Preparations for Visitors
"The Keeper of The First Ship" was a man in his thirties. He stood 6 feet seven inches an average for his people, a few inches shorter than his brothers and the same height as his twin sister. Skin was the color of cherries his hair Black and wavy. He was jovial, charismatic and (as all keepers are) very territorial.
When he was given the news that Lilith was in his space it was intriguing.. The announcement by Lilith, that she was taking possession of one of his systems, made him annoyed. Her inviting his people to come under her leadership made him angry.
Currently pacing to keep himself calm The Keeper waited for his advisers. The Advisory Board was first assembled on their original ship, the top people in the pyramid of leadership each level grouped by twenty. Ten females and ten males. Their youngest member was 20 the oldest 103.
They were not born to their position. Each adviser raised by nine others doing what they ask, how they ask, and asking them what to do when they did not know. The Keeper was given the charge of the ship and its people. He had passed the exams and earned his position by Keeping lesser important things until it was vacated by the Death of his father.
Once the board was assembled around the circle he said,"Let us sit and hear the message we received this morning together for the first time." When all were seated images of Lilith appeared. "We have no limitations except the ones you old people put on us. You can’t be in our way always. Come dance with me. We only will take the best but anyone who wants to come can apply. We are going to remake this system. Builders get your rest Breakers get into position."
"She is bombarding a planet vaporizing it introducing some unknown compounds and issuing warnings and invites as if she owns the system. What should be our response?" The Keeper sat still in his chair waiting for the answers to flow. It took some time for his people to translate the broadcasts into proper format and scope. Her form was distorted. The translation of her words did not match the movement of her mouth.
"She is human? Do heads get that large naturally or is her’s enhanced?" Adviser Yo asked.
"I think the distortion is from the change in format, like the audio dissonance." Adviser Hunt surmised.
"Yes you have it right as always. Why would a human want to live under a blue Sun?" Adviser Kick said turning toward his best friend.
"She wants to be free from ’Old people’ a very human thing to want. My mind is still trying to fathom why she asks some to dance some to rest and some breakers to take position. Is she asking for a fight is this a demonstration of military prowess?" Adviser Tea replied nodding his old head.
"I think you should let her know her place and that she can’t go around the galaxy claiming planets." Adviser Yo said firmly affirmative knocks were heard around the table.
"Make sure you have full dress marking you are the First Ship’s Keeper." Adviser Kick said.
"Their were 100 ships that left ours was the first did we divide the stars before leaving? How are we sure of claim? Call in the Historians and writers make sure we follow protocol." Adviser Tao stated. The Keeper complied and quickly had the original protocol for dispute of claim and the wording of the message solidified.
The Lilith that appeared before them to deliver the reply was defiant human female. "I am Ruler Lilith Accenda this is where I am going to stay. Show yourself and be counted. Hide and be discounted."
"So she can speak our words but ’ruler’ isn’t one of them. What is a ruler?" Yo asked turning to the historians.
"A ruler controls and keeps. They answer to no one. Her rule is limited to blue stars by right of the Holder. That means she asked and received permission from the Holder, their word for Keeper, of the third ship." The historian supplied.
"When we left didn’t we all speak the same? Why were her words so different? Is this how she truly looks?" Adviser Yo asked he was one to ask a hundred questions before giving one word of advise. Often his questions would lead one to not ever seek advise again. He stood next to the image and noticed he was a foot shorter.
The Keeper put his thumb against his lips, "She is very young, I’m thinking she wants to be an adult but she isn’t, make my image 4 feet tall. We will see if this is a child playing games."
Everyone saw how her stance relaxed seeing their Keeper. She smiled at him when he showed his face and two males flanked her they a did not smile. Their stance was aggressive yet they did not have a weapon display. They did not speak but the way their eyes narrowed when she smiled at his image made the Board aware she was their’s.
The Keeper ordered her away from the planet but instead of answering contritely she treated him to a dressing down as if he was a child, called him old and fat then started to dance. He laughed spinning toward the board. "They are children escaping their parents or maybe being pushed away because of overpopulation. Either way her invitation to join her or leave her and her tribe alone must be explored."
"I believe artificial communication is impossible. Image and audio distortions are natural barriers to honestly building kinship that can be overcome by physically being in a room with someone. visit us so we can know if you are neighbors we welcome or not. I advise communicating with her elder this Holder of Worlds that ’gave’ her blue stars (or this one) to inhabit." Adviser Tea said, "We need to establish boarders."
"I agree. Historian, what is the protocol? Wait do not tell me anything I do not need do myself. Tell Cal. Cal you are in charge of preparations for visitors." The Keeper said to his best friend Cal.
Cal and the Keeper became friends in school Cal excelled in finishing tasks exactly to spec’ in a way that made his teachers and classmates examine them in wonder. Being innovative was not rewarded in school but it was in building friendship with the Keeper’s son who finished all tasks exactly to spec without surprises. They graduated at the same rate Cal became manager, his manager they proved to be better at keeping and managing then any o f their age mates. Soon the two out paced those older than them this is how they gained control of the First ships descendants. The plan was to bring this child under their control as well.
Of the 100 ships not many staid in contact pass the third generation. Most people concentrate on their lives never thinking to ask after even their siblings outside of the big events. The lack of interaction between ships was to be expected. Historians were tasked with contacting the other ships every ten launch anniversaries to be able to track troubles, solutions and placement of tribes. They were linked between ships keeping the original protocols and procedures. Historians were never honored because no one cared about the past of their own family much less some person they never heard of on a ship they’ve never seen. Until that person is interrupting their day with music and dancing they never encountered and inspiring their child to want to build a space bubble and run to a blue star.
The Historians of the First Ship were aware that this moment was their’s. It was what they were born for. They made a call to all historians of every ship. "We are reporting the First Ship is renegotiating boarders. The Nis have developed the ability to live within blue star systems ands extended invitations to our children without permission of their parents. The Keeper decided to set boundaries they should meet face to face. We are expecting the ship within a week. Will your ship have ambassadors coming to represent your boundary also. We think it best to get it done at once.
The other Historians received the call and reported it to the head of ships. all 99 responded they would have a group there in time for the boundaries to be drawn. Then the demands started to come in. The Historians were given a larger staff to handle them. Each ship figured what they would want from the meeting and who they should send. The Nis was sending eight, the Historians decided they would limit the other ships to send eight. They said it was their protocol, that any more was unnecessary and a burden on the host ship. One of the group would be a Historian of course keeping that group together as they always are because a record of the event would be recounted for generations and they wanted to be sure it was an account that favored them.
Cal was not happy that the scope of his job had expanded to hosting 792 strangers but found the challenge stimulating. Receiving the first wave of demands he decided the scope and set the boundary at no more than two request per ship to come or to be forgiven for not coming and sent out a basic order of events grid with details inquiring who from their ships will be going where.
"The expectation is that they are coming with fully functioning ships that will take them back to their home after their time here is over. We are willing to trade but are not giving anything away for free. We are frugal not stingy. Understand?" Cal told the messenger.
When he was making the grid, The Keeper explained why it was needed to the Board, "This grid will allow us to know who does what and how well. The games will evaluate each visitors’ skill set strategy, physicality, knowledge and adaptability. Our Star grid needs updating and it will be nice to know where our neighbors are. This child has done us a favor of reminding us that we are not alone."
The Board agreed, they were excited to see the progress of the other ships and if they had anything to add to make life better or in the case of the elders interesting.