The Voting Species (5 page)

Senator
Cantrell seemed to wait for the whole Galaxy to absorb the
statement.

‘
Was this not
just an act of kindness towards dumb animals Mr Denton, hardly a
conviction by you that these creatures are productive and of course
trustworthy!’

Denton smiled
again. ‘Why would we work with each other over many weeks if we
were not being productive and were not mutually trustworthy. The
whole of our planet know we have alien visitors in our midst as I
speak, you Senators could not agree amongst yourselves whether or
not to allow them to be witnesses. The law being in the way, the
very thing you’re here to debate.’ He paused for effect. ‘Some
aliens have been living amongst us for years. I challenge the
Galaxy to meet Harry, he‘s a sixteen year old trained lawyer…from
planet AO2374!’

‘THE SENATE ORDER AN ALIEN TRIBUNAL’ Such
were the headlines flashed throughout the Galaxy after the day long
debate, finally passed by a majority of eight to seven, the leader
of the Senate casting the decisive vote.

FROM A SCHEME TO A DREAM

‘It’s time for a rethink Alfonso, the way
things have gone at the Senate, the Justices could change anything.
We need to cover our backsides,’ a thoughtful Senator advised.

‘Yes Senator.’ The grey man came to heel
immediately.

‘If they’re stupid enough to change the law
on alien rights, we want to make sure we win or we win.’

‘Quite so Senator, I have prepared a list of
the things we need to tackle. I suggest the smugglers first!’

‘Yes, the military obviously got them, but we
claim the credit for ridding our planet of those butchers, we’ll
look good whichever way the law goes.’

‘Can we replace the lost business?’

‘I think exporting is now defunct, we expand
our employment services to include all types of low paid work, not
just entertaining.’

‘But if alien rights do come in?’

‘No problem Alfonso, the present market is
limited because it’s underground. If things change then we can come
out in the open, promote cheap labour to a wider grateful
electorate, for the benefit of both natives and humans. That’s the
beauty of this scheme.’

‘Excellent Senator, the security
services?’

The Senator thought on, ‘Here again we come
out in the open, we offer them through our employment agencies to
the whole planet. They become an on demand peace force, cheaper
than paying taxes to the Federation.’

‘
What about
the ten security leaders?’

‘
We have no
further use of them or their high costs.’

‘There’s a potential hitch there Senator,
you’d be asking generals to give up their soldiers! The native
army, two hundred thousand of them, owe allegiance to their
leaders!’

‘I think I’ve covered that Alfonso, the
security leaders can go back to the jungle; the natives can either
continue as our peace force under our leadership or get replaced by
other tribes. The law change won’t allow them to revolt with
impunity, we can call in the military if they get stroppy.

‘Which brings us to our Research Lab
Senator.’

‘
Exactly
Alfonso, we would look good and make a profit by selling a wider
range of cheap bio-meds to an enlarged market; from both natives
and those who have an interest in keeping them active. Remember,
we’re paragons of virtue now.’

‘Our overheads, we would need to trim
them?

‘
We would be
cutting out the expensive leaders from the security services, that
would save us millions.’ The Senator’s face flashed a smile for the
first time. ‘Most of the Lab guards are redundant now, all will be
if there’s a law change.’ Then he flashed a frown. ‘But we owe them
lots of platinum.’

Alfonso
struck,
‘May I make a suggestion
Senator.’

‘You usually do.’

‘
We could
ensure the natives chase them off, they knew the Guards were
involved in trafficking their women, they probably even know the
location of the Lab! All we have to do is find a way of stirring
them up.’

‘
Yes…there’s
always been trouble between the Guards and some of the tribes. We’d
need to target the wronged tribes, think of the platinum we’d
save!’

‘
I could find
them, make sure they react in the way we want.’

‘You Alfonso?’

‘May I mention the most delicate of subjects
Senator?’

‘You’re going to anyway.’

‘The whole of Cyan House knows that you tired
of Elena, and that she threw herself at a younger man for
solace.’

‘Is that so Alfonso?’

‘
If I could
keep Elena permanently, as my most personal of assistants, I’d be
glad to play the messenger.’

‘
Ironic…and
politically useful, we have natives take the blame for something
that helps us wriggle out of a debt. The Senator grinned. ‘Should
we do this before or after the tribunal?’

The grey man
gulped. ‘Before Senator, or we’ll get the blame for allowing our
new voters to run amok, best we blame them while they’re still
classed as animals!’

‘
What about
our six scientists
at the lab, they’re
human remember!’

‘
I make it
clear to the natives that the scientists are innocent of
trafficking crimes, and are only working on medicines for the
native’s benefit.’

‘
An excellent
scheme Alfonso, Elena is yours...the Tribunal
permitting!’

‘Thank you Senator. Last but certainly not
least is the Senate’s embarrassment caused by the maverick
behaviour of Admiral Maltravers.’

‘
Now we can
get rid of him once and for all, leave these politics to me
Alfonso.’ The Senator demanded with a triumphant grin.

‘
Yes
Senator,’ replied the grey man lasciviously, continuing to dream of
Elena.

A thousand
natives were marching towards the grey suited guards who’d help
smugglers traffic their women for years. Many had lost family,
whilst others had suffered only the indignity of a poisoning before
being left to the possibility of delayed gene switching. All were
armed with throwing spears and the accompanying sling that gave
their weapons an accurate range of over a hundred metres. They knew
how potent rifles were and that being blasted by two hundred lasers
would mean carnage. They went forward to hurl their spears vainly
at the carbon buildings.

‘The poisoning can’t be doing that
Chief?’

‘You’re right, something else has got their
blood up, just ignore them, they’ll go away when they’ve cooled
off.’

‘Why not blast a few? That’ll shift
them!’

‘In this heat, who wants to shift
bodies?’

The next interruption was in the form of
flaming spears that clattered as they hit the rooftops, setting the
camouflage ablaze.

‘Now I’m getting angry,’ cursed the Chief,
‘send out a dozen rifles to teach them a lesson.’

The dozen felt secure as they walked out of
the building and under the covered clearing, it was then that they
were hit by a horizontal storm of spears, the guards crumpled like
quilled creatures screaming their final agonies.

‘Those bastards mean it! Get every man with
rifles at the ready, we’ll slaughter them once and for all!’

‘Let’s bring the military in Chief.’

‘Only if we have to!’

Cautiously this time, with rifles firing at
every movement, two hundred guards cleared the undergrowth around
the clearing. The thousand ran from the uniforms, keeping behind
trees where possible, losing a few of their own where not. They
still turned, whirling their slings with enough accuracy to down a
few of their enemies, then continued running across another
clearing and disappearing into trees. The guards followed, but only
into the clearing.

‘An obvious trap, keep in a straight line and
don’t let them get to within a hundred metres, we can blast dozens
with each rifle if we keep them at a distance, keep in the
open.’

Twenty thousand natives oozed from the trees
and split into two, lining up along each side of the grey
procession. Along both flanks, they formed into ten ranks, each a
thousand strong.

‘I think we need more men Chief!’

Two thousand
spears darkened the sky, then another two thousand until all twenty
thousand had been thrown, such a storm left no guard untouched. The
natives walked slowly towards the grey and now crimson line,
stretched out amongst a plantation of spears. They stared at the
bloodied contortions before them as their cries faded away, this
time it was their enemies who had fallen.

OUTSIDE THE LAW

The fifteen justices, one from each planet,
were called to gather at the Galactic Legislative Court on Earth to
consider a new law: Aliens with genetics comparable to humans are
to be classed as people with the same rights and responsibilities
that humans have.

All telecoms
throughout the Galaxy were focused on the Senate based courtroom,
packed with hundreds from the media and prominent members of the
public. The Origins Society accepted the opportunity to support the
new law whilst the Galactic Prosecutor chose to oppose
it.

The
Prospector sixteen were as excited as the rest of the Galaxy, the
court rose to greet the fifteen justices who took their places on
the elevated bench. Despite it being the twenty fifth century, the
court was well fitted with real oak and brass, the lines being as
straight as taste and comfort would allow. The proceedings would be
presided over by Chief Justice Stephens from Earth who took the
central seat of fifteen. The judgement would be by a majority
verdict.

‘
Mr
Lundstrom,’ started the stony faced Chief Justice Stephens, ‘would
you care to open your arguments, in particular, clarifying the
difference between this and the present law regarding alien
classification.’

The young man
stood up, light blue eyes set in a fresh face under blonde hair,
slightly built, he was clad in a black two piece suit with a white
roll neck shirt; his words were not affected by his shyness. ‘The
law before you today differs slightly in its wording but greatly in
its meaning. The previous law was so worded that alien genetics had
to be indistinguishable from human genetics, then the species could
be regarded as a human equivalent. In fact, all it said was that
aliens had to be human, never was a greater prejudice committed to
statute, masquerading as law. The present motion before you says
quite clearly that alien genetics has to be comparable. That’s what
most of the legal argument will focus on. The material question is:
How comparable is comparable? If we compare the genomes of aliens
and humans we find that there are no significant differences,
except for chromosome count; even compared to other primates we
find no significant differences. However, for both aliens and
humans, cerebral gene expression is comparable, but more active
when compared to other primates. Therefore, the word comparable
brushes away the cobwebs of ignorance to leave another clear path
of scientific fact that leads to justice.’

The Chief Justice nodded politely and looked
at Prosecutor Kwai. ‘Would you care to reply Madam Prosecutor?’

She added a
stern look to her pointed features, the petite fair haired middle
aged woman, also dressed in black, reminded everybody who she was.
‘The Federation has no arguments with the genetics of this case, we
do however question whether insignificant differences in genetics
are significant enough to affect choice. Choice is a significant
part of intelligent life, contrary to what many believe, this
includes lawyers. Sure, genetics do show how we compare with
aliens, so called alien people, but they could not possibly show
how we compare in choice activity. Therefore, however sentimental
we may feel towards other living creatures, we must accept that
giving them rights is one thing, but giving them responsibilities
is another, and could be dangerous. That is the basis of the
Federation’s case.’

Over the day
scientists and philosophers were cross examined to pacify not only
the Judges but the whole of the Galaxy. Such a law had to be seen
to be accepted or rejected. The choice argument was left until the
next day.

The masses crowded the foyer, the Prosecutor
and the Admiral were in relaxed conversation. Prosecutor Kwai
whispered, ‘I hope that young man knows where the law can’t go as
well as where it can. I’ll bid him good evening just to be sure.’
The Admiral nodded, she glided away to an admiring throng
surrounding the blonde hair. The young lawyer smiled towards his
adversary as she raised her finger as a sign of peace. He wrestled
his way to her side and lowered his head to meet hers. ‘Don’t
forget the Philosophers Case,’ she said as his eyes narrowed, ‘do
you understand?’ He looked at her and nodded. ‘Good evening to you
Mr Lundstrom.’ His now widening eyes followed her as she
retreated.

‘Would you like to make your closing
speeches?’ asked the Chief Justice.

Prosecutor Quai repeated her arguments of the
previous day, the excitement across the Galaxy as well as the court
was growing, was history about to be made? She nodded politely at
the Chief Justice and then the young lawyer.

The young man
walked slowly to a vantage point in the court, looked softly at
her, then started to address the whole Galaxy. ‘In at least one
area of human activity the law has shown enough sense to keep away.
That is undoubtedly the area of choice. The legal precedent is the
Philosophers Case where this is a freedom for all people. All have
the inalienable right to choice, not even the law can interfere in
a persons’ mind. Ironic is it not, when you look at the spelling of
that word, inalienable. If choice is a right, then the contrary
must be a right also, that is the right not to make a choice. The
prosecution’s case comes down to making choice mandatory! Clearly
absurd. The law put before you states quiet clearly that subject to
their genetics, the rights and responsibilities of aliens are to be
equal to humans. I should have won my case by now, but to be sure
of putting human minds at rest, I would remind you that there is no
evidence from across the Galaxy of humans being any better behaved
than aliens. Even the Senate agrees with this last comment, they
have already started talks with aliens…or can I now say
people.’