Analin smiled. “That was well said, Juna. May I quote you on that?”
Juna shrugged, embarrassed and flattered. “Sure, if it will help you get us out of here.”
“I hope so,” Analin said. “I should have my article finished and on-line in a few more hours.”
Juna swallowed, her throat suddenly dry with nervousness. This had passed beyond her control now. “Oh,” she managed to say.
Analin leaned forward, toward the comm screen. “Juna, I’m on your side. They’re illegally holding you prisoner. Besides, I’m looking forward to that exclusive interview. I can’t get that until you’re off that ship. There are no guarantees that what I write will spring you, but at the very least it should cause a major scandal. Burnham and the others will be too busy covering their tracks to keep you and the Tendu bottled up much longer.”
Juna felt hopeful for the first time in weeks. “Thank you, Analin. I know you’ll do yoor best.”
Analin nodded, suddenly shy. “Check this address in two hours. I’ll have a copy of the story there for you to download. The article should be on the net in four hours.”
“Good luck,” Juna said.
“Thanks,” Analin replied.
Analin was as good as her word. The file was waiting for Juna two hours later.
“Dear Juna and Moki,” it began.
“Here is the story. I hope it helps spring you. I’m sorry I’m not available for you to talk to. Given the sensitivity of this news, I think it’s better for me to be a moving target for a few days. Good luck!— Analin Goudrian”
Aliens Held Hostage to Expansionist Paranoia
INN-Nederlands—Sources within the Survey administration say that General Burnham and a clique of Expansionists in high positions are responsible for the prolonged quarantine of the Tendu on board the Homa Darabi Mam, despite the fact that there is no apparent reason to keep them there.
According to Dr. Juna Saari, the Survey researcher who first discovered the Tendu, none of the crew has been sick since the Tendu came on board. This is corroborated by the Chief Medical Officer of the Homa Darabi Maru, Dr. Louise Caisson, who previously served as a researcher at the Center for Contagious Diseases on Luna.
Despite their freedom from contagious diseases, the Tendu’s health has been impacted by the prolonged quarantine.
“The Tendu are suffering from what they refer to as greensickness,” Dr. Saari said, during a recent interview. “Essentially, it’s a form of depression caused by their isolation in the artificial setting of this spaceship. The Tendu need a natural environment. Without it they become depressed and stop eating. Although greensickness is not contagious, it has made the Tendu severely ill, and could even kill them. Ukatonen has been so severely affected that he has gone into a coma.”
The CCD confirms that there has been no illness among the crew of the Homa Darabi Maru. When asked why the entire crew remained confined, the CCD and the Survey both said that “significant security concerns prevent the release of the passengers and crew of the Homa Darabi Maru from quarantine.”
General Alice Burnham, an arch-conservative Expansionist, has the command authority to release the Tendu and the crew of the ship from quarantine. However, the Expansionists have taken a very strong stand against the Tendu, and sources within the Survey accuse General Burnham of keeping the Tendu in quarantine for political reasons. General Burnham refused to comment on whether her political opinions have influenced her decision to keep the Tendu in quarantine. When asked when the Tendu and the crew of the Homa Darabi Maru would be released, the general said, “That is entirely up to Dr. Koro of the CCD. When he approves a release from quarantine, then I will act upon it.”
Dr. Koro, who could not be reached for comment, is also involved in a number of Expansionist organizations. He is on the board of directors of the Space Frontiers Foundation, and is a member of Human-Space, as well as the Terraforming Foundation.
According to Dr. Saari, “The Tendu aren’t dangerous. In fact, they can help us a great deal. Their skill at healing can advance our own medical knowledge. Their knowledge of ecosystems could help us restore Earth’s environment and speed up the terraforming of Mars and Terra Nova. With their help, we could explore living worlds without an environment suit, perhaps even colonize them. But first, the Tendu and humanity need to get to know each other, to learn what we can do for each other* We can’t accomplish that trapped up here in quarantine.”
The Interstellar Space Explorers and Workers Union said that they had received several appeals from the crew of the Homa Darabi Maru, but that Survey security had assured them the quarantine was necessary. “If these allegations are true, then the union will have no choice but to take quick and decisive action against the Survey,” said Mark Manning, president of ISEWU.
“Well,” Juna commented, “I think it’s a good article.”
“I don’t understand, siti,” Moki said. “Why can General Burnham keep us here?”
“Because the people in charge gave her the authority to do so, bai. If we’re lucky, this article will embarrass her so much that she has to release us.”
“Will she decide to die?” Moki asked.
“No, bai, she’s not an enkar.”
“Then why is she running things?”
“Because the people in charge trusted her to do a good job.”
“Are they enkar? Will they die?”
“No bai. It doesn’t work like that here.”
Juna had tried several times to explain human politics and the concept of democracy to the Tendu, but they always ended up bewildered. “All the humans get together and decide who will run things. This process is known as an election.”
“But none of them are enkar?”
“No, bai. We have no enkar. If they do a bad job, we don’t elect them again.”
Moki shook his head. “How can you trust them?”
Juna shrugged. “We don’t, bai. We watch them all the time, to make sure they don’t make mistakes. Analin is one of the people whose atwa it is to watch our leaders, and to tell us when a mistake is made. That is why she is helping us now.”
“It seems like a bad way to run things.”
“Perhaps, bai, but it works for us.”
“Dr. Saari, I just received an irate call from General Burn-ham’s office. They claim that you breached security. There’s also been an inquiry from the union, based on statements that they claim you made. Would you please explain this?” Commander Sussman said.
Juna handed her a printout of Analin’s article. “This will explain everything, Commander.”
The commander read the article, her face carefully impassive.
“My,” she said when she was finished. She stood, both hands resting on her desk, her blue eyes fixed on Juna. “What the hell were you thinking of, Dr. Saari?”
“You wanted me to figure out some way of getting us off this ship,” Juna said. “This is what I came up with.”
“You defined that suggestion pretty broadly.”
“Yes, ma’am, I did.”
“I’m going to log an official reprimand on your record. By rights, I should have you thrown in the brig, but given the circumstances I’d say that being stuck in quarantine is discipline enough.”