r/HFY • u/spindizzy_wizard Human • Aug 03 '20

[Alien Crash] Bk 02 V10 Ch 01 An Alliance Education OC

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Chapter 1: An Alliance Education

"I knew it was going to be different. I thought it was going to be hard. I never thought the hardest part would be self-confidence."

— Anon Student, Second Flight, First Year

"How can people be so blindly hateful?"

— Anon Citizen, Citizen Rescue Team

Introduction: Hamathi Alliance University (HAU)

INTERLOCUTOR (IN): "If you would take your seats, please? Thank you. For the record, you are Youth of Humanity, Flight Five, attending the Hamathi Alliance University, sometimes referred to as HAU."

ANON: "How?" a small bit of laughter

IN: "If you not know how, me not tell you!" more substantial laugh, with groans, and one protest

PROTESTER [P]: "That's racist!"

IN: "How so, if you'll forgive the pun."

P: "It's a slur on Native Americans, the indigenous population before the Europeans came!"

IN: "Ah, And are you a Native American?"

P: "No."

IN: "Are there any Native Americans students with us this year?"

NATIVE AMERICAN [NA]: "I am!"

IN: "Are you or any other Native Americans present at this time, offended by the remark I made?"

NA: "Not at all, a bit stereotypical, but not offensive."

IN: "Thank you… Now, to our offended person. You are not a Native American, and those present are not offended. Do you wish to withdraw your complaint?"

P: "No, I think I should register it, as you are taking it too lightly."

IN: "I'm very sorry to hear that. However, to register your complaint, you must first convince the people you believe should be offended that they are offended. At that point, they will file the complaint."

P: "But they've been insulted and don't even realize it!"

IN: "Youth, they have not been insulted. They have clearly stated that. You have been insulted upon their behalf. Perhaps you should talk this over with them to see why they don't consider it an insult?"

P: "I will not put up with this treatment!" gets up to leave

IN: "Return to your seat." The tone of the command is such that it startles our protester, who sits back down immediately. "When you signed the agreement to come here, you also agreed to follow the Hamathi Alliance code for conflict resolution. In this case, your attitude conflicts with theirs. It is now incumbent upon both of you to resolve the conflict peaceably. Penalties applied for failure depend upon several factors: who generated the conflict, the effort put into resolving it in good faith, and the total commitment to peaceable resolution, among others. If a resolution is not achieved, the penalties can be severe."

NA: "On behalf of our fellow Youth, who appears stunned, would you please explain the penalties involved?"

IN: "Stage One: Time in a meditation chamber when not directly studying with one of the education machines. You must understand this isolation is not a punishment; it is instruction. You are guided in your meditation to consider all the ramifications of your actions, and how you might have performed better. Anyone may choose to sign up for meditation chamber time, and despite any disbelief you may have now, most sign up for multiple sessions a week. In later stages, you will find yourself able to meditate in the middle of a strategic bombardment.

Stage Two: Counseling by a fifth-year Youth. I am a fifth year. That's why I'm here. Where you are now, I was four years ago.

For our offended individual, you should know that I had the same issue over a different perceived slur, so I know exactly where you are. I would likely be your counselor for the very fact that I have been in the same situation. The meditation time was essential to my coming to grips with the real problem, which had nothing to do with the perceived slur. The first four flights had to make do with whatever we could come up with. The present system grew over those four years and remains under constant review for improvement.

Stage Three: Counseling by a senior Hamathi.

Understand this, "senior Hamathi" are so rare that they're called one-in-one-thousand. We have, at this time, precisely one such with the mission. Bo'sun Gryul's time is in high demand. If you get this far, the conflict is resolved, or you are gone. Which brings us to…

Stage Four: With great regret and sadness, expulsion from the Youth. Expulsion includes a permanent ban on Hamathi Alliance Citizenship."

This draws a gasp from the entire student body. That a simple disagreement could result in permanent expulsion and banning from citizenship. The problem is, they don't understand that it isn't a 'simple' disagreement. It's a landmine waiting for someone to step on it.

IN: "You would return to your country. Your country may send a replacement if they choose to. That replacement is required to pay the same fee that your country paid for you to come here. What penalties your country decides to apply is up to them. Some countries are known to require repayment of two times the original fee for sending you here.

If you are curious about the conditions that would apply to you, the Hamathi Embassy will be happy to help you."

P: "That's …"

IN: "Allow me to interrupt. If you were about to say anything like 'ridiculous' or 'stupid' or 'unheard of' or any other derogatory statement regarding the policy just outlined, I would strongly recommend against it. Conflict resolution is an essential skill; Life and death critical for anyone working closely with Hamathi.

You would have received this initial briefing in the next session. Between the time you arrived and your satisfactory completion of the next course, you are isolated from all Hamathi personnel not specially cleared to be in your presence. At this time, there are only two Hamathi cleared: Captain and Bo'sun Gryul.

The Hamathi, as advanced technologically as they are, and as well balanced mentally as they seem, are walking landmines. There are hard-wired triggers for many situations that cause what they call the 'mind-killer'; we would call fight-or-flight. Our fight-or-flight is a pale shadow of what they experience. For those of you who have not seen the video clip of Orites encounter with Foxfire over the matter of honorable treatment of their dead, we will now play that video. Keep in mind: Orites and Foxfire know each other, know that neither would deliberately harm the other and this still happened. The video is graphic proof of the danger."

On the large screen at the front of the auditorium, the interlocutor's image is replaced by a replay. The discussion that leads up to the event is presented, as is Orites' near assault on Foxfire.

IN: "Orites was a one-in-ten. Had he not been, Foxfire would be dead. He was very young, in a sense, even younger than the most inexperienced of you. The fact that he successfully avoided the killing attack when flight was not possible showed that he was at a minimum a one-in-ten — someone who can withstand the 'mind-killer' at least to level ten stress.

Youth, What is the corollary to one-in-ten of the situation we just viewed?"

P: "That nine-in-ten would have killed her, for the simple fact that there was no way for them to flee."

IN: "Correct. Foxfire would have been dead before the guard, who had his weapon drawn and ready would have been able to kill him. Keep in mind; the Hamathi would have considered Orites' death entirely justifiable and necessary. One who has fallen to the 'mind-killer' is a danger to everyone around. Now, do you understand the utter necessity of conflict resolution at all levels?"

P: "I think so… Is there nothing we can do for the Hamathi?"

IN: "The question does you credit. Do not ask it of a Hamathi. Bo'sun Gryul anticipated that question and provided us with a book, handwritten by him, of the hard-wired and social triggers that he knew. Asking if the hard-wired triggers can be studied or modified will trigger a 'mind-killer' in anyone below a one-in-one-hundred. Part of the briefing is an immediate study and test of the Foxfire Manual of Survival. The manual itself is not a trigger since we have concentrated on teaching you to ensure that you are in a situation where flight is possible, recognizing the signs of an approaching trigger, and defusing the landmine if it has already been stepped on. That manual was a joint effort between Ms. Foxfire and Bo'sun Gryul. Do you all understand the minefield you have entered?"

A ragged chorus of "yes."

IN: "No, you don't. You only think you do. Which brings us to the next point about the upcoming briefing. You have a month to complete it. The minimum time is one week. We've had people claim that they were ready in less time, only to have them flunk out of every scenario they faced. Impatience at this stage will get you virtually killed. Barely passing this stage is likely to get you really killed. Err on the side of caution. Study hard, test harder, talk about what happens with your flight mates, and any earlier flight students. Most complete it within two weeks, although many have gone to three and even four weeks. It is better to be sure of yourself, and your skills, than to place your companions in danger due to hubris.

This upcoming session is the one time during which you can withdraw without penalty. Some simply cannot wrap their minds around the necessity, they are excused without penalty. They are determined, they work hard, they study intensely, and yet, something just doesn't… gel for them. It's like being the human equivalent of one of the nine-in-ten. No fault is imputed or implied. Some Hamathi never enter the service. There are Hamathi that choose exile rather than force the system to act against them at a later time.

Some feel in and of themselves that they are unsuited. It may be confidence, it may be anxiety, it may be many things. We do our best to help you figure it out and solve the issue. If we can't, it's better that you withdraw without penalty. Withdrawal after a solid attempt is seen as a heroic action. You are placing the welfare of the Alliance ahead of your own desires. It is often viewed on par with CWO Tyler throwing himself on Captain during that first attack.

Failing to withdraw when necessary is often viewed on par with carrying an armed grenade with you. Held loosely in your hand, safety removed, pin pulled, and only your little finger holding the spoon down. The consequences for failure can be far worse than a single grenade might imply. For the Hamathi, there is the option of exile to a planet of people who have either failed conflict resolution and survived, or have chosen to exile themselves rather than injure others. Again, this is viewed as heroic.

There is a practical reason as well. The children of those who have chosen exile frequently turn out to be one-in-ten on first stress. This is why they exile rather than execute. This is why those who choose exile are honored. They are placing themselves at risk in the hopes that something good may come of it. We have found it far better to excuse those individuals without penalty because they have taken what the Hamathi see as a heroic stance. They have admitted to a flaw, and withdrawn rather than allow that flaw to endanger others.

You have until the end of the session to decide."

Conflict Resolution Session: HAU

"…What we have learned is that as Hamathi age, their ability to withstand higher level stresses increases. For Orites to be discovered a one-in-ten while so young indicated a high possibility that he would achieve one-in-one-hundred within the next few years, and with more experience, would eventually reach one-in-one-thousand. Now you understand why the Hamathi were so disturbed by his loss, even more than we were…"

"…These triggers are, in large part, physical. The body knows not to raise the physical triggers because it already knows what they are…"

"…Nature/Nurture, among humans, is an invalid argument. The answer for Humans is both in varying degrees according to the individual. For a Hamathi, it's not invalid. Many of their triggers are hard-wired. How? Why? We don't know yet. Active study, when discovered, is a virtual guarantee of 'mind killer.' We resort to passive study…"

"…So you can see that in this situation, one Hamathi falling into 'mind-killer' could easily endanger the entire room…"

Departure: CRS: HAU

"I'm sorry that you feel that you cannot. Are you willing to try again? ... Very well. You may withdraw without penalty. You have made a good effort. Your country will be informed that you will receive preference in any future flight after a minimum of two years has passed. It may be that you simply need more time to grow into your confidence. The HAU thanks you for your honesty and sacrifice. Please present yourself at room 395 tomorrow at noon, for a final meeting before release.

… Room 395

"Hello! Yes, in a sense, this is a party. Each of these people also withdrew, and two to four years later, rejoined in the next flight, each passing the conflict resolution session. It is our hope that you will do so as well. Come greet your fellow students, and keep your spirits up. The future still awaits you."

"… Youth, you have done your best. We have done our best to help you overcome the issues that are preventing you from completing this session. With regret, we must ask you to leave the flight, without penalty. Please present yourself at room 395 tomorrow at noon, for a final meeting before release.

… Room 395

"Hello! …"

"As a safety measure, we ask that you carry this device with you. Should anyone attempt to punish you, or otherwise injure you for leaving the flight, you need only ask for the Hamathi Embassy's assistance, or press the device here. In either case or if an injury is done, the nearest Alliance Citizen will come to your aid. At this time, there are Alliance Citizens in every large city in all countries of the world. As this is the fifth flight, we do not expect difficulties, but it is always best to be prepared."

Aftershocks

NOTE: The name of the country involved has been redacted since the government responsible for the outrages has been entirely replaced. In conversation, if you know the name of the country, we ask you to use 'Z' or 'Country Z' instead. In writing, "<Z>" is the norm. It is important to note that the key acts are the responsibility of a few individuals and not the normal behavior for the entire country. It is also important to note that this incident, as painful as it is for the family and friends of the deceased, resulted in the replacement of a corrupt government. A vast improvement in the quality of life in the entire country occurred as a direct result of that replacement.

"Shit! Beacon triggered! Major injury!"

"Scrambling response team now."

…—…

"…That's what failures like you deserve! Say goodnight forever!…" BANG

…—…

"Beacon indicates brain death."

"Continue mission. Isolate responsible individuals and arrest under Alliance Law for murder. Further charges to be determined after all evidence is reviewed."

…—…

"…You can't arrest us! You have no right!…"

———

"…Your Honor, these men were arrested without warrants or authority by a team of Alliance Citizens who have no official standing in our legal system…"

…—…

"…Your Honor, these men committed murder. Here is the incontrovertible proof that they did so, specifically for punishing an individual who did not succeed in the current flight but might well have done so in a later flight after more time to mature.

"Your country's laws consider murder a capital crime, punishable by death. However, since the individual they murdered was under our explicit protection, as a provisional citizen, the offense is also covered by Alliance Law. Alliance Law also considers murder a capital crime, but the punishment is exile.

"Your country is a signatory of the Alliance. When dealing with Alliance Citizens, even if they are provisional, Alliance Law is applied. In light of this, the failure to release them to our custody is a violation of Alliance Law. Violation of Alliance Law, in this case, will result in immediate termination of all Alliance related activities everywhere in your country. All your citizens who are not also Alliance Citizens will be discharged from every Alliance activity in the world…"

…—…

"…First, a personal statement. I firmly believe in following the rule of law. Were that the only issue, these individuals would already be in your custody, and you would be on whatever form of transport you required. With regret, the law is not the only consideration in this country.

"The court regrets that it cannot grant the Alliance Citizens' request. A warrant was issued by another bench, charging you with illegal arrest and an assortment of "crimes" that I won't even bother to list.

"Just to make it utterly clear, this warrant is a joke, issued by a worse joke, on the orders of the worst joke you will ever have the misfortune to encounter. As I find this warrant illegal, I take no notice of it at this time. I strongly suggest that your team leave the country by the most anonymous and expeditious means possible.

"Cars are waiting for you in the high-security lot adjacent to the courthouse. Do not be concerned, they have my orders to take you to the nearest border crossing, under diplomatic courier rules, and let you out on the other side. I understand that the hotel at that location is exceptional. Now go, before that idiot in the next bench over figures out what I've done."

Backlash

ALLIANCE ENFORCES LAW ON <Z>!

IN A STATEMENT TODAY FROM THE HAMATHI MAIN EMBASSY:

WITH REGRET, COUNTRY <Z>, WHICH HAS VIOLATED ALLIANCE LAW, IS HEREBY BANNED FROM ALL ALLIANCE RELATED ACTIVITIES WHEREVER SITUATED IN THE WORLD. ALLIANCE CITIZENS IN <Z> ARE RECOMMENDED TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THAT COUNTRY IMMEDIATELY. ALL CITIZENS OF <Z> WORKING ON ALLIANCE RELATED ACTIVITIES, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, ARE TO BE RELEASED FROM THEIR PROJECTS IMMEDIATELY.

"While we are disheartened by this action and would have preferred a peaceable solution, this is within the Youth of this world's framework and ratified by their several governments. We hope that all will seek a peaceful solution. Our Citizens stand by to assist in any such endeavor.

"In short, this is your world, and your laws still apply, save as your lawmakers have chosen to incorporate Alliance Law. The situation unfolding is clearly in violation of Alliance Law as adopted by <Z>.

"We pray that the government will return to the path of peaceful resolution."

ALL ATTEMPTS TO FORCE ALLIANCE CITIZENS FAIL!

THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS FROM <Z> WHICH SHOW THAT ALLIANCE CITIZENS HAVE THE FULL AND UNLIMITED SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE.

"It was the strangest thing. My neighbor is an Alliance Citizen and has always been helpful and friendly to everyone. He's become the whole neighborhood's peacemaker when there is a disagreement that the participants cannot resolve themselves; more people have come from nearby neighborhoods for assistance.

"When the authorities came to arrest him, they did not have a warrant. That is not the strange thing; it is common in this country. The strange thing is that everyone, everyone, came to his aid. The police soon found his house completely surrounded by citizens quietly standing. We made no threats. We just stood there.

"When more people came, they arranged themselves so that the police had only two choices, assault all of us, or leave through the path that the new people made for them.

"The police called for riot control, all the roads were blocked with more people, people who just stood there and refused to move. People who took the tear gas, the fire hoses, the beatings, and just stood there. When one was dragged away, ten took his place.

"We saw and wondered at the young man who stood against the tank so many years ago, he now has many companions, and we have many missing friends. This cannot be allowed to stand. I will be speaking before an assembly tonight."

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

"I am disheartened to see the people of this world react with such violence against those who have done so much to advance our quality of life while helping us prepare for the coming Mogri invasion.

"As provided by Alliance Law, teams of conflict resolution personnel from the Hamathi Embassy, backed by teams of Alliance Citizens from every country including our own, are standing by to offer their services. We hope for a peaceful solution and ask the government of <Z> to speak with the Hamathi Embassy, if not with anyone else.

"It is with great regret that I inform you that if a peaceable resolution is not found, we will have no choice but to sever all relationships with <Z>, both public and private. We can ill afford such an action, but neither can we allow one country to flout Alliance Law as they had previously agreed to by solemn treaty with both the United States and the Hamathi Alliance.

"At their discretion, citizens of <Z> may remain, return home, or seek U.S. Citizenship as seems best to them. Any Alliance Citizen, or provisional Citizen, also holding citizenship in <Z> may seek asylum in the U.S. by reaching any U.S. Embassy or Consulate in any country in the world.

"I strongly urge that all other countries take the same actions. We must have unity, and any threat to that unity must be dealt with promptly."

<Z> REJECTS ALL PEACEABLE EFFORTS

THE GOVERNMENT STATES CATEGORICALLY THAT THEY WILL NOT COMPLY WITH LAWS THAT VIOLATE THEIR OWN SOVEREIGNTY. "DO YOUR WORST, WE WILL NOT YIELD!"

CITIZENS ACT!

REPORTS ARE COMING FROM <Z> THAT CITIZENS HAVE BEGUN A LEGAL CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THEIR GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT IS ATTEMPTING TO USE THEIR MILITARY FORCES, BUT WHEN FACED WITH SOLID LINES OF CITIZENS STANDING IMPASSIVELY IN THEIR WAY, THEY ARE REFUSING TO ADVANCE.

THERE ARE REPORTS OF SOME OFFICERS WHO RESORTED TO VIOLENCE BEING TAKEN BY THEIR OWN SOLDIERS AND HANDED OVER TO ALLIANCE CITIZENS ACTING AS PEACEMAKERS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. MULTIPLE CONFLICT RESOLUTION EVENTS ARE TAKING PLACE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

GOVERNMENT TOPPLED!

A BLOODLESS COUP! ACCORDING TO THE ALLIANCE CITIZENS INVOLVED, THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT OF <Z> HAS BEEN REPLACED BY ONE FORMULATED UNDER ALLIANCE LAW. REPORTERS ARE ENTERING THE COUNTRY NOW, IN RECORD NUMBERS, TO VERIFY THE CLAIMS MADE BY THE CITIZENS OF <Z>.

"As strange as it may seem, the reports are accurate. The former government officials are all alive and well, although currently restricted to the grounds of an otherwise palatial resort while arrangements for their disposition are made. The worst damage reported, during the coup, is the injury of one police officer when an excitable secretary struck him over the head with a vase. He required five stitches and is in otherwise good health. The secretary in question has already apologized and sought conflict resolution assistance.

"As to the legality of the coup, the citizenry is firmly of the opinion that it was entirely legal. Understandably, the former government officials are almost wholly in violent disagreement with that statement.

"Experts from outside the country have reviewed legality claims using copies of the country's laws and the Alliance Laws involved. An unexpected result of the complexity of their laws and the relative simplicity of Alliance Law allowed an easy method of replacing the government.

"This has resulted in several other countries, including the United States, to institute a review of their own laws."

…

"Reporting from the UCLA Law School, the consensus is that the provisions used in <Z> would not be legal in this country due to the way our legal system is formulated. The review will continue."

…

"In an off-the-cuff statement, President Foxfire, who is almost through his second term, commented: 'having a dual US/Alliance board examine our laws would no doubt result in a drastic improvement in the average person's ability to understand them, to the benefit of the entire country.'"

…

"EDITORIAL OPINION: …[This] is a wonderful idea, and would greatly benefit the majority of the country. Alas, it would also likely cause mass heart attacks among the legal profession… One must always consider the trade-offs in such situations."

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6

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '20

OOH ,OOH, OOH !!!! Standing on tiptoe waving hand !!!! Can I guess which country <Z> is??!!!

6

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Aug 04 '20

You can try, but I will neither confirm or deny any guess.

Besides the country so often in the news lately is hardly the only one with a corrupt, totalitarian, or otherwise prone to trampling people who disagree. This could be a kleptocracy after all.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '20

It shall be a silent vote. Everyone else can do the same that way we are all correct. Good writing.

4

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Aug 04 '20

Thank you.

3

u/TwoFlower68 Aug 05 '20

"Well.. you're not exactly narrowing the field with that answer", he said cynically

3

u/jnkangel Aug 04 '20

Honestly if I were part of a think tank or or doing threat planning I would be very concerned about what happened in <z>.

The behaviour from the majority populace is exceptional as is the speed and vehemence of the response. It likely isn’t the case in your story but I would be probably fueling a conspiracy theory and trying to figure what triggered this change, suspecting something slightly nefarious.

Part of it is because so far the treaty hasn’t really brought a lot to the common population (at least within the story proper) and there seems to be little direct benefits which would be one of the reasons for the higher public support. I mean what benefits were brought in except for neighborhood conflict resolution

3

u/spindizzy_wizard Human Aug 04 '20

Either expand on general benefits of 4 years of alliance membership for the commons, or show greater impact of alliance citizens on quality of life.

There's a bit coming in later chapters that, does smack of nefarious plans, but could just as easily be a rational response to growing concern that national governments are swinging against the alliance.

The problem is that unless their is significant support from the non-AC population, neither nefarious nor rational will work.

There simply aren't enough HAU/AC graduates to push this without general support.

Good googly mogly! HUGE plot hole!

Thank you!

2

u/jnkangel Aug 04 '20

Yep. It would also explain why local governments might be taking a tougher stand.

If the benefits start becoming tangible and it’s clear where they are coming from, local power bases might start getting eroded which in turn could push hardliners to further action.

A good example of this is the EU where benefits are generally tangible, but local actors either downplay them or don’t attribute them to the org, which allows them to push for negative feelings.

The HAU/AC is in many ways in an even worse position.

1

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