Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 01

Just inside the entrance to the corridor leading to the meeting hall, Jack spotted a Human who looked young and vital in his expensive suit. Meticulously groomed with a few items of conspicuous wealth on his wrist and fingers, Leandro Matais' very presence said money. The lawyer looked uncomfortable, but he'd brought along personal security agents of his own.

Jack looked to the Tik with him. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, I need to speak to this man for a moment." The Tik bowed to him, and he returned it.

Jack approached the lawyer whose expression of relief spoke of his unease at being on Maghadahn. Then his eyes leapt up to Jack's horns, scanned across Jack's security detail, and narrowed.

"Mr. Danner. You are a very difficult man to reach. I'm glad we could finally meet in person," Leandro began as he extended his hand.

Jack shook it and nodded. "I'm also extremely busy, so we should address your request quickly. I'm on my way to another meeting."

Jack noted the two security agents with him were eyeing Cha'Risa's group uneasily. Jack agreed. They did look badass, which he was fine with for this meeting.

The lawyer frowned, then cleared the expression. "The interests I'm representing are interested in discussing the Ishilon's energy cells—"

"Not for sale. Was that it?" Jack asked politely.

Leandro blinked in surprise then his frown returned. "My clients are only looking for exclusive distribution rights for Earth. Their offer is exceptionally generous and would make the Ishilon extremely wealthy!"

"The unchecked accumulation and concentration of wealth and influence led to some of the worst eras on Earth. I lived through the last decades of the Oligarch's Reign. It took my parents' lives, but their lessons kept me alive. Control of the Ishilon power cells on Earth would give these interests you represent the same control over the populace and would very likely lead to another age of Oligarchs. I'd never subject the people of Earth to that. The answer is no," Jack said.

The lawyer's eyes narrowed as he looked into Jack's. "By keeping it for yourself, haven't you become an Oligarch?" Leandro insisted.

Jack locked eyes with the man. "If you're going to talk out of your ass, let me be equally blunt. Calling me an Oligarch for protecting the citizens of Earth from the rampant greed of your clients is the pinnacle of hypocrisy. The benefits of the Ishilon's technology will be used to improve the lives of all, not restricted to maintain the wealth and control of the few. Congratulations on your achievement. As your reward, never contact me or my friends again."

Jack turned and walked away as his team slipped in behind him.

"Ray, can you reroute his comm's calls to something nasty, like a KrakRaw Slawterban Sex-Line?" Jack asked quietly.

Ray chuckled wickedly. "On it."

Standing in clusters outside the meeting room door were the members of the Research Committee who'd been holding up this process for almost twenty years. These were just the leaders of their individual teams.

Jack recognized citizens from Borrelia, Jool, Qui Qui Qui, Deen-Diin, Grellia, and Vikk-Tahh. He noticed they were glancing at his group's approach with nervous or annoyed flicks of their eyes.

Examining the closest committee member, he realized Borrelians would never be confused for Orellians as the two were about as far apart in behavior as possible.

The Borrelian waiting to enter the room had light grey skin and wore a white gown over its thick body, exposing its arms and legs. White sandals completed its outfit. It seemed a little pompous.

He'd only had a few brief encounters with the Borrelians and only on Maghadahn, as very few worked off-planet. They'd behaved like self-important tools in each contact he'd had. He hoped they weren't representative of the people.

The Jool leader was one of their taller examples of its species, standing a handspan taller than Jack. They were roughly humanoid in anatomy, but their faces were strictly insectoid with inner and outer mandibles, compound eyes, and feathered antennae. They grew rough chitinous plates over vital places on their bodies, similar in look to the armor on Jack's commando team.

They were also aggressive and notoriously difficult to work with, so perhaps they were the ones holding up the planet's transition?

The Qui Qui Qui were the only hive-mind race Jack had ever met. They fascinated him! He supposed the unique mental connection his twin daughters shared made them particularly interesting to him. He'd studied how they thought and was looking forward to attempting to communicate with the trio from this race.

The current triad members were roughly five feet tall and had a distinctive coloring. White feathered heads atop slender necks with pear-shaped, black-furred bodies, three equally spaced manipulator limbs, and three strong mobility limbs. They had three large eyes to see in all directions and straw-like mouths for their liquid diet. As their species did, they relied upon their translation devices to communicate with other races. Their thought processing was truly alien, and they had difficulty working harmoniously with other races, making this group's lengthy contact instantly anomalous.

They always traveled in groups of three or multiples of three. They trusted no other combination. Singles were madness. Duos were incomplete and degenerated into madness. Trios meant balance and serenity for them.

The Deen-Diin Jack had plenty of experience with, meaning they did their best to ignore him at official get-togethers. They really were an antisocial race.

Much like the big Grellian, which was standing off to the side facing away from everyone so as not to acknowledge them. Geez.

Jack's eyes finally reached the Vikk-Tahh leader, and she immediately preened while simultaneously turning her back on him. Another race Jack had little experience with, and for good reason.

Like others of her race, her smooth blue-grey skin had the sheen of wet rubber. The Vikk-Tahh were uniformly slim with muscular bodies, which they enjoyed displaying. They wore the briefest of skirts over their genitalia.

Also, like her people, she had large black eyes, a minimal nose, and a lipless mouth on her hairless oval head. She was very close to Jack's height, so if she'd faced him, they might see eye to eye, at least in the literal sense.

While the Vikk-Tahh were well known for being scientifically advanced, they weren't easy to work with as they were so freaking arrogant and egotistical, believing in their superiority over the other races they met.

Even faced with this rude attitude, Jack could work around it and maintain a professional demeanor with them. What he struggled with most was that their voices squeaked like balloons being rubbed together. Keeping a straight face while arguing with a squeaky toy tested Jack like nothing else.

Jack wondered how this particular group could have managed to work together for so long. What common glue did they have to stick together?

A group of three beings wearing variations of a white shoulder wrap moved in unison down the hall toward the room. The committee members immediately stirred, so Jack noted the three must be the Assembly officials the committee reported to. The wraps must be a uniform of office. He hadn't seen them on his last visit.

One was a physically imposing Shriis, an ancient reptilian race. Covered in deep purple scales, they walked on four thickly muscled legs and had two sets of equally muscular arms. Their jaws were wide and filled with serrated teeth, necessary for shredding the tough flowers from their native planet, which exclusively made up their diet.

The second being was covered in shaggy white fur, showing no other features. While they appeared to walk upright, seemingly on two legs, Jack thought they resembled shaggy sheep dogs. Not that he ever shared his impression of the Fullchowe. He'd never spoken to one, so he was curious to hear its voice.

The final member of this group was a collection of sticks. One of the few sentient and ambulatory plant races in the Assembly, the Rooroovah resembled a bundle of sticks standing half as tall as Jack. They were among the most ancient races in the Assembly and were known for their patience and gracious attitudes. Considering how many of their early ambassadors were mistaken for kindling and used to start fires, this forgiving attitude was surprising and welcome.

The Shriis, Fullchowe, and Rooroovah were all original members of the Assembly, whose territories were roughly in the same region of space as the Allsa Komanae, so the Assembly assigned them as the official overseers for the Research Committee dealing with the planets.

They entered the room, and the Research Committee Leaders filed inside. The Tik followed, and Jack walked in with his group.

The chamber was grand, with murals depicting the meeting of different races and the formation of the Assembly. Jack noted that while images of the Tik were included, they were never front and center of these historic depictions. Never mind the fact that the Tik were typically the ones who managed the initial first contact meetings. The Assembly's bias against the Tik was clearly evident.

The trio of committee overseers took their seats at a raised dais, and the Research Committee members took their seats at the tables facing them.

The Tik and Jack's group took seats in the gallery behind the Research Group.

A surprisingly musical chiming began, then resolved into speech as the Rooroovah started the meeting. "Calling to order the one-hundred and seventy-fifth progress review for the Allsa Komanae Research Committee. Chairing the meeting are Ghunka Hree, Citizen of Shriis, Haah Imman Foo, Citizen of Fullchowe, and myself, Nris Jolo, Citizen of Rooroovah. Recognizing the presence of all members of the Research Committee as well as the Tik Allsa One Petition Team. We also recognize another group and call upon them to identify themselves for the record."

All eyes in the room turned and focused their attention on Jack, so he stood to face the dais. Show time.

"Jack Danner, Citizen of Earth, Citizen of and Ambassador for Altaria, Citizen of Chuuruthia, Citizen of Chrystan, Citizen of Callosephia and Shadeem to the Ishilon," Jack said in his best diplomat's voice, projecting it to reach all corners of the room. He gestured to the orb hovering between his horns. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, my Tik companion." Then he gestured to the black-garbed commandos and caught a slight shake of Cha'Risa's head. "My security detail," he said in conclusion. He'd intended to give their names, but it seemed this was not desired. Perhaps it might cause them grief at home.

Ghunka chose to speak, and the big Shriis' voice was as deep and booming as Jack had suspected it might be. "You have quite the set of credentials, but it leaves me wondering on whose behalf you're here for."

Jack froze. He hadn't expected to be asked that question.

Who was he here for? The question spun in his head as pressure grew inside him while silence filled the room.

His hand reached up to the neck of his gown unconsciously and tugged the fabric down until his slave collar was visible for all to see. "I-I speak for the dead! I speak for the past victims of the A-Allsa Komanae who never made it home!" He swallowed as a lump formed in his throat. "I speak for the future victims of the Allsa Komanae who continue to suffer from that race's horrific attempt at genocide and from this committee's inability to break the deadlock on the decision to open Allsa One for colonization."

The Research Committee Team Leaders exploded into outraged shouts, except for the Qui Qui Qui, who remained silent and watched Jack as he struggled to regain control of his emotions.

Jack sat down, and Cha'Risa reached over and held his hand as she saw he was struggling. He gave her a weak smile and concentrated on his breathing until he felt his calm return.

His outburst had caught him by surprise. He certainly hadn't intended to challenge anyone to this degree, but the more he thought of how many years had passed and how many fucking progress review meetings they'd had without actually progressing, it threatened to make his blood boil.

"Well said, Jack! The Tik Allsa One Petition Team is cheering for you. Silently, of course," Rikki shared with Jack over their private channel.

"Order!" Ghunka boomed, and the room went silent as the Research Committee members settled down to cast glares back at Jack.

"These are serious charges, Jack Danner of Earth, Altaria, Chuuruthia, Chrystan, and Callosephia," Haah Imman Foo said from within its furry depths. Jack noted its voice was exceptionally smooth and serene. The voice of a seasoned politician. "Are you prepared to present your case?"

Jack blinked at the question and once more wondered what he was doing. He hadn't intended to do more than listen today. Maybe he'd speak up if he didn't hear what he needed. Now it seemed he was about to take over the meeting entirely.

He looked at the three committee overseers. They seemed interested and willing to listen, but he assumed they had no skin in this game other than the time it took out of their day to attend these meetings.

The expressions on the faces of the Team Leaders, on the other hand, were downright hostile, except for the Qui Qui Qui, who just appeared to be frozen with indecision. He wondered if this was likely due to the number of participants in this conversation. Jack counted three committee overseers, six Research Committee members (the triad would count themselves as one), six regular Tik (Ray and the Tik team), and six black-garbed guests (counting Jack and Rikki as separate entities). These were all fortunate numbers for the Qui Qui Qui, so their frozen state must have another cause.

Back to the question, was Jack prepared to present a case? He needed information, so he addressed Rikki internally. "Rikki, do you have statistics on the Research Committee's performance in successfully identifying the deceased on Allsa Komanae over the years?"

"The Tik team can provide me with this information instantly," it responded immediately.

Jack looked to the committee overseers, who were beginning to grow impatient. "Yes, I am."

Ghunka actually seemed pleased by the change in direction for the meeting. "Please proceed."

Jack stood once more and took a deep breath. "Let's get one thing out of the way. I'm not here because I think I'm better qualified to do the job of the Research Committee. What are my qualifications? I was there. Before anyone knew the Allsa Komanae were keeping slaves on their homeworld. I saw horrors and experienced things I still have nightmares about. The rescue operation, regardless of who did it, was necessary! It had to end as it did. Those slaves needed to be freed. For the ones who didn't survive, their remains need to be taken home to give their families closure." Jack swallowed past the lump and continued.

"In the early days, the Tik were performing the task of identifying the living and dead. I say now, there is no one better suited to this task, but it was taken from them for reasons only some members of the Assembly believe."

This brought a scowl to Ghunka's face. Jack couldn't see Haah's face or interpret facial expressions on sticks. "Instead, a new Research Committee was selected, comprised of the six member races we see before us. The task was difficult, and without the skills of the Tik, delays could only be expected."

Internally, Jack imagined a graph showing year after year numbers of victims identified. In less than two seconds, Rikki presented real numbers in a chart. It was as expected. There was an immediate drop off in successful identifications right after the Tik were removed from the project, but there was a sudden and suspicious drop seven years ago.

Jack gestured to the walls. "Is there a wall or a screen I can project something onto?"

Nris pressed a button, and one of the lovely wall murals became a brilliant white surface.

"Thank you," Jack said with a little bow toward the RooRoovah. Internally, he asked Rikki to project the graph.

"We see the immediate drop in successful matches when the Tik were removed from the task. The Research Committee tried their best at first, as can be seen, but the numbers were steadily dropping until this precipitous drop seven years ago. The number of successful identifications has become minimal in the last... seven... years."

The Research Committee was beginning to get loud with their protests.

"Let me say again, I'm not here because I think I'm better qualified to do the job of the Research Committee. These numbers are terrible and getting worse, but what I find most disturbing is that no one is asking for justification for this pattern to be allowed to continue!" Jack picked up the uneasy and potentially hostile body language from the committee overseers. They were now being put on the spot for their indifference.

"FACT: Allsa One had no slaves residing there. This has been proven. All slaves were moved directly to the Allsa Komanae homeworld via their spacecraft. I know what that feels like as I rode in one.

FACT: Allsa One has no documentation for the slaves or the business of collecting or moving them. This was discovered in the initial days after the rescue by the Tik and was reported to the Assembly."

Rikki slipped another tidbit of information about Allsa One's Gate to Jack, and he picked it up seamlessly.

"FACT: Allsa Komanae was given a Gate of its own a few months after the rescue. The Research Committee and their team could go there directly from any Gate with their special authorized access, but instead, they had the new Gate made only available to the Gate on Allsa One. Was there a valid reason to bind these two planets into the same restricted access rules?"

He raised his hand to block the responses from the Research Committee members. "They've given no timeline for when they will release Allsa One, and from the facts we know, we can find no viable reason it shouldn't be opened now! We understand work continues on Allsa Komanae, but again, the Harruushans face prematurely shortened lifespans and altered birthrates due to the hazards caused by their altered sun. The law of diminishing returns has been reached and passed. I'm not saying we discontinue the work on Allsa Komanae. It shouldn't end until every one of the victims is given some kind of closure."

Jack looked directly at each of the three beings sitting on the Dais. "Can you justify extending Allsa One's lockdown for a decreasing number of identifications against the known and increasing risk to the populace of Harruusha? We are losing more Harruushan citizens than the number of deceased slaves the Research Committee's team is identifying."

Rikki projected the current rate of premature deaths against the most recent report from the Research Committee. It was a damning statistic. He saw them shift uncomfortably, so he hoped they finally understood their responsibility.

The Borrelian team leader stood to face the committee overseers. "If this so-called expert is finished slandering the excellent work of our teams in their most trying endeavor, I would like to address some of the misinformation that's been presented."

Jack bowed to the beings on the dais for giving him the opportunity to speak and sat, facing the Borrelian.

"If you look at the report we present at each progress meeting, you see a natural decrease in the number of victims we've identified. This is because we are approaching the threshold where the remains are severely degraded, and it takes longer to process each case. It's as simple as that."

"What happened seven years ago which caused such a precipitous drop in your numbers? As the Allsa Komanae had been steadily taking slaves for a very long time, there couldn't have been a sudden and dramatic increase of decomposition to explain such a significant decrease," Jack asked calmly.