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. All three intelligences hover on the
edge of extinction. The merger of Human-Kiiote-Yown’Hoo into a van der Walls
Society might not only save all three – but become something not even they
could predict. Something entirely new...
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 Rion said, “You’re
going to have to trust that I am operating from a very long-range, deeply-laid
plan.” He turned, sweeping the Triad – fifteen of us with one member killed
when we were chased underground, and adding Retired, who was in fact, Lieutenant
Commander Patrick Bakhsh and I’d pretty much figured out that he was some sort
of Triad babysitter. “You have to follow me and not ask questions.”
“We have to follow and never
question you?” Dao-hi said.
My robot great uncle grinned then
and said, “Of course I expect you to question me! What are you, a bunch of
robots?”
There was dead silence for an second, then we all busted out
laughing.
I had to admire my android uncle, that had been the perfect
thing to say. After a good night’s sleep and good food, we were probably ready
to go. I said, “So, what’s our departure time?”
Even though he was artificial and made of white plastic, he
could do facial expressions. It was sort of creepy. Like the teeny empathetic robots
that were really popular before Earth became a late Twenty-first Century Korean
Conflict – with us Humans playing the part of the Koreans to the Yown’Hoo and
Kiiote the clashing super powers. “Gather whatever it is you wish to take from
here. We’ll leave in ten minutes.”
“Why would we wish to take things from this site?” asked
Xurf.
“Once we’re ten kilometers away, I’ll give the command and
this site will be disintegrated.”
“What? You can’t do that! My family lived here! My dad came
from here! If you destroy it, what am I gonna have left?”
GURion tilted his head and studied me for a long time before
he said, “You’ve only been here a handful of hours. How can this mean anything
to you?”
I had to look down. I didn’t know why the basement of a
rundown old farm meant anything to me. All I had was some really vague
memories. I looked up, “‘cause I don’t remember my dad any more, except just a
little bit. That little bit happened here.” I bit the inside of my cheek then
said, “If this is gone and I forget about it, then that’s it. Everything I ever
knew about my parents is gone.” I blushed ‘cause I was ashamed. ‘Shay’d lost
her family a long time ago. As far as I know, she was an orphan. I didn’t have
any idea where the Herd and Pack had come from – by that I meant where Dao-hi,
Xurf and Qap came from. I knew where the others had – they’d made them in Dome
Home. I looked down at the Pack Mistress and said, “Do you remember your bitch?”
I used the Kiiote word that meant the same thing. Kiiote didn’t raise their
kids like Human did.
She stretched herself out from her four-legged travel stance,
the others doing the same. I could see bones moving under fur and muscle as the
upper legs and pelvis flattened and his leg bent, unlocking the tibia and
fibula, pulling the toes together into narrow food make for running, it’s wide
pads ideal for keeping them from sinking while hunting.
Their teeth sank back into their jaws and the skin loosened
a bit as well as the neck and chest sagging a bit, as if they were shrinking
underneath. Arms collapsed from long, slender digits to slender fox-legs. Their
broad shoulders slid together and their necks bent. As one, they dropped to
their feet and their tails went down. Qap said, “We need nothing. We are ready.”
Retired stepped out of the room, then returned with
backpacks. He tossed one each to me and ‘Shay.
“Hey!” I grunted. The thing was heavy! He left and returned again, this time
pushing a cart with one huge pack on it.
“This, Mother, is for you. It is supplies for you and the
rest of the Herd.”
The lesser Yown’Hoo reared up, keening, rushing forward to
claim the packs, tentacles whipping as they redistributed them until Dao-hi
stood amid a sea of lumpy Herdfolk. She snapped a single tentacle in Retired’s
direction and said, “Forgive any doubt I ever had that you understand the
dynamics of a Herd, Lieutenant Commander Patrick Bakhsh.”
He bowed and said, “Primate tribal behavior has roots in the
Herd behavior, Mother.” He added, “That’s everything. The Pack will be scouts
and muscle. The Herd transportation.”
“Of what use is the Tribe?” Qap said.
Retired looked at us, winked, and said, “Any kind of dirty
work that has to be done, us monkeys will handle.”
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