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.
Choral Reading
Yown’Hoo: “The literal decay of the fiber of Yown’Hoo morality
accelerated when we refused peace with Kiiote.”
Kiiote: “Interbreeding, internecine war, and ritual
cannibalism devoured us in resisting harmony with Yown’Hoo.”
Human: “Material gain from both Yown’Hoo and Kiiote fed
our greed, so concord held no profit.”
All: “We might do something none of us alone can do, we
might braid an unbreakable cord of unity.” (3/6/2019)
The Human hung his head and said, “There’s nothing I can give you as proof, except my scent. We all know the scent of my great-grandmother. She tried to save all of us but failed.” He paused, “My great-grandmother failed.” He lifted his head. “She failed but you are part of a mission to complete her dream. You are on a quest to redeem her sacrifice, to realize the world she sought to create. I do not know if I can help, but on my grandmother’s grave, I pledge to help you in any way that I can.”
The Pack sent by Commander Patrick
Bakhsh (ret), leader of the Triad refugees from the Twin Cities, Kiiote Xurf,
Fax, and Doj, with temporary Herd Mother, Zei-go and the rest, some maturing Herd
members Hil-hi-el, Jus-hi-el, and the mere potential intelligence, Eel-go-el moved
forward.
The rest of the small Pack they
had encountered, stood hidden in the wood behind the great-grandson of St.
Admiral, mere shadows, now moved forward…Xurf growled the Triad to a halt then said,
“How can you possibly help? You have nothing I can smell, and this is your
home.”
The Human laughed – Xurf knew it
meant amusement, but a peculiar kind of amusement. Oscar, the Human male used
the same tone when he was mocking any one of them. He did it often enough that
Xurf had no doubt the intent when he said, “You mock us for no reason, young
Human.” The great-grandson of St. Admiral looked startled. Xurf continued, “We
were all raised with the Humans of the Triad. We know their expressions as they
know ours. There are very few secrets between the nineteen – eighteen – of us.”
“One of you died?”
Herd Mother Zei-go said gravely, “One
of our youngest, neuter and only potential, but named none-the-less, Ked-sah-ti,
died at the hands of Humans who sought to kill all of us.” She snapped a
tentacle in irritation, then clapped her jaw. “As you can see they failed at
most of their mission as we are here.”
The great-grandson of the greatest
Human in the history of three worlds sighed, bowing his head, and said, “I am
called Kendi, son of Khadijah and Morrison, grandson of Song and Rey and Abbas
and Julianna, great grandson of St. Admiral, Marvel Louise Williams-Frederick.”
Xurf couldn’t help it, his limbs
collapsed on themselves as if he was about to flee. His fur though, spiked in
rage. He nearly fell to his belly. Only iron willpower kept him civilized and
in control of his behavior. The Human Kendi, knew the lineage of St Admiral.
Only those in the Triad, and few others, could recite it. Clearly this Human
was of that exalted family. He managed to say, “We were directed to find you as
Commander Patrick Bakhsh has told us that we may request from you a form of
transportation to get us to our destination rendezvous. All has begun to collapse.
We have no idea what the other Triads are doing. We must reach our safehouse,
but cannot do it without the vehicle you have.”
Kendi stared down at Xurf, then
looked to Zei-go. He sat down on the cold ground with a hard thump. He belched
abruptly. Even another Human could have detected the sickness on his breath.
Xurf said, “What?”
“The transportation you seek?”
“Yes?” said Xurf and Zei-go
together. They both took the tone of threatening they had learned from Oscar
and Xiomara.
The boy looked alarm then hung his
head. Finally he said, “The transportation – the tank – no longer runs. I’ve
tried everything I can think of. I’ve gone over the plans a thousand times. I’ve
even made friends with an old mechanic in the village not far from here and
tried to pump him of information, but even though he’s old, he doesn’t have
anything about it!”
“A tank?” Xurf said.
“A vat to store liquids?” said Zei-go?
Kendi looked up at them, scowling.
“No, not a vat! A vehicle, heavily armored with steel wheels. Riding in it –
which I last did when I was a child…”
“You are a child!” said Xurf. “You’re
no older than Oscar!”
“Who’s that?”
Zei-go said, “He is the male half
of the Human part of our Triad.”
“You have a teenage dude in your
group?”
“What is ‘dude’?” Zei-go muttered.
“A young male,” Kendi said.
“Why would that make any
difference?” said Xurf.
“The mechanic said that all boys
know how to work with machines like this. I can’t be a boy because I can’t make
it work…” he hung his head, shaking it. The Pack Leader and the Herd Mother knew
the motion well. Both Xio and ‘Car used it when they were about to give up.
Xurf softened his voice, lowering
himself a bit closer to the ground as he said, “The strength of the Triad is
that we each have strengths that will play to the others. Show us this ‘tank’.
Together, perhaps we can make it work again.”
Kendi lifted his head, nodded and
said, “Follow me.”
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