Guardian Stone 2: Stone and the T-Raptors Page 2
The Royal wedding was scheduled for early June so preparations for that event were underway as Hank and Sam became acquainted with the people of Gar and Gar with its new monarch.
Hank continued to stay in contact with his fleet and his staff but there was nothing that required his immediate attention. His generals were more than capable of maintaining order in the various areas in which they were stationed.
Chapter 2: Recruiting Gar
Royal palace on Gar – June 1 – C Day 275.
Hank and Sam were chatting with Dranz and Meri when Dranz said, "Henry, do you mind if we talk about business of sorts. It has to do with a number of my people wishing to serve in your fleet."
"Certainly, I was hoping for the opportunity to talk about that. I suspect that having an additional 2,000,000 people to feed and house on Gar has to be a strain on your resources."
"You are correct about that, and even with the returned foodstuffs, it is still difficult. Housing has been particularly difficult and many no longer have a mission or goal in life. These people entered in on what was thought by them to be honorable service, only to find that was corrupted by our former ruler. Those who were infected by symbiotes feel particularly dishonored and some still need the assistance your medical capabilities can offer. They now hope for some form of vindication. To many of them, service with your fleet offers just that. They and I understand the implications including the fact that I will have to forgo their allegiance. Also, I understand that many will not wish to return. Almost all who served with your fleet in the Arber expedition were impressed with the reception they received from your people and would like to continue that relationship. In addition, most of these individuals have known no other life that that of the military service and in particular, service in space. As you know, our military services are open to male and female alike. Some of our most accomplished warriors are female. On top of that we have a something of an overpopulation issue that will be resolved somewhat by opening Saram for colonization. We are not able to move these new masses to reasonable and meaningful employment on Gar. I suppose this is my first crisis as their monarch. I had hoped you might have some thoughts on this."
"My friend, I am willing to take as many of your people as are willing to live and work on the stations. Collectively our stations can house and support more than thirteen billion persons and our current population is quite a bit less than that, in fact it is at about three and a half billion. That gives us quite a bit of flexibility in terms of population. We are able to build more stations as needed. Our needs are not only for military people but for others as well, builders, space-miners, technicians, scientists, merchants and more. We prefer to take family units where possible because it is going to be difficult to find mates in the places we will go. Our mission is primarily three-fold. First is to protect the worlds in our sphere of influence; second is to provide those worlds with the ability and right to self govern democratically; and, third, to encourage those worlds to commerce amongst themselves. That is a pretty tall order but there it is. We are prohibited by our constitution from delivering our technology to any world but some of the technology can be put on loan as we have done with the shuttle that has been made available for your use. We can't give you the technology that makes some of those things work such as propulsion and shielding. We can provide some things that are more advanced that you now have that are not detrimental to your development and that your people can understand, build, repair and use. If this all sounds a bit altruistic, it is not. We believe that it is a matter of survival for our various races."
"We have already noted the huge leap in capability when various races work together and one good example of that is the action that Barana, Humans, Antorans, Glarin and Gar took with respect to Arber. That kind of relationship has to continue. It needs to be explored for the common good. So, it is not just your warriors that we would have join us but others with talents as well. By the same token we do not want to deplete these talents from your world and leave you crippled. You are going to need to have access to them. There are several ways to accomplish this. One is the open door to visitors. This can be monitored to assure that persons with anarchist tendencies do not get here and believe me, we know of a few worlds where there are far too many of that ilk including my own world. I could easily take all two million plus of the Gar that has been returned here but that would be unfair to you. Plus anyone who wants to come with us will need to be screened to assure they are compatible with the others with whom they will be in constant contact. You will need to consider how best to regulate the outward flow of your people so as to not destroy your society without unduly limiting the freedom of your people."
"We also have five colony worlds that need populations. We have found survivors on Cler and Fullus that need assistance and I suspect that if done properly, you will find that is an additional safety valve for your population pressures. We can assist in training regimens for whatever skills are needed out there. Some who are not psychologically suited for life on a station may well be suited for life on a colony world or a reconstruction world. We can help with the testing to see who fits where and who wants to fit elsewhere, what kind of training is desired, needed and so forth. In the past year, we provided training for about 3.72 billion persons on Earth who were marginalized by their societies. About 1.7 billion returned to Earth, 730 million wanted to be on the stations and 1.3 billion opted for the colony worlds we have opened. All of these worlds are self governing."
"We have a definite need for more telepathic talents. Your population is testing out stronger for this talent than other worlds so you have a real potential there. All of what I am telling you is a two-edged sword. There is a need for a balanced approach that does not destroy your society. So the short answer is, yes we want and need your people on board but how you structure that must be considered carefully and we will answer your questions as honestly as we can. If there is a downside, we will point that out for your consideration. This is quite a reverse from where you were little more than a month ago when the doors to space were closed to you but now they are wide open."
"Also you will be receiving some mining and commercial ships built on the captured Arber hulls that will be much faster than you have had previously. There are several uninhabited systems nearby that are rich in resources that you will need and can readily access. If you do not already have a headache from thinking of all of this, I envy you. Incidentally, later this year, we will be sending out four Divisions for exploration along the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way, our name for this galaxy in which we live. I expect this first effort to go out as far as 10,000 light years in that effort. These Divisions are all equipped with the new fast drives that can provide speeds up to 250,000xSL and by the time they depart they may be even faster. Initial focus will be in the 500 to 10,000 light year range. There will be a total of 20 stations involved in that effort and it is expected to initially be a two-year expedition. That is pretty exciting. There will be considerable scientific training available for participants during that time. We want to map the locations of all black holes in the arm and their orbits so they do not cause us problems because we do not know where they are located. We are also looking for other habitable and occupied planets. It just gets better and better. If any of your people want to return, we want to be sure that they will be welcome. I am sure there will be no shortage of persons who would wish to take their place. That is a pretty big burden to drop in your lap "
Dranz responded, "I am certain it will not be the last. I will talk with my advisors today and let you know what they advise. They will likely want to confer with you, but I think we should have a plan outlined before the wedding. Well that was a lot more 'business' than I thought it would be, but I can see a possible approach. I just want to see what my advisors think first. Your idea about training, education intrigues me having experienced your training devices. This whole thing sounds like the ancient Gar curse, 'May you live in interesting times.
'"
At that, Hank nearly choked on his coffee and when he caught his breath and stopped choking he started laughing. Sam was giggling and explained, "Your Majesty, Hank's reaction is due to the fact that we have an identical saying on Earth. Ours originates in China, one of the larger countries on our world and it apparently has the same meaning." At that point Dranz and Meri also started chuckling with Sam.
### Royal palace on Gar – June 2 – C Day 276 ###
The next day, Hank and Sam were asked to meet with Dranz, Meri and his advisors. They had clearly been discussing the ramifications of a recruitment of Gar citizens and were more excited about the idea than expected. It turned out that Gar had at the current time an excess population nearing 12 million and more than half that had been trained for a military career. Some of those were not particularly interested in a military career. It also appeared that a great number of the returnees had managed to find spouses in the last three months and were happy to return to space with their mates. This was true of both male and female military. They figured that Gar could easily allow a billion citizens to leave without damage to their economy. With a return to space, the advisors believed that the economy would grow but not sufficiently to meet the needs of so many trained only in the military occupation.
The advisors and Dranz were particularly interested in Hank's comment on the previous day about the training provided to Earth's marginalized population because they saw the same conditions appearing on Gar. Hank explained the "Earth Upgrade" program and indicated that they had enough stations in orbit to conduct a similar program. Those who were not suitable for the stations could be trained for needed areas of expertise on Gar or Saram. It was also suggested that some could be sent to Cler and Fullus to aid in reconstruction and in turn use those same skills on their own planet.
The advisors asked for a number of clarifications that Hank and Sam provided. By the time the day was done, a program had been worked out that would commence the day after the wedding. The various needed skill sets were also discussed to assure that there was something in place that would provide some immediate relief for those gaps in the infrastructure. Following that Gar citizens could apply in much the same manner as had the people of Earth. Gar citizens were told that there were a limited number of billets available on the stations but that the training would be provided to those who wanted it and an application process would follow the training to fill those billets and describe the options available. There were currently 8 full divisions in system making 40 stations available for an upgrade program. While the number of available stations seemed to be somewhat excessive, it assured there were a sufficient number of stations available to meet any possible demand.
Chapter 3: A Royal Wedding
Royal palace on Gar – June 9 – C Day 283
The holiday atmosphere that persisted throughout almost all of Gar was extraordinary. Everyone was dressed in their brightest colors and the palace grounds were a photographers dream. There were delegations present from all the worlds in the Antoran sphere of influence including those from Earth, Antor II, Nimtam, Frote, Blint, and Linan. Arber was not represented and was still under quarantine. Imagery of the proceedings was being transmitted to all the noted worlds. Prince Kar was no longer incognito and was dressed in his own royal attire. The wedding was to take place on the grand parade grounds.
Lord Dranz was pacing back and forth in the throne room, a bit nervous but excited by the fact that THE big day had finally arrived. He stopped pacing, looked at Hank and said, "My friend Henry, are you sure you want to do this so publicly? Few people know of your abilities and this may alarm many of them. This event is being broadcast to many worlds."
Hank replied, "I thought it over, discussed it with Sam and many on my staff. We have all looked at the pros and cons and we all think this is a good idea. Particularly since only a few will know that Sam, Gambel, Hanser and I are projections. There is nothing in the broadcast to give us away. We all pick up just fine on the video feeds. Our physical bodies will be in my quarters on Station One. At some point after the event, we will merely disappear and Barana will send our physical bodies to the palace as though we were never gone. The hocus pocus we will do with the blades will look pretty much like what we did with Bairz and Wira. While some on Gar know of this capability and many in the fleet know, nobody on the other worlds does. It is not a bad message to send. It will give some of the less than cooperative out there something to think about. It will be a little showy but that is intentional and not a bad thing for an event of this magnitude."
"Well I happen to like it but it feels like you are giving a secret away. I can see how your enemies are going to find your demonstration a bit daunting, I have been on the receiving end and I know how I felt. I can see humor in this thing you will do. That is a good thing, no?"
Hank and Sam chuckled and said, "he is definitely learning."
Hank said, "We start in 15 minutes, so Sam and I need to get to the station while our projections have fun. Gambel and Hanser are already there. Our projections will have no problem going for hours though I understand this will all last about 30 minutes. I guess this is show time. Best wishes your Majesty."
The procession with Hank, Sam, Gambel and Hanser in projection mode went off without a hitch. No on could tell they were projections. Dranz and Meri exchanged vows that were surprisingly similar to those on Earth. Then the time for their role in the ceremony arrived. Dranz and Meri placed their Taju blades and scabbards separately on a stone table. Hank and Sam then approached the table from each end and raised their hands over the blades that then began to rise above the table. There was a collective gasp from the crowd as they did this. When the blades were about five feet above their heads, the blades began to rotate and blur in much the same manner as when they had done the same for Bairz and Wira's blades. It could be seen that Hank and Sam were controlling the blades by the movements of their hands. The blades then became blindingly bright and then began to dim. It was easily seen then that the blades were now different. They were the blades of a married couple. The blades descended to the table and were balanced on their points as the light show diminished. Then the scabbards arose and were likewise transformed to translucent steel. The scabbards then returned to the table and the Taju blades went into their respective scabbards. Hank and Sam each picked up a sword and then offered them to Dranz and Meri with a slight bow. Hank and Sam then returned to their positions and then the wedding party processed back into the palace. That concluded the ceremony and it seemed like everyone of the attendees was talking about what they had just witnessed. Hank, Sam, Gambel, Hanser and Barana then ended the rapport session when no one was watching them and rejoined the reception.
Some questions arose as to how the feat was accomplished but Hank stifled that by commenting that it was just something that a number of them could do. The unasked question was, of course, what else can he do that we do not know about.
For most of the guests from off-world, this event was the first time they had been to another planet. The trip to Gar was a 12 day round trip for them, so they could not linger for any great amount of time. Two stations provided the transport for the visitors, one to return the day after the wedding and the other for visitors who could spend more time to leave a week after the wedding.
Chapter 4: Bringing Gar into the Fold
On Station 1 in Gar orbit – June 10 – C Day 284
Hank and Sam were having a meeting with his command staff, advisors and station commanders as well as Dranz's advisors. Hank said, "Now the fun begins. Fortunately most of our stations in system have had this experience before. We actually have more stations available here then we did when we ran the program on Earth and we are dealing with a much smaller population base. The 'upgrade program' has a slightly different intent this time but there are nevertheless many elements in common. Our introductory message will be a video broadcast from His Majesty Lord Dranz, Meri, Sam and me. It will be played on all visual med
ia and on sites similar to those we used on Earth. Everyone here has seen that video. His Majesty Lord Dranz and his advisors have also reviewed the materials to be taught and are satisfied that it is not a propaganda or brain-washing effort on our part. These folks truly have a dilemma since the military is no longer the number one form of employment. Does anyone have any questions, clarifications, concerns, comments? If anyone has any, now is a good time to air them."
General Carlos Montoya, commander of Station 10 rose with a question. He said, "I have watched the video carefully and I very much like the message and its tone. My only concern is that we may be too successful. That is not bad for us but does it have the potential to cause an economic collapse on the planet. I am growing to like these people and would hate to see an unintended consequence. In addition, do we have sufficient capacity on station for a substantial increase in population?" With that he sat down.
"Carlos, it is good to see you and your wife, I really appreciate what your team did on Arber. Your questions are good and ones that His Majesty and I have discussed at length. When we offered this program on Earth, it was voluntary. Even so we had a response of about 3.7 billion out of a population of about 7 billion. In this case we have a total population of 2.7 billion and more stations available. The offering is voluntary and we have no idea how many will avail themselves of it. Gar does not have the literacy problem experienced on Earth but for a long time they have been on a war footing so their impetus was to populate a war machine. They have too many trained for military service and no place to use them. This means that they will have to retrain a huge number of their population and employ them in something else. This is probably not going to be possible for them without our help. Their military will still need to be retrained as those who join us will have a very different culture with which to contend. It will be a bit of a shock for many of them. The performance and restraint ability of those who joined us on the Arber expedition was exemplary. A lot of those manpower resources have to be redirected. That is something we can help with. This 'upgrade' program is not so much aiming at basic education of the population but rather in helping with redirection. His majesty's advisors tell me that they can easily provide us with as many as a billion people without detriment to their society. Our AI's concur with that number as well and suggest that it could be increased slightly without detriment. They know that many will return to Gar eventually and Gar will welcome the broadened horizons of such persons. We will be careful to assure that the personnel and training they need to keep their economy growing is provided. From our viewpoint, we have 100 stations with a population capacity of roughly 13 billion. We currently have a total station population of a bit over 3.5 billion and we have the ability to build more stations as needed. We will do that when we reach 50% of capacity. We are very conscious of the impact we can have on a planet and are being particularly careful in this instance."