The three major "blocs" were each very much a questionable group. Oh, they might have the best of intentions for their people, but from where Ditae sat it was simply a mess. Many things appeared completely nonsensical to someone who hadn't been around for the entire period of Western Civilization, and their technology itself was both weird and alien.
Nonetheless she needed to make contact in order to save her people. Troublesome philosophies and an eagerness to violence were of great concern, yet the only choices before her were contacting these social primitives or going back to sleep. Ditae estimated another two hundred years, hardly any time at all, before system failures began killing the sleepers.
Finally she decided on a course of action. There were educational recordings that had been used to entertain and teach children, and this might help facilitate communication as well.
Ditae began broadcasting the equivelant of "Sesame Street" to the Terrans. It required some work to send it to the air around one of the "NATOids" broadcast centers, and then one of the "Sovietskis", and then one of the "Chinlii" centers. The one at the "Chinlii" center ended broadcast in a rather violent fashion, so they were crossed off the list immediately. The "Sovietskis" took their broadcast off the air as well, though less violently. The "NATOids" were nearly as violent in a more emotional/verbal manner, arguing amongst themselves while Ditae's projection looked on. Eventually they came to a decision to allow the broadcasts emanating from the lander, though for some reason they insisted on delaying rebroadcast of the content by nearly five minutes.
They were not the heads of their countries. They were simply scholars and political appointees who had been delegated into positions where they could then advise the heads of those countries. They themselves delegated so as to try and get a handle on something none of them had been prepared to deal with prior to the findings on Darkside.
They also had to cooperate and work together, which is why they had formed this International Committee On The Lunar Artifact.
The group looked down from their chairs at the podium below, listening to the report of the scientific underlings who had been gathering information.
"As near as we can tell, sirs, it's a children's program. The characters are meant to have simplistic viewpoints, the music is to help teach, and their technology is based on what is popularly called 'psychic phenomena'."
"What can we infer of these Lunarians from this program?" asked the British representitive.
"Constitutional hereditary monarchy," said the scientist. "One of the first programs dealt with their government in a brief overview. Strong caste-based system, with some crossing over between castes based on merit - particularly psionic strength. Just below the Queen is a warrior elite that wears something vaguely like a 19th century sailor uniform."
"In Japan, this is called a 'seifuku'," said the Japanese counsel, pushing his glasses back up his nose from where they'd slipped. "A school uniform style that has been popular for several years."
"I thought they were cheerleader costumes," said the American representitive.
"I thought they were figure skaters," said the West German.
"The fashion sensibilities to the side," said the French scientist, "these Lunarians have a matriarchy, most likely hereditary, and no Senate or Congress to speak of. Which, of course, explains why the Chinese and Soviets have immediately turned hostile towards these Lunarians."
"The Communist ideology holds that Communism is the end result of the natural evolution of a government system. To find a more advanced culture holds what to them is an 'outdated and repressionist' form of government?" The British representitive eyed the others briefly. "Cultural anathema."
"It does seem to tweak 'em right in the shorts," said the American.
"Must you put everything so crudely?" asked the French scientist.
"Is it too early to break for lunch?" asked the Australian representitive, still suffering from jetlag and a missed breakfast.
"In deference to our colleague from Australia," drawled the American, well aware of the reasons for the plea, "I suggest we get pizza as soon as we decide an important issue. THE important issue."
"What to place on this pizza?" asked the Frenchman, thinking that it had been awhile since he'd eaten.
"No, well maybe that too," allowed the American. "That's what do we tell the folks back home. The decision to let the broadcast go out was more thumbing our collective noses at the Russkies and the Chinese, with maybe a certain angle about the whole 'showing good intention' to them aliens."
"I wonder if you'd be so cooperative if the aliens had been your 'little green men' sorts," pondered the West German.
"So they got cleavage," said the American with a shrug. "What can I say, it got me a six figure salary and some nice fringe benefits."
"My aide is NOT a fringe benefit!" exclaimed the Japanese representitive.
"No, she's an archaeologist and damn fun to be with," said the American. Well, it had been bound to come up eventually. "Why is it torquing your shorts if she's spending time outside your compound?"
"Gentlemen," interrupted the British counsel, hoping to head this off before anyone found out that HE was spending time with the cute little Japanese scientist as well, "if we may get to the matter of our report back to the heads of our respective states?"
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 03 Aug 2005 04:47)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.