Chapter 4
While standing behind the Briefing Room’s podium looking over the Patrol Group, Explorer Leader Thelt says, “Quiet down and find a place to sit.
“After we spoke earlier today, Ship Commander Shimlt ordered me to her Briefing Room for a Mission Briefing. I did not like what she told me, and once I pass her briefing on to you, I will probably be spoiling this Ship Day for you, as she spoiled it for me.
“Ship Commander Shimlt was selected for this Mission for the reasons I stated this morning. Now, she has selected our Patrol Group to land on the target planet and recover the Supreme Royal Zldat’s First Offspring.
“Commander Shimlt briefed a select group of the ship’s officers on the Mission. She did not explain everything to us during the earlier briefing. This morning, she did not explain the limitations that had been placed on the ship’s company in completing the Mission.
“You may not be aware of it, but there was a Mission to the target planet before our first mission. That ship Time Distorted four hundred Solar Revolutions into the planet’s past. When they returned, they brought back Planetary Assessment data that indicated the planet was inhabited by a primitive, hostile, but intelligent species.
“On our last Mission, we Time Distorted two hundred and fifty Solar Revolutions into the target planet’s past. After we returned, our Planetary Assessment data was compared to that of the prior Mission. The Exploration Council and Royal Zldat Council decided that the dominant species is evolving socially and technologically at a very high rate.
“They are both curious and concerned about the level of civilization and the technology level the dominant species may have attained. Their main concerns are the inhabitants’ level of hostility and the planet’s current level of technology. Their level of Civilization had advanced faster than was expected, but the technology level had increased at a significantly higher rate. If that trend continued, their levels of hostility and technology may be sufficient to adversely impact our Mission.
“In addition to recovering the Supreme Royal Zldat’s First Offspring from the planet, we have been tasked with evaluating its current level of civilization, technology, and hostility. The data we take back will be analyzed to determine when they will evolve into a spacefaring race.
“With that in mind, the Royal Zldat Council has directed us to comply with Full Diplomatic Protocol. In addition to that tasking, the Exploration Council has tasked us with complying with Exploration Directive 1495. That is one of the reasons why we will have an Assault Package and a Division of Assault Troops on the ship. A second reason for the Assault Troops is the Supreme Royal Zldat decided that he should be represented on this Mission. Therefore, a Soldar from the Royal Zldat Council and one of the Supreme Royal Zldat’s personal advisers will be joining us when we stop to pick up the Assault Package and Assault Troops. We and the Assault Troops are jointly responsible for the safety of the two Zldats.
“It may not be important to us personally, but the two Zldats have requested that they be quartered with the ship’s complement of Zldats. From what I have been told, Commander Shimlt thinks that request is because they think our Zldats may have information about the First Offspring’s decision to stay on the planet. They will also be bonding with our Zldats to increase their persuasive powers, so they will be able to convince the First Offspring to return to the ship with us.
“To complicate matters further for this Patrol Group, Gletb was a member of our Patrol Group. Commander Shimlt therefore believes that our Patrol Group should have the honor of being the ship’s primary interface with the dominant race of the target planet. We will also have the honor of escorting one of the two Zldats down to the planet, when they decide it’s necessary for one of them to make planet fall.
“This may seem like good news for we will not have to convince the First Offspring to return with us, and it will make accumulating the data we are tasked to acquire easier. But it isn’t. We will be held personally responsible for the safety of the Zldats when they leave the ship, and we will not be allowed to carry offensive weapons. Thus, we will have no means of protecting the Zldats.
“Before I continue, are there any questions? Yes, Relpt.”
“Sir, I’m confused. Diplomatic Protocol requires that we commit no acts of aggression against the planet’s inhabitants. Directive 1495 requires us to take whatever action necessary including violent action to ensure an aggressive space faring race cannot attack the Empire. Isn’t that a conflict in Mission Tasking?”
“I agree with you, Relpt, that is a conflict in tasking. I suspect that’s part of the reason why a Senior Soldar and the Adviser are going to be with us, and in charge of the Mission I might add. Commander Shimlt informed me that once we are close enough to the planet’s solar system, we will stop to gather data and the Zldats will assess the current situation on the planet. At that time, we will be briefed on how we are to conduct ourselves when we are sent down to retrieve the First Offspring.
“She has already informed me that, until the Soldar and Adviser decide the planet is committing an aggressive act toward us, our Patrol Group will comply with Diplomatic Protocol. In her interpretation of our Mission Directives, the Patrol Group will not commit any aggressive actions, so that’s why we will not be armed with offensive weapons when we make planet fall. I seem to recall her saying, “If you don’t have them, then you won’t accidentally use them.”
“I can see most of you have recognized the significance of that direction. For those of you who are a bit slow this early in the Ship Day, I will explain it in blunt terms. The Soldar and Adviser are in charge. This Patrol Group is to be used to evaluate the level of aggression the planet’s population exhibits. Finally, our lack of offensive weapons means we ... are ... expendable.
“Yes, Vert, did you have something to add?”
“No, Sir. I was wondering if the Royal Zldat Council had provided us with any specific information that will be helpful to us in convincing the First Offspring to return to the ship with us.”
“The only information we have is that the Supreme Royal Zldat attempted to dictate the details of the First Offspring’s first Division. The First Offspring objected and left the planet on our ship. Considering how sensitive the Zldats are regarding the manner in which they divide, no one has asked for them to share any specifics.
“Furthermore, the Soldar and Adviser who have been placed in charge will be the ones to communicate with the First Offspring, not us. They may provide us with additional information about the situation and Mission, once they come aboard. Until then, you know as much about the situation as Ship Commander Shimlt has revealed to me.”
Vert asked, “Sir, since the First Offspring was onboard the ship and was hiding her status as a Royal Zldat, did she form any alliances with any of the other ship’s Zldats and are they willing to share any information?”
“Hum ... I’m not aware of any inquiries regarding alliances, Vert. However, as I said earlier, obtaining information from our ship’s Zldats is probably why the Soldar and Adviser are going to be quartered with them. They will be in a better position to gain any information of that type, than we are.”
“Any further questions? Yes, Blitht.”
“Sir, I understand we will not be allowed to carry offensive weapons. Will we be allowed to use our personal defense fields and other defensive equipment?”
“As far as I know, Blitht, Ship Commander Shimlt is not trying to get us killed. I expect passive, defense fields and passive defensive equipment will be allowed. There has been no ruling on active defense fields and systems, but considering the harm they can cause another person, I doubt we will be authorized defensive equipment that can respond with any significant degree of injury.
“Any more questions?
“Good, we can move on to the next stage of the briefing.
“As I indicated, it is Ship Commander Shimlt’s intent to stop and evaluate the current status of the planet before we enter the planet’s solar system. Based on what we learn, she is hoping we will be able to safely establish orbit around the target planet. I anticipate that Ship Commander Shimlt’s will position the ship as close as possible to the planet before she sends a Diplomatic Emissary to the First Offsprings location. I suspect that only one of the Zldats will be the emissary. Of course that means we will escort the emissary to the planet’s surface.
“Before someone asks, I have no idea how long it will take to prepare an emissary and its escort for contacting the First Offspring and the locals. I do know that we will have to be in content with the locals in order to assess their level of hostility. Therefore, the ship’s AI will begin creating a database that can be used by our language translators as soon as we are within communication range of the planet, but I don’t know how long that effort that will take.
“When we get to within communication range of the First Offspring, then the Zldats will attempt to make contact. If she will respond and if she is willing to return, then we will make planet fall and return her to the ship. If she is not willing to return, then the situation will be resolved between the First Offspring, the Soldar, and the Adviser.
“Yes, Blitht?”
“Sir, do we know which Soldar and Adviser will be joining us?”
“No, we don’t know the names of the Soldar and Adviser at this time, Blitht. Ship Commander Shimlt thinks the Soldar will be a strong supporter of the Supreme Royal Zldat.”
“Is there a reason for that, Sir? When a Mission like this is assigned to a Soldar, it’s normally given to a Soldar that’s in disfavor as a form of punishment.”
“As I said earlier, Blitht, this Mission is very sensitive. Ship Commander Shimlt told me that she thinks the Supreme Royal Zldat needs his First Offspring back on Minnus, as soon as possible. It would not be logical for the Supreme Royal Zldat to send a Soldar that is in disfavor.
“As we all know, the Zldats have a contest every three hundred of their years. The Zldat family that produces the most accurate prediction of what will happen in the last five years of the contest period will have the male head of the family raised to the position of Supreme Royal Zldat.
“According to Ship Commander Shimlt, the current Supreme Royal Zldat just barely won the last contest. She believes that his family’s ability to predict the future is strongest in the First Offspring. The First Offspring prediction ability elevated the Supreme Royal Zldat to his current position, and the First Offspring’s long-term predictions helped him to win the next two contests. So, the Supreme Royal Zldat needs the First Offspring back to update the family’s long-term predictions in order to win the coming contest.
“If the Supreme Royal Zldat gets the First Offspring back now, that will give the First Offspring almost fifteen years to meld with the flow of the Time Continuum that contains probable futures and develop a set of new predictions. That is why Ship Commander Shimlt believes the mission will determine if the Supreme Royal Zldat is returned to office, and that is undoubtedly why a Zldat in disfavor will not be assigned to the Mission.”
Blitht asks, “Does that mean if we fail to return the First Offspring in the near future that another Zldat may become the Supreme Royal Zldat?”
“Yes, Blitht, that is what it means. Ship Commander Shimlt and the rest of Altair’s senior officers do not want that to happen; so we need to do our best to get the First Offspring back as soon as we can.”
“I don’t understand, Sir. If she doesn’t want to return at this time, then the Soldar and Adviser will be responsible for getting her to return. Why is Commander Shimlt worried?”
“Blitht, when was the last time you ever heard of a Zldat accepting responsibility for failing to perform a task assigned to it by the Supreme Royal Zldat?”
“Ha! That has never happened in my recollection, Sir.”
“That’s right, Blitht. If the Soldar and Adviser are not responsible for the mission’s failure, who do you think will get the blame for failing?”
“Oh! That won’t be good for us, would it, Sir?”
“That’s right, Blitht. It will not be good for Ship Commander Shimlt, the ship’s company in general, or for our Patrol Group in particular. Since the Soldar won’t be held responsible, the Royal Zldat Council will hold the Exploration Council responsible, they will blame Ship Commander Shimlt for the Mission’s failure, and our comrades will hold us responsible for not bringing the First Offspring back to the ship once we make planet fall.”