Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [9]
“The interior minister makes an important point, Ambassador Gral, he said aloud. “Moving in lockstep is not something that comes naturally, even to us humans. Im sure I neednt remind anyone here that it has been only five years since the last of our worlds great independent nation-states finally agreed to join the global government of the United Earth.
As he watched the grave nods that passed among the Vulcans and Andorians, the latter group displaying a potent mix of emotions via their writhing antennae, Samuels thought, I cant believe Im trying to mollify these people by pointing out how bad humanitys résumé looks when it comes to playing well with others.
Ambassador Jie Cong Li of Centauri III rose from her seat, the slightness of her form doing nothing to negate the quiet dignity of her bearing. The rooms assemblage of scowling Andorians, grumbling Tellarites, and stonily impassive Vulcans made no move to interrupt as the prime minister nodded to yield the floor to the Centauri representative.
“I do not wish to risk appearing overly agreeable with the ministers of the United Earth government, the Centauri woman said, filling the room with the round, resonant vowels that characterized her peoples dominant accent. “But I must point out that New Samarkand, Alpha Centauris capital, is a good deal more remote from the center of Terran power than was Australia, the last of this planets nonaligned nation-states to allow itself to be enfolded into the UE government. I therefore implore all of our friends and allies from here to 61 Sygni and Procyon and 40 Eridani A to mark this occasion well. It may be the last time in the careers of everyone assembled here that the Earth and Centauri governments agree on anything . Her grim smile provided the only clue that her words werent entirely serious.
Great, Samuels thought, his guts churning as the Centauri delegate quietly reseated herself. If Li and I keep this up much longer, these people are going to start wondering why the hell they signed the Coalition Compact in the first place.
The moment of discomfiture passed, however, dispelled by a wave of politely indulgent laughter, apparently started either by Ambassador Avaranthi shRothress or the newly promoted Andorian Foreign Minister Anlenthoris chVhendreni. The encouraging sound rippled quietly across the rest of the usually taciturn Andorian delegation. Vulcans contingentthe recently promoted Minister Soval, flanked by Ambassadors LNel and Solkarreacted as one with gently surprised expressions that probably would have been polite laughter had the Vulcans belonged to just about any other humanoid race with which Samuels was familiar.
In the VIP observation area located behind the semicircular array of diplomatic tables, Admirals Samuel Gardner and Gregory Black, along with Captain Eric Stillwell, the man in charge of Earths new warp-seven stardrive development program, and General George Casey, the iron-haired commandant of Earths Military Assault Command Operations, all looked like still-life studies with their medal-bedecked coats, folded arms, and grave attentiveness. From the press area positioned behind the Starfleet and MACO officers, several members of the mediaincluding, Samuels noticed, that entirely too persistent female reporter Gannet Brooksused the holocams that rested on their shoulders or in their heads to soak up every word and gesture. Grethe Zhor, the observer from Draylax, sat behind the press corps, taking in the entire tableau with an unreadable expression.
Samuels clung to the hope that Zhor would prove to be the key to working through the Coalitions current difficulties, the keen blade that would slice through the tangled dual Gordian knot of galactic one-upmanship and cutthroat domestic politics.
A flash of motion in the observation gallery momentarily caught Samuelss eye. When he recognized the small group of people moving quietly