Sumeru - 4. Chapter 4

The High Council

The High Council had gathered. 1,200 men and women had taken their seats. The council was led by five high supreme members. Commander Jeva spoke the introductory words, proposed the agenda and opened the discussion.

This year’s agenda consisted of twelve topics. Naamah was particularly interested in point five of the agenda that was titled Failed Planets. He calculated. They would not arrive at point five before noon and it would take all his patience to concentrate on the previous four points. Naamah leaned back and closed his eyes. He listened to the message that Tamiel had sent him. The man apologized for his behavior and once again stressed the importance of the topic. Naamah deleted the message.

Tamiel had no reason to distrust him. Naamah would follow through with their plan. They had discussed it a thousand times and now the time had finally come to take action. Tamiel made too much ado about it. He showed up too often in Naamah’s quarters, sent too many messages and he spoke too much. It annoyed Naamah deeply. The man was so eager to put their plan into action that his very actions gave it away. Naamah had no doubt that Sumeru would soon become suspicious and he was entirely aware that Sumeru watched them. They watched everyone and everything, not because they wanted to subdue the Sumeru inhabitants, but out of security reasons.

Sumeru could fight off any attacks from space. Their defense system was so far advanced that no aggressor from space would stand the faintest chance. The bigger risks came from within: sabotage, rebellion and terror attacks. Sumeru had developed the internal defense system to an advanced and sophisticated degree. Sending a message via the out-dated neural communication lines seemed a good idea to Tamiel, but Naamah was sure that Sumeru monitored the antiquated communication lines as well as all the others. The Sumeru quantum computer, the core of the space base, was an artificial intelligence capable of monitoring every layer of space and every line of time. The AI was anchored in space and time and had become a space-time node itself over the ages. It watched the space-fabric and at the slightest disturbance gave off a warning. These warnings were followed up instantly and thoroughly. Sumeru would not allow a disturbance, an unwanted change of the space-fabric or even a damage or rupture.

The warp drive was commonly used by advanced space-faring nations. The technology worked with the space-time fabric. It rearranged the layers of space and the lines of time. Warp technology in general caused disturbances but did not disrupt or tear the space-time fabric. It changed the fabric temporarily but did not break it. Sumeru had followed up many AI warnings in the long time of its existence. They regularly detected serious disturbances that were mainly caused by crude warp drives that barely advanced civilizations had produced. The monitoring system was even used to detect upcoming civilizations and it worked with high confidence. Civilizations usually improved their warp drives in a fairly short time and the resulting disturbances became less severe.

There were some civilizations, however, that made no more progress after developing the warp drive. Those were usually societies that were dominated by a ruling class that also possessed the majority of wealth assets. The societies were split up in fighting nations and groups and technological advancements were not a common good but a means to gain power. All developing civilizations had to deal with the danger that came from technological advancements and they usually found the means to deal with it quickly when facing the possibility of extinction. Like the Asuras, most civilizations united and changed their societies radically and then strove for solidarity, the common good, equity and justice and other valuable goals. Some civilizations, however, got stuck in the process and then became a real danger to those living elsewhere in space. These civilizations, already divided, split up even more when technological advancements remained in the hands of the ruling class. The ruling parties of a divided world usually started to fight against each other and the party that possessed or got hold of the most advanced technology usually won the war. Dominance and power were the most preferred good and advanced technology was used to gain power and keep it. Once a party gained supreme power before the civilization had expanded into space and settled on other planets or moons of their system, the societal development usually stagnated in the one-world-mode as Sumeru scientists called it.

This alone would not bother Sumeru. A civilization could keep to itself on only one world, if they wanted to, albeit it was not the natural process. Sumeru kept an eye on these civilizations because they usually got also stuck to the technologies that they had so far developed and implemented. The period of primitive warp technology use was not overcome and the crude drives, devices and communication systems continually disturbed the space-time fabric. The threat lasted mostly only temporarily because these civilizations usually exterminated themselves. Ignoring the threat, however, would mean negligence. Sumeru had to deal with it in the early days when a civilization had produced a severe crack in time that Sumeru had managed to repair at the last minute. Sumeru had then exterminated this civilization and implemented a law that allowed annihilation of civilizations and species that posed a serious threat to space.

Naamah focused back on the council. They had arrived at the voting on point one of the agenda, the erection of a new space hub in a neighboring sector. Naamah didn’t care much but voted for implementing the hub.

Tamiel paced the room. He was eagerly waiting for Naamah’s response, but finally gave up on it. Naamah had assured him a thousand times that he would vote for the right thing and yet Tamiel distrusted the man. Reason told him to not annoy the Asuras representative, but Tamiel felt the constant need to anger the man, perhaps as a distraction from his own bad conscience. Tamiel let out a breath and went to the huge window that allowed a look on the terraces of the lower part of the hourglass-shaped hub. He could make out only a few terraces as the structure was way too big to see it in its entirety, although the material of the window pane produced an augmented view at wish.

Tamiel was a historian. He knew all about Asuras history, reaching from the earliest period on their home planet to the most recent events. He had intensively searched the Sumeru archives, even the almost forgotten ones that no one had accessed for thousands of years and he had found something that disturbed him deeply. Tamiel knew that his activities had not gone unnoticed. The Sumeru computer had monitored them and Tamiel had long feared the AI would come up with a revealing profile that would lead to him being arrested. He had written a work of history, a vast and detailed tract of Asuras history and had carefully worked in what he had found, albeit with a different interpretation to mask his true thoughts. It had taken him three years to complete the work. It was published in the media and was used in classes. He had even won a prize for best historical studies, but Tamiel didn’t care a bit. When the work was finally done, he turned to find allies in his true cause and his research on recent history pointed him to the right group. Like Tamiel, they were good in masking their activities and their true intents, but Tamiel, meanwhile an expert in the field, was able to see through them. He contacted Naamah, who had just been elected representative of the Asuras, under a pretext.

Naamah invited him to present his request. Tamiel confronted him with the facts and right out said that Naamah and his group strove for independence. The direct attack had the foreseen effect. Naamah struggled to draw Tamiel on his side and get him involved in the group’s activities. Tamiel was soon a confidant and an active member of the group. Two interests had met and complemented each other. Naamah with his good looks and diplomatic skills was the perfect man to politically further the cause, while Tamiel with his profound and extensive knowledge delivered the arguments for it.

Tamiel raised his eyes and looked out into the blackness of space. Naamah didn’t know of his true intents, of course.

The High Council

Point two on the agenda was the ancient Dyson ring around the sun, a collection of hundreds of energy collectors that had gone inoperative ages ago. The collector ring had been built by the species that had originally inhabited the star system. They had settled on the rock planet in the habitable zone and had progressed to a very advanced societal and technological level. They had allied with the first and oldest race in the galaxy a long time ago. The two civilizations had built Sumeru. The first race had built the structure and the second race had provided the place in space and the energy collectors. The collector ring provided the energy necessary for building the Sumeru space base. The ring became redundant when the megastructure was completed and the first race implemented alternative quantum energy sources. The second race left their planet and migrated to Sumeru. The planet and the collector ring were left to themselves but were monitored by Sumeru’s defense system.

The representatives of the second race had made an application for removal of the collector ring as it might attract the attention of far away new civilizations. None of the other representatives had much interest in the topic but since the system was the home system of the second race, everybody voted for their request. The council decided the destruction of the collector ring. The collectors would be steered into the sun in the upcoming months.

A representative of the second race thanked the council and asked as to what Sumeru intended to do with the remnants of their civilization on the rock planet in the habitable zone. There was a general sound of annoyance in the hall and the man drew back his request. The matter was settled and the council proceeded to point three. Two hours had passed. Naamah checked the time display on the wall.

Point three generated a heated discussion. The council members had to decide on offering membership to a species that inhabited a younger star system in a spiral branch of the galaxy. A Sumeru scientist introduced the representatives to the species and talked at length and in detail about them. Naamah closed his eyes and once again went through the arguments for his cause. He had to proceed carefully. None of his words must betray his intents, but today’s vote had to support their cause. Naamah had no doubt he would get what he wanted. They had carefully studied Sumeru law and previous council decisions. And Tamiel had delivered the one argument that would make most representatives vote for their cause. A small party would come forward and speak against the plan. Naamah knew the party and their names and he was well prepared. He doubted that the other representatives would understand the points the Devas would make. None of the other representatives was a profound expert of Asuras history, albeit one or the other had possibly read Tamiel’s great work on Asuras history. Naamah knew perfectly how it worked. The representatives would want to settle the matter and proceed to the next agenda point. Naamah knew the vote was won.

He straightened. His application was not on the agenda, but he would make it during the discussion on point five of the agenda. Naamah figured that point five on the agenda would trigger a heated discussion. A last minute application was possible according to the rules. The representative of the second race had just made one but had failed because of lacking interest. Naamah had to stir interest in his cause. This was the most important, the major task today.

Naamah opened his eyes. He had lost track. He requested a summary and analysis of the discussion of point three from the Sumeru computer with his representative access code and without delay got it downloaded directly into his memory. He was on track again and, like the majority of the voters, voted against offering membership to the species in the distant star system. The scientist’s evaluation was regarded too optimistic. The civilization had only just expanded and settled on a second planet. No one could say how they progressed. A devastating comet, that the species had not yet detected, was on its way to the inner star system. It would hit their home planet in a decade. Sumeru decided to not offer membership to the species but instead take the comet out.

Point four on the agenda was quickly decided. Due to the good experiences with the new species that settled on a planet and regularly sent scholars and students to Sumeru, a party requested to consider the wider application of the concept and invite more students to Sumeru. A representative of the second race argued against it and suggested sticking to the older concept of teaching a species on their home planet as a rule. The Deva party agreed but stressed that the recent exemption was more than justified as the speaker of the species was one of the wisest man in space.

Naamah watched the Deva speaker Azrael from under his lashes and with a motionless face.

Devious smart ass, he thought.

He looked at the time display. Noon. The council would break off for lunch soon. Point five on the agenda, the case of the failed planets, would be discussed in the afternoon. Time to calm Tamiel who, Naamah imagined, by now had probably lost his nerves.

The council broke off for lunch. Azrael made his way for the door but was stopped by a Gorth woman asking his opinion on point five of the agenda. Azrael said there was no room for debate. The woman wanted to know why the point was even put on the agenda. She thought it was against all ethical standards. Azrael agreed but said this was democracy. Any party could make an application or bring forward a request as long as it was based on facts.

The fact was increasing space-time disturbances in the previous years as a result of many civilizations in the younger star systems in the spiral arms of the galaxy reaching an advanced technological level. Many young civilizations experimented with warp technologies and made their first serious steps into space.

“We must of course monitor these species,” Azrael said. “But I can see no imminent threat to the space-time fabric. I’ve studied the data thoroughly. Yes, the disturbances increased, but they are still minimal and flatten out quickly. The fabric of the cosmos is strong. No primitive warp activities can put it to danger. Even if the species of the entire galaxy would all activate a warp device at the same time, no harm would be done to the cosmos. It’s simply absurd and mainly propaganda of those who fight for a quite different cause.”

The woman asked what cause they fought for.

“They are attention seekers,” Azrael said. “Did you read who brought forward the request? The species who was not granted their own space base last year and whose mining request was denied in the previous year. They come forward with a request every year. They just want a point on the annual agenda. They want to feel important, that’s all. I’m certain the matter will be settled quickly.”

He looked after a man leaving the room. The woman turned her eyes.

“One of your fellowman?” she asked. “I didn’t want to stop you. Please apologize.”

Azrael gave her a smile, then left the hall. Naamah had reached the door to the teleporter, but had to wait in a line. Azrael stopped behind him. Naamah felt his presence and turned his head. Azrael smiled.

“I did not hear you speaking, but I saw you most of the time sitting with your eyes closed,” Azrael said. “Don’t you have an interest in the meeting or do the Asuras have no wish and nothing to say?”

“Why would you bother?” Naamah asked, anger briefly crossing his face.

“I heard you worked hard day and night for weeks. You and your fellows even met privately. I expected an Asuras request on the agenda but didn’t find one. I feel almost disappointed,” Azrael said.

“Do you spy on me?” Naamah asked. “I’m sorry that I disappointed you. This is interesting. I didn’t know you had so much interest in my work and my person. Maybe you should think about switching sides. Your talk is very unlike Deva. Well, I never bought the talk about the benevolent side of the Devas anyways. We’re all Asuras and I know how we are. You Devas are a split group, that’s all.”

The door of the teleporter opened and Naamah stepped in. He shot Azrael a piercing look and was pleased to see that Azrael turned on his heels and walked down the corridor.

“Idiot,” he said.

He entered the destination code and stepped out a second later in Tamiel’s room. Tamiel turned on his heels and looked anxiously at Naamah. Naamah made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Lunch break,” he said. “Point five will be discussed this afternoon. I’ve gone through it again. I’m certain they’ll vote for our cause. I must change the strategy a bit, though.”

“What? You can’t change the plan now. We’ve been through this a thousand times,” Tamiel said with a worried look.

Naamah waved his hand. “I’ve just seen smart ass Azrael. He had a dig at me. He will vote for our cause, if he thinks it annoys me. I bet he will even speak for the cause. I just have to lead him on the right track. Then I can lean back and watch him do all the work.”

Naamah smiled confidently, went to the wall and entered a code. A door in the wall slid open. Naamah seized the tray with the meal that the food processor had produced.