The Cycles of Revelation Series

Artifact of the Dawn: Negotiations (A Queer Sci-Fi Series)

Episode 60: Andreesen is not convinced they need a planetary defense grid and Marta reveals some startling new information about Jevan’s ancestors.

Jevan and Ardyn broke their fast in the privacy of their quarters the next morning. “So, what happened last night after I left?” Jevan asked as he sat down with a bowl of porridge.

After taking a sip of tea, Ardyn replied. “From the look on Andreesen’s face, he was not pleased. He said little, but from some off-hand remarks, I have the feeling he is not happy about the Athla’naa presence here.”

“What did he say?”

“He continued to call us elves, even after Takyra politely informed him we are called Athla’naa,” Ardyn replied. “A few times, he also mumbled something about alien interference.”

“What about Marta? I got the impression she was very excited to meet you and learn about your culture and technology.”

“She gave Andreesen disapproving looks a few times last night,” Ardyn recalled. “And those other two? Nels and Oren? They stayed true to their titles and merely observed without comment.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t read either of them. They’re the most stoic men I’ve ever met,” Jevan admitted, as he finished his meal. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Takyra told me to meet them in the tower room this morning,” Ardyn said, standing and taking Jevan’s bowl to place back into the replicator for recycling. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jevan replied, with his usual jovial smirk.

When they arrived, Ardyn had to tilt his ears back because Andreesen was shouting at Takyra, towering over her. “I sat quietly and listened to all your explanations yesterday. Today I will say my piece. You do not get to dictate terms to me!”

Taking Jevan’s hand, Ardyn led him further into the room and they took their seats in a far corner around the sunken table. What brought this on?

Meanwhile, Takyra gave a frustrated sigh. “I am not trying to dictate anything. We are merely asking you to cooperate until this matter with the Maara’dahl is settled.”

Keryth stood and faced Andreesen. “As we explained yesterday, the Maara’dahl would kill every single Athla’naa born of Aria’asharra ancestry here. Until we subdue them, it would be too dangerous to transport them back to our homeworld right now.”

From where he sat, Mathias spoke up. “They’ve been here for over twelve hundred years, and we’ve had a peace treaty with them for seven hundred. These people are not a threat to us.”

“They are the reason for the threat,” Andreesen pointed out. “Also, you and your people do not get a say in this. You’re the descendants of criminals and ne’er-do-wells.”

Mathias’ face turned red, and it looked like he was about to argue when Marta interjected. “Well, actually…”

“What is it, Marta?” Andreesen groused.

“Sit down first, you old grump, and I’ll explain.”

With a growl, Andreesen flounced down into the cushioned seating, crossing his arms and glaring at Marta. Everyone else standing also took a seat.

“That’s better. You know I’ve been researching the history of the Vestian Outcasts,” Marta began. “I found an archive of old records dating back eight hundred years, and I found some startling information.”

“What information? Why is this the first I’ve heard of this?” Andreesen asked, uncrossing his arms, and leaning forward.

“I wanted to have everything properly documented before presenting it to you, but I think it applies to this debate. You need to know this — ”

“Well? Out with it already!” Andreesen said with obvious frustration.

Rolling her eyes, Marta explained. “As you know, the Vestian Outcasts were prisoners that were loaded onto ships and exiled. People assumed that the prisoners were a mix of murderers and rapists. Criminals too irredeemable to be set free. However, the records I found tell a very different story. They may not have been criminals at all.”

“If they weren’t criminals, why were they in the prisons?” Andreesen asked.

“For the same reason they were exiled. If the records I found are authentic, then most were political enemies of the government,” Marta revealed. “From the records I found, the chancellor of that era was cruel and not well-liked. Some people tried to stage a coup that led to a three-year war. Each year as the prisons filled, the chancellor would ship off a boat full of his political enemies that his forces had captured.”

“Is that why the boats stopped coming after three years?” Mathias asked.

“Yes. They defeated the chancellor’s forces and deposed him,” Marta replied.

“I don’t remember learning about any of that in school,” Tomas said. “How do we not know about all this?”

“They contained the conflict to the capital city of Welara,” Marta replied. “The rest of Ateria wasn’t involved, and attacking forces kept the news from spreading outside the city. They didn’t want the provinces who supported the chancellor to send reinforcements.”

“So, they kept the rest of Ateria from learning the truth?” Andreesen asked. “How did they keep his supporters from voting for him again?”

“They didn’t include his name in the next election, and it seems few people questioned it. The whole thing was soon forgotten, even within Welara,” Marta replied.

Next to Ardyn, Jevan leaned forward. “Then why did no one ever send a ship to Vestos after that? Wouldn’t Ateria have welcomed our ancestors back if they had supported the coup?”

“I’m not sure,” Marta replied apologetically. “There’s no further mention of the ships that were sent, but it’s possible that they had a difficult time holding on to control of their new government and by the time the region stabilized again, the ships sent to Vestos were all but forgotten.”

“Not completely forgotten, or we would have never learned of the Vestian Outcasts in school,” Tomas pointed out.

“That’s easy to explain,” Andreesen said. “Our entire history of the Vestian Outcasts came from a ledger found in the prison warden’s safe. It contained a manifest of each group of prisoners sent to Vestos, but it didn’t include a record of their crimes. Unfortunately, no one had any empathy for a group of exiled prisoners.”

“Including you,” Jevan said.

Nodding, Andreesen looked at them for a moment. “You’re right, I apologize. Still, your people only represent a fraction of the Medellan population. Why do you think you get a say over what these… these aliens… are proposing?”

“This is our continent you’re on, and you’re currently in the minority here,” Mathias pointed out. “Our people have shared this land with the Athla’naa for centuries. They are as much Vestians as we are.”

“So, you’re in favor of letting their people put a cage around our planet?” Andreesen asked with an irritated huff.

“It is not a cage. The grid is merely for your protection, to keep factions like the Maara’dahl from destroying this world,” Keryth stated firmly. “Your people will have as much control over the grid as those here on Vestos. We’re just trying to protect all of you.”

“There would be no need to protect us if they weren’t here,” Andreesen said, pointing at the Triumvirate and Ardyn, who had sat silent all this time. “Just resettle them somewhere else and put your grid around that.”

“I thought you were adamant about having us relocated, Takyra,” Aelrynd questioned, breaking her silence. “Why are you arguing against this now?”

“Because you were right. It is not fair to uproot and relocate your people against their will,” Takyra replied, looking back at Andreesen. “They have been here for fifty generations, while the rest of us have been asleep all this time. Those of us aboard the Rahn’naa could resettle onto the colony world we were heading for, but please don’t force these people to leave.”

Before Andreesen could respond, Keryth stood, putting up a placating hand. “Hold that thought. I have an idea. Will you trust me? Please, everyone, stand up.”

Everyone in the room looked at each other and gave a cursory shrug before standing. Keryth tapped on the communicator in his ear. “Keryth to Wah’kah’ria. Please beam myself and the others I am with onboard.”

Beam? Ardyn thought. “No! Wai — ”

Before Ardyn could finish his protest, he no longer stood in the tower room next to Jevan. He was standing on a large platform that reminded him of the execution chamber from the Pah’ora. He immediately shrank next to Jevan, who placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

They all looked stunned. Andreesen kept feeling himself as if to see if he was still alive. “What?! Where are we?”

Stepping off the platform, Keryth gave them a disarming smile. “Welcome aboard the Star Cruiser Wah’kah’ria. Please, follow me.”

Keryth led them out of the room, down a corridor and into a large elevator. “How did you get us here?” Andreesen demanded to know.

“The transmat can convert matter into pure energy, beaming that energy through subspace to a specific location, and then converting that energy back into it’s original form,” Keryth explained as the elevator doors opened and they walked onto what looked somewhat like the control center of the Rahn’naa, but much larger. There was also a large window on the far wall with a view of the stars and a planet.

“Is that Baaru’nor?” Aelrynd asked in a hushed whisper.

“No! That’s Medellus!” Andreesen proclaimed.

“Same thing,” Jevan said. “What we call Medellus, the Athla’naa call Baaru’nor.”

Andreesen scowled at Jevan. “They can’t just — ”

Before Andreesen could finish his protest, an alarm sounded.

“What’s going on?!” Andreesen demanded as the ship shuddered.

Springing into action, Keryth ordered the ship to turn about and the view out of the window changed. As they turned away from the planet, on their viewscreen they saw several other spacecraft, firing at one another. One was firing directly at them.

“The Maara’dahl have returned,” Keryth responded. “We are under attack!”

Attack? Not again. Ardyn braced himself as the ship rocked and it threw him into Jevan’s arms.