Emissary 24-36

PART 2

24

Within the hour, hundreds of video files of the “Gen-Con Encounter” were uploaded to the internet. Within a few hours, dozens of these went viral. The next morning, nearly all media outlets were buzzing about the events of the previous night.

Some commentators dismissed the whole affair as a “hoax,” as “fake news,” as the concoction of “geeks and nerds” pathetically trying to seek their “15 minutes of fame.” Others didn’t want to pass judgement so quickly, because investigators were on site collecting information from interviews, which so far largely agreed on the salient features of what happened on opening night.

Some pundits heralded the ‘visitation’ as potentially a new era for humanity, while cautioning the arrival of another species would force us all to change our thinking in dramatic ways. They wondered aloud if Earth’s resources could withstand the immigration of Alix’s people and debated the extent to which their technology could help them and us in the years ahead. “What if they make things worse?” was a common refrain, asked with an eye towards the social problems our own species already faces. Some suggested governmental programs to help integrate Alix’s people and Earth’s people. Others accused the government of killing Alix to cover-up the whole incident.

Meanwhile, other pundits questioned the veracity of Alix’s claim that she came only to help and wouldn’t try to conquer our planet. Many agreed Alix’s species might not be coming in peace and her offer might be a ruse to get us to let our guard down. It would be wise to prepare for an invasion, some said. Some wondered aloud if the newcomers would be granted the right to vote, or to intermarry with humans, and accused their opponents of supporting their arrival just to curry favor and gain political power. Some suggested the so-called ‘visitation’ was the result of a weak military and too much globalization.

Economists debated the potential effects of alien technology on Silicon Valley, World Markets, and the world economy in general. Some expressed the belief if the nanotech worked as promised, hospital corporations and pharmaceutical companies could go bankrupt, and markets could crash. Others had a lot of anxious questions – what about the ability to fold things into small packages, fly at ludicrous speeds, pass through walls, erect force fields, change the local gravitational constant, not to mention whatever propulsion and energy technology was in the spacecraft? Any one of these could end the field of economics as they understood it. There was too much worry to measure, most of it about what economists and many others were going to do when their jobs were no longer needed.

Representatives of major religions debated whether Alix’s people believed in God or were atheists. Many speculated about their moral code. Others suggested she could be an angel or even a demon. Some even speculated about whether she had somehow enthralled Mark or perhaps had unholy intercourse with him. All agreed the ‘visitation,’ if true, was going to shake up established notions of belief. Alix could in fact become an iconoclast of sorts, smashing preconceptions and thousands of years of theology that placed ‘mankind’ at the center of the universe. Evidently, we did not know enough about the universe to make that assumption. And, if Alix’s species existed, were there more intelligent beings living among the stars? Belief can sometimes be a fragile thing. This could be one of those times.

As high-pitched and fraught as the talking-head-media debates were, social media was far more agitated and irrational. People with no first-hand knowledge of the events whatsoever weighed-in regardless. Conspiracy theories abounded. Trolls had a field day. Alix’s presence was to some an effort by the “deep state” to enact a world government. Some picked up the ball the clerics dropped and suggested all manner of human-alien sexual adventures, painting Alix and Mark as perverted or just plain disgusting. A few of the more skeptical types saw the ‘visitation’ as possibly a mass-hallucination. Others chimed in they wanted some of what the eyewitnesses were smoking. The words, ‘rumor,’ ‘gossip,’ or ‘fake news’ wouldn’t begin to describe the frenzy. Memes depicting spaceships, aliens, interspecies sex, ray guns, teleportation, and other sci-fi scenes ridiculed the events and the main characters.

Practically no one seriously discussed any of the possible existential threats to humanity.

25

In the days that followed, Mark and Michele followed the news, of course. But more disturbing was the constant presence of reporters and paparazzi around their home. Thankfully Andrew and Elizabeth were being left alone for now. Everybody wanted an “exclusive” interview with The Emissary. Many wanted to know how Mark pulled it all off. Some smelled profit in the air and wanted to break-in and steal some of the world-changing technology for themselves.

For his part, Mark was able to re-deploy the space craft in one room of his house. It was strange to open the guest room door to enter another world, complete with an engineering console and a graceful regeneration chamber. Mark thought it was somewhat amusing and strangely fitting to place his “guest” in this room. Since the authorities already knew where he lived, the craft’s signature signal would make no difference. He set-up a force field around the house, so intruders would not be able to enter, but unfortunately the scrum of reporters meant his family could hardly leave either. While he was deciding what to do next, he had the ship’s computer – well, calling it a computer would be like calling an F-35 fighter jet a hang glider – set up a stock trading procedure to pay back Chase Bank for the “car loan.” He had to be sure to time the program to end in a few days, because if it ran unchecked it would likely crash the world economy within a month. It seemed to Mark this this was a woefully mundane use for a quantum intelligence, but the “computer” was as ethical as Alix and didn’t seem to mind.

Mark apprised Michele of the outline of his adventure, even introducing her to Alix in her regeneration chamber.

“She looks so helpless in there,” …Michele paused for half-a-minute… “Are you attracted to her?”

“Well…not in the way you suspect. You are my love, not Alix. But I must admit I find her fascinating and I could easily become infatuated with her,” he laughed.

“Dammit, Mark, be serious!”

“OK, here it is, seriously. When we stopped over in Dayton, something happened.”

“You had sex with her?” Michele blurted out, “I knew it!”

“No, not that!” Mark said emphatically, “but there is something I want you to know. And before I tell you, I want to let you know I hope you too will be able to experience it before long.”

“You’ve got my attention,” Michele said with a mixture of skepticism and gravity.

“You remember what I told you about the nanites?”

“Yes…”

“The nanites are also capable of enhancing the sharing of knowledge, feelings, and experience between two individuals, even between our two species. Alix and I were having this discussion about non-verbal communication, and she demonstrated this to me.”

“Oh, God, what did she do?”

“Nothing more than touch like this.” He demonstrated the way they had stretched palms over each other’s eyes and fingers over each other’s foreheads. “It only lasted for a minute or two, but this is how I learned to use all her technology. She even shared she anticipated I would need to know what she knew.”

“Is that all?”

“Well…not exactly. I gained a powerful sense of her thoughts as well as her knowledge of her people and she gained the same from me. We also seem to have developed a sort of telepathic connection. I felt this keenly at Gen-Con.”

“Should I be jealous? Was it like that movie…with the old people?”

“You mean, Cocoon? No, not like that, not in an ecstatic sort of way, but it was intense to have so much knowledge dropped into my brain in a couple of minutes. I must say, it felt like the connection lasted much longer.”

“So, it wasn’t like sex then?”

“No, but it was intimate.”

“So…I should be jealous?”

“Please, don’t be jealous. When Alix recovers enough, maybe she can demonstrate this connection with you. Then you will know.”

“Do you love your new intimate companion?”

“If by love you mean, do I respect, admire, and hold her in high regard? Yes, I do. Remember, for some reason I took a bullet for her, just as I would have for you. Maybe I find something attractive about a person who was willing to travel dozens of light-years on a mission to help my planet and hers. I would respect and admire such a person, male or female, humanoid, or reptilian, for having that kind of courage.”

“But it doesn’t hurt that Alix is a humanoid woman and happens to look like a cross between that beautiful elf in The Lord of the Rings and Abby from NCIS, does it?”

“OK, you’ve got me there. But keep in mind you and I have a history…”

“Which she probably knows about…”

“Yeah…there’s that.” Mark admitted, then added, “She certainly knows what you mean to me. When she wakes up you can ask her yourself.” Mark secretly hoped Alix would be discrete about his thoughts, especially his relationships prior to Michele, but it was probably too late to consider that as well.

26

The President and the Director of the NSA watched the footage of the “Gen-Con Encounter.” They reviewed the demonstrations Alix offered and saw the Colonel’s men shooting Alix and failing to apprehend anyone who had any direct knowledge of the ‘alien.’ Further, they were briefed about Mark’s location and their experience with the alien technology. The President asked to see Mark’s last speech several times. At length, he spoke.

“Who the hell is this Emissary?”

The NSA Chief replied, “Mr. President, he is a retired Music Professor from a small midwestern church-related university. Married, with two children. No criminal record. Has held no political office or position of prominence in the community. Taught at the university level for 38 years. Seems to have been well-liked by his peers and students. Played trumpet in local ensembles, has a few followers on Instagram. Has been somewhat left leaning in his social media posts. Recently did some hiking on the Appalachian trail. He’s nobody special.”

“How did this loser become ‘The Emissary’ between two worlds?”

“Unknown, Sir. We think it has something to do with gaining the trust of the alien…Alix. Together they eluded capture for several days.”

“You mean the one the Colonel’s men shot dead?  And you’re sure she is…was…the real deal?”

“We are 99.9% certain. Her spacecraft is certainly not from around here. It can reach speeds of Mach 10 and up in our atmosphere, has some sort of cloaking technology, and as you just saw can glide through walls and shrink to the size of a suitcase. We have no idea what kind of weapons it has on board, although we are pretty sure Alix, as she called herself, was able to hack our drones and military helicopters with ease. Oh, and currently there is a force field around The Emissary’s house.”

“So, you’re telling me this thing is for real?”

“Yes, Sir. At least we must treat it as a real situation or a real threat as you prefer?”

“What will happen if we nuke it?”

“Unknown, Sir. Do you really think we should nuke an alien spacecraft in the middle of Indiana?”

“If we have to. Let’s not rule it out.”

“With all due respect, Mr. President, that could kill hundreds of thousands of our own citizens.”

“If it will eliminate the threat, we might be forced to launch a pre-emptive strike.”

“I strongly advise against it, and so do the Joint Chiefs. The nuke might just be hacked. She sent our drones back where they came from. What if she did that with a nuclear missile? Or the ship could detect the incoming missile and just fly away, leaving it to destroy half the town. Then, there is the fallout. The prevailing winds move eastward, and the radiation could reach into Pennsylvania or Washington, DC.”

“Well, how can I be sure the aliens mean us no harm? We’ve all heard the old line, we come in peace. Hell, I’ve even used that line when peace was the last thing on my mind. How can we be sure this ‘Emissary’ won’t attack us?”

“We can’t be sure, but, Sir, that’s not part of the deal The Emissary offered, although he did promise to defend himself and his family if necessary. I think we may be safe as long as nobody from this planet attacks him.”

“What if that son-of-a-bitch decides to attack Washington? How long would it take him to get here?”

“Less than 10 minutes, Sir. He could be parked on the White House lawn in less than 10 minutes, probably more like 5, and I don’t think there’s a damn thing anybody could do about it. But, according to my sources, for now he is staying put, probably waiting for someone from this planet to make the next move.”

“OK, how do we contact the so-called Emissary?”

“I have his cellphone number, but his phone was found smashed on the street not far from the Walmart.”

“What about the wife’s number?”

“We have that too.”

“Then, let’s call him on her number and see what he says.”

“Very well, Sir.”

27

Michele’s phone rang. “Where’s area code 202?” She asked.

“That would be Washington, DC. I think it’s for me.”

“Please hold for the President of the United States…”

“Hello, this is the President. Am I speaking to Mark Murray.”

“Yes. Maybe you should refer to me as The Emissary.”

“The Emissary of what exactly?”

“Fair enough,” Mark thought for a moment, “The Emissary of the Natovaran people.”

“Well…then…I’m sorry about what happened to your associate, Alix.”

“So am I. I was hoping for a more peaceful reception, as was she.”

“Let’s get right to the point. What do you want?”

“Did you have a chance to review the video of the encounter at Gen-Con?”

“Yes.”

“I expected you had. If you haven’t, you should fire your staff.”

“Well, what do you want to start with?”

“A better question. Here is my answer. There can be no other. As a first step, all the nations of the world must disarm, deactivate all strategic and tactical weapons, conventional, nuclear, chemical, and biological, and agree to use their military forces only to provide humanitarian aid or serve to keep the peace in their own nations. All hostilities – international and internal – must end, and all resources used to fund war and preparations for war must be diverted to civilian use. The countries of the world will need all those resources to adapt and develop the technology the Natovarans are prepared to share. You have one month to begin this process.”

“What if we don’t do as you ask?”

“If what I ask is not done, we will not share our technology and we will leave the people on this planet to fend for themselves.”

“What kind of tech are we talking about?”

“If you saw the video footage, you have seen just the beginning of what we have to offer.” Energy, propulsion, food, materials, medical, computer, and communications technology – the list is long. At your current rate of development, it will take our scientists 500-600 years to develop everything the Natovarans have to offer. The trouble is, we may only have 150-200 years, given the threats our species faces.”

“What kinds of threats?”

“You are the President, the leader of the so-called free world. You should know,” Mark scolded.

“Humor me.”

“Very well. Here is the short list: Climate change, water shortages, food shortages, epidemics, over-population, depletion of natural resources, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons, asteroid strikes, mass extinction…”

“Wait, I’m told we have enough oil for more than two centuries.”

“Then what, Mr. President? What about your great-great-great-grandchildren? Don’t native Americans say we should plan for seven generations? It seems we are more than content to maximize profits for only one or two.”

“But we are finding new oil, coal, and mineral deposits all the time. Some say there is much more available than we imagined.”

“Do you seriously think these resources are anything but finite? Some cities are already running short of safe drinking water and extracting oil and minerals will only get more difficult and more expensive. Fracking is already contaminating the groundwater in several areas. The fact that the governments of the Earth have failed to adequately address these problems for so long may prove to be the undoing of our species.”

“What if we decide to go it alone, without Natovaran help?”

“It might be worth a try, but the whole paradigm of how we run our governments, our economy, and our social structure would need to change, and quickly. Humans living on the Earth are like chicks living inside an egg. The embryonic chicken is provided an allotment of food for a finite time, then she must hatch and learn to fend for herself or die. Well, humans are supposed to be smarter than chickens, a proposition I sometimes doubt, especially when it comes to politicians – no offense – so I believe God, or nature, whichever you prefer, intends for us to invent our own sources of support, our own technology, so-to-speak, to be able to live, not if, but when Earth’s resources run low. We too must mature, we must hatch, or we will die.”

“And your friends, the Natovarans, have come to help us hatch?”

“Precisely.” It occurred to Mark the President might have a better understanding of this problem if he had ever read anything other than a prospectus or balance sheet.

“I hope you know what you’ve asked is next to impossible. I don’t think I can broker such a deal, and I’ve brokered many deals. Would you be willing to speak to the UN and perhaps give a little demonstration?”

“Certainly. I was hoping you would ask. Would you be willing to set that up for me? My schedule is open. Oh, and would you please call off all these reporters, I am The Emissary, not The Prisoner.”

“I’ll be in touch soon.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

The conversation was over. Mark had had his say at least, but he was no more optimistic now than he had been previously. The countries of his home planet had been locked in suspicion, distrust, and a deadly arms race no one was willing to stop for much longer than he had been alive. Further, he had reason to believe they would still be locked in the same pattern until the species ended itself or until after he died, 200 years from now, whichever came first. So, he now faced the prospect of living long enough to witness the extinction of his own species, and certainly many others. This filled him with dread, and not only was he doubting himself, but a small part of him regretted the day he got involved with this mission. Yet, the better part of him – namely Alix – saw a glimmer of hope that he might be able to help change the future. He told himself to hold on to that thought with all his strength.

Michele had listened in on the conversation. She told Mark he had never sounded so forthright and confident, almost as if he was another person. It occurred to him he in fact was another person, or rather two-persons-in-one. The better part of him was the optimistic Alix, who seemed to see more potential for good in his species than he did. He tried not to dwell on this duality, because he had already been dealing with his own dualities for six decades. But he knew on some level he would need to face this set of complexities sooner or later. Somehow, he didn’t think the typical therapist would be much help.

He paced the floor, checked on Alix, looked out the window, and then paced some more.

Michele told him to calm down. “You’ve done your best, that’s all Alix could ask.”

“I’m glad you think so, but I still feel inadequate. So much is riding on this. I just don’t want to disappoint her…and her people.”

“You are attached to her. I heard a hint of the way you used to be with me in what you just said. If she makes you want to be the best you can be, for her or anyone else, I’m all for it. Just tell me you won’t fly to the other side of the galaxy with her.”

“Have I told you how much I love you lately? The fact that you are by my side means everything to me. I promise not to fly away unless you come with me.”

“It’s a deal.”

Mark paced over to the window again, just in time to see the reporters and paparazzi packing up and getting into their cars. “Well, I guess the President is good for some things. Look at this.”

“Remember to thank President for me,” Michele quipped, “the next time you two have lunch.”

28

Within the hour, the President called again. “I have arranged for a General Assembly meeting of the UN next week. It will take a few days to make sure all the ambassadors and representatives are present. Please be there at 10 am Monday. I don’t need to tell you the only way this will work is for everyone to believe what you say is true and understand the Natovarans have not come to invade the Earth.”

“I’ll be there. Thank you, Mr. President. Michele and I both thank you for sending the reporters away.”

At the words, “Michele and I,” the president bristled a little.

There was nothing left to do but rest and prepare. Mark spent the next few days testing himself on the use of Natovaran technology. He played with his holographic wardrobe – a pretty good way to practice, he thought. He discovered the technology was more than simply holographic. It was able to adjust the density of the garment to temperature and wind conditions, keeping the wearer comfortable, yet able to move freely. Any outfit could also be toughened with a force field. He also familiarized himself with the spacecraft, even taking Michele on a guided tour. It seemed the more he tapped away at his new wristband, the more the symbols and the language made sense to him. The symbols were arranged in a 5×5 array, 25 in all, yielding thousands of combinations. These were the primary letters in the Natovaran alphabet, some of which had different sounds and meanings, depending on their order of occurrence. He was beginning to see why the words Alix shared with him, including her own name, were only approximations in English. Word order also conveyed different meanings in her language. For example, “hard walk” and “walk hard” in English have different meanings. Natovaran was like that, except more so. Sentences could be composed of the same words and symbols, yet if their order were different, they could convey an entirely different thought. Natovaran words were more like the combination of a lock or segments of a code than anything else he could think of. English speakers have the luxury of using a comparatively simple phonetic scheme and repetitive combinations of letters. One had to be careful when using Natovaran of symbols. There was little room for imprecise phrases. Alix probably found spoken English easy after mastering her own language. Mark wondered if her knowledge of English was what made his earlier thoughts seem clearer than she expected. I suppose it helps to know the language when you read someone’s mind, he mused.

Michele did her best to cope with new realities, although she had many more questions than answers. Imagine how you would feel if your spouse had brought home an injured guest from another planet, one of the opposite sex, with whom he had been “on the run” for several days. If she had reservations, she tried not to show them. She had watched many science fiction movies with Mark over the years and had listened as he went on and on about the possible existence of intelligent life, new technologies, and what might happen to society in the future. She had always looked out for Mark, not out of obligation, but because she loved him and wanted the best for him. She now felt a strange new compulsion to be there for him. He returned the favor, telling her again and again how much he appreciated her, how he couldn’t go through this without her, and how he wouldn’t know what to do if she wasn’t on his side. Throughout their long marriage, they had been a good team whenever times got tough, and this time was no exception. Certainly, they knew how to quarrel and squabble, often over silly, inconsequential things, but when something really important happened, or was about to happen, their relationship tended to grow stronger. Mark was grateful for Michele’s presence in his life. He had told her many times throughout their marriage he had “chosen wisely” in marrying her.

As a precautionary step, Mark had given Michele a special ring-shaped collar, like the one he now wore, except with a special purpose. This collar was designed for defensive purposes and would project a force field strong enough to stop a charging rhinoceros whenever anyone tried to lay a hand on her. It was also programmed to administer an electric shock proportional to the force applied to it. She said it would not be necessary, but he insisted. If she saw a threat, all she had to do was tap it once to activate and twice to deactivate, like the old “clapper” light switches, or just say, “protect” and “safe.” Mark said he would always be no more than a phone call away. His wristband would relay the call, and he would return immediately, which would be almost literally true in the Natovaran spacecraft.

As much as he didn’t want to fail Alix, Mark wanted Michele to be proud of him. He wanted to be his most focused, rational self, not overly emotional or dramatic, with just enough conviction and intensity to convince world leaders to do the right thing…for once. He truly hoped they would think of their legacies and the survival of all of humanity ahead of their petty personal or national interests. Like his marriage, which got stronger for the big stuff, even though it sometimes got hung up on the small stuff, he hoped the nations of the world would come together and be strong for what one day might become known as the greatest step in the history of humanity. Alix said his chances would be only slightly better than a coin flip, but at least her people thought he had a chance. Sometimes it felt to him as though he had none.

29

The day came for the trip to New York. Mark was as ready as he could be – perhaps more prepared than he thought he would be. He felt Alix’s thoughts in his head, cohabitating with his own, and was oddly at ease with this feeling. He felt her strength, indeed her presence with him, and realized he would need all the help he could get. He decided to go to the UN alone – he was ‘The Emissary’ after all – and not to put his family at risk. He left Alix in her chamber, protected by a force field, and with a series of taps on his wristband reshaped the spacecraft as a large SUV-sized version of itself – on the outside. Inside, like the legendary, but fictional TARDIS, there was more volume than it would appear from the outside. The vertical car-door-like hatch opened into a control room with a silver-bronze seat and a viewscreen, all operated by the 5×5 array on his wristband. He seemed to know instinctively what symbols to press and when, and curiously, the craft seemed to sense what he wanted it to do, so after the initial commands were keyed-in, Mark could sit back and ‘think’ the craft to the UN building. Elon Musk, eat your heart out, he thought.

He arrived at the UN on schedule. The craft sifted through the ceiling of General Assembly Hall and materialized on the right side of the dais. The curiosity of the audience was palpable. Mark exited the craft and was duly introduced. Seeing no threats in the room, and detecting none as well, he spoke. His first order of business was to request the permanent representatives of the Security Council join him aboard the spacecraft. All stepped forward, except the US representative, who declined, saying he believed he should remain “impartial” because The Emissary was a citizen of the US.

“Very well,” Mark said, and cheerily added, “This will only take a moment. We’ll be right back.”

Mark tapped another sequence of letters and the hatch opened again. This time a series of steps formed in the hull of the craft. He also touched a few more symbols to set-up the full effect. Three things happened after Mark said they would be “right back.” First the representatives entered the craft one-by-one. Second as they set foot in the control room, all of them gasped because the space on the inside was larger than the outside. It appeared to be the size of a sitting room or salon rather than an SUV. And third, Mark invited them to tea. They each protested, reminding him he told the assembly they would be right back, and everyone would think something had gone wrong. Mark said, “don’t worry, they will wait,” and 5 chairs formed themselves in a circle. He motioned for them to choose a seat and proceeded to pour tea and offer them refreshments while the view screen showed an image of the General Assembly.

The French ambassador noticed it first. “Monsieur, it looks like the audience is a but a photo on your screen.”

“Very observant, François. May I call you François?” Seeing a nod, Mark continued. “The audience looks like that because time is running at a different speed inside the craft than outside it. Inside, time is passing quickly, while on the outside it is passing at the normal rate. I suppose you are familiar with ‘The Flash.’ Well, in here, relatively speaking, we are moving rapidly like The Flash, while the audience seems to be standing still. This technology can borrow a little relativistic time dilation and pay it back as time compression on a very limited basis. We have been inside for about 20 minutes now, while outside, it will seem like we just entered and then came right back out. Let’s see.”

The Security Council representatives exited the craft, one-by-one. Someone in the audience exclaimed, “You just went in a second ago! What’s going on?”

“François, would you care to explain?”

François did so, accompanied by nods and verbal expressions of agreement from his fellow representatives. The enthusiastic Frenchman even pointed out the tea stain on his tie. He finished by saying, “And zee craft est plus grand on zee inside!”

Mark then stepped up on the dais. He carefully explained the offer and outlined several grave threats to humanity. He implored the nations of the world to give up their arms in exchange for access to this incredible technology. Mark then offered to demonstrate the nanotech on another person, to be selected from ordinary people who needed a cure for a serious illness. He stopped short of demonstrating his new holographic wardrobe, because he still didn’t feel as comfortable walking around naked as Alix did. He had joked to Michele he didn’t want to create a scene at the UN with a “holographic wardrobe malfunction.” He explained it would take many years to adapt Natovaran technology to Earth’s needs as well as scale it up to help all Earth’s people, so time was of the essence.

“The time to start solving humanity’s problems was decades ago…but it is imperative to act before it’s too late. I will allow you three weeks to begin the process.”

At that point, a dark-green light beside the array on Mark’s wristband began to blink. He consulted a heads-up display emanating from his collar.

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,” he said matter-of-factly, “an explosive device in this room was just activated under the US Ambassador’s desk…Just a moment.” He tapped a few letters. “There…it is now deactivated. Security – please call the bomb squad.”

The room was in an uproar.

Mark tried to reassure everyone. “Please remain calm. There is no further danger. If the US Ambassador would kindly join me on the dais…” He placed a precautionary force field around the desk until the bomb squad could arrive. Adjacent representatives tentatively touched it and poked at it in amazement.

“Apparently, someone wanted this meeting to be disaster, perhaps to discredit me or create more distrust among you. This kind of thing must stop if humanity is to survive. You know where to find me.”

Without hesitation, Mark reentered the space car. Moments later the bomb squad arrived and found two-and-a-half pounds of C4 under the US Ambassador’s desk. The space car flew off in much the same way it arrived. The nations of the world had a lot to consider.

30

Upon his return home, Mark re-established the craft as his guestroom, complete with Alix’s regeneration chamber. He shared the events of the morning with Michele, who was both relieved and disturbed. They knew The Emissary’s mission was not going to be easy, but neither expected a violent attack on the very first day.

“This doesn’t bode well,” Michele commented.

“As if Alix and I being shot does?”

“Maybe you should just park the space ship somewhere and forget about the whole thing.”

“I think it’s too late for that. I promised Alix I would try, and I’ll do so, at least until she recovers. Then, we will decide what to do. Besides, do you really think they would ever leave me…leave us…alone?”

“I see what you mean. Please be careful.”

“I’ll do my best,” Mark said as an amber light began to flash on his wristband. “I’d better check on this.”

“Is it anything to worry about? Another bomb or something?”

“Nothing like that. Would you like to come with me?”

“OK, where?”

“To check on Alix.”

The wristband was simply notifying Mark Alix’s recovery had reached the point he could talk with her, in a manner of speaking. When he explained this to Michele, she seemed puzzled.

Mark clarified, “You remember the time when you and your sister talked to your mom when she was in a coma, and all those times people talk to or read to their loved ones and never really know whether they are listening? Well, we’re, that is, I, am about to do the impossible.”

He continued, “The nanites give us the possibility of a sort of telepathic conversation. I’ll speak my half of it, so you can hear, but I’ll need to relay to you what Alix says.”

“This is rather bizarre, but I’ll play along.”

Mark touched a set of letters on his wristband, then reached out and laid his right hand on the regeneration chamber.

“Hello, Alix,” he said, “I’m here with my wife, Michele.”

He looked at Michele, “She says she is pleased to meet you. She also says to tell you she can picture you in her mind from what she has seen in mine, if that makes any sense. And, by the way, she is laughing now.”

Michele suppressed a laugh but was also feeling somewhat comforted Alix wanted to meet her.

Mark continued the conversation, “Alix, I know your regeneration is only about one-third complete, so I won’t make this an extended conversation. Perhaps it would be easier of we could share thoughts for just a moment?”

“Oh…I didn’t think of that,” Mark muttered.

“What did she say?” Michele interjected.

“She said sharing minds might be dangerous for anyone in our species at this time. She is still suffering from severe wounds, and while a person from her planet might have had a lifetime to prepare for contact under these circumstances, she is not certain I would not experience mental trauma sufficient to interfere with the mission.”

“In other words, she wants you to keep a level head,” Michele replied.

“Oh, God. You both know me too well!”

“Is she amused now?”

“Yes…”

Mark quickly recounted the events Alix missed. He said he was sorry things had not gone better. He then asked her advice about what to do next. He closed his eyes.

“I’ll check-in later…Thank you…I’ll do my best.”

After a pregnant pause, Michele asked, “What did she say?”

“She told me she thought I had done well so far and was pleased I was able to use Natovaran technology to prevent death and suffering – she said the whole point of her journey was to attempt this on a much larger scale. She told me to be patient and not lose hope. She told me to apologize to you for taking me away, for putting my life at risk – even though I chose this – and for being what you and I might call, ‘the other woman’.”

“Don’t worry. I understand,” Michele replied, “This is not easy for any of us,” and with a wink added, “At least you have the good taste to hook-up with a super-intelligent, super-sensitive, super-attractive alien and not some cheap bimbo!”

“You know me…I had the good taste to marry you.”

31

World reaction to the UN encounter was, as Mark expected, mixed. Some accused ISIS of planting the bomb. Some still thought The Emissary was a fraud and the whole incident was staged. Others accused the Security Council representatives of being part of a hoax. Democrats accused Republicans of secretly planning to keep the US military in place while tricking other nations into dismantling their own. Republicans accused Democrats of wanting to defund the military only to use the money for more government give-away programs. The Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying “This Emissary is clearly part a Zionist plot, intended to steal power for the west.” Everyone basically accused everyone else of having ulterior motives or participating in a grand conspiracy. To some, The Emissary was a part of the ‘deep state,’ but to others, the ‘deep state’ was trying to stop The Emissary. Why else try to bomb General Assembly Hall? Some even accused the US Ambassador of planting the bomb himself. The fact the bomb was discovered didn’t mean he wasn’t planning to leave before detonating it, they argued. The events of Monday morning thus became about the plot, the bomb, suspected terrorism, Mark’s character, and various conspiracy theories.

Little discussion of the proposal, the technology, or the urgency of the decision took place in the talking-head-media. It seemed to Mark if people narrow their field of view sufficiently, they can believe anything they want.

The FBI office in New York launched an investigation into the bomb. It was a standard cellphone-activated device and the C4 originated in the US. There were no usable finger prints, and apparently someone had switched briefcases with the US Ambassador just before he entered the hall. Security footage showed a man with his back to the camera jostling the Ambassador on the way to the meeting and managing to swap an identical case, except the replacement offered a secret compartment with a little extra firepower. Whoever did this had a man inside and enough resources to cover their tracks. While FBI agents speculated about terrorist organizations, rogue regimes, and so on, all agreed there was no way they could determine who did it this early in the investigation. Speculation only added to the media frenzy. Some talking-heads even suggested The Emissary had planted the bomb and then defused it just to make a favorable impression. Welcome to Planet Cynical.

For his part, Mark was disheartened by the lack of coverage of his address as well as the lack of serious discussion of the main ideas he was trying to communicate. The central message got lost in the sheer volume of noise in the media and on the internet. To be fair, numerous scientific and environmental organizations, as well as many NGOs devoted to humanitarian issues were carrying on serious discussions and offering positive proposals, but these were largely being ignored. The bomb, even in its silence, had done its work. The meeting was destroyed, not by a death-dealing device, but by deadly distraction.

Mark began to reflect, and perhaps understand better an old question. 2000 years ago, another Emissary had probably asked himself, “How many ‘signs and wonders’ do I have to show them before they will believe me?” Maybe there are never enough, Mark sighed.

32

The President was furious. “How could this happen? I want to know who in the hell did it. ISIS? Some two-bit dictator in some shithole country? We need to know yesterday!”

“Mr. President, Homeland, the FBI, CIA, NSA, and ATF are on it. So far, no links to known terrorist organizations. The Islamic State has of course taken credit, but the CIA claims their statement is not credible. We are pursuing leads…”

“Dammit. How in the hell could someone get a bomb into one of the most secure places in the world?”

“We don’t know yet, Sir. Again, we have some leads suggesting this was an inside job, maybe a ‘false flag’ attack, making it look like the US and the UN were targets.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Right now, that’s anyone’s guess.”

33

For Mark, the good news was governments of other countries were at least discussing his proposal. Reports in the foreign press showed parliaments and legislatures debating the issues Mark had raised at the UN. Maybe there was hope.

Hearing nothing about his offer to demonstrate the nanites on another human, he decided to call Elizabeth.

“What do you think I should do at this point? You’ve seen what’s going on – the internet is a mess, authorities are clueless, our own government is still gridlocked. From a communications standpoint, what can I do to get the ball rolling?”

“Well, what do you think of a little working vacation?”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to take your message to the people. Visit a few other countries. Make good on your promise to demonstrate the nanites on another person besides yourself. I think you should do that in another country, so people won’t think this only about the US. Go to each continent and plead your case. Each event should be spontaneous, unannounced, so there won’t be time to cook up another plot.”

“Where to first? Maybe I should pay a visit to France. I’ve been to France several times and besides, François seemed to be very sympathetic.”

“France would be as good as any other place, I suppose. Maybe he could connect you with a few other countries. This must be done on an informal, place-by-place, person-by-person basis. Let anything ‘viral’ happen on its own,” Elizabeth suggested.

Using Natovaran technology, it took Mark less than half-a-minute to find François’ phone number. The Ambassador was very surprised to receive a call from The Emissary. Mark shared his plan and asked for François’ advice about it. At first, his new friend expressed doubt, but as the conversation continued, he suggested The Emissary visit only a few countries, representing various continents. He was flattered France would be the first, representing the EU of course. He was, to say the least, lukewarm on Britain, with all the continuing controversy around Brexit. Mark would need to decide that for himself. François suggested perhaps Nigeria would be a good place to visit next, and he offered to introduce him to the Nigerian Ambassador, Olamide. From there, on to China, Australia, and South America. The order didn’t matter. “As you have told me, this tour is to take your message to the world and to reassure everyone your message is not for Les États-Unis only.”

Mark thanked François and set-up an appearance, “Now we must keep this a secret between you and me. Tomorrow, I will land at the base of Le Tour d’Eiffel, immediately after the ceremony you will be attending. I will be pleased to greet you and other dignitaries and speak to the press. I will repeat my offer to the people of France and the rest of the world. I will not stay long.”

Mark called Elizabeth and told her the details he and François had discussed.

“Do you trust him, Dad?”

“What other choice do I have? If I can’t trust a UN Ambassador who seems to be on my side, what hope is there for everyone else?”

34

The next day, The Emissary once again took to the air. As agreed, he kept the craft cloaked until it looked like the ceremony was breaking up. Many members of the press were there. Security around the Eiffel Tower was, as usual, very tight. Mark swung the craft into position and decloaked. By modulating a few spots on the hull to act like loudspeakers, he warned the crowd to step back. François was right. This was a perfect spot to start his tour. The crowd was multi-national, there was at least one friendly face to be seen, and the backdrop was beautiful. François wasted no time walking bravely up to the spacecraft, telling the police and military guards to put their weapons down. “You won’t be needing guns for my friend. But keep an eye on the crowd.” It seems François was just as eager to be a part of the photo op as he was to help The Emissary.

A ‘front porch’ of sorts extended out from the door of the craft. Mark greeted François affectionately, in the French manner. François welcomed The Emissary to Paris. Mark began to speak. Here it should be noted prior to today, Mark could only speak French at the level of a first grader.

Mark was as surprised as anyone when he began to speak. As he introduced himself, thanked François, and greeted the people of France, he realized he – along with the vision of Alix in his head – was speaking perfect French, down to the accent he always envied others for achieving! Wait ‘til Elizabeth sees this video. Behind every successful man…he silently gave thanks for Alix…let’s hope so. He stated his case.

“Gustav Eiffel developed technology ahead of its time. He and the Nation of France used this technology to build this magnificent monument. It stands today and still honors The Republic of France, and indeed all of humanity, as a beacon of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. I call upon the people of this great nation, and the people of all nations to put aside their differences, to employ the technology I offer to build a new vision for humanity. I ask this in the mutual interest of survival against the many forces, some natural, some man-made, that threaten our existence on this planet. I also ask in the name of human compassion for the privilege of allowing another peace-loving species to share this world and become a part of our great enterprise. Together we can build a world that will honor the legacy of France, the nations of the Earth, and the Natovaran home world. I believe our two worlds can build a future that will serve as its own monument to our cooperation.”

François seemed to be moved. The press shot their quota of video footage for the month. The crowd seemed to be suitably amazed by his demonstrations of technology. Maybe the ability of his craft to ascend to the top of Le Tour d’Eiffel in the blink of an eye impressed them the most. A physicist in attendance asked how this could be done without killing the occupants of the craft. Mark gave the same reply as Alix to these sorts of questions: “If a civilization can master space-time and gravitation, travel to distant stars is possible.” He added, “If acceleration depends on time, and if time can flow differently inside the craft than outside it, there will be no danger to the occupants of the craft.”

The Emissary said ‘au revoir’ to the City of Lights after announcing his intention of visiting a few other cities around the world to meet people and plead his case. The skeptical French at least appeared to give him a chance. He was sure his new-found oratorical skills helped. The next day in the press many writers remarked about his command of the language. One even facetiously suggested if he could not get the nations of the world to disarm, he could run for President of France.

The media remained distracted. Some called his visit to the Eiffel Tower an obvious ‘publicity stunt.’ Others pointed out if the conspiracy were world-wide, of course they would have replicas of the spaceship in many countries. Some wondered why this ‘nobody’ from Indiana was selected to be the front man for this so-called, ‘world tour.’ Others countered he seemed to be believable. Who better to speak for an alien species than a nobody? There were hurtful comments and laudatory comments, but no decisive consensus on either.

Again, there were few discussions of the actual merits of The Emissary’s case, but a lot of speculation about his personal motives and political connections.

At least François thought the visit went well.

35

After about an hour of strategizing with Olamide, Mark settled on a plan to visit Lagos. In two days, he would land in front of the National Assembly Building where Olamide would introduce him to the Governor of Lagos and the President of Nigeria. Olamide also promised to bring a young girl who had been paralyzed by an attack by two men from Boko Haram. He felt this would be an effective way to demonstrate the nanotech, because her photo and name had been widely circulated and there was no dispute about the nature of her injuries. The best doctors in Lagos reported the nerve damage was too extensive, and she would never walk again. Olamide discussed the plan with the Governor and the President and emphasized Mark’s wish that this visit be spontaneous, because he didn’t want any disruptions like the UN meeting. Olamide was assured a gathering would be announced under other pretenses. It seemed to him the dignitaries were flattered Mark chose Nigeria as one of his stops. For his part, Mark was wondering whether Alix knew how to speak any Nigerian languages. There were only 500 or so of them.

It was a seasonably cool day of about 78°F in Lagos when Mark landed. A small crowd had gathered in the space in front of the National Assembly. Mark had resolved to demonstrate the craft again, and treat the young girl, but first he pumped up the courage to demonstrate his new holographic wardrobe. He disembarked wearing Nigerian attire, comparable to what the Governor would be wearing. The crowd appeared to be honored by this, however after Olamide introduced him, Mark changed into more western apparel – a typical midwestern college professor tweed sport coat and slacks.

“I’ve programmed a few more options,” he said in perfect Hausa, trying to put his audience at ease, as Alix had done, “What about the Clint Eastwood look?”

His outfit morphed into the familiar “Fistful of Dollars” poncho, black hat, and leather pants. He went with leather for the opacity.

“Then there is the Saville Row look.” ‘Clint’ became a London banker.

“I think I prefer something more normal.” The London banker look transformed into a Nigerian soccer jersey and blue jeans.

There was applause throughout the crowd. Mark told the Governor and President how pleased he was to meet them and embraced Olamide as he would an old friend. He offered to take them for a short ride in the spacecraft. The President declined, but Olamide, the Governor, a General, and a handful of other dignitaries took him up on the offer. There was no need to distort time on this visit. While The Emissary and his guests were flying over the countryside, the crowd began to build. By the time they returned, 10,000 people had gathered to see the spectacle. The General couldn’t stop talking about how the side of the ship became transparent allowing the passengers an eagle’s-eye view of the area. At last, the President announced he had decided to allow Mark to use his nanotech on Etieno, the girl who had been paralyzed from the waist down.

“Hi, Etieno. My name is Mark and I want to see if I can help you.”

“Hello, Mark.”

“You have a beautiful name. May I ask what it means?”

“It means ‘perfect gift’.”

“Well, I’m sure you are. You know, we named our daughter, Elizabeth, which means ‘gift from God’,” he tried to reassure Etieno.

“All I will need is a sample of your DNA.” Mark produced a swab and a vial. “All you need to do is…”

“I have been in hospital a long time. I know what to do.” She swabbed her mouth, placed the swab in the vial, and handed it to Mark.

“I will be back shortly,” Mark said, and entered the craft. The door closed. And in a few minutes, Mark reappeared with another vial.

“I have designed these nanites specifically for you, Etieno. No one else can use them because they are coded to your DNA. Now, everyone, please listen carefully. Be patient. The nanites will not be able to heal Etieno instantly. Their work may take several days, but I’m confident it will work. I am 65 years old and once had a heart arrhythmia, arthritis, and other health problems. If you have seen the video on the internet, you will know I was shot in the chest. As you can see, I have none of these health problems now and you might think I look like I’m in my 40s. All Etieno needs to do is drink the contents of the vial and let the nanites do their work.”

He turned to Etieno. “I must warn you, at first you may feel very sleepy. I did, but it was the best sleep I ever had. Then, within days my health improved. I felt stronger, quicker, and clearer than I had in years. The nanites won’t make you into Wonder Woman, and as you can see, I’m not Captain America, but I am quite healthy. One more thing, and this is very important, the nanites are programmed to deactivate if they are removed from our bodies. As I said, they are matched to our DNA, and must recognize certain conditions to operate. Etieno, are you ready?”

“Yes, sir.” Etieno took the vial and drank its contents, as Mark had done. In a minute or so, she said, “I feel sleepy.”

The nurse took Etieno back to the hospital, where she was to be guarded around the clock and attended by the best nurses and doctors in Lagos. Olamide and the Governor gave Mark their personal assurance the young girl would be protected. Mark told the crowd humanity ultimately couldn’t depend on technology alone to save everyone. The way the technology was used, and more importantly the people using it would make the difference. If the people of the Earth still did not, could not, or would not trust each other, all the technology in the world would not save them.

“The world has already seen too many instances in which the power of technology was used by some men to subjugate others,” Mark stated unequivocally, “These things can’t happen. You must use the power of technology to help one another, not subjugate one another. I hope the people of the great nation of Nigeria agree with me. We must stand together to use technology wisely. I will return in a few days to check on Etieno. Until then, my heart is with you.”

The Emissary returned to his ship for the next leg of his journey. François turned out to be very helpful in connecting him with representatives in Beijing, Sao Paulo, and Sydney. He would first venture to China, then Brazil, then Australia. His itinerary was kept secret as much as possible, that is, as few persons as possible knew where he was going or when. Mostly the tour went off without incident, except for the drunken Aussie who wanted to pilot the space ship and the bikini-clad Brazilian girl who wanted to try on the dress she saw Alix wear on YouTube. Before he made his last stop, he returned to Nigeria.

After landing on the hospital roof, he went to see Etieno in her room. He arrived just in time to see her take her first steps out of the wheelchair. He managed to enter unnoticed and stood in a corner mopping his eyes. Etieno was the first to see him. She took a few tentative steps towards him and gave him an embarrassingly enthusiastic hug.

“Thank you, Mr. Emissary. You made me walk again.”

“I’m so happy for you, Etieno. It wasn’t me, you know, it was the nanites. I just delivered them. Always remember, it’s not the tool, but the person who uses it that matters.” You can use a hammer to build a house or to smash a precious work of art – it’s up to you.”

Now it was Etieno’s turn to cry. She looked at the floor, “The boys who attacked me hit me with a hammer.”

When Mark heard this, he cried as well.

“I’m sorry I said that…I didn’t know…Some people are cruel, Etieno…please know I am not one of them.”

“I know, Mr. Emissary. I am so happy you had the right tool to fix me.”

“Please, call me Mark,” he replied, “I am happy I was able to help you. You are a special person, Etieno.”

By now, everyone in the room was crying and hugging. Mark said his goodbyes and headed for his last stop.

36

Mark had been ‘on the road’ for almost two weeks. The news from around the world was still confusing. As much as it looked like his tour had made a positive impression, there were still various conspiracy theories. Infowars.com claimed Etieno could walk all along and Mark was in league with the governments in the countries he visited. It seems the secrecy of his itinerary was attributed to a covert plot, obviously part of a grand conspiracy to institute a socialist world government. The videos were on the whole kind to The Emissary, with many people marveling he could speak French, a few Nigerian languages, Mandarin, Portuguese, and even Aussie. There were the usual doctored videos and photoshopped images ridiculing certain events. Mark was infuriated they made fun of Etieno – shouldn’t innocent children be left out of the fracas? Hadn’t she and her family suffered enough? He was tempted to do something about the trolls, but he promised Alix he wouldn’t strike back unless he or his family were physically attacked. Sometimes the high road is tough going.

Developing countries and non-nuclear powers seemed to be eager to work together with The Emissary to disarm and establish peace. Wealthier countries, especially nuclear powers and nuclear-club-wannabes were resistant. They remained locked in the same old stand-off mentality. Nobody wanted to put down his gun first out of fear the other guy would shoot. Mark supposed the developing world had a lot more to gain than lose. Then there were the fabulously rich. They were the wildcards in the deck. Would they be willing to give back some of their wealth and power for the sake of all humanity, or would they stubbornly hang on to what they had been fortunate enough to get? In the past, the wealthy had had their way with the world, using Earth’s resources as they wished, controlling the inner workings of governments, and profiting enormously from war. The Dupont family alone had made several fortunes from several wars. There were many others. The military-industrial complex, businesses that took pride in being a part of ‘free enterprise,’ acted as though they were entitled to public money, in return for weapons development and arms sales; indeed, they had grown ‘too big to fail.’ And what about rogue states and terrorists? Would these back down, given the promise of technology that would benefit everyone, or would they still attack others out of fear and distrust? Humanity was a hot mess, as the younger generation says. Mark still had severe doubts.

Speaking of the younger generation. While Mark was teaching college, he frequently expressed the notion his generation might have to ‘die off’ before the younger generation had a chance to set things right. He expressed faith in millennials, and often told his millennial students the future was in their hands. He had hope because many of this generation seemed to want to get more out of life than enormous profits and a lot of stuff. He had reason to hope cooperation and community might matter more to this generation than competition and consumption. He even mentioned how disappointed he was when many baby boomers failed to use their power and wealth to benefit more people, as they said they would do in the 60s and 70s. Instead, they took control of Congress and the White House and again and again voted along party lines, totally disregarding the public good. Boomers often voted with the wealthy and against the interests of people who really needed their help. They campaigned and voted so they would get re-elected rather than just do the right thing. They took money from anyone who wanted to use their wealth to advance their personal or political agenda, which usually involved maintaining and increasing their wealth and influence. In other words, they were without principles, other than their own selfishness. This he said to millennial students. He told them, like it or not, it would be up to them to do better. He was heartened to learn not only developing and non-nuclear nations supported his proposals, but also millennials. His opinions were vindicated, but more significantly, he had reason to hope. All was not yet lost. With one week to go, maybe the people who wanted to do the right thing would be able to convince the rest to do so as well. Maybe wisdom would prevail.

Next