Harvester 7 (12 page)

"Now is the
time for diplomacy, for agreements to be signed, alliances
forged... the foundations for my Federation will be laid, this is a
historic moment Na'ta. I sense your mind is troubled brother." he
glanced up and bared his teeth, "Tell me?"

"It is of
little importance," sighed Na'ta, "A delegation from the dominant
clan of the Su'al are here seeking an audience."

"And the
meaning of this?" replied Go'an.

"There appears
to be a reluctance for the clans to cease their own hostilities,
they are like animals," he sighed, the task of bringing a united
Su'al to the alliance had been delegated to him, a task he was
finding tedious and frustrating, "It is impossible to hold their
complete attention while they insist on fighting amongst
themselves."

"They are your
responsibility," snapped Go'an, "But let me give you a little
brotherly advice, races like the Su'al only respect dominance and
aggression... if I were faced with your task..." he paused for a
moment deciding if his proposed action would be revealing too much
before continuing, "If I had your task, I would select a smaller
Su'al clan at random, and then send a squadron of Kressa, leave not
one alive... then demand to meet with all of the other Clan Lords,"
he laughed, "Explain to them that you will no-longer tolerate their
behaviour."

"With you
leave," smiled Na'ta, "Chancellor... brother." he bowed low with
his fist tight against his powerful chest.

***

Maulik stood
before the Diurian Senate and delivered the message that he had
quickly prepared on behalf of his people, he felt that a proposal
for alliance would sound better if it was coming from Terrillia
rather than Chancellor Go'an, and with the Chancellors marked
absence he relied on Ka'lan for advise on protocol and
procedure.

"Do not
mention the Shadow... Reapers," he corrected himself, "Simply say
that you are here by chance and that you wish to suggest a
diplomatic exchange between our worlds... you will appear before
the Senate to be seen more than heard anyway, some of the old guard
distrust reports and data, but they do trust their own eyes, just
be natural and answer their questions as best you can, do not, I
repeat DO NOT mention the Watu at this moment, they are an issue
that will need gradual introduction into the minds of the Senators,
that will be for my department to propose."

Maulik had
nodded, and feeling ready for anything he had taken his place
before the rows of ancient mirrored eyes, the questions had been
polite and none specific, news of his world, similarities in
customs and beliefs were discussed before an elderly Senator
dragged the questioning down a new path."

"Surely a
Harvester Master should remain with his ship?" he felt a shrewd
mind probing for hidden answers.

"Very true" he
admitted, "But during this mission I have also learned that I have
finally been awarded my Scouts Licence, so you could say at this
moment in time I am "acting Master" but "active scout," that is the
reason that I stumbled into your space."

"So you came
to harvest us," chuckled the old Senator, his comment generating a
ripple of laughter amongst his peers.

"Indeed,"
laughed Maulik, "But sadly our laws prohibit that course of
action." again there was a ripple of laughter.

"I wish to
talk with you privately," the Senator forced a secure link to
deliver his message, on the landing pad Kressa growled but
restrained herself, there was still not sufficient threat but she
sensed a new agenda was about to be revealed, "Patience." she told
her feral instincts.

***

"You are no
diplomat." the Senator chuckled as the doors to his private
chambers sealed

"Very true."
agreed Maulik.

"You do not
have the shroud of secrecy practised by the diplomatic corps, you
must be more careful of your thoughts," added the ancient mind that
probed him, "You are revealed to me, but not to my peers, now
deliver the message from the Watu, that is what you are here for...
is it not?"

Maulik thought
quickly, the Senator laughed.

"Not a
diplomat for sure," he chuckled, "While you have been attempting to
hide your thoughts you have become transparent to me, Master
Maulik, I sympathise with you, this was a task that you did not
want, you are out of your depth and filled with confusion. It is
too late to hide those thoughts now... tell Chancellor Go'an that
we will be prepared to meet him, his proposal will be given fair
consideration, I speak for the Senate." he added almost as an
afterthought.

"And who
should I say has authorised this meeting," replied Maulik feeling
weak minded and slightly violated.

Again the old
Senator chuckled, "Tell him that Emperor Tanik extends a personal
invitation."

"Emperor!"
gasped Maulik.

"I believe that your work here is done, your full message is
revealed at last, and you have my reply, Master Maulik, you are
free to rejoin your very
interesting
ship and leave at your
convenience. But you are free to return at any time you wish, I
understand that your genetic data has now been stored and you can
consider yourself a welcome guest."

"Thank you
Emperor." he bowed low provoking another chuckle.

"You have been
spending too much time with the Watu," he laughed, "That action
fell out of use in our society many centuries ago, but I accept
your mark of respect."

***

"So very true,
I really wouldn't make a very good diplomat." stated Maulik as he
was led back to the transport.

"You should
relax," replied Ka'lan, "You ended up in a difficult spot and
handled yourself well, not many can resist the mind of the Emperor,
he is on a level far above the likes of us, but if I might ask,
what does he find so interesting about your ship, our scans have
revealed nothing exceptional?"

"Then I think
you must wait until the Watu have arranged an official
demonstration," he chuckled, "But I promise you, you will be in for
a very big surprise."

***

"Well, we
survived." joked Maulik as the landing computer released its hold
on Kressa.

"I am not so
sure," she growled catching him by surprise, "I won't relax until
we are out of Diurian space."

"You sensed
some hostility?"

"Not hostile
intent, or any real threat... but my instincts tell me that we
should be very careful, I can't explain my feelings, but I really
don't think we can trust them."

"For the first
time I really think that you are over reacting." he replied.

"Maybe." she
conceded, but couldn't dispel her growing unease, and with a sudden
surge of power Kressa left their escort standing in her wake and
burst out into open space.

"Now we are
finished with the Chancellors mission, would you like to exercise
your duty as a Scout," she teased, "While I was sat on the landing
pad, and very bored, I accessed the Diurian central archives and
borrowed their star charts."

"Borrowed?"
questioned Maulik.

"I didn't
steal anything classified," she giggled, "And if they want to leave
their charts in open files for anyone to read, well that's their
own problem, I was curious and decided to take a little peek."

"And?"

"Well it just
so happens that not so very far from here is a developing planet
that doesn't appear on any Watumian or Terrillian chart, according
to the archives it is in a sector that is surrounded by asteroid
fields and other such obstacles, but not too difficult for us to
explore, just imagine Maulik, your first trip as a scout, an
adventure, unknown space!"

"Then I will
plot a course" she purred as his thoughts were revealed.

"And signal 7,
tell Relik we will be delayed."

"I already
did." she purred and with the famed agility of her breed she
instantly altered course and accelerated into uncharted space.

***

"Are the
results for his sample back?" asked Emperor Tanik.

"They are
Sir," replied Ka'lan, "It is confirmed, his people would appear to
be clear of the virus."

Tanik sighed,
"Then it would appear there is only one option open to us."

"Agreed Sir."
replied Ka'lan as he placed the results on the Emperors wide
desk.

"Keep this
quiet, we cannot act until after the Shadow threat has been
eliminated, we can wait a little longer."

"Understood
Sir," Ka'lan replied as he saluted smartly, "Eighteen months is not
so long."

Tanik rubbed
his decaying legs through the exoskeleton, of course he couldn't
feel the massaging through the dense yet light alloy, but the
movement was somehow comforting.

The virus had
emerged many years before, carried by an off-world freighter,
within days the entire population had been infected, the weak it
had killed within hours, the strong lingered on the edge of death
before slowly making a full recovery. Bio filters had successfully
scoured the atmosphere until every last trace of the alien virus
had been eradicated, but the action was too little, and far too
late.

Scientists had
attempted to arrest the damage caused, the virus may have been
removed but it had sparked a genetic breakdown, the signs were slow
to appear but once established the gland that controlled cell
regeneration rapidly began to fail, in effect the Diurians began to
gradually diminish as dead cells were not replaced. Drugs were
created and tested, the results showed a slowing of degradation but
not a cure, as the population weakened the alloy exoskeletons were
developed, this gave back mobility, together, enhanced drugs and
the light alloy suits had returned the Diurians back to an
acceptable standard of existence, but the Emperor was aware that
acceptable was not what his people wanted, they wanted health, full
health without prosthetics, they wanted a cure.

It had been a
military scientist who had first proposed transplantation, all eyes
in the Senate had turned upon the radical, their minds screaming
No, but their hearts yearning for release from the steady cycle of
decay, his idea was shelved but the dream had lived on, reluctantly
Tanik had given secret orders that research should proceed, but
that no transplant would be attempted until much deeper study had
taken place.

The scientist
had ignored the order and with the assistance of mercenaries had
obtained a hatchling from distant Terrillia. His procedure had been
a complete success and presenting data disguised as computer
projections rather than a live case study he offered the Senate a
viable cure.

"I wish it
could be different," he sighed as he dropped Maulik's results back
onto the desk, they had tried replication and cloning, but the
results always came back negative, their genetic make-up was too
flawed for the procedures to be a success, it was transplants, or
death.

"Such a pity
the donor has to die." he thought as his heart ached over the
decision he would shortly be forced to make. "For the benefit of
all Diurians." he sighed before locking the information away in the
most secure sector of his mind.

***

"How long
now?" asked Maulik as he lounged in the relaxation area attempting
to sleep, they had been travelling for six hours.

"Another four
hours at least," Kressa replied, "I am having to slow down a little
now, this space is littered and unpredictable." suddenly she rocked
slightly, Maulik instantly recognised the discharge of her main
energy weapons.

"Are we under
attack?"

Kressa
chuckled, "It was an asteroid drifting into our flight path, it
uses less energy to destroy such objects than to plot a course
around them, moments later Maulik saw a bright flash as the debris
from Kressa's latest kill burned out on her raised shields as she
tore ever forward through the dust cloud, all that was now left of
the small planetoid.

"I hope you
scan for life before you fire," he chuckled, "I'm joking." he added
quickly as he felt the concern welling in her thoughts.

"Good, I'm
relieved it was only a joke," she replied, "I only kill when we are
threatened, it may look like I kill for fun, and I admit when I am
aroused it is fun, but when I am relaxed and secure I respect all
life, no matter how insignificant."

Once again
Maulik remembered the old natural history documentary he had
watched so many years before, the sleek blue feline had been lying
relaxed in the vegetation as a herd of prey animals had milled
around almost close enough to touch, the cat had just fed and the
urge to hunt had been low, the herd had sensed the reduced threat
and grazed unconcerned. His Kressa displayed all of those signs,
aroused and filled with the hunting urge she was vicious and
uncontrollable, yet when calm and at rest she was docile and
sensitive... of course she wouldn't kill for the enjoyment without
stimulation.

"Did your
"borrowed" data indicate the level classification of the life forms
on our destination planet?"

"That data
didn't exist," she confirmed, "The Diurians don't use the same
classifications, all the data available indicates a developing
world with low levels of colonisation evident, I would suspect L5
at the most advanced, but the chart was a little outdated, we will
approach slowly with minimal shields."

"I'm going to
attempt a short sleep, try not to get us into too much trouble," he
laughed, "And wake me before we arrive."

***

Maulik wasn't
sure how long he had slept before he was woken by Kressa's urgent
calls.

"We have
arrived," she called as he cleared the drowsiness and confusion
from his mind, "But the Diurian data is not very accurate, come and
look." quickly he hurried forward and dropped into his seat, the
forward view port revealed an unexpected sight.