(This is another short story that has been hanging around for a long while. It needed to be got it out of the way, so as to concentrate on a series.)
"I didn't get elected because I'm a nice person. I was elected because I put daddy's money in the election fund, and had more money than anyone else, to spend on promoting my image. I got votes from men because I look good, I know that too," Mary stated.
"While I'm governor of this state, I'm going to make more money than my father ever did. Afterwards, I'm going to make even more. So shut up complaining and get on with it," Mary firmly told him.
"Because you're the state governor you can't go, it's too dangerous. They're a male dominated society, you don't know their language and they could hold you hostage," her brother retaliated.
"Read the reports, damn it! They are scientists. They don't do war. Because they are men, I'll be able to handle them," Mary scolded her brother.
"They don't have women aboard the ship. You would be vulnerable up there," John pointed out.
"Exactly, another advantage over them," she pointed out. "Can't you see how powerful this would make me?" Mary asked.
"I know your arguments, backwards," John sighed.
"Well then, it's decided. I go aboard and get agreements signed and delivered. Trading agreements, political agreements, everything I want sewn up into a neat package," she beamed.
"I bring the agreements signed, while those men in the United Nations are playing politics. I get to represent earth, all trade through me! We are looking at a chance at the presidency here," Mary laughed.
John sighed. It had been a long shot becoming state governor. Because the voters were tired of the political old boy network, she managed to scrape in with a small majority. The favourite had died in a plane crash, while campaigning, and the rest, as they say, is history.
"There's no stopping you is there!" he heavily sighed.
It was true they were alien scientists, with advanced technical know-how. They were also naive, when it came to business, and his sister was an astute negotiator. That helped get her in the running for governorship, as well as being squeaky clean, with next-door-girl looks.
"You can do it sis," he smiled right back at her. It was his job to support her and he would get her onto the landing craft, despite the security services and anyone else who tried to get in the way.
A vacation was announced to explain her absence. Once she gave him the all clear, John would announce she was in secret talks with the aliens.
Diplomatic negotiations so far, had been nothing but meaningless words. It was taking time for the diplomats, with a career to protect, to agree anything at all. They were protecting each of their nation's interests, as well as their own.
The Garmon's representative had of course met with the powerful and influential, President of the Untied States of America. A full meeting with advisors present went well. It had been noted that they were a male orientated society so Mary took a back seat, as advised.
John had managed to get her into a meeting with the aliens though it was him who cornered one of them. Taking the opportunity to talk with one of the alien representatives, John arranged a private meeting.
A limo pulled up right outside the shuttle. Getting through the security cordon, had been easier than he thought. Wearing a dark suit, with her hair tied back under a hat, she looked like one of the diplomats involved in negotiations.
As soon as John got back in the limo the driver sped off. There were few checks on who was leaving, and the missing anonymous diplomat, wasn't noticed. A limo arrived and left, that was all that was noted. John crossed his fingers, hoping all went as planned.
"My name is Bill, it is easier to pronounce," the Garmon's representative, stated. "I will introduce you to our culture, err, people," he stated.
He wasn't quit sure what to do with her. It was difficult to fathom how these people worked together. They seemed to find it difficult to agree with one another. He was going to thoroughly analyse this female human, having only dealt with the males up until now.
These earth people thought so differently. They seemed to depend on feelings so much it got in the way of logical thought. The precision of his culture and language made it so difficult to translate ideas. He wanted to get back to the laboratory, where he could immerse himself in analytical studies.
"That was such a smooth trip. I can't believe we're in orbit, so high above the earth," Mary said. "I thought we would beam up," she laughed. The comment had escaped, as an expression of nervous tension, which she quickly brought under control.
"Yes," he replied, not understanding a word of what she said.
The ship was huge, she knew it from reports, but this close as they docked its power was overwhelming. The immensity of the thing, just hanging over the earth, was staggering. It fed her sense of importance with Mary feeling on top of the world.
"We will have to go through the decontamination cycle, before entering the ship. It is to protect the experiments. Material from other worlds have been collected and are being examined," Bill stated.
It was like walking through a series of revolving doors, without the expected hissing and sound effects from an old movie. Everything seemed so clean and efficient. Once through the obstacles, they walked down a long corridor. No pictures or ornaments, she noticed. No decoration at all, just bare walls and floors of what felt like soft plastic.
"I will take you to your quarters," Bill stated.
"I want to meet your boss, I mean the captain, or whoever runs this ship," she said, only just refrained from saying, 'take me to your leader'.
"We have a meeting in eight hours. I assume you will want to freshen up," he told her. He was on familiar ground with this expression, as it had been used so often with his dealings with the earth people.
The quarters had been furnished like a plush hotel suite. Mary looked around, opening cupboards and running taps. She decided it was an exact duplicate of a first class New York hotel. Typical bland paintings on the walls, every detail had been duplicated.
Bill recorded her movements and reactions in detail. Bodily functions were monitored and measurements taken. Analysis showed the body, as well as the mind, was inefficient.
***
The meeting wasn't a success so far. She didn't understand a word and Bill couldn't translate much. The reports had been correct. There were a hundred or more in the crew and all were scientists. They seemed to be swapping ideas, adding explanations to the reports, amalgamating information between the various disciplines.
The seating was staggered, like a theatre, though without a stage, and no-one seemed in charge of the meeting. The seats were reasonably comfortable, but again, no superfluous decoration. There was no comfort in the place at all. No woman's touch to anything, including the men.
Mary was struck by the computers more than anything. Just this one device could bring in mega bucks on earth. She watched in fascination whenever a pen like device was removed from a pocket. It shone a screen of information, as large as necessary, in the air. Pointing at something in the air, operated the system, just like a touch screen.
At one point in the meeting, one of the scientists brought up a schematic of something he was working on, and was completely surrounded by the image. He was pointing to sections of it, which expanded into greater detail.
As fascinating as this was it was getting her no nearer to making a deal, or even meeting someone capable of starting negotiations.
Information had been made available about her too. "They are asking me about you," Bill said.
"Tell them I represent earth, I'm here to make trading agreements," she quickly said.
"The subject is here, representing earth females. It is an agreeable specimen," Bill stated.
