December Read online

“The Parliament of Kolea is now in session,” the woman called in a grandiose fashion, and the dull roar died to silence. Ted felt even smaller standing behind this commanding woman, but that unease lifted a bit as Millika came in to join them.

  “My name is Millika Firal and I will act as translator for our guest. Rest assured, I am fluent in his tongue,” Millika said to the crowd. She was met with approving nods and a few enthusiastic chirps. Apparently she was well-liked indeed.

  The woman, whom Ted remembered was called Macedr, began to address him. “Would you please state your name?” Millika repeated the question.

  Ted held his head high and said, “Theodore Anderson, but I go by Ted.”

  “Ted Anderson,” Macedr said, trying her best to pronounce the foreign name. It sounded close enough. “And you are a human, from planet Earth?”

  “That is correct.”

  “And the Drevi have invaded your planet, is this true?”

  “Yes it is, ma’am.” He wasn’t sure if the “ma’am” was necessary or not, but it couldn’t hurt to be polite.

  “When did they first arrive?”

  “The invasion began almost six months ago,” Ted said. “They were upon us before we really knew what was happening. Within a few months, they had gained control over most of the planet’s landmasses.”

  “And what happened to you, personally?”

  “I was sent to a lab run by Dr. Hio of the House of Feyvok.” A wave of murmuring spread throughout the room at the mention of the name. Apparently the good doctor was well-known. “I cooperated and I suppose he took a liking to me. He let me live a relatively comfortable life and work in his labs.” He took a deep breath, putting all his cards on the table. “When the Drevi came to our home, I was separated from my daughter. And my wife... she killed herself rather than be captured. I miss her dearly to this day.” A collective gasp rose from the room, and Ted could see the sympathetic glances directed at him as Millika repeated his words. But he wasn’t trying to gain sympathy points. He was telling the truth, even though he was still trying to deny to himself that it had happened.

  Even Macedr needed a minute to recover from Ted’s emotional statement. “Did you ever get a sense of what the Drevi wanted from your people?”

  That question took Ted off guard, though it wasn’t entirely unexpected. “I—I’m not entirely sure,” he faltered. “They wanted to study us, learn everything they could about our anatomy and culture. They weren’t necessarily cruel, though most of us were treated as though we were inferior.” An image of Moflair flashed through his mind, someone he was glad to have left behind. “But if anyone resisted, especially if they hurt or killed a Drevi military officer, or worse, a scientist, they were dealt with harshly.” He remembered hearing about the grisly fates of some of his closest friends and what the Drevi did to them afterward, and did his best to shake the memory from his mind.

  “I see.” Macedr and several other Parliament members murmured solemnly. It seemed similar incidents had happened on Kolea. As the sound died down, Macedr asked her next question. “Alana Teinn and Trell Sirrin made contact with you and brought you here. How did that happen?”

  “Yes, they made contact with me. It seems they ran into me by accident, but they took me with them all the same. They have been most helpful.” He glanced sideways to see somewhat embarrassed but thankful smiles from Trell and Alana.

  “Are any of your planet’s governments still functioning?”

  Ted thought carefully for a moment. “No, I don’t believe so. There is a resistance movement developing, but I know little about it and it seems to be highly unorganized.”

  Macedr remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “The way I see it, whether or not you are a politician, you are the only human on Kolea. You are the first human to have made contact with us, and therefore you speak for your people, yes?”

  “I suppose,” Ted said, terrified of what she was going to ask next. He felt his palms beginning to drip with sweat.

  “I’m sure one of your companions told you that it would be wrong for Kolea to help Earth unless we were formally asked. So my question for you, Ted, is this. Do you formally request assistance from the Kolean people, and accept any and all consequences of your decision?”

  Ted didn’t feel like he had much of a choice. “I do. I request any help you are willing to provide.”

  Macedr thought carefully. “Mr. Anderson,” she began, “I, on behalf of this Parliament and the Kolean people, wish to offer my sincere condolences for what has happened to you and your people. But you must understand, intervening could be extremely costly for us and it is not a decision I alone have the authority to make. You may go, and wait outside while we discuss the matter further. Millika Firal will be sent out with our final decision when we are finished.”

  Ted bowed his head gratefully. “I most graciously thank you and Parliament for hearing me out.” Millika translated his last sentence, and a few high-pitched chirps and trills were heard. The equivalent of a cheer, perhaps?

  Millika waved her hand at him, signaling for him to leave, but Ted had already turned and was beginning to walk out. As soon as he was out in the hallway, no longer with the weight of a world on his shoulders and those staring eyes boring into his soul, he released a lungful of air that he hadn’t been aware he was holding.

  “Are you all right?” were the first words out of Trell’s mouth as Ted stepped back into the hallway.

  Ted took another deep breath, trying to get air into his starved lungs. He wondered briefly if Kolea’s atmosphere had a little less oxygen than Earth’s did. “I’m—I’m okay.”

  “You did well,” Alana said, before turning to Trell. “I’m sure they’ll want to talk to us next.”

  Trell nodded. “I’m assuming so.” Just as he said it, Millika poked her head through the door and signaled for them to come in.

  “Just... sit against the wall and try to relax. We’ll be back soon,” Alana said, pointing to a spot a few meters away.

  Ted nodded, wanting to thank her, but not finding the breath or strength in himself to do so before the door shut behind Alana and Trell. So he let gravity take over as he leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.

  All alone in the hallway, Ted’s mind began to wander. The long hallway stretched from one end of the building to the other and only served to make his loneliness worse. He was on an alien planet, with a council of strangers debating whether or not helping his species was worth the potential cost. He could hear Alana’s voice echo throughout the chamber on the other side of the wall, but he had no idea what she was saying. Even if he could have understood the language, it was too muffled to make out any individual words. It reminded him of those long nights in college when he’d been unable to sleep due to the muffled sounds of dorm mates jabbering all night long in the common room outside his door.

  It must have taken twenty minutes, but to Ted it seemed like an eternity of sitting there alone, listening to Alana and Trell answer Macedr’s questions. That same trilling could be heard, and Trell, followed by Alana, came back into the hallway.

  Ted realized he didn’t have the energy to stand, so he didn’t bother. “How did it go?”

  “Well,” Alana said.

  “What did she ask you?”

  “What we saw on Earth, how many Drevi ships seemed to be there, our account of finding you and bringing you here. Most of it was to confirm what you said and expand on it,” Trell elaborated.

  “Did... Was there any indication of when they would reach a decision?” Ted asked.

  Trell shook his head. “No. Everyone will discuss it further and then they will vote on it. Majority rules.”

  “I see,” Ted said, feeling his nervousness rise again. This decision carried more weight than he wished it did. “Do you have any idea how long it could take?”

  “Anywhere from minutes to hours,” Alana said. “If it takes too long, we could go out into the capital and show you around...” />
  “No, thank you,” Ted politely refused. “I’m staying here until a decision is reached.”

  Alana nodded, and she and Trell stood beside him. Sitting on the floor gave Ted his first good look at Kolean feet. They were wearing a strange kind of material that stretched around their feet, presumably to give them better grip, but if he had to guess from the shape he would think Kolean feet looked a lot like those of ostriches. He wondered if they had claws and if so how big they were.

  No one talked for the next forty-five minutes, but the silence in the air was tense. Ted was in the process of yawning when Millika burst through the doors.

  Alana and Trell both opened their mouths to say something, but Millika, in her excitement, beat them to it. “The motion passed, 51-21. Earth is getting help from Kolea.”

  Ted breathed the biggest sigh of relief he ever had in his life. “That’s by a big margin, isn’t it?” he asked in confusion. Somehow, he thought it would be a bit more controversial than that.

  His question went unanswered, however, because as quickly as she’d appeared, Millika vanished back into the Parliament’s chamber. Apparently there were other matters to take care of, and she’d simply wanted to inform them of the result.

  “The vote doesn’t surprise me, though I’m glad they didn’t take a century and a half,” Alana said. Her exasperation and low expectations made Ted wonder if she was happy with the way Parliament worked. “Keep in mind, though, this will all need to be handled delicately. While Kolea wants to help Earth, there are going to be many Koleans who don’t want us drawn into another war. And then there’s the opposing side, who want to destroy the Drevi once and for all and are jumping at the chance.”

  That all makes sense. “Well, now that it’s been decided, what are we going to do next?” Ted asked, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

  “Be patient,” Trell said. “I’m sure Macedr would like to get to know you better, and you’ll probably be invited to Fjala Mahr’s residence before long as well. Keep in mind, you’re the first human any of us have seen. People, powerful people, are going to want to meet you.”

  “Wait, who’s Fjala Mahr?”

  “Remember how I told you this morning about our ancient belief system?” Trell asked.

  Ted remembered. Something about the sky being a mirror, and stars were Kolean souls. “Yes, I remember.”

  “She’s sort of like our spiritual leader; her official title is the Wren.”

  Ted’s first thought was that she was named after a species of bird, before he realized just how ridiculous that notion was. The word had to have some other meaning in Kolean.

  Trell continued. “She doesn’t have any political power, but it’s tradition, and she’s well-liked by the people.”

  Alana said, “I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”

  “Well, I don’t see any reason to refuse invitations, unless there’s a timing conflict,” Ted said, trying to be as reasonable as possible. He certainly didn’t want to offend anyone. That was akin to his worst nightmare. Suddenly, a guy who had spent his entire life trying to be as inoffensive and non-combative as possible was thrust into a situation of interstellar first contact, where just about any normal action for him could turn out to be deeply offensive to his hosts. He shuddered at the thought.

  Just then, Millika came out, as did a few other members of the Parliament. Down the hall, Ted could see other representatives exiting through other doors. It seemed this session of Parliament was over.

  “Ted, you met Macedr,” Millika said, formally introducing him to the woman. Another man stood behind Macedr; Ted vaguely recalled seeing him standing near the front of the assembly.

  “Yes, I did. I thank you wholeheartedly for doing this for me, and for my people.”

  “I’m just doing my job,” Macedr said, her voice low-pitched and somewhat dismissive. As the first Kolean to address him in such a manner, her indifference mildly surprised Ted, but he maintained his composure.

  Millika ignored her tone. “And this is Yule. He’s the second most powerful person in Parliament.”

  Ted gave the man a polite bow of his head, and Yule returned it. It seemed the Koleans nodded as a way of greeting, something Ted didn’t have a problem adapting to.

  “I need to inform you that since we have decided to intervene, it will take us at least three weeks, possibly more, to assemble our forces and create an attack strategy before we are ready to leave for Earth.”

  Ted tried to hide his disappointment. Three weeks? Maybe longer? He hadn’t expected they could leave right away, but the idea of sitting around on Kolea, twiddling his thumbs and paying visits to high-ranking people while the Drevi continued to rip apart his planet... He didn’t like the idea. But as the old saying went, beggars couldn’t be choosers, so he politely accepted.

  “Good,” Macedr said.

  Yule spoke up. “Do you have a place to stay? If not, I would be honored if you were the guest of my family.”

  “I suppose I should offer as well,” Macedr said. “I am the Head of Parliament, and you are a guest of the state. Or, if you’d rather stay in a private suite in a boarding house, we can accommodate that as well.”

  “Thank you for your offer, but Millika has already offered to let me stay with her and I have accepted.”

  Macedr didn’t seem to care one way or the other. “All right then. I will stay in contact with Millika and we will inform you of any changes to the current plan. Otherwise, you are free to do as you wish. If you need anything your hosts cannot provide, simply contact Yule and arrangements will be made.”

  Ted nodded one last time, and Tykiah came up as Macedr and Yule walked away towards their offices. “Ted,” she began as Trell took up the translation mantle, “I know this is all so sudden for you, but my mother, Fjala Mahr, would like to invite you to Star Keep.”

  “When?” Ted asked, afraid to make any decision because he had no idea what kind of etiquette was proper in this culture.

  “Any time,” Tykiah responded. “She will make time for you; you are an honored guest.”

  He glanced to Alana, Millika, and Trell for help. He wasn’t sure what to do.

  “You should accept the Wren’s invitation,” Millika said. “We’ll make it work somehow.”

  Ted nodded, then said, “Yes, of course. I don’t know what my plans are at the moment, but as soon as possible I will pay her a visit.”

  Tykiah nodded. If there had been any breach of etiquette or what would be considered proper in Kolean society, it didn’t show on her face. “Please send word at least a few hours in advance.”

  “We’ll do that.” With Millika and Ted’s promises to meet her mother, Tykiah also left for her office.

  “How did I do with Macedr and Yule?” Ted asked anxiously as soon as he was alone again with Trell, Alana, and Millika.

  “Just fine,” Millika assured him. “We should probably give you Kolean etiquette lessons so you feel more comfortable.”

  “What should I know about Wren Fjala Mahr?”

  “Well,” Trell said. “She has been one of the best-loved Wrens in recent memory, that’s for sure.”

  “Though she has a reputation for seclusion,” Millika said. “She prefers to live alone at Star Keep, and only comes out when necessary for public appearances.”

  “When should I go?”

  “As soon as possible, probably,” Alana said. “Fjala is a patient and nice woman, from what I know of her, but it would be unwise to snub her hospitality.”

  “That’s fine,” Ted said, understanding. “So...” His face gave away just how bamboozled he was after the day’s events. He honestly had no idea what to say, what to do, next.

  “I promised my parents we’d visit them,” Trell reminded them.

  “I haven’t seen Jerum and Sefra in a while either,” Alana said, trying her best to look eager to see them, but she also looked a little nervous. Ted almost laughed, though he caught himself in the nick of time. Even
on an alien planet, people were afraid of their future in-laws.

  “Trell’s parents live just to the south of here,” Millika said, “So it would be logical to go there next. And I’m sure Ted will spend a lot of time at Star Keep. Therefore it makes sense to make a quick stop at Jerum and Sefra’s place before heading north to the Keep.”

  Ted wasn’t sure how comfortable he was putting Fjala’s invitation on the back burner, both out of worry that he was being rude and also because he was genuinely interested in meeting the person he could only assume to be the leader of their religion, but Millika had a point. And it was clear Trell was eager to see his parents again, so Ted nodded, going along with what his hosts wanted. “How do we get there?”

  Alana looked at Millika. “That’s a good question. Trains don’t run that far south.”

  “We’ll have to take an ulla,” Millika said, not sounding entirely happy about the prospect.

  Ted looked around, confused, wondering what on Earth that was.