All That Glitters Ch. 41

Those on the right side of the Toolends noted they wore the same symbol on a tentacle that Junelliya wore on her right arm. They began to wonder if Junelliya had more powers than just empathic abilities, though they kept that to themselves.

The Toolend approached the Chair and waved their four tentacles in an intricate pattern.

"I assume that is a formal greeting?" the Chair inquired.

"That is correct," Tougrate replied. "You may consider it as a formal 'Ama' hand gesture that some humans use to greet respected elders."

"Thank-you for your courtesy," the Chair commented, giving the two a bow. "Welcome to the Alliance Landstradt. Please conduct your exam of the prisoner."

The two Toolend walked over to Dr. Seito. "Sgt. Wilder is physically unresponsive though Junelliya informs us that she is conscious but locked in her mind. Please look at my patient and determine if she can be helped," Seito formally requested.

Tougrate moved to the far side of the patient, while Malnad took up a place on the near side. They both touched a tentacle to the forehead of the patient, while Junelliya took hold of one of Malnad's free tentacles, so she could mentally observe what was happening.

As soon as Tougrate touched Brianna's head, he could sense the panic inside her mind. He mentally talked with her, telling her to calm herself while he tried to see if he could help her.

Junelliya heard this exchange and touched Brianna's hand, passing calm and reassurance to her emphatically. They all instantly felt the relief come from Brianna that she could finally talk to someone, even in this limited fashion. Malnad and Junelliya took up the mental conversation while Tougrate continued with his exam.

Tougrate scanned her brain for damage and found it. Near the portion of the brain responsible for voluntary motor responses was a lesion caused by the repeated stuns she had received. It was blocking signals from the brain.

Tougrate used Brianna's internal healing responses to snip away at the lesion until he managed to break through small segments of the rough 'scar' on her brain. Those watching, suddenly saw Sgt. Wilder's whole body spasm and then go still again.

"There is a lesion on the patient's brain which is preventing her conscious mind from touching the portion of her brain that provides voluntary motor control over her body," Malnad informed Dr. Seito. "This lesion was caused by repeated high levels of electrical stimulation to the back of the brain. We are attempting to have the body's auto healing functions break up this lesion, though it might take a few attempts to accomplish this."

"Will you be able to give her back her bodily functions?" Seito asked.

"For the moment, we are simply attempting to break up small portions of the lesion. We will know more when we have completed this task. It may take several sessions to complete this or it may require medical intervention," Malnad explained.

The Landstradt watched in silence, seeing Wilder occasionally spasm as the trio continued to work on her. Then, Brianna's eyes snapped open and her face contorted into a grimace of fear. She started to cry out and Junelliya took her in her arms and held her as she cried.

Sobs wracked the woman's body. Her first actions in days overwhelmed her. Eventually, Junelliya passed her hand in front of the woman's face and she suddenly sagged and fell asleep.

"I put her to sleep for a bit," Junelliya informed Ayesha. "She will feel better when she wakes up, though I will let her awaken on her own."

"Her mind still has the lesion blocking her conscious desires to move her body," Tougrate informed all. "It will take several sessions to break up the lesion. Surgery may be a required step, though we will continue to work in this manner to see if we can help her without the surgery."

"She now has very limited control of her body," Malnad stated. "This will continue to improve until we completely break up the lesion or we reach a point that we can no longer make any repairs. We do not yet know how much we can do to help her, though what we have done will be significant for her well-being."

"That was an amazing demonstration of your abilities, Tougrate, Malnad," Ayesha told them. "I am pleased that we thought to bring you along."

"As are we," Tougrate agreed. "With the limited response we gave her, she will no longer be trapped in her own mind, slowly going insane. She could hear and feel things going on around her, but she could not respond in any manner. It would be like continuous sensory deprivation.

"Sensory deprivation for more than a few hours can cause serious hallucinations and other internal effects within the brain. While she did not suffer total sensory deprivation, what she has been subjected to, she has suffered since the incident. It is amazing that her mind is still responsive and that she hasn't gone insane," Tougrate finished.

Seito turned to the Chair. "I would like to take Sgt. Brianna Wilder into my custody for medical care."

"Denied. She is a prisoner and will remain one until her trial is completed. Her fate is tied to the fate of her comrades," the Chair spoke.

Ambassador Flynet took that moment to address the Landstradt. "We have watched the session of the Landstradt from this morning and are not pleased with how we find you have treated our people; both the Union citizens you hold as slaves and the Navy Captain and Marines you now hold as prisoners. I assure you that the mistreatment and abuse of prisoners is something that the Union does not abide."

He pushed a button on his comp. The image of the seal of the President of the Union came up. He pushed that to the large monitor above the head of the Chair.

"Please hold for President Wilford J. Holloway, President of the Union," said a disembodied female voice. A moment later, the seal disappeared and the face of the President could be seen.

"I am Wilford J. Holloway, President of the Terran Union. I am speaking to you from the Presidential Compound on Terra via a new communications system that is near instantaneous to any and all planets of the Interspecies Community. We call this the Interplanetary Communications System, or ICS for short. It is only one of the new advantages that membership in the Interspecies Community has brought the Union.

"We have not included the Alliance in the new developments for one outstanding reason, the Interspecies Community abhors slavery and piracy. So long as the Alliance continues with its obsession with both of these, you can never be included in the technological leap forward that the rest of humanity is now enjoying.

"Speaking of slavery, the Union holds the Landstradt responsible for the mistreatment of all Union citizens and members of our military that have been enslaved by the Alliance. To this point, those of you that have funds in Union banks that can be identified have had those funds frozen until such time as we can rescue all of our citizens from the slavery you have illegally impressed on them.

"The confiscated funds will be used to reimburse the costs of treatments, for the returns of estimated lost wages of our retrieved citizens, and in death benefits to the families of those killed by pirates or during their enslavement by the Alliance.

"What funds that are left over, will be returned to the House that it has been confiscated from once the process has been completed. Those Houses that have not held Union slaves will find their funds returned intact.

"The Alliance must decide if it will continue its tradition of slavery or abandon it in favour of the new technologies that are now emerging from the Interspecies Community. If you keep slavery, then you will not be permitted to participate in this great technological leap forward.

"As an aside to your considerations, the Pod-Drran, a new member species, first wanted to attack and destroy humans that are now in their original Home Star System, which humanity refers to as the 109 Piscium System.

"The Pod-Drran have decided, instead, to forego military actions in favour of the new technology. As part of their accord with the Interspecies Community, they are giving up their very large ships, to be transformed into expeditionary ships for exploration further into galactic arm towards the center of our galaxy.

"The Pod-Drran, a warrior race, have chosen peace, a significant change to their existing life choices. They did so in order to gain the support of the Interspecies Community for a major technological leap forward. Because of their actions, the Pod-Drran will be one of the leading races in the upcoming explorations inward of the galactic arm.

"Those are the kinds of choices that the Alliance now faces. Remain as you are now, fixed at your current level of technology, or end slavery and become part of the Interspecies Community and reap the benefits of the new technologies now being offered mankind.

"You may ask the Union representatives now standing before you what other benefits that you may enjoy by joining the remainder of the human race in the Interspecies Community.

"However, the Interspecies Community will not accept you as you are now. They consider you to be uncivilized and unworthy of being part of the Greater Community.

"As, quite frankly, does the TGA. We consider you to be a poor standard of humanity, showing contempt for the persons of others whom you deem to be the lesser to you, to whit, slaves. We want peace between us, but that peace comes at a cost for the Alliance.

"First and foremost, you will suspend your Letters of Mark to the Pirate Syndicates. You will no longer support them, nor purchase items from them that have been gained through piracy, including Union citizens to be traded as slaves.

"Second, you will release all Union citizens and help in their repatriation to the Union and to their families, whether dead or alive, including providing support for their medical treatments, for the returns for lost wages for each individual, and for death benefits for those killed during pirate attacks or while being held by the Alliance as slaves.

"Third, you will begin using more humane methods of punishment for slaves and begin to treat your slaves in a more humane fashion, including providing appropriate levels of food, clothing, and medical support for you slaves. This is in preparation of your eventual abandonment of slavery.

"And finally, the Alliance WILL abandon slavery.

"If you do all of these things, you will prove to the Greater Community that you are fit and ready to be included. They will allow you to join the human progression moving forward.

"You will not need to become part of the Union to do this. You may retain your independence and the name Alliance of Planets. However, your current attitude must change significantly or you will not progress.

"One final point from me, our Navy ships have become much more powerful over the last three years and will continue to do so as new improvements in technologies advances in the Union. This should have been evident to you during the recent raid.

"We now have fleets of ships with superior abilities and firepower that we can use to engage pirate vessels. Because of this, we will no longer tolerate Piracy in Union space. Any and all pirate vessels discovered operating in our space will be attacked and destroyed with impunity.

"But we will not stop there. We will pursue pirate vessels even into Alliance space. We will give no quarter. Those vessels will either surrender or be destroyed. We intend to end piracy within human space.

"We will also pursue the financial aspect of piracy, that is, those who profit from it. As of now, piracy is, quite literally, a dead-end occupation. The Union will deal with it harshly wherever it finds it, even into Alliance space.

"I will now entertain questions from the Landstradt, it should be interesting," the President informed them.

The Landstradt erupted in shouting and recriminations both against the Union and against other members of the Landstradt. The Chair worked hard to bring the floor back under control.

"We have protocols that the members will follow, or you will be censured in the Landstradt!" the Chair shouted.

"I have some questions that all of you will be interested in hearing the answers to, however, they are not aimed at the President of the Union."

The Chair turned to the two Toolend. "Tougrate, you have heard what the President has stated. Do you agree with all that he has said?"

"Yes," Tougrate replied. "The Greater Community abhors slavery and piracy. However, we consider what is happening here to be an internal Human issue. We will not interfere with your issues.

"But, even if we were so inclined to interfere in a race specific issue, we would not support the Alliance, nor trade with you, because you make use of slave labour and because of the inhumane ways you deal with your slaves.

"You would be denied membership in the Greater Community because of these actions and because of your support to piracy. These are things that the Greater Community cannot, and will not, condone.

"In this, all member races of the Interspecies Community agree with isolating the Alliance," Tougrate informed them.

The floor fell silent when they heard this proclamation.

After a few moments of silence, Aurelia rose. The Chair recognized her.

"If we are to eventually end slavery, we will need a new definition of citizen for Alliance Planets," Aurelia stated. "Currently, slaves are not considered citizens, which allows us to treat them in such a poor manner.

"Ambassador Flynet, what is the current definition of a citizen on Union planets?" Aurelia asked.

"It varies from planet to planet, Lady Aurelia, however, the best overall definition would be 'a native or naturalized person who owes alliance to a planetary government'," Flynet informed them.

"So, there are no subsets of citizens on Union planets, Ambassador?" Aurelia asked.

"There are none, Lady Adenomere," Flynet replied. "Unlike in the Alliance, where you have ordinary citizens and elite citizens, there is only one class of citizen in Union planets. Elite status is conferred on a person through their actions and distinctions, such as becoming a Great House would provide, or for significant political or community services. It has no consideration when regarding citizenship itself.

"As there is only one level of citizen, all citizens have the right to vote in local, state, national, regional, or planetary elections: one citizen, one vote. Those who are not citizens cannot vote, with the exception of property owners who are voting for municipal changes to zoning bylaws," Flynet finished.

"We currently hold elections by citizens at the municipal and state levels, though nothing higher than that, with only elite citizens permitted to vote," Aurelia stated. "All higher issues are dealt with in the Regional Councils that report to the planetary governors or here in the Landstradt.

"If we decide to change the Alliance definition of a citizen, what then do we do about higher level politics?" Aurelia put out and sat down.

That brought a lively debate from the floor which the Chair immediately shut down. "While this is a critical issue for the Landstradt, we have the President of the Union willing to take questions. That should be our priority for the moment."

Lady Palay rose. With a nod from Master Palay, the Chair recognized her.

"Mr. President, our people have been using slave labour from the beginning of our colonization of the Alliance planets. We know no other way of working, especially on our farms. How then do you want us to move from our current practices to practices that are uniquely different and, quite frankly, foreign to us?" she asked.

"The Interspecies Community will help you," the President replied. "You can ask the Harradi for assistance. The Harradi are natural farmers, familiar with many techniques for growing crops of all natures in unique environments. They will be more than happy to offer their services...for a price.

"The Harradi have already assisted many of the planets in the Union with unique problems that the Harradi had already solved in dealing with other situations in the Greater Community. Their experiences have given them an encyclopedic knowledge of soil, crop, weather, and labour situations from around the known galaxy. I am sure that they can provide assistance to you to help in changing your current situation."

"This assistance will probably not come cheap," Lady Palay stated.

"Probably not," the President conceded. "However, the benefits to the Alliance for making these changes will more than compensate for your initial losses. Including the loss of slave labour.

"The Harradi will often take payments in surplus food stock. Their own planet cannot sustain their current population, thus the need for acquiring food stock. I am sure a mutual compromise for their aid can be arranged," the President finished.

Junelliya called up an image of a Harradi and threw it to the left-hand screen to show the species. While they looked superficially like humans, there were enough differences to mark them as another species, especially the overlarge eyes. They appeared more rotund than humans but this was explained by the stats of their home world, which was much cooler than most human worlds.

"They would share their knowledge of farming techniques with us despite us being a slave world and involved in piracy?" someone asked from the floor.

"If they know that you are asking for their assistance in order to change from a slave labour economy, they will," the President assured them. "You must understand, while their techniques may seem to be years ahead of all of us, they are only using natural techniques that they change as required to make work under new conditions. This knowledge is something they are willing to offer in trade. As there is no new technology involved, we are happy to have them work with you, especially if it changes the Alliance mindset where slaves are involved."

Richard Bailay rose. "The Chair recognizes Master Bailay of Vuelta."

"Mr. President, there are many houses here that are heavily invested in piracy, yet you are asking us to divest ourselves of a lucrative business, how can you justify that?" Master Bailay demanded.

"Master Bailay, piracy will soon become a dead-end occupation," the President returned. "Literally, as your vessels with be destroyed when encountered wherever they may be found in human or Interspecies space. Surrender or death will be their only option.

"I am aware, Master Bailay, that almost all members of your house have been pirate captains, and even Admirals to pirate fleets. Both your house and that of House Kittering, have been involved with many pirate raids of late.

"You, Richard Bailay, and many of your sons, along with Donald Kittering, and some of his sons, are all listed as pirates who have arrest warrants on all Union worlds. So long as you remain on Alliance planets, we cannot arrest you. The moment you set foot on a Union World, a planet of the Greater Community or are found in Union or Interspecies space; you will be arrested for your criminal activities."

"We are safe then if we remain within the Alliance?" Master Bailay demanded.

"We have no desire to conduct a war with the Alliance, Master Bailay," the President admitted. "However, we will no longer tolerate the Alliance pushing piracy at the Union. This will cease immediately or you will have a war with the Union."

That threat hung for several minutes over the Landstradt.

"Mr. President, you stated that if we gave up piracy and slavery, then you would accept us as part of the great technological leap forward," the Chair stated. "You also stated that we could keep our current independence from the Union as Alliance members.