Negotiations (part 4)
Posted on Fri Jul 3rd, 2020 @ 1:07pm by Commodore Samantha York & Lieutenant JG Ronnie Wolfe & Major John Kayhill & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Lieutenant Dwight McCabe & Lieutenant Lei Shan & Lieutenant JG Teenah Spartacus
1,483 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission: Food for the Gods
[CONTINUED]
[OLD]
Although John was watching the mob, he kept an ear half on the discussion. It was always good to hear things straight from the horse's mouth especially when they were a potentially hostile horse."
[NEW]
One of the men whispered to Eldira and she nodded. "Yes. We require people from the surface--generally women--to help strengthen our offspring."
"To broaden the gene pool," Sam said. "But why not just ask? Why not trade goods for technology? Let people down here move to the surface and people on the surface move here?"
"They need time to adjust to our way of life here," Elidra replied. "We do not farm down here and are not equipped to such work on the surface."
"We have adapted plants that will grow in a cave system like this," Sam said. "We can help you set up a vertical garden and boluminescent fungus. We're also curious to see what you use here."
"And what would it cost us?" One of the men asked.
"Open trade with the people on the surface. No more kidnapping," Sam replied bluntly. "We'll even help you negotiate a trade deal."
Eldira looked around the circle. "We will need to discuss your offer."
"All right. Let us go back to our ship and wait for your decision there."
"No. We cannot allow you to leave," the man said.
Sam sighed. "The choice is not if we go but how. I would rather leave on good terms and prepare a team to come here and help, but if not, people will come down here with weapons and free us."
Eldira paused for a moment. "You are their leader. You stay here, with us, and the rest of your people may go."
Shan stared for a long second. That was it? They discovered a society of slavers and her superiors were going to HELP them? If Shan had her way, they’d drop about a metric tone of thermite down that slide and then follow it up with a match. These people abducted manual labor and concubines from the neighboring culture… and her superiors wanted to set up a trade system? “Wait- you still want to help them? You can’t be serious!” she sputtered.
"We don't know what trade arrangements were made, but the people on the surface agreed to them. We are the ones who call this kidnapping, not the people here," Sam said quietly to Shan. "This is something the leaders of both civilizations need to work out. While the Prime Directive allows us to try and persuade the people down here to open negotiatioons, we cannot otherwise interfere in their way of life."
"All right," Sam said, turning back to Eldira. "I would like Spartacus and Torek to respond to Munich's message. I would also like Shan, Ronnie, and someone from security to go back to the slide and set up the buffers. While they do that, We can talk."
The doctor stood up after sealing up a woman's head and moved closer to the team. "I assume you want me to stay with you, Captain? I am helping the few with minor injuries...", he paused to look at the others against the wall that a third of them seem to have pain from the fight. Dwight wanted to make sure that his healing skills show some kind of peace for the Calypso to these people and like what the Captain was trying to tell them of no more harm. "Me to continue?"
"Yes. Stay and make sure everyone is taken care of," Sam said, watching as the others made their way out of the room.
=^= Spartacus to York. =^= She figured the Jig is up and they know so why hide communication and walk back and forth. =Tenna here, I have established messaging; by text only, with Commander Munich, anything you wish to relay?=^=
Torek gave Spartacus the OK sign, the message had reached the Calypso. In fairness to the Orion, she had been much more adept at reworking the communications equipment than he had been.
"York here. Tell him everyone is safe and we are negotiating for open communications."
=^= He was starting to sound very German." Spartacus said. "I think this will calm him and then maybe easier to understand?=^= She relayed. =^= I will check with him and come back to your position, I almost broke a nail on this crude keyboard. =^=
Sam was glad Teenah couldn't see her smile. "Thank you. York out."
"I will stay with the Commodore", John said, looking at her with a look that said, 'Let's not get into regulations'.
Sam nodded to John. "Thank you."
Ronnie smiled at Thy'las. "That means you get to come with us, which is good. You can show us where the buffers are."
She let the other two go first, then followed them out of the room.
"Do you have anything to write on?" Sam asked. "It'll make it easier for me to show you what I'm thinking."
Eldira nodded to a man who went rummaging around for a pad of paper and a pencil.
When he set it before Sam, she began to outline her idea. "You have a machine that sends calls for repairs out into space, so your people had space travel at one time," she began.
"The ancients did. They came here with the intention of colonizing the planet, then sending others off to find more planets. However, when they left, they never returned, nor did they send word. Some of the people wanted to become farmers and ranchers, others wanted to build machines so they did not have to work as hard. There were many discussions and some disagreement. The records say that those who wanted machines went into the caves under ground as they did not need the sun. The others stayed on the surface. I do not know what the arrangement was, but we were to receive food twice a year at the harvests. In turn, we maintain a machine in the pyramid to help protect the city from severe storms. It has been so for generations."
"And then, you found you needed to add variety to the gene pool." It was pretty much what Sam surmised.
"Yes. Something in the food we were given one year caused us to get sick. Many died, and we needed help."
"But why not ask for volunteers? Why make it so that the people on the surface have to send you two of their daughters every year?"
Elmira shrugged. "It has always been so."
Sam shook her head. "Okay. This is what I propose." She turned the pad so that Elmira and the others could see it, pointing to the simple images as she spoke. "I propose that you send an envoy to the surface to meet with the leaders. Talk to them about your need for food and explain how the pyramid helps protect them. Let them see that you're not some god or monster that will destroy them. At the same time, let them know that any of their people who want to go below and learn your technology re welcome, and that any of your people who want to farm can go to the surface. Don't make slavery part of the deal. I think you'll find that simply asking will solve your problem. If you need help, we can stay for a few days, or we can send others to come here to observe and to help with the negotiations."
She looked at Elmira. "We ask nothing in return. My people simply want to help both the surface dwellers and you live together in peace. Is that acceptable?"
Elmira looked at the sketches. "I need to talk to the others. Wait here." She stood, then turned. "You will be safe. Whatever we decide, you will be allowed to return to the surface."
Sam nodded. This was where she needed to trust them. She also knew that with Teenah messaging Hans and with the others setting up the buffers, she had a better chance of getting away if this went badly. "I'll wait here."
Eldira nodded. She led six others into a room at the back.
They talked for a full twenty minutes. When they returned, Eldira looked somber. "We agree to your terms."
Sam smiled. "Excellent. Come with us to the surface and we'll talk."
Eldira sighed. "Very well." She nodded to three others. "We will go with you."
"Thank you." Sam stood and lead them out the door and back to where the transporter buffers would take them up to the pyramid.
____
OFF
Major John Kayhill
Marine CO
USS Calypso
Eldira-NPC
Undercity Elder
Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Gemini
Lieutenant JG Lei Shan
Chief Operations Officer
Lieutenant Dwight McCabe
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant JG Teenah Spartacus
Counselor
Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer
Lieutenant JG Ronnie Lancaster
Assistant Chief Science Officer
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