When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (29 page)

             
Mara walked over. Jerry found it interesting that the alien was only a little shorter than an average human. His interaction with the Grays had been limite
d—
he winced at the slur; it was
n’
t politically correct to use the term. The Historian moved with grace and poise, and Jerry found it strange that he could use the wor
d“
seductiv
e”
without feeling any revulsion. In what might have to have been the dumbest question asked at that early-morning press conference on the 14th of October, a reporter had asked how anatomically compatible the Nangolani were with human physiology. The answer had surprised many in the room, namely that humans and the aliens shared many physical similarities. No one wanted to contemplate what questions would follow.

             
“Are you injured
?”
Mara asked.

             
“I need a new back
.
”

             
“Oh
,”
she said, dark eyes wide open
.“
Do you have that technology
?
”

             
Jerry could
n’
t help but smile. In the few weeks h
e’
d dealt with the new species, h
e’
d learned that they were exceptionally observant, but often confused human idioms. They understood sarcasm, but subtler quirks escaped them.

             
“
I’
m fine, just a little stiff
.
”

             
The alien frowned
.“
Do you need assistance? I have studied human bone structure,
I’
m certain I could relieve whatever issue is hurting you
.
”

             
He held up a hand
.“
Tha
t’
s all right.
I’
ll live
.”
He sat down on a bench against the wall, letting out his breath as a hiss
.“
I
t’
s remarkable, you know
.
”

             
“What is that
?
”

             
Jerry gestured at her
.“
That yo
u’
re human-shaped
.
”

             
Mar
a’
s eyes widened
.“
How do you know that you are not Nangolani-shaped
?
”

             
He stared slack-jawed
.“
Did you just tell a joke
?
”

             
“I hoped you would like that
.”
She seemed proud to have stunned the Chief of Staff
.“
In truth, this form is fairly common in our galaxy. There are other paths of evolution, to be sure, but two arms and two legs seems to be quite an efficient design
.
”

             
Jerry marveled at the alien a moment longer
.“
How do you think i
t’
s going in there
?
”

             
Mara sat down beside him, resting her hands on her lap. She blinked, thinking hard
.“I’
m not sure I understand? Are you worried they wo
n’
t know where to start
?
”

             
“You studied our language for how long
?”
She looked hurt at the remark
.“
Sorry, I did
n’
t mean it like that
.
”

             
She sighed
.“
No, yo
u’
re right. I spent years learning the nuances of different human languages. English, Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish...but knowing the grammatical structure of a sentence is not the same as knowing a language. There is so much that happens between the words. You call i
t‘
subtext
.’
I
t’
s...difficult to follow
.
”

             
“Yo
u’
re right
.
”

             
“I
t’
s so frustrating for me. I thought I was prepared to come in and create the bridge our two civilizations would need. Instead
I’
m causing unnecessary delays while we figure out what each other are saying
.”
She rested her head in her hands
.“
I feel like
I’
m failing as a diplomat
.
”

             
Jerry went to put his arm around her, but stopped. He still had no idea where the comfort zone started with the aliens
.“
You were trained as a historian, not a politician
.
”

             
“In my culture, a historian is an ambassador. We are sent to other planets to spread the knowledge of Nangol. To impart on all who will listen the discoveries of our science, the wonders of our art, even the joys of our spiritual beliefs. I have gone to a dozen worlds, spoken in a hundred languages and convinced heads of state and dictators alike to understand what our race can offer in a peaceful alliance. But here, with a culture I understand and a language with which I excel, I am impotent
.
”

             
Jerry could
n’
t help but feel for the poor girl. It could
n’
t be easy, knowing that her race was as reliant on the humans as they were on hers. He had been in her shoes before, negotiating the final days of the Martian Conflict. And that had been a simple matter, just a few billion miners and scientists in a full-scale galactic rebellion.

             
“Your people do
n’
t often speak of religion
,”
Jerry said.

             
Mara smiled, relieved to have a new subject to discuss
.“
There are a few on our world, mostly variations of the Ambra Dowan
.”
She saw the confusion on Jerr
y’
s face
.“
It mean
s‘
Guiding Light
,’
and it was taught to us by her Grace, Darna Wo. She wrote a journal in her time describing the building of our world, of giving life to the various creatures and teaching my ancestors how to thrive. Some worship her as a god, others as a prophet. We call her World Maker and Star Child. She guides us in leading a good life, and carries us away to JohGal when we die
.
”

             
Jerry felt breathless
.“
Mara,
I’
m at a loss. Do you know much about about humanit
y’
s different beliefs
?
”

             
She nodded
.“
It is what helped me draw my conclusion that your species would come to our aid. Most of your morality and compassion stems from a religious root. Even the non-believers follow laws that began as dictations from one deity or another
.”
Suddenly her eyes dropped to the ground
.“
I know all of this, but it has
n’
t helped me reach your High Chancellor. He still sees my people as outsiders, as troublemakers
.
”

             
“Alexande
r—
excuse me, High Chancellor Burto
n—
is a patient man. H
e’
s hurting now because his citizens are dying. W
e’
ve never seen destruction on this scale before. Enter into this the shock of discovering a new species, and a sentient one at that. Do you know how long w
e’
ve been searching the stars for answers
?”
She shook her head
.“
If ther
e’
s one thing I can promise you, i
t’
s the fact that we want this to work. More than anything in the universe, we want to meet new friends. I
t’
s part of our society, what took us from separate nations in a constant state of war to entire planets governed under one house
.”
In a constant state of war,
he did
n’
t add. Jerry leaned in closer
.“
Besides, w
e’
ve only been in there for nine hours. No good negotiation finishes the first day
.
”

             
Mara laughed, a musical sound of rapidly changing tones. Jerry joined in, more happy than he could say that aliens had a sense of humor. He stood and walked over to the meeting room. He held the door open while she walked in, and she gave him a small smile.

-                           
V                            -

              Delta had built their patrol base in the perfect location. Hidden from view on three sides and nearly inaccessible from the fourth, the small plateau allowed observers to spot incoming enemy from kilometers away, and made an easy attack impossible. The rear spanned a sheer cliff face, and only one guard post had been set up to watch the ground below. All the other entrances were manned by heavy-machine-gun teams, each rotated throughout the day to ensure the crews were awake and ready.

             
The ambush had
n’
t gone unnoticed, and the CO had brought the camp up to fifty percent strength. For every soldier who slept, ate or went to the latrine, another had to be up in position with their rifle ready. Every infantryman moved with a purpose, the tension building with each passing hour. Only four days remained until the siren would sound, signaling the end of the exercise. Delta had to at least eliminate Charlie if they wanted a fair standing in the leader board. Alpha was the clear victor, having taken the abandoned fort from Bravo and decimated the other units with constant raids. Still, second place would earn promotion points for the officers and earn the enlisted men some much needed time off to spend with families. The
y’
d had zero contact outside the moon for months.

             
Sitting in his post, watching the light fade, Corporal Hernandez struggled to stay awake. Months of intense combat, combined with a constant lack of sleep, had drained him of any motivation. After mouthing off to one of the lieutenants, h
e’
d earned a permanent post watching the cliffs. It was
n’
t the worst thing that could have happened. Private Murphy was still in the stockades after h
e’
d been caught toying with some of the POWs. Still, staring out at vast nothingness for 12 hours a day did
n’
t make the time pass any faster. He told himself to tough it out, to let the rest of the week run by so he could go back to the barracks and shower off the months of suck.

             
At the base of the sixty-foot cliff, something glinted in the rocks. He barely noticed. The sun burnt so many of the stones into glass that spotting a reflection was
n’
t a sign for worry. The other moons of New Eden often reflected light onto Kronos for hours after sunset. Besides, intel still had Alpha holed up in their fort while Charlie attempted to nip at their heels. The game was almost in the bag. He daydreamed about his girlfriend back in Buenos Ares, how she would be waiting for him in their bed when he took his leave.

             
Something shifted in the sands below. Juan leaned over the railing of the tower, peering through his scope. He could
n’
t make out any shapes. All he saw was the orange sand below. From the middle of a small outcropping of rocks came a flash of yellow. Before he could react, the round smacked his visor just over his right eye. Immediately, electrical charges activated in his suit, bringing him down without a sound. The echo from the shot died out quickly, unheard in the camp. As a mild sedative made its way into Hernande
z’
s body, he smiled. For him, at least, the games were over.

*              *              *              *              *