Captain Koeh decided to come meet the Tau Cetians in person. With Kalpoc and the expeditionary ship back in launch bay one, Koeh landed her maint ship in launch bay two. She was met at the door by Suah. “This way, Captain,” he said.
Suah led her to the conference room where Vontae and Amir and their guests were waiting. Carmot and the other Tau Cetians were surprised when they saw the paleness of Koeh’s skin, the straightness of her hair and the different shape of her eyes. The three Humans they had met thus far had all had dark shades of skin that fell within the range normal for Tau Cetians. There was a general whispering of quills as the Tau Cetians absorbed Koeh’s appearance. It was Carmot who asked the question of Vontae. “Do all females of your species appear this different from the males?”
Vontae laughed. “She’s no different from me than you are from Apamot.”
“But she is so pale…” Carmot said.
Vontae laughed again, harder. “The variations in color and hair type and facial features in our people is no different than the superficial differences between Tau Cetians and Sadirans.”
Kalpoc appeared agitated, “Are you saying that your people have settled other worlds already, that there are more colonies than Alpha Centauri?”
“No, no, that’s not it. These variations are all natural to Earth,” Vontae explained.
“Is there a problem?” asked Koeh.
“No,” Vontae responded. “They just had a question about race. They had only seen Africans up until now.”
“Alright, shall we begin?” Koeh asked.
Vontae turned to Kalpoc and told him they were ready to start.
“I have reported the situation of your fleet to our Ascendant and he has given me authorization to offer you assistance,” Kalpoc said with Vontae translating. “We are prepared to offer you a moon within the Sadira system to colonize.”
Vontae did not expect the kind of offer Kalpoc was conveying. He responded to him in Ascendancy Standard before translating the offer to Koeh. “The Ascendant wants us to settle in the Sadira system?”
“I believe it could benefit your species greatly to settle among us,” Kalpoc said. “The technology we could share with you would move your species ahead many, many years. The Ascendant promises full sovereignty for your people. In addition, the infrastructure is already in place. Is this an offer your Captain will entertain?”
“I don’t think it’s up to her,” Vontae said. “That sounds like something that would be up to all of the colonists to decide for themselves. The offer is very generous, but with most of our people in stasis, I don’t know how we can choose for them.”
Koeh was starting to get impatient. “What’s wrong, is there a problem?”
“They are offering for us to colonize a planet in the Sadira system that already has all of the infrastructure in place. They are also offering to share their technology with us,” Vontae told her.
“They want us to be part of their empire? What will stop them from conquering Alpha Centauri and then Earth?” Koeh asked.
“You don’t understand,” Vontae told her. “They are offering full autonomy. I’ve talked personally with their leader and I assure you he means every word.” Vontae turned to Kalpoc and addressed him in Ascendancy Standard, “Is the Ascendant offering us transportation?”
“Yes, the Ascendant has offered the services of our freighter fleet to transport your people to the Sadiran moon,” Kalpoc told him.
Vontae turned to Koeh again, “They are offering to transport us to the colony world.”
“How far away is it?” she asked.
“The Tau Cetians have technology that allows them to travel at two hundred times the speed of light. Sadira is about ten or eleven light years from here,” Vontae said.
Koeh was nodding. “That does sound like quite an offer. What’s in it for them?”
“Captain, from what I’ve learned of these people,” Vontae said, “they are very friendly toward other civilizations. They value the differences that other cultures can teach them.”
“Vontae, if I may interrupt, I’ve been thinking about the dilemma you have with your people not being able to make the choice while in stasis. How long would it take for your people to reach your original destination from here?” Kalpoc asked.
“It would take twenty of our years,” Vontae told him.
“Perhaps if your people came to the colony we are offering and stay for twenty of your Earth years, they will be able to make a more informed decision as to whether or not you want to stay there or move on to join your other colony,” Kalpoc said. “I’m sure your people are industrious enough to be able to purchase transportation to your originally planned colony planet within twenty years. Also, think of the trading opportunities you will be able to provide for your home system.”
Vontae turned to Koeh, “I brought up the fact that we would need to leave the decision as to where we settle up to the colonists. He offered a compromise. We can accept their offer and stay for twenty years at their settlement. If at the end of twenty years, our people would have the choice to travel to Alpha Centauri or stay where we are.”
“Aren’t there already Tau Cetian settlers there, wouldn’t that lead to conflict?” Koeh asked.
Vontae relayed the question to Kalpoc who told him what he knew of it.
“It has not been settled by their people,” Vontae told Koeh. “It was put together as an overflow area meant for expansion. Their leader offers the entire planetoid to us.”
“Hmm,” Koeh said. “I don’t feel that I have the authority to make this decision. We will need to consult with Earth.”
“I am planning to accompany the delegation to Earth myself,” Vontae said. “I can present the offer to Earth and get their input. Really, it is a matter for the colony leadership to decide. We are no longer beholden to Earth.”
“We will definitely need all of the information we can get before we make a decision,” Koeh said.
Vontae relayed the request to Kalpoc and then the response back to Koeh. “They will provide the information for us to review during our trip to Earth.”
“How long do you expect the trip to take?” Koeh asked.
“It will take about a day to get there, a couple days of meetings, and then a day back,” Vontae said.
“The offer has my vote of approval pending on the information they can provide for our new temporary home,” Koeh said. “Now I have work to do. See that you have the information beamed to the Zheng He when you receive it.”
“That I will do, Captain,” Vontae said. “Thank you for your candor and your time.”
Captain Koeh bowed solemnly from the waist, or at least as well as she could in zero gees and then left the room to return to the launch bay where her maint ship would take her back to the Zheng He.
Kalpoc addressed Vontae after the Captain had left. “I have those schematics for the colony moon available in the expeditionary craft. It contains information on the flora and fauna of the world along with atmospheric conditions and composition as well as structures and utilities that are already in place. I will let you examine the data first before you send it on to your leader.
“How did she receive the offer?” Kalpoc asked.
“She approves,” Vontae said. “Of course she is worried a bit about making a decision that would affect so many people alone and suggested polling the Earth leaders about such an idea, but I think she will decide affirmatively.”
“Do your Earth leaders still have that much of a sway in the actions of your colony?” Carmot asked.
“There are those among the officer corps of the colony who still lean on the advise of Earth, but more of us realize that asking a question that cannot be answered for four years makes us very independent,” Vontae said. “I don’t think there is anything left to do but transmit that information and then get on our way to Earth.”
Apamot spoke up for the first time since she had come aboard the Battuta. “Are you excited to see your world again?”
Vontae hesitated. He had not let that thought carry itself away to its conclusion as yet. “Well, I suppose I am. It is always nice to go back to your roots, but it has only seemed like a few months since I’ve been gone seeing that I spent a great majority of my travel time in stasis, but it’s been fifteen years for the people I left behind there. I didn’t leave many behind, but there are a few friends I thought to never see again.
“It will be strange to see them aged fifteen years to my quarter year, but I think I’m looking forward to it.”
