In the Name of Earth

Chapter 10: A Blue Pebble in the Cosmos

It had taken Marvin and Alexa hours to find their way back to the Educational Center housing complex through the engineering passages. Luckily, they eventually did so without ever running into a nightly maintenance crew or being noticed by restless students on their way back to their respective rooms.

Ludwig was passed out when Marvin arrived, which sparred them of an uncomfortable conversation. Alexa’s roommate, a fellow administration student, had awake while the drunken girl attempted to sneak in. Fortunately, though, the other woman had had her fair share of nightly escapades—even if for far more mundane purposes—and dismissed her Alexa’s absence as nothing more than casual hookup. Despite beging her friend to keep it a secret, Alexa obviously made no point in correcting her roommate’s assumptions.

Hooking up with other students was a harmless rule violation at worst, warranting nothing more than a verbal reprimand. Spying on ranking diplomatic and military officers was treason against humanity, and could result in exile.

Alexa had no interest in being the first human banned from the solar system, no matter how historical that event would be.

Marvin had spent those three days trying but failing to schedule lunch with his father. After what he had heard, it was no surprise that the Chief-Ambassador would be excessively busy for the remainder of the week, but it was vital that they talked. Even if Marvin had to admit to treason, his father needed to know that Ambassador Watson, General Silva and probably others conspired to push Supernova Protocol over his head.

The young man also hoped that conversation would shed some light over the nature of the Protocol itself, despite him already having a very clear idea. Humanity starts an intergalactic war with whatever token force it has, is promoted to a B6 civilization and gains unlimited access to alien technology, hopefully in time to prevent total annihilation.

It was only on the fourth day after that fateful night that he got word back from his father. A message in his infopad summoning Marvin for dinner in the Chief-Ambassador’s chambers that night. Throughout the whole day, anticipation for the event had been cause of both comfort and anxiety to Marvin. At first, it was comfort with a hint of anxiety, but the closer they got to the scheduled time the more anxious and less comfortable he grew.

The mix would be reduced exclusively to anxiety once he stepped into the elevator during dinner time and found a pale Ludwig waiting inside, also headed for the Chief-Ambassador’s office.

“s**t!” Marvin muttered at the sight of his roommate. “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”

Ludwig was unable to formulate an answer, but his mere presence suggested that family dinner was not the reason Marvin had been summoned that night.

That realization would only grow graver once the mahogany doors to the Chief-Ambassador’s office split open. The room Marvin had so many times visited for father-son lunch time was as impeccable as ever, the red carpet floor contrasting with the modern black and silver furniture. Earthen plans framed the rear wall of the chamber, a great plane of spotless glass overlooking the solar system and faintly reflecting the five people on the room.

The two Grant men, Ludwig Weber, Qui’Mal and Alexa Hilburn.

Sitting with his back to great expanse and the tiny distant spec that was Earth, Chief-Ambassador Grant rose in his sharp navy-blue suit.

“Gentlemen, take a seat,” he gestured the two available chairs laying across from his desk, his tone undecipherable.

Marvin and Ludwig silently closed the doors and crossed the room to take their seats between the other two students. None of the four dared speaking or even looking at each other. They had all been blind sided by the summoning, apparently, which had left them no time to coordinate whatever they were going to say.

Or had already said.

The Chief-Ambassador laid our several infopads in front of them.

“Do you know what these are?” the diplomat asked. “This one is a maintenance report on air filters clogged by, and I quote, ‘pink fur’. This one is a maintenance report on a faulty kitchen generator, damaged by improper relocation. An administrative submission reporting a missing bottle of Globian Ale and, lastly, a purchase requisition for new wrenches. Apparently, the old ones were damaged. All of these reports were filed on the same day.”

“I can explain, father,” Marvin volunteered, but was silenced by a gentle hand gesture from his dad.

“The only explanation I need is why the wrenches were damaged,” the Chief-Ambassador produced another infopad from under his desk. “This report already explained everything else.”

The four students exchanged an uneasy glance. Marvin longed with his eyes locked to Alexa’s, and she ever so subtly nodded towards the tablet. Hesitating, Marvin reached for the device his father held and took it for himself. He browsed over the wall of text signed. It was a detailed recollection of that night’s events, signed by Alexa Hilburn, with only a few minor tweaks.

The only difference between the events described on the report and reality was that, according to Alexa’s version of the story, the Pact between Ludwig and Qui’Mal demanded the delivery of a burrito and a bottle of alcoholic beverages. This way, the theft of the Globian Ale was justified as a requirement to fulfill the Pact and avoid a diplomatic incident. A smart move by Alexa, covering their tracks without fundamentally affecting the cultural and political contents of the experience.

The report also made no mention of their drunken detours into the maintenance pathways and went nowhere near their eavesdropping on the ambassadors. Therefore, there was no mention of Ludwig’s clumsy attempt at juggling the wrenches. Another good call.

“Yes, this is exactly what happened!” Marvin returned the tablet to his father. “I don’t know why those wrenches were damaged, though. Must’ve been an unrelated accident.”

“I’m sure it was…” the Chief-Ambassador returned to his chair and halt turned to gaze at the distant solar system.

“Father, I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re sorry…”

“Sorry?” the man across the desk raised an eyebrow. “I brought you all here to congratulate you!”

The four young beings were wary of showing any sign of satisfaction, and instead just discreetly exchanged another series of stares. Grant went on.

“See, you all showed the principles desirable on every EDS member. Curiosity, proactivity, creativity, team-work and conformity to regulations,” the Chief-Ambassador cleared his throat and focused on Ludwig. “You kind of messed up, though. You shouldn’t have engaged on an alien cultural ritual without a certified diplomat present.”

“Pardon me, sir. I was not aware.”

“Always be aware. Before being an engineer, you are a human, and your actions as a human reflect all of that,” the Chief-Ambassador pointed the faint blue marble that was Earth, beyond the glassy wall. “What matters, though, is that when you were faced with a difficult situation you came together to resolve it. The cultural expertise of a diplomat, the technological expertise of an engineer, the precise support and observations of an administrator and the goodwilled cooperation of a foreign representative. If your report is to be believed, Miss Hilburn, the absence of any one of you could doomed the entire endeavor.”

The four students looked at each other once more, all visibly at ease now.

“That said,” Grant Senior continued, “the administrative board has requested to suspend the investigation on the matters, and I have spoken to each of your courses supervisors to properly reward your initiative.”

“Re-reward?” Marvin babbled.

“You have just recorded, in detail, the first fulfilment of a sacred Nikal Pact with humanity. That is not a minor accomplishment,” the Chief-Ambassador stood up and pressed a button on his infopad. Immediately the grand window opening to the solar system went opaque and an unknown planet was projected on the glass. “This is your reward. By the end of next week, I will be departing on a diplomatic mission to this little world. Deven. I would like the four of you to accompany us so you can experience a real diplomatic interaction. What do you say?”

“It would be an honor, sir!” Alexa promptly answered.

“Hell yeah I’m in!” Lud screamed over the woman.

“I accept the invitation,” QuiMal, too, agreed.

Marvin took a bit longer, studying the globe projected before his eyes. Scrolls of text rolled on either side of the planet, describing it as an agricultural multi-species colony. He knew he should have been thrilled by the opportunity, but deep down he only considered it odd. He had been in Gaia Station for over a year now, and for the full length of his stay him and his father had worked hard to avoid any remote resemblance of family privileges. To have him and his closest friends signed up for a field trip went entirely against that policy, no matter how great a report they had generated.

Besides, Marvin wasn’t even entirely convinced that they deserved praises for that operation. It had been highly irregular and it could have gone terribly bad. Still, if Marvin had learned anything on his meanderings through the maintenance works it was that times were changing, pressure over humanity was increasing, a coupe was very possibly being assembled and a potential apocalypse approached. For now, trusting his father was the best he could do.

“Looking forward to it, sir,” Marvin nodded.

“Fantastic!” the Chief-Ambassador smiled. “You’ll be notified of the mission’s details and schedule through your infopads. Just… please be discreet about it. We don’t want your colleagues getting jealous, and discretion is a key aspect of every EDS assignment. You are dismissed!”

Alexa stood up in impeccable posture, a glimmer on her eyes. Qui’Mal respectfully bowed and Lud clumsily tried mimicking Alexa’s stance.

While the three left, however, Marvin remained seated.

“Father, since we’re here, can I have a word?”

The Chief-Ambassador looked up at the departing trio, who already exchanged excited whispers. He awaited until they were long gone, turned off the planetary display, bringing the magnificent window back and swiveled on his chair to watch the void. Father and son locked gazes through their reflections on the impeccable glass surface.

“What is really going on, dad?” Marvin asked, dreading the answer.

“The end of the world, Marvin. The end of our world. See, throughout their careers every diplomat will be faced with a crisis that may change everything. For him, for his people, for the ones he loves. I’m afraid my crisis is upon us,” Marvin Grant Senior sighed, the shoulder of his bespoke suit dropping. “Look at it. Look at our home. Eight billion people who have no idea of all the pieces moving in the dark. Unaware of how vulnerable their entire world is. Nations obsessing over oil wells and imaginary borders, politicians swindling millions and companies amassing fortunes, but it all comes down to a blue pebble in the cosmos. So delicate. So feeble. A speck of dust in the universal scheme of things. It is our job to stand for it. To protect it. Protect all the lives in it and their delusions of relevance. But sometimes fate is beyond our control. This is an entropic universe, Marvin, and as such we do not always have a say on the motion of things. Sometimes all we can do is our best, hoping that everything else will fall in place. For the sake of eight billion souls.”

“You’re scaring me, dad,” Marvin was clutching to the armrests of his chair, eyes wavering over the distant glimmer that was Earth.

“You don’t need to worry, Marv. This is my crisis, and I’ll face it so one day you can face yours. Just remember that everything I do, I do for you and your mother. Everything. You are my whole universe.”

Through watery eyes, Marvin lowered his head. He failed to find it in him to admit just how much he knew. How much he had heard. For the last days, he had rested assured his father would know how to handle the threats from within and without. That the man who had secretly kept Earth safe all those years would come through once more.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

“I love you, dad,” was all he mustered to say.

“I love you too, Marvin. Never forget that,” the Chief-Ambassador puffed his chest and repositioned himself on his chair, eyes still locked on the distant blue gem. “You are dismissed.”