Gods Dogs, Book 3

Part 2

Two Years Later

Alcoholics don’t have relationships. They take hostages.

Alcoholics Anonymous saying

Informally, it was known as ‘citation memorial.’ It stood in a planter before the Penglai Foreign Service office. It was a simple oblong slab of plasteel that stood vertically to about fifteen feet tall. Black all over, bronzed raised lettering and seals announced its message. At the top was the unit citation for bravery under fire, awarded by the Galactic Congress Expeditionary Service, Department of the Navy, and Defense of the Galaxy Fleet, Admiral Raymond Schultz, commander. Then the rows and columns of names were listed. Two hundred and twelve of them were Coyotes. Another three hundred and sixty-one were Penglai Foreign Service pilots and crew. The rest, over 5,000 more, were naval spacers or marines.

Low growing plants bloomed in the planter around the stark memorial. Many of the plants began as seedlings planted by a family member of one of those listed on the slab. A walkway allowed visitors to approach the slab to touch the names scribed there. Fewer people visited the memorial now. It was two years since the battle at galaxy’s edge. Visits here were either part of a trip to the capital city for other purposes, or included as part of a visit to the Foreign Service office. The planned visits were from schools, and children brought seedlings to plant in the spacious planter.

Quinn visited here when in the city. Each time he traced his fingers over the names of those he knew, he felt another incremental release. He felt more at peace each time he was here.

It was a long journey to find any peace two years ago. The bardo rituals went on for weeks after the battle. His team alone took thousands of enemy lives. Their own fallen were also guided and supported through the bardo realms, just as the enemy was. The entire population of Penglai convulsed with grief for three long months.

In the years that followed, anniversary support for holiday grief was a common feature at Christmas or New Year’s celebrations, and especially so at the anniversary of the day the battle ended.

It was a slow-closing wound for Penglai, but it was closing. Pride, as the admiral hoped, was replacing grief.

Quinn finished at the memorial and entered the Foreign Service building. Across the spacious entry area was a different memorial, locally known as Coyote Wall. Simple gold stars in rows and columns graced the far wall. Below each star was a citation for an anonymous Foreign Service employee, most of whom were Coyotes. Citations were from the League, specific worlds in the League, or from Congress and specific worlds in that larger affiliation of planets. Quinn’s team was represented there more than once.

Quinn headed to the sweeping staircase to the second level and entered Master Chin’s official office. His unofficial office was at the Shentong Temple, the home of Coyote central. Today, though, Quinn was invited to an official meeting with League and Congress leaders, as well as representatives from the Iracian Hegemony and the Machine Autocracy, two of the empires in the Andromeda galaxy. As such, Quinn wore his dress uniform, which brought a reaction to passersby. Military personnel saluted him, and the civilian response ranged from a formal Namaste to a cheery wave. Quinn acknowledged each with a shallow head nod.

He entered the office as an aide began ushering the crowd of dignitaries into an adjoining conference room.

Finding the card with his name, which matched a chair fit for human seating, he sat next to Delta Rho Prime, an android from the Machine Autocracy. On his left was Brigadier General Charvo of the SpecOps division of the Congress military. He knew both of them from prior operations.

Neither of them was chatty. They merely greeted Quinn and sat to wait patiently for the meeting to begin.

He glanced across the table to Belinda Morrison smiling at him. He smiled back. She looked good in her Raven dress uniform. He first met her when she was a corporal assigned to embassy duty at Central, the main planet for the League. Her aunt was a Senator from their homeworld of Amazonia. Belinda was instrumental in bringing the Coyote-style training and program to Amazonia. Once they gained independence from the Coyote infrastructure, they adopted the name Raven and redesigned their uniforms to fit the new organization.

Her dress uniform was navy blue, rather than Coyote black. The blood stripe was along the left pant leg. A gold triskelion, or triple spiral, was on the left breast. Her name and affiliation was in gold Gaelic script was on the right breast. At the throat was a porcelain medallion that showed the battle raven after which they were named. The medallion was in a gold setting with the words ‘wisdom, courage, faith’ engraved around the circular edge. At the sleeves was gold piping, four inches up from the bottom of the sleeve. It was decorative but also the mechanism to open a pocket dimension where simple weapons could be stored.

Master Chin entered, wearing a simple winter robe, and promptly sat at the head of the table.

“Welcome, everyone. I trust you are well rested and ready to accomplish our task for today.

“Over the last two years, working groups have been struggling to find a way to gain a peaceful and mutually beneficial alliance with the five empires in Andromeda. We have been successful with two of those empires, and they are represented here today.

“The other three are more difficult. The working groups have generated strategies to solve the problem. Our task is to review them and come up with a priority list for their implementation.

“Is our task today clear?”

There were head nods and murmurs of assent.

“Are there any questions before we begin?”

There were no questions, which surprised Quinn. Usually, some self-important bureaucrat announced his presence with a pedantic question. Quinn was heartened by the lack of such.

“Then let us begin,” Chin said.

There was a lot of overlap in the proposals, and each of them highlighted necessary adjustments they would be asking of the three empires.

Toward mid-morning, the next proposal was from Solomon, the human ASI that interfaced with the Congress on behalf of the League.

He appeared as a holo-image above the conference table. Dressed in his customary tan ship suit, he appeared as a generic humanoid with a light brown complexion.

“Greetings, delegates. I have reviewed all the proposals and found there is one glaring issue to resolve. The three empires have organized their societies around a guiding principle – acquisition. Their governments, their economies, their schools, media, and so on support a policy of acquisition and the rhetoric that justifies it. It is what we also label: conquest empires. It is a cultural trap, in fact, and they need to be pulled out of that trap.

“Let me explain. Acquisition, like the failed idea of progress or consumerism, is an open-ended goal that can never be achieved or realized. It’s a goal in name only, and it’s the wrong name, in any case. A more accurate name would be addiction.

“It’s the quest for more, better, and different. It’s protecting one’s supply. It’s never satisfied. And it always ends in death, or in the case of an empire, collapse and chaos.

“A simple analysis of comparing addiction theory to the operation and mindset of these empires reveals they all operate from addictive principles. One such principle is denial, and it’s the weak link in the chains that bind them.

“However, it is also the most well-thought-out and nurtured of the principles. Each time a social movement pushes for reform, or social programs, or to combat corruption, the denial edifice learns from the interaction and becomes stronger as it defeats those bids for change.

“My proposal is to take on that denial system in open debate. I will travel to each of these empires and debate with their champions about the very foundation of their conquest ideology. I will destroy their denial system with the truth.”

The twenty-five delegates at the table sat for a moment in stunned silence, but then the questions began.

Solomon, with his usual aplomb, answered them.

“Yes, they will listen, because I can generate pirate radio signals to carry my message. I can argue both sides of the issue. The people will hear the exact arguments their leaders propound. Then I will tear those arguments apart.”

Eventually Quinn pushed the button before him to get in line for his own question. A few minutes later, Solomon said, “Ah, Coyote Quinn. I’m glad you’re here. What is your question?”

“How will you keep them from blowing up the ship you’re on. I assume you’ll need a large ship to carry you around.”

“True. I’m having it constructed as we speak. In answer to your question, you, my friend, will provide for my security.”

Quinn shot a look at Chin, who shrugged his shoulders.

Quinn returned his gaze to Solomon and challenged, “You’re going to do this regardless of what we decide here.”

“I prefer consensus, Quinn. However, in all my projections, this course of action provides the least disruption both within those empires and without.”

“I agree,” Delta Rho Prime spoke. “My initial projections concur with Solomon’s findings.”

Inside Quinn’s head, Shiva, his implant A.I., said, [I agree, as well.]

[Looks like a done deal, then,] Quinn replied.

Master Chin asked, “Are there dissenting votes, or further questions?”

The Congress delegates, who generally deferred to their own ASIs, were happy to defer to Solomon. The League people at the table were results-oriented, rather than position-bound. They deferred as well.

“Well,” Chin said as he stood, “I’ll confirm the motion is passed by unanimous consent. Solomon, you have our authorization to conduct your visit to engage in this debate you’ve proposed. I hope this Socratic endeavor ends better than the original.”

“Thank you,” Solomon said and blinked out.

The group stood and began talking among themselves. DR Prime leaned toward Quinn to say, “We don’t understand how Solomon maintains his identity, his cohesion. His knowledge is vast. His cognitive development is beyond reckoning. How does he integrate it? My wish is that when he visits Andromeda, he will consent to enter a conclave with us so that we understand him better.”

“I’ll ask,” Quinn said.

DR Prime rose and left the room.

Charvo leaned in next. “If you want some help with your protection detail, I’m sure the Guardians and our people will assist. Let me know.”

“Thanks, Charvo.”

He stood and left as well. Quinn stood and was caught in a fierce hug from Belinda Morrison. Her blonde hair was cut short, and her freckled face was beaming.

“I’ve really missed you guys,” she said as moisture gathered in her blue eyes.

Quinn chuckled. “Well, you could invite yourself onto Solomon’s junket.”

“Can’t,” she sighed and let go of the hug. “Still rebuilding. We didn’t have much of an institutional history to sustain us after the battle at galaxy’s edge. People started wondering again about funding the program.”

“It was a bad time,” Quinn agreed. “Will you visit the monastery?”

“Of course. I’ll be there tonight.” Then she hugged him again and left.

Quinn scanned the room and Chin caught his eye and motioned him to a side door. Quinn made his way there and entered. Chin followed.

“What do you think?” Chin asked as he closed the door.

“I don’t know. Solomon is quirky but he knows what he’s doing.”

“His analysis is similar to what your working group found.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t rocket science. We saw the problem at the beginning. Their ideology is off. I didn’t make the connection to addiction theory, though.”

Chin said, “It’s been made before. Progress, consumerism, the growth economy, finite resources, especially fossil fuels, created addictive cultures that eventually crashed and burned.”

“So it wasn’t original research,” Quinn commented with a chuckle.

“No. It’s a too human affliction that follows from the Second Noble Truth.”

“Attachment brings suffering.”

Chin asked, “Are you okay with providing for Solomon’s security?”

“I’ll need to see his ship first.”

Chin chuckled. “It’s a hollowed-out asteroid, ten miles in diameter.”

Quinn grinned. “With all the latest tech, weapons, stealth, and an impressive comm system.”

“To say the least,” Chin replied. “Let me know who you want, and what you want to take with you.”

“Well, the Guardians, for sure. Their precognition has proven useful. Then one of Charvo’s platoons, or even a company, since we’ll have the room. Then I’ll need shuttles.”

“Send me a list,” Chin interrupted.