A meeting with the council

Posted on Monday 26 October 2020 @ 19:11 by Captain Hans Andersson & Captain Melody Jones

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: THe Etheria
Timeline: ?
1166 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Melody and Captain Andersson entered a large meeting hall with 12 chairs arranged in a circle. A Megapteraian sat in each chair, except one. Owan sat in the empty chair. He addressed the others "This is Melody. She is the leader of the humans who have arrived with us. She is the one who has requested to take the punishment for her people."

A murmur went around the room. Melody took the opportunity to step forward "I am Commander Melody Jones, representing the United Federation of planets. Why do you feel it necessary that we suffer for the crimes of our ancestors? Surely your race was not always as enlightened or as advanced as you are now? We have grown and changed as a race and we have learnt from the mistakes of our past. We now live peacefully and co-exist with all the life on our planet including the whales."

She council members looked at each other and to Owan who seemed to be listening to what she was saying. He seemed to shift uncomfortably. "Most of the council would agree with you but we must have... consensus. Harn... you have insisted that the humans be punished, can you explain your reasoning again to the council?"

Harn stepped forward, giving Melody the once over. Hidden from the view of the council, his dark eyes radiated a definite hatred towards the captain of the USS Merlin, though his lips curved upwards in a slight smile of victory. He turned to the council.

"As I have stated before, even though it seems they have evolved, history tends to repeat itself. They reach a peak, where they think they have reached enlightenment, then they become complacent, lazy, glutted with their jaded perceptions. They then try to convince those who obviously have reached the pure intellectual enlightenment, to involve themselves with their own goals." he looked towards Owan, then back to Melody, his gaze lingered on her. There was an almost imperceptible smirk in his eyes.

Turning his attention to each of the council, "Do you wish to let them flounder in their developing complacency? It takes pain and anguish in the flames of the refinery to make metals come out pure, to get rid of the impurities. This is why I insist that they be punished to make certain they are no longer complacent and become more than what they are now."

Something about Harn made Melody shudder inwardly and she looked at him for a moment, something almost familiar about him. She brushed these feeling aside and addressed the council again "History only repeats itself when one does not learn from the mistakes of history or deny their existence. We know what we did in the past and we have learnt from our actions. We've outgrown our selfishness, our greed, our shortsightedness and it hasn't been easy. If you want to judge us then judge us by what we've become rather than what we were. Right now on planet Earth, the Humpbacks are thriving once again. In the hundred years since the probe visited us mankind and whale have lived peacefully side by side and we extend our hand in friendship to you as well. That's the reason we're here. Surely this counts for something?"

The other council members looked at each other then looked back to Owan. He looked at her curiously "You make an interesting case Melody. Would you allow me to share your thoughts?"

"Would that be wise? In truth, it would put you into the gravest amount of danger. It wasn't that long ago they sought to end another species, those who were trying to find their place in the universe. They introduced a virus into this species in order to destroy it, then once sufficient enough of this species had died, they offered a cure as long as the said species stayed on their own planet. A reservation of sorts. "

Harn moved to where he was between Owan and Melody, blocking her from Owan's view.

"I plead with you, not to endanger yourself." Harn locking eyes with Owan." It would be a calamity to all of us, if we were to lose you." he said with a small amount of fear showing in his eyes and in his voice.

He looked at the rest of the council, "Do you wish that to happen? " he moved away, to where he looked in the eyes of all the council members. "I know I do not wish to lose him, to their machinations."

The other council members seemed to be swayed by Harn's arguments and Owan could tell that the consensus was not behind him.

Owan finally relented. "Very well Harn. The council will deliberate your words Melody Jones. You will have a decision shortly."

Andersson whispered in her ear surprise. "You might have actually changed their minds. This Harn fella don't like you for some reason.

Keeping her eyes on Harn she whispered back "The feeling is mutual and there is something... I can't put my finger on."

Harn was rather pleased with the results of his persuasive arguments, though he kept the smile of triumph from appearing. He glanced over towards Melody, with an intense gaze, the look of self-satisfaction within his eyes. He could hardly wait to get her alone, to make her pay for what she had done.

Owan stood. "The council needs to discuss this matter in private. Wait here. This will not take long and I thank you for your patience."

Melody watched as the council gather and went off into private discussion. she turned back to Andersson "Have they always been so.... indecisive?"

He shook his head. "No, and the interactions I have with others of their kind led me to believe they an enlightened, peaceful race. I'm starting to think you're right. This Harn character is not your typical alien. Something is wrong here."

Harn's attention towards Melody seemed to lessen as if it were focused somewhere else.


Melody noticed that Harn seemed to 'zone out' momentarily. She tired a stab at diplomacy. "Harn. It seems you and I have started off on the wrong foot for some reason. Maybe if we sat down and talked things out, we could come to some understanding?"

Harn's attention came back to focus on Melody, "Yes, that would be a wonderful idea. I would love the opportunity to talk with you on a one to one basis without the noise of the council. It can be just a bit distracting. And perhaps we can have a meeting of the minds, ourselves?" smiling warmly, it even reaching to his eyes. "If you don't mind that it, Andersson?" turning towards him.

Andersson looked back to Melody who nodded slowly. "Ok." He moved closer to Melody and whispered "I'll be close by. Watch your back."

Melody turned back to Harn as Captain Andersson made a discreet exit. "So... Where do we begin?" she asked.


To be continued in "Alone with the enemy."

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