I awoke refreshed, and felt less pain from my bruises. As I rolled out of bed I almost laughed at the absurdity of the position I found myself in. I was legitimately the first man on Mars, and unable to tell anyone about it. Not only that, but in about an hour or so, I would be hosting the delegation from Great Britain followed shortly by representatives from the European Union.  We would all be discussing the future of mankind in orbit within sight of the International Space Station. I never in my wildest dreams pictured myself in such a position, and now here I was, acting as a mediator between Earth’s most respected leaders, and representatives from other places in our galaxy.

After my shower, I went to the conference room and saw that Sharon had already been there.  The room was tastefully decorated and the refreshments were already out waiting for the delegation’s arrival.  I made my way to the study and Sharon was there conversing with Peter.

“Good morning, Sharon,” I said.  “Thanks for setting up this morning.  I appreciated the rest.”

“I was glad to do it.  Peter was a great help.”

Peter replied, “I see you’re feeling better after your rest.”

“I am,” I replied. “I’m looking forward to our conference. How long until we begin?”

“About ten minutes.  Had you slept any longer, I would have awaken you.”

“Thanks again for letting me sleep. I needed it.”

I sat there for a moment looking out the viewport at the I.S.S. and wondered what the men on board thought about our proximity, and if they were curious about our comings and goings. I also wondered what it would be like to go on board next door as compared to our more luxurious accommodations. I watched the earth turning below us as we orbited and was amazed at the clarity of the atmosphere, and how easily we could see land formations and the weather patterns. The blue atmospheric haze looked so thin compared to the large bulk of the earth.  It only served to remind me how fragile our environment really was in the greater scheme of things and how much we needed the advances that were being brought to our very doorstep.

All too soon it seemed, Peter informed us that we needed to go to the observation deck to greet our guests, and Sharon and I got up and went to greet our new arrivals. We got there just before Peter made the transport, and so were ready to help them as they made their reality adjustments.  The British Prime Minister, George Towbridge, was a little slow to adjust, but handled it well in spite of the fact. His Foreign Secretary, Richard Devonshire, was quick to recognize his new location and adjust to it, and had a hard time peeling his eyes from the view to greet us.

Altogether, we had the Prime Minister, The Foreign Secretary, representatives from the Interior Ministry, Intelligence Services, and a delegation from the British Military. We made our way to the conference room almost reluctantly, and it took a promise that the conference room held a greater attraction to gain the ready cooperation of some of the more enthralled members of the delegation.

Once there, we did pretty much the same presentation we had done for the U.S. delegation, with the exception of exposing some of Peter’s more dynamic capabilities. We weren’t quite ready to reveal this, even to our allies. All were suitably impressed, especially when they realized some of who Peter was and how sophisticated he was.

The Foreign Secretary was especially impressed when he realized that Peter was speaking to him in an upper class British dialect and to us in American English.  As an experiment he asked Peter a question in German, as he had been her Majesty’s former Ambassador to Germany.  Peter replied in flawless German, with no trace of an accent that he could determine.

“Any doubts I may have had about his authenticity have just been dispelled,” Richard commented. “No machine could have answered with such perfection and such logic.”

“Indeed, this whole experience demonstrates why Great Britain should support this endeavor,” replied the Prime Minister.  “What do you gentleman think?” he asked of the military representatives who had accompanied them.

Admiral Beckett stood up and proceeded to give us the official Royal Navy position on joining with any extra-terrestrial civilization.  It was both long winded and boring, but the gist of it was that Her Majesty’s Navy had no objections and found it an honor to learn from those who wished to share their knowledge with us.

Soon enough the meeting came to a close and after we escorted them around the ship, and answered numerous questions about Peter’s capabilities, we finally sent them on their way a little overawed and very much in favor of the proposal. Sharon and I both breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

“John Merritt, the Minister of Intelligence sees this as an opportunity to gain personal power, and is preparing to launch a disinformation campaign against us,” Peter said.

“Is there anything we can do to convince him otherwise?”  I asked.

“We will have to be a little devious about it, so that we don’t tip our hand. He’s been playing a double game for some time in his government.”

“What do you mean?”

“He intends to run for Prime Minister, and because of the popularity of George Towbridge, he knows he doesn’t stand a chance of defeating him unless he can bring him down. He is planning to use this for political advantage.  He thinks he can begin a disinformation campaign against the project, make it look like this is coming from the Prime Minister’s office, and then appear as the one exposing the hypocrisy so that people look to him as the one public official in favor of the venture, when the public expresses outrage over the perceived official government position.”

“So basically he intends to start an opposition campaign in the Prime Minister’s name, then appear as the lone voice of support?”

“Yes.  The opposition will come from anonymous sources in the government and be leaked to the press at regular intervals to keep the controversy alive. You notice that he had little to say during the meeting.  He was plotting his moves the whole time.  He is very much in favor of the project, however he wants political advantage from it.”

“What can we do to head this off?” I asked.

“For now, all I think we should do is alert the Prime Minster to his intentions, without telling him how we know.”

“Do you think he’ll be able to put a stop to it?”

“He may need a little help later, but I think that once the Prime Minister knows who that ‘un-named source’ is within his ranks, he can stop it relatively easily.”

“I hope so.  Go ahead and send him an ‘eyes only’ communique outlining our concerns and ask him to be discrete about it.”

“Done,” Peter replied.

Later that day, we hosted the European union representatives and as in our previous tours everyone was remarkably impressed with the setting, the decor, and with Peter.  The French representatives were especially impressed with the sight of the I.S.S. hovering nearby. Peter never had to intervene although we got some useful tidbits for future negotiations should they be needed.

One of the most interesting things we gleaned from the visit was that the individual members of the E.U. still retained an inherent sense of nationality, and the state of the E.U. as it stood right now was very fragile.  There was a lot of dissatisfaction among everyone with the status quo, and a great desire for change.  This visit was seen by most (although not expressed verbally) as the catalyst for change, and was viewed favorably. The notable exception to that was the Swedish representative who viewed the proposal as a threat to the E.U. and was reluctant to concede that some advantage to Sweden might come from the larger association with Intergal. Peter helped us devise a strategy for bringing Sweden on line and we set the process in motion hoping for the best.

Our next visit was scheduled for tomorrow. We were to host a delegation from Japan. We sincerely wanted to make the most of this opportunity. Japan and Korea were critical to gaining a broader Asian consensus, and we felt it necessary to bring both on board.

As neither I nor Susan spoke Japanese, and Peter did, we needed to introduce Peter and have him play a greater role in the process, and help us in the negotiations as a both a translator and as an advisor. I explained to Peter what we required and he readily agreed. If anything being said ran counter to their intentions I was to be advised of it and coached as to how to respond. Peter had already studied Japanese culture and thought, so was the most qualified of us all to interpret their intentions, even if he couldn’t read their minds.

We planned the same strategy for dealing with the Koreans later in the day.  I had Peter come up with a different menu, one that the Japanese and Koreans would appreciate, and he promised they would go away impressed.

Having done all that, Sharon and I took the remainder of the day off.  I thought about the pace and decided that the higher profile visits should be limited to no more than 2 a day, so that we could devote more time to their questions.  Those countries which had smaller populations and were less critical to the process would receive a lower priority. We weren’t as worried about getting them on board. In all likelihood, they would have no hesitation about improving their conditions.

We both went to the control room and sat down to watch the news.  The American media were already beginning to gear up their pro-Intergal campaign, explaining some of the advantages in joining the consortium.  They carried an update from the White House outlining the new national strategy regarding our cooperation with Intergal and gave the results from some polls which indicated that a solid majority of the American people were behind what the pollsters were calling “The Intergal Project”.

The U.S. news was encouraging.  We switched to the B.B.C. and at first found it a little less so, but the Prime Minister was already in gear with his own public relations campaign.  The B.B.C. initially  reported that an unidentified source within the government had confirmed that the prime Minister was opposed to the Intergal proposal but was afraid to come out in public against it because of what he perceived as broad support for the proposal.  

The Office of the Prime minister countered this by going on record as being solidly behind the proposal, and then outlining the government’s plans to follow up on it by submitting it to a national referendum in one month.  He also pledged to present the plan formally at the next session of the U.N., and lobby for broader support from within the U.N. structure. The Prime Minister was convincing and the B.B.C. later discredited the “unidentified source” as coming from someone with a personal axe to grind against the Prime Minister.

News from the European Union was almost as good, but as was predicted, Sweden was not sold on the idea.  They took the position that the integrity of the European Union was threatened by this new offer, and that the stability that the E.U. had brought to everyone was about to be undone by cultures who have no vested interest in seeing our welfare and prosperity.  They further stated that if it was the general consensus of the E.U. to approve this plan, then Sweden would withdraw from the Union.

This last position drew a lot of flak from the rest of the E.U. member nations, most notably France and Germany, who had spent a lot of time and effort to bring it to reality, and in the process had to set aside decades of mistrust against each other.  Some of the pundits who commented on it later indicated that they felt Sweden was holding out for a bigger piece of the pie, and was attempting to sabotage the E.U. because of dissatisfaction with her trade status in the E.U. community. They also accused Sweden of holding the E.U. hostage to xenophobia.

We watched in amusement while some of Britain’s finest satirists roasted the Swedish Government in Monty Python style, and enjoyed some of the comments made by pundits in France who viewed the whole affair as if it were just another political ploy by some members of the E.U. to consolidate their positions to greater advantage in the name of humanity.  They were very cynical, but with great humor.  The bad P.R. Sweden was getting from her stand against the project was sure to have an effect in the end, and bring her around. Especially if it went to a vote, which so far, there was no indication that she was willing to do.

We finished catching up on the news, ate supper and called it a day.  Both of us felt the need to think alone for a while and so we retired to our own rooms after a short conversation about our impressions on the day’s events.

Peter and I talked for a while longer before I went to bed regarding our upcoming visit with the Japanese.  I was aware how important tradition is to them, ans also how important status is. I knew that as far as they were concerned, my status was lacking.  I was a virtual nobody, and my only claim to fame was that I owned this ship.  I was mystified at how I was going to gain their cooperation.

Peter explained that he intended to act as both interpreter and run interference for me.  When there were cultural differences interfering in the process, he would use any leverage he could to embody the ideas I was expressing in terms of their culture so that they would believe I thought like a Japanese when we were done.  They wouldn’t know that my translator knew them so intimately.  The danger was that some among them would be fluent in English, and to make it work, I would need to have a little prompting in what I should say.  Peter would be cluing me in mentally with how I should phrase some of my language, and in how I should answer my questions so that the translation would be more true to what I was saying.  Finally we ended the day and I went to sleep.

I awoke ready for the morning and a little excited.  This time I was up before Sharon.  When I got to the conference room and began to get it ready, she came in a few minutes later full of apologies.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so long!” she said.

“Don’t worry about it.” I replied.  “I’m just getting started.”

“This is a big day, and I don’t want to blow it for us.”

“You won’t.  Peter has it planned out pretty carefully.  All we have to do is follow the script.”

“You make it sound like a stage performance.”

“Shakespeare would have agreed that it was, don’t you think?” Peter asked.

“Yes, I suppose so,” she replied.  ‘I’m still nervous about it.”

“I’m sure you’ll do well.  Even if you never said a word, your presence would grace the occasion admirably, and make my job a lot easier,” I replied.

“Thanks.”

We gave each other a hug and got down to the business of our preparations with vigor.  Soon we had the conference room ready for our reception, and we went to the observation deck to receive our visitors.

As the delegation arrived Peter was already in my ear telling me who was the most important member of the delegation, who to greet first and how low to bow.  He did the same thing for Sharon.  We were coached in the proper honorifics to use with whom, and suggestions were made as to how to tour the ship so that the Japanese would best appreciate it.

We took the tour first and the Japanese were especially interested in the control room, and our communications ability, so we spent quite a bit of time there.  They were also very interested both in our quarters and the cargo hold.  There were a lot of comments about how much it would hold and the potential value of the cargo should I go into business as a merchant.  They were impressed with our luxury, and felt that I was living on a scale they could never have imagined in space.  One of them commented that I had better accommodations than he did in Japan, even though he was one of Japan’s richest men.

Overall the tour had the right effect, and Peter’s constant translations and inner prompts were causing this visit to move along perfectly.  The coup-de-gras was the conference room.  When we got there and they saw how beautifully it was designed, and saw the trouble we had taken to provide them with Japanese refreshments and delicacies, the Prime Minister bowed to me and thanked me in Japanese, calling me a man of sensitivity and culture.  The way he phrased it, it was a high complement.

I mentally thanked Peter, and continued on.  Our meeting went well and while there were a lot of questions, the Japanese were convinced of the merits of the proposal and were very firmly on our side when they left. I began to feel like we couldn’t lose. The first time anyone set foot on this ship it was enough to convince them that our proposal was worth pursuing.  No one could come here in orbit and not be moved by the sight, and not be affected by the sheer potential of the technology which existed in the form of this ship.  Almost without fail the artificial gravity had been commented on.  The Japanese had required a demonstration to prove that they were indeed not on earth.  Peter had turned off the gravity in our section so that they had a few moments of weightlessness, and they had no further doubts after that.

As with the other delegations, they were also impressed with Peter. His translation abilities paid off immensely, and his coaching was superb.  The Japanese really felt as if their concerns were addressed in an understanding fashion, and that their needs had been taken into consideration.  When the Japanese Prime Minister asked to meet our translator in person and I told him that our ship was the translator, he was dumbfounded, and then almost all at once they began discussing the implications among themselves.  Their discussion ended almost as abruptly, and the Prime Minister had nothing but the highest praise for what he called a “living machine”.

Later that day we hosted the Korean delegation, with much the same success.  So far our strategy for gaining world cooperation was succeeding wonderfully.  The media was doing a wonderful job of putting the proposal in positive terms, and no one seemed to be bringing up any negative associations with the plan.  The President of the U.S. planned to submit the proposal to Congress in a week and get the legislature to sign on to it.  The general feeling in Washington was that it would pass without opposition.  His ratings in the polls were very high for a peacetime president, and he was already savoring his reelection victory.

The U.N. agreed to take the proposal up in its next meeting of the general assembly in a month.  The secretary general had already come out in favor of it, so much of our job was done without ever having to contact him.  All we needed now was time, and that seemed to be in our favor.  

I decided that it was time to send a report back to Mr Whittleby, to let him know how well things were going.  Peter helped me set up the communications and soon I had a message on the way to Tau Ceti.  Later when the reply came back I felt encouraged.  We were going to make this work.  

Mr. Whittleby congratulated me on my progress, and let me know that the representatives at Intergal were impressed with the rapid progress we were making and were making preparations to begin their formal relations as soon as the contract was made.  They also confirmed that Pralt had been taken into custody, and had been convicted along with almost all the administration of TranSystem Enterprises on charges of Piracy.  Their rights of access (a galactic travel permit) had been revoked and they were confined to Nardis.

Their entire planet had been quarantined, and no interplanetary travel was allowed.  All the recovered merchandise was back in the right hands, and I was also due to collect another reward based on the conviction of two of the members of the Nardisian Pirates. Apparently they had achieved galactic most wanted status, and the bounty had been considerable. I was now independently wealthy by galactic standards. Altogether it was good news.

Still, there was a warning given to me which left a somber note on the whole affair.  The Nardisian Pirates had put out a bounty on my head.  I was wanted dead or alive, with proof of my death preferable to my capture.  They were out for revenge. 

Mr. Whittleby gave me the warning in the gravest of terms, and then recommended that I have Peter retrofitted for self defense and evasion.  Under the circumstances, Intergal would authorize the partial militarization of Peter on the understanding that it was to be used for self defense only.

I accepted the terms and they promised that a retrofitting team would arrive tomorrow and perform the modifications.  With a minimum of down time I could expect to be back in full service in a matter of a few days.  I thanked him, and concluded the visit.

After Sharon and I talked about it, we decided to take some time out from our busy schedule and spend a little time on earth.  Peter assured us that no matter what modifications were made to the ship that we would be safe, and he could still track us as he had been doing.  With that in mind we made plans to go to earth and visit friends and family.  My parents were dead, and I had no siblings, however there were some things at work which I wanted to finalize.  The hard part was being able to drop in without causing a sensation.  I needed to tell my former employers that we would not be back.  They hadn’t heard from us in days.

Peter assured us that he could track Sharon in the same way he tracked me and give her the same protections, so with that in mind I consented to letting her visit her family after we split up.  He teleported us to my office where we surprised the cleaning lady as she vacuumed the carpet.  She had her back to us and nearly died of fright when she turned around to see what the glow was and saw us standing there.  She calmed down, and had no end of questions which we could only partially answer.  Still she had wit enough to eventually leave us in peace.
 
I cleaned out my desk, and wrote a quick letter of resignation and addressed it to the board, offering my most sincere apology for the manner in which I had to leave.  Sharon did the same, and soon we were ready to go.  

I had picked up my credit card from the bureau in my room on the ship, so I was prepared to go where I needed, but I didn’t know if Sharon had any money. “How are you doing for funds?” I asked.

“You know, it’s been so long since I needed any, I think I am without,” she replied.

“Should we travel together until you can raid your bank account, or do you mind me paying your way?”

“No, that would be fine,” she said with a smile. “Peter will find it easier to keep track of us this way.”

‘Great!  I was hoping you’d say that.”  The enthusiasm was genuine.  I was hoping we could spend the time together, and really wanted to meet her parents.

We went out the front of the lobby together and caught a cab to the airport.  If the cabbie noticed who we were he never indicated it, and dropped us off without a hint of recognition.  In the airport terminal it was a different matter.  When we went to buy tickets, the ticket agent did a double take and soon the whole counter was abuzz with the new gossip.  We were given the “red carpet” treatment, and hustled through security, and even assigned a special guard, as though we were some governmental dignitaries passing through.

We both found it amusing, but a bit bothersome.  Other travelers seemed to tolerate it OK, but I could tell that there were a lot of people who were dying to come over and ask us endless questions about our experiences.  Once on the plane it calmed down a bit, and quite a few people came by after the seat belt lights went off to ask us questions.  Most of them wanted to know what aliens were like, and we both professed ignorance.  The only real aliens I had met were Seesh, Chirt and Trill, as Mr. Whittleby was an android, and the Nardisians were pirates.  I couldn’t very well tell them about the Nardisians, so the best I could do was say that the ones I had met so far were good people and had our best welfare in mind.

They had a lot of questions about the ship, and I only told them enough to whet their appetite without giving away any secrets.  I confirmed the details of the President’s press conference, and refused to tell them how I got back and forth, telling them some things were best left to the imagination.

Eventually we were left in peace.  Flying in First Class has it’s advantages, and one of them was that there were a limited number of seats available, and the other passengers did not have ready access to the first class area.  The service was good, and eventually we landed.

Our landing was uneventful, but our exit through the terminal was not.  The press had gotten wind of our visit, and some of the major media outlets were waiting on us when we arrived.  They must have had faster jets, and friends in security, because as we departed the plane, they were there with lights and cameras in our faces shouting questions and shooting endless rolls of tape.  I politely declined to answer and Sharon and I caught the nearest cab in hopes of shaking them off easily.

It was not to be; they were like magnets.  They were fast drivers, and good followers, and soon I had the cab running all over town to shake the pursuit.  We eventually did manage to get away, but not without running up a bill that would have shocked me a week ago.  This time I paid it gladly and we got out at her parents’ house tired but glad to have made it in one piece.

Without going into detail, they were surprised but pleased to see Sharon, and glad to meet me.  The visit initially went well until the media figured out where we might have gone, and began to stake out the house.  First came a satellite truck followed by the reporter’s car.  Next came a competing news service and soon dozens of lights and multiple cameras were aimed at the house, broadcasting live with all the fervor of an international media event. We looked out the window occasionally, but offered nothing to the media.  We weren’t there for them, and they knew it.  They were hoping to pounce on us as we left.

Supper went well, and we began to think of leaving.  Not an easy task as the house was surrounded by cameras.  There was no way to get out without having to run the gauntlet.  While Sharon spent time saying goodbye to her parents, I worked on a scheme to get us away without having the press on our every step.  The best I could come up with was asking for help from Peter.  I wanted the press to know we were gone so they would leave Sharon’s family in peace, and the only way I could think of was to make sure they saw us leave.  Peter and I conferred, and together we decided on a plan of action.

When I got back into the room, everyone was teary eyed.  Sharon had been telling them about the need for prolonged absences, and how difficult it would be for us to drop in from time to time.  I think the media circus in front of the house helped drive the point home.  Anyway, with many hugs and tears we finally made our goodbyes, and walked out the front door.  The cameras and reporters were careful enough not to be on the private property, so we had a little leeway in where we could go.  As we drew near to the street I stopped and signaled to one reporter.

He looked at me and said, “Who Me?”

“Yes, you. Only you,” I replied.

He came over as the other media personnel watched in undisguised envy.

“I have a message for you all,” I said.

“OK. My tape’s rolling. Go ahead.”

“This house is off limits to the press.  If you insist on camping here you will do so without camera equipment or recording devices.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Come on, how are you going to stop us from filming across the street? It’s a free country.”

“True, but sometimes persuasion is needed.  You see, Sharon’s parents need their privacy, and they don’t need you taking up a vigil across the street to watch for one of us.  Perhaps a little demonstration of why you should cooperate is needed. Peter, take his camera please.”

The reporter looked around but saw no one.  Even as he was turning around, the camera in the hands of his cameraman glowed blue, and vanished from the startled man’s hands.  There was a general gasp from the rest of the media crews on the scene, and a lot of confusion among them.  After a moment, I decided that the lesson was in place and told Peter to put the camera on the grass in front of the cameraman.  The blue glow returned, and the camera reappeared on the ground in front of the cameraman, apparently unhurt.

“I really don’t want to do anything more drastic than that,” I said to the reporter. “If you guys are not willing to respect their privacy, I assure you, you won’t get your equipment back next time. I can take it all, up to and including that satellite truck. If you want it back, you’ll have to go to the moon to get it. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“And while you are at it, we too would like some privacy.  If we have any announcements for the media, we will be sure to let you know.”

“OK.  Anything you say.”

No one shouted any questions to us, or attempted to follow as we casually walked away.  We had called a cab before leaving and asked it to meet us a block away, and sure enough the cab was there as we arrived.  He took us to the airport without incident, and we booked a flight to Washington.  I intended to do a little more lobbying.

As we flew, Peter issued an “eyes only” message for the President, notifying him of our arrival and requesting some assistance with our next major visit. We planned to host the Chinese after the retrofitting was done, and wanted some advice on how we should approach the new Chinese premier, and advice on whether the Russian Federation would take offense at our approaching the Chinese first. I also wanted some feedback from his perspective on how he viewed the project so far and how he thought Congress was responding.

Halfway through the flight, Sharon fell asleep. We hadn’t been talking too much, there were too many ears. I looked at her resting there so comfortably and wondered what the future held for the two of us.  It seemed like months since our worlds had been turned upside down, but it was only a couple of weeks.  It was hard to imagine that so much change could occur in so little time. 

I wondered if we shouldn’t just get married and get it over with.  I was beginning to believe that Sharon belonged in my life permanently, but wasn’t sure whether she felt the same way.  I was also concerned about the real possibility that we would be somewhere across the galaxy and unable to have a proper wedding when the time came to it.

While I wasn’t particularly devout, I did go to church when I could, and as far as I knew, so did Sharon.  I found it impossible to believe that we would find a minister to perform the ceremony at Tau Ceti, or wherever we happened to be at the time.  I supposed that if it came down to it, we could import one from back home for a while.

I laughed out loud when I realized that here I was musing about our wedding and I hadn’t even asked her to marry me yet.  Not only that, but we hadn’t even been able to talk about our mutual feelings (or lack thereof). I got a couple of curious glances from across the aisle, but most of the people were either asleep or paying attention to something else. Sharon didn’t stir, for which I was grateful.
I sat there for a long time lost in thought, and didn’t notice at first when she woke up. I looked over to find her looking into my eyes, and her look convinced me that I would be crazy if I didn’t get more serious about our relationship.  Any doubts I had about mutuality were immediately dismissed.  I couldn’t help myself, I had to break the silence.

“I think I could get used to this.  I don’t suppose you would consider making this a lifetime venture would you?  The two of us together?”  I asked.

She blinked and sat up straighter, and then replied, “I’ve considered it, if that was a proposal.”

“It was.  Sorry, I’m not one of the romantic types.  I think in terms of practicality most of the time.  Still, I don’t think I want to live without you. I’m glad we had a few hours away from the craziness, it’s given me a chance to think. I’m also sorry I didn’t say this sooner.  I love you.  I have felt this way for a long time, I just wasn’t able to put it into words.”

“Well, you do get to the point when you finally come around,” she said.

“I’ll understand if you need a lot more time to think about it. After all, we are still getting to know each other.”

“I’ve thought of almost nothing else since we’ve been together.  Peter has helped me understand you a lot. I never thought you’d ask, and he told me to give you time, that you eventually would.  He was right.”

“You talked about this with Peter? Wow.”

“He’s a good judge of people, and knows you very well.”

“I suppose he does since he can read my thoughts.  So does this mean yes?”

“Are you proposing to me?”

“Yes!”

“Well, ask me properly then.”

“Sharon, will you marry me?  I love you with all my heart.”

“Yes Mitch, I will marry you.  Let’s talk about a date later though, when we have time to ourselves.”

We both looked around about the time there was some scattered clapping and a few cheers among the passengers who were still awake.  I felt a bit sheepish, but relieved that I didn’t have to avoid the topic any longer.  Now that it was in the open and dealt with, I felt that I had taken a burden off my back.

The plane got quiet again, and Sharon and I snuggled closer together, gave each other a quick kiss, and then relaxed amid a whirlwind of thoughts and possibilities.  Gradually the sound of the engines lulled me into a snooze, and I was awakened to the sound of the seat belt chime indicating that we were on our landing approach. Sharon and I both sat up, and fastened our seat belts.  We could hear the difference in the pitch of the engines, and I could see the lights of Washington below as we made our final approach to Dulles.

When we landed, there were thankfully no media waiting on us this time. Instead there was a detail of Secret Service waiting and they hustled us into a black limo, and drove straight into Washington.  At first I thought they were going to the White House, but instead they detoured and got on the expressway to Langley.  By the time I began to get an inkling of what was happening, we had pulled up to the CIA headquarters, and were ushered into the gate.

We were escorted politely in by the Secret Service, and there were met by the President’s National Security Advisor.  He took us down several floors into a deep basement where we met the rest of the men assembled: the President, Vice President, CIA Director, and the National Security Advisor.  I wasn’t sure about the nature of this meeting, but one thing stood out: they wanted it away from prying eyes and ears. I had expected a private meeting, but this had the earmarks of more than a simple gathering. As the Secret Service stood just outside the door, we began to find out just why this site was chosen and the nature of the concerns that needed to be addressed.

The President began first by explaining how he saw the need to take this opportunity to bring me up to speed on some major issues concerning the proposal by Intergal.  Apparently the international banking community was not viewing this idea as a positive development. 

The world bank especially was beginning to pressure member nations to oppose the idea in principle because they saw it as a threat to their fiscal autonomy.  They wanted some assurances that any changes to the world economy which occurred as a result of the contract with Intergal would be channeled through them.  The Federal Reserve was taking up the same cry, and the result was a threat to call payments due, increase interest rates and other manipulations which would effectively hold hostage any nation that voted for the contract on anything other than their terms.    
    
The national security advisor then explained how the national interests were threatened by this latest move by the Fed and how it effectively held hostage the entire nation to the political interests of a few men.

I sat there and thought a few minutes as each presented their views on this latest development, and then when I was given a chance to speak, for a moment I was silent.  It had occurred to me, that Intergal must have seen similar occurrences on other planets in the course of their history.  One thing I was determined to do, was consult Intergal for some suggestions.  I did realize however, that placating the banking community was fine for the short term, but in the long run, their hold on the purse strings was going to have to loosen.

“I think I need to talk to Intergal about this one, however let me assure you that no matter what the banking community says, they won’t be able to maintain their positions forever,” I began. “You see, the changes that are coming will be so drastic in some areas, that if they don’t become part of the process, they will be left out in the cold holding on to their worthless currency and investments.”

“What do you mean?” the CIA Director asked.

“Currently, our system is founded more on trust than on real value.  Almost no one has a currency that has any monetary backing like gold or silver.  Our economy will change, because for the first time we will be bartering with someone else other than ourselves.  Our value system will have to change with it.  What we value on earth may have little or no value to another civilization somewhere else.  What we place little value on here may be as valuable as gold or even more precious somewhere else. In the end, those who can recognize the value of their product and get the best price for it are those who will make the initial profits from the venture.”

“OK,” the President said, “but how do we place a value on an entire moon full of ammonia?”

“That much raw material,” I replied, “has a value greater than anything we can calculate just sitting here. I propose that the benefits be divided up equally among nations, based on their populations.  Rather than distribute it in the form of wealth, make it possible for everyone on earth to use the benefits of it to get a good education, learn the new technologies, and become a part of revolutionizing the planet as an industrial base for inter-galactic commerce.”

“It sounds good in principle, but how do we gain the cooperation of the more totalitarian nations?” the Vice President asked.

“We start by meeting some of their most basic needs.  I am sure Intergal has already solved some of the most basic problems we face, such as getting fresh water, growing food, and utilizing raw materials.  Suppose we shared the bounty by giving desalinators to coastal countries along the desert regions such as the Sahara.  Suppose we introduced specially modified crops which would grow in virtually any environment as long as they had air and light. These are but a few of the benefits we could introduce to bring a reluctant nation into the fold.”

“So basically, we show the benefits and hope that those who see how good it is want to be part of it, set aside their differences and join up.”

“I think it’s inevitable that they will. They’ll either have to maintain a stranglehold on the masses so that no one in their country knows how prosperous the outside world is, or they’ll be forced to change to stay in power. I intend to make it impossible for them to keep a lid on it.  The truth will get out.”

“Look, this sounds good on the surface, but you must realize that the financial community will continue to see this as a threat.  They have called the shots for too long to just quit now,” the President said.

“Yes, I know they will oppose it.  However, they can’t prevent it.  You see, they can’t take away our gains, or remove our benefits. They don’t own them. In the end, if they sign on to the Intergal Agreement, they’ll prosper as well. All who have the intelligence to learn the new technologies will eventually bring the fruit of that knowledge home for us all to benefit by. If I gave a personal desalinator to every man woman and child in Egypt, there is nothing they could do to prevent it.  If I further told them that this is only a partial payment, and that they were all the equivalent of millionaires by virtue of the methane, how would the bankers be able to stop it? They would be better off trying to figure out how to turn it to their advantage than holding nations hostage to their outdated economic policies.”

They sat there and thought about it for a while and then decided to table the discussion for later. I expressed my concerns about the Chinese, and they agreed that the Russians might be the better ones to approach first.  We had a longer history of cooperation with the Russian Federation, and they already felt threatened by the large Chinese army just across the border. We ended our meeting with handshakes all around and Sharon and I were escorted out to the waiting Limo.

As we drove back to the airport, Sharon and I spoke about our impressions of the meeting. Both of us were concerned about the potential for harm to the process by the World Banking cartel, however, we couldn’t see any way to go but forward at this time. The Limo eventually dropped us off at the airport, and we got out and thanked the escorts and went on into the terminal.  It was then we realized that we had no travel plans beyond here.

We looked at each other and then I said, “Well, it’s your turn. What do we do now?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it,” she replied with a shrug.

“Here we are with the world at our fingertips, and you can’t think of anything to do?”

“With you at my fingertips, how can I think of anything else?” she said.

We kissed and then decided we should go back to the ship. I looked for a quiet place where we could teleport without drawing a crowd, and spotting one we went over to it. Then I asked Peter to bring us aboard, and a few seconds later we were in the communications room with the blue glow subsiding.

“Welcome back,” Peter said cordially.

“Thanks Peter. We have some good news for you,” I replied.

“Good. I trust that means things went well for you with the President.”

“Well, not so good there, I’m afraid.  The good news is that Sharon and I are getting married.”

“You underestimate the value of your news.  It isn’t good news, it’s great news! Congratulations. When do you plan to do this?” he asked.

“We haven’t discussed a time or a place yet,” Sharon answered, “But we’ll get around to it.”

“If you make it here, I’d like to be a part of it, If you wouldn’t mind.”

“If you were human, I’d ask you to be my best man,” I said.

“I could ask Seesh to make me an android for the occasion, if it’s really important to you.”

“I’ll have to think about that one.”

I remembered how Mr. Whittleby had merged with the ship, and wondered what Peter would look like as an android. I explained to Sharon what we were talking about and she laughed when she understood the possibilities.  Neither of us was sure yet how we wanted to do things so we thanked Peter for the offer, and decided to discuss it later. I had more pressing things on the burner which needed attending to, and asked Peter to open a communication channel to Tau Ceti.

Once we connected, I asked Mr. Whittleby about giving me some historical data on how Intergal managed to work with various economic systems and how diverse planetary systems were encouraged to make the changes necessary to cooperate fully with Intergal. I explained the situation with the Fed and the World Bank, and why it was a concern. He understood and sent a download to Peter so we could study it later. He also told me that our retrofit would begin within a few hours, that the work crew was nearly here. I thanked him and we signed off.

Sharon and I went to the study where we spent a quiet hour planning our wedding. We decided to marry sooner rather than later, and to have the wedding here on the ship.  The observation deck would be an ideal setting for the ceremony, and we could celebrate in the conference room later with our guests. 

My parents were no longer living, and I had no siblings, so her side of the family was destined to be the bulk of the wedding party.  We were forced to limit the size of the ceremony due to the constraints of the ship, so we decided to invite only her immediate family and hire a minister and a photographer for the occasion.

While discussing the wedding it dawned on me that I no longer had a steady income.  While it didn’t matter here on the ship, it mattered very much when I faced a depleted bank account with a need to purchase things on Earth.    

I could afford the ring and the basic wedding arrangements, however, it was a constant drain on my resources to go back, travel, and purchase goods and services which did not replace themselves.  I needed a source of income to get around on Earth. I decided to talk it over with Peter later. I knew that I was due to collect a large bounty on the captured Nardisian Pirates, however, I needed to convert that to something useful on earth. Perhaps some gold or other precious commodities would do nicely.

With our plans more or less made, we decided to contact her parents and set a date that was mutually acceptable to them, and work it out from there.  In the meantime I would get the rings, and she would pick out her dress. 

Peter helped us patch into a communications satellite, and we called her parents, who were stunned at first but then delighted, and I left them taking about it in the study while I went to discuss our financial situation with Peter.

As I thought about the rings, it occurred to me that the ring I had been given by Peter could serve the same function for her, and decided to ask Peter to help us out. Our wedding rings would serve a double purpose, by helping us to keep in contact with Peter.

On my way to the control room, Peter announced that the retrofitting crew had arrived and asked permission to dock them.  I granted permission and he said they would be using the cargo hold airlock since they had equipment to offload for their work assignments. I turned around and went to the airlock to greet the newcomers.

Their ship swung around and then matched our orbit slowly and gently.  I could see it through the port next to the airlock as it gently nudged the docking gate and bumped to a stop. 

The docking mechanism clicked in place and our two ships were now one for a time.  I had been unable to see the entire ship, but the profile I did manage to see showed a long flat narrow nose tapered out from a bulbous end. No fins or other aerodynamic attachments were visible. As we were still a half mile from the I.S.S.. I wondered what they were thinking about this new arrival. Finally the airlock hissed and opened and to my surprise and appreciation, out stepped Chirt and Trill.