“We had the capability of tracking this mysterious visitor, for we had long ago developed the technology to look out across Unali’wahnah, though we had apparently never looked in the proper direction to discover your kind. By tracking the Chicago, we discovered that there were other worlds, with living beings on them.
“Our leaders debated among themselves in closed council sessions for many years, and finally determined to officially ignore your existence. But, secretly, scouts were sent out, and we monitored your transmissions and nets. You may have discovered the scout on Hurst, but many others have monitored your colonies for a long time.
“Then, not only were our leaders and space teams aware of you, but our population became aware as well. For your people began to transmit messages to our planet, in a crude version of our language. Our leaders tried to deny your existence, saying that the transmissions were a garbled test of a new communications system for the moon bases. But it was too late.
“My colleagues and I are determined to discover the truth about your people. We knew the truth of your existence because we are the hereditary heirs to seats on the council. Our parents were Obligated to keep us informed, should any of us need to succeed them on short notice. Obviously, we were forbidden from telling others about you.
“I am the senior member of the group. I will be the first of the ‘new thinkers’ to join the council, but we will not have a significant number of like-minded councillors for many years yet. In any event, it will be a difficult and lengthy process to get our people to recognize you in any substantial way. That is the daunting task that looms before me.
“Although we are expected to replace our parents at the appropriate time, we must also have an occupation until that time. I wished to be an educator, and was assigned to educate young adult Aaul’inah in space sciences. Such is my claim to the human title ‘Doctor’ or ‘Professor.’
“When the transmission came from the collegium inviting us to exchange personnel, it was summarily dismissed by the council. But I knew of it and had the means to reply. So I secretly managed to leave our world and came to your collegium.
“Your father was among those with whom I worked. He is a brilliant physicist and he taught me much about the unseen universe, as well as how to improve communications between our planets.
“I sent you my novel both because your father spoke so highly of you, and because of my admiration for the books you have edited. I suppose I wanted to see if my effort was worthy of your attention. At the very least, it pleases me to have met both of the Bradden men—the man of science and the man of letters.
“My ship leaves in two days, and I will be essentially stranded on Aaul’in for many years. The time draws near for me to succeed my mother on the council. I must return home and discover whether my original excuse for this absence is still acceptable to my parents. If I am successful, I will take my seat on the council and begin to strive for open relations between our peoples.
“If I am unsuccessful, I will face the penalty for disobeying the orders of the council. I will spend the rest of my life in solitude; cut off from my people; unable to take my part in the mind of Unali’wahnah”
He didn’t settle back into his chair, as a human who’d finished telling a story would, but the finger tapping stopped. It suddenly occurred to me that he’d been tapping to keep musical time while making such a lengthy speech in a foreign language—like a metronome with an odd timing I couldn’t quite follow.
“This is certainly different from how I’d thought this meeting might go,” I said.
He laughed a strong, hearty, musical laugh. “I don’t suppose it is like anything I anticipated two years ago either. When I came here, I had no idea what to expect. And I have tried to repay the things I have learned with the many things I have taught my colleagues at the collegium, and the little I’ve shared with you today.”
Now he sat forward, and it was obvious our species shared at least that outward expression of eagerness. “Please. I am so happy to have you here, but I’ve taken up more than enough of your valuable time. I must ask you about my novel.”
I sat forward as well. “I’m in no hurry, Doctor. If what you say is true, I won’t likely get the opportunity to share a conversation with an Aaul’inah for some time, if ever again. However, you’ve done me a great honor today. And I’m going to repay it now.
“In simple terms, Beyond Here is fabulous. Doctor, you have created the most riveting, original science fiction story I have ever come across. We humans are inured to space travel and alien races these days—the Aaul’inah excepted, I suppose. I can get decent re-creations of the classic sf story types from Terence Jool and Skye Perrin…”
“I did like Perrin’s Starship Waterloo” Aly’wanshus commented, “Though it wasn’t as good as that Heinlein in your Twentieth-Century Classics collection last year.”
I nodded. “That is my point. We’re stuck on trite ideas of interstellar adventure and bipedal aliens—despite having relationships with four species that don’t fit that bill. We just don’t seem able to produce truly new ideas any more.
“You, however, have. I mean, we’ve done tales of interdimensional travel, alternate universes, and the like. But the one you’ve created is totally unique. And you’ve actually managed to capture the human element of your explorers, without our stereotypes.
“I want to publish Beyond Here. I have to publish Beyond Here.”
His earbuds appeared again. “I am honored, Mr. Bradden.”
“It’s Del.”
“Del.” His earbuds slowed, settling back into place. “Del, I am not certain that would be possible. Publication would reveal my presence here. And everything my friends and I are working for would be compromised.”
“Not necessarily.” I quickly continued. “The work has to be translated into English, and slightly edited. It can be published under a human pseudonym. As much as I would love to broadcast all over NewsNet that K&T and Del Bradden are publishing the very first English-language novel by a nonhuman, I’m willing to forgo the recognition just so I can publish this book.”
“You barely know me, Del. Why would you do that for me?”
I sighed, “I wish this could be the great uniting moment for our peoples, Doctor. But, at the very least, let me make you a published author. I’d hate to send you home with this novel still in your trunk.”
He laughed again, “Two years ago, I wouldn’t have understood what you meant by that. I wouldn’t have known what an author or a trunk was, or why it might be important. Today… I want to give you your wish.”
My jaw dropped. I’d thought the politics of his situation would outweigh all the rest.
He reached out to shake my hand. “Your father tells me it is customary to seal a business transaction like so.”
I reached out as well. “In my business, we usually finalize it with a contract and payment.”
“We will need to keep the contract itself secret, Del. Your father did arrange to use his corporation to quietly handle my affairs on Christea. I suppose the ‘royalties’—is that the term?—can go into the spending account he set up for me when I arrived. Perhaps someday I will return to spend it. Or others of my kind will make use of it.” Our hands met.