Author: Majoki

When I lopped off my counterpart’s limb, it was not a very diplomatic move. Which was troublesome because I was the lead diplomat in this encounter with the Sippra.

As the new Terran plenipotentiary on this mission, it was my responsibility to establish smooth relations with this fellow spacefaring species, and I take that responsibility very much to heart. My late mentor in the Terran Diplomatic Corp, the venerable Tiafoe Bede, was fond of quoting Shakespeare’s line: “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”

Bede faithfully believed that finding one piece of common ground between alien races was the key to bridging otherwise great divides. He was not wrong. The success of many of our diplomatic missions had hinged upon a sometimes subtle commonality between very different species. A soft touch.

As was the case with the Klarions who’d struck a very belligerent tone with our delegation until Bede noted a pained hesitation in one of their lead negotiator’s furiously gesticulating forelimbs and voiced his concern for his counterpart’s comfort and then commented that his own arthritis always flared during space travel.

Hard to believe that a shared inflammation of the joints between our species would pave the way for a long-lasting trade and territorial treaty. But that was the first connection. The one touch that made us kin, so to speak.

So, how would my mentor Bede react after I sheared off the Sippra legate’s delicate upper limb with my tablature stylus? What would he say to my literally severing our chances with the Sippra?

If I hadn’t strangled him, I could ask. But I suspect Bede would thank me for lopping off the Sippra’s limb–and for throttling him. Yes, my mentor taught me that one touch can make the whole world kin, but he also tragically taught me that one touch from the Sippra’s forelimb implants a virus that makes one a thrall to their will.

That’s what happened to Bede on our previous mission. One touch and he was turned against Terra. It was a hard lesson for us both, but with some beings out there, a soft touch is just never going to work.