The words touched the circulating crowd of ambassadors and reminded them that the formations in front of them were not just some growth on this strange crust. The ambassadors arrayed themselves in a politely interested tier, all facing the transports. Ambassador Z’eth came to hover directly beside D’seun.
Lest I forget who is senior here, thought D’seun. I forget nothing, Ambassador. You will understand what I am doing, soon.
“With me is the Law Meet of New Home,” said D’seun to the translator. “They wished to hear you speak on matters pertaining to this world on which we find ourselves. Is this you to whom I wish good luck, Vee?” Let it be seen that I am civilized and polite. That I am a whole person.
There was a pause while the translator displayed the words for the New People and they formulated their response.
“Vee is here, but does not speak. I am Helen Failia. I am the ambassador for Venera Base.” The image of the New Person on the screen shifted slightly and became smaller, rounder, more wrinkled, and a little darker, with a more abbreviated gray crest. This image too raised both its hands in greeting.
Finally they see fit to send someone we can truly speak to. “Good luck to you, Ambassador Helen.”
“Ambassador Helen,” spoke up Ambassador Z’eth. “Forgive me if I do not observe necessary ceremony, but the Law Meet is assembled here to seek an understanding of your claim to this world.” D’seun reformulated her words into the translator’s command language.
Words appeared under the New Person’s, Ambassador Helen’s, feet. The translator read the words out.
“Our claim to this world is that we live here. Before we came there was no life at all on Venus. Now, there are ten thousand of us in Venera Base. Four thousand of those were born in that base and have no other home. Our work is the study of this world. That study gives us both individual reward and our means of exchange with others of our kind. Without it, we have no home and no purpose to our lives.”
Behind and above, D’seun heard the rustle of wings and skin. “Now, there,” said K’ptai, “is an answer that is neither greedy nor insane.”
“Such a difference to deal with an ambassador,” said D’seun, his voice carefully neutral. He spoke to the translator. “Then why is there no life beyond your habitat? Why have your people not expanded in the last eighty years?”
A pause. “You have been watching us for that long?”
“We have been working with New Home that long. We needed to see what your claim to this world is.”
“And because you do not recognize our claim, you will throw us off this world?”
K’pta froze. “Is that what they think? That we’re insane?”
Ambassador Z’eth swooped a little closer to the translator. “We make no claim on anything used to support and maintain your life or the lives of the other New People on this world. These things are yours and are acknowledged as such without question.”
New words appeared on the screen. “I understand you wish to make this world your home?” read the translator. “How will you do that?”
D’seun looked to Z’eth for permission to speak, but it was P’eath, Ambassador for Ba’detad in the Far Southerns, who came forward to answer, swelling her aging body as she did. “We have already established that this world is capable of supporting the life that supports us. If, and only if, no one else has a valid claim to this world, then we will attempt to establish a biosystem.” She waited while D’seun translated between her and the tools. “If the biosystem takes hold, then we will birth settlements for our people and we will live here while the changes on our home rebalance themselves and we can again live there. When we are gone, this world will be left as fallow to rebalance itself.” P’eath had proposed the original idea of New Home. She carried her pride of that accomplishment like an extra tattoo on her wings. But her vision extended no further than finding a new world. She did not see the wider implications of allowing the New People to remain here.
“What about the rest of the planets that orbit this sun?” asked the translator for Ambassador Helen.
“We do not need them,” said Z’eth without hesitation. “They will not help us spread life.”
“What about us?” The image gestured toward the clouds. “The humans here on Venera? While you are…spreading life, what will you do with us?”
“Ambassador,” murmured D’seun to Z’eth, keeping his words light as pollen. “Do not answer. Make no promises. There are consequences here….”