CHAPTER 14
Proxima b
The chamber was circular, its walls adorned with intricate Fintidierian patterns that resembled a mix of Earth’s Western Victorian and Empire styles. Dark, intricately carved Fintidierian hardwood shoe moldings nearly fifteen centimeters high transitioned the equally dark stonework floor into the deep reds and violets on the wall. The walls were decorated with carvings and artwork depicting geometric shapes and motifs similar to the glyphs found on the ancient architecture from around the planet. The crown moldings at the top, where the walls met the ceiling, were highly detailed carvings of creatures and plants woven together like of a continuous living vine. The ceiling had a large skylight feature surrounded by winged catlike creatures remarkably similar to the griffin of Earth mythology.
The central chamber of the Fintidier General Assembly glowed softly under the ambient light filtering in through the skylights that ran along the ceiling at the periphery of the room. At the center stood a large obsidian table, its surface reflecting the room’s subtle illumination. At the table there were seven seats on one side. The tallest chair in the middle was for the secretary general. On either side of her were chairs for the representatives of the six provinces of Fintidier. On the other side of the obsidian table were an equal number of seats, but all the same height, for petitioners of the General Assembly.
Secretary General Balfine Arctinier, the chief executive of Fintidier; General Rabine Tintinier; Lortay Vistra, the Fintidierian secretary of internal security; Harma Oo’ortaga, the Fintidierian secretary of commerce; Dr. Zhouzine Hallisier, the Fintidierian chief government scientist; and Professor Filipineaus Cromntinier all represented the Fintidierians. The seat to the far right was empty. On the petitioner’s side, Ambassador Charles Jesus, Captain Sam Crosby of the Samaritan, Dr. Roy Burbank, and Dr. Neil Polkingham sat quietly.
“Thank you for joining us today.” General Tintinier opened the discussion, his voice echoing slightly in the mostly empty chamber. “The arrival of another Terran ship is of concern to us. Your people are already here, assisting us, and now another vessel approaches our world. We seek clarification.”
“Thank you for having us in your inner government chambers. It is our honor to be here. Although…we could have done this in your office, Madam Secretary General.” Jesus nodded, understanding Tintinier’s apprehension. “The Pioneer, which is the name of the vessel approaching, is not a vessel sent by our governments. It is privately funded, born from our world’s entrepreneurial spirit. Its intentions, as stated, are peaceful.”
“You like the central chamber, Ambassador? It is quite beautiful, if not overtly ceremonial.” Arctinier leaned forward, gesturing at the government chamber.
“Madam Secretary General, it is an astonishing piece of architecture and décor. It rivals any of our government and historical buildings back on Earth,” Jesus replied. He smiled faintly at her, hoping to touch on the comradery and rapport they had built over the past couple of years.
“To be honest, Charles, this is the only place I trust not to have eyes and ears hidden away,” she explained, returning his smile. The lines at the corner of her lips betrayed her age. “While we appreciate the aid your people have provided, especially in our fertility crisis, we must tread carefully. Our history with outsiders, especially the Atlanteans, was not peaceful. And while this recent and wonderful boom in baby-girl deliveries has calmed my people and generated a slight uptick in the downward-spiraling morale we have faced for so long, we just…”
Jesus met her gaze, waiting for her to finish her sentence. She took a long pause and her shoulders and head slumped. Jesus wasn’t sure if she was giving up or was simply tired.
“…we need to be careful here,” she finished. “Please, tell us more about this ship and what their intentions are.”
“I understand your reservations, Madam Secretary General. And I wish I could absolutely guarantee you that there is nothing but positive intent coming with this new ship. Honestly, I can’t.” Jesus paused, expecting some reaction from the Fintidierians, but there was none. So he continued. “You have to understand that Earth itself is a melting pot of various cultures, ideologies, and beliefs. The Pioneer represents the side of Earth that believes in exploration and trade, in mutual benefit, and in accomplishing that benefit outside of the need for anything more than permission to explore at one’s own risk.”
“So, these ‘explorers’ built a starship and decided to give up their lives back in your star system. And they are now coming here to start new lives?” Harma Oo’otaga asked. Jesus wasn’t certain if she was being rhetorical or if it was truly a question.
“If I may,” Captain Crosby interrupted. “Earth’s history is filled with ‘missionaries’ traveling from country to country or from one disaster or war zone to another to aid the people in need. These missionaries typically do this out of the kindness of their own hearts. We call them ‘humanitarian efforts.’ While there are and have been cultures and religions that go and offer help and aid and then take the opportunity to sway the locals toward some deity or form of government, that certainly wasn’t the case for the Samaritan and the Emissary coming here. And I might also add, Madam Secretary General, that many of these private efforts are also clever businesspeople who imagine new types of commerce that usually end up beneficial on both ends.”
“Well, Captain, commerce is my job. If these new ‘missionaries,’ as you called them, are bringing opportunity, then I will certainly be interested in learning more,” Harma replied.
“I couldn’t have said that better, Captain. Thank you.” Jesus nodded in acknowledgment toward the captain. “Indeed, Madam Secretary General, we’re here to ensure that both our worlds benefit from our presence here. New commerce might be one benefit.”
“Benefit?” General Tintinier, a staunch traditionalist, leaned forward, scowling. He rested both hands down on the obsidian table as if he needed to prop his large muscular torso upright. “Benefit? Ever since you Terrans arrived, we’ve faced challenges we never did before. Don’t mistake our hospitality for naivete. It takes years to traverse the gulf between the stars. That is far too slow for any real commerce benefit. What other benefit?”
“General!” Arctinier motioned for him to sit. “When was the last time hundreds—is that right, Dr. Hallisier…hundreds?”
“At present, Madam Secretary General, one thousand seven hundred nineteen viable female babies have been delivered alive and well within the last three months, whereas the number prior to our guests’ visit here was in the single digits per year,” Dr. Hallisier replied.
“One thousand seven hundred nineteen!” Arctinier repeated. “In the last three months? Are we expecting that to stop or will there be more?”
“If I may, Madam Secretary General?” Polkingham raised his hand.
“Yes, Dr. Polkingham?”
“That number will increase daily. We have an assembly-line process now where we are preparing the sperm, the egg, performing assisted fertilization, and implanting them,” Polkingham said nervously. “This birth rate should continue. And if the Pioneer is bringing similar equipment with it, then we might can build a second facility in another location on the planet and double the female birth rate.”
“Do you hear that, Rabine?” Arctinier relaxed back into her seat. “Charles, Dr. Polkingham, Captain, all of you, thank you. Sincerely, thank you.”
“You are welcome, Madam Secretary General,” Jesus said as the others nodded.
“So, great news, yes,” she continued. “But there is always the other part of the story. What else do we need to know about this Pioneer?”
“Em, before we move on, Madam Secretary General, if I may?” Filip leaned toward her, looking for approval to continue.
“Please, Professor.”
“I would like to point out that while we are seeing great strides to saving our people and these births are nothing short of a miracle, even the Terrans still do not have an answer to what is causing this problem,” Filip explained.
“The current solution is working for now and the foreseeable future, I’m told,” Dr. Hallisier, the chief scientist, interjected. “Yet, we still don’t have a permanent solution. Your arrival and actions have most certainly awakened hope, but we’ve yet to see lasting results, a cure.”
“Um, yes, ma’am. That is true. We found a work-around to the problem. But we’re not giving up on finding a total solution,” Polkingham responded. “The fertility crisis is complex, and while we’ve made strides, there’s still work to be done. We’ve managed to help some, but understanding its root cause takes time. We do have a pathway to potentially understanding the root cause and Dr. Cromntinier has been there with us every step of the way.”
“If I may?” Roy raised his hand. Jesus motioned to him to lower his hand. Roy waited.
“Dr. Burbank?” Arctinier nodded to him.
“There might also be a solution out there.” Roy pointed upward to space. “Our friends left aboard the Emissary on a dangerous, arduous, and unknown journey into deep space, chasing down these potential Atlanteans who appear to have been responsible for your problems to begin with.”
“Thank you for that input, Dr. Burbank. And thank all of you.” Balfine raised a hand, silencing the room. “The challenges we face are immense, but they aren’t insurmountable. What we need is to ensure transparency and collaboration.”
“Collaboration and transparency, other than some earlier missteps, has always been our goal. We truly are here to help Madam Secretary General,” Jesus declared as he made eye contact with everyone in the room sequentially. So far, he had been letting this conversation freewheel to wherever it evolved. But he knew he didn’t have all day with Balfine Arctinier. She was the leader of the entire planet. She was busy. He needed to start getting to the point. “Agreed. And with the recent signal from the Pioneer, another Terran ship filled with equipment and personnel, there’s potential for more resources, expertise, and solutions.”
“Concerning that.” Lortay Vistra, the Fintidierian secretary of internal security, looked skeptical. “Another Terran ship? How do we know their intentions align with yours? How many more will come?”
“Good questions. As far as how many more will come? Who knows? Maybe none, maybe many.” Jesus sighed and shrugged. “The Pioneer is a privately funded mission, independent of our official initiative. But their stated goal is trade and collaboration. We need to be open, but cautious. And I have to point out that, while they must answer to the laws of our world, they have left that world and traveled here. They are private citizens and are not under governance by our military or space merchants, but only the laws of Earth, which is a long way away.”
“What are you suggesting, Ambassador?” General Rabine asked.
“My suggestion is that the people of the Pioneer will answer to Earth if they violate any laws of Earth and or create diplomatic issues with Fintidier,” Jesus explained. “But they are migrants traveling on a vessel compelled only by their own free will to your border. I suggest the Fintidierian government must apply some form of immigration policies and laws to govern their interactions.”
“And how do we do that?” General Tintinier slammed his hand on the table, his deep-set eyes flaring with intensity. “Another ship from Earth not under your legal authority? This is unprecedented! It is for us to govern? How do you suppose we do that? Hmm? We have no spaceships!”
“Captain Crosby, feel free to jump in here,” Jesus urged, nodding to his colleague.
“Oh, yes, sure, Charles.” Crosby cleared his throat. “As Charles said a moment ago, we will most certainly hold them to the laws of our world. If they show up here and start causing problems, then the full security force of the Samaritan will be at your disposal. And, if we need to take a team up to their ship, then we will absolutely oblige you with shuttle transport as needed. Perhaps that might be the right approach. Think of whatever inspections you might want to put them through before disembarking and we will support you in that effort. And once you are comfortable with their motivations and are ready to allow them planetside, then and only then can they come down. The Samaritan will enforce whatever policy you need in this regard.”
General Tintinier sat back in his chair, clearly pondering Crosby’s offer. Jesus watched as Secretary General Arctinier eyed the man and read his body language. The general appeared to be momentarily appeased.
“I do have a question about the personnel,” Arctinier said in a very calm voice. She seemed more curious than anything as far as Jesus could tell. “The information you have given us shows a majority of single women aboard, willing to start a new life here. It’s clear they have done their research and are aware of our…predicament. But, Charles, why would they do this?”
“Adventure? A new start on life? Earth’s history, mythologies, and even literature and entertainment are filled with stories of leaving one’s home on an adventure to a new place to start a new life.” Jesus cleared his throat. “The gender crisis here on Proxima Centauri b is known to everyone on Earth. The Pioneer’s initiative might simply be a response to that, a way to forge a bond between our worlds while offering a new start to any who volunteered to leave the past behind and forge into a brave new unknown world.”
“While nearly two hundred women is barely a solution, I am certain many men here will welcome them.” Dr. Hallisier added. “It’s also an opportunity for genetic diversity, something our research has shown we desperately need.”
“But at what cost?” General Tintinier asked. “We are only now beginning to understand and trust the first two groups from Earth. Now we have a whole new batch, and their intentions are tied to the very core of our society.”
“It’s not just about intentions.” Filip spoke up. “It’s about integration. How do we ensure these Terran women integrate into our society without upheaval?”
“It will require understanding, patience, and cultural exchange,” Jesus replied. “We will need to set up programs to ensure smooth integration. Cultural classes, language courses, societal norms discussions. But I suspect these are not average Terrans. If they gave up their lives, managed to be chosen by whoever funded this mission, and traversed the stars to come here, then they must be exceptional.”
“Exceptional indeed, Charles my friend,” Balfine interjected. “This is a delicate situation. We need to handle it with care. The last thing we want is further division and misunderstandings. Charles, you have experience dealing with both Terran and Fintidierian perspectives. I hope you will continue to be a valued partner in our future efforts. These must be extraordinary women to do such a thing. It is unbelievable.”
“Well, not really from an Earth history perspective, Madam Secretary General,” Jesus stated matter-of-factly. “Hundreds of years ago, during the settlement of the western frontier of the USA, men significantly outnumbered women. To address this imbalance and to foster communities, women from Eastern cities and other countries moved west to marry men they’d often never met. It was a pragmatic solution for that time and place.”
“Truly?” Dr. Hallisier leaned forward, her curiosity emphasized with a gasp. “Were these unions successful? Were they based on mutual respect and understanding?”
“Hmm, I guess so. Probably in more cases than not.” Jesus tilted his head, considering her question. “It varied. Many couples found mutual respect and built families together. Others faced challenges. But it was a reflection of the needs and challenges of that time. The situations were complex and diverse, just as ours is now, here.”
“Pardon my skepticism,” General Tintinier huffed. “But this is different. Our entire species’ future is at stake. We can’t simply rely on history from another planet.”
“We don’t have to,” Jesus replied. “It’s worth noting that Earth has faced similar challenges and found solutions. The Pioneer may have taken a leaf from history, but their intentions seem genuine. Besides, the Samaritan and the Emissary have set precedents for human-Finti interactions.”
“And will continue to do so,” Captain Crosby added.
“What’s essential is that we approach this with openness but also with a sense of caution.” The secretary general looked around the table and held her gaze with each of the Terrans for a brief moment. Then she turned to her colleagues. “Let’s remember, we’re not just integrating individuals, we’re melding cultures and traditions. And we are creating a future for Fintidier that includes the Terrans in it. Without the Terrans, I dare say, Fintidier had no future.”