Little Green Men. III
“It’s beautiful. The brush strokes, the lighting, the history behind this piece.” Ak-Var said softly, the overhead projector showing a 17th century painting.
“This was painted in 1630, titled ‘Dying Nude Sophonisba’ by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri. The story goes that Sophonisba, the daughter of Hasdrubal, king of the Carthaginians, and wife of Syphax, king of Numidia, was forced to marry Massinissa and then sent to Scipio.”
“Instead of being forced to become a war trophy, to be raped and defiled by her people’s enemy, she chose to drink poison. The human’s have a long history of religious martyrs.”
“Fascinating.” Nam-Ek said dryly.
“You mock, but for all the blunders of these people, their long history of wars, genocides, religious mania, bigotry, there art is at least laudable.” Ak-Var explained, as he walked around the projection.
“She’s wearing her golden crown, pearls in her hair, in her ears, even the cup she drank the poison from is gold. This is how a queen dies, with style”
“The Council isn’t going to allow you to steal a 350 year old painting from the humans.” Nam-Ek pointed out, bemused at the situation.
“The Council,” Ak said, dismissively, “the Council is currently made up of one member of the Science Guild who couldn’t care less, Lord Zod, who is busy saving our race from extinction, and a jumped up member of the rankless. I can be on Earth and back before anyone will notice.”
“Hey! You call Aethyr-Zo that again and I’ll put my boot on your throat.” The tall black Kryptonian threatened. They’d been stuck in the phantom zone together, the only survivers of their Krypton.
It meant a great deal to her to have a House to call her own. Some petty theif wouldn’t take that from her, not while Nam still drew breath.
“Aethyr-Zo.” Seeing the murderous look flash across his fellow Krytonians face, Ak let it drop.
“My point is, these human’s wouldn’t have any clue that I took it.”
“Well, I guess we don’t have to guess why you were sentenced to the phantom zone.” The alien soldier mocked, clearly done with this whole thing.
“Yes, well, I know it’s not as sexy as a failed coup, but I’ve always found that art is its own reward.” Ak ground out, having thought to share his new found love of the human’s period pieces. But apparently Military Guild were too stupid to appreciate anything not weapons related.
“I’ve got a mission in less then an hour. To save more of our people. When I return, I don’t expect to find some old picture of a naked human in our room.” And with that, Nam-Ek gave Ak one last sneer, before exiting their shared living space.
“Well, I didn’t expect to have to share a room with a bald war criminal, but needs must.” Ak-Var said, once Nam was far enough away not to hear.
He had things to do.
~~~
“It’ll be a moment,” Leo informed C.J, leaving her to wait outside the Oval Office. At the moment President Bartlet was in discussions with the ambassadors of Great Britain, France, Canada, and Germany.
Which relatively, could be considered the easy meeting. Russia & China’s ambassadors were coming in later in the day.
“Mr. President?” Leo asked, then allowed Jed to excuse himself from the chat he was in with France, “if we could speak with you outside?” He said, his tone mild.
Once the President had excused himself, and they all stood outside the Oval, Leo continued, “with the debris field calming down around the location of the….object…”
“Leo, just call it a ship. This beating around the bush is giving me a headache.” Jed interrupted.
“Right, Mr. President. With the debris field calming down around the…ship, the Hubble was able to take these new photos.” Handing the folder to the President, Leo waiting for his response.
“……The landscape has changed.” Bartlet said, nodding to himself. The Joint Chiefs had laid out this possibility. “Their terraforming.”
“Yes Mr. President, we believe so.” Leo had to get someone to explain what terraforming even meant, before he arrived for this meeting.
“So, these aliens are moving in. Earth is about to get new neighbors, or more accurately, neighbors for the first time.” The President trailed off, his mind in to many places all at once.
“Mr. President, a briefing with the Press Corp is scheduled in twenty minutes, am I laying this out for them?” C.J asked, still rattled from her earlier briefing, and to be honest with the entire goings on of the day.
“I suppose we really don’t have much choice.” President Bartlet ground out, irritated at how little control over the situation he had.
“Has there been any further contact? We come in peace, while I’m sure is a load off everyone’s minds, a we’re also moving in, wouldn’t have been to much to ask for.” The POTUS grumbled.
“No, Mr. President. Though I will be announcing their statement right along with the terraforming. It might soften the blow…” C.J trailed off.
“The blow of our moon being colonized by an alien race?” Leo bit out, his tempter also in short supply.
“….Don’t bite my head off, Leo. I don’t make the news, I’m just reporting it.” C.J said, her own emotional rollercoaster no less making its rounds, but if she could act professionally, she expected he could as well.
“Right, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Leo told her, shamefaced.
“Yes, C.J, go ahead and announce that our new neighbors have made contact, seem interested in a peaceful coexistence, and will be taking up residence on the moon.” Resigned, Jed Bartlet explained.
“Now, I’ll go tell our allies about this new development, Leo I don’t have to tell you who will be calling you next.”
“No, Mr. President. The Chinese and Russian ambassadors have been rather insistent.” Leo said with a frown.
“I’ll speak to them next, have the meeting moved up.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“I’ll get Toby & Sam working on something for the briefing right now.” C.J put in her two cents, before the President gave them a nod and wadded back into the Oval, where voices were already being raised.