years!
"Our males spend a short time being evaluated and, once their talents have been identified, they are transferred to the relevant training facilities. Once they are fully trained, they take up the positions to which they are most suited."
Vi saw the look on Qara's face, which wasn't difficult to interpret.
"We are taught that our system is the most efficient way of ensuring that each of us makes the best possible contribution to society," she continued. "It is the only experience any of us ever have, so no-one questions it. We do not have the rebels and dissidents which seem to proliferate in your society. Our long established belief is that such characters are counter-productive, although this is a premise which our preliminary studies of your history have called into question. It seems that many of your breakthroughs, both physical and intellectual, have occurred because of individuals who have dared to challenge what was regarded as the accepted truth at the time."
Qara did not know what to make of this information and decided to change the subject.
"How does the ambassador know which way to go through the forest? He doesn't seem to be using any instruments and I haven't seen any sign of your camp."
Vi didn't seem to mind answering questions. She pressed a long finger to the side of her neck. "The implant we all wear to lower the tone of our voices also serves as a communication device. It is a little like the ear-motes you use, although ours operate sub-vocally. The ambassador is able to navigate by obtaining direction signals from our facility."
The slope grew steeper as they continued to wind their way through the trees. The wind from the steppes had picked up, blowing in sharp and cold. By late afternoon it would take the temperature down to freezing and Qara hoped that the Faerie Folk's camp, or facility as Vi called it, was big enough to provide shelter for everyone. The translator didn't seem to be bothered by the cold and Qara wondered if the fabric of her robes was warmer than it looked. She closed up the front of her leather jacket and spoke up again.
"Why did you land in Mongolia, instead of one of the main centres of our planet?"
"When contacting another race for the first time we try to avoid any approach which may be perceived as aggressive or threatening. We are not a warlike race, but many of our client races are. We have learned from experience that appearing suddenly from space, particularly in a densely populated area, causes anxiety amongst the people we wish to contact. They are almost always fearful that our intentions are not peaceful and are often driven to gear themselves up for conflict with us. Once this happens, it becomes very difficult for us to break through their fears in order to introduce our programme of technological mentorship."
"When we evaluated the dynamics of your planet, we decided that Mongolia was an ideal place for us to land. It is geographically removed from the major centres of your planet, which reduces the risk of your most powerful nations seeing us as invaders. It also has large unpopulated areas where we could establish ourselves without interference until we were ready to reveal our presence. This park has the added benefit of being very close to your capital city, which made it easy for us to contact you once we were ready to do so."
It made sense, Qara had to admit. Imagine the frenzy which would have ensued had the Faerie Folk popped up in New York or Beijing or Mumbai.
"How long ago did you arrive?"
"We have been here for approximately six of your weeks," Vi answered. Qara was suitably taken aback and wondered what the president's military advisers would think of that piece of information.
"As you will see shortly, we are able to cloak our presence", Vi explained. She stopped and listened to a sub-vocal message. "We are nearing the facility," she said. "I must re-join the ambassador. I hope to
"Our males spend a short time being evaluated and, once their talents have been identified, they are transferred to the relevant training facilities. Once they are fully trained, they take up the positions to which they are most suited."
Vi saw the look on Qara's face, which wasn't difficult to interpret.
"We are taught that our system is the most efficient way of ensuring that each of us makes the best possible contribution to society," she continued. "It is the only experience any of us ever have, so no-one questions it. We do not have the rebels and dissidents which seem to proliferate in your society. Our long established belief is that such characters are counter-productive, although this is a premise which our preliminary studies of your history have called into question. It seems that many of your breakthroughs, both physical and intellectual, have occurred because of individuals who have dared to challenge what was regarded as the accepted truth at the time."
Qara did not know what to make of this information and decided to change the subject.
"How does the ambassador know which way to go through the forest? He doesn't seem to be using any instruments and I haven't seen any sign of your camp."
Vi didn't seem to mind answering questions. She pressed a long finger to the side of her neck. "The implant we all wear to lower the tone of our voices also serves as a communication device. It is a little like the ear-motes you use, although ours operate sub-vocally. The ambassador is able to navigate by obtaining direction signals from our facility."
The slope grew steeper as they continued to wind their way through the trees. The wind from the steppes had picked up, blowing in sharp and cold. By late afternoon it would take the temperature down to freezing and Qara hoped that the Faerie Folk's camp, or facility as Vi called it, was big enough to provide shelter for everyone. The translator didn't seem to be bothered by the cold and Qara wondered if the fabric of her robes was warmer than it looked. She closed up the front of her leather jacket and spoke up again.
"Why did you land in Mongolia, instead of one of the main centres of our planet?"
"When contacting another race for the first time we try to avoid any approach which may be perceived as aggressive or threatening. We are not a warlike race, but many of our client races are. We have learned from experience that appearing suddenly from space, particularly in a densely populated area, causes anxiety amongst the people we wish to contact. They are almost always fearful that our intentions are not peaceful and are often driven to gear themselves up for conflict with us. Once this happens, it becomes very difficult for us to break through their fears in order to introduce our programme of technological mentorship."
"When we evaluated the dynamics of your planet, we decided that Mongolia was an ideal place for us to land. It is geographically removed from the major centres of your planet, which reduces the risk of your most powerful nations seeing us as invaders. It also has large unpopulated areas where we could establish ourselves without interference until we were ready to reveal our presence. This park has the added benefit of being very close to your capital city, which made it easy for us to contact you once we were ready to do so."
It made sense, Qara had to admit. Imagine the frenzy which would have ensued had the Faerie Folk popped up in New York or Beijing or Mumbai.
"How long ago did you arrive?"
"We have been here for approximately six of your weeks," Vi answered. Qara was suitably taken aback and wondered what the president's military advisers would think of that piece of information.
"As you will see shortly, we are able to cloak our presence", Vi explained. She stopped and listened to a sub-vocal message. "We are nearing the facility," she said. "I must re-join the ambassador. I hope to
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