Koban 4: Shattered Worlds (57 page)

Xenos was an ancient Greek term that referred to guest-friends. Located on Haven, the developing capitol city was intended to host peoples of various cultures, beliefs, and species, with toleration of those differences. If you refused to accept those principles, you could still live on Haven and reside in Xenos, but you couldn’t serve in the government, or even vote on proposals put to the participating citizens of the growing society.

Stewart MacDougal was one of the human representatives on the city council for the growing new capital. He was modified, having accepted clone genes years ago to make living on Koban more comfortable. That was before Haven had been explored and settled. He lived on Haven full time now, working with the Raspani to help them rebuild their society.

There was a completely unmodified human on the city council, Ellen Embry, also a transplant to Haven from Hub City on Koban. She represented the interests of those people that had never yielded in their opposition to the genetic modifications used by the Kobani. Normals were a gradually dwindling minority here, reduced from their previous majority position on Koban in Hub City. Their numbers were dropping even after every one of them had moved to Haven to escape the high gravity and the perpetual risks of Koban. Some older people simply died prematurely, after spending over twenty years in the stressful and ageing conditions on Koban before their move. A few caved it to the advantages the gene mods provided.

The ninety percent Earth gravity on Haven left them appreciative of how strong the Kobani had felt back on Koban. Here, they were comparatively stronger and a better match against the local wildlife. They discovered they were able to cope even better than the three alien species, who still found Haven to be a bit on the heavy and wild side. The lure of gene mods for speed and strength, as they watched superhuman Kobani children grow to maturity, was tempting.

However, in the end it was mostly vanity and age regression, which was the real draw. Youth eternal was difficult to resist after suffering premature ageing and increasing health problems, which modern med labs alone could not correct. The number of partial converts to the longevity gene mod and nanite rejuvenation placed more of them in MacDougal’s camp, although many still rejected clone and Koban gene mods, at least at first.

The steadfast opponents of any gene changes never failed to remind their now youthful appearing counterparts that they were full-fledged criminals in Human Space anyway, even if they had not accepted the more radical changes. This tactic only served to push some of them into requesting additional changes. If you were considered equally guilty, why not get something in return for that guilt.

Embry preached to her remaining constituents constantly, but her strident words and attitude grated on many. It was hard to side solidly with someone that openly thought your former friends or family members were mutants and criminals, deserving of rejection by God and his church agents, and death at the hands of the Hub government.

Deanna Turner, an early Krall captive was the current Koban representative on the Xenos city council. Whoever held that chair rotated membership with other Kobani, after a yearly election when the previous member often tired of being away from home so much. Returning to Koban after a stint off planet had proven essential to the mental wellbeing of most Kobani, who found other worlds too soft and tame for comfort.

City council membership included a representative of each of the three alien species, and they too were free to change membership on short notice. Wister represented the Prada and would likely do so for many years, unless an even elder Prada wished the position. Geltra spoke for the Torki, but any Torki could reflect the communal thoughts of their population on Haven via their Olts. Wind Song spoke for the Raspani this year, and they held a referendum, much as humans did, but through use of their mind enhancers, since the bulk of the minds of their population was still recorded in storage devices. The aliens were a much less factious lot than was humanity, which surprised no one.

Xenos was being planned from the outset as the capital of the entire Koban system, with hoped for eventual representation from other worlds around different stars, if they could remove them from Krall domination, and safely be repopulated. Should the Krall learn of this opposition, a seed growing on the edge of the large volume of space they controlled, The Koban system would be swarmed, and all of the beings found there exterminated. The same for any world to which they spread.

Eventually, Haven was expected to have a smaller regional capital, administering for only that planet’s citizens. That would have to wait for future growth, assuming the Krall didn’t end the effort early and brutally. Xenos was intended to become the capital of a fledgling galactic republic, which at present comprised one stellar system, having two inhabited planets and four member species.

There already was one center for regional government, located at Prime City on Koban. The overall idea was ambitious, but planning for a future was what optimistic humans always did, and their formerly pessimistic alien allies needed to relearn how to think about a future.

Today, Mirikami was looking for advice, hoping for a consensus but not expecting
unanimity
.
“Gentle Beings, here is the issue we need to discuss today. In order to place Kobani with Comtap chips on navy warships, for them to provide the navy with real-time Tachyon Space communications, we will have to admit that we have this embedded electronic and quantum technology. I don’t think this is a problem by itself, since they know we have other new technology, such as stealth systems, and our body armor with built in energy weapons. They are aware that we have a mental interface with that armor. However, they don’t know that it’s a unique nervous system, which makes it so effective. This communications technology is certainly new to them and they will want it. Because they have accepted implanted technology in Special Operations troops, this is similar in nature.

“If talking the navy into placing our people on those ships is successful, as I expect it will be, a Kobani on a navy warship will lead to our having to explain something more sensitive than alien chip technology that employs quantum entanglement with tachyons. Such as, why our liaison people won’t require jell filled acceleration suits, such as their Normal human crewmembers do when they go into battle with the Krall. Comments please, starting on my left, and go around the table.” Mirikami looked to Reynolds, sitting on his immediate left, as he sat down.

Sarge was no longer as reticent in speaking his mind in a gathering like this, where he might be asked to act on one of his or someone else’s proposal. Apparently, this new attitude resulted from the confidence that came with being a full Kobani.

He stood up and shrugged. “I was just a ground pounder before, so I don’t know much about the navy. However, I do know a little bit about obfuscation, and it always worked for me. Both on the Krall, and on high-ranking brass of any branch of service. Why not just get inside their jelly-filled tin cans and pretend it’s necessary for us? We can communicate in Tachyon Space from inside those protective acceleration suits. Can’t we keep our physical capabilities secret that way?”

Maggi, sitting on Tet’s right, knew the reason why that proposal wouldn’t work, and said so. “Sarge, those suits are a variation of the newer med labs we’ve had Chief Haveram buying from a Hub company on Mars. That same company also makes acceleration combat suits used on naval ships. Those are equipped with some of the same advanced monitoring equipment their med labs have, to sense if the person inside is unconscious or injured, and in need of nanite treatment. They would certainly detect our superconducting nervous systems and nanotube reinforced bones, and think something is drastically wrong with us, or at least very odd.”

Then she added, just for the fun of it, “The body scanner system would of course spot the Comtap chip in our head, which they will know we have since that’s why we’re there. In your case Sarge, they’ll see the dictionary.”

“What dictionary?” he looked at her with justified suspicion.

“The one filling your otherwise empty skull, where you found the word obfuscation.”

Thad and Dillon laughed openly, until spousal elbows diluted some of the humor.

With a sigh, Mirikami looked over at his new wife, as if to say, “Really?” as he held a palm face out towards Sarge, to stifle the rebuttal he knew was forming.

Turning back to Reynolds, suppressing a smile of his own, he said, “Everyone, please, keep the jokes and personal gibes out of our discussions. I don't want to spend half the evening trying to explain to our non-human friends what they mean. Sarge, your idea to pretend we are no different from standard model humans, and simply step into the acceleration suits will give us away beyond a doubt. Do you have an alternate suggestion?”

“Sure. When I’m caught at a bluff, or a bullshit story doesn’t work, I give it up. Tell them as much of the truth they as need to hear, and hold back the rest. Our Mind Tap ability they don’t need to know about yet. I’d say guard our Prada derived longevity as well, since it will be half a normal lifetime before that’s even noticed. A youthful appearance of people they know are much older can be attributed to their own nanites and med labs. Looking younger is something they could do, if they wanted to use just the genes they were born with. It took genetic knowledge to do that with the nanites we got from Human Space, but that isn’t surprising once they know we have the genetic knowledge. I don't think we should advertise at the outset our most advantageous gene complex, the Mind Tap. That’s my opinion.” As he sat down, his glance at Maggi let them all know that a verbal dart in retaliation was merely postponed.

“Thank you. Thad, you’re next.”

Rubbing a rib, where an unladylike elbow from Marlyn had made a lasting impression, Thad offered another take on the subject. “When Sarge and I joined up with a spec ops unit on Poldark, all of the Kobani troops were forced to do things while fighting the Krall up close, right in front of thousands of PU Army troops, which started rumors going around about us. The Shadow pilots performance, by out flying the Krall, added to those rumors. The navy is perfectly aware that supposed
Rimmer
troops and Shadow pilots wear the same looking armor as the newest body armor recently seen on spec ops forces. Yet men in that armor far outperformed what used to be the best that spec ops could do, even wearing a Booster Suit.

“Some of the PU troops saw there were men inside that armor who didn’t wear the usual spec ops black Booster Suits. In several cases, armor damaged by plasma fire or explosives had to be removed, and those clearly unaided troopers still outfought the Krall in hand-to-hand combat, usually against warriors wearing their own heavy and powered armor. We’re kidding ourselves if we think the military and the government isn’t going to collate all of those reports, speculations, and helmet recordings, and determine that it isn’t exaggeration.

“I say tell them at least about our physical abilities, such as speed and strength. Own up to it being the
person
that powers the armor’s movement, not the other way around. I don't think it would matter if they also know about our heat and cold adaptations, our improved vision, ultrasonic hearing, and sense of smell. However, I’d make no mention of Mind Tapping, or of how we obtained the genes. Let them think they were all designed by our scientists.”

To no one’s surprise, Marlyn, Dillon, and Noreen approximately mirrored Thad’s position. The PU was surely on the verge of figuring out on their own that those they knew as Rimmer troops had superhuman ability. To control the speculation, and keep them from making a public accusation that might make its way to the Krall, the PU military needed to be brought in on the secret. It was to their advantage to keep it secret for now.

Ellen Embry, next around the table, as usual had complaints to offer but no helpful comments. “Anna Cahill, God rest her tortured soul, predicted this day would come. I fear that those thousands of pure humans, whom I am duty bound to represent, will be lumped with those that the Hub population will know as sinners, humans again violating God’s perfect creation, altering what he had made in his own image. Hypocrites like you deserve to be punished with them.”

Stewart, not waiting for the sharp reply he sensed was coming from Maggi or Dillon spoke up. “Ellen, your group, of which I was admittedly once a member, numbers only a few hundred and not thousands of people. You continue to ignore the one hundred ten or even more gene modifications that a mythical
pure
human, yourself included, already had when we arrived at Koban.

“I eventually accepted that I was only able to survive on Koban, and later reached the relative safety of Haven, because of the existence and efforts of the Kobani. I too have now violated the gene laws of Hub society, but we live far outside of Planetary Union jurisdiction, we even live hundreds of light years outside of what is considered Human Space. We may someday petition to join the rest of human society, but I would only support such a move if they will accept us as we are. I will never abide by an application of outmoded laws, which I will argue did not apply beyond the boundaries of Human Space anyway, and which offers us the only hope to beat back the Krall. The Planetary Union does not own humanity or our genome, it is supposed to govern and defend human worlds that agree to join it, and there are still Rim world colonies that have not joined the PU, and which govern themselves.

“Several thousand former Hub City residents like me accepted the clone mods simply to survive and live on Koban. Many of them were then able to have children only because of those mods. The children they had have nearly universally elected to take the next step, to become full Kobani, at age sixteen in Prime City, and eighteen in Hub City and here on Haven. That new generation has fought and died to protect all of humanity’s right to exist in the face of Krall genocide.”