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)
Great Uncle Tim held up his hand, palm facing Lieutenant
Commander Patrick Bakhsh (ret) – we called him Retired, and said, “Not so fast,
Lieutenant Commander.”
“Yes?”
“You are essential to the plan we’ve got for you.”
“That’s the second time you’ve referenced a group.”
Tim grinned, “Exactly. We would like to retain you for your
services.”
Retired scowled then said, “Who are you?”
Tim gestured, “I’ll have to ask you to come in here in order
to tell you anything more.”
Retired stepped backwards into the corridor as he drew his
pistol. “I’m going to ask you one more time and then I’m going to start
shooting: who are you?”
“If you came into the chamber, I could show you…”
“Yes, and then you’d have all of us in one place – one of
only three Triads on Earth. One of only three real chances to bring this
idiotic war to an end before Earth is devastated and the Yown’Hoo and the
Kiiote leave us to ourselves to take their idiotic war to some other
unsuspecting planet.”
There was a long pause until Great Uncle Tim said suddenly, “There
aren’t any more unsuspecting planets. This is it. Either the war ends on Earth
or the Yown’Hoo and the Kiiote return to their home worlds to breed and
continue their war to extinction.”
The Herd backed deeper into the room Tim had opened to us.
Retired backed further into the corridor, raising his weapon. The Kiiote
unfolded themselves into their humanoid forms, backing against a side wall and
Qap and Xurf shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the Pack somewhat behind
them.
Me and ‘Shay moved toward the door but didn’t step out.
GU Tim glared at Retired then pursed his lips in an entirely
human way, then finally said, “Impasse. You don’t trust me…”
“Why would I? You murdered one of the Herd.”
“I told you, the small one, the Yown’Hoo Ked-sah-ti, was
murdered by the Humans in the helicopters. My root only found it and recovered
the body,” said Tim.
I looked back to Retired, who said, “All we have is your
word on it.”
Tim snorted, “If you think I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill
the Herd mother if had suited me, ask your Human boy here what he felt when the
robot had him around the neck.” They both looked at me.
I said, “It could have killed me, no problem. I about
suffocated as it was.”
Tim nodded, then looked back to Retired and said, “I want
this Triad to survive. I want it to prosper, and I want these aliens to go back
to where they came from.” He looked to the Herd, then the Pack, adding, “No
offense, Herd Mother, Pack Leaders, but I want the conflict your people started
with each other off of the world of the Humans.” He looked at me and ‘Shay. “I
want you to have a world all your own.” He sighed, “I may not be Human, but I
was programmed to mimic Humans nearly a century ago. The hard wiring has
started to become reflex. I respond without computation when certain things
happen. There are even days I forget that I am not a flesh-and-blood Human, but
a plastic-and-metal Human. I act no stranger than you act,” he gestured to me. “And
I certainly act less suspiciously than you act,” Tim looked at Retired. “I may
not be Human, but was programmed to act Human.” He paused a long time before he
added, “I fail to see the difference between them,” he gestured at us, “and me.”
He tapped his chest. Finally, he added, “I don’t want to see any of you dead. I
want to see the Triads succeed. But there are other forces at work here. Forces
I can barely stand against.” He paused, “I’ve said all I can say. You can
believe me and stay in here tonight; you can disbelieve him and stay out there
all night. But if you choose not to trust me, then you’re on your own from now
on. I will not have anything more to do with your flight.” He crossed his arms
over his artificial chest and stopped talking.
Retired looked at him, then looked at me. He stared for a
long time, then finally said, “He’s your family, ‘Car. Do you trust him?”
“Who, me?” I staggered back into ‘Shay. She shoved me
forward. “Why do I have to decide?”
“Like I said.”
I looked at my great uncle, Tim. I’d known him during the
first ten years of my life – well. Since being stitched into the Triad though,
we hadn’t seen each other. I shrugged and said, “I trusted him when I was a
kid.”
“Do you trust me now?” my great uncle said abruptly.
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