pdf file - Notes from An Alien

Mercy
The activities of the Worlds' Council's first years were taken up with assuring the implementation and
guiding principles of the Territorial, Regional, and Local Councils. The more arduous tasks of setting boundaries,
dealing with trade and commerce, instituting Worlds' Law, and developing a Worlds' Protective Force took more
years.
During this time, two most critical parallel developments were occurring:
Pockets of dissent were cropping up.
Delva was growing up.
Velu, Zena, and a few others expected dissent to eventually develop even before the general populace's
assent to the new governmental arrangements. It was one thing to be in a state of hopeless confusion and
welcome what appeared to be a solution. It was something else to watch the new arrangements being developed
and wondering how to grab a piece of the power.
Delva decided, when she reached her fifteenth birthday, that she would become the Worlds' Mediator—
the person who traveled widely and negotiated wisely to help the Worlds' Council maintain peace and further
both Worlds' regeneration and prosperity.
Delva's parents were fully convinced she was up to the task. They also knew she had quite a few years of
growing and travel to accomplice before she approached the Worlds' Council.
Delva, her parents, and Morna began a program of visiting each of the 406 Local Councils and living with
them for a month. Some welcomed them with open arms, some gave Delva no end of opportunities to develop
her skills in negotiating. By her thirty-forth birthday, she had accomplished this first goal. There were now more
than 406 Local Councils, due to more cities and towns being brought back from collapse, but she felt word of her
abilities would spread to the new Councils, and, hopefully, influence their operation, so she set out to accomplish
her second goal—obtain a written recommendation from each Regional and Territorial Council that she could
present to the Worlds' Council. This goal was achieved in one year.
At their final destination, the Beselima Territorial Council's headquarters—on the former corporate
planet, Anga-Param—Delva and her parents had an historic conversation. The only record of this was in Morna's
electro-plasma mind.
"Mother, tell me again about your visions during my birth."
"Delva, you've asked me that so many times. You think there's still more to be gleaned from the
symbolism?"
"I do."
Zena cradled his daughter's hand and said:
"Dearest, you still amaze me."
"Father, you still downplay what you and mother have given me. Apart from being loving and
encouraging, you were the ones who caused the plasma storm that gave me my mental and emotional powers."
"Caused is too strong a word."
"Only if the you define cause too narrowly."
Velu cradled her other hand and said:
"Akla was the cause."
"So you believe."
"So I believe."
"Mother, you've had a great trial all these years putting up with a husband and daughter who don't share
your religious beliefs."
"Trial? No. Blessing."
"Your ability to see challenges and emotionally nettlesome situations as blessings is still something I find
truly amazing."
"Such is the power of Akla's spirit."
Delva stood and walked to the window. After what seemed an eternity, she turned and said:
"Tell me again, mother."
Velu stood, took Zena's hand, pulled him up, walked to the table, and beckoned Delva to sit.