“So she never earned the passage, huh?” Nathan joked.
“Oh, she keeps the money hidden in a box somewhere,” Tug laughed. “Sometimes she threatens to use it, when she is most angry with me.” Tug scooped up another helping of stew. “But enough about me. What about all of you? Where do you come from? I recognize the accents and mannerisms of these two,” Tug stated, pointing at Jalea and Danik. “But the rest of you are quite different. I don’t believe I’ve ever met your kind before.”
“They are from a quite distant star,” Jalea said.
“Really?” Tug stroked his chin, looking at his guests. “And how is it you find yourself so far from home?”
Jessica cast a displeased look upon Jalea. Prior to their departure from the Aurora, Jessica had counseled Nathan to avoid giving away too much information. Now she wished she had issued the same warning to Jalea.
Nathan chose his answer carefully. “A series of unfortunate events has led us to your world.”
“I see. And what is your business here?” Tug was intrigued by this news. He glanced at Jalea, who met his gaze without response.
“We’re just looking for a way to return home, as quickly as possible.”
“And have you found a way?”
“We’re still weighing options at the moment,” Nathan told him.
Tug surveyed his guests once more. “There is an old legend. It is one that the Ta’Akar have been trying to suppress for centuries. It tells how we all came from a faraway star. This legend has been the center of a controversy that has lasted countless generations.”
“How so?” Nathan asked.
“Several centuries after the Ta’Akar took control of their world, they tried to convince the people that this legend was false, that they had been born of their own world. The people resisted, as the legend had served to support their own religious beliefs for as long as anyone could remember. But the Ta’Akar were persistent in their efforts, eventually resorting to brutality as their primary means of coercion.”
“And this worked?” Jessica asked.
“At first, no. But eventually, the people grew tired of resistance, and they simply accepted the doctrine. Publicly, all agreed with the Ta’Akar doctrine. But many continued to believe otherwise, in secret.”
“And what do you believe?” Nathan asked. “If you don’t mind my asking?”
“I am not sure what I believe,” Tug answered honestly. “However, I do not believe in the Ta’Akar ‘Doctrine of Origins.’”
“And this doctrine,” Nathan said, “it has lasted all this time?”
“You sound surprised,” Tug said.
“It’s just that such things generally fade as power changes hands over the generations.”
“Yes, but that is not the case with the Ta’Akar,” Tug explained. “You see, the royal family are privy to special treatments that greatly prolong their life span. The last ruler was in power for more than two centuries. And the current ruler is expected to be in power even longer.”
“Really?” Although the formula for such treatments had been found in the Data Ark on Earth, they had only added a few decades to the human life span, not centuries. And only then by somewhat delaying the onset of aging. “And this doctrine? Is this the basis of the rebellion I’ve heard so much about?” Nathan wasn’t sure how Tug would react to his question, but he had a feeling there was more to the farmer than he let on.
“Ah yes, the rebellion.” Tug smiled as he regarded Nathan’s question. “As you probably know, people do not generally care to be told how to think. Eventually, more and more of the Ta’Akar people began to openly reject the doctrine. When the military tried to force the matter, it sparked a violent backlash that quickly spread throughout all of Ta’Akar space. A rebellion erupted that has been going on for more than two decades. It has cost many lives on both sides, and has cost the Ta’Akar many systems over the years.”
“You mean they once controlled more than just the five systems they control now?” Jessica asked.
“Oh yes. The Ta’Akar once controlled twice that number. But the war has forced them to abandon the outer systems in order to maintain control over their core worlds,” Tug explained. “In fact, this system was once under Ta’Akar control.”
“So they were spread too thin?” Jessica was hoping to get some information about the Ta’Akar forces.
“Yes. They did not expect such heavy resistance at first, and were caught unprepared. They lost many ships and had problems with mass defections amongst their forces. Had they not pulled out of the fringe systems, I doubt they would have defeated the rebels at all.”
“Then the war is over?” Nathan asked.
“Recently, the Ta’Akar launched an offensive against the last of the rebel forces that were in hiding. Rumor has it that only a small, insignificant number escaped and that the Ta’Akar are claiming victory. I suspect they will continue to hunt survivors down until all have been eliminated.”
Nathan noticed a melancholy in Tug’s voice. “You seem disappointed?”
“If this rumor is true, it is only a matter of time before the Ta’Akar reclaim their lost systems.”
“Many believe they will not stop there,” Jalea added.
“You think they’ll try to expand again?” Nathan asked.
“If the Ta’Akar wish to prevent future civil unrest,” Tug explained, “it would be wise for them to expand their domain in order to vastly increase their base of power.”
“Make themselves too big to overthrow,” Jessica commented.
“But if their forces are weakened, as you say, then wouldn’t expansion be difficult?”
“One would think,” Tug said. “However, it is believed that the Ta’Akar are close to perfecting a new power source, one that will give them nearly limitless energy. If this is true, there will be no stopping them.”
The conversation fell silent on that note. While Nathan was curious about this new power source, he couldn’t help but be annoyed by the fact that the information had been yet another fact that Jalea had kept hidden from them.
“What do you know about this power source?” Jessica asked.
“Only that the research is being conducted on the Ta’Akar homeworld, and that it is said to be nearing completion,” Tug said.
“How is it you know so much about it?” Jessica asked. “You would think something like this would be kept secret.”
“The Ta’Akar have continued to talk openly of this project. They consider their home system impenetrable. And knowledge of their coming power source serves to keep the restlessness of the Ta’Akar population under control. It gives them hope for a better, more stable future.”
The room fell silent once again, as they considered Tug’s statements. “But enough of this talk of rebellions and doctrine. It is too depressing for dinner conversation.” Tug turned to Vladimir. “We have heard little from you this night, Vladimir. Tell me of your world.”
Vladimir looked at Nathan, unsure of what to say. Nathan nodded slightly and shrugged. “Our world is a beautiful place,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “It has many diverse climates and environments, as well as many different cultures and civilizations, some of which date back thousands of years.” Vladimir was proud of his Russian heritage. His culture had been one of the few that had survived the great bio-digital plague without becoming diluted beyond recognition.
“Truly? Your civilization is that old?” Tug was surprised by the revelation. “Then how is it we have never come across your kind before?”
“We’ve only recently begun venturing out into distant space,” Jessica interrupted.
“Then you’re explorers?”
“Yes, in a manner of speaking,” Nathan admitted.
“But then, aren’t we all?” Tug concluded.
Vladimir, who had finished his food quickly as usual, moved to excuse himself. “If nobody has any objections, perhaps I could take a look at your ship, while the rest of you continue with your meal.”
“Of course,” Tug insisted. “The ship is in the large barn at the far end of the compound. Out the front door, and straight ahead. You cannot miss it.”