truth of her captivity. He was grateful, not only for her beginning to heal but also for the time to work on the reprogramming of the bots that would be needed to reproduce the storage bay. The more he could get done before he arrived, the faster the bots could begin construction, and the more time he would have to spend with Archer. His heart ached for her, and his mind seethed with anger for what his brother had done. For the first time in his life he actually hated Helson, and the vehemence of it surprised him, made him uncomfortable. In a way, he was ashamed of it, no matter how much it was deserved. But that was a subject for another day. For the moment, he had his work to occupy him.
Report to the Council
As I have discussed before, these human creatures seem trapped between their natural understanding of the importance of their unity and connectedness on the one hand and their fear of recognizing that they are so connected on the other. They appear trapped in a continuous and dilemma of attempting to understand their dual nature, unable to recognize or reconcile that neither of these two view, what they call Love and Fear, are neither their true nature. They continue to separate themselves from each other and to protect themselves from each other’s understanding, as if the very fact that another being would understand them is in itself a threat, rendering themselves vulnerable if not totally defenseless in the face of imagined threats.
As it turns out, this dichotomy of beliefs permeates every aspect of their society, their culture and their individual psychology. In pair bonding rituals, they see themselves in a contest to determine who will dominate, first among the males in finding a suitable mate and within the pair bond itself, to insure that they are not dominated. In their productive processes by which they provide themselves with all those necessities necessary to survive and thrive they fail to understand that the best way to satisfy their own needs and even the majority of their irrational desires is through insuring the success of everyone else in the process. They feel to see that what they call ‘the pie’, the total stock of available wealth, grows and that there is no need to try to secure someone else’s share of that pie. They constantly maneuver to secure a large part of the wealth by taking it from each other rather than simply creating more for everyone. In their cultural interactions, particularly those involving larger group structures which they refer to as ‘nations’ or ‘planetary units’, they continue to protect and dominate as part of the philosophy that seems to be part and parcel with their structures.
I am aware that none of this bodes well for their ultimate survival yet my observations should be tempered with recognition of their amazing ability to adjust to changing circumstances. I continue to be amazed how quickly they can change course in their lives individually and collectively in response to physical and societal pressures. I still have hope for them and will continue to investigate the possibilities of how to help them in their development. More to follow.
CHAPTER FOUR
Prince Benford sat at his console, frowning. Before him pages of data streamed like a passing parade, flowing too quickly for most people to read it, but not for him. It was one of his talents and it had served him well since long before he had become head of his clan. His capacity to assimilate and manipulate information was legendary throughout the Empire and he wielded it like a weapon, winning position and power for himself and his family. At the moment, his frowning was not a matter of concentration but one of concern.
He had been searching for any information that could be had about one Helson Rhoedraegon, First Lord of his clan and next in line to become a Prince of the realm. Of course, he was careful to avoid any sources that were not public. Helson Rhoedraegon was well known for his guile and Benford had no doubt that the man would be alerted to any attempts to covertly gain knowledge of himself or his plans. It was one of the traits that first attracted Benford to him as a possible ally. So far he found nothing new that interested him, and this made him very nervous.
After all, he had maneuvered a command for the young lord, captaincy of the frigate Paladin soon to commence trials prior to joining the fleet under Rear Admiral Tan, another of his allies and unwitting servant. It was in his best interest to find all that he could about the young Rhoedraegon to insure his cooperation.
He inhaled, taking in the dry crisp air of his office, laced with a scent slightly reminiscent of a forest in what used to be called Maine. It took him back to his childhood when he was forced to accompany his father, the then Prince of the house of Benford, who enjoyed spending time along the cold, wind-swept coast of that area. He’d hated those times as he’d hated his father and his soft, conciliatory ways. Even as a child he had understood the necessity of ruling the Empire with an iron hand, projecting power to the farthest corners of what now extended out over nineteen star systems and more than twenty worlds. It was the reason he maneuvered, the reason he gathered to himself those he could and who could control others. He needed Helson Rhoedraegon and he needed Helson’s commander, Rear Admiral Tan. They were key players in the game and the last think he needed was an inability to predict their behavior.
As if on cue, his comm announced the arrival of Rear Admiral Tan in his outer office and was ushered in.
Tan was an anomaly among the general officers of the fleet, a commoner who had worked his way up through the ranks to his present lofty position and it was testimony to both his ability and his tenacity. He was what the rank and file referred to as a Mustang, a term whose origins were lost in the mists of time but which originally defined a wild horse, difficult to train and physically powerful. Somehow the reference seemed to fit this man. In all of the officer’s corps of the Empire, no more than fifty mustang officers, and Tan was the most successful of them all.
“You sent for me, My Prince?” he said when he reached Benford’s desk. He stood at attention, exactly eighteen inches from the desk, his eyes fixed on some imaginary spot on the skyline peering in at them through the transparent wall behind the noble.
“Relax, my dear Tan. We have issues to discuss.”
Tan looked down at Benford but remained stiff. “May I sit?”
“Please do, Admiral, and please loosen up a bit. A man who conspires from a position of attention makes me nervous.”
Tan looked uncomfortable but allowed himself to relax visibly as he sat in one of the two chairs facing the desk. “Conspire, My Lord?”
“It’s about Rhoedraegon.”
“Ah,” Tan said, allowing himself a stiff smile.
“Yes. Exactly. He’s about to take command of the Paladin. Are you going to be ready for him?”
Tan thought momentarily. He could never take any of Benford’s questions lightly. “I believe we can keep him in the dark as to our true intentions.”
“Don’t underestimate him, Admiral. He’s somewhat of an enigma. That man’s conniving and quite capable of creating strategies ‘on the fly’ so to speak. He’s also ambitious, as ambitious as you or I. “
“I may need to take precautions then.”
“Forewarned is forearmed, you know.”
“Hmm,” the admiral said, thinking. “I believe I can handle the situation. Is there anything else?”
“Just a reminder that we need to create an incident and it needs to happen while the Parliament is in session. It’s the only way to insure our plans won’t fall victim to the more rational voices that will surely council caution.”
Tan nodded. “It will be done.”
He rose without another word and turned to the door. Just before he left, he turned and offered Benford a quick bow.
When Tan had left, he engaged the comm and spoke five incomprehensible words.
At about the time Benford was speaking to Admiral Tan, Zoe Champion was busily carrying out her current commission, walking along one of the main streets near the center of the Bay Area Complex. In reality, it would be more truthful to say that she was gliding rather than walking so smoothly did she move, weaving her way through the busy streets, dodging pedestrians and bots as she maintained