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  “Clover,” Mark sighed. “It seems we have reached an impasse then. I was hoping you could offer some alternative to the inherent need most people feel to handing their freedom to the ignorance of priests. If we are to try and change our enemies it must be by good example only.” Clover kissed and hugged Mark.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  APRIL 2034

  The elders received an invitation to attend the Hall of the Friend, as it had come to be called. The keeper of the Hall informed them that the Friend was in attendance. All elders plus the President arrived as quickly as they could. The hall had grown in size with each passing year. It was now two storeys high with a transparent doomed roof. The ground level was essentially a huge auditorium able to seat twenty thousand people. In the centre was a raised platform two metres above ground level with a large, comfortable chair and a small table. Around the platform were receptacles holding flowers that were brought by visitors. When the Friend appeared, the glass dome would glow orange to alert the populace. The second floor was an open gallery. Around the walls, were depictions of the Tuathan meeting with the Friend and the subsequent forming of Tuath itself. Visitors could access displays and recordings of all the interactions between Tuath and the Friend. It was possible to sit in the upper gallery and look down on the platform. Visitors outside the building had access to a bigger-than-life-sized holo of the events taking place inside.

  The President had been delayed and he was anxious not to give offence. He could see the golden glow of the dome as his small disc ship came in for its landing and the crowd was gathering rapidly. When he entered the elders were seated in the front row, so he walked briskly down the aisle and joined them. The True Friend was still in its natural form its golden glow matching the dome’s colour perfectly. As the President sat down the True Friend coalesced into a Tuathan male. An elder gave a quick welcome speech and the audience rose from their seats and bowed then sat quietly. The True Friend spread his arms, palms facing out.

  “Thank you for your welcome. I bring you the love and good wishes of my kin among the stars. I have come to talk to you about the trial you are facing on the planet Earth. I have been aware of the new settlement you are establishing and the trust you have placed in some of the inhabitants who have offered to protect you. I have some questions I wish to ask you with your permission.”

  The Friend sat down and waited while the elders replied. “You are welcome to ask anything of us, Friend.”

  “Do you believe the Tuathan colonists are establishing a safe environment for themselves?”

  The elders response was quick and precise. “No, for in truth we cannot protect them and neither can the natives.”

  “So, you are prepared to let them sacrifice their lives for the chance of establishing a colony on a planet you originally ran away from, because of its primitive barbarism and cruelty?”

  “Yes. We would hope the danger to their lives is minimal because of our technological superiority.”

  “Which of the following could best be described as your primary motive for this action? Firstly: you are placing those colonist in a position to establish Tuathan control of Earth in the event of the disintegration of the native civilisation. Secondly: you wish to help the natives reform their ways and hope to save them from disintegration or annihilation, and to this end you will interfere with their current technological and social evolution. Thirdly: your intrinsic emotional ties to the planet Earth do not allow you to emotionally divorce yourselves from it, or its future.”

  The elders deliberated for only two minutes and the President nodded his agreement to the outcome.

  “It is the third.”

  “Thank you for your candid response. You realise, I hope, that your mere presence on the planet could change the natural flow of evolution for the natives? It could also change your own adaptation to a life here on Tuath. We do understand why you have taken this course and I will be assigned to watching developments very closely. To use your own expression, one that we have now adopted in our race ‘May the stars smile on you’. Please forgive me as I must leave now. I will return again in the very near future.”

  One of the elders rose to his feet, alarmed at the brevity of the visit. “Could we discuss this matter further, Friend? We are concerned you do not approve.”

  “My approval is of no consequence. Farewell for now my friends.” The golden orb appeared, then disappeared, leaving the auditorium in a state of confusion. The crowd left looking dejected: they had come there to hear words of hope and praise. Instead they felt admonished and criticised. The elders were in an even greater state of consternation and called an emergency meeting to discuss and evaluate the meeting. The President declined an invitation to join them, he went fishing instead and did not return to his office for two days.

  On his return he was summoned to the Hall of the Elders in a rather curt fashion.

  “We have deliberated at length and come to the conclusion that the colony on Earth does not meet with the Friend’s approval and should be disbanded. The next opening of the portal will be used to send two disc ships for this purpose. Why did you absent yourself from these deliberations?” The elders were clearly upset by his seeming attitude of nonchalance.

  “I needed to think in private. The situation was not what it seemed. I am a politician and as such my instinct was telling me not to rush to seemingly obvious conclusions. The obvious is rarely true. I believe for example you are making a choice for all the wrong reasons. Your choice may be right but you have made it on simplistic and incorrect assumptions. Therefore by the very nature of logic your choice is probably wrong.”

  “Then you should enlighten us, Mr President.”

  “We were given three choices to explain our motives .The first was clearly self serving and unworthy. The second had noble motives but did not sit well with historical logic. The third clearly defined who we are. How we think and feel about ourselves. If the Friend is really what its name implies then it will accept that, even if it means it must recognise our failings and the possibility that we may not live up to the aspirations it has for us.

  “But by interfering in the course of events on Earth we condemn ourselves to falling out of step with our evolutionary potential!”

  “Do we? I didn’t hear our Friend say that. What is our evolutionary potential? Is it really a path that will lead us to be like our Friend, or is it something that even it cannot comprehend?” The silence was such that a cough would have sent a shock wave through the group. This almost sounded like some form of blasphemy. The President seized the initiative “Did it suggest a course of action? No, it did not! Did it not also interfere in our own history in a monumental fashion? Did it not also confess to us at the time it was straining the boundaries of its own philosophy? The Friend is not a god; we have been increasingly treating it like one. You love a friend, you do not revere it to a point where you become incapable of free thought and action. I believe it came to test us, but it came without ultimate answers to the question of free will because it possibly isn’t in possession of the answer. The motive was what it was concerned about, the action was secondary.”

  “Why, in your opinion, did it leave so abruptly?”

  “I think it did not want to be involved in the decision making in any form. I think that would have been true interference. It got what it wanted and left, it said that it will be monitoring us very closely, I think the Friend and its companion entities are very interested in the concept of ‘interference and free will’. I think they are a little unsure of it and are possibly for once willing to learn from us or at least be entertained or enlightened by our failure.”

  “I do not think our Friend would be amused by our failure in this matter, Mr President. Our success is its greatest wish.”

  “I apologise, that was a frivolous remark. The Friend is exactly that and rejoices in our triumphs and mourns our defeats. We are highly valued and it has high expectations of us. Only we can find the right path for our
selves, it has its own path to follow. It has wisdom and understands this.”

  The elders were clearly in a quandary, now. The decision taken to close the Reservation was looking like a disaster if the President was correct. It could indicate the Tuathans were incapable of guiding their own destiny and, worst of all, the Friend had become a crutch used to avoid responsibility. One of the elders pointed out that the Earth settlement, if it was a true indication of their own racial desire and aspiration, should be pursued with gusto. It was an expression of their desire to be forever excelling and finding wisdom and harmony. A refreshment break was called for, which was to be followed by a vote.

  One hour later, the vote to continue with the base was passed unanimously.

  “We have chosen our path. We will still be tested in the degree of involvement we have with the natives. I wish to thank the President for his insight which I feel is correct. I would appreciate his view on the issue of native involvement.”

  “I wish to thank the elders for their openness to my opinion and state that, in dealing with the natives, we may have to be less rigid than we have been. The openness displayed today has always been the Tuathan way, let us continue to deal with each problem on an individual basis as it arises with the same concern for logic, humanity and wisdom.”

  Later, in a private meeting, the elders discussed the possibility that this new President should be watched carefully as his talents could be better employed as an elder.

  Before the next opening of the portal, three disc ships were prepared for their voyage to Earth. Tuath was ready to recognise its roots on Earth and a possible future there. Their future on Tuath felt even more secure as a result.

  There was no reaction from The Friend.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  FEBRUARY 2035

  Internationally, things had settled down. Australia and the Southern Alliance had grown closer in their relationship. The Consortium was dealing exclusively with them putting the northern hemisphere at a technological disadvantage that was growing. The Islamic heartlands had resumed trade with North America and Canada. It was limited due to them being bankrupted by the War. India had taken back Kashmir, parts of Pakistan and all of Sri lanka. The Islamic Philippines and much of south-east Asia were barely functioning, starvation was rife. Islam’s role in the world had been reduced to providing cheap labour to the growing economies. Israel was functioning again, backed by European money; they were benefiting from the near slave status they now imposed on ethnic Arabs. Africa was also starving but South Africa was encouraging migrants to come from South America and Australia. Their economy was proving the most aggressive as the South African government began annexing land and resources to the north. Any resistance was half-hearted as the people were more interested in food than independence. Muslims were seen as little more than vermin to be exterminated at will. Disease had plagued the African continent and the population was dying. The South African expansion provided medical aid that was badly needed.

  The Martian colony had been devoting itself to building interstellar probes. They secretly hoped to discover Tuaths location. The Northern Australian facility was caught up with replicator and anti gravity technology but was having no real success.

  The Tuathan reservation was flourishing and was exhilarated by the news that three ships had arrived. Speculation was abundant as it was totally unexpected, in fact there was a fear the elders would lose interest altogether in the project. The AI was contacted immediately the portal was opened. Hawk called all the Tuathans together so that they could listen to the messages from home. Due to the number of ships arriving, it would be possible next year for anyone who wished to return home to do so. None of the original crew wanted to leave, but some expressed the intention to consider it once they got closer to completing the two years. The news from Tuath was all good; nothing, however, was said about the Friend’s visit.

  The small fleet headed straight for Earth but, much to everybody’s surprise and to some consternation, they did not head for Australia but entered Earth’s atmosphere above New York. They flew over the city quickly, then traversed the Atlantic. The path took them over London, Paris Rome, Istanbul, Baghdad, Mecca and Kuwait then Jakarta. Finally they hovered above the Reservation and requested landing permission. By that time world leaders were demanding an explanation from Canberra for the violation of their airspace. Paul sat in his office with a big grin on his face. “I love these little blokes, that’s what I call stirring the possum,” he said out loud to the TV screen. He then reached for his direct line to Mark.

  Mark, Clover and Jade were at home when the call came through. “Was this one of your brilliant ideas, Mark?”

  “No way; I can’t understand it. So much for anonymity! I can’t believe they did it, it’s going to be hard for the world to pretend they don’t exist if they keep on making such in-your-face public appearances.”

  “After our last meeting I would say they are acting out of character, would you agree?”

  “Yes Prime Minister, it is definitely unexpected.”

  “You had better get to the reservation; I’ve already sent a helicopter to you. Get back to me with your analysis as soon as possible Mark. Oh, and make sure Clover is with you, I’d like to get her impressions.”

  Jade said she wanted to stay behind at the house and was a little peeved because she could not if Clover wasn’t able to stay with her. Mark did a bit of pleading and the three of them left together in harmony.

  When they arrived, the place looked crowded. Three more disc ships all slightly bigger than The Pride were lined up in a field of drying grass. There was a lot of activity and Hawk was obviously very busy, so Mark took clover and Jade down to the beach for a swim and a picnic. “How would you assess the emotions of the newcomers, Clover?” asked Mark.

  “Optimistic and confident, very positive in their demeanours.”

  “Is there any sign of anything... unusual?”

  “Well apart from the way they are interacting with the natives, nothing really.”

  “Their interaction is different? How?”

  “Like I said, more confident, no sense of fear. They speak to the natives like the natives are the visitors and not them. It’s a subtle difference but interesting, I can’t really explain it. It’s all positive, I think.”

  Mark explained that his job was to find out why they did the flypast. Clover said she had no idea but would talk to everybody in the morning. “Do not worry Mark. They will tell us, I’m sure. There would have been a purpose behind that action and it will be important.”

  The three of them returned to the main settlement at nightfall and retired in the cabins assigned to them. In the morning Hawk announced a short meeting of introductions would be held. During the course of the meeting Hawk announced that he would still be the highest ranking Tuathan. He introduced the executive staff among the newcomers. As the total new arrivals numbered 160 he left it to informal meetings for the remainder to get to know the native staff. Then abruptly the meeting was ended and people filed out to go about their business. Mark gave Clover and Jade a quizzical look. Clover whispered, “Don’t worry, we have a private meeting with Jade at lunchtime.” They had arranged for a light lunch on The Pride in Hawk’s own quarters. He still used them occasionally although he had a private project going. He was building a beach shack for himself, set back from the beach in a stand of eucalypts. It was almost finished so most of his nights were spent there now.

  The four of them were old friends now and sat comfortably drinking chilled Semillon. Hawk smiled at them. “You want to know what was the purpose for the flypast?.It appears there has been a shift of policy on Tuath. The elders feel that it is within keeping of our new status on Earth to be more proactive in our approach to the natives. We are no longer to hide ourselves but act as naturally as possible. Security for the reservation will still be of top priority. It is hoped that we will be able to move freely on the streets of Canberra, Mark. The elders are realists and
see such a possibility in perhaps another five years with your co-operation. So, you see the flypast was an announcement that we are here and it’s time to recognize it as a fact with implications for much of the religious and political systems in current vogue.” Hawk saw a look of pleasant surprise on his face. He looked like he had just received a much-needed present.

  “I must say that is a very unexpected turn in events. A good decision by the elders, I think,” said Mark.

  “Very out of character,” said Jade, looking at Clover, who nodded in agreement then made a gesture with her hand to indicate against pursuing the subject. Jade raised one eyebrow quickly at Hawk, who in turn lowered his eyes as an affirmative. These gestures escaped Mark’s notice as they were done so quickly.

  “Do you intend to enter into diplomatic relationships with other countries?” asked Mark.

  “Definitely not, considering what happened to Jade. We may be willing to give press conferences under strict security arrangements, but only from here where we have some control. We are fully capable of monitoring all of Earth’s affairs from the safety of space. We wish to seek no other alliances. We are content as we are and will increase the speed of the development on our Reservation. That is the reason for the three ships arriving. The long term plan is to increase our numbers here to half a million people over the next fifty years. We will abide by all existing territorial claims and will attempt to restrict our movements to international airspace. We will not visit other countries or purposefully attempt to change their philosophies, but we will not hide and other nations will see our ships coming and going on a regular basis.”

  “I am sure the Prime Minister will be pleased with this arrangement. Personally I would have wished for a closer interaction, but I am also pleased with your policy change. Needless to say I will be talking with our government to see what we can do to integrate your people into our own society,” said Mark.