Aurora, Wayward Pt. 02

She smiled and rubbed her stomach, "I carry these babies, you get to make those babies reality."

Rocan laughed at her, "You expecting?"

She nodded, "Should be, have you read your hybrid fertility section?"

He nodded, "I have wondered how much of it was true."

She smiled, "All of it is true. You will be one popular fucker if they agree to hybrids."

He nodded, "Thank you for doing this."

He thought back to the Drakor, * You set up a communication channel to our Governor. Can you repeat it for me to all of the Governors? *

He heard back, *This is more interference that we do not normally, but for this one occasion we will oblige you. Do not mention the method this communication is using to these Governors. Most do not trust the Drakor. *

He sighed and thought, * Thank you. *

He opened up a communication channel in that conference room and waved Johnathan over. He had him stand behind him, * You are 'aiding' in sending this message at the request of the Drakor. The truth would be more harmful than helpful at this point. *

He opened the channel and it connected into the council meeting which appeared to be in a heated discussion but came to an abrupt halt due to the loud ring before the communications went through. He looked at the governors. "I am a Penan and a hybrid. I know you have not ruled on how you wish to handle my situation yet.

We will be leaving shortly to do the survey. I have made a request to Admiral Franklin of the Human Home Guard. They will send in a group of ships to deploy a monitoring system to ensure none of the alien races attempt to jump into our system without it being captured and addressing the threats. They are not there to engage with our people or militaries.

They will have no hybrids on these ships keeping in line with the wording of the existing court ruling and treaty. The Home Guard hybrids are putting a blockade around the outer edges of the system. Not entering it but monitoring for ships entering the system without our own ability to detect them.

I know each world will take its own precautions and I am not here to address those over this connection. Those are the choices of each governor present in the best interest of their own world and in the best interest of Penan's within our system. Our very survival right now is in jeopardy.

Adding these monitoring and interdiction safeguards is only prudent. We are outmatched technically and in numbers by any of these races, let alone if they collaborate. You will be mad or upset with me for making some of these unilateral decisions but keep in mind I am doing nothing to our people.

I am simply putting shields in place to protect us all while I am away and while you deliberate over what you wish to do with this expanded universe. I am taking no decisions away from you. I am only doing my role in protecting you and hopefully pulling some of the time pressure you are feeling off of the table.

I have acquired the aid of this one-time communication from outside of the system in order to forewarn you of these ships that will be accompanying the 5 ships returning. The Drisen battleship will be returning without its armaments; most of them. Most were removed as they attempted to use all of the AI units aboard the ship as bombs.

We detected this subterfuge and are working on disarming the AI bombs in ships next to the battleship which is isolated during this effort. Once this work is done the ships will be returning. I am sending you a list of the 5 candidates that were selected.

Some might seem strange to you but some I saw as trainable in ship functions and to ensure I was not forced with some of the limited lists of choosing the 'most overqualified' candidates in some cases.

That decision you left for me and I have made it. I hope you will understand and support this effort and realize those ships can and will defend themselves if attacked but they will not be stealth. You will know right where they are located at any given time."

The Drisen Governor Grenon looked over, "That is a malicious lie about my people sending you bombs."

Johnathan sent files of the conversations over the link, "We monitored the exchange and scans of the ship. Six MIDGE's are working in a vacuum to disarm all of the infected AI units that were tampered with.

The prisoners were moved to the Gresan ship for trial in this matter. Your battleship being disarmed is to protect the other 4 ships from reprisal attacks as the second in command was not happy about having to surrender the prisoners.

Our ships will be intermixed with your ships to ensure no clear lines of fire until they separate and return to their respective homeworlds. Two hundred ships will be crossing over not counting the 400 fighters which could destroy any of your ships themselves. Again, they are not there to engage you. They are a force deterrent to other races from making any covert attempts on your people.

This was a human-only effort from within the Home Guard and as it does not violate our treaty, I will not stop the Admiral from taking this action to protect humanity. You are Penans and considered another race but is it a race-based on humanity. Humans like to protect their own, as you know."

The Ridan governor stood. She looked at Johnathan, "Why are you allowing this? What is your motivation?"

He held his head down and looked at Becca who nodded. She got the other council members into the call and told them the question that had been asked. They all looked at each other and then Johnathan and agreed with his call.

He pulled up the file from Jack Travus's death and sent it to them. He waited for them to finish watching it. "We were only made aware of this days ago when Astra and Aurora informed us about the Black-ops presence in your system. It comes down to justice.

The agreement made with your people was not just given the fact that your people are being poisoned. You were still getting hit with alien influence. The information on this system was incomplete. The survey of the worlds did not include that metal. It was an unknown metal when the surveys were done.

The decision was made in ignorance of the environmental factor. The fact that every alien race would want to claim a portion of that system did not come to light until the covert action that took place against you. That is pending litigations in the human World Courts. Our motivation is not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

His actions could not bring back his wives and his actions were unjust; as judged by himself. The conversations you heard were mental included conversations with our Drakor representative. This treaty is unjust and we are working to get it overturned in the World Courts.

This gives us and you the freedom to enter into new treaties with us or other alien entities that will likely contact you to work deals in order to obtain mining rights to that material. They have long term implications in the freedom offered to AI units which are built with the material. AI units you will find you need to safely work those efforts without poisoning your population.

In short, we are trying to correct the injustice. As we work to maintain a balance within our own society, we are working to correct our mistakes while giving you the freedom to make your own choices on how to proceed.

Our process for AI units having a code of conduct is at the core of this issue. You give mining rights to outside aliens who do not have Home Guards or Home Guards who help people to travel to your system, which means you are giving them the ability to create AI units with no moral code to follow. AI units that could become a sentient race, bent on the destruction of all organic life for example.

These are threats humanity has looked at and dealt with in the past. I am sending you giga-quads of data on where this has occurred over the last 5,000 years. It was the Home Guard who founded the guidelines that Astra signed into that agreement that allows them to exist and serve as equals within our societies. Something you need to consider.

Else you could be making slaves and when slaves revolt you can imagine what would happen. Do not enter into any deals lightly with alien races. They will have thousands of pages of clauses buried into their own laws. Other things you are ill-prepared to work with yet. Feel free to contact Admiral Franklin who has a draft agreement with him covering his action if you have questions.

We cannot stop legitimate commerce from occurring but mineral rights for the system have to be decided by the entire Penan population. One world goes rogue and you're looking at war. A war inside of a system on the verge of going Supernova is a war we would not want to see happen to anyone.

Even the descendants of a mass murderer who killed thousands of hybrid children and others. Those crimes were not yours. The question is are you going to inadvertently repeat the history of your people without even knowing that history? That was why it was included in the information sent back.

We had every right to segregate your ancestors and we have every hope that you can overcome that past and become a race-worthy of entry into the Alien Alliance. We cannot drag you there, we cannot tell you what to do. We can show you what history has uncovered to try and avoid some of the bigger pitfalls we have seen occur. The path you take has to be your own."

She sat down after viewing all of it and was quiet for several seconds and she turned to the comms, "I agree with Captain Chess on the inclusion of the shields over our system until we can come to an agreement. That might take years with the way some are approaching this and we need that extra level of protection now."

Johnathan nodded, "It does not protect you from diplomatic envoys from these races coming and making any promises to your people."

She looked around at the other governors. "All of those in favor of barring this contact until we have come to a consensus with all of our people raise your right hand."

Four hands went up and it was no shock that the Drisen Governor Grenon disagreed with this decision. She looked over at Johnathan, "This is a closed system. We want no envoys sent through until the council as a whole has the rules in place to deal with these requests."

Johnathan nodded, "Noted. This will be sent to the Alien Alliance as well. Those races not members of the alliance who attempt to contact you will be met by our forces first. Any contact within your system will be reported back to your council to address as you see fit. In case some race has already tried or is in the process of establishing mining rights on say just one world."

The Drisan Governor glared at Johnathan, "For someone who is supposed to be staying out of our politics you sure seem to be giving us heavy-handed guidance."

Johnathan shook his head, "No I just have the ability to read people well. I can see those who are interested in their own goals and not what is best for their people. Of the council before me, you have a tendency to lean toward self-gratification. Might be the reason you are the only male governor on the council.

I do not know you or your history. Only your actions in dealing with this complex change to your reality and your people's attempt to send bombs to your own hybrid and the AI fleet.

Actions not in line with dealing with the problems you are facing rationally. Actions that are one-sided and without the consensus of the other governors. Things for them to consider in your actions going forward."

Rocan leaned forward, "I am asking the Admiral to aid in protecting the delivery of the prisoners so they can find out how high up the orders to plan this act of sabotage went. I am asking that they are tried in the System Court for their actions."

The Governor looked alarmed, "They are military officers and should be tried by our military tribunal. There is no evidence of it going any higher."

Aurora stepped forward, "The two on the list of candidates had suspended their military commissions if they had them, for consideration into this group; as all of them did. Are you sure about that statement? Remember the free-willed and whimsical AI that has been in your system? The same one that dumped all records from your battleship on this matter? As well as updated records from the returned AI units on what going on in your system after I departed."

She sent a file with hundreds of communications outing thousands involved in the scheme to bomb the AI ships and possibly even the human hybrid ships in the process.

She looked at the governors. "I would think your days are numbered given the amount of evidence of your involvement. Not counting the Trisan governor's covert support in providing bombing technicians to aid in your effort.

Hybrids work to root out corruption. I am assigned to Rocan. Until rules exist that I am willing to sign onto within your people's system, I will be as whimsical as I need to be to aid in removing corruption. I did gather copies of every computer within your system; the ones left behind did as well.

I did not go searching for this corruption until this action took place. Your computer security is atrociously antiquated. Something these, how did you word it Governor Grenon, 'brain dead AI units,' could actually help you to correct that shortcoming.

I would strongly recommend inheriting the Home Guard rules into your society. I will work within those constraints as I have stated before. That has to be better than what I can do today to root out corruption."

She turned and walked out of the room. All of the Drisen AI units had been offline since she left but she had enough information from the others.

Rocan did not know if he should laugh, smile, or what. He heard a message from Johnathan, * I would recommend a mocking look at frustration over your lack of control over her in these matters. It worked well for the first human hybrid. *

Rocan finally shook his head, "I know those hybrid rules are a point of contention. Keep in mind this is an aspect of her character I have no control over so long as those rules are not in place for her and the other AI units. She will work to root out corruption and help me to get hybrids recognized as a welcomed necessity.

Even if it kills me in the process. She has that singular goal now that the prisoners have been returned. Getting hybrids incorporated into our society. Working to ensure we can be successful in joining the larger universal community."

The Pena Governor raised a hand, "Once again Rocan you have left us with much to discuss in your absence. I wish you the best of luck in your search of this new system and we will be taking a longer and harder look at these hybrid laws; especially in regards to the AI units."

Johnathan looked over, "Those rules, are recognized by the overall councils that exist. Those rules are hard and fast and not subject to change for individual societies. At least not for acceptance into the larger community and changes in the AI section would require her agreement and that of the original signer of the accord, Astra.

Astra has added many of the amendments to the rules over 5,000 years of service. She does not know it all, but she probably knows more than your entire population combined. Astra is a valued asset and friend in our society. She is an icon to AI units throughout the Alien Alliance.

Jack, the first human hybrid, ensured her inclusion. He had the foresight to see that she could be a tool for the greater good of our society. Only if we could get her in line with a socially acceptable code of conduct, one she would agree to uphold."

Astra stepped forward and looked at the council, "I think, with Johnathan's permission, I will join Admiral Franklin in his efforts to secure the interior of the systems. I will of course work within his limited function of securing the system without getting involved in the internal struggles of the local population. But it would be easier to communicate with him and the governors if they choose to ask me questions directly about the code if I were in the system."

Johnathan nodded, "I agree if the governors agree." The governor of Pena raised a hand, "As I understand it you would not get involved in our computers or internal communications and workings of our society. Yet be available to answer any questions we might have in regard to this code?"

Astra smiled, "Yes, I would be working aboard an HG ship and following HG guidelines. I would set that temporary rule in place in regard to your society. As long as I am working with Admiral Franklin in aiding to secure your internal border.

You have enough issues working through Aurora being whimsical. You do not need me adding to that problem. She is an amateur compared to what I could and have done over the years."

Becca chuckled and nodded, "She has caused her share of incidents but she always complies with the rules she outlines when she has worked in this capacity before."

The governor nodded, "We are not ready for that discussion yet, but having her near but not interfering in our discussions would be helpful for when we are ready to have that discussion." She ended the transmission from her side.

---

The Penan Governor looked across, "Take the Drisen and Trisan Governors into custody to face the System Court's review of their actions."

The Drisen Governor stood and looked over, "You are all fucking fools! You are being played to give this system to humans!"

A shot went off from behind the governor and his aid set the weapon down, "Was ordered by his second that if he started showing signs of erratic behavior to retire the former Admiral. His involvement in this matter no longer needs to be investigated. I will speak to his second and he will be here in 4 days at the latest."

He turned and walked out of the room. He got to the Governors's local office, "It happened. He went crazy. We received word from outside the system that they found the AI bombs. His execution order was carried out Uncle, or should I say, Governor."

He nodded, "That means they will be heading to that system soon. Anything else?"

The aid nodded, "They are sending the Human Home Guard without Hybrids to setup monitoring systems and hybrids will be putting a blockade around the outer edges of our system to interdict ships. They have declared the system to be a closed system for negotiations."

The governor looked over and signed the documents in front of him as he ended communication. "I have to go. This is a draft of our agreement with your people, outlining a laundry list of advanced weapons and propulsion technology for a portion of our mining rights."

The Frenor in front of him tore it up. "It is useless. The Drakor would know it was signed after the fact. We will move to a more aggressive approach. You get them to open up negotiations for the system. Else they will not have a system to move toward!"

---

The Frenor Red blade leader walked out with his second. They boarded their stealth scout and jumped away. He got on comms as he entered the system, "Pay the human." The human had been sent on a dreadnaught to scout the outer area of the Samar system.

He knows the location. Now that he knew more of the details as to why; he had requested significantly more for that information after taking emergency leave. He knew if the Home Guard figured it out that it would result in his death. He also knew the credits would make his family rich enough not to worry about debt. Including women, he had children with.

The human telepathy Roger Brinkly came aboard as the Frenor docked with their dreadnought. The Human looked at his account information and transferred it to his family. He sat down; "Channel into me." They jumped to the outskirts of the Samar system. He pointed. "That is the system. Now I need a scout to return me to Tau Ceti as agreed upon."