Civilisation

After what seemed like an eternity, the voting had finished, and the results had been confirmed. Aldon did not know who would be delivering the news to him, but he knew if it was bad, there would be people queuing up happy to tell him.

A communication came through to the lab requesting that Aldon return to his quarters immediately and alone. Looking at Zolin, it was clear that he was also confused at the request. They both half expected that this would be a public refusal to listen to him and his work, a public display that no one believed in what he was doing.

When he arrived back at his quarters, Aldon was surprised to see Kruff sitting inside waiting for him. He looked around to see if there was anyone else in the room, but Kruff had come alone.

“You were not expecting me then?” asked Kruff, smiling to himself.

“No. I was hoping people would believe me, but deep down I knew they wouldn’t. I just thought they would send someone else to deliver the bad news. Have you come to gloat?”

“Please sit down, Aldon, we need to talk,” said Kruff, pointing at the chair opposite him. “You are right, it is not good news for you. The majority did not believe you; they thought that this was some rouse to build a new fleet so you could explore the Universe, to expand your influence over others.”

Aldon was about to speak, about to say that it was all lies, but Kruff held up his hand before continuing. “It matters not if they are lies. The fact is the Council does not want to believe that they are capable, as the protectors of our people, of recklessly endangering their lives.”

“You must believe me Kruff, this has nothing to do with blame. I do not care if everyone is told that this is an accident and that it’s mere coincidence, but we must make them listen,” cried Aldon.

“Calm yourself, it will do no good being brash, you need to think about your next move.”

“What next move? If the council has decided that I do not speak the truth, then what else can I do?” asked Aldon, defeated.

“You are correct, it was decided that there is no risk and so we should not listen to your plans. However,” said Kruff, holding up his hand again to prevent Aldon from speaking, “there are some—enough—that do believe you, including myself.

“I have spoken with others who believe in what you say and who want to take action, but you need to remember that these people want to help you at great risk to themselves, so do not take the help lightly. You will be responsible for what happens to them. I have setup a meeting for you with someone who speaks for them, but you need to be careful. Going against the Council can be deemed treacherous.”

“Why are you helping me?” asked Aldon, curious as to Kruff’s intentions.

“Believe it or not, I trust in you. You are one of the few honest men I know, and you would not lie to the Council for personal gain. That means there must be truth to what you say, and I would be remiss in my duties to ignore that. There are a group of people willing to help you, but you must tread carefully. These people are cautious and will deny everything if asked, but if you play this right, they will provide you with ships and pilots for your proposal.”

“I . . . I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem enough. I wish people could understand that what we are doing is to help them—the sacrifices that we are going to make in their name,” replied Aldon. A little of the tension left his shoulders, melting away as Kruff offered him support. That was only short lived; the strain was replaced with apprehension and doubt. Could I be the saviour I’m looking for? Thoughts like this kept creeping into his mind. He was no hero, but they did not need a hero. What they needed was someone to do what was necessary to save the people.

“Once we start, there will be no going back. Are you committed to this path?” asked Kruff.

“Yes,” replied Aldon, a little excitement creeping into his voice. “Tell your contact I will meet him and then we can decide where to go next. What will be your involvement in all of this?”

“For now, I will arrange the meetings for you. When the time comes, I’ll support you and help in any way I can. Until then, we all must keep to the shadows.”

Kruff left, getting back to his other duties and leaving Aldon alone with his thoughts. Sitting there, he kept replaying the conversation in his mind. Even though the Council had deciding against acting, there were people within the Council that would still help.

***

Aldon went back to the lab where Zolin would be waiting for him. Both of them spent most of their time in there of late. They wanted to make certain that they were doing all they could for the good of their race. They could not afford to make any mistakes.

They did have other people, and some students from the academy helping them, but no one with the same dedication that they had. It was not through lack of concern, but as with life everywhere, there are always things that needed to be done.

No matter how hard they all tried though, they could not save everyone on the planet with just a handful of them. No, they needed more resources; they needed the Council to order the production of a new fleet of ships that could transport everyone to a new home. However, before that—as a short-term plan—they needed ships that could scout for habitable planets where they could start again, rebuild a new colony in a safer place.

Preparing to speak with the council had taken months—double checking calculations, going over computational predictions, making sure everything was perfect. Now, in respect of those months of preparations, a decision had been made within such a short space of time. A decision that may result in the loss of millions of lives.

We must remain positive, Aldon thought to himself as he entered the lab. Even though the council had gone against their advice, they had finally gotten their message out. People had heard, and evidently, some of them had listened.

“I heard the news,” Zolin said as Aldon walked over to him.

“Yes, I thought you might have, but we need somewhere private to talk.”

“I know just the place. Meet me later and we can talk without prying ears,” replied Zolin, intrigued not only by Aldon’s manner, but also by his lack of concern regarding the Council’s decision.