Ranjit Rynalor
"I am ancient Ranjit Rylanor, I am responsible for sector Ankh of the Galaxy you know as Epstein-Barr. I am revered among my people, who speaks for yours?"
"I am Adian Stammler, I am ambassador for the Solians, the Terran Meritocracy wants me to speak on their behalf."
"The Solians! You're real?"
"Birthsphere was always real, whether or not we had a cogent political system to go with it."
"Oh, how interesting, the Terrans always speak of this Birthsphere..."
"It's the Terra they're named for, home to 9 billion sophonts now... My home."
"They let you speak for them, even if you're not one of them?"
"They'd lose prestige if they admitted I wasn't the fullest possible expression of all they could be... I just offered to speak for them to spare them the conundrum."
"I see. Do you know who I am?"
"You are the ancient for this sector, seems you are responsible for those others, the... snakes..."
"They sometimes worry me, but we believe mostly the same. I am set above them, temporarily, to negotiate accords though."
"What kind of accord can we negotiate today?"
"We're here to try for a mine, shallowly in Terran territory, called Kandjit."
"As I am an outsider, I might not know it's value, but I'll need to ask before we can make substantive talks."
"It is an asteroid mine, holding a small amount of mineral."
"Not so small, enough that it can supply a factory to make exoframes."
"I do not know about that."
"You demean me, by thinking you wouldn't have asked... All know better, in these trying times."
"I... let me ask my advisors. I should go in prepared."
"I'll let it slide, this time, it is possible you are so new, you do not yet know... But, I find it dubious, certainly, lack of knowledge will not protect you..."
Meriteh Sanglor was waiting in Ranjit Rynalor's office. As he had been instructed, he knew better than to demur, Diamond leaders had been executed for less. "So you tell me, these others have been relying on the Terran's ignorance all thsi time?" "Mostly, they don't always send their best this way..." "And this Solian?" "He is of a different breed. He seems literate, for one..." "Literate?" "In OUR language. Whoever trained him, did a very good job. I can barely detect his accent." "But he comes from outside the galaxy! How does he even know our planet exists?" "He is mated to his predecessor's daughter, she, and her father, are very qualified diplomatic attaches, chosen almost from birth, and flash-trained in language, customs, diplomacy, culture..." "So, he shows the flaws in their system, while being diminished by none of them?" "That is a succint summation. He is a case study in why cloning leaves blind spots... And his children will likely be, if anything, even better..." "Children?" "He is not eligible for Terran cloning, being... Solian... Their rules are political, and do not make sense... He would have to live in the meritocracy for at least ten years before his genes are accepted." "Could he have both children and clones?" "Yes, but only his clones would increase his political power in the meritocracy." "I'm not thinking about that, I'm thinking he could influence the meritocracy with his clones, but send his children back to Sol!" "He'd rewrite Terran Doctrine, just by existing. Clone-parents are era-changers, in their system." "And how likely is he to do so?" "Very, they can barely tell him no, to anything, so far. He volunteered to talk to you, knowing he'd be scissoring through even more of their rules than usual." "Oh, so I help them, doing this?" "He is forcing them to change, either to adapt to him, or to adapt to you, you have no good choice." "Oh, that is clever. Could I pick a third option?" "If we lost, they'd say the same, and send him back, perhaps, but he is of the mythical birthsphere, they might prefer to kill him, and pretend we did it. Like I said, you have no good choice." "Oh, and he comes from outside the galaxy, just dumped in, and he forces such choices on us. How dare he??" "Just because he comes from afar doesn't mean he didn't plan his entrance..." "Oh, his... predecessor?" "My sources say the predecessor went back willingly... For political reasons. And even if he didn't. The mating of your predecessor's spawn is significant in both their cultures. He is not stupid." "And in ours?" "It will carry a Diamond leader to a Sphere, that is not negligible." "It will not carry you to that sphere, by itself. I have to like you too..." "If you hated me, my daughter would not marry your grandson..." "Point. Leave me, I must think on these aspects of diplomacy. I did not think I would consider diplomacy with the Terrans, they are rats, vermin, capable of nothing but breeding." "Breeding clones?" "Thank you, for bringing that into perspective."
Meriteh Sanglor was waiting in Ranjit Rynalor's office. As he had been instructed, he knew better than to demur, Diamond leaders had been executed for less. "So you tell me, these others have been relying on the Terran's ignorance all thsi time?" "Mostly, they don't always send their best this way..." "And this Solian?" "He is of a different breed. He seems literate, for one..." "Literate?" "In OUR language. Whoever trained him, did a very good job. I can barely detect his accent." "But he comes from outside the galaxy! How does he even know our planet exists?" "He is mated to his predecessor's daughter, she, and her father, are very qualified diplomatic attaches, chosen almost from birth, and flash-trained in language, customs, diplomacy, culture..." "So, he shows the flaws in their system, while being diminished by none of them?" "That is a succint summation. He is a case study in why cloning leaves blind spots... And his children will likely be, if anything, even better..." "Children?" "He is not eligible for Terran cloning, being... Solian... Their rules are political, and do not make sense... He would have to live in the meritocracy for at least ten years before his genes are accepted." "Could he have both children and clones?" "Yes, but only his clones would increase his political power in the meritocracy." "I'm not thinking about that, I'm thinking he could influence the meritocracy with his clones, but send his children back to Sol!" "He'd rewrite Terran Doctrine, just by existing. Clone-parents are era-changers, in their system." "And how likely is he to do so?" "Very, they can barely tell him no, to anything, so far. He volunteered to talk to you, knowing he'd be scissoring through even more of their rules than usual." "Oh, so I help them, doing this?" "He is forcing them to change, either to adapt to him, or to adapt to you, you have no good choice." "Oh, that is clever. Could I pick a third option?" "If we lost, they'd say the same, and send him back, perhaps, but he is of the mythical birthsphere, they might prefer to kill him, and pretend we did it. Like I said, you have no good choice." "Oh, and he comes from outside the galaxy, just dumped in, and he forces such choices on us. How dare he??" "Just because he comes from afar doesn't mean he didn't plan his entrance..." "Oh, his... predecessor?" "My sources say the predecessor went back willingly... For political reasons. And even if he didn't. The mating of your predecessor's spawn is significant in both their cultures. He is not stupid." "And in ours?" "It will carry a Diamond leader to a Sphere, that is not negligible." "It will not carry you to that sphere, by itself. I have to like you too..." "If you hated me, my daughter would not marry your grandson..." "Point. Leave me, I must think on these aspects of diplomacy. I did not think I would consider diplomacy with the Terrans, they are rats, vermin, capable of nothing but breeding." "Breeding clones?" "Thank you, for bringing that into perspective."
Children
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