Chapter 7

We had just arrived, and I felt my link with Sto reestablish itself. All I heard was, “Doug back. Go talk.”

The idea of Sto having to be face-to-face with me in order for us to talk over our mental link seemed funny to me. Actually, we could communicate over large distances while on the same planet. When on different planets, communication over our link was not possible.

“Hello, Sto. How was Toomby?”

“Shots hurt. No go Vet. Sto no need shots.”

“Shots? Was there something wrong?”

“Vet say need. Sto good. No need shots.”

By then Sereine and the rest of my people made it out of the house and had walked over to greet us.

“Hello, Sereine. How did things go on Toomby?”

“Everything went fine, Doug. Coral is pregnant and should be having six kits in about ten months. The Vet gave Coral her immunization booster series, and a couple of vitamin shots. He also gave me some vitamin and mineral supplements to help keep her healthy while she is carrying the kits.

“Sto had to get the complete immunization series. The Vet was unable to reach his Vet here on Slave World. The Vet was able to reach the person who took over the prior Vet’s practice, but he could not find Sto’s immunization record. The Vet said that to be on the safe side, he would give Sto the complete series. We will need to take the two of them back for a booster shot in three years.

“Sto no need shots.”

“Sto, we all need shots. I get my shots every year when I get my physical. I don’t like shots either, but they keep me healthy. I need mine, and you need yours.”

“Sto no want shots.”

“Did the vet tell you what might happen if you don’t get your shots?”

“No.”

“I had a friend that didn’t get his shots as a boy. He got very sick, and spent two weeks in the hospital. They stuck a needle in his arm and drew blood twice a day for the first week and during the second week he got three shots a day and had blood drawn twice a day. That’s like getting forty-nine shots in two weeks. Do you want something like that to happen to you?”

“NO!”

“Then just get your shots when they are due.”

“Sto no like shots.”

Sereine said, “Doug there is no reasoning with a Bushbie. Sto is never going to acknowledge that the shots are good for him. Coral isn’t as bad as Sto regarding shots, but there are other things that she is just as stubborn about doing. I just put my foot down, and tell her she has to do it and she does. I think Sto knows the shots are good for him and he will accept them, but he will make his dislike known every time you take him to the Vet.”

“Sto no go Vet. Not need Vet.”

I ignored Sto and said, “Yeah, you are probably right about that, Sereine.”

We headed inside while we talked. I was tired and just collapsed in one of the easy chairs in the front room. The rest of my party headed for their rooms to unpack, and a few crashed in their beds, to sleep. Sto and Coral disappeared to Sereine’s room.

Charyl headed to the kitchen to fix sandwiches for us as a late night snack before we all headed to bed, even though locally it was only 1:30 in the afternoon. Hopping can really throw your system out of whack, due to time differences between planets.

While Charyl was fixing the sandwiches, Edgar gave me Councilwoman Stanton’s response to my Twixt. It had arrived at the estate while I was on Vora. Kendrick and I read and discussed the contents of the Twixt. She had time in her schedule to see me almost any time in the first five days of next week. In order to ensure that I had sufficient time to address everything that I needed to talk with her about, I needed to leave as soon as I could.

The sandwiches were good, and we were all in bed a short time later. Late in the afternoon, Edgar came around and woke those of us who were still sleeping. We weren’t fully rested, so we would be ready for bed by late that night. The next morning we would be rested, and hopefully our internal clocks would be synchronized with Slave World’s time of day. Although that wouldn’t matter for those of us going to Timson, for we would have to synchronize with its local time after we arrived. When Edgar woke me, I went down to the living room and joined Abby, Kim, and Sereine.

“Abby, we didn’t talk very much before you left for Toomby. How was your time on Vora?”

“It was interesting, Doug. I’ve done ride-alongs with the police on Earth. The Multiverse police were very much the same, and at the same time very different.”

“What do you mean by same and different?”

“I noticed that the camaraderie between partners was the same and so were the patrol practices. Just drive around through your assigned area and keep a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. The responses to calls were very much the same in that the officers had to handle many of the same types of calls, mostly domestic disagreements.

“The main differences seemed to be, far fewer calls for potentially violent situations, and the attitude that the people had toward the police.”

“What attitude are you referring to, Abby?”

“On Earth, there seems to be a dislike of the officers as if they are sticking their noses in where the locals believe they don’t belong. On Earth, people don’t like that. The people who get upset don’t stop to think that someone in the neighborhood called the police for help, and that’s why they are there. In many cases on Earth, there is also a very noticeable tension between the local people, and the officers who respond to the call. The public doesn’t want the officers there, and the officers don’t want to be there.

“In the Multiverse, there was some of the dislike of the officers interfering, but the anger and tension was missing. I think the Multiverse public is more accepting of its officers having to intervene to prevent a situation from escalating. The atmosphere was more in line with the officers trying to help the public, and the public realizing the officers were doing a job that required them to intervene.

“On Earth, there is also a sense of violence about to erupt that’s missing in the Multiverse. I noticed that in the Multiverse, people seemed to accept that someone created a situation and the police were just trying to prevent it from becoming something that they will have to react to by arresting that someone.

“I also noticed that if the officers did arrest someone in the Multiverse, almost everyone felt that the person was in the wrong and the officers did what needed to be done. I don’t recall that being the case on Earth. On Earth, the officers seem to have an attitude about arresting people that makes the situation between them and the public worse.

“I can see part of why things are the way they are in the Multiverse, but I don’t really understand why the situations are so different between the Multiverse and Earth.”

I said, “I haven’t been on any ride-alongs on Earth or in the Multiverse, Abby. However, I have heard about what you are describing and I don’t understand it either. On Earth, the police seem to feel that they need to handle situations with the public in a strong aggressive manner. The public resents being treated in that manner, and become resistive to the police. The police respond by being even more aggressive, and the public responds by becoming even more resistive. The cycle escalates and both sides use the other’s behavior to justify their actions. It is a no-win situation that eventually results in violence.”

Kim had been listening and said, “You’re right, Doug, I’ve seen that in my neighborhood all the time. If the cops would just back off, things would be fine.”

Abby said, “Maybe, Kim, but in most cases, I suspect someone in your neighborhood called the police and asked for help. When officers are called in, they perceive that there is a situation that needs to be handled by someone. Handling situations is the job of the police and if the crowd is angry when they arrive, the police probably figure that they need to be aggressive to get on top of the situation and control it. If you were a policewoman responding to such a situation, Kim, how would you handle it?”

“I don’t know, but I would do it in a way that didn’t involve pushing people around and making matters worse.”

“I have heard comments like that on both sides of the issue, Kim. The main problem is, the police don’t seem to have an alternative workable solution, so they handle the situation by doing what they know will work.

“I have heard stories about some of the less aggressive things the police have tried for defusing a situation, things similar to what you suggest. In most cases, a placatory demeanor just made things worse. The bystanders saw it as weakness, and they became physically aggressive toward the officers. When the officers felt that the bystanders were a threat to their physical wellbeing, they pushed back. In a few of those instances, the situation ended up as a minor riot with people getting hurt.

“I don’t know what the answer is, Kim, but if you can figure out a way that would reduce the tension on both sides, while at the same time allowing the police to do their jobs, there are a lot of people on both sides of the issue that would like to have that answer.”

Our conversation ended due to Kendrick joining us to discuss a few critical items. The interruption wouldn’t matter in the long run; for Kim, Abby, and I would probably discuss this and related topics on multiple occasions in the future. We believed there had to be a workable solution, and we weren’t going to stop talking about the situation until we found it. I guess we’re all stubborn.

The aspect of our discussion that I found most interesting was, Kim placed herself on one side of the matter, and me on the other. In reality, I am an outsider with a totally different view of the situation. I was playing ‘devil’s advocate’ by trying to present the side of the issue opposite of that being presented by Kim. It wasn’t that I thought Kim was wrong in what she said, but I felt that she was not being fair regarding the situation by only presenting the aspects that supported her position. I personally believed that the extremists on both sides of the matter were wrong.

I was from the Multiverse and had no valid opinion. If I had been a participant in the matter, I would probably be somewhere between the two extremes, and hold a very different view of the problem. Of course the more I learned from Kim, the more my viewpoint shifted. As she talked with Abby, the other members of my entourage, and me, I thought she learned more about the other side of the issue as well, which affected her views also. We weren’t going to solve this problem, but we might be able to gain a better understanding of the matter. Perhaps that would influence our opinions.

I needed to give that more thought. As the Multiverse Ambassador, my mission is to get the people of Earth to apply for and to be accepted for membership in the Multiverse Council of Affiliated Worlds.

That wasn’t going to happen until these types of problems got resolved. I hated to think about that, for it put me right in the middle of all the problems Earth has been struggling with for hundreds of years. I guess I am going to have to face up to it and accept that I need to identify and address all of the issues that could keep Earth from joining the Council of Affiliated Worlds. Once I accept that responsibility, I will need a plan to start changing people’s view of these issues. It sounded like a thankless and impossible task that will probably make me one of the most hated men on the planet.

“What’s going on, Kendrick?”

“I have several items we need to discuss.

“I just finished talking with the estate’s bodyguards and security personnel about carrying stunners and energy pistols. The general opinion is that they think stunners would be more than adequate for most situations. However, considering the nature of the threat that we are facing, an energy pistol would provide an additional capability that might be needed under special circumstances.

“Since we can’t determine when or the circumstances of their needing the additional firepower of an energy pistol, they agree that they should all carry both forms of armament with their stunners being their primary weapon of choice. They don’t care for your idea of a dual weapon holster arrangement. They feel it would be too easy to draw the wrong weapon in a tense situation and that could lead to major problems for them and you. They said that each of them would decide the best way for them as individuals to carry their weapons and we should not worry about that issue.”

“Okay, that makes things easier for all of us. If you will pass the word to all the people we have based here in the Multiverse, I will have Tammy notify my security personnel on Earth. I am curious about one thing though, Kendrick, and that is will they be carrying the energy pistols when they are not guarding me?”

“No, they won’t and I will discuss this with Tammy before she leaves so she can brief everyone about the limitations on their energy pistol licenses. The licenses authorize them to carry an energy pistol while they are involved in providing you with security. When they are not part of your active security detail, their weapons must be stored in a secure manner.”

“Since the estate has become my initial destination when I arrive in the Multiverse, I assume that the storage location will be located here on the estate. Have you made provisions for storing the weapons yet?”

“Yes, we set up a weapons safe for storing energy weapons and stunners. The safe has multiple compartments and each compartment has a DNA lock that can only be opened by the person who is authorized to store their weapons in the compartment. Whoever is in charge of your security will be able to access all of the compartments.”

“Anything else that I need to be aware of, Kendrick?”

“That covers it for the energy weapons, Doug, but we need to discuss who will be going with you to Shilling. You will need at least six bodyguards and maybe more depending on your itinerary while there and the length of your stay.”

“Alright, Kendrick, I’m planning to send a Twixt to the Timson Luxury Hotel and request a room for five nights. I probably won’t be there that long but something may require me to extend my stay. Other than the meeting with Maribel Stanton, I don’t intend to go anywhere, but as I said, plans change.”

“Are you taking anyone with you or going alone?”

“I’m not sure who should go, but I will need Cindy with me and Rita will probably want to go also. I doubt if Abby will want to go after her last trip to Shilling and Sereine will probably need to stay here to translate. I will have to check with Kim and Ken, but I will recommend they stay here. Sitting around a hotel room with nothing to do can be very boring, so it would be best if they stay here. Maybe Sereine can take them to the zoo or some other attraction. I seem to recall Betty mentioning a water park somewhere near here that may be interesting.”

“Considering that you will be discussing the threats against you, it would probably be a good idea if I were there also.”

“I wasn’t planning on taking you, Kendrick, but from that point of view it’s probably a good idea for you to go. You need to be aware of the threat in order to plan my defenses. I suggest that we take the head of estate security also, so he will understand what is going on without you explaining everything to him.”

“That’s a good idea. That means we will need your six bodyguards plus four others for the rest of us.”

“Ten bodyguards seem excessive, Kendrick.”

“True, but remember they will be providing twenty-four hour security. So if you remain in the hotel, they will be working in shifts, with at least one shift sleeping.”

“Oh, I thought hotel security would be adequate while I’m in the hotel.”

“Yes, they will be available, but the threat level and the quality of potential attackers mean they are not qualified to be your only level of security. If one of these game players is involved in the threats against your life, you can expect an attack by an experienced, professional assassin at some point.”

Edgar interrupted us to let us know that Charyl had dinner ready, and would serve it once we were all seated in the dining room. Dinner conversation was basically about the trip to Shilling. As I anticipated, Abby, Kim, Ken, and Sereine would stay at the estate, while Cindy, Rita, Kendrick, the head of estate security, my bodyguards, Sto, and I would make the trip to Shilling.

Kendrick sent off a Twixt to the manager of the Timson Luxury Hotel, letting him know we were coming and how long we would be there. While he did that, Cindy and I put together a list of topics that I needed to discuss with Maribel. Kendrick joined us after he had sent the Twixt, and he had Abby and Sereine with him. Between the five of us we prepared a rather extensive list of topics to address. I started to wonder if five days would be enough, as Maribel had mentioned in her Twixt, she had a number of items that we needed to discuss, also. Hopefully our lists would overlap and minimize the total number of topics to be addressed. That evening I commed Chairman Smart.

“Evening, Harry, it’s Doug Smith.”

“It’s good to hear from you, Doug. Are you just calling to let me know you are back or did you have something special in mind?”

“I was talking with my security people about their using energy weapons on the way back, Harry. They told me that what they would really like to have is a personal force field. Something similar to what we will be using to protect the Embassy, but designed for a single individual. I hadn’t heard of such a device and thought that the Archer Conglomerate might look into creating one. I think my people and I would find a personal force field very useful in the not too distant future.”

“Why would you need something like that, Doug?”

“I suspect that many of Earth’s people will be very upset with me when I start selling some of the Multiverse’s products on Earth. A number of the products we will sell are very expensive on Earth. The main reason for the high price on Earth appears to be greed. When I start selling these products at a twentieth of the Earth price, the companies will become very upset with me, and like many on Earth, their solution will be violence. That is just one of several things that will make me unpopular.”

“I thought your mission on Earth included not destabilizing the Earth markets. Won’t this destabilize the market in these goods?”

“Yes, Harry, it will. However, I see these businessmen as a loose coalition that keeps the product price at an artificially high level, so they can make exorbitant profits. If I recall correctly, there were a group of companies that tried to do the same thing here in the Multiverse and the people involved in that scheme received thirty years on a penal planet for non-violent criminals.”

“I recall a little bit about that, Doug, but it happened almost three hundred years ago.”

“And it’s happening on Earth, now, Harry. It wasn’t right three hundred years ago, and it isn’t right, now. I may be able to do something about it, but I want to be prepared for the repercussions.”

“I don’t want to burst your bubble, Doug, but I don’t think your idea is feasible. About forty years ago our research department looked into that idea, and they had a lot of trouble with their prototypes. The department head declared the idea unworkable and all our research was archived. I have also heard of a couple of companies that looked into the same idea a few years back. So far, no one has been able to make it work.”

“Do you know why they had a problem?”

“Yes, but there were actually several problems. As you know, when two or more generators are close together, their fields merge and form a bubble around all of the generators and everything between the generators. This is not desirable in a personal force field when you are trying to keep everyone and everything away from you.

“A second problem is that force field generators are normally in fixed positions. A personal force field would be in motion. Our researchers had trouble stabilizing the field’s bubble when different materials above and below the surface the user was standing on would move through the field as a result of the user moving.

“The biggest problem was the potential customers wanted the field to provide Level 2 protection. Level 2 protection won’t allow anything to penetrate the field. When it was activated, the users were unable to move because the field was unable to be moved through the ground they were standing on.

“I’ll talk with the head of our research division tomorrow and have a team of people assigned to reviewing the idea. There may have been some advances since our initial study that will make it feasible, or they may have an idea that hasn’t been tried.”

“Alright, Harry. I’m leaving for Shilling in the morning, but I should be back in about six days. I’ll call when I get back and we can discuss anything that needs to be addressed before I return to Earth.”

“Sure thing, Doug. I’ll check on the status of the projects we have discussed and give you the status of each then. Bye.”

That night Rita, Cindy, and I made love before we fell asleep. Our lovemaking seemed different from what it had in the past. It was calmer with a far greater sense of emotional satisfaction. I made a note to myself to discuss my feelings with Rita and Cindy while we were hopping to Shilling.

Meanwhile at the United Nations Building 

“Amir, I have finished my plan for how we can test and evaluate Ambassador Smith. Here is a copy of the plan for your review. If you agree, let me know and I’ll set up a meeting here in your office.”

“Alright, Bashira. I’ll review the plan and let you know by tomorrow.”

In the Multiverse 

After a hearty breakfast, we departed for Shilling. Our route was heavily traveled by commercial D-Hoppers, and some enterprising entrepreneurs had established a chain of hostels on the planets that most of the D-Hoppers used as their layover points on this route. When our party arrived at one of these rest points, we were able to sit down at a table and order a beverage, a snack, or even a meal while I rested. The hostels also had rooms that could be rented if a traveler needed to sleep and a Twixt terminal for staying in contact with their clients and companies.

Shilling was only five hops from Slave World. so we would arrive with plenty of time to spare. The temptation to linger over our drinks and light snacks during my rest period resulted in us taking longer than normal to make the trip. We arrived on Shilling in time for a late lunch in the Timson Hotel’s restaurant. After lunch, I commed Councilwoman Stanton’s office, and left a message that I had arrived along with my contact information.

We had unpacked and settled into our rooms when Maribel returned my comm. She and her advisers could meet with me this evening. I suggested that we do so over dinner in a private dining room at the Timson. She accepted my suggestion, and we agreed to meet at 6:45.

Over cocktails, we made small talk concerning what we had each been doing since we last met. Once our waiter had taken our order, Cindy gave Maribel a printed list of the topics I would like to discuss with her.

After a brief review, Maribel said, “This is going to take a lot longer than just this evening to cover. How long were you planning to stay?”

“I figured we could cover everything in three evenings if you have the time, but I booked us in at the hotel for five nights. I can extend that if necessary. How long do you think it will take to cover your list of topics?”

“I was thinking of every evening, for two or three days; but some of the topics parallel a few of your topics. I think we can easily cover everything in four evenings.”

“Good. Do you have a printed list of your topics?”

“No, but I can get one to you tomorrow. Let’s address your list for now.”

We started our discussions by my updating Maribel about what I had been doing on Earth and here in the Multiverse. I happened to mention tasking Sereine with locating two penal planets in Earth’s Galaxy.

“I’m glad you mentioned that, Doug. I was planning on talking with you about the judicial aspects of your position as Ambassador. The Provisional World Governors are tasked with establishing a legal system for implementing a judicial and penal capacity for their worlds. Your situation is very different, so we need to make a slight change to the way things are normally done.

“On Earth, you will be responsible for adjudicating any violations of Multiverse law by a citizen of the Multiverse and enforcing any sentence that’s appropriate to a violation of the law. What that means in practical terms is you will need a place to convene a trial, two penal planets, a holding cell for incarcerating prisoners until a trial can be held, and prison cells for incarcerating prisoners who have been found guilty of a crime that’s not severe enough to warrant being sent to a penal planet.”

“I’ve given that some thought, Maribel. As I said, I tasked Sereine with locating two penal worlds, and we have planned a holding cell in the bottom level of the Embassy building. It is suitable for a holding cell and for incarcerating people for a short duration. I hadn’t thought of setting up a courtroom, but we can easily reconfigure a couple of our spare rooms on the lower level to serve that purpose.

“When you mentioned the need for prison cells, it occurred to me that I may have created a problem for myself. Earth’s judicial and penal systems are totally inadequate and unjust in my opinion. While negotiating the treaty with the US Government, I insisted that I be given jurisdiction over all crimes that occur on Embassy property. It was my idea to convene a court, and try Earth citizens in addition to Multiverse citizens when they violate our laws on Embassy property.

If I sentence an Earth citizen to a prison term, I can’t turn them over to the Multiverse penal system. So I guess I will need prison cells for any Earth prisoners that we need to imprison. If I sentence a Multiverse citizen to a prison term, I could use those prison cells. If there isn’t sufficient room for all my prisoners, I could also use the Multiverse’s regular penal system to incarcerate my Multiverse prisoners. I will need you to tell me which universe’s penal system I should use to incarcerate Multiverse criminals.

“Yes, that does seem like a workable solution to your problem. The people who run our penal system can’t speak Earth’s language and if I recall, you said the people of Earth are physically incapable of speaking Trade Speak. Is that also true of other Multiverse languages?”

“Yes, it is. Their vocal ability does not include the higher frequency ranges that most Multiverse citizens can hear and produce.”

“All right, I’ll look into where you can incarcerate your Multiverse prisoners. Actually, we have a law that prohibits you from using something other than an approved Multiverse detention area for incarcerating a long-term prisoner.

“I think the law was passed about eight hundred years ago, when a Provisional World Governor incarcerated a prisoner in a local prison that failed to meet Multiverse standards and the prisoner died of maltreatment. I think it’s called The Hanner Law after the prisoner who died of a fungal infection in his lungs complicated by pneumonia due to being incarcerated in a cold, damp prison cell. A large segment of the prison’s staff was sentenced to a prison planet for violent prisoners due to failing to provide adequate medical care for their prisoners.”

“Cindy, make a note for me to discuss turning a few of the bottom level rooms into long-term prison cells for Earth prisoners.”

While I was talking with Cindy, Maribel was looking for something in her purse. Handing me several data chips, Maribel said, “You will probably need these data chips, Doug. They contain the current version of the Multiverse’s Legal Code, and the descriptions of how a number of the laws were interpreted by prior court rulings. They also define the rules and guidelines for courtroom procedures and proper conduct for a court of law.”

“Thank you, Maribel. I hadn’t thought of getting myself a copy. I suspect there are a number of other things I need but am overlooking right now.”

We had decided to skip the appetizers, and our waiter arrived with our Soup and Salad course. I had a pasta salad with the soup of the day. Maribel had selected a simple garden salad and a cup of fish chowder, which smelled divine. As we ate, I asked her about the group of wealthy individuals who played this game of controlling commerce.

“The group does exist, Doug; however, they aren’t organized. When I call them a group, what I actually mean is about a dozen individuals who independently attempt to guide the direction of commerce in the Multiverse. They don’t coordinate their activities and on many occasions they have opposing goals.

“In one of the few confrontations that have come to our attention, one player overwhelmed a second player in the commercial arena in which the confrontation occurred. The second player lost a great deal of money, and he took the loss personally. The second player attempted to assassinate the first player and failed.