Fineprint

She stopped herself and performed a breathing exercise to slow her racing heart. She was not Alpha here. Although it was unnatural, although it defied her instincts, she must defer to Carlisle. The Patriarch had ordered it. To defy the Ambassador was to defy the Patriarch, she must see this through, she must remember her training.

Perhaps the collaboration between Borealans and humans was doomed to fail from the start, how could such fundamental differences be overcome? Was it foolish to even attempt to coexist? It didn't matter, it was not her place to decide such things. She had been given orders and the training required to carry out those orders, she would reign in this unruly human through means other than domination.

The Ambassador would surely want to travel somewhere new tomorrow, she would arrange it very carefully and maintain full control. They would travel by shuttle, and she would choose an area with a low population, a fishing village perhaps. Maybe the Patriarch would loan her some of his elite guards for a day, they would be safe around him, they would obey unquestioningly.

She strode into the Ambassador's office and activated the communicator, dialing a code into the display.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so late in the evening, but I must speak with the Patriarch."

CHAPTER 3: CRIMSON GUARD

"Ambassador, you must get up, we have much to do."

Dennis sat up, rubbing his eyes. It must be morning, though it was impossible to tell because of the lack of windows. It played havoc with his internal clock.

"Yes, I'm on my way Xhe, give me a moment..."

He hopped out of bed, the familiar pressure of the harsh gravity clamping down on him. Just pulling on his pants was a workout. His suits might be bland compared to local fashions, but damn it, they were his. He couldn't represent Earth and her colonies in a Hawaiian shirt, as much as he would have liked to wear one in this crippling heat.

After a few minutes, he stumbled out of his bedroom and into the hallway, buttoning up his jacket as he pushed the door closed behind him. Xhe was waiting in the hall. She was clad in a revealing, blue dress made from a light, almost transparent material that clung to her figure. She looked good. Standing beside her were two towering Borealans, one male and one female. They wore what looked like suits of medieval armor, albeit somewhat lighter and better suited to the hot weather, the style of the metal plates archaic and impractical. UNN troops wore their body armor in tactical black, but these were cherry red, patterned with golden accents on the ceramic plates and golden embroidery in the fabric that they wore beneath. There were reliefs of the chest pieces depicting more heroic scenes of battle and hunting, giving Dennis the impression that these outfits were more for ceremonial purposes than for combat. They wore iridescent fur capes about their shoulders that were attached to their pauldrons with golden badges, somewhat smaller and less impressive than the flowing garment worn by the Patriarch. This was the first time that Dennis had seen a Borealan wear a full-faced helmet. They peered at him through the hollow visors that allowed them to see, their eyes seeming to glow as they reflected the light. Amusingly, their furry ears protruded from slots in the top of the helmets.

"Do we have company today, Xhe?" he asked.

"These are two of the Patriarch's Royal Guards, they will be accompanying us to a lakeside fishing village where I am hoping you will be able to explore Borealan culture...unmolested."

"Is it dangerous?" he asked warily, eyeing the imposing guards. Their ears pivoted and tracked him, he had no idea whether they even spoke English.

"Not unduly, but after yesterday's incident, I contacted my Lord Patriarch and requested some security. This way, even if you should leave my sight, you will not leave theirs."

Dennis was uncomfortable, that sounded more like a threat than a reassurance. But on the other hand, he was excited to see more of the planet, and he was eager to get underway.

"Well, let's go!" he exclaimed as he strode past the guards and made for the door. The Borealans turned to follow him, their armor clanking as they moved.

***

Xhe led them back through the towering, white spire and onto the stone landing pad that Dennis had first arrived on. A shuttle was waiting for them there, it looked like an old model. This must be one of the Patriarch's maligned purchases. They piled in, Dennis noting that there was a Borealan pilot behind the controls wearing something analogous to a flight suit. He had no pilot's helmet, however, and thus no HUD. He must be flying by eye. Dennis fastened his seatbelt extra tightly as the shuttle's engines sputtered into life and lifted off in a cloud of dust.

They soared over the sandstone city, its ever impressive architecture wavering in the heat, the white glare of the spire dwindling into the distance as they crossed over the lake. The blue, shimmering surface stretched as far as the eye could see, more of an ocean than a lake by his measure. It was these precious oases that life clung to in the desert that the ancient tribes of Borealis had fought so hard over. Dennis could imagine the wandering desert tribes who had been driven to battle over the lush, welcoming forests and jungles, nomads warring for their right to stake their claim on the fertile land. He wondered if all of the Borealans now lived in the territories that the Patriarch had described or if some still wandered the wastes, outcast and unwilling to integrate into the larger societies.

He noticed that the guards were armed now, they sported the long-barreled, bayoneted XMR variants that had become popular among Borealan service members. The modular rifles were produced by the UNN and could be modified for use by any humanoid species regardless of their size. He had heard stories of Borealan soldiers using these weapons as spears as much as they actually fired them.

He leaned over to Xhe who was sat next to him, whispering, unsure if the guards were fluent in English.

"So how does this arrangement work? Will they obey your orders? Are you their Alpha?"

"You needn't whisper," she replied. "They are under orders to be here, they do not care what you think."

He glanced at the guards, their expressions hidden behind their helmets. They fiddled with their weapons, cleaning and loading mechanically. Seeing that he wasn't satisfied with her answer, Xhe elaborated.

"You must have realized it by now, but we must use parallel social structures in order for a complex society to function. If we didn't, Borealis would still be tribal, with the most powerful making all of the decisions regardless of their qualifications. The Patriarch might rule us, but he doesn't do so alone. He appoints trusted advisors to help him govern. He still makes the final decision, but he will take into account the educated opinions of his council in matters of economy, war or politics. Borealan society is governed from the top down, two individuals who might otherwise fight for dominance will cooperate when the order comes from a higher ranked member of the social structure. In this manner, a more dominant individual can even be ordered to follow the instructions of a less dominant subordinate, as long as the order to do so came from his superior."

Dennis nodded, it made sense. He hadn't thought about it before now, but it was the only way that such a rigid society would be able to get anything done without descending into infighting.

"So these guards will obey you because the Patriarch told them to?"

"Yes. Even though the Patriarch is not here, he gave them orders to defer to me. Thus, I carry the authority of the Patriarch until I relieve them of their duties, or they are given new orders."

"How does that work in a professional setting?" Dennis asked. "Let's say a large group of Borealans is building a dam or a bridge, how do they organize?"

Xhe thought for a moment, her clawed finger tapping her chin.

"In that case, an overseer would be appointed either by the Patriarch or the minister in charge of that infrastructure. The overseer would carry that authority until the completion of the project."

"It sounds needlessly complicated," Dennis scoffed.

"To you, perhaps. But from our perspective human society is incredibly chaotic and inconsistent. This way everyone knows their role, everyone has a place."

Dennis looked out of the window thoughtfully as the lake raced past beneath them, he could see the far shore coming into view. It seemed that the Elysian population ringed the entire lake, making use of all available space. Some areas were more populated than others, although they were not officially distinct cities. The whole area was simply known as Elysia.

The shuttle began to descend, and Dennis saw their destination on the far bank of the lake, a small cluster of wooden buildings with piers extending a short distance into the water. A few had skiffs moored to them, bobbing gently in the water.

The craft circled as the pilot searched for a suitable landing site, then came down a short distance away from the small village in a clearing near the jungle. This area was not paved with stone, it seemed that the Borealans who lived here had to manually cut back the encroaching plants. Dennis could make out stumps and pruned bushes at the edge of the treeline. He felt the landing gear absorb the impact as they hit the ground, the Borealan pilot bringing her down a little harder than Dennis was used to, dust and dirt blowing up in a cloud around the shuttle. Locals crowded the border of the village, craning their necks curiously to get a look at the newcomers. Some of them might never have seen a shuttle before, and they would certainly have never seen a human. He felt a twinge of apprehension, but the presence of the Royal Guards reassured him.

The landing ramp descended, and the guards unfastened themselves from their seats, hefting their XMRs and waiting for Xhe's signal. She waved them forward, and they thundered down the ramp, taking up position to the left and right of the shuttle. Upon seeing the crimson-clad soldiers, the rapidly growing crowd appeared to mutter amongst themselves, perhaps recognizing their uniform. If he had been close enough to hear what they were saying, Dennis would not have understood them.

Xhe glided down the ramp, surprisingly elegant in her blue dress, Dennis trailing along behind her. Upon seeing him the crowd became more animated, jostling to get a look at the strange alien and his regal escort. Xhe marched towards them, and the guards followed her, Dennis struggling to keep up with her loping strides. As they neared the village, Dennis got a better look at the crowd. They were less elaborately dressed than the Borealans that he had seen in the city, their clothing was more spartan and functional, their jewelry was made from shells and beads rather than gold and gems. He noticed that almost all of these villagers had similar coloring and patterns, were they a distinct ethnic group? A tribe that Taka Elysiedde had assimilated?

For the first time he saw young Borealans, children, or rather kittens. They were the size of large toddlers, chubby little creatures with large paws and oversized eyes, their bodies covered in a layer of fluffy fur. Borealans must lose the majority of their fur as they matured as all of the adults that he had encountered thus far were furless besides for their forearms, their lower legs and their feet. Perhaps the young needed it for insulation? Did Borealis even have winters? Everything seemed so arid. The little kittens hid between the legs of their parents, peeking out at him warily.

Xhe came to a stop before the crowd and began to address them in the Borealan dialect, gesturing towards Dennis occasionally. He stood straight, trying to make a good impression without understanding what was being said.

Whatever they had been told seemed to satisfy them. Some dispersed, going back to their business, while others crowded closer to examine Dennis. Their round, furry ears tracked him like radar dishes, their feline pupils dilated into dark circles. He realized that he didn't even know how to say hello in Borealan, could he even pronounce the words? The language seemed to be all spitting and hissing.

An especially fat kitten stuck out its fluffy head from between two adults, staring at him with large, amber eyes. Its prehensile tail was curled around the leg of its parent for reassurance. He waved at it, and it inched forward, eyeing him warily. Nobody protested as it crept closer, sneaking a sniff of his pants leg. It tugged at the fabric with stubby, clawed fingers. Xhe reached down and gripped it by the scruff of the neck, lifting it off the floor and placing it a short distance away. It hesitated for a moment, then shook itself like a dog, waddling back over to the waiting arms of its caretaker. Like many young mammals, these did not seem to be fragile creatures.

"What did you say to them?" he asked Xhe.

"That you are the Ambassador to a Coalition ally, and that you are touring Elysia with the full authority of my Lord Patriarch."

She made him sound so important. He had been here for a week now, and he hadn't really done anything yet besides eat, sleep and antagonize women in bars. He wondered when the Patriarch would request his presence and the political maneuvering would begin.

"Can you translate something for me?" he asked, and Xhe nodded. "Tell them that I appreciate their hospitality and that I'm looking forward to learning about their culture and way of life."

Xhe relayed the information, but the crowd did not have a strong reaction. They were more interested in his strange appearance than why he was here or what he wanted from them, and why shouldn't they be? This was the first time that any of them had ever seen an alien.

"What interests you?" Xhe asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What aspect of their culture are you interested in learning about?"

Dennis thought for a moment, considering.

"In my book, I read about bare-handed fishing. Do they do that here?"

"Probably, this area is very...rustic."

"Maybe I'll just wander around a bit first, would that be okay?"

"We have authority here," Xhe replied, "they will not protest."

That wasn't really what he had asked her, but whatever. He wandered into the village proper, the guards hovering close to him as the small crowd parted to make way. The buildings here were distinct from the sturdy masonry of the capital, they were built from lumber, using the stout trunks of the gnarled trees to prop up the structures like pillars on a Greek temple. The almost wholly intact logs bore the load, while the spaces between were filled in with closely connected planks. No windows here either...

"Xhe, why do none of your buildings have windows?"

"Large windows would be a structural weakness," she said as she walked along beside him, her floaty dress blowing on the breeze that rolled in from the lake. "The high gravity here means that buildings must be low and strong. They would also interfere with insulation."

"Insulation? But it's so hot."

"Insulation prevents heat transfer, it keeps the heat out in the summer and keeps the heat inside in the winter."

"You have winters here, then?"

Xhe stopped and looked at him, an expression of surprise on her feline face.

"Nobody told you about winters on Borealis?"

"No...should they have?"

"Twice per month for a period of about three days, Borealis is sent into the shadow of an eclipse as the secondary yellow star passes in front of the white primary. The temperature drops below freezing, as what heat the atmosphere can retain is lost to space. It becomes dark, the only source of light being the secondary, far dimmer star. The lakes freeze and most of the local fauna either hibernates or retreats underground. Our ancestors would huddle deep inside caves for warmth, but in the modern era, dwellings are designed to resist the weather. The people retreat inside and enter a state of reduced metabolic activity in response to the drop in temperature."

"That's...unusual!" Dennis replied. Yet another damned obstacle. This planet was a nightmare, Earth was a paradise in comparison, and he was beginning to miss it more and more. "That explains why your trees look so out of place, they must be evergreen, adapted to survive the cold."

"Correct, our flora is very hardy. Some plants die off, releasing spores as part of their life cycle in order to grow again when the sun returns, but the larger trees and shrubs endure the winter."

"And this all happens in the space of one month?"

"From the sixteenth to the eighteenth day of Borealis' thirty-four day month, and from the thirty-third to the first of the following month, yes."

"How did life even evolve in such a harsh and variable environment?"

"A tough planet will produce tough life. We have a saying here, roughly translated from Borealan it means the strict mother raises disciplined children. Traditionally, Borealans credit their strength and endurance to the planet. It has often been worshiped as a mother deity in ancient religions."

"So when is the next cold period?" Dennis asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Soon, a few days." She noticed his concerned expression and waved her furry hand dismissively. "Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe. Our buildings are very well insulated. Don't expect to be doing much during those days though. As I said, in response to extreme cold Borealans go into a low metabolic state."

"You'll have to show me an orbital model of what that looks like some time Xhe, it's hard to picture."

"We are used to it. For us this is normal."

They walked along a dirt path towards the center of the village as Dennis digested this new information. Perhaps the chaos of the environment that the Borealans lived in contributed to their desire to form strict social hierarchies. After all, prolonged arguments and bickering pretty much anywhere on the planet might result in you dying of exposure in the desert or freezing in an eclipse. Coupled with the harsh gravity and the limited living space, no wonder Borealans were such renowned frontline troops. Life before the comforts of technology must have been harsh here. In a way, Xhe's adage about strict parenting was correct, this planet would have selected only the hardiest Borealans to survive and reproduce.

The village formed a rough crescent around the lakefront with the piers in the center, protruding out into the water. Wooden boats, their decks littered with nets and traps were moored here and fishing lines dangled unattended into the clear lake. Pebbles smoothed by the water crunched under Dennis' shoes as he neared the shore, peering out over the great expanse. Somewhere on the other side was the city, he didn't know how far away it was, but it was completely out of view.

He crouched, searching for a flat pebble. He found one that was suitable and picked it up, weighing it in his hand. He threw it, skipping it along the surface of the lake. It bounced four times then sank under the water.

He felt a tug at his pants leg, looking down to see the fat kitten peering up at him expectantly. He turned to Xhe, but she didn't come to retrieve the little creature this time. Dennis lowered his hand and scratched the juvenile Borealan's head, it was fluffy and soft. To think that this squat little creature was running around in 1.3Gs, totally carefree.

"What's up little guy?" he asked. The kitten might not speak the local dialect yet, and it certainly didn't know any English, but it responded to his voice. It tugged again, its already sharp claws hooked into the fabric of his suit. "You like the stones?"