Lili inhales the sweet, deep fragrance of the Stargazers. They, dusty plum and white with
brown spots and gold centers, remind her of Da'an, sometimes turning white-plum-
brown-gold, as his facade shifts. Da'an absorbs the sweet, deep fragrance of the
Stargazers. The lilies remind him of their complexly hued namesake. The North
American Companion and the shuttle pilot shift their focus from each other to the woman
that Lili has escorted to the audience chamber.
Abby Franklin, talk show host, addresses the Taelon: "Thank you for accepting my offer,
Da'an."
Da'an offers a correction in return: "It is not I, Ms. Franklin, who accepts your proposal,
but the Synod. I merely represent a larger whole upon your world -- a whole that finds
itself musing curiously over this human concept of 'live.' We find it misnamed."
"Oh, how so?," asks Franklin.
Boone, Lili, and Liam sense the irony in their Companion's response: "The word 'live'
implies instantaneous communication. Yet, the vast majority of humans cannot achieve
the only true conduit of instantaneous communication -- the psychic link. Therefore, live
is not, in actuality, live."
Sandoval, sensing an opening, interjects: "Pardon me, Da'an, but your argument relates to
a point of security. Since live isn't really live, Ms. Franklin, you shouldn't object to a
thirty second delay prior to the interview so that we may edit out anything unfavorable
to...."
"Absolutely not," interrupts the host. "Live is as live as we humans behind The Abby
Franklin Show can manage, not a second later. That's what sets us apart. Besides, you
wouldn't want people to think that the Taelons have anything to hide."
"True," asserts Da'an. "There will be no delay, Agent Sandoval."
"Very well, Da'an, but we should at least erect a virtual glass barrier around the stage for
the duration of the interview for your physical protection."
"This is just a variation of the same music, Agent Sandoval. If I won't allow a time delay,
what makes you think I'll allow the psychological delay implicit in virtual glass?" Here,
Franklin softens, "I see no reason why one of you couldn't appear on stage with Da'an,
though, to act as a lookout and a lead-in, as it were, giving us some background before
Da'an arrives."
External measures of time note the passing of a week. Within the eternal present, Lili
acts as that lead-in, explaining interdimensional travel to the audience: "You know the
old saying about the shortest distance between two points being a straight line. Well,
since the Taelons arrived, that's no longer true." Lili demonstrates with a piece of paper,
holding it horizontally. "Here's a point at one end, and here's a point at the other. If you
fold or curve the paper, like so, the two points meet, closing the distance.
Interdimensional travel works on the same principle."
"Thank you, Captain Marquette, and now, the moment we've all been waiting for." Abby
Franklin is wearing her best preamble expression. "Imagine. Four years ago, the word
'Taelon' wasn't part of our vocabulary, and now they are part of our everyday lives. They
are part of our everyday lives, and yet, we haven't really had the chance to meet with a
Taelon, one-on-one, until today. Ladies and Gentlemen, help me greet Da'an, the North
American Companion."
Da'an materializes in a dimly lit recess and crosses the stage, all light, in his natural form.
Ascending to his seat, Da'an absorbs the adulation of the audience, as he has the scent of
Stargazers. "Sinuai euhura. I gather your warmth and reciprocate it with much thanks on
behalf of the Synod and myself."
"And on behalf of the whole staff," returns Franklin, "I would like to present you with
these." A production assistant steps from the wings and hands Da'an an exquisite bouquet
of Stargazers. "I couldn't help but notice the lilies in your audience chamber during my
last visit. I also couldn't help but notice that you gazed at them before I spoke, as did
Captain Marquette. Do they hold a shared meaning for the two of you?"
The silence is deafening, as Lili, Boone, Liam, Sandoval, and an audience of billions wait
for Da'an's answer. Four linked minds take advantage of the eternal present to fill that
silence and confer. Lili notes the expanding public void before and behind them, saying,
"There's no retreat."
Liam answers with the sentiments of his mother and one father, concurring, "I feel
Sowello descending. I hate the press. I really do."
Boone responds with his customary brand of pragmatism and optimistic fatalism: "Fate
maybe descending, but we have the power to choose how we meet it."
Da'an decides, "If we reveal a portion of the truth, now, they will at least be prepared
when the rest follows, later." Turning to face external reality, Da'an reveals: "Yes, they
hold a shared meaning, for we share. She is 'Jha'du'ur' to me, 'living light.' I am star stuff,
and she is my consort moon. Together, our light nourishes Stargazers. However, we two
do not inhabit the sky alone, for my moon and I are not complete without another star, a
sun. Commander William Boone is that consort sun. With his light, we nourish
orchids."
"You....you love each other?" Franklin is shaking, slightly. His answer means an Emmy
for sure.
"Yes, we love each other very much." Da'an extends his palms outward to Boone and
Lili, who join him from opposite ends of the stage.
"How do the three of you define 'love'?"
Da'an concludes with provocative diplomacy: "During my time among individuals, I have
learned that we must define it for ourselves."
During their return, afterwards, Sandoval closes his eyes and quietly recites a passage by
Machiavelli:
The choice of servants is of no little importance to a prince, and they are good or not
according to the discrimination of the prince. And the first opinion which one forms of a
prince, and of his understanding, is by observing the men he has around him; and when
they are capable and faithful he may always be considered wise, because he has known
how to recognize the capable and to keep them faithful.
Lili savors this small victory: "By the way, Sandoval, Da'an expects you to turn over that
copy you made of his handprint, along with any data you gathered with it."
"I'm afraid I don't have it with me, Captain."
"You'd be too stupid to breathe if you did, Sandoval, and we know you're not stupid.
Don't worry. We'll swing by and pick everything up from private safe eight-nine-four in
Kobe, later." Lili thanks Boone and Liam for this detail that one dreamt and the other
remembered.
"Very well, Captain." Sandoval blushes, restructuring his worldview, again.
Meanwhile, Boone awaits a call he knows must come. He passes the interval skimming
headlines. Time reads, "Sun, Moon, Stars." The picture below the headline is a
screen capture of the three joining hands during the interview. People reads,
"Jha'du'ur: New Queen Noor?" The cover features a picture of Lili from last year. She is
wearing that silver dress Augur likes so much. Boone does not even want to contemplate
the tabloids. If they are smart, they will not print anything, not if they want to avoid a
future "deposition" with Sandoval.
His global beeps, and Boone receives the inevitable message from Doors through Augur.
As he listens, Boone reflexively shields Augur's image with his hand. The hacker grins,
impishly, "Boy, Boone, you and Lili really know how to step in it. I quote, 'Tell that
collaborator sun and that whore moon that their genetic sequences have been expunged
from the Liberation's identification scanners, that we've abandoned all known locations,
and that they are now regarded with the same eye we cast on Sandoval and that third-
breed's late mother.' Of course, Doors has siezed on this opportunity to declare Liam
'persona non grata,' as well, while he's at it. I'd say that the old man's taking it pretty
well."
Disclaimer: Earth - Final Conflict and all characters
therein are the property of the Tribune Entertainment Company.