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Adobe .pdf - Notes from An Alien

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Plasma, the killing kind, swept through the air and wiped out the Aklans. The transport swiftly<br />

departed, leaving the villagers in stunned stupefaction.<br />

The old woman fell to her knees and began a chant:<br />

"O God of Mercy.<br />

“O God of Light.<br />

“O God of Death.<br />

“O God of Life.<br />

“Forgive us.<br />

“Protect us.<br />

“Give us strength.<br />

“Keep us firm."<br />

She rose and added: "<strong>An</strong>d, help those poor souls in their flight towards Thee..."<br />

~~~<br />

Attacks on isolated Aklans were increasing. The Worlds' Council was attempting to guide the<br />

Regional Councils in their search for the perpetrators but, no matter what information or<br />

equipment was given to the Councils, no captures were reported.<br />

After four months of attacks, with 900 Aklans killed and no one in custody, an official inquiry<br />

was launched. The members were chosen by the appropriate Territorial Councils.<br />

After three more months of attacks, with 1,440 more Aklans killed, the Worlds' Council set up<br />

its own inquiry, secretly, with elite members of the Worlds' Protective Force guiding the<br />

operation.<br />

People knew, in general, who to blame but, corruption of the Regional and Territorial Councils<br />

was also common knowledge.<br />

Surprisingly to most, the Aklan Community was making it known that they would intercede to<br />

mitigate any punishment of the perpetrators.<br />

Delva had yet to report the end of her period of mourning but word was still dispatched for her<br />

assistance, though not through the usual direct channel, apparently out of respect for Delva's<br />

privacy. It was sent to a company that often worked with the Council on matters of diplomatic<br />

import. A special directive accompanied the message instructing the recipient to hold it until<br />

Delva returned <strong>from</strong> her retreat but, then, to have it instantly given to her. These plans had been<br />

put in motion while the full membership of the Council was unavailable. Three members had<br />

made their own decision. Those three members were mildly chastised for their independent<br />

action at the next full meeting of the Council.<br />

The reception of the message was greeted with glee by <strong>An</strong>ni Suria, a secret sympathizer of the<br />

Independents. She relayed the message to Mura.<br />

~~~<br />

Mura had become the unofficial leader of the Independents on <strong>An</strong>gla-Palli. She had grown quite<br />

adept at bringing people into the fold and keeping them working on various plans. She wasn't<br />

clear on some of the Independents' dogma but she had a firm belief in one particular tenet: We<br />

are individuals and have the right to make our own decisions.<br />

Some of the Independents' decisions were distasteful to Mura but so had been most of the men<br />

she'd slept with. Still, each man had helped her in some way to arrive at her present position of<br />

power so she found it easy to sweep distasteful things <strong>from</strong> her mind.<br />

She received the message <strong>from</strong> the Worlds' Council members to Delva and, if she had believed<br />

in God, would have said He was blessing her. She called together a group of seven Independents<br />

she knew had extreme experience in political affairs and discussed her visit to Delva.<br />

68

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