Grigor was mad. He had been nervous …right up until the moment the Fleet Admiral laughed at him.
Exposed as he was, before Second Kiev’s high command. Them all pristine avatars, him sweating profusely, as much as in his real skin. An intentional asymmetry of design, meant to exaggerate rank and hierarchy. It certainly worked.
‘You, Officer Landau? Of all the billions within the fleet, why should it be you to make first contact?’
Grigor knew his face betrayed nothing, but wasn’t as sure of his voice. ‘I had no choice in the matter, Fleet Admiral Sakharov, sir.’
Others in the high command murmured. Admiral Lu coughed flippantly. They all thought Grigor was wasting their time and resources. An opportunity for a nobody to make introductions before humanity’s most powerful. But he didn’t want to be here, presented before them in this fashion. How could they not see that? What sort of idiot would intentionally make enemies of mankind’s leaders?
‘Come now. Grigor, is it? Let us dispose of formalities. I have pressing matters to tend to so let’s be brief.’
‘Sir, aliens are real.’
‘Well yes, nobody disputes aliens. The creatures on-‘
Grigor cut him off. ‘Sentient aliens, sir. Conscious civilised aliens. Carbon-based quadripeds. More akin to us than to apes. I’ve seen them with my own eyes and documented them.’
Admiral Lu slammed the table. ‘Cease your frivolous claims at once. Thousands of years of outward expansion and barely more than a scurrying rat ever found. We are all alone in this universe, Landau. To date, the sentience filter has only been cleared by life on earth and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.’
‘I have the evidence. Send people to my location to corroborate.’
Senate-Represent Hu scoffed. ‘Must we waste resources on this madness?’
Grigor ignored the ancient man. ‘I’m sending the Cartesians.’
‘Excellent, a map! With “Here be dragons”, scribbled in the empty black parts.’
Officer Grigor Landau had had enough. ‘Come or don’t come. I die here either way. Your stupid authority means nothing to me.’
The Fleet Admiral threatened a frail finger. ‘Careful boy.’
‘These aliens are advancing rapidly. Who knows how well armed they may be when they cross our people proper? You fools dont believe me, fine. But think of your stupid reputations if you’re wrong. This is your one chance to exterminate these dragons root and stem, before they take flight.’
Second Kiev high command mulled in silence before Admiral Hu pulled up Grigor’s Cartesians. ‘We could have a Gunner-ship there within the decade. Call it a military exercise when there’s nothing reported.’
Fleet Admiral Sakharov stared at Grigor. Grigor stared back.
‘Do it.’
abdulj. 