One of the shapes moved towards them, and Sahib could see that it was shaped like a Guxcacul. Only it appeared that this Guxcacul was dressed in a full body armor. Sahib glanced at Riss who was studying the newcomers.
“I thought that you Guxcacul didn’t like full body armor?” Sahib asked.
“Things have obviously changed.” Riss answered.
The figure stopped in front of Riss and spoke in a series of chirps and clicks. Riss responded in kind, after a quick exchanged turned to Sahib.
“He said – Welcome, friends.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
March; Year 32 – Sanctuary
Tomas sat in an almost empty meeting room, the only people inside were him and the Hand. The agent of the Hand looked like any other, except that Tomas could tell that this one was female. It didn’t really matter, every agent spoke for the whole. The agent was here at Tomas’s request. Tomas had done some drastic things in the last year, and he wanted to ask the Hand’s input on a few things.
“Why have you called on us?” A highly modulated voice said.
“I have a few things that I want to talk to you about. The first is about your stance on the direction that I took the Empire in this last year.” Tomas said.
“We have no problem with your foreign policies and actions. We have been created as a check upon your power, to protect the citizens of the Empire. You have not abused your followers, and your actions concerning the Sowir, Furvor, and the Trivax, have all been in the interest of protecting your people and the innocent.” The agent said.
Tomas relaxed, he maybe better than anyone knew the pits that power could one into. He needed the Hand to stand as a reminder to him that he was never to use his power for self-interest or in a way that would harm his people.
“Trivax… I wanted to speak with you about that too. I have already spoken with the other Clan Leaders. But I wanted your opinion as well. They have asked to join the Empire, I was wondering what your thoughts on that are?” Tomas said.
The agent didn’t respond for a while, apparently thinking about the answer. “That decision is for the people and you to make. If you do decide to allow them to join, it must be done slowly and handled carefully. The Trivaxian’s have not been in the space for long, and they had only two contacts with other races, one of which lead to the deaths of many of their people. It will be difficult for them to put the resentment aside. And you already know that their ways cannot survive if they are to join us.”
Tomas nodded slowly, he knew the history of Earth countries and kingdoms all too well. When one force conquered another or when two different factions joined together, the unions never lasted long. Difference of beliefs and the ways of thinking always bred ill will and resentment. In the end rebellions or uprisings happened. And Tomas had done a lot to prevent that happening to his Empire. He knew that if the Empire was to grow, he would need to allow other races to join. But he also knew that those that joined needed to completely become a part of the Empire.
That is why he had already decided to be very picky about who he let in the Empire.
“Thank you. That is all that I wanted to speak about.”
The agent nodded her head, stood up and left the room. Leaving Tomas alone with his thoughts and decisions.
Seo-yun and Laura sat in a room at the Research and Development’s main building, on one of the walls a large screen showed a direct feed to the cell occupied with one of the Sowir prisoners.
She – and they were positive that it was a she, although there was no physical difference – was just in the process of waking up. Seo-yun’s people had placed a Sowir translating device inside the cell, hoping to establish some kind of communication with them. As the Sowir slowly woke she became aware of the device. She looked at it for a while and then stepped up to it and placed its body inside, then attached some kind of a band on her head. A few moments later a voice speaking in Nel started coming out of the device.
“You wish to communicate?” She said.
Seo-yun looked at Laura. “I guess that it works.”
Laura approached turned the on the comm that will transfer her voice to the cell and translate it into Nel.
“Yes.” Laura said.
“Then speak your mind.” The Sowir said.
Laura steeled herself and spoke. “Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking other races? How can you justify killing other intelligent life?”
“There is no need for justification, we are not killing intelligent life.”
Confused Laura exchanged looks with Seo-yun. “What do you mean? We are an intelligent race.”
“That is false, you are blind/deaf/senseless – you cannot be intelligent.” The Sowir said.
Seo-yun leaned forward and spoke. “What do you mean blind?”
“You cannot see/hear/sense the Spirit of the Universe. You cannot communicate other than by primitive, animalistic ways.”
Seo-yun turned to Laura muted the comm and whispered, “Does she mean telepathy?”
“Maybe… But why would that be a reason for them to kill other races?” Laura asked.
“It could be their belief is that the only beings that are truly intelligent are telepathic.” Seo-yun suggested.
Laura unmuted the comm. “You believe that we are not intelligent because we do not have your ability to speak mind to mind?”
“That question only proves your unworthiness and ignorance. Communication between minds is only one of the things that makes us superior/intelligent. You cannot hear/see/sense the Universe around you, you are ignorant of its true form and that makes you no better than the animals that live their lives in ignorance of higher understanding.” The Sowir said.
“But we have technologies that are far ahead of yours, how does that make us primitive and ignorant?” Seo-yun asked.
“Again, your ignorance shows, there is a difference between intelligence and intelligence.”
Laura and Seo-yun frowned, and muted the comm again.
“I don’t think that these translations are perfect, there must be something lost in translation.” Seo-yun said.
“I agree. But still could the reason they are wiping out other races truly be because they don’t have telepathy?” Laura asked.
“Humans went to war for far stupider things.” Seo-yun added. Laura nodded and turned the comm back on.
“Is there any chance of peace between us?” Laura asked.
“The universe belongs to those who can see/hear/sense its true form. Your knowledge and tenacity makes you a threat to the true beings. There can only be the peace of oblivion.” Sowir said.
Laura sighed and muted the comm again.
“Well, I guess that just confirmed that we can’t trust them to keep their word to us. They think of us as animals, they believe us inferior.” Laura said.
“There must be something that we are missing. We need to keep talking with them, and see if we can take the translating device and improve it.” Seo-yun said.
“Good luck with that. I on the other hand have to fight and win a war against them, so anything that can help me do that will be appreciated.”
“I’ll send you anything of value that we learn.” Seo-yun said. Laura nodded and left the room, leaving Seo-yun to ponder on ways to improve the alien translation device.