Chapter 9 #2
“People of Earth, I am so happy to be here today. I’m overjoyed to have been given this opportunity to speak to you.
For you. And for the domini and ratchi behind me.
” She took in a breath as her eyes darted down to her uncle.
He nodded once, almost imperceptibly. Encouraging her to continue, assuring her that she was doing well.
“Uncle, if I may ask, what is the date on Earth?”
“As of now, it is August third.”
“And the year?”
“2023.”
She nodded. “Then, it has been over a year… Over a year ago, I decided to take a walk. It was night, but my neighborhood was a familiar and safe one. The most danger I would ever face was the dog on the corner coming to give me kisses. I wasn’t afraid.
I didn’t expect that I would be abducted.
Nor did the four other women who experienced the same thing that night.
We were all out for different reasons. None of us knew each other. We were simply available.
“We were taken by a group of opportunistic criminals. This rogue clan had come upon our planet completely by chance, by mistake, but they saw an opportunity for glory in discovering a new species, so they took the five of us.
“But we weren’t their only victim. The other was a male from a different species.
The domini. He had been caged and deprived of even water.
Which we gave to him. And when we made our bid for freedom, we obtained the key to his cage, so we freed him as well.
In return, he killed the criminals that had taken us and took control of their starship.
He brought us to his homeworld. He adopted us as his sisters and gave us names of high honor to thank us for rescuing him.
“What he could not do was bring us home.
The navigation panel had been destroyed in his fight and we had no way of knowing where Earth was.
But he made a vow that he would find it for us.
And he did. Only to discover that, now as his sisters, we were considered citizens of the Coalition, and as citizens, it was forbidden for us to reach out to or visit an uncontacted world.
“The Coalition is a group of over two hundred species that have joined together to promote trade, understanding, and to share knowledge amongst each other while keeping peace and protecting each other.
We had to petition them for the right to return home, and the only way to do that would be to make Earth a protectorate.
“The domini male we saved was the official representative of the domini to the Coalition.
He not only agreed to present our case to the Coalition, but he offered to make the domini the sponsor of humanity.
The representative for the ratchi, a kindly older male, offered to be co-sponsor.
When I contacted you before, we had just passed the vote to give Earth this chance.
Humanity does not qualify for Coalition membership, as to qualify, the species must breach their solar system on a manned flight, and we have not.
However, as a protectorate, once we accomplish this, we will be offered immediate membership.
Until then, we can benefit from trade, protection, and friendship from our sponsors.
“Our sponsors are eager to meet Earth’s leaders.
To learn about our beautiful planet, and to negotiate our protectorate status.
There are some requirements for being a protectorate, but everything is open to negotiation and, more than anything, they desire our protection.
I speak on their behalf, and I can assure you, my people, that their intentions are good, and their hearts are honorable. ”
She paused for a breath, her eyes darting to her uncle again. He gave her a quick smile before speaking up. Not quite taking over but giving her a break to gather her thoughts. It wasn’t like they had planned any of this together.
“Allow me then to introduce the man who will be speaking on behalf of Earth. It was decided by vote by the general assembly. This man has served Earth as Secretary General of the United Nations for six years. It only seemed natural that he fills this role as the speaker for Earth. It is my honor to introduce Secretary General Halvdan Lie.”
The general assembly politely applauded the introduction of the older man beside her uncle. He stepped forward, nodding his head in acknowledgement.
“Thank you, President Townsend,” he said, his voice rough like sandpaper, but calm and strong. “And thank you, Alanna, for bringing this opportunity to Earth. We are eager to begin negotiations and to learn as much as we can from our visitors. Are they with you now?”
“They are.” Alanna smiled brightly. “I’m happy to introduce them to you.”
The moment she said so, there was an immediate change in the assembly chamber.
She could swear she saw all of them leaning forward.
Holding their breaths. They couldn’t help but stand on ceremony, because ceremony was their bread and butter, but there was no mistake that this was what they were all here for.
What everyone who must be watching on TV was here for.
She couldn’t stop herself from giggling, just a bit. She was so used to aliens now, she had forgotten, briefly, how big a deal this would be for everyone else on Earth. Literally life changing.
Gathering herself, she tried to be serious again.
“I’ll introduce you now then. I’ll start with the male that will be speaking to you directly during negotiations and moving forward.
His role and name among his people is First Voice.
Voices, on domini, are the smallest group among the five greater classes.
They serve to speak for others. Lawyers and diplomats and mediators.
They try to be neutral in their beliefs and honorable in their practices.
The domini are a very competitive species and their roles often include ranks.
To be First Voice, this male had to prove himself the best at his job.
At speaking and listening and diplomacy.
It is my honor to introduce you, my people, to First Voice Survii. ”
She stepped slightly to the side, still in view of the camera, making room for Survii as he climbed the steps. She had the thought that maybe she should have told him to wear his tight clothes and not his concubine clothes. He’d probably give those old men heart attacks.
Too late now.
He had already stepped into the light, and she heard the intake of breath from beyond the screen as he came to stand beside her.
He offered her a soft smile before facing forward with all three of his dark, demonic red eyes – arranged on his face so that the middle corners were all angled towards each other His tail was wrapped in silver rings as it moved slowly behind him.
In the bright light coming from above, his pointed ears, the fangs in his smile, were that much more obvious.
He saluted them formally, fist over his heart in the domini way before looking at her.
“Will you speak for me, Alanna?”
She nodded once, facing the camera again. “I will translate. He says-”
“My most fervent and joyous greetings to you, Earth leaders,” Survii said in a voice that managed to sound, at once, grand and genuine.
“I have been given the honor of being the voice who speaks to your people. I understand that this represents a great change in your history, and it can be frightening. Please know that we come with open hands and true intentions. Our only desire is to protect the females that have joined us and to bring their people into the greater universe. It is a role I take seriously and one I hope to meet with grace and understanding.”
Alanna finished the translation, her heart beating quickly in her chest. She hadn’t had the chance to see Survii working before. He looked so… regal. So in control. Like her family. A male that knew what he was doing, knew the power he held, and intended to wield it for the good of all.
This, more than their date, stirred her heart.
Forcing that thought away, for now, she instead looked back at her uncle. He and the secretary general were looking between Alanna and Survii, their expressions unreadable.
“There is another who wishes to be introduced now,” Alanna said. “There are, of course, others who will want to accompany us down to Earth, but he wished to know you as soon as possible.”
As she spoke, she heard Atem moving. Coming around to her other side.
Usually, he dressed kind of like a pirate – tight pants and a sheer, loose shirt.
Today, however, he had chosen to wear a formal suit – which, for the domini was much simpler than the human version.
He had pants tucked into boots, both a deep, dark forest green, and a high necked, sleeveless shirt of the same color.
She did not realize how comfortable she had become with the domini’s lack of discomfort with nudity and the frequency with which they revealed their bodies until she was introducing these two to the fuddiest of fuddy-duddies on Earth.
That combined with his long hair – back in a simple tail with two braids leading away from his temple – meant he likely looked like a total hippie to them.
Again, too late now as Atem was saluting them formally.
She just ran with it, giving him an introduction as well.
“This male is called First Domini on his planet. He is the male that we rescued from the rogue group. He has proven himself to be the best at all things on his planet. He is a scholar, a warrior, a healer, a speaker, a guardian, and a leader. None are his equal among the domini. He is the one that has claimed us as his sisters, and he has been protecting and providing for us since we arrived on his planet. It is my joy to introduce you to Dominani Atem, First Domini of Turv.”
He gave her a look and she smiled – a silent request and acknowledgement to translate.