Book Three: Dortju and Earths Allies
Preface: It’s 2069 Earth has ‘bumped into another alien species in the galaxy and humanity is establishing itself as a galactic power of sorts within the galaxy. The Ancients are apparently making peace and while Dortju is happy with the prospects of galactic peace he is skeptical.
As humanity proceeds in making progress to establish defenses throughout the solar system and encourages it’s own settlement of more heavenly bodies the Magic council as ever has it’s work cut out keeping things on an even keel and containing any consequences from humanities dark side.
As not everything is always as they seem…
Chapter 1: The First Neutral Council
Chapter 2: Speed of Light
Chapter 3: Telepathy
Chapter 4: Immortality
Chapter 5: The Treaty
Chapter 6: Dortju’s Welcome
Chapter 7: Sol’s Council
Chapter 8: The Ancients Renegade
Chapter 9: Jettros Disgrace
Chapter 10: Dortju’s Promotion
Chapter 1: The First Neutral Council
“To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to a dead person.” – Thomas Paine
“Chani, get me at CIC asap with Amy will you.”
Dortju blink brain-panned Chani and didn’t give a fuck if she was in the loo.
She was in a coffee kiosk but anyway. It wasn’t polite when you were connected with another by brain-pan to telepath to them unannounced. It opened up the channels for all senses. Some not so upright people used this to some advantage of their own during moments of intimacy.
Dortju never gave a fuck if he’d just disturbed her surprisingly in a coffee queue but was glad she hadn’t been in the loo.
“Got it.” she flashed back. Chani lost count of her change and started again while she raised Amy on her net pad. “Amy, Dorts need us, asap, CIC. You free?”
“Have I any choice in the matter?”
“Y’know.”
“See ya soon, CIC.”
They signed off. Anors just were all business when at work. Saved small talk and gossip, if they could be arsed with it, for social times.
They walked into CIC and Chani thought to herself ‘O Fuck!’
Dortju had set up a display and was working on a entire new strategy map for the whole solar system. This was looking to be a long night.
“Troops, we’ve just heard there is more out there than the Ancients who tried to brainwash us and are now looking for peace, seemingly and the Auspexo who are trying to tie us down in the paperwork of their alliance. They have just informed us they know there is more alien species out there.”
“Em for the record, high council has decreed the name alien to be discriminatory now and we should say other-worlders.” Amy.
Dortju and Chani looked at her for too long a moment for Amy to feel comfortable.
“Amy, you’ve been too long in the lab pet and online far too much. This confab is about humanity surviving, not making sure our dictionaries are correct. Got it?”
She blushed slightly and was barely not pissed off with Dortju, thoroughly put down. She got her thinking cap on already. Dortju had her here for a reason. And it wasn’t to be the politically correct person of the day obviously.
“Dort. Aliens, smelians. I’m all ears. Why am I here?”
“Thank you, Amy. Guys, who are they and what are they like is what we don’t know. What we do know is all our defenses are hereby outdated as of 9am this morning. So we know now we have been inadequately defended for 4 hours and so far all we have achieved in response to this is me starting to replan Earths Defenses and Amy helping us name our perhaps potential enemies rightly. We need to get to work already. I have a meeting with high council at 8pm and your both invited and we need something better than improved names. We’re in extremis planning mode. NOW.”
Sleeves got rolled up.
“Ok, here is where we stand. We have the Ancients as potential hostiles still obviously. Despite a flag of truce. Negotiations beginning just might fail as much as they may succeed, failure can happen in any negotiation. We have the Auspexo who seem to be willing allies and not very useful as such currently. For the rest we can only put A,B,C on the board and work round variables assuming our other friends perhaps are A,B and also C but currently refer to them as the forever unknown X and make our plans while nailing down what this X is!”
“Another mission to Auspexo?” Chani was the first to chip in.
“Defo a possible next move, although I’d suggest sending a mission to grass roots kick up a stink in their society and make them grow some gonads but that won’t bear fruits for another generation so why have it as the primary plan now? Of course we have to somehow extract all they know about X asap!”
“Dortju I was meaning we go visit them and get the data. You came up with the subversive revolutionary idea. Sounds a bit old US school style to me that.”
“Chani, I’m trying to get this confab out the box now so we can explore all options. Both of you play along. Amy what’s your input?”
“Stop the fighting. Make contacts. Make plans. Make promises, but stop the fighting.”
“Amy, I never thought I’d ever say this, but that is a bit too Anor for me.”
“Ok.” was all she cared to give him back. She could verbally slap him in the face as much as he could to her. She lumped being nonchalant about it as much as he’d been a smart ass a few minutes ago.
Dortju paused. “Ok, how do we defend ourselves if under attack by 5 different alien species then Amy?”
“Do your fucking job and we won’t have to is all I am saying.” Amy.
Kinda quietened the mood of the bright Monday afternoon in Carnegi. The Tower was a buzz as it climbed up into outer space and connected with it’s orbiting counter weight. The space elevator was now supplemented with ‘express trains’ that made moving loads of people and cargo now a ‘minor’ chore. Nevermind all that explosive liquid fuel malarkey that had gone on before the Towers had been built. Rocket power worked better away from large gravity fields (planets, stars and black holes etc…) it had taken humanity 4 generations to work this out from the 1960s to the 2020s. Once in space rockets mattered. To get out of the atmosphere a combination of air balloons, heavier than air flight planes and a space elevator had turned out to be the better option. Only men with small uh huhs had kept coming up with the idea of bigger and more powerful rockets as the best way to get off a planets surface. Wee man ego stuff.
“Amy, your point as ever is well put. However, while I also prefer to not have to be safe I’d still like to be safe in case we have to be. Accuse me of being old if you want. I call it prudence. Guys we’re going to work on this until we have more than a few options and it has to be reviseable as we get more data off of the Auspexo about the others. So let’s get to…”
“It has to be Pluto!”
“What?” from Dortju.
“Eh?” from Amy.
“It’s our current outer ring.” Chani.
“Then in any instance of attack we swap time and space as we retreat to Earth while securing maximum loses to any attacking force/s. Typical Sun Tzo.”
“While we also sue for peace to. ” Amy
“Dortju if we back us all into a corner again… all our eggs in one basket and all that.”
“Chani I know how keen you are to get as far away from here as possible but let’s consider all options.”
“I am. I think we need to send off a handful of space cruisers now filled to the max with a mission to start new colonies of humans elsewhere in the universe. Completely incommunicado and unconnected.”
“Our lost children.”
“It’s a means to survive.”
“Amy weigh in on this.”
“Dortju I think together we stand stronger.”
“Troops we have to go to this council with a concenus. If we send off two top secret loaded as volunteers space cruisers to 2 destinations while for the rest we strengthen Pluto as the main line of defense and we make a call for most advantageous means of retreat to Earth as the main focus of our defense can I have the backing of you both.”
He got 2 nods.
“Good let’s go do this. After something to eat I’m famished. What time we on anyway?”
“Half 6? Some chill?”
“You know it.”
Jettro arrived to council at a few minutes past 8 after being slightly held back from the departing Ancients Ambassador.
Dortju stopped mid opening statement “…are in the middle of an exciting time thus having, ah Jettro. Welcome. We just started.” Dortju took his seat to the right of the councils head of the table where Jettro sat.
“Thank you Dortju.” Jettro sat and motioned for everyone else to take a seat. There was a bit more gravity in the air tonight. They all knew shit was cooking but not how it was all coming together. Sometimes a person watching the net at home could easily have a better idea of the bigger picture than a specialist who was embroiled in their problem ‘on the ground’. In this case ‘on the ground’ meant decisions to be made at the highest of ministerial levels. But on the political debate front it’s the ministers who are the front line troops.
“We have in essence agreed to an immediate cease fire on both sides. So while both sides will make no overt moves…”
“Apparently.” Dortju added in.
Jettro continued. “Which brings us to the other possibility here vs the beginnings of a peace, it could be an attempt to put us off guard while they plan another invasion. As the Japanese Empire did to the US before they hit Pearl Harbour.”
3rd millennium war fare did seem to have ‘improved’ over the 2nd millennium in that sneak attacks were not as prevalent. This had so far held to be almost true with the Ancients. They could see them coming a while away anyway over the distances involved. But humanity had learned an offer of peace was not an assurance of peace.
“I think Dortju and his team has some additional news to share with council.”
“Yep, we have more friends out there hopefully. The Auspexo, while they have not said anything about them have comfirmed there is more species out there that they are or have been in contact with or know of. Of course we need a heck of a lot more information to know if this is good news or bad or not news. A planet full of algae 22 parsecs away is as useful as a cup of tea in the heat of battle.”
“We’re recommending a couple of courses of actions. First we embark upon sending 2 space cruisers to colonize a far away objective that we keep secret. Second we make Pluto our primary defense perimeter and plan our overall defense plan as a tactical retreat ambushing our enemies as they advance from know strong holds kept hidden.”
“We have many reason to hope neither means are ever necessary but prudence says both should be put under serious consideration at the moment.”
A near unanimous nod of heads went round the table.
“We’re not voting on this tonight. We’re all going home with briefing packs. We will reconvene tomorrow again at 8pm and further discuss this and I need input from each ministry.”
Jettro tied up council and Dortju took his team for a drink in a bar. They played pool and just talked shit for an hour. They had to. So much was hanging in the balance. It’d been quite a day anyway.
They weren’t long getting home, one got in a bath and on the net, another got the TV on and hit the couch while netting and Dortju went to bed and got on the net. Each could hope for an hour or two sleep that night. They were all in full on mode and Dortju was cruising in warrior mentat mode. He’d have to come down soon or he’d burn out. But not yet.
They were all coming up with plans on how to go about executing this new set of marching orders that had just come into play that day. Before tucking himself in early hours Dortju fired a comm off to Chani on the net.
“How far you got?”
“Pretty much a more detailed version of what we already have Dortju. Picking spots for potential hidden bases and grading them out of 10 for how useful each one could be. How about you.”
“Leaving the outer defenses to you and Amy. I’m fortifying the Moon with heavy mobile armory and gun power.”
“Dortju I thought you’d concentrate on the Pluto defenses as a priority and surely with the Ancients sueing for peace we can only think everything is all good.”
It was as Dortju worried, Chani still had slightly pink tinted specs when it came to the Ancients.
“Yeah it’s good. Almost too good.”
“What. Why?” Chani
“Ever hear the story about the Trojan horse.”
Chapter 2: Speed of Light
Dortju had his own reservations about not only the Ancients sincerity but also the usefulness of the Auspexo should it all kick off again.
During the Ancients Ambassadors 2nd round of negotiations Dortju had suggested a joint meeting with them all and a minister from the Auspexo. The Ancients had just procrastinated and Dortju sensed they had their own reason for refusing to deal with the paperwork brigade and Dortju wondered if they also went in for revisionist histories like humanity used before the net.
Dortju knew 3 things for certain. Humanity trumped the Ancient in 3 arenas. Emotion. Vision and Will and Dortju hoped it’d be enough to win the day.
He was on a work sabatical to do some… work. He’d taken a leave of absence from his hat as minister of preservation to be alone for a bit leaving Chani to run it.
He’d been up for 2 nights now sharing his time entire with Einstein and Tesla. Why could these two just not have cooperated. Something about the diva of genius he guessed and held no blame. He sympathized.
He could only compare broad ideas and the maths (for what he could follow) only touched on one another’s subject matter. But in the end it boiled down to did space exist. Or more accurately was it a manipulable thing or just there and anything and everything in it could be changed but it could not.
Einstein argued the speed of light was a constant and would never be surpassed. Tesla argued since it was held up in space then it would travel faster in a space free void.
He’s settled into the grand library in Edinburgh old University which was lined with approx 140m² of black board which he was using to write out formulas and he kept running out of space. It took him an hour to shift 20 mobile boards into the hall so he could finish one equation. He had a headache coming on and went out for a walk.
It must be about 2am. It was dark anyway. Dortju had been convinced it was closer to dinner time. Studying those two he might as well take up time travel again.
He stopped mid stride… He just thought for a minute to himself.
“Jettro. I’ve got it. I’ve got it!”
“Dortju I’m going to either have to put on a lock on my door or kill you one of these days!”
“I think I know how to get us beyond the speed of light!!”
Yep, thought Jettro, Dortju wasn’t here cause a girlfriend upset him or mortgage payments that was for sure. He started rubbing his eyes and shut Dortju out till he came to and prayed he’d shut up and just get the coffee going.
He took the easy out and hit the bathroom. He thankfully noticed the smell of Java before done.
“Ok Dortju, bring it on. Thanks.” He took the offered coffee.
“Either we travel back and hook up Einstein and Tesla and get them to fix it. Or bring them here to help us… Why not?”
“Time travel is now forbidden, you know it and know why. Council won’t wear it.”
“Jettro, don’t hide behind council. If you and me are unanimous on a point they’ll fly with it.”
“I know, but we’re not.”
“Yet.”
“Dortju, I’m going to have some coffee and breakfast now. What god forsaken time is it anyway?”
“4am. C’mon Jet catch on.”
“I worry about your enthusiastic tangents at times Dort!”
Dortju could only argue in himself that it had worked out enough more often than not so far. Bridling with excitement he held his peace until Jettro got his body functioning from the witching hour. It was that hour or two before dawn when a persons metabolism would be at it’s lowest ebb which made it a prime time for guerrilla fighters of old to launch surprise attacks. No one functioned well with a low metab. Dortjus erratic schedule meant he never had a circadian clock. He used exercise and other means to oscillate his metabolism.
“I take it this has something to do with the ether debate?”
“Obviously.” now Jettro had come to “We can task them with using the Tesla standing wave into not only explaining the ether but also unity between gravitation and space/time warping, if it can be!”
“Dortju this will fly like a lead balloon and you know.”
“It’s not going to stop me from trying.”
“I know. For the second time in our histories I am in the position of having to warn you of being careful where you tread with this one. Council is not just a rubber stamp.”
Dortju knew this. Simon was council and would not approve even if it had come from his old mentor, Dortju.
The law and order brigade and the conservatives would all be against and he was already running out of a possible majority vote from council without the moderates being dissuaded by the others.
He wondered could he just…
“And before you think of going this yourself as unattached your hereby warned, it’ll be the end of you.”
Jettros coffee had obviously hit the spot. Dammit. He couldn’t entirely argue it either. Doing as he suggested could wipe out life as it was known. It’d exist in another shifted to dimension but humanity as a civilization had as not yet done a dimension shift as an individual of the species, nevermind en masse and was not about to try to on the ‘hop’.
Dortju undefeated but deflated “I could go back in time. Set myself up running between the two swapping ideas, bringing conciliation and then…”
“That’s the problem Dortju. And THEN. What will be. If you go back in time and bring about a shift in development of our species to a degree of that magnitude then you can only hope to create an en masse dimension shift and no one is interested in that whatsoever. If any of the rest of these species have ever done it we’d love to know but they seem to be having the same issue with their own versions of Einstein and Tesla.”
“And we have more emotion, an immortal and a few more hopefuls in the pipeline and to all intents and purposes more will. Ok Jet I’ll calm my beans on this one a tad. Still. It could have been.”
“I thought you were taking a week off anyway. It was only 3 days ago you split.”
“I know I just left and got into all this…”
“Dortju you all cool bud?”
Dortju sat back. Deflated and undefeated but coming down from his self-induced excitement. He stress rubbed his forehead.
“Acht Jettro, your doing well here running the fort with Simon, see out there, your a bit more on your own at times.”
“Dortju, no ones ever said your jobs easy. That’s why your un-attached with full power of unquestioned executive powers of all our resources on 24/7 call and why council has supported you even in some of your more whacky looking schemes. Why don’t you actually go and take the rest of the week OFF and just chill your burners some.”
“Your probably right.” Dortju knew as soon as he said it that he was keen to get back to his Tesla and Einstein. If anything was likely to make Dortju more determined it was someone saying or something saying that he couldn’t. Dortju only hoped there’d be a parachute to hand in the event he was accused of not being able to jump off a cliff one day…
Dortju got back into his own homestead. He’d check in with Simon after squaring up to the day. He was as perturbed as Jettro that he’d gone off on a tangent of a scheme that was just too off center. It wasn’t like him and he was bothered by it. Some techie/geekie time out was just what the doctor would order. Studying high maths while not sleeping much but dozing at times and a high protein diet was a pit stop for Dortju from life and he was due one.
“Dortju we need you to be A1A for this ministerial post. Your key in all this.”
“Jettro, I’ve long since worked out I’m to be the trail blazer around here. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
“I know, just go easy on yourself.”
They said their cheerios.
Chapter 3: Telepathy
“The material universe and the universe of the soul are cousins. Love could be likened to gravity. A volcano erupting to anger. A peaceful sunset to calm and both mammoth in scope beyond count. As the wavelengths of the material universe have to date been very well mapped out, the vibrations of the soul have only just been properly put on the drawing board and the similarities are undeniable.” – Dortju.
Dortju got home to his good old flat in South Queensferry in time to see the Sun burst up into the sky off in the East. He looked up and seen the Scotland Tower stretch off up into space and wondered at the marvels of humanity and nature. He was glad to be home. There was a late autumn smell of a natural wood burning fire in the air mixed with the smell of a misty humid forest.
Chani or someone had obviously been by recently. Not a speck of dust could be seen. In fact he knew it hadn’t been Chanie, she’d not done his dishes since her padawn days a while back now. Where’d the time gone. He got in and got settled.
Simon could wait to tomorrow he was going to let himself come down some it’d been an exciting week. Ancients sueing for peace and the Auspexo saying there was more species out there. Also something closer to home was bugging him. He kicked off his boots, flung down his cloak and put the hot tap on in the bath on his way to the loo.
An hour latter his bathroom was like a steam room. He was beetroot red and wrinkled and thoroughly relaxed. He put his pipe down, took a sip of beer while a Gun and Roses concert blared out of his net pad. The screechie voice of Axl Rose only made more so with the pads tiny speakers. It soothed the beast in Dortju. He had an olbas oil lamp burning to.
He’d picked Benjii up from the office pen on the way out to the Ferry and had lit his own natural wood fire. He wanted some company but knew he couldn’t afford it time wise at the moment. He had a date with Einstein and Tesla this week and Benjii’s walks would be distraction enough. Women tended to fog the mind at times a bit.
He’d no doubt lasso Amy in over the net on some techie points and have his usual daily with Chani over the net or in person but other than that he’d be mainly incommunicado for now. He at least had the rest of the day to himself. Daily with Chani done, chat with Jet putting him in his place and now some time to himself that he’d decided to put off meeting with Simon until tomorrow.
He got out and donned his outfit for the day, a bathrobe.
The kitchen begged for some abuse. His fridge was loaded. He took out a kg steak, some wedges, found the pepper sauce and a couple of new spuds. He’s have mash tatties to with his steak tonight and leather it with butter and a sprinkle of pepper. The wedges were paprika flavoured. He’d devour a couple of beers to. He wanted to. He might just watch Star Wars flicks all night.
As he left the kitchen spot of his digs to head through to the living area he had a couch to sit on with a net viewer on the wall in front of it and an office bit with a table and multiple screens to put up Einstein and Tesla equations. He went for the couch. It was that kinda day.
The steam coming off the steak and wedges and mash covered with creamy pepper sauce was making his mouth water. He got the right channel up and picked Solo, one of the old classics in the series. He couldn’t believe they were up to episode 24 now. But then why not, they were more real life now a days.
Beeep, beeep, beeep, his net pad went. Fucking as if! not tonight, the world could manage one night without him being on call. He tucked into his steak and just let it overtake him. The film disappeared into the background as he looked at it and never seen it but heard it and was distracted by the sunset… He put the plate down nigh on empty took a swig of his beer. Put his feet up and picked up his pipe. He tried to zone into the film but thought he could do with a blankie to cover dem old bones in his feet…
“Dortju, what the fuck why won’t you answer your pad it’s right in front of you, somethings come up. We need you over at Carnegi.” Chani had a key for his house obviously.
Well there’s the fucking surprise of the fucking century. Dortju sat up and rubbed his forehead. “Coffee please pet.” Chani understood that tone. It meant shut up and a bit of space please – or else.
Dortju went to his room and suited up. Combats, black t-shirt, his inevitable hoody with a slightly pointed hood, his runners. All black and silver of course. 8pm and he could have just done with a good nights sleep but this would hardly be minor. He felt better suited and booted. Now caffeine and the tale.
Both came thick and fast when he went back through.
“Simon has made a development with telepathy and it could be the key to making Pluto an orbital ring of impenetrable defense for the whole system. And 3 Space wings worth of XW2 fighters but the figures work. We could be indestructible if we can pull this off.” It came out in a rush. Dortju could sense Carnegi was in a buzz, well at least he’d emotionally recharged and if not physically rested at least he’d refueled.
“C’mon Chani, I take it you have wheels?”
“Watch this!” They left.
She had a speedster pod and made sure Dortju knew. Her driving almost got him excited, ‘cept it was him that had taught her.
Small talk was dispatched between Simon’s front door and the lounge. “Simon bring me up to speed on this development.”
“Chani, fancy doing the drinks?All in good time Dortju, fancy something?”
“How late a nights it going to be?”
“He’ll have a JD and red bull and for me the same.”
“Sure, I’ll put some toasties on to guys.” Chani was already more or less briefed up. Dortju had her take on it. Now he’d get Simon’s first hand without her interpretation.
“In a nut shell Dortju we can get more than only emotions across interstellar space instantly. We’re not at the stage yet of sending complex data efficiently but we do have an effective binary system means to communicate instantly between certain telepaths.” Simon was quite rightly quite proud.
“Wow. Next step morse, then next we’ll all be on about voices in our heads.” Dortju passed the quirk to no laughs. There were exactly a hip skip and jump away from reading peoples thoughts and the next final step obviously would be controlling their thoughts and how they think. It was a dark avenue, as every significant major advancement of humanities had been.
“We have to put an ethics committee in place to govern the use of this technology.” Simon was quick to put in.
“Simon we’re as well asking new borns to apply for a license to see.”
“Dortju your dramatic analogy deserves a pragmatic one back. Anyone has the right to invent a means to fly and do so. But before you fly over my house or it being used for military purposes then it must be regulated.”
Dortju reckoned that was the longest worded sentence he’d ever got out of Simon. He was obviously humoring him. While also making his point very clear. He was not in disagreement. This advance in things was epic and a game changer. He was sure neither the Ancients nor the Auspexo had TP and he’d be surprised if any of the other species could. Any species that could would be formidable.
“Simon, ain’t disagreeing. Military use regulated, check. General use – license it as you would sight. Talk time scales to me.”
“1-2 years we’ll have 2-6 squads. Vague and the best I got.”
With Simon, generally, if you asked him something the next ten words out of his mouth was the answer.
“Still one heck of leap forward though Simon. To what to we owe this advancement?”
“Sorry Chani, it’s using men only. They’re minds can sink and get intensely analytically sync’ed were as the female psyche tend more to emotion.”
“Least some of us have feelings.” Chani as ever fought up for the female of the species.
“No one here’s being sexist Chani.”
“Yes there is!”
“C’mon, let’s not do this silly battle of the sexes thing now.”
“Not at all Dort. Just taking a moment to be a bit sexist myself is all, having me getting the drinks in and all that, c’mon lighten up guys” she said cheerfully, making a point. “We are saving the solar system but they have just offered a peace treaty so at least some of us around here feel as well as being human computers.” Chani was just trying to lighten the mood.
“Chani, Pearl Harbour.”
“I agree.” Simon.
Chani sat up and wiped a crumb from her chin and said nothing.
“Who’s got some details for me on how this works.”
Simon explained “Use spotters to direct forces. 3 space wings of fighter supported by some capable cruisers could englobe any attacking force in time.”
“Chani, how’s Raka getting on with the fleet. Been a while since we’ve caught up?”
“1 fighter carrier, 3 cruisers and 8 frigate class ships are 90% operable. They could be launched within 72 hours, but without full system capability but it’s missing features could be brought online in time, just much slower than in grav dock.” A grav dock was the same to a space ship as a dry dock was to a boat. “Production speeds are increasing though and we could have as many as 3 fighter carriers and corresponding support craft within 2 years.”
“Ok this rapid deployment system plus our defense screens in the Pluto orbit and also the asteroid belt are making me feel a bit more at home here in our solar system at last. Now, what are we missing out on apart from what the Ancients are really intending?”
“Being cornered on Earth again.” Chani.
“An unknown weapon.” Simon.
“Always more variables in conflict than one would want eh.”
“Dortju, that’s conflict in every arena. It’s always mutual chaos.” Simon.
“Ain’t that a bitch. Alright troops let’s get started. Simon I assume you want CIC tests done?”
Simon’s raised right eye brow said it all. As if like well your ain’t here for a football match. Especially since that sport had gone out of fashion on the trip to Titan 30 odd years ago. Bit hard to play it in a space linear.
“Chani, can you net Amy. Simon do you have some scenarios for me to look at?”
“Over here Dort.”
“Amy, sorry to call so late but it’s important. We need you in CIC as soon as.”
“Chani, I’m going to stop answering the phone to you, do you know that?”
“Babes I’m sorry.” Chani was playing along. She knew Amy would not be able to sleep now she knew something cool was going down and could be in her department.
“What the hap’s?”
“Replanning solar defense so running sims in CIC and aype your role is key.”
“Tracking. What time is it expected I be ‘conveniently’ ready for?”
“One sec pet, Dort! When you hitting CIC?”
“Sims start at 0200.” was shouted back from the office part of the lounge.
Amy, “I heard him. Chani, gimmee shower time. I’ll see ya soon and we’ll catch up, over coffee and donuts I’m sure.”
“No worries pet, catch ya.”
Things were in motion for a long long night.
Chapter 4: Immortality
“A life is limited, but life is not. We live in the moment, by the past and for the future. As a species we are already immortals but what’s your life’s legacy?” – Dortju
It was 6am as they brought the sims session to a close. Dortju was meeting with the immortal council at 10am and wanted some home time first. Simon would also be there as it’s head and surely wanted his own peace and quiet for a bit.The ladies would head off for a light brekky no doubt, wee catch up chat and then hit the hay for the day, well deserved. Dortju and Simon wouldn’t be far behind them time wise. It’d been a heavy night mentally for them all and successful. By the time dawn said hello they had a pretty well defined a rough outline of an ‘impenetrable’ defense, (no such thing could ever exist) but what could be done now, had been.
So R+R was in order.
He got back to his ‘Ferry’ pad. Did his daily routine and then got on the net.
He opened 4 screens on the 4 pads he was using and jumped between them. He’d have some pages running 2 or 3 or more sub programs at times. He was done with waiting on upload/download times and he could process data at a ferocious rate while in mentat mode which he now was. He had to. It was narcotic induced to but he’d be fine by council with a coffee and much the wiser.
He’d showered, been fed, had his coffee and a watered down beer and huge breakfast and now it was number crunch time. It exhausted him before council – during his R+R time to! But then he needed the edge on this council.
When it was time to head he was running different operations needing almost constant feedback from him on 23 different screens and easily keeping up.
Humanity had long since worked out the difference between the beastile nature that could exist in all species and compassion. In one instance you could rely on it and in others you couldn’t and many animals have been known to show more compassion than many members of the human race. It was not a species trait but an entities trait.
Dortju was trying to get ahead of this war while also being responsible for winning it while he didn’t want to fight it, he had to do so to the best of his ability, for the sake of humanity. Sods law had nothing on this. He was trying to let his sense of compassion override his desire to launch all hell against the Ancients in a preemptive strike. He experienced their ‘care’ and the subsequent brainwashing. Versus the need to not want anyone to be at war again, ever.
He’d just completed a hash job of a social science study comparing compassion levels in the Ancients, Humanity and the Auspexo. He was going to council armed with some ideas anyway. Humanity did have a couple of aces up her sleeves.
“Let’s bring this meeting to order.” Jettro opened council for the immortality committee.
For Dortju the world’s establishments and systems were a constant daily button push with their formalities. It was why he’d had such a rough time with the Auspexo mission and all the red tape that it had involved. But this meeting was going to be the biggy for this year anyway so he was well prepared and as ready as he could be.
“I’d like to give the floor to Simon, our first immortal and Master of Arbitration.”
“Thanks. We’ve two avenues. Life protection which is more Master Dortju’s dept and life preservation which is more my dept and by preservation of course I mean infinitely. As this stands just now we have 83 candidates who may follow in my foots steps or of others to.”
Simon still refused to acknowledge that he was the first immortal ever. Also it was known in the circle of people of Magic that many had lived to very ripe old age, many lived into 3 digit amounts and some had already been very close to a 4 digit age in time gone by.
Humanity had already gone from a life expectancy of 40 years to 100 in a span of a century and a half so it was only logical this pattern would continue. Although perhaps would not be so drastic. Improved medicine in the last century had dramatically improved birth survival for mothers and children alike. That and for men less wars and improved work conditions helped improve a humans average life expectancy and it was now Dortju’s and Jettro’s job to take this to another level.
There is another level to this we should consider and that is the social conditioning of living in the Towers. We have become dependent on automation too much and suffer too many consequences from this. I propose a program to institute a civil enlistment in the armed services and use this to procure more candidates for being immortal and will now defer the floor to Dortju.”
“Thank you. I’ll agree to 90% of that, Master Simon.” Dortju was in no way being smug, just, not bored more than, not excited. “We should also consider emotion. In my contact with the Ancients and the Auspexo, I just know we feel more than they do. This not only saved Chani’s life, perhaps, but also gave us some keen insight into brainwashing and implants etc. This has proved vital for our defense.”
“The position from my perspective is civil service is not the answer but rejuvenating spirituality more than religion for now. The keen prospects will come forward of their own accord. But other than the means of entry I agree entirely with Master Simon on his summation of things as they stand.” Dortju took a seat and wished he could leave already. He’d put in his tuppence worth and needed his bed.
“Dortju you have on the agenda here now that you want your padawan of old to recite an old fable? Care to make the Intro then?”
“Chani came across this while discussing this issue and I thought it appropriate she share it here and now. It’s relevant, because we have work to do. Chani.”
She stood and recited from memory.
“Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we; we are
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
No one in council was unmoved by her recital and Dortju stood as she sat.
“Council, we’re dying here on Earth as it stands right now so while we have to not only defend as a planet we also have to expand our species out into the galaxy at large. That is the problem we are facing. While Master Simon is doing his damnedest to improve matters in the best of the best of us am I here to warn you that the worst in the worst of us is getting more prominent. We have to raise the bar for one and all as well as take care of the best advances of the keenest.”
“Unfortunately one consequence of the religious revival has made us more susceptible to abusing our own again. Once again too much power of one over another has risen it’s ugly head. I want to propose a push for charitable spirituality more than dogmatic religious institutions as a main stay for social fiber survival. Religion for sure gave us the will to repel the worst attack from the Ancients but as ever these institutions not being allowed to be policed is causing issues.”
“Dortju, I have to say this will be considered bigotry by most leaders of the mainstream religions. You do know that, right?” as chair of council Jettro had the reins.
“Investigate every one demanding religions not be policed.” Dortju was hardly side stepping. “Give an individual privacy rights. Families also to a mostly degree. But every religion/institution needs a secular police/social work body now! I know it’ll dull the daft flame some and that’s the end goal of this proposal. Dampen the daft flame some. We’re long since beyond having institutions above the law for any reason, even the pursuit of being immortal.”
“Dortju I hope you never involve me in that train of thought.” Simon chipped in.
“Don’t hurt anyone then Simon.” Dortju could hit Simon back with his own version of a quiet dull thud of a point.
“Gentleman, quite a bit of ground has been covered here. A vote’s in order for Dortju’s suggestion. It does mean a refocusing of a number of elements in society and the consequences won’t be small. I recommend we make a motion to chatter Dortju’s ministry with the task of submitting a feasibility study within a week and meanwhile we should review policing procedures of religious rites.”
Once all was said and done they left and as Dortju and Chani made their way down to their transport “Well Chani you have your green light. You do know it’s on you now to convince them. Busy week ahead pet.”
“I know.” She was fit to the task and he heard determination in her voice.
Dortju would never have anything significant to do with a non-believer. What belief/s, to Dortju, was nether here nor there, he just didn’t hold well with purposeless people.
Chapter 5: The Treaty
“In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself.” – Denzil Washington, Crimson Tide
It was 5am and Dortju was out with Benjii walking the shore. Awaiting sleep and also a sunrise now. It had been a long week of negotiations and Dortju was truly torn. On one hand he wanted to go with Ancients suggestions, on the other hand he well remember his last treatment at their hands and was loathe to subscribe to their hospitality again. He would certainly not go in with his eye wide shut again.
Benjii dragged him from his reverie with that loud bassy bark that would make almost anything pause and think twice about calling him cute again. The stone he’d been ‘hunting’ (as Chani called it) was burried in the sand by the dogs own efforts to get to it and so someone had to be blamed. Benjii had worked out it must be the sand, thus the barking. Dortju stroked his head and put the leash back on. He could watch the sunrise from his window and he’d have a better chance of a few hours sleep if he was in bed at the witching hour instead of out and about. They headed back, hunted stone and all.
One thing he was glad of is that the Ancients now accepted they had tried to brainwash Dortju and Chani with the intention to instill a new religion in humanity but they insisted on calling it thought reform. Dortju let the point move on.
Jettro then pushed on and said as part of any peace treaty humanity wanted to have an access to and understanding of this ‘brain reform’ technology and was asking for a team of psychologists to be given any tech spec scripts on it.
Tha Ancient ambassador seemed quite prepared for this “We would like to welcome your Master Dortju here, back to T.G.Ack for instruction in such. We believe he would have a personal interest in it as well as professional. We all know he could do with some help to unravel his parents and ex partner turning his daughter against him.”
Dortju and Jettro both blinked with that. Dortju sat back and put his hand over his mouth as if considering what to say – he was hiding a silent growl. Jettro stepped up, ‘This is professional ministerial meeting of Galactic import and it violates protocol to make personal suggestions of such matter, especially relating to the subject at hand.”
“My offer stands and I think Master Dortju might have something to say on the matter.”
Dortju took one look at Jettro who shook his head side to side ever so slightly. Dortju left.
The Ancient never knew Jettro had just saved his life. A nod meant Dortju could have done what he actually wanted to do and the windows here were very high up.
Chani found him on the couch with his wall pad remote in his hand snoring heavily. Benjii just raised an eyebrow at her as she put the kettle on. He deigned to come through the kitchen and say good morning as she filled his water and food bowl.
“Chani, tell me it’s later than 9am.” The Java was doing it’s job. Amazing what a waft of it could do to a dead to the world sleeping Dortju.
“Nearly half eight and I come bearing mediocre tidings, nowt to sweat.”
“Bless ya pet.” He wondered how bad it was and took a sip of coffee, Chani would bring him up to speed slowly. Bless her. “Time for a shower?”
“Enjoy your coffee, Dort.”
O fuck, he did. Lit his pipe. While hitting the loo. She may not be giving him time for a shower but everyone answers one call from nature first thing. A bit refreshed.
“Out with it lass.”
“The Ancients want access to your parents also.”
Dortju flung his empty cup across the room and kicked the living room table over upsetting his net pad and the lamp on it. He went outside. It was the beach. He stared into the waves and couldn’t see them.
Chani got it. Gave him space.
Ten mins latter she went out with another coffee.
Dortju smelt the whisky in it. “Thanks pet.” He took a sip and felt the bite and gratitude. Why the fuck now and on this conjecture did they have to become a significant factor! They’d done enough damage already. Which was probably why the Ancients were empowering them!
Dortju had been brought up in an occult commune which his father had left when he was 14. This had complicated things some for Dortjus coming of age.
It did in the long run result in him graduating Wizard school but talk about ‘know thy enemies’ for Dortju, when it came to his folks/Ancients. Such was the hand he’d been dealt.
“C’mon Chani let’s get on and do something, constructive.” Dortju strained out the last word.
It had been because of the Clubbing as it had ended up being called. In the 2kteens there was an expoential expansion of gossip due to all the social media platforms. This had in essence triggered establishing humanity as a form of gossip, dicated mainly by female chat online, sharing of secrets and then persuading future male partners of their views on such and such. It had caused uncoutless woes and resulted in the Clubbing.
Everyone joined their own club and could do whatever they fancied in that club as suited them and the club. The clubs all varied in tastes from the saintly to the satanic, ironically both sides had an equal share of saints and dickheads. Humanity was full speed on the path to ‘billions of islands of loneliness’ as more than a few prominent sociologists had called it when the flu epidemic hit and reversed the trend.
But Dortjus folks had not recovered from it, they had been too stuck in their respective ways and for them those ways where more important than the survival of humanity. Dortju had washed his hands of them and now had to re-engage. He was not looking forward to their biased and bigotry views again.
But as always. Needs must and so…
“Of course I’ll do it Chani but this is not going to turn out how everyone thinks it will. Let’s go.”
“Dortju, I have always…”
“I’m taking Abby with me. You are not going back.”
Both noticed her massive relief at that. Her last encounter with the Ancients had been an actual living nightmare. She’d been been made to be introspective and then given repeated commands which along with drugging and sleep deprivation was a sure fire was to brainwash another.
Dortju had got them both away literally in the nick of time and had only been able to save Chani by implanting a reversing implant in her. In the end they got back to humanity and Dortju’s implant had worked, she’d made a full recovery.
They left Benjii in the bark yard with his vitals in the shade and set the gardens sunlight to a gentle spring for him, just as he liked it.
“C’mon, let’s head over to Carnegi. I’ll drive.”
Dortju was happy with that. Whipped his net pad out and got back to work during the short trip.
Half way “Stop in for a drive thru starbucks will ya?”
“Uh huh, what ya having?”
“Tall, double latte. Here did you see this thing Simon posted there on the immortals?”
“Dortju your head doesn’t half jump about, even compared to me and I thought I was bad. What’s Si saying now?”
“You know I only think of one thing during two activities and in Extremis is the other.”
“Dortju!”
“He’s got another certified immortal. Another of the Martians has proved positive to non-aging effects with just a little more use of Raelian techniques than Simon was. We’re onto the home stretch pet. We are no longer concerned Simon was a freak accident. Humanity is now officially immortal even if it’s not been declared or celebrated yet.”
“I’ll drink to that.” She passed over his and took her chai tea latte.
Coffee’d they arrived relaxed and headed up to catch Jettro for the inevitable chin wag before heading into the meeting with the Ancients ambassador.
Gave Jettro Simon’s news who had already heard and then got down to business.
“Jet, I’ll do it. Of course I will. I’m going with Abby, Chani isn’t coming this time. We should send more and argue for that in negotiations. Plan for the unexpected. This is not going to end up how everyone expects.”
“Dort, it’s why you having council backing on being unattached, it’s becaus…”
“Spare it Jet. I am not looking forward to this an y’all had better have my back. I want Chani, Abby, Amy and Raka involved in the elite troop extraction team that may be required should shit hit the fan. I am not going into this half cocked, I want that clear.”
A few shuffles later “Dortju, of course all contingency plans will be considered.”
“Fucking right they will be and I am the final say on it.”
“Of course, can we…”
“Yes we can. I’m ready.”
They all left without another word the lines of demarcation had been drawn.
Once all was said and done. Dortju had had his way enough for him to dial it down enough to make progress. He’d be going with Abby +5 and he’d be making sure a shit load of back up extraction plans were in place.
His parents were to be part of his entourage in this embassy mission and Dortju just had to live with that.
The day was drawing to a close and Dortju took his leave from his dearest and went into the night life. He lost himself into it. Spent money. Bought drinks. Made disposable friends and just didn’t care for a night about everything everywhere but instead about everything right here. He looked out for everyone and anyone… want a drink, here, cash for a song on the juke box here, a bit of this for that here, anything, he’d oblige and the girls loved it when they asked him for a light and he gave them a light from a flame from the top of his left thumb.
When asked how, he’d only say ‘Sorry secret of the Anors I am afraid.’
The beat went on and Dortju followed it. He’d had a long day and by midnight sense was dawning on him and he made his way home in a dizzy non-chalant way. Stopping by take-aways and perhaps buying something or just chatting and then heading home. But always helping.
He just wanted to pretend. Make believe he was 20 again. Could get away with it. He sipped water from the bottle he’d stashed in his hip pocket during the night. He’d decided to walk home. It was only 16 miles. It’d take till 4am and it’d clear his head. He’d have to refill his water bottle though. He knew a spring or two on the way.
Dortju was soaking up the sunrise on his way home hoping it was not for the last time.
He was due to leave tomorrow.
Chapter 6: Dortju’s Welcome
“Some are relevant because they are smart and some are because they dominate those who aren’t smart. The difference is gaping.” – Dortju.
Dortju returned in the end with Abby and both were fully in tact, physically. Dortju did have to have a quiet one on one with Jettro though and also Simon. Things had gone ok, not well. His head was still rattling, if anything was for sure the Ancients were head fucks.
His reception has been amicable and Abby’s talent as a Raka warrior assassin had not been needed. And they’d ‘brought home the bacon’ as much as one could establishing humanities first every inter-galactic peace treaty.
While the Ancients were not as mired down in bureaucracy as the Auspexo were they sure made up for it by being slippery and sneaky negotiators. Dortju had caught them more than a handful of times trying to pull fast ones and Abby had caught on to one negotiation point that he’d missed. They’d left a time frame out of when they would have their brain washing tech to humanity while insisting humanity deliver on their immortal research to a very tightly defined time frame.
It was more of an acceptable trade deal than a peace treaty.
While history had many such arrangements from a very early stage humanity had developed many means to parly. Doing it with an alien civilization meant also developing these niceties of merger even more dramatically different cultural attitudes.
It made the early Christian and Islamic conflicts seem like a high school yard brawl.
The stakes might have been higher but what was needed was little different to humanities first Great Convention back in 2028 only it took way longer to hash out the finer details.
“Dortju I see your alive and well. Sorry I could not meet you upon return but most of us reckoned you would both be wanting some down time after being with them for a couple of months.”
“Quite right Jet. Aype I needed that overnight at my own gaff for sure. But aye, refreshed, back to battery and yeah we have a few things to go over. I know I have already given my report on the treaty to council but there was some undertones that I am not comfortable with.”
“We were expecting this. All ears Dort.”
“I’m pretty sure they were trying to trigger one of their ‘almost’ implants they tried on me. I’m 99% sure and I suspect Chani would have succumbed to it if she had come with me. Fortunately we were of course more vigilant and Abby came home unscathed but pissed at what they were trying with me. The trigger they were using was ‘it must be hard being away from home’ but they used it so consistently every time they could I’m convinced they were trying to trip a trigger in me.”
“Right but you being male and Anor you survived, and so?!”
“Fucking and so – nothing Jet. This lot are no right any way you cut it!”
“That much is obvious. So to solutions then not the problem already.”
“Ok ok. So long as we’
Chapter 7: Solar Master Council
Chapter 8: The Ancients Renegade
Chapter 9: Jettros Disgrace
Chapter 10: Dortju’s Promotion
“As acting Chief Minister I
Author Note:
While writing this part of the sequel series I want to comment on some feedback and reviews I’ve had from the first Dortju novel/short story series. Crappy use of English.
Which I take as a compliment to be honest. I am Scottish. We use the English language in part and also some Scots. We say bonny, braw, wee and aye a lot. There is massive use of not only Gaelic words in current modern Scottish dialect but also grammar. ‘Went through the kitchen’ sounds perfectly normal in Scots English however ‘Went through to the kitchen’ is more pleasing to the ear for someone who speaks ‘proper’ English.
The ancient Britons were doled out christianity as much as everywhere else in Europe was. But the further one got from the promise land the less influence there was. Thus the remains of all the Celtic culture in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Brittany. This included Paganism and also the belief in and practice of folk magic.
It’s part of the flavour of my style in writing this. I want the English to sound ‘crappy’ as it does when an English gentleman heads north and goes into a working mans pub. I daresay a Scottish gentleman would have the exact same sentiment walking into a working mans pub in the East End of London. Horses for Courses, as they say.
Are any of us more wrong or right than the other though?
Here’s the craic!
The day we’re past that question, will be a serious serious advancement to tackle the us and them view of each other in this world.