Chapter 6. Triugha's Rigel
Nokus Rikulii, who served as the Alpha Centauri representative on the Sektor V Council was growing tired of the incessant complaining. Each time he returned to Triugha, he and the AC Global Secretariat, Minkon Blees, exchanged briefings. In years past, Nokus looked forward to the routine, especially since it meant he was coming home. As a nice bonus, the gatherings would always be held on the island of Wieka, which was located within Triugha's very pleasant temperate climate zone near the equator. However, at this point, Nokus dreaded the trip back. For the past several years, the mandatory three-day meetings felt more like three-month prison sentences. For Nokus, they had reached the point of being unbearable...
'Day three, hour 7...' Nokus almost gleefully thought to himself as he tried, in vain, to tune out Blees' endless droning.
"Are you even listening, Councilmember?" Minkon Blees asked him with a clear look of disdain in his eyes.
Unfortunately, yes he (protectively) thought to himself before answering verbally.
"Mr. Secretariat, how many times and in how many different ways do you wish me to answer your incredibly repetitive question? Once again, the Governing Board's wishes, while perhaps well-intentioned, are still nevertheless wholly unreasonable and completely impractical. Even if I were to bring up the call for a vote regarding the cessation of Human colonization on Rigel, the motion would be instantly denied by the Council Chair. It would never come to light. And if by some miracle the vote did reach the floor, it would be summarily rejected by other Councilmembers. The Human race is still teetering on extinction and given what they have already endured via Zeta aggression, they retain considerable goodwill within our Sektor. You will simply have to find a way to compromise with Colonial Leadership.
After three days, it appeared that even the typically unrelenting and unrepentant Minkon Blees was beginning to wear down. With his head in his hand and looking away he finally spoke after a several second pause...
"It is quite clear that you simply have no empathy for those of us who actually reside on Triugha. As someone who was born and raised on this planet, I find it surprising, not to mention quite irritating, that I must repeatedly remind you of the irrefutable fact that our habitable landmass is extremely limited. As you are fully aware, we have strict reproduction limits that have been in place for millennia. THIS is why the Rigel Terraforming project was initiated."
So much for wearing down, Nokus thought to himself.
"Have you ever visited Rigel, Councilman?"
Blees paused and continued to stare at Nokus who initially thought the question was rhetorical.
"Yes, of course, but not in recent years," Nokus finally replied.
"No, you haven't. As the official records clearly show, your only visit to Rigel was 97 Earth years ago. Hardly an expert on what is going on now, are you?"
Physical confrontation, despite its vulgarity, was something that occasionally crossed his mind when interacting with Blees. This was one such occasion...
"No Blees, I have not been there in some time. As you may or may not be able to comprehend, many other more pressing galactic priorities occupy my time. Regular visits to a satellite outpost are not high on that list, so I offer my apologies to you and the Governing Board."
Nokus could see that his reply visibly irritated Blees.
"Well, arrogance aside, if you were in touch with what matters on this planet, Councilman Rikuli... the one you supposedly represent...you would recognize that this is a high priority issue for many citizens not galavanting on other worlds and trying to solve problems for other species."
Nokus appreciated Blees' seemingly endless ability to engage in bureaucratic diatribe, but at this point, he simply had had enough.
"I have served Alpha Centaurian interests for nearly all of my adult life. I have been re-elected to this position 14 times, often without an opposition candidate. I will not sit here idly and take this sort of--"
Blees abruptly cut in, this time trying a noticeably different tone and tact.
"Esteemed Councilman, no one is questioning your loyalty or your good intentions. All I am conveying to you is a growing concern among our people that will not simply go away. I know I do not have to remind you of our planet's limited resources, especially as it relates to viable habitation options. There is no question that the Rigel project was and continues to be an overwhelming success. It is something that our people initiated many solar cycles ago, and it is now time to reap the rewards of our earlier investment.
Nokus knew he was many things but naïve was not one of them. As a career politician, he could play along with Blees if that's what he insisted on doing.
"I hear your concerns. However, you have not been at this quite as long as I have. During my last visit 97 Earth years ago, the outpost was essentially a lifeless rock that supported single-cell organisms in a few select locations. The razor-thin atmosphere was wholly unbreathable and supported an average daily surface temperature of -112 degrees Celsius. Hardly a world to get excited about, let alone live on. During those early years, only the most dedicated of project scientists visited Rigel. Of course, this was for good reason. The trip was long, and once there, the dangers were many..."
Nokus briefly paused for effect.
"That is the satellite we left for the refugee Humans. The biodome they were confined to would barely cover a modest city on Triugha today. They were a proud species numbering close to 10 billion on their homeworld not so very long ago. When they arrived in our system their numbers were in the thousands. The sanctuary we offered them came with no guarantees of survival. Many Humans died during those early decades. Somehow, this stark reality never quite made it into Truigha's history books. I suppose that's not too surprising given that what I am describing to you now is not our history. You see Blees, we made a deal back then and I fully intend to keep it. It was a deal that put almost all the risk on the backs of the Colonizing Humans. They paid a steep price and transformed a dead world into a magnificent oasis. You may be too young to remember the vile antics regularly perpetrated by the Greys, but trust me when I tell you that they wreak havoc in many corners of our galaxy to this very day. While we may not trade with them anymore it certainly does not mean they have ceased to exist.
Blees attempted to speak.
"If I may—"
Nokus did not let him continue.
"Actually, I'm not finished so, no, you may not."
Despite the searing look he received from Blees, Nokus continued.
"Here's the bottom line, my friend. I am not dense. I see your predicament. You are representing your contingency and they are angry. Not because of what they have, which is more than enough to survive and prosper on 99% of the inhabited worlds within Sektor V. No, they are becoming an angry, jealous mob intent on reigning in those who appear to have more than they do. Of course, that premise is nonsense given the satellite's isolation from the rest of Alpha Centauri civilization, not to mention its absolute dependency on difficult-to-maintain technology that supports the illusion of an idyllic, self-sufficient world. Then again, you would know all this if you were capable of looking past the propaganda that has been force-fed to you and countless others on Triugha."
After a purposeful delay, Blees quizzically looked at Nokus and asked with a clear note of sarcasm, "May I?"
Nokus was pleased that his colleague was irritated. He returned his question with a broad smile.
"By all means, the floor is yours..."
"Well, now that you're out-of-touch, bleeding heart speech is over, I would like to bring you back to the real world. The one 99.9% of us live on. You see, the so-called 'deal' you referred to was never expected to be a permanent arrangement of any kind. Our people, generously I might add, offered a temporary respite for a group of beleaguered refugees. We have more than held up our end of the bargain for over 100 of their years. We did this despite no strong formal ties with the species beforehand and at great potential risk to our people. As you noted, the Zetas are not known for their benevolence, especially in situations where they feel they are being deceived in some way. We provided the Humans with more than they could have ever expected to receive given their desperate situation at the time. We are thankful for their efforts to help bring Rigel to full Terra-Form status. However, I, along with the overwhelming majority of Triughan citizenry, believe that rent-free living for a century is more than a fair trade. We are not a cruel species and have every intention of helping them with this transition but the time has come for their species to chart their next chapter elsewhere."
"And where would 'elsewhere' be exactly?" asked Nokus
"Well, there are several Class Q systems within the sektor that could potentially meet their needs and still allow them to –"
Nokus quickly cut him off.
"Blees, you truly are remarkable," Nokus said, shaking his head. "If these alternate worlds are so hospitable, why haven't we colonized them? Say what you mean. You intend to push them into exile for a second time onto a marginal world far from here, with little chance of survival, either from the elements or eventually from the Greys themselves."
"Really? So you wish to paint them as a helpless breed. This is rather rich given your ebullient praise touting their accomplishment of singlehandedly transforming Rigel from a worthless "rock" into the paradise we see today."
Nokus scoffed at his reply.
"Initially, we provided them the necessary technology to proceed, but ultimately Human intestinal fortitude was a critical factor that led to this project's success. And now, as a show of gratitude, you plan to jettison them into deep space."
"Who said that would be the plan?" Blees retorted. "There is no question that we would provide them with sufficient resources to survive. A plan that called for anything less would be amoral."
"Your sudden concern for morality is touching, Blees," Nokus said dismissively. Seeing that their back and forth conversation was getting them nowhere, Nokus decided to switch gears.
"Rigel is large by satellite standards. Why not cohabitate instead?" he asked.
Extended silence ensued...
Nokus smiled.
"Ahhhhhh. So that's it. We don't want to have anything to do with the filthy vermin settlers. Did I get that about right?"
"Please, spare me the drama, Rikuli. You know as well as I do that their rate of reproduction is by all accounts, wholly unsustainable."
Nokus jumped in again.
"So now they are a virus?"
"Just stop it. You are not 'performing' in front of the masses. Your hyperbole gets you nowhere here. I did not say anything of the sort. The facts are on my side but you already know this. Their numbers increased exponentially from 2000 to 1.9 million individuals in little over 100 Earth years. Unquestionably a remarkable feat, that's a testament to their virility and adaptability. However, that type of growth, if left unfettered is unsustainable, especially on an Outworld like Rigel that must remain in tight ecological balance to survive. We do not want to witness the destruction of something so precious that has taken us so long to achieve. We cannot stand idly by while outlanders voraciously consume what is rightfully ours. It's time to re-claim Rigel. It's the overwhelming will of our people. In the end, the external power brokers that you have chosen to follow will not be able to stop this from coming to pass."
Nokus knew that he would soon have a fight on his hands. He also knew that Blees was correct in that it would require every bit of internal S5 support he could muster to stem the Triughan tide that was clearing rising. Still, for now, he needed to maintain an outward position of strength.
"You speak boldly. We shall soon find out if your brash words can be backed by real action. If you choose to underestimate my influence, know that you do so at your peril..."
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