{"id":7213,"date":"2021-07-23T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T18:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/?page_id=7213"},"modified":"2021-07-22T09:30:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T15:30:49","slug":"table-manners","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/?page_id=7213","title":{"rendered":"Table Manners"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This is the final part of the a three-part story. Part one is here<\/a>. Part two is here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

     <\/em>Tybalt sat in the back of the room as the meeting entered its fourth hour. The diplomatic and scientific staff were poring over every detail of their first conversation with the Garshan, trying to extract whatever meaning or implication they could. Every word and motion of Earth Ambassador had been broken down repeatedly to see if any new information could be gleaned. Anansi had churned through the data a dozen times with all manner of new algorithm.
\n     <\/em>So far, the only thing they agreed upon was that the Garshan were secretive, although even that word was disputed, with most of the diplomats favoring \u00e2\u20ac\u0153reserved\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. The semantic analysis insisted the Garshan were friendly while the body language analysis sensed they were hostile. And every time it reached an impasse, the staff turned to Tybalt and asked what he thought since he was there and wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t on anyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s particular team. And then they immediately ignored whatever he said.
\n     <\/em>He was relieved when Madsen entered and took a seat quietly behind him.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Still no conclusions?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she asked him.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course not. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not enough information to draw conclusions.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The argument was now circling back to the body language analysis.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We knew alien life might not be like us,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Madsen.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah, but I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expecting a giant spider.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a spider, you know.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know. I saw the analysis of the tissue it left behind. Biology is very different from ours. If they ever ate us, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d probably get violently ill. Still \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 if it looks like a spider \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do they act like spiders?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt paused. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know. Sometimes it moves like a spider. Other times, it looks at you and you sense a deep intelligence. But \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just off. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to get a good read. Nothing they do \u00e2\u20ac\u201c attacking us or embracing us \u00e2\u20ac\u201c would be a surprise at this point.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He paused.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really learn a lot about them. They seem reluctant to reveal anything and Okafor doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to push them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then maybe you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>“What do I ask them?”
\n     <\/em>“Maybe something less technical. Something more personal.”
\n     <\/em>“That seems unlikely to work with such a reserved species.”
\n     <\/em>She shrugged. “When someone is reserved, sometimes the best approach is to bash down a wall.”
\n     <\/em>She left. And as she did, Tybalt thought about how he’d first gotten to know her. Everyone had been reticent with him. But Madsen, after some polite chit-chat, had just flat asked him what his role in the Brotherhood was.
\n     <\/em>“Observer? Archivist? We seem to have those. You must be a Mystic.”
\n     <\/em>Before he’d known it, he’d been telling her about the early days of the Brotherhood in the depths of the lunar colony, a story he had not shared with anyone in decades.
\n     <\/em>He looked down at the computer in front of him, which had an image of the ambassador. And he pondered.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>Ambassador To Earth was not alone during the next meeting. It brought a second couch out and a second, even larger, Garshan settled onto it.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is Captain,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Ambassador. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the commander of our vessel and the oldest among our crew.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Okafor nodded his head to Captain and the other humans followed suit. It seemed to appreciate the gesture, its mouths forming twin circles. Tybalt did not hear anything behind him but knew everyone was wondering what Captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s presence meant. He glanced quickly at Okafor, who gave him a very subtle shrug.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It wanted to \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 look at you. We discussed our meeting yesterday and decided that you are \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 friendly enough \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 that we can move to the next stage of meeting Captain.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt almost blurted out a question but sensed Okafor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quick shake of the head.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Shall we begin?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d asked Ambassador
\n     <\/em>Okafor began with some rather modest questions about where the Garshan had travelled and received, for once, straight answers. Ambassador was able to identify a dozen stars they had visited by human names and noted a colony they had left on Tau Ceti. All the while, Captain sat quietly, its multi-faceted eyes drifting from one human to the next. Tybalt almost shook when the eyes fixated on him for what felt like a very long time.
\n     <\/em>The answers seemed to encourage Okafor, who pushed what the diplomats had identified as the second line of questioning \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this about Garshan biology. Ambassador to Earth knocked down those questions instantly, saying they were not yet ready to share such information. It was at this point that Tybalt, silent so far, mulling over Madsen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s words, leaned in and spoke.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you believe in God?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He heard a gasp from Okafor and could sense the diplomatic staff having a fit. The question hung in the air for a long time. Tybalt wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure if the Cthulhu was having problems with translation or the Garshan was having problems with the answer.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 familiar with the concept.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt started to speak again, then waited. Something in the creature\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body language said it was contemplating a longer answer. He realized that both he and Okafor were holding their breath.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We know of species that believe in this. We know of species that do not. It was not a concept that occurred to us, although our species does have beliefs that are \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 adjacent. So we are contemplating it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Contemplating it?
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is a very profound idea and we must think about it for some time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How long have you been thinking about it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153About four hundred years. But \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I suspect your species is also thinking about it, is it not?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah, I suppose we are. We have many religions on Earth. There was a long time when they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get along. Then a more alarming time when they did get along in a very bad way. But now we seem to be comfortable with different beliefs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador waved its legs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We too have many different \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 strains of thought. And they have caused conflict in the past. Does your species believe in \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u0153
\n     <\/em>The Cthulhu took several minutes to translate the next concept.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 life after death?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Some do. Some don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. We have no proof one way or the other.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah. This is another concept that did not occur to us until we met other species. We met one \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the Mozon \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to whom it never occurred that there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t life after death. They regard it as proven as gravity.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It paused. Then Captain spoke. Its voice was different from Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. Slower, more ponderous and, Tybalt could hear over the translation, deeper but more melodic.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Does your species have a concept of \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 honor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Okafor stepped in quickly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our translator brought across a word that has many meanings to us. Could you be clearer?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice deepened, like the rumbling of cellos and bases. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 sacrifice the individual for the greater good? Do you regard falling in a cause to be \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 good?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The Cthulhu had taken several minutes to translate Captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s words and Tybalt could sense it was still not quite sure of them.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are many humans who have given their lives for the greater good. There are many who live their lives helping others.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have some experience in this?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d asked Captain.
\n     <\/em>Tybalt paused. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A long time ago, we had a war. And I fought on the side I believed in. And long before that, I was part of a struggle on our Moon. And \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 this journey itself was risky. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve just begun to reach out into the stars. There are thousand ways this ship could have been destroyed before it got here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So why did you take that risk?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The Cthulhu was taking a long time with the translation, as though the Garshan and human words were not quite the same. Adjacent, but not identical.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Because after the war I was \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 looking for something. And I realized, when the pictures of your probe came back, what I was looking for. This, right here. Meeting another species and being able to talk to them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And you would sacrifice yourself for that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not looking to do so. But I would risk it, yes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Captain settled back and exchanged a look with Ambassador. They both gripped their couches tighter.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you like to come aboard our ship?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d asked Captain.
\n     <\/em>Okafor and Tybalt glanced at each other. Before Okafor could quibble, Tybalt leapt in.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uh \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we would be honored to come aboard your vessel.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We understand you will need some \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 preparation in order to breath aboard our ship.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, of course. When would you like us to come aboard?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>There was a brief pause.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You do not wish to come aboard?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We do. But when?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It tittered and grasped the couch.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have invited you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Okafor suddenly realized and leaned into Tybalt
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Culture. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a context the Cthulhu struggles with. When they extended that invitation, they meant right now.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt nodded. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I had the same thought.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He turned back to Ambassador Earth. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We will need to acquire breathing apparatuses. Then we will come aboard.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah, now we understand. We will wait while you prepare.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

     <\/em>The diplomats and scientists were going through what should have been weeks of preparation in minutes. The scientists were injecting both of them with immune boosters, covering their skin with a transparent layer of plastic and warning them against touching or eating anything. The diplomats were telling them to not say or do anything. All of these was happening under the watchful eyes of Ambassador Earth, which occasionally let go of its couch and floated around the airlock in a way that sent chills down Tybalt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spine. It was almost like it was positioning itself in a web.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Will you walk into my parlor \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he mumbled. Okafor glared at him.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you be interested in visiting our ship after we visit yours?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d asked Tybalt.
\n     <\/em>Ambassador Earth hesitated, flexed its legs. Its mouths made circles again. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes. We accept the invitation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you need to take any precautions against us bringing pathogens over?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d asked one of the scientists \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Kell, Tybalt thought his name was.
\n     <\/em>Ambassador Earth seemed puzzled by this. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We do not see any parasites on you. Are they under your \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 clothing?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, we mean microbes. Bacteria. Viruses.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah, yes. We have found from experience that \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 creatures that feast on your type of alien do not enjoy us. And our exoskeleton is a shield against all but the most focused pathogens.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What about recording devices?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It took a while for the Cthulhu to translate this.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah, I believe I understand. Yes. But you may only record video and audio. Nothing \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d again a long translation pause \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 that would look into our minds.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt glanced at Okafor.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you mean your computers?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah. Yes. Our minds and our \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 other minds.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Finally, the engineers and scientists nodded and withdrew behind the Archimandrite<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s airlock. Tybalt took a deep breath and then opened the seal separating the two ships.
\n     <\/em>He immediately felt a flood of panic. The alien air smelled like a charnel house. He had to bite his lip to keep from running. He glanced at Okafor who nodded at him and blinked his eyes.
\n     <\/em>They strode forward but Ambassador Earth extended a claw toward Okafor.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Perhaps we were unclear. Our invitation is to only one of you. This one.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Okafor stood stock still and Tybalt couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but feel sorry for him. The man had spent his entire life preparing for this moment.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mr. Okafor is an expert on relations with alien cultures. Having him accompany us, at least for a while, might make our interaction go more smoothly.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador Earth hesitated and its body shook. It seemed to talk to its fellows on the ship for a moment.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Understood.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The airlock into the Garshan ship irised open and the smell of decaying flesh grew even stronger. Tybalt and Okafor glanced at each other, then floated in behind Ambassador Earth.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>The ship was like a hive, with gray walls lit with sickly green lights, corridors leading in every direction, curving back almost haphazardly. It was startling contrasted against the clean linearity of the Archimandrite<\/em>. Tybalt almost jumped out of his skin when another Garshan suddenly popped out of one of the tunnels. It regarded them curiously, spoke quietly to Ambassador Earth in their musical language and then skittered off, its feet clinging to the walls even in freefall.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How many Garshan are aboard this ship?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u015330,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it replied. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Give or take. We have a new brood that will hatch in a few days time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have children on board?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course. Our ship can not accelerate as yours can. These journeys take more than a lifetime. I have never seen a Garhan planet and almost certainly never will. I have only seen the uninhabited planets we explore and the inside of the ship. Our species is constantly renewed by new generations. We do not .., extend our lives as other species do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see the value in living longer?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. It is a recipe for racial stagnation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt thought about this for a moment.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you not fear death?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We avoid it. But we still believe in giving way and rejoining \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Cthuhu took a long time to translate \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the collective mind.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Collective mind?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador turned to him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153it is our belief \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or some of our belief \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that we are all part of one whole. And when one \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 dies \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 his consciousness passes to the whole \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 to be reborn again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have beliefs similar to that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then why do you fear death?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not sure. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a belief. We have no proof that there is anything beyond.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>They slowly floated down the corridor, Ambassador Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s legs beating in the air rapidly, like it was scuttling. Tybalt got the distinct feeling they were descending, falling down into the heart of the ship, being swallowed by the green-gray corridors.
\n     <\/em>They emerged into a large space at the center of the ship. Tybalt had to again steady his nerves \u00e2\u20ac\u201c enormous Garshan were skittering all about, some occasionally stopping to consider the two humans. They went across the floor, across the ceiling, over the walls, disappearing into corridors and popping out like trap-door spiders. It was as though he had fallen into a nest.
\n     <\/em>At the exact center of the ship was a glowing green sphere. Around it were arrayed pylons that, as far as Tybalt could tell, kept it in place. Within the sphere, smaller glowing balls moved about. And Tybalt could just make out tiny Garshan inside the bubbles.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The brood tank,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Ambassador Earth.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Astonishing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>They stood there for a moment. The quiet movement of the globes was hypnotic.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Judging by your appearance and ….\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The Cthulhu paused a long time.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 sexual dimorphism, we assume you humans reproduce sexually. Male-female. Internal gestation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re familiar with this?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The Garshan flailed its limbs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In other species, we have seen this. Not on our planet. Each of us contributes material to the brood tank. Young eventually form. And then \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>As they watched, one of the attendants reached in and pulled out a delicate green globule. It laid it on the floor, where it rolled slightly, the tiny Garshan inside flailing about. It almost looked cute.
\n     <\/em>And then the attendant brought down a claw on the bubble, smashing it with a hideous crunch. They heard a brief musical cry from the bubble. And then the attendant turned back to the pool.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153A typical brood will produce hundreds of eggs,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Ambassador. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We do not have room for more than a few. So we will periodically purge the brood tank of offspring that are inferior. Only the most genetically robust will be allowed to hatch and survive.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s … \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 began Tybalt. He caught Okafor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eye, who shook his head. He looked back. The crushed remnants of the embryo Garshan were floating back into the brood tank.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I see your species is again like those we have encountered: you produce in small numbers, not in masses. It is a strange morality you have: preserving the genetically wounded. It is a recipe for evolutionary stagnation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have control over our genetics.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador twittered for a moment. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Controlling genetics is also a recipe for stagnation or even error. You think you know what traits are better. But only nature can truly judge.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maybe.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And you spoke of belief. It is our belief that it is \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 cruel \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 to bring a being into this world in a defective shell. All killing them does is give them another chance at a suitable body.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We definitely don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153As we said \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we are unusual in many regards. Other species share your beliefs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>They were quiet as they contemplated the hypnotic pulsing brood tank.
\n     <\/em>The Garshan twittered among themselves.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mr. Masune, we have \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 a request.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He turned to Ambassador.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would you be willing to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Here the Cthulhu took a long time to translate. The Garshan twittered nervously while it do so.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ambassador \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 gift \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 representative to us?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt look at Okafor, who nodded slowly.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think so.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And I would, of course, be a \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 gift \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 to your people.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>There was a burst of activity from the Garshan in the chamber. They moved around and many legs flailed. Tybalt had to bury his impulses. He realized he was seeing the Garshan delighted.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then we will return you to your ship. And you will come back \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 unaccompanied? It is our way of doing these things.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt looked around. After spending years aboard the Archimandrite<\/em>, he was eager to look around. He was sure their team would be very interested in the ship\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s systems. But something in Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tone bothered him. The musical chattering that played underneath the Cthulhu translation had taken a deeper and slightly darker tone. And he noticed that the eyes of all of the Garshan were on him and their mouths glistened.
\n     <\/em>He shuddered.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>The scientists were in the middle of a tremendous row when Tybalt returned to the ship. They were so deep in the argument they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even notice the returning diplomats.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going on?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Tybalt asked Madsen.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the same argument from before,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she replied. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The body language analysts insist that the Garshan are hostile. The linguistic analysis insists that they are friendly.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we place our faith in the linguistics? After all, the Cthulhu is designed to think like an alien species. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how it translates.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say that too loudly. The body language analysts will hit the roof again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt cleared his throat. The row stopped and the scientists all stared at him.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, we returned safely. Doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that indicate they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re friendly?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The argument erupted again, only now directed at him and Okafor. The body language scientists were especially interested in how the Garshan culled their brooding tank, asking them to describe every detail of the way the egg was crushed, every nuance of how the Garshan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body had moved. Their speech had been recorded by the Cthulhu, of course, but the linguists wanted to know about expression and gesture that accompanied.
\n     <\/em>“You have our recordings,” said Tybalt.
\n     <\/em>“But we weren’t there,” said Kell. ‘It’s not the same. You may subconsciously pick up nuances that no recording can.”
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t all of this meaningless? We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to sit here and analyze everything. Can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we just take them at their word?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Their word is in their language,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Muggins, one of the linguists. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not entirely sure that their word means the same to us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why the body language is so important,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said al-Bey. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is independent of translation. Their body language is that of being poised to attack.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that just be culture,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Okafor. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maybe they are defensive by nature.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t defensive, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aggressive.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You sound very sure of yourself,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Tybalt. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My problem with this entire discussion is that you all sound way too sure of yourselves. We are dealing with another species. How can you possibly claim to know their intention or their feelings or their attitude at this level of precision? The only thing we have to go on is what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said and done.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you willing to bet your life on that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Muggins. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you willing to bet your life that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve translated correctly and understood correctly and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done? We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not trying to prove anything. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re providing information.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then provide it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Tybalt. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t insist on conclusions. And the answer to your question is: yes. This is what I came out here for. To find \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 something other than ourselves. To find that we weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t alone. And if I get killed because of a misunderstanding \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think of a better cause to die for.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He stood up.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Give us your best advice. But either way, I am going back aboard that ship.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So is this why you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a Mystic?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Madsen much later as they relaxed in her cabin.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hmmm?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That need you spoke of. To find that we aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t alone. Is that why you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a Mystic in the Brotherhood?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not that formal. We just had to find titles. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not an Archivist. Definitely not an Observer. So Mystic was the default.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She paused, idly drawing circles on his chest with her index finger.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But the first big question you asked them was about God. About spiritual beliefs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I just thought that was a way of cutting through the BS. We can exchange biology or star charts or history easily. But finding out who they are \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 what they believe \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 if belief is even a concept. I was just sitting there and it struck me that this what we came out to know. Not just whether we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re alone in the universe. But whether we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re alone spiritually.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very deep, Mr. Not-Really-A-Mystic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And now that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gained \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 something of their trust. Hopefully, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll point us to other species. Other planets. This is just the beginning.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are a lot of assumptions in there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So far my instincts have proven OK.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153They only have to prove wrong once.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

     <\/em>Tybalt spent the last half hour before his return to the Garshan ship alone in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153observation deck\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, the cramped transparent nosecone of the Archimandrite<\/em>. During flight, it allowed inspection of the inner shell. Now, it commanded a view of Prometheus on one side and the spiky Garshan ship on the other.
\n     <\/em>It still startled him, to look over and see the alien ship, so casually real. He kept thinking back to working in a small cubicle on Earth, nearly two centuries ago. He could remember every step of the path that had led him here, if he tried to. Voices stretching so far back in the past that he sometimes wondered if he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d really heard them.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153First the moon. Then Jupiter. Then here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said aloud.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Contemplating the past?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said a thin voice below him.
\n     <\/em>He looked down to see Hosini at the base of the ladder. He nodded and she floated up, her frail hands holding onto the ladder, until she was just below him. She didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t speak, as was her wont. She simply waited for him.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you ever regret not sleeping during the journey.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. I prefer to keep my mind clear. There was plenty to read. And the stars \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She gestured forward.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you ever regret aging \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 naturally?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She shrugged. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Physically, yes. These days, almost everything is painful or sore. But philosophically \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I have no regrets.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt looked her over again. It had been so long since he had seen a wrinkled face or gray hair.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not all the Observers refuse to use the Dailies.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She nodded slowly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We each have our own calling, Tybalt. Just like you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You may not make it back.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You may not either. You may not make it through today.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt looked at her. She shrugged.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out on the edge of existence, my friend. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a reason they call it the frontier.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you think they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re hostile?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked, nodding toward the barbed shape of the Garshan ship.
\n     <\/em>Hosini seemed to weigh this for a while. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I do not interpret; I observe. To this point \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I have not seen \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 any act \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 which would be hostile. That is, no act of violence. This does not preclude violence in the future.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She considered.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard the experts talk about body language and semantic interpretation. I think they are ignoring the obvious.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Which is?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153They invited us here. They asked us to come to them. They had a long time when they could have simply shot us from the sky.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She laughed. And for a moment, she was the young woman who had boarded the Archimandrite so many trillions of miles ago.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s as close as I get to interpreting.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why did you come?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had this conversation before, as I recall.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know. But tell me again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Because someone needed to Observe a purported first contact. And, according to the order, I was the best of the young purists. It was \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She hesitated.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153An honor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Tybalt prodded.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I felt like it was, yes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And now?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I still do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And if the Garshan suddenly open fire on us. Or rend me to pieces.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If that is our fate, I will record every moment of it for posterity, without prejudice or bias.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>“But no one will know.”
\n     <\/em>She looked at him carefully. “I will know.”
\n     <\/em>She floated away. But then stopped.
\n     <\/em>“One thing to consider: I have not heard these creatures say a word. All I have heard is the computer reporting what they have supposedly said.”
\n     <\/em>Tybalt shifted. “So you think there could be a mistranslation? We could be missing something important?”
\n     <\/em>“When I was in the convent on Mars, I studied linguistics. And one of the things we learned — an important thing to learn for an Observer — is that some words do not translate. At least … not directly.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>Tybalt waited in the airlock for the Garshan to return. Not only was no one else in the airlock, they had removed any communications or recording devices, even the Cthulhu, at the request of the Garshan. Tybalt felt very naked without it.
\n     <\/em>The airlock cycled and Ambassador floated out, with Captain behind it. Ambassador floated past Tybalt without a glance while Captain gestured with its front two claws. It spoke in its polyphonic musical tongue.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Here goes nothing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Tybalt murmured and pushed forward. He descending toward the open mouth of the airlock and felt like prey as Captain moved behind him and cycled it closed.
\n     <\/em>Without even a gesture from Captain they descended deeper and deeper into the Garshan ship. Tybalt was keenly aware of other Garshan emerging from the walls and joining Captain behind him. Small Garshan, about the size of cats and looking like overgrown tarantulas, scuttled curiously over the walls, occasionally losing their grasp and flailing toward him. It was all he could do not to cry out and swat them away.
\n     <\/em>They emerged into the central chamber with the glowing brood tank at is center. And before it was now an oblong bare table. The surface looked like cool stone.
\n     <\/em>Now the chamber filled with Garshan, all thirty of them emerging from their spider holes in all directions. Tybalt had to bite down a temptation to run.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure we look as scary to them as they do to us,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he thought to himself. Then he shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty sure we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>One of the Garshan gesture with a claw. Tybalt floated forward toward the table. There was a sudden rush and he felt something wet touch his neck. He cried out and tried to turn. But his body went limp immediately. He felt like he was falling toward the center of the ship.
\n     <\/em>Two of the Garshan grabbed his body and maneuvered him onto the table. Their claws sliced through his clothing and, in moments, he was down to just the breathing mask. They then spread a thick material over his skin. It burned.
\n     <\/em>The remaining ones surged through the chamber, a cloud of clattering limbs and chattering mouths. The musical medley of their voices made their glowing eyes all the more alarming. He noticed that they were frequently bringing their claws to their mouths, many of which had a sheen of liquid on them.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Tybalt thought. But terror would not him complete the thought. Captain spoke a series of sentences in their language, occasionally gesturing to Tybalt. They sounded formal, rhythmic. Tybalt could almost discern a rhyme structure. Then Captain swept over him and placed a single heavy claw on Tybalt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s belly.
\n     <\/em>The Garshan all spoke in unison, with the sound again being tantalizing close to a rhyme. Tybalt desperately wished he had the Cthulhu. Without it, his mind was filling with all kinds of awful possibilities.
\n     <\/em>Then it went silent. Captain leaned over him, its jaws opening. Tybalt tried to move but was completely paralyzed.
\n     <\/em>There was suddenly a musical chattering. It went on for some time. They music was alternatively frantic, questioning and then sad. And then, suddenly, the language became English. For a moment, Tybalt couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite make out the words.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mr. Masune,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Captain. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We must \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 apologize.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Your ship just contacted us rather frantically. They realized that there was an \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 error in translation. You see, among our species, this is how deals are consummated. Each side consumes one member of the other. It is considered a tremendous honor to be the \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 sacrifice.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt tried to speak but still couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move. Captain waved a claw and another Garshan leaned in and touched his neck.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The venom will wear off soon,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it said.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We thought that you understood this. But your linguistic people apparently finally realized their error. Your computer program \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cthulhu,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he managed to mumble.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes. A word that sounds very pleasing to our ears. Your \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Cthulhu \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 had understood the concept for some time but only now managed to convey it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt thought back to the body language analysts insisting that the Garshan were hostile while the linguistic analysts insisted they were friendly. They had both been right. But it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hostility the body language analysis had sensed; it was danger. The danger of the Garshan being too friendly. The Cthulhu couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t warn them because it had gotten too far into the alien minds; it had seen the sacrifice as a good and friendly thing.
\n     <\/em>He found that he could move a little. The Garshan moved around him, causing a brief panic. But then their claws gently lifted him up.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We will escort you back to your ship. You should recover your full movement by the time we get there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he croaked.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is considered \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 something sacred to us. We are disappointed that it did not happen. But we understand. It appears there will always be a \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 divide \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 schism \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Gulf.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 between us and other species. The others are more like you. You will find it easier to get along with them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is there any other species you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve met that practices this \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 sacrifice?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. As we said, we are not like other species. Especially when it comes to the subject of mortality. We do not regard death as something particularly to be feared. And so the sacrifice is not seen as a bad thing. We thought \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 with your talk of your religions \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 but your species, like most, does fear death.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>They were ascending up the main spine of the Garshan craft. Tybalt could now move his limbs but let the Garshan gently guide him along.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 what does this mean for our species?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 cordial. We are not hostile. But \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 without this sort of exchange \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we can never be true friends.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It paused.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But we are always glad to meet others. And we are glad that you have finally found that you are not alone. We have known other species for a long time but \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 as a race, we remember that excitement of the first meeting.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt felt a wash of guilt.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 if they hadn’t realized \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It would have been for nothing once we realized the error. The \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 victim \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 must embrace their status.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Captain stopped moving and floated a bit in silence.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes. That is \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 perfectly expressed. How \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Shakespeare. Ancient Earth writer. I knew a woman once \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 back on Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s moon \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 he was kind of her passion.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You must transmit this Shakespeare to us. We are curious to see how he translates.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The airlock dilated. He saw Ambassador at the other airlock with Okafor, Madsen and several of the diplomats. They looked relieved. But Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body language didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need translation: it was one of defeat.
\n     <\/em>They floated toward the interface of the two ships.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It took some time for I and your fellow humans to understand what had gone wrong. They were \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 quite nervous. Quite a few colorful exclamations that I did not understand. The one you call \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Madsen \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt nodded.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Was the one who raised our ship and explained the problem. She was quite \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 emphatic on your behalf.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt looked at Madsen, who pretended to be examining her fingernails.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve noticed the translation is a bit faster now that the Cthulhu understands you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It does. But I am afraid that you never will. Our two species can be at peace. But true understanding \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, we will simply have to keep looking, won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wait a moment,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Tybalt. He went to Madsen and gestured to her waist. She rolled her eyes and pulled out the concealed knife. He pricked his thumb and returned to the Ambassador.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How about something symbolic? You can drink some of my blood. And I will drink some of yours.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador reared up on its legs and looked at Tybalt for a long time. Behind him, he heard a collective take of breath.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You mean that as a \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 kind gesture. Not an insult.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, not an insult.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 accept your offer in the spirit it is intended.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It extended a claw and took the knife. It pierced another claw and green blood oozed out. It brought the claw to Tybalt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mouth and he licked before he could think twice. It tasted sweet. Then he brought his hand to Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s left mouth. He shuddered as its rough alien teeth grazed his skin.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maybe this is for the best,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You taste terrible.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Tybalt laughed. Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s two mouths made circles.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You are an \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 interesting species. Perhaps true understanding will always elude us. But we will consider interacting with you again at some point in the future.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u2122,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Tybalt, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153is sometimes a veiled insult in our language.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Ambassador chattered. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is in ours, too. But not today. You are indeed fascinating. And we look forward to learning more about you.\u00e2\u20ac\u0153
\n     <\/em>Tybalt looked over the creature and then said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am glad \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 you were the first ones we met. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good to know that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not alone. And that not everyone will be like us. I think \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we will learn a lot from you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>The Garshan made a strange gesture with its legs. It would take the linguists days to figure out it was a sign of high respect.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are honored to have been the first to meet you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It floated toward its own ship, then paused. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Before we leave, we will transmit to you our star charts and our knowledge of other races. We think you will find it useful.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you. We will send our charts, although we only know a few systems. And your Captain asked for some of our literature.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We appreciate the gesture. I think you will find other races \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 easier to understand than us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>It floated through the airlock and then turned as it cycled closed. Just before it disappeared from view, it held up its front claws to its mouth. Tybalt couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but feel it was a kind of salute.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>Tybalt was back in the observation deck, trying to process everything that had happened in that last day. And the last week. Most of the crew were content to leave him alone, being busy enough analyzing the data from the Garshan ship and preparing to return to Earth. Only after a few hours did Madsen approach, silently squeezing into the transparent nosecone behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders and her legs around him. He leaned back into her.
\n     <\/em>“It was Hosini who really saved you,” she said. “She wouldn’t say what she thought. But she kept emphasizing that she had no idea what the Garshan had said; only what the computer claimed they said. We rebuilt the analysis from scratch and that was when we realized …”
\n     <\/em>She trailed off.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Garshan tell me you were quite worried about me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would be worried about anyone who was about to eaten alive by alien species.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So no special \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 concern \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153
\n     <\/em>He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see her face but he could almost hear the roll of her eyes and the twitch of her nose that preceded a very tiny smile. Thus he was surprised when there was a quaver in her voice, as if she were holding back tears.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I thought you were going to die. I thought you were going to die all alone in the worst way I could imagine. And I \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She stopped. Tybalt took her hands in his, brought them up to his lips and kissed them.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You know I feel the same way, Ariadne.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>There was a long pause.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Say it, Tybalt. Say the words.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>“I thought we agreed that we didn’t feel that way about each other.”
\n     <\/em>“Just say it. I want to hear it.”
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I love you, too.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She freed one hand to wipe her eyes. And then her detached tone returned.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Was it worth it? Almost getting killed?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>He thought for a moment.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Definitely yes. The biggest discovery in human history and I was there for it. And …
\n     <\/em>“… and we’re not alone. Not just physically. Spiritually.”
\n     <\/em>He glanced over at the Garshan ship.
\n     <\/em>“Someone else out there is asking the same questions we are. They’re looking for the same things we are. We’re not alone. In every sense of that phrase.”
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Despite what Ambassador said, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think our species are that different,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Madsen.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a language barrier. An understanding barrier. But we have far more in common with them than we have in common with say, a dog. And we get along with dogs just fine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fair enough.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see them again,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said, gazing over at the spiny ship, which was slowly drifting away. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sooner rather than later.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is that the soldier talking?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And what about the trip back?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>Her indifferent tone reasserted itself. But she wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fooling Tybalt.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have to go on duty for the first year. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re welcome to sleep the entire way.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind being awake for your shifts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She patted his shoulder. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It would keep me from getting too bored.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n     <\/em>She untangled herself from him, then climbed down out of the nosecone. Tybalt followed. Just before she was about to head down to the main flight deck, she turned back and embraced him, hugging him so tight he could barely breathe. He kissed the side of her head.
\n     <\/em>Without another word, she drifted back down to the bridge. Tybalt looked up at the Garshan ship. And he had the most peculiar sensation that Ambassador was looking back. He waved to the spacecraft.
\n     <\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Until we meet again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

     <\/em>The Garshan ship stayed in orbit with them for another month as the two sides slowly exchanges a wealth of information. The humans eagerly devoured every star chart they could while the Garshan kept asking for more human literature. But eventually the comms went quiet and the Garshan went into a transfer orbit to Sirius A.
\n     <\/em>The Archimandrite<\/em> lurked around Sirius B for another few months as the shell made its way back. It fired off its remaining probes back to Earth, each carrying a complete record of their journey. One by one, the crew went back into hibernation, eager to wake up back home.
\n     <\/em>The ship fired its engines and moved toward Sirius A to begin the long series of slingshots that would send it back home. As it passed the Garshan ship, the two ships exchanged one last burst of messages, bidding each other farewell.
\n     <\/em>Tybalt stood on the bridge next to Madsen as they began one last plunge into the long night.<\/p>\n

     <\/em>The End<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This is the final part of the a three-part story. Part one is here. Part two is here.)      Tybalt sat in the back of the room as the meeting entered its fourth hour. The diplomatic and scientific staff were poring over every detail of their first conversation with the Garshan, trying to extract … Continue reading Table Manners<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7213","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P2BzKF-1Sl","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7213"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7227,"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7213\/revisions\/7227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelsiegel.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}