at the Hojo in a week, and the Governor has promised all the equipment in time for the new school year. And a new high school will be built, I guess, for next year."

David hugged her again. "Don't worry. We can do a year in portables if it means getting a new building. We weren't going to be able to keep making repairs to the old building for much longer." He looked her in the eyes. "Believe in yourself, Jenny. Even when it seems like everything is going to be too much for you, believe in yourself. You've only just scratched the surface of your potential." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Take care of my dad for me, please? He says that he's much better than before, but he may have just been saying that."

"Don't worry, Jenny," Amelia said, "we'll keep our eye on him. And invite him over to dinner frequently."

"The army is going to be putting money into my bank account here. Dad has my debit card. If he forgets the PIN number, I changed it to the year I was born. 1997." She looked back at the ship; most of the aliens had already boarded. "Crap! I gotta go. There's bound to be some sort of communications link between the Embassy and the palace. Call me. I beg you to call me. It won't matter what time it is there, day or night, call. I'll need to see human faces and hear human voices. And get my dad to call me too. I'll make sure that those on duty will know you by sight. I love you two. Pray for me."

She ran towards the entrance of the ship and turned around to look for her dad. He was still standing in the backyard of #13. "I love you Daddy!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She pounded her heart and pointed at him. She mimed hugging motions. He was trying to speak but she couldn't hear him. She masked, and mimed that she could zoom in and lip-read.

She pointed to the Stones and back to him and repeated the action three times. "Don't worry honey. I'll look after them." She mimed talking on a phone. "Call you?" She did a thumbs up and pointed at the school. His face showed a lack of comprehension. She 'finger-walked', pointed to the school, and mimed the phone again. "Go to the school and phone from there?" She gave him a thumbs up. She pounded her heart again and pointed at him. "I love you too, honey. Be brave. Be strong." She was crying now, hidden behind the mask. He then did something he hadn't done since she had been a young girl. He snarled, made a clawing motion with his right hand and said "Go get 'em, Tiger!" She snarled to herself, and imitated the claw.

She unmasked and again shouted "I love you Daddy!" She looked at the Stones, silently pleaded with them, then masked and quickly boarded the ship. There was something she had to do, in the next few minutes, or it would be too late.

She hurried up to Poke's cube. How she could ever hope that Poke would still be a friend to her was foolhardy, she told herself. You've done burnt that bridge to ashes. But she's the only one on board who can help me in time.

She took one hesitant step inside the cube and stopped. Poke was sitting curled up on the bedroll, eyes downcast, looking devastated. It took several seconds before she realized that she wasn't alone. "Mother?"

"Poke, I'm sorry for having mistreated you earlier -- last night and this morning. I lashed out at you when you weren't the one at fault. Will you forgive me?"

"The Mother never apologizes. You need to learn that. We accept what she says and does to us."

"I wasn't the Mother then, Poke. If I had been, I would never have spoken to you that way. Then again, I would never have been blindsided by what I had discovered." She moved closer. "What's wrong, Poke? You look like you've had your heart ripped out."

"It is nothing, Mother. I will get over it. I will abase myself now." She swung her legs around and prepared to prostrate herself at Jennifer's feet.

"Poke, no. You don't need to do that. And I don't have the time. I need your help right now. Get up. I need to contact Myka's mother right away, before anyone else does, and I don't know how to do that. Hurry, please."

The alien stood and waved her arm in the air, which caused a virtual display to appear. She spoke a few words, and the picture flickered through three different faces before it stopped. "She will be connected in a moment, Mother. I will leave to give you privacy."

"No. I may need your help. I'm going to have to speak in Command to her. I need you to prompt me when I speak in the wrong voice."

"Mother, I cannot use the Command voice. To do so means death."

Jennifer's face showed exasperation behind her mask. "I'm not going to kill you. Just prompt me with the suffixes. Please, Poke. It's vitally important!"

A new face appeared on the display. Sad eyes stared back at Jennifer. "It is true then. I could not understand why my symbiote changed color. I will make preparations."

"Hold, Mother. Although the symbiotes have declared that I am ready to act as Mother of the Empire, I know that I am not. I was counting on getting at least 3 to 5 years of training before the appointment was made. I am determined to get that training." Jennifer switched to the Command voice. "Mother, I forbid you to go on your Last Hunt. I forbid you to kill yourself, or cause yourself any harm. You are to meet us at the landing pad. You will train me, and teach me, and guide me. You will assist me in the duties needed to protect our children." She hoped her mother-in-law would notice the use of the plural possessive. She switched back to the Common voice. "I need you, Mother. The Empire needs you. If you follow tradition and kill yourself, then you put all of our children at risk. I cannot let you do that. Will you obey, Mother?"

The eyes staring back at Jennifer brightened slightly. "I must. Just as your children have obeyed me for over 20 years, so I must obey you."

"I will ensure that you are still honored, Mother. Until I am ready, we will work as a partnership. As a team. You will continue to head the household. I will be a daughter to you, before I seek to elevate myself above you in the household and the family. And I will be a good daughter to you, Mother. That is my promise. And, I hope, a good student as well." She switched back to Command. "You will wait five-hundredths before you contact the Emperor and let him know. Also, no one is to tell your son. I wish it to be a surprise for him, for when we arrive."

"I will obey, Daughter." With that, Jennifer signalled Poke to sever the link.

Jennifer heaved a sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure that I would get a hold of her in time." She paused and tried to listen to the noises of the ship. "When are we going to lift off?"

"We already have, Mother. We will be docking with a light cruiser in about 10 of your minutes."

"I never noticed. How am I getting to Homeworld, and how are you getting to Paratanda?"

"Those going to Homeworld will be transferred to this ship. It will be quite crowded. Those going elsewhere in the Empire will transfer to the cruiser. I will be staying on board."

"I thought that you were taking leave for Reflection?"

Pokaifashta looked surprised. "My leave was revoked. I received word just prior to you entering my cube."

"I didn't order it. You're going home for Reflection, Poke. Myka already assigned you to be my assistant last week. Does that assignment apply now that I'm the Mother? If so, do you have my signing authority?" she used the English term. Poke did the affirmative gesture. Jennifer switched to Command again. "I order you to take leave for Reflection, and to make the necessary arrangements to get to Paratanda as close to on time as is possible." She switched to English. "Will that work?"

Poke's face brightened. "Yes, Mother. That will be sufficient for me to reinstate my leave and my transport. Thank you Mother!" She started to drop to her knees again.

"Please Poke, no. I may be the Mother for all the Wakira, but we are still sisters. I can't bear the thought of my one and only friend among the Wakira having to prostrate herself at my feet. I need it to be just as it was before last night, two aliens bonded in friendship. When we're alone together, we will speak in English and it's Jenn and Poke. Only when we're with others will we speak in the language and be Mother and subordinate. You promised me this before I joined with the symbiote."

Poke looked as though she had just been honored. "You are most generous. Jennifer. But I will have to abase myself sometime. I will be driven to do so. Compelled by forces inside me. It is this way with all the Wakira."

Jennifer huffed another sigh. "Then do it when you get back to Homeworld. In private. In my office, wherever the hell that is." Will you still be my friend, Poke? After all the wicked things I said to you? "While en route to Paratanda, make whatever appointments you deem necessary for my staff. You know far more than I do. And, as soon as the time with your family for Reflection is over, please hurry back to me. I will feel lost without you being with me. I will be leaning heavily on your guidance, support and friendship."

"I will be there, at the start of day 1 of nineday 1." She looked up at a chronometer. "If you intend to see the Emperor before his mate calls, you best hurry!"

"Crap! I thought six minutes would be enough. Have a wonderful time with your family. Tell them that their new Mother gives them personal greetings." She started to turn and stopped. "Ohhh. My bag! Can you make sure that it arrives with me at Homeworld?"

"I will Jennifer. I thank you again for allowing me time for Reflection. Now, hurry!"

Jennifer raced down the corridors, down the lift and down the familiar corridor that led to Myka's former office. "Greetings, male" she said to the sentry posted outside the door. "I will see the Emperor immediately." He opened the door and stepped aside.

The heads-up display told her the name and rank of the male in the office with the Emperor. She asked him to give her and the Emperor a couple of moments alone. Once he left, she made a point of switching to their Passive (almost submissive) voice. "Father, I apologize for any insult that what I will ask might cause. It is not intentional." She switched to Dominant. "Have you carried out my instructions, Father?"

"Yes, Daughter. The bombardment has been cancelled. The embassy has been staffed with a small group to begin with. Your species will be quarantined, and mentored."

Back to Passive. "I thank you, Father. I hated having to use that voice with you. It was the only thing I could think of to keep my species, and my children, from harm. I take my new role as Mother very seriously. And I promise you, Father, that I will be a good daughter to you, and will always be your servant." A buzzer sounded and a new virtual display appeared. "Is it the palace?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Yes, it is. How did you --?"

"You will want to accept the communication, Father. Trust me. I hope to see you at evening meal, or morning meal, whichever the next meal will be." She turned and left the office, but held the door partly ajar.

"Beloved! I have not had the time to --. You already know? She spoke with you? Oh, Beloved, when her symbiote changed color my heart broke --. She what? Ohhh, this is marvellous news! I was sure that I would never breathe your scent again--! He's not to know? Why?--"

Jennifer closed the door. "Thank you, my son."

"It is my honor to serve you, Mother."

As she walked back down the corridor, her heads-up display directed her to her next destination. Once she arrived at the door, she hesitated and considered knocking, then realized how foolish that would be. She quietly opened the door, and slid inside the tiny room. He looked up at her but said nothing.

She quietly walked over to the sleep platform that was next to the chair where he was sitting. "Why did you not come out onto the field?" she asked as she sat down.

"You were right, Jennifer. I am a coward. I could not bear the thought of looking into your eyes, your face, and seeing the feeling of betrayal you would have felt, had Father decided to destroy your world. To spend my life without you would have been hard enough. To spend it knowing that you despised me would have been unbearable. So I stayed here, and hid. Now, your people are safe, and you are alive, and now I will feel that revulsion, that enmity from you for the rest of my life. As you once said to me as a joke, life sucks. The term does not translate at all, but I know what it is supposed to mean."

She patted him on his knee. "I don't hate you, Myka. Our Father told me that you had argued strongly for keeping Terra unharmed. And my species unharmed. I misjudged you badly. I dishonored you badly. Worse than what you thought you had done to me, 5 weeks ago." She reached over, gently cupped his chin, and forced him to look at her. "We'll get through this somehow, Myka. Together, we can make this work. This is a tremendously sad day, for both of us. And I know that within minutes from now, I'm going to be crying yet again. Your thoughts are of your mother. Mine are of my father. Though still alive, I will never get to rest in his arms again. And, no doubt, you are feeling something similar. But life isn't over for the both of us. It only seems that way. Together, we can make this work. Together, we can be happy once again. You must believe that, Beloved." She unmasked, and let her scent drift his way. She patted the mat beside her. "You have waited long enough, my mate. Come, drink in my scent."

Slowly, he slid over to the spot, looked longingly into her eyes, then slowly buried his face into her hair. In seconds, she could hear cooing sounds. She put her right arm around him and held him close. As the knuckles of his right hand mindlessly started caressing her left cheek, she stared over his shoulder at the blank wall.

Is this all I'll have to look forward to?



Year 3106, Reflection, Day 1

2.39 (about 15 minutes before midday)

Landing vehicle doh41792bah



Jennifer was apprehensive as the landing craft descended through the atmosphere of Homeworld. She had no doubt that the ship was safe enough, and that the landing would be safe and gentle. It wasn't the landing that was making her anxious. It was what was going to follow.

"Daughter, I want to remind you that, until the scientists can determine what has happened, you will need to remain masked at all times, except when you are in your apartment in the palace, or in your main office complex. They have been fitted with the necessary air scrubbers to eliminate your pheromones from the air."

She looked at him through her mask. "I remember, Father. It's probably a good thing to keep my face hidden -- it will be enough of a shock to my children when they first see how short I am." She looked at Myka. "Stocky?" she said in English. "Is there a word in the language for stocky?" After a brief exchange, the word with the closest meaning was determined.

Less than 5 minutes until landing, her heads-up told her.

"Father, what is the normal protocol for disembarking?"

He was momentarily baffled by her question, then realized what she was probably going to do. "Normally, Daughter, the Emperor would disembark first, followed by the Mother, then any other members of the Imperial family, then any military personnel by rank. However, since this is your first time on Homeworld, you would be the first to disembark."

She hesitated briefly. Be the actress Barb always said you should have been! "Father, just this once, I would like to break with tradition. I would prefer that my mate disembark first, then you then me. Would this be acceptable to you?" Figure it out, Your Majesty! He's got to see her first!

He was pensive for a moment. "Very well. We will break with tradition this one time. Pup, you will disembark first."

Myka was perplexed. He looked at the both of them. His Father was practicing his inscrutable face, in time for that afternoon's meeting with the Andante Vice-Chancellor. Jennifer was unreadable because of the mask. He stared at her, almost accusing her of being up to something. "I obey, Father."

"Good. That's settled then," the older male said. For the remaining seconds of the descent, they were silent.

Touchdown was almost unnoticeable. As the ship lowered itself into its resting position, the three of them stood. Myka moved to the front of the line. "I am not understanding this," he said aloud in English.

"Work with me, Myka. Indulge me this one time."

The rear door opened and Myka walked down the short ramp to the landing pad. At the bottom of the pad, he stopped. He turned and looked back up the ramp at Jennifer, then looked across the pad again. Then at Jennifer once more. "Go to her, Beloved," she told him. "She waits for you." His face brightened, making him look like a young boy, and he ran across the pad, out of sight of his father and his alien mate.

"I take it that that is what most males look like when they receive a gift?" she said, cheekily.

"Only the younger ones, Daughter. The rest of us are much more reserved than that." He stood in front of her and stared into the mask. "Thank you Jennifer, for this incredible gift. My father's life was empty and miserable after my mother went on her Last Hunt. You have spared me much heartache."

"I could not let you, nor my mate, suffer because of what the symbiotes have decided. And I will need her help, Father. Help, and support, and teaching, and guidance, and I don't know whatever else. So, all four of us benefit from this. It was a very easy gift to give." She put her hand gently on his chest. "Go to her, Father. She waits for you too." Without hesitation, he turned and walked briskly down the ramp and out of sight across the pad.

She tried to rub her forehead, but couldn't because of the mask. "Damn mask," she cursed quietly. "I can't play with my ponytail either."

She counted slowly to sixty, then threw her shoulders back and lifted up her chin. "Showtime again, Jenn," she told herself. "Act like you own the place." She walked slowly down the ramp and stood at its base. Across the pad from her, the three of them stood in a tight circle like a group hug. Right hands caressing the left cheeks of the person on the right, and left hands firmly placed on the calming spot on the left side of the back of the person on their left. "Welcome to your new family, Jenn."

She started striding across the pad to join them. Halfway across, one thought came into her mind...

What have I gotten myself into?

END