Part 14
You wake up early the following morning and lie for long minutes in your bed. Your room here on the Trig is quiet in a way that's difficult to describe until you realise that the low level damping fields around you are giving you your first really quiet time since you broke out.
You have a lot to think about as you lie in your clean white bed. Your time as a Tomorrow Person has been far from uneventful and many of your recent memories are not ones you plan to cherish. Despite that, you realise, you are happier now than you have been for years. You've never fitted in at school or at home. You've always assumed that no one out there would ever understand your isolation and sense of difference. Now you've found people who understand you completely. Their dismissive reaction to your self pity after all that's happened helps prove that. The other Tomorrow People are not making light of anything that's happened but they have made it plain that as long as you learn from your mistakes you'll always be welcome amongst them. The thought gives you a warm glow inside and you're smiling when the chiming of the room's alarm reminds you that it wont be long until breakfast.
With John leaving for Earth after the meal there's a sense of regret in the air but it's one that everyone is careful not to voice. Tyso, Carol and her tall and willowy alien husband, Narcissa, all manage to join you for a long leisurely breakfast and together with John, Stephen and Mike they form a group which you know seldom gets a chance to meet together. Despite that there is no discomfort between them. Stephen is still a little pale and you have a slight nagging headache but the travails of the last few days are set aside. The conversation is the easy banter of people totally comfortable in one another's company and, you realise, that includes you.
It's almost a shock when a polite cough announces the arrival of his Excellency Timus Irnok Mosta at the doorway. The tall man is wearing long purple robes, his hair combed back from the distinguished, if a little weathered, face. You all stand in greeting and Timus acknowledges your courtesy with a nod of his head as he joins you on the circular sofa. At first you assume that he has just come to see John off but then you become aware that the conversation has come to an abrupt halt despite Timus's pleasantries. Mike shares a confused look with you but the older Tomorrow People are exchanging frowns. In the end it's John that speaks up.
"Alright, your Excellency. We know that something's wrong. What did you have to say to us?"
"Has anything happened to one of the others?" Carol adds anxiously. Timus reaches out absently to pat her hand in reassurance even as Narcissa slips his hand around her waist.
"Nothing like that, my dear child! Indeed, I believe your compatriots are thriving wherever they are."
John and Stephen exchange frustrated looks.
"Then what's the matter, Timus?" Stephen asks.
In answer Timus looks directly at John.
"I'm afraid, John, that I must ask you to delay your return to Earth."
"Why?" John asks blankly. "Liz, Andrew and Hsui Tai can manage without me a while longer, certainly, but with the unsettled political situation I always worry about not being there when something blows."
Timus looks at him a little sadly.
"And that, I believe, approaches the root of the issue. John, Overmind wishes to review the status of the Earth and I believe that as the most experience telepathic representative of that planet you should be here during the deliberations."
"Review our status?" John asks incredulously. "Again?"
"Your Excellency, it's only been a short time since the last time Earth's status was considered by the Federation." Narcissa observes, still holding Carol against him.
"Why do they keep doing this to us?" Mike bursts out. "Technically we're still a Closed World anyway and they cant mean to promote us to an Open World we're just not ready!"
"Indeed not." Timus agrees sadly. "In fact it is Earth's status as an Emergent World that is under question."
"In other words they think that Tomorrow People are emerging too slowly." You murmur, picking up enough of the situation from the others to figure out that much.
"Mike has a point though." Stephen says, leaning forward intently. "Why do they keep pushing us of all people. Carol, John, you remember what that Galactic Policeman Steen told us when we first met him?"
"'Your Earth is a very small piece of rock revolving around a very insignificant sun on the rim of a rather unimportant galaxy.'" Carol quotes. "Ever since Kenny and I got here people have been telling us how insignificant we are."
"But it's never been true has it, Timus?" John has been quiet since his initial outburst and now his tone is cold and angry. "We've never been quite the inconsequential group you've wanted us to think we are. Why has Earth been subject to so many alien encounters, Timus? Why have you been so keen to recruit so many of us here to the Trig? Why does Overmind keep such a close 'eye' on us anyway?"
Timus shifts a little awkwardly in his seat. The Ambassador's dignified posture and elaborate clothing makes his uncomfortable expression faintly ridiculous. John has fixed Timus with an angry but genuinely puzzled look and, glancing around, you realise that everyone in the room is hanging on the answer.
"You are all telepaths of exceptional power." Timus says slowly. "It is believed that Earth's population may well have the potential to exceed the telepathic strength of all but a few of the Federation's member worlds." His voice becomes quiet. "That potential in itself is enough to attract many races traveling close to your world. Many of the Federation's races are ... concerned ... that the power of even those few of you who have 'broken out', as you say, may be abused by the warlike race from which you spring."
"None of us would do anything warlike!" You burst out but the expressions on the faces of the others is enough to make you hesitate.
"It's happened." Mike tells you heavily. "Some of us have been forced to act against our instincts in the past."
You feel John reach out to brush Mike's mind lightly with reassurance and wonder what could have caused the young man such distress.
"It has happened on more than one occasion." Timus tells you somberly. "And many in the Federation wonder about your vulnerability to such influences."
Narcissa shuffles uncomfortably now and he speaks softly.
"I'm sorry, John, but it is true that I have heard this matter discussed."
Carol turns to look up at him angrily.
"You never told me!"
"I thought it just idle talk." Narcissa looks down at his slender wife. "And I did not wish to upset you."
"So that's it." John says with a trace of bitterness. "We're not of interest because of the good things we've done. We're not of interest because of the work we've done for the Federation. We're of interest because we're a threat."
*****
Narcissa leaves when Timus does, understanding that you Tomorrow People need some time alone. The six of you sit in silence for some time, the easy pleasure of the morning marred by a new tension.
"They can't throw us out!" Mike is the first one to speak and his voice is anxious.
"Oh they can." Carol and Stephen say simultaneously.
"But I don't think they will." Stephen goes on grimly. "We'd be more dangerous to them if we were stranded on Earth."
"No." John agrees. "If they decide to revoke our Emergent World status they'll try and take us off the planet before closing the world completely."
"Can they do that?" You ask incredulously. "New Tomorrow People are breaking out all the time on Earth. And they can't just order us to leave."
"They did once before." Tyso notes. The blond young man has been quiet through most of the discussion so far but when he speaks everyone turns to listen. "After our run in with Jedikiah."
"They had just saved our lives." John tells you all. "And we were young enough and naive enough not to argue. After all that had happened then, with Professor Cawston and Colonel Masters and Tricia, I really did think it was for the best to leave Earth behind for a while. But we never intended to be away for long. What Timus is talking about now is a far more permanent withdrawal."
"There are ways to inhibit new telepaths breaking out." Stephen reminds you. "Just look at what happened on Peeri under the Kulthan."
"I'm not sure if even that would be necessary." John says sadly. "You do get a few people who can survive breaking out on their own but for the majority.... Without at least a couple of us there to help I think most potential Tomorrow People wouldn't survive long enough to present any danger. Those few who did survive would be so isolated and alone they might never realise the full potential of their powers."
Carol is looking at John with horror.
"That's a dreadful way of thinking about it, John!"
"But it's how Overmind might see the problem." Stephen tells her gloomily. "They might have an inhibition about not killing but we've seen before they're quite content to sit back and do nothing instead."
Mike is looking thoughtful but upset.
"I think what bothers me most is that I can see their point." He says very quietly. "Our world is too primitive to deal with our powers. It might be decades or even centuries before the Saps start to come to their senses. As long as we're the minority on Earth we're going to be in danger from the military or intelligence services. And as long as we're in danger we risk letting the Saps know about the Federation and everything up here. Think of the Space Race to get to the moon. Can you imagine the Americans and Russians racing to get to the Trig?"
"They'd never find a way to get here, Mike." Carol tells him but her laugh is a little too high-pitched and a little too anxious.
"There are geniuses even among the Saps, Carol." John reminds her. "It could happen. Even so," He turns to face the dark haired young man sitting beside you, "Mike, please tell me you don't seriously think we should give in. That we should abandon the Earth?"
"Well, no." Mike says quickly but you can hear the hesitation before he makes that decision.
Worryingly, you feel the same hesitation. You imagine what would happen if someone seized your family or friends. Would you be able to sacrifice them to save others? Perhaps it would be better for everyone, Earth, the Federation, the Tomorrow People themselves, if you just let this happen.
Looking from face to face around you, you realise that you're going to have to make a decision. There's no way you're going to be able to hide your uncertainty from the others.
Do you:
a) decide to support Earth's case?
b) argue against Earth being in the Galactic Federation?
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