On Earth, there are three Triads intending to integrate
not only the three peoples and stop the war that threatens to break loose and
slaughter Humans and devastate their world; but to stop the war that consumes
Kiiote economy and Yown’Hoo moral fiber. The Braiders accidentally created a
resonance wave that will destroy the Milky Way and the only way to stop it is
for the Yown’Hoo-Kiiote-Human Triads to build a physical wall. The merger of
Human-Kiiote-Yown’Hoo into a van der Walls Society may produce the Membrane to
stop the wave.
The young experimental Triads are made up of the smallest
primate tribe of Humans – Oscar and Kashayla; the smallest canine pack of Kiiote
– six, pack leaders Qap and Xurf; and the smallest camelid herd of Yown’Hoo – a
prime eleven, Dao-hi the Herd mother. On nursery farms and ranches away from
the TC cities, Humans have tended young Yown’Hoo and Kiiote in secret for
decades, allowing the two warring people to reproduce and grow far from their
home worlds.
“We had nearly fallen into stagnation when we
encountered the Kiiote.”
“And we into internecine war when we encountered the
Yown’Hoo.”
“Yown’Hoo and
Kiiote have been defending themselves for a thousand revolutions of our Sun.”
“Together, we
might do something none of us alone might have done…a destiny that included
Yown’Hoo, Kiiote, and Human.” (2/19/2015)
Lieutenant Commander Patrick Bakhsh (ret), whom I’d started
calling Retired; stepped through the portal, a white plastic robot flung over
his shoulder, and said, “What are you all looking at?”
Even the Herd Mother backed up, the Herd behind her pulling
in tight and backing up against the wall.
The Kiiote rearranged their skeletons in that weird, squishy
way so that Pack of six was ready to fight with claws, teeth, and nearly-telepathic
minds.
For whatever strange reason, I stepped closer to ‘Shayla
where she lay unconscious in my Great Uncle Tim’s arms.
GU Time said, “How did you do that?”
Retired slid the robot to the floor, pushing it to one side.
“I came well-equipped to protect the Triad.” He looked my great uncle up and
down, glancing at the dead immature Yown’Hoo where it lay in front of the Herd Mother. “Which is more than I can
say for you.”
GU Tim glanced over his shoulder, saying, “Nothing I could
do about it.” He turned back to Retired and said, “I’d have been prepared if
you’d given me warning.”
“We didn’t have time to do anything. The Triad refuge is a
hole in the ground – but we don’t know who did it.”
“Ten guesses,” said GU Tim.
Retired shook his head. “Not enough.” He pursed his
lips. “We need to stay still for a while and let the pursuit cool off.”
GU Tim snorted, “That’ll never happen. Your Triad here is
hot stuff right now.”
Retired scowled. “How do you mean?”
GU Tim shook his head and held out his hand. Suddenly a 3D
image appeared above his hand. It was a Human newscast. To paraphrase, they
wanted all nineteen…suddenly eighteen…of us. Dead or alive. Preferably alive so
we could be tried for crimes against Humanity. He lifted his other hand and we
were watching a Kiiote vis. It was like a Human broadcast only in that there
was an image. To me it didn’t seem to move except for the lips and there were
lots of farting sounds. I couldn’t smell anything, but the Pack was suddenly
twitching, yipping, farting in return, and the youngest pups fell down, rolled
belly up, and squirmed until their elders nipped their feet, at which point,
they played dead. In the Pack if one of the Leaders didn’t release them from the
trance, they’d really die.
GU Tim closed his hand and opened it again. The scene on it
was hovering in the air, looking down on a huge field of waving golden grace.
An immense Herd galloped into view, groups streaming away from the main part of
the Herd, the lines curling in on themselves, others groups interacting in ways
I’d never been able to make any sense out of.
I knew it got to Dao-hi because she reared and pawed at the
air uncontrollably and the rest of the Herd ran around her – in the close
confines of the house.
After everyone settled down, Retired said, “You’ve all been
repudiated by your governments as some sort of rogue freaks.”
“Freaks! We’re not freaks,” I managed, looking at ‘Shayla.
She was one of the best looking girls I’d ever laid eyes on – in fact, one of
the best looking Humans I’d ever seen; and I’d seen LOTS of people in my short
life.
Dao-hi, was a strong leader and she’d calmed enough to say, “Not
just ‘freaks’, Human friend. We have been declared anathema. Not only have we
been banned from the Home World, but we have been banned from congress with any
Herd but our own. We will never know anything as glorious as the image you just
witnessed.” The Herd pressed close together and Dao-hi did something I’d never
heard her do. She rumbled.
The Pack was on the floor, Qap and Xurf were grooming each
other, passing licks to the rest as one or the other subordinates squirmed
closer. Xurf looked at me, growled then said, “Our entire line has been cut
from the breeding records. We are as good as Wilds.”
Great Uncle Tim sighed and said, “Your friend here has been
recalled by his Human military commander – his General, I think we’d say.”
Retired shrugged, “I’ve ignored ‘cease and desist’ orders
before. I’ve been decorated twice after ignoring the order.”
“Not one of those times, I think.” GU looked us over,
adding, “I think there are going to be lots of people looking for you – Human,
Yown’Hoo, and Kiiote. I say we move out right now. You may not have another
time when you’re not surrounded by hostiles.”
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