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 Xiomara; 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) – Retired – sighed
and said, “We need to sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us before we reach
Grendl. The anti-Triad faction will be looking for you, the Kiiote and Yown’Hoo
will be doing the same; and now conjures will be after us as well.”
Fax said, “It wearies me simply thinking about it.”
“Sorry son, that’s the least of our concerns at this point.”
Fax nodded and headed for the Pack’s room.
Weird statement. I said, “What does that mean? What could be
more important than all those people – and things – trying to kill us?”
Great Uncle Rion turned to Retired. “What are you talking
about?”
Retired sighed again. “It’s too big to explain in one
night.”
“I don’t care how big you think it is. We’ve followed you
for days now – we’ve left everything we know behind. Thus far, we’ve been blind
– even Qap and Xurf are doing what you tell them to. But you keep putting this
off! It’s time we all know what the hell you…you…adults are doing with us!” I’m
embarrassed to say I stomped my foot like I was a little kid. I’m even more
embarrassed to say that Xio came and stood by me, slipping her arm around my
waist. Then Qap and Xurf…and so did Dao-hi.
Dao-hi said, “‘Car speaks for me.”
Qap was in her bipedal form and growled, facial hair
standing on end. “In this matter, our
Pack-mate speaks for us as well.” Fax, in his wolf form, pressed against the
back of my legs.
Retired turned to face us down. “I can’t tell you what you
want to know.”
“Why?”
He looked downright grim as he hung his head. “Because the
situation on Earth is…dire.”
“But WHY?” Xio said.
“I don’t even know…”
“Tell us what you know,” said GURion suddenly. “I have been
cut off from the world – at least the secret world of our plot to merge the
three intelligences in this part of the galaxy.”
“I know only a little more than you know,” Retired said. He
flicked his hand toward the spot GURion had eliminated the conjure. “Those
things are a surprise and they complicate an already twisted situation.”
Shaking his head, he sat down on a chair. For some reason, I was compelled to
sit on the floor. Xio sat next to me; Herd and Pack arranging themselves at his
feet as well. GURion stepped back and leaned against the wall, crossing his
arms over his chest. Retired sighed then started, telling us the story of how
the Triads had been established. I opened my mouth to tell him we already knew
all that. He glared at me, so I shut it.
I did raise my hand when he said the word “Korea”. “What’s
that?”
“A conflict that involved only Humans from two political
ideologies fighting on a piece of property – the country of Korea – that
belonged to neither. In the end, the conflict split the country even further
into a population who had abundant resources and services and population who
had very few resources and services.” He paused, looking at me and Xio long and
hard. “Even now, there are Humans who are fighting for either the Yown’Hoo or
the Kiiote. There are others who are fighting against the Triads…”
Xio said, “Why would they do that? We’re trying to create
something that will benefit all three societies – we’re working to stop the
war!”
“That’s not how some Humans view it. They want Earth back…”
I couldn’t help it, “That’s stupid.”
Retired grimaced then said, “Humans evolved here. We reached
into space by ourselves. We started knitting the world together by ourselves.
We had just reached the fusion power stage and expanded the space station to a
permanent crew of thirty – then the Kiiote and Yown’Hoo brought their war to us
because they couldn’t breed in space. They needed Earth to do that and now we’re
the poor dorks who inherited their endless war,” he paused, adding, “That’s how
the Earth First faction feels. The Yown’Hoo and Kiiote want us for one thing –
as babysitters. The Masters, Pan and Zir, Mother of All, Ji-hi, and the Martyr,
St. Admiral had a greater vision. They wanted to form an interstellar
civilization. They held minority views, but convinced at least some on each
world to invest their time and resources into the Triad Project…”
Great Uncle Rion broke in, “The faction I have supported has
worked to create a new belief system that all would follow. The main tenet is
to weave personal lives into a complex whole, flexible, peaceful interstellar
union.”
I stared at my great uncle. “You want to start a religion?”
He shrugged, gesturing to the conjure’s place, “We need all
the help we can get here.”
No comments:
Post a Comment