EliteCommander

The Cradle

Vreta breathed a short laugh through his nostrils for just a moment, looking down towards the floor. “I know I…usually have the answers to these sorts of question. It is my job, after all. Clearing up misunderstandings, explaining Rothian customs, expectations. But, uh, well…I haven’t the faintest idea this time. This is all so wildly unprecedented. I don’t think I can understate that fact. The Rahn’Saki have never taken care of diplomacy themselves, and that offer they made…I never would have thought I would see one like it.”

For a moment, Vreta stopped and took in a breath. He had finally been able to voice his surprise, so he tried to think of what he could say that would be helpful. “One thing, I suppose, I can say about the Rahn’Saki is that they are not liars. Every deal, every agreement they have committed the Rothian people to, they have honored. This offer is real, and I think your leaders would be insane to deny it. But, your leaders have to know that no species in their right minds would take a backseat to a matter of their own survival. It is a generous offer just for an equal partnership, and I hope your leaders see the wisdom in accepting it. I truly hope they accept it, because if they don’t…well, there is no outcome here where the Rahn’Saki surrender our fate to Outremer’s government.”

The Cradle

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The Cradle

Despite the fact that the only one among the Rothians aside from Roth’Orsa to speak had been Nirann, most of the Rothian leadership already looked to be exhausted of the meeting. The revelations that she had brought forward and the offers the Rahn’Saki had made had certainly left them with a lot to process. There was, perhaps, some lingering awkwardness between certain Rothians and the Humans in the room. All of those who had been considered disrespectful towards the Rahn’Saki had been speaking remotely from Outremer, but not all of the offended made a distinction between them, and those in the room with them. For Vreta, he could not say he was terribly thrilled about that fact. His job was to smooth over relations between the two teams, and he felt like he was going to end up having a lot more work after all of this. Provided this meeting ended up securing their overall cooperation, of course.

Vreta was near enough to Freyr that it took just a short few steps once he stood to join alongside her and 595. He kept a respectful distance, especially from the Agent, and mostly focused his attention on Freyr. “And how are you holding up, Freyr? I feel like they just threw quite a lot at all of us. I’m sorry the negotiations got so…personal to you. I, well…I wish you didn’t have to go through that in front of everyone.”

The Cradle

“To prevent this being from reaching the Cradle would certainly not be our intention. Quite the opposite, in fact.” Roth’Orsa replied. The apparent disrespect and accusatory words of the Humans towards he Rahn’Saki drew the ire of more than a few Rothians present. The Grand Admiral, in particular, snarled at the Director-General. Again, though, it took only a gesture from Roth’Orsa to calm them.

“Our history of diplomacy speaks for itself, President. In this crisis, the civilizations of our galaxy may well need to cooperate on a level hitherto unprecedented since any of our species have known one another. If the threat is real, and if it is as powerful as the being implied, we may all need the help of one another. To that end, the Rahn’Saki shall be calling upon a summit of all governments of spacefaring nations known to us. There, we will explain everything that has happened, what it could mean for our future, and we will be offering an agreement. As stated before, this agreement will not demand you relinquish your secrets, only that all signatory entities be granted equal access and inclusion into the process of resolving this crisis until its conclusion. At that point, if the Cradle’s creators have not reclaimed control of it, you will retain control of the Cradle. And this agreement, we should say, comes with the full support of the Rahn’Saki. If the Hegemon threatens your world, you will have the protection of the one fleet more powerful than your own. If your people suffer, if they have to evacuate, we will house and support your refugees. If the threat of the Hegemon is severe enough, we will arm you and your ships with modern Rothian weapons with which to fight them. That is the kind of support we are offering.”

Most of the Rothians had already been silent to allow Roth’Orsa to speak, but now they were stunned to hear the offer she had put on the table. To provide aid, or outdated Rothian technology, was one thing, but to offer to arm another species with advanced Rothian weaponry seemed like such an absurdity that even the highest-ranking Rothian officials never would have imagined it. The Humans especially, after centuries of diplomacy with the Rothians, would likely be even more shocked. “With the kind of cooperation we are offering, you know as well as us, President DeWinter, that anything less than a full partnership is frankly an insult. It is the most generous offer we have ever made your people. Take some time to discuss if you like, but everyone necessary to make this decision is present in this meeting. It is a…diplomatic priority for our peoples to become partners in this crisis.”

The Cradle

“But you are mistaken, President.” Roth’Orsa replied, unshaken by the Humans’ resistance, and unmoving in her demeanor. “The Cradle is not yours. You did not create it, and as we have learned, its creators are not dead, nor did they willingly abandon it. If what we have learned is accurate, the Cradle is the home of these beings. It belongs to them, and they have the right to it. The Cradle now fits the definition of the native homeworld of an independent, intelligent species within your borders. You do have the right to control first contact, but you do not have the right to deny us access to it for our own…anthropological study and diplomatic activities.”

Roth’Orsa leaned forward, maintaining her stare towards President DeWinter. “Even aside from such legal definitions, what happens with the Cradle no longer just concerns Humanity. Every Rothian, every Tindrel, Ulsix, or Paran. Every single thinking being in our galaxy could be preserved or destroyed based on what happens to the Cradle. Consider, President DeWinter, that we are no longer discussing a piece of technology. We are no longer merely arguing about allowing Rothian scientists to satisfy their curiosity studying an interesting computer. We are discussing an existential threat to the continued existence of the Rothian people. This is no longer a matter of intellectual curiosity for us, President, it is a matter of survival. Consider your answer within that context, before you reply. We will not demand Cradle data you have already gathered through the centuries, none of your technologies nor secrets you have extracted, but we will require full and equal access to study the Cradle as it is now. We will require equal involvement in reuniting the device on Rothia with the Cradle, and an equal voice in the events to come involving it. There is nothing less that is acceptable.”

The Cradle

For the first time, Roth’Orsa actually paused for an appreciable moment to formulate her response. Vreta imagined the Rahn’Saki were discussing among themselves, perhaps with some disagreements among them to account for the short delay. “If we are in agreement, then we should begin preparations to move the device to Outremer. One of our scientists, Nirann, has already submitted a proposal.” She said, turning her head towards his holographic avatar and gesturing to him. “If you please.”

Nirann was initially surprised to be called upon to speak. The Rahn’Saki doubtless already knew everything he knew, and much more. There was a good reason the rest of them had stayed quiet while the Rahn’Saki were handling diplomacy. Still, he did not hesitate to follow his leaders’ request. “Of course. I am aware that the Cradle has, in the past, been adverse to moving from its position within Outremer’s crust. We do not know if this new device would be similarly stubborn, but in any case, my proposal would bypass such resistance.” Nirann began as he pushed a digital copy of his written proposal to each of the meeting’s attendees still present. “Rather than try to excavate the object, we can simply build a Class 1 gateway around it, underground. At the same time, we bring another gateway to Outremer, then simply send it through the wormhole. Even if the object will allow us to move it with no resistance by other means, this process would still be quicker than the time it would take to excavate it from Rothia safely.”

“In addition, we also need to discuss our cooperation.” Roth’Orsa quickly continued. “This matter has moved far beyond just the concern of Humanity on Outremer. Based on the information available, the list of potential outcomes may impact every living species in our galaxy. We will require full cooperation in the study of these devices, and equal decision-making power for any matter with a potential influence beyond Humanity’s concerns on Outremer.”

The Cradle

By this point, there was likely little surprise to the fact that Roth’Orsa had a calm, direct response to what the Director-General had showed them. This time, she continued to stare ahead at the screen after the video ended, without actually looking at any of the Human representatives. “Even if you were to give us all information you possess on the Cradle, and give us full access to every aspect of it, we could not guarantee that we would be able to take control of it in time to save your world.” Roth’Orsa said flatly. “There are no guaranteed outcomes in any choice we could make. Our best outcomes require trusting in the word of the being we discovered. There is no way to be sure of its honesty, but all evidence we have access to does…suggest truth in some of its claims. It made the claim that it influenced the development of life on our planet, which is…consistent with the accepted hypothesis of the Rahn’Saki prior to these events.”

Roth’Orsa’s last statement turned the heads of multiple Rothians across the room, including some of the ranking leadership. Vreta was both confused and surprised by what she seemed to be implying. The idea that Rothian life could have been intelligently designed had been a shock to him when the first evidence came to light weeks ago, but Roth seemed to be suggesting that the Rahn’Saki had been considering that possibility even beforehand. Not only did they consider it, but the idea was their favored explanation. He had no idea what had caused them take on such ideas, but it was certainly not a commonly held belief among Rothians as a whole.

Regardless, Roth’Orsa did not pause for so much as a moment to address her own people’s surprise. “We believe, with all data considered, that allowing the being to heal the Cradle is the most likely path to ending the crisis on your world. Were the situation less dire, we would recommend greater caution, but to delay risks losing the option of the being’s assistance. Is Outremer in agreement, overall?”

The Cradle

This time, it was Freyr who received Roth’Orsa’s stare. Even though she had not yet given off any signs of malice, Vreta still felt unnerved sitting near the subject of her focus. Though, the great regard in which he held the Rahn’Saki did influence his anxiety. “You are…afraid Dr. Lang, yes? You lost your family within the Cradle, and evidence suggests their minds were taken by the intelligence that has emerged within the Cradle. Since you have been on our world, we have heard you speak of such great pain that would fill any Rothian with grief for years. The being we encountered offered to attempt to return your dead to you, but to do so would require releasing control. As you are now, you have some control over the Cradle. Even if it is fighting back, you still have some tools to influence it. Your family’s fate is currently in your hands, and you are afraid to place it in the hands of any other. You do not know if you want to trust this being with their lives.”

Roth’Orsa required no time to think, and did not hesitate to continue. Any question asked or counterpoint raised, it seemed she could reply to in an instant. We may not have had the opportunity to study the Cradle, but the Rahn’Saki has…knowledge of digitized personalities. Even without having entered it, the Cradle is a place that feels familiar to us. It is not identical to technology we know of, but it…rhymes, so to speak. The only way that it would be possible for your dead and lost to be returned to you would be if there is record of their personality matrices somewhere within the Cradle’s memory. If that is the case, then it would be a trivial task for this being to return those personalities to you, so as long as it has control over the Cradle. It is no different from moving a file on your computer. If there has been too much deviation from the patterns in their organic minds, then it may not be possible to return them to their original bodies, we will admit. However, you would still have their minds. If your people cannot create a digital environment capable of hosting a complete Human mind, then in the interest of preserving their lives, we would be willing to provide them.”

The Cradle

It was hard to say if Roth’Orsa knew anything about Director-General Smith, as she gave little in the way of a discernible reaction to his presence. For the most part, she just continued to stare ahead, still unblinking. At the very least, Vreta figured that she would know everything about him that he did, which was not a great deal, if he was being honest. Still, Vreta would not have been surprised if the Rahn’Saki had ways of gathering information that he was not privy to.

“In the most probable outcomes, the war will come to you whether you prepare for it or not.” Roth’Orsa commented, once the others were finished speaking. Whether or not you agree to return the device to Outremer, it is most likely that the Hegemon will attack you still for harbouring the Cradle itself. Attempting to maintain the status quo would not assist you.”

Roth’Orsa paused for just a moment as her gaze shifted onto the Director-General. “We also believe the Director-General is correct. We could provide the device with immeasurable power, but it may be no more than a waste of time. Our determination on the source of the being’s weakness is inconclusive. It may not be lacking power. Its instability could be the result of other effects caused by separation from the Cradle. We note that this device’s base code had deviated enough from the Cradle to interfere with your equipment upon arrival in the simulation. If that is the source of the problem, additional electricity would not be a solution.”

The Cradle

By this point, Roth’Orsa’s unending stare towards President DeWinter had gone on long enough that even other Rothians started to notice it. Vreta found her to be…odd, but there was no malice behind her gaze. No anger or irritation. She just seemed to behave strangely, for reasons he could not guess. In any case, she did not delay in the slightest once the Humans were finished speaking. “We gave you the options we calculated to avoid war for your people. If your choice is to keep the Cradle in place, then you choose war.”

Finally, Roth’Orsa broke eye contact for a few moments as she looked around towards the other Human representatives present. “We know our people do make our position on warfare known to the other species of the galaxy. The destruction of life is abhorrent to us. We seek preservation, and pursue peaceful resolution wherever possible. Despite our recommendations, other species do engage in warfare, among themselves and one another. Our position is not to interfere, except by diplomacy, with the wars of other nations. However, our calculations, in this case, lead us to…uncomfortable conclusions. In the most probable futures we have seen…we too choose war. There are few kinds of wars we will fight, but among them is a war of preservation, against extinction. This intelligence we have discovered, though artificial, is life. If it is honest, if it is peaceful with us, then it is our duty to preserve it from extinction. If the enemy known as the Hegemon will not bow to reason, and if they can be defeated, then our choice is war.”