CHAPTER 66
ALL HEADS TURNED toward the old ayatollah, who was still standing. He was, by now, clearly the spokesperson for the entire religious body, whatever differences they had notwithstanding.
He turned around and looked at me. I looked right back because I was always up for a stare-down regardless of where or when or with whom.
“What would you have us do?” he asked me finally.
Well, for this, I actually had an answer. “Welcome the alien refugees and allow them to live where they can survive best, whether on Earth or one or more of the planets or moons in our solar system, none of which we ‘own,’ before anyone starts complaining. Gather every fighting force we have as fast as humanly possible, probably under Centaurion Division because it has the most experience with dealing and fighting with aliens, and get them prepped to fight the Aicirtap. And stop fighting amongst ourselves, because this is our Brave New World and we either go forward together, as one race, as one planet, or we’re all going to die. Not necessarily in that order.”
The ayatollah seemed to be considering this. Did my best to look calm and in control because, despite Gower’s speech, I didn’t feel confident that whatever happened next was going to go our way.
“Who do you call God?” the ayatollah asked now.
Oh goody, another tough question. This wasn’t a time to be flippant. “I’ve met beings who, as our Supreme Pontifex has said, are so powerful compared to us that they’re like gods. But they aren’t. I’ve met the people who influenced our evolution and how we think of God, both good and bad, and they aren’t gods, either.”
It wasn’t enough. Remembered a conversation I’d had with ACE so very long ago now. And what he and Algar both had told me.
“What I know is that God is vast. And God gave us Free Will so that God would not have to do it all. God isn’t one thing, or a man or a woman or a creature. God is too vast for us to understand. But I do know this—all these people who look so different or so similar to us, all these stars with all these planets in just this galaxy alone, all of this life—it didn’t happen just so that we could spend our lives killing each other in the name of whatever part of God we want to claim.”
“Who do you call God?” the ayatollah asked again.
Pondered my response. “Everyone. Everyone is part of God. Even the Aicirtap. Even the Z’porrah. But I don’t call on God to help me. I call on myself and my friends, family, and allies. God isn’t there to help me, to help us. We’re here to help ourselves and each other.”
Once again, the stare-down. This man loved the stare-down. Perhaps, in another part of the multiverse, we were friends and did this for fun. Right now, it was getting on my nerves. But that poker face Chuckie had trained me to put on when needed was doing its job, because I could see myself in the teleprompter and I looked cool, calm, and collected.
“The Lyssara Comb has set down in the landing area between Animas, Hatchet, and Chiricahua Peaks,” Serene shared. The screen split, so there was a shot of me, one of the ayatollah, one of the Heads of State room, one of Alexander, Dew, and the Themnir heading off the cutter finally, and the other half of the screen was given to the Lyssara.
A bunch of giant honeybees walked out of what looked like a hole in their ship. The Comb had a ton of holes, but apparently this one was the exit one. They were all carrying little flags. Little American Centaurion flags. And they were waving them wildly in all four hands, while looking around like tourists at the desert surrounding them.
Couldn’t help it. They looked cute and kind of silly. I snorted a little laugh. Got the Inner Hyena under control, but just barely.
The ayatollah noticed, of course. He cocked his head at me. “You wish to laugh? At so serious a time? Why?”
Shrugged. “Because I’m a human and it’s funny. They’re waving the flag that, a day ago, was the biggest concern and scandal my husband’s presidency had to deal with. And now? Now it’s just cute that these aliens who don’t seem to know us all that well,” or who knew us very well, but I chose not to add that, “are waving yesterday’s Flag O’ Controversy with so much excited gusto. Yesterday this would have been a disaster. Today? Today who cares what flag anyone’s waving? What matters is—will we all see tomorrow, flags or no flags?”
The ayatollah did something that shocked the hell out of me. He smiled. “Agreed.” Then he bowed his head to me. “I will follow you. Not as First Lady or Queen Regent. But as yourself. I will follow you and I will tell all those who follow me to do the same.”
Someone else stood up. The Pope. “I will follow you. Not as First Lady or as Queen Regent, but as yourself. And I will tell my flock to do likewise.”
One by one the rest of the room stood up and pledged fealty, while the Lyssara waved their flags and Jeff appeared onscreen now, presumably having gated over to greet the next arrivals. The world’s religious leaders pledged while Jeff hugged, clasped, and did the French greeting with the honeybees. Decided that, despite everything else, I still had the better gig.
At last the religious leaders were done. The screen shifted to give us a half screen of the Heads of State room. They all stood. One who was sitting near Drax spoke. “I speak for everyone here. We, too, will follow you. We accept that our world is changing forever, and we all choose to greet it boldly and with honor.”
The screen shifted to another room. This one looked like it had every head of state for the rest of the African continent. Another screen came up, this one covering Europe and everything around Russia. A third screen showed the rest of North and all of South America’s leadership. And the last showed the rest of Asia—every Pacific Rim country, China, and, interestingly enough, the Australian Prime Minister.
It was Costello who stood and spoke. “Madam First Lady, it’s good to see you, even at a distance. We’ve concurred as well, and all of the Asia-Pacific countries are with you. To save time, the other country summits have asked that I share that they, too, are unanimously with you.” His lips quirked. “Well, other than North Korea, who has not joined any of the summit meetings and who insists upon standing apart.”
“Shocker on North Korea. Thank you to everyone else.”
“And now I’m asking the question I’m sure is on everyone’s mind,” Costello said. “Where do we go to get prepared for the Aicirtap’s arrival?”
“Any country that has an American Centaurion base in it should have their able-bodied and willing fighting forces head there for training. Any country that doesn’t needs to go to the nearest country that does. I believe I see Centaurion personnel in all the various summit rooms. They can assist with logistics and physical transfers as well. Beyond that, I’ve been a little busy getting all of you on board, so we haven’t crafted finalized battle plans. We’ll ensure that you have them as soon as they’re confirmed.”
Costello nodded and sat down. So did everyone else. Before I could speak again, though, the screens lit up once more, this time with eight shots of different cities around the world, rotating through. Most of them had people in the streets holding signs that said “One World” or “Let the Good Ones In” or similar. Many were naming the aliens, although most of the signs were spelled wrong, which wasn’t surprising. I only knew the proper spellings thanks to Serene. There were plenty of anti-alien signs, but they were vastly outnumbered and at least half of them were anti Aicirtap, spelled in a variety of ways, some of them even right.
“You’ve been live to every media outlet in the world since you started,” Serene shared in my ear. “Surprise. Alpha Team left your meeting already because I knew this was going on around the world well before anyone else in the summit meetings did. We’ve already coordinated all Worldwide Bases. They’re ready to take in both refugees and new recruits. The Science Center is prepping weapons the Faradawn and Turleens feel are effective against the Aicirtap.”
Decided it was time to paraphrase Ghostbusters, Stripes, and David Bowie, especially if I was live to the world. I mean, why not, right?
“Okay, everyone. Let’s channel all our basic human nastiness and use it for galactic good. It’s time to get ready to show these scary monsters and super creeps how we do things in the bad part of the galactic town. Now, let’s get it together faster than we ever have because it’s never mattered as much. Remember that no matter what, what humanity does best is kick the crap out of people we don’t like. So, do what I do, say what I say, and make me proud.”
This speech wasn’t really worthy of a Standing O. And yet, thanks to the old ayatollah leading the way, I got one. It was a crazy old universe, when you got right down to it.