Dual Domains, page 13
Iltaft had witnessed the junior elders slowly lose their reserve in her presence. However, it only took place in the garden, where they sat now.
“I think the covering of the primary engines is how the aliens shift from one form of drive to the other,” Iltaft mused. “Recall the short vid we were sent.”
“Briefly, I thought I was seeing a vid my youngest offspring had made,” Lemtaca said. “The imagery was too simplistic. Dare I say exaggerated?”
“I think the simplicity was for us,” Iltaft cautioned. “The aliens don’t wish to use complex communications. Elementary is better. It prevents confusion or misinterpretation.”
“Message,” Ergatisa said, halting the discussion, while Lemtaca and he reviewed the admin’s communications.
“We’re directed to inform the aliens that the meeting location is the capital’s amphitheater,” Lemtaca said.
The trio exchanged glances. They were surprised by Wymron’s choice of venue. It opened the aliens’ presentation to the general citizenry.
The junior elders traded shortened dialog.
“We perceive Wymron’s agenda,” Ergatisa explained to a perplexed Iltaft. “The senior elder doesn’t want the elder assembly to control the aliens’ presentation. In the amphitheater, the aliens are free to speak as they wish.”
“Is it possible to attend the event?” Iltaft inquired hopefully.
“Assuredly, Director,” Lemtaca replied. “You’ll be seated with us. Now we must follow Wymron’s directive. We should observe your reasoning that simplicity is best.”
Returning to the QASAP building, Iltaft sifted through views of the capital from various ships and satellites. She chose one that showed a significant portion of the capital. The amphitheater sat near the middle of the image. Then she placed a bright yellow cross over it. “That should do it,” she said.
“Can you link with Julien?” Lemtaca inquired.
While Iltaft considered how to create the link, she received via her comm device,
“Yes,” Iltaft replied, displaying her amazement to the junior elders, who wore the same expressions.
“Thank you, Minimalist,” Lemtaca said.
Minimalist continued.
“Minimalist, you’re speaking through the device belonging to the originator, Director Iltaft,” Ergatisa said. “We’re pleased by her extraordinary efforts.”
Minimalist sent.
“I’ll be there,” Iltaft replied. Then she had an inspiration. “How will I recognize you, Minimalist?”
An image appeared on Iltaft’s display. Many races had congregated on a deck surrounded by shimmering blue light. They had posed for a celebratory image. One individual’s face was circled.
“Thank you, Minimalist,” Iltaft said, and her comm device winked off.
“Look at that,” Lemtaca said, studying the image. “Eleven races are present. Although, there seems to be some similarities between several of them.”
Iltaft didn’t have eyes for the others in the image. She was focused on Minimalist. An alien being, practiced in first contact, had complimented her work, which had been her initial effort to greet another race.
As for Devona’s elders, opinions on the amphitheater meeting were divided. The deliberate thinkers considered Wymron’s motives, and the presentation’s pros and cons. The others were divided into two camps. A portion hated losing control over the exchange with the aliens, while the other segment supported Wymron’s decision wholeheartedly.
For the citizenry, there was a scramble to get seats. While a portion was reserved for the elders and prominent citizens, there remained an urge for a huge number of individuals to possess an opportunity to see and hear the first aliens to land on Devona.
Naturally, there were those who were fearful of the aliens, but they were the minority, and their warnings were drowned out by the excitement of those not wanting to miss the unimaginable event.
Wymron spent the evening deliberating about how to orchestrate the initial contact and the introduction. In the end, he made no final decision. Too tired to continue, he chose to get some rest.
The next morning passed slowly or swiftly for Quellers depending on whether the dominant emotion was anticipation or something else.
Wymron and his entourage of administrators left for the amphitheater in plenty of time to greet the visitors immediately after the landing. The only thing that disturbed their plan was that the event location was massive with multiple transport access, which meant they had no idea where the ship would land.
The administrators had doubted the junior elders’ information that the alien ship would land without disturbing the site.
However, Wymron judged that Lemtaca and Ergatisa had led the project in ways that surpassed his expectations. With that in mind, he’d dismissed the admin protestations.
Above the planet, Julien gathered those he’d chosen — Minimalist, Luther, and Gistamia. The Emergence’s traveler that came for the foursome held Tocknicka, Samuel, Lisa, Juno, and several other sisters.
As for the remainder of the fleet, the crews were linked to the controllers for the SADEs’ visual and comm feeds.
The traveler pilot dropped toward the planet and flew through an atmospheric haze. The controller had the Emergence’s coordinates, and it navigated toward the capital.
Juno had cautioned the sisters to listen carefully to Julien. Furthermore, if they thought there were multiple interpretations of a directive, they were to request clarification of Julien or Tocknicka.
“This better not turn into a disaster,” Lisa hissed to Samuel. She knew every SADE overheard her, but she didn’t care. Despite being scared, she hated the idea of being left out of attending a one-of-a-kind event.
Lisa regarded Samuel’s face. He wore the same contented smile that had been on his face when her cabin door opened to admit him.
Tocknicka quipped.
Immediately, several sisters queried Juno to understand what sort of prize had been offered.
Julien regarded the stream of Quellers entering the amphitheater via forty transport entrances. An energy shield acted as a dome and prevented observing the number of citizens who were already in attendance.
The sisters had heard the phrase many times. It was the most difficult expression for them to accept. Immediate, clear data points were prized. Waiting and watching the actions of biologicals created confusion until some endpoint was reached.
Opal was on her second rotation around the site, when Julien sent,
Wymron and his admins had watched the aliens’ shuttle appear out of the clouds. It approached the amphitheater and circled it. He regretted not having the means to signal the visitors. It occurred to him that first contacts were more complicated than he had realized. There would exist many opportunities for errors and confusion.
When the floating ship stopped nearly above Wymron and began to descend, he grunted in surprise. “Clever aliens,” he commented.
The Quellers who were within sight of the visitors’ ship stopped to watch the ship hover above the prepared surface. They saw landing gear appear from within the hull, and then the ship touched down without jarring or making a sound. Then a seam formed in the hull, and a hatch dropped.
Tocknicka rose, sketched a bow to Julien, and sent,
Julien grinned at Tocknicka and the chittering that had followed the message. His thought was that it was good to have companions who could keep your boots on the deck.
Despite the invitation, every SADE exited before Julien.
After Julien, Gistamia and Lisa followed.
Wymron observed the beings who ignored the hatch steps and leapt lightly to the surface. Digital sentients, he thought. The last two individuals were definitely biologicals as evidenced by the way they navigated the steep steps.
It was the formation that told Wymron who was the leader. The first group to exit the craft acted as guards, without appearing obtrusive. When the leader touched down, the aliens looked toward him. Wymron tipped his head in respect and appreciated the gesture’s return.
Julien strode toward the figure that obviously waited for him.
Gistamia sent in the open.
Julien stopped in front of Wymron. He gestured toward the amphitheater and asked in the Queller language, “Will there be any citizens left in their homes?”
Wymron was taken by surprise. Of all the opening comments he’d expected, the visitor’s quip wasn’t one of them. He grunted several times and replied, “Requested enlargement. Accommodate everyone. One cycle insufficient.”
An admin whispered to Wymron, indicating the error of speaking in elder terms, but he needn’t have been concerned.
Julien had replied, “Engineers. Meticulous planners,” and Wymron grunted his approval of the retort.
Wymron tapped his chest and said, “Senior Elder Wymron.” When his visitor replied, “Julien,” the elder had waited for the rest of the address. He was surprised when there was nothing more.
Pointing at the amphitheater, Julien inquired, “How?”
“Our introduction. Your speech,” Wymron replied.
Samuel sent.
Tocknicka sent.
As Wymron, his entourage, and the visitors stepped on a surface transport to be conveyed into the amphitheater, a thought occurred to him. A quick exchange with an administrator had messages sent to Lemtaca and Ergatisa.
“We’re requested,” Ergatisa said to Iltaft, indicating his device.
“Should I remain here?” Iltaft asked, gazing around at the other junior elders.
“No,” Lemtaca said definitively. “You’re as responsible, if not more so, for this event. Come with us.”
The trio left their seats and made their way to the speakers’ platform. The junior elders prepared to sit in the rear rows, but an admin directed them to the front seats.
Iltaft felt the elders’ eyes on her, as she followed Lemtaca and Ergatisa.
Wymron led Julien and his entourage onto the speakers’ platform.
At the appearance of the aliens, the huge amphitheater produced a collective rustling of quills.
In response, Wymron made a show of generously indicating each seat for the visitors. The respect he paid them quieted the audience’s reactions.
“Minimalist,” Iltaft called quietly, when she saw the visitor whose face was circled in the image.
“Iltaft?” Minimalist queried, having recognized the voice. Immediately, he extended his hand.
Iltaft was unsure of the gesture, but that didn’t stop her from participating. She stood and grasped Minimalist’s forearm, grunting happily.
“It’s my pleasure to greet you, Iltaft,” Minimalist said courteously.
“And I thank you for the wonderful compliment you paid me, Minimalist,” Iltaft returned. “Welcome to Devona.”
“We hope to be good allies to the Quellers,” Minimalist said.
“May your wishes come true,” Iltaft replied, released Minimalist’s arm, and sat down.
I couldn’t have planned that better, Wymron thought, having witnessed the warm exchange between a visitor and the QASAP manager he’d elevated. The interaction gave him another idea.
Wymron approached the circular podium from which a speaker addressed the massive throng.
The audience knew the senior elder from images circulated in their news downloads, but he was rarely seen in public. His appearance made the event even more singular.
Having spent decades in the company of elders, Wymron realized that he was unprepared to address Devona’s citizens. His mind no longer expressed himself in their elongated speech patterns. However, he planned to rectify that by minimizing his part in the spectacle.
“Quellers,” Wymron boomed, raising his hands high.
The vast throng saw their senior elder keep his hands upraised, and they took that for a cue. In ripples across the rows, Quellers stood and held their hands above their heads.
Not to be seen failing to participate, the elders, who sat behind the visitors, stood and extended their arms.
“Welcome, visitors,” Wymron added, and he shook his quills, which nearly touched the platform’s floor.
The audience and elders joined the motion. The combined sound of hundreds of millions of rattling quills reached the visitors.
When Wymron lowered his hands, the throng stopped their greeting and resumed their seats.
“Three Quellers. Praise,” Wymron announced. He gestured toward the junior elders and the QASAP director. Again, he shook his quills, and again, the entire amphitheater joined him.
Lemtaca, Ergatisa, and Iltaft stood to accept the honor.
As the noise died down, Wymron said to the trio, “Explain contact,” and he gestured for them to take the podium.
While Lemtaca and Ergatisa were hesitant, Iltaft felt no such restrictions. Emboldened, she grasped the junior elders’ hands and led them to the podium, which had room for the three of them.
The audience was quiet, not knowing what to expect.
Julien signaled, and the fleet members stood as one. They clapped generously for the trio, who had successfully engineered the Quellers’ first contact.
Wymron quickly recognized the new opportunity, and he stood and slapped his hands together in imitation of the visitors.
While the elders timidly followed suit, it was the citizens who enthusiastically responded. Everything about the event was new and exciting. They slapped their hands together, shook their quills, and added their grunts. To their delight, the amphitheater rocked with their noise.
Julien signaled and the fleet members ended their applause and sat.
In each case, Lisa belatedly followed Samuel. I think I need one of the implants, she thought, as she sat down.
“Speak first,” Ergatisa whispered to Iltaft, nudging her arm.
Iltaft regarded the throng and stepped to the front rail of the podium. “I’m QASAP Director Iltaft,” she said. “My team and I programmed the QASAP ship that contacted our visitors, who are a mix of races. We understand that their numbers are vast, but you’ll have noticed that they’ve come to Basyat in relatively few numbers. More important, their leader, Julien, arrives on Devona in a single ship to walk among us.”
“Julien, thank you for coming,” Iltaft said, and gestured toward him.
The audience was ready. When Julien stood, they raucously clapped, rattled, and grunted. This time, they attempted to sync their motions, and the rhythmic results delighted them.
Samuel leaned close to Lisa to be heard. “Tell me that this isn’t worth witnessing,” he said.
“It does boggle the mind,” Lisa managed to reply over the noise.
Lemtaca and Ergatisa added their thoughts, but they gave the audience no opportunity to participate, which the citizens found disappointing.
However, Iltaft came to the rescue. As Lemtaca and Ergatisa left the podium to resume their seats, she extended a hand toward the row of visitors and excitedly said, “Julien.”
Having been given an opening, the citizens repeated their clapping and rattling. Enterprising individuals started a chant, and the audience joined. The calls of Julien’s name were raised to the energy dome.
Julien let the audience quiet. Then he said in clear, perfect Queller, “Greetings, Devona citizens. Thank you for your warm welcome.”
To hear the visitor speak their language stunned the audience. They were mesmerized as Julien continued to explain the fleet’s presence and his hope for a productive alliance. He thanked Wymron for his dedication to the Queller populace and the trio for their inventive routines, which had captured the fleet’s attention.
The latter cases gave the audience two more chances to add their applause.
When Julien ended by thanking the citizens for coming out, the throng created thunderous sounds. It was as much in congratulations for their decisions to attend the event as it was for the platform’s presenters.
Wymron was last to address the audience. “Quellers. Brave citizens. Thank you,” he said. Then he led the visitors off the platform.
The trio received another message. It indicated that they were to follow Wymron.
As for Iltaft, she couldn’t have been happier to continue to participate.
As the group neared the traveler, Julien indicated the ship and said, “Would you prefer to ride, Wymron?”
The administrators were horrified by the suggestion and several made to convince the senior elder to refuse the offer.
