WAR IN RAMA
1
REPORT #319
Time of Transmission: 156 307 872 574.2009 Time Since First-Stage Alert: 111.9766 References: Node 23-419 Spacecraft 947 Spacefarers 47 249 (A & B) 32806 2666
During the last interval the structure and order in the spacefaring communities inside the spacecraft have continued to disintegrate. Despite the warnings of the octospiders (Spacefarers #2 666) and rneir laudable attempts to avoid a broad conflict with the humans (#32 806), it is now even more likely that a disastrous war between the two species, which could leave only a few survivors, may take place in the next several intervals. The situation therefore meets all the prerequisite conditions for a Stage 2 intercession.
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Prior intercessionary activity has been declared a failure, primarily because the more aggressive of the two species, the humans, are fundamentally insensitive to the entire range of subtle intercessionary techniques. Only a few of the humans have responded to the many attempts to alter their hostile behavior, and those who did react were unable to stop the genocide of the avians and sessiles (#47 249, A & B) perpetrated by their rulers.
The humans are organized in the rigid, hierarchical manner often observed in prespacefaring species. They continue to be dominated by a leadership whose focus is the retention of personal power. The welfare of the human community and even its survival are subordinated in the implicit objective function of the current human leaders to the continuation of a political system which gives them absolute authority. There is consequently little likelihood that the threatened expanded conflict between the humans and the octospiders can be avoided by any logical appeals.
A small cadre of humans, including almost all of the family that lived at the Node for over a year, remains in residence in the main octospider city. Their interaction with their hosts has demonstrated that it is possible for the two species to live together in harmony. Recently a mixed delegation of those humans and one octospider have decided to make a concerted effort to prevent a full-scale interspecies war by contacting the leaders of the human colony directly. However, the probability that this delegation will be successful is very low.
Thus far the octospiders have taken no overt hostile action. Nevertheless, they have begun the process of preparing for a war against the humans. Although they will fight only if they determine that the survival of their community is in jeopardy, the advanced biological capabilities of the octospiders makes the outcome of such a war a foregone conclusion.
What is not certain is how the humans will react once the conflict escalates and they suffer heavy losses. It is possible that the war might terminate quickly and, in time, the two surviving communities might again reach a near
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equilibrium status. Based on the available observational data on the humans, however, there is a nontrivial probability that this species will continue the battle until most or all of them perish. Such an outcome would destroy all the vestiges of at least one of the two spacefaring societies remaining in the spacecraft. To preclude such a disadvantageous result for the project, consideration of a Stage 2 intercession is recommended.
2
Iicole was awakened by the sound of the three children playing in the living room. As she was slipping on her robe, Ellie came to the door of the bedroom and asked if she had seen Nikki’s favorite doll. “I think it’s under her bed,” Nicole replied.
Ellie returned to her packing, Nicole could hear Richard in the bathroom. // won’t be long now, she was thinking when her granddaughter suddenly appeared in the doorway. “Mommy and I are leaving, Nonni,” the little girl said with a smile. “We’re going to see Daddy.”
Nicole opened her arms and the little girl ran over for a hug. “I know, darling,” Nicole said. She held the girl tightly in her arms and then began to stroke her hair. “I will miss you, Nikki,” she said.
A few seconds later the Watanabe twins both bounded into the room. “I’m hungry, Mrs. Wakefield,” Galileo said.
“Me too,” Kepler added. *”
Nicole reluctantly released her granddaughter and started
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walking across the bedroom. “All right, boys,” she said. “I’ll have your breakfast in a few minutes.”
When the three children were almost finished eating, Max, Eponine, and Marius arrived at the door. “Guess what, Uncle Max,” Nikki said before Nicole had even had a chance to greet the Pucketts. “I’m going to see my daddy.”
The four hours flew by quickly. Richard and Nicole explained everything twice, first to Max and Eponine and then to the newlyweds, both of whom were still radiant from the pleasures of their wedding night. As the time neared for the departure of Richard, Ellie, and Nikki, the excitement and energy that had characterized the morning conversation began to wane. Butterflies started fluttering in Nicole’s stomach.
Max was the first to say good-bye. “Come over here, Princess,” he said to Nikki, “and give your Uncle Max a kiss.” The girl obediently followed directions. Max then stood up and crossed the room to where Ellie was talking with her mother. ‘Take care of that little girl, Ellie,” he said, embracing her, “and don’t let the bastards get away with anything.” Max shook hands with Richard and then called the Watanabe twins to join him outside.
The mood in the room was swiftly altered. Despite her promise to herself thai she would remain calm, Nicole felt a surge of panic as she suddenly realized that she had only a few minutes to complete her farewells. Patrick, Nai, Benjy, and Eponine had followed Max’s cue and were hugging the departing trio.
Nicole tried to embrace Nikki again, but the little girl scurried away, running outside to play with the twins. Ellie finished saying good-bye to Eponine and turned to Nicole. “I will miss you, Mother,” she said brightly. “I love you very much.”
Nicole struggled to maintain her emotional equilibrium. “I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter,” she said. While the two women hugged, Nicole spoke softly in her daughter’s ear. “Be careful,” she said. ‘There’s a lot at stake.”
Ellie pulled away and looked in her mother’s eyes. She
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took a deep breath. “I know, Mother,” she said somberly, “and it frightens me, I hope I don’t disappoint—”
“You won’t,” Nicole said lightly, patting her daughter’s shoulders. “Just remember what the cricket said in Pinoc-chio.”
Ellie smiled. “And always let your conscience be your guide.”
“Archie’s here!” Nicole heard Nikki shout. She looked around for her husband. Where’s Richard? she thought in a fright. / haven’t said good-bye. Ellie passed by her quickly, headed for the door carrying two packs on her back.
Nicole could hardly breathe. She heard Patrick say, “Where’s Uncle Richard?” and a voice from the study reply, “I’m back here.”
She ran down the hall to the study. Richard was sitting on the floor amid electronic components and his own open backpack. Nicole stood in the doorway for a second, catching her breath.
Richard heard her behind him and turned around. “Oh, hi, darling,” he said nonchalantly. “I’m still trying to figure out how many backup components I should take for my translators.”
“Archie’s here,” Nicole said quietly.
Richard glanced at his watch. “I guess it’s time to go,” he said. He picked up a handful of electronic parts and stuffed them into his backpack. Then he stood up and walked toward Nicole.
“Uncle Richard,” Patrick yelled.
“I’m coming,” Richard shouted. “Just a minute.”
Nicole began to tremble the moment Richard put his arms around her. “Hey,” he said, “it’s all right. . . . We’ve been apart before.”
The fear inside Nicole had become so strong that she could not speak. She tried desperately to be brave, but it was impossible. She knew that this was the last time she would ever touch her husband.
She put one hand behind Richard’s head and pulled away slightly so that she could kiss him. Nicole wanted to stop time, to make this one moment last an eternity. Her
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eyes took a photograph of Richard’s face, and she kissed him gently on the lips.
“I love you, Nicole,” he said.
For an instant she didn’t think she was going to be able to reply. “I love you too,” she finally managed to say.
He hoisted his backpack and gave a little wave. Nicole stood in the doorway and watched him walk toward the door. Remember, she heard Omeh’s voice say inside her head.
Nikki could hardly believe her good fortune. There in front of her, barely outside the gates of the Emerald City, an ostrichsaur was waiting for them, just as Archie had said. She moved about impatiently as her mother zipped her coat. “Can I feed it, Mother?” she said. “Can I? Can I?”