[Lunar Surface, Earth]
"Hello, Kuillana. Did I say that right? My name is Victoria; it is a pleasure to meet you." Victoria extended a hand to the woman, who looked as if she might faint.
From Kuillana's perspective, a demon of death had just reached for her after being appointed a God of Death's ambassador. Every latent instinct she possessed seemed to spring to life all at once, demanding that she run despite an instinctual knowledge that she could never escape this apex predator.
Kuillana, through sheer effort of will, slammed a proverbial door on these feelings, looked down at the hand, and mimicked the posture, bending her arm and holding her hand forward. "Hello, Victoria. Yes, you said my name properly, and it is good to meet you as well."
Kuillana panicked briefly as Victoria took her hand and gently pumped it up and down several times before releasing it and gesturing for everyone to take seats. Victoria spoke then, "Thank you for coming; I won't pretend to know what we should discuss here or how to conduct myself, so Kuillana, would you please give us a brief overview of how meetings like this go according to either your experience or any guidance you may have received?"
This surprised Kuillana, as in meetings like this, it was typically assumed that the more powerful species would speak first to make demands of the weaker race; however, she had no delusions that any species she had ever heard of could compete as far as sheer power. According to the data being fed into her iris-screen, the humans not only had a bone density that was quite literally off the charts as far as the In'Quinar were concerned, but their strikingly similar shape hid a musculature that exceeded any other known race.
"Yes," Kuillana said, deciding to take the path of one hundred percent transparency, as she agreed with the summation that her Goddess had given them a race of super predators smarter than they had any right to be. "Firstly, I would tell you that normally in meetings like this, it is the race with more power, natural power as far as body strength and other biological factors, that speaks first usually to make demands. As such, we expected you to take the lead as, frankly, you are terrifying."
Victoria asked several questions regarding what she meant by this and then let Kuillana continue. "Typically, in meetings such as these, one party will make demands, and the other will make a counteroffer. We would go back and forth until we reached an agreement that both sides could live with and then present it to our respective Gods to ensure they agree."
"Interesting, so you don't really do diplomacy in the human sense." Victoria said and then gave a very brief overview of politics and diplomacy.
"That would be correct." Kuillana was shocked that a race who had yet to fully leave their first world had developed such an in-depth political and diplomatic system, and she felt like Victoria had only told her the barest details of it. "I will continue," Kuillana said, beginning to explain in detail what typically happened in the meetings.
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[In'Quinar Homeworld - Temple of the Goddess]
"Please, spare my children from whatever you will bring about," Ivarna said, her tone more pleading than any she had ever used before.
Cthulhu smiled, and Ivarna felt her heart drop. "You seem to have a misunderstanding, Ivarna. I do not control Humanity, A vast majority of them don't worship me even now that I have revealed myself, and I will never force them to do so."
"Then who should I ask?" Ivarna was panicked now, an emotion she had never fully felt before. "Who must I beg for mercy for my children?"
"It is not up to you," Cthulhu said exasperatedly. He knew deep down that the Gods, as they were, could never understand his motives fully. Still, this Goddess, Ivarna, seemed closer to her subjects than the others, at least from the little bits and pieces he heard over the eons he had slept in the oceans of the Earth.
"The questions that need to be asked and the ones that need to do it, it's already happening," Cthulhu said, and Ivarna stopped scrubbing herself to turn and look at Cthulhu.
"What do you mean?" Ivarna asked after recomposing herself and resuming her bathing.
"What I mean is that it is not me that you have to fear unless you plan on directly interfering in a conflict of our children," Cthulhu said casually. Still, Ivarna felt a very mortal chill run down her spine at the thought of having to face this monster in combat. "I never have and never will tell Humanity what to do, who to believe, what actions to take. I will admit that I have been somewhat forceful the past few weeks. However, that is only because I wish to give them a fighting chance against the Chilxan if they decide to strike at Earth as they said."
"You care for them deeply, don't you?" Ivarna asked, finding the realization in contrast to the image she had created of Cthulhu in her mind after his interactions with the council.
"I do. Or rather, I must. It is only natural for a being of any kind, God, Mortal, or otherwise, to take accountability for their mistakes and what they do." Cthulhu said. "It is because of my direct interference that Humanity has become what it is today, and without a god, they would forever be doomed to only a few meager years that they live for, and I did not feel right about that, so yes, I do care for them. But you should not mistake me."
Cthulhu turned to face Ivarna, every one of the strange pitch-black eyes locking onto her. "For Humanity, I may have a soft spot; yes, that is true. But I could care less if I had to wipe every other God and Race from this realm of existence. Let our children deal with their differences independently; if you wish to negotiate with someone for your children's sake, do it with the humans, as I will abide by what they decide. I may push them slightly here or there, but I have no intention of demanding anything from them."
Cthulhu thought for a moment, "Well, except for the current president of America," he noticed Ivarna's confused look, "that is a country on Earth, and the leader of that country is a slimy, reprehensible, sleaze bag that I would love nothing more than to destroy his soul in such a fashion that he gets no chance at an afterlife, but I won't."
Ivarna felt like she should run; the feelings of dislike that had emanated from Cthulhu just then rattled her, making her wonder what she had been thinking trying to negotiate with this beast. "So what you are telling me is that you do not draw power from the worshipers of Humanity, as I draw power from mine? And that if I want to negotiate a peace treaty with Humanity, I should do it with Humanity itself and not you?" Ivarna asked, finishing up the scrubbing, and began rinsing her body.
"That is correct on both fronts, Ivarna," Cthulhu said, making his supposed soap vanish and beginning to rinse himself as well.
Ivarna laughed. "What do I have to fear then? Even if you give them advanced technology, they will be eons behind my children."
A deep chuckle full of pity emanated from Cthulhu as he finished washing and stepped out of the pool of water. "You can think that if you want Ivarna, but don't forget two things, they grew up for hundreds of generations in a world specifically designed by me to kill them, and it only made them stronger."
Ivarna had forgotten this "tiny" detail, and the more she thought about it, the more the blood drained from her face. And then Cthulhu said something that Ivarna was sure made her face as white as a sheet of paper. "And don't forget Ivarna, they are my children." Cthulhu finished drying himself and stepped through a dark portal, leaving Ivarna to contemplate what he had said.
[Chilxan Homeworld, Temple of The God]
"My God, that concludes my report," Shiv'Ru said, kneeling before her God, Dem'Noq.
"And you did not think to stop him from taking Commander Kal'Tak?" Dem'Noq demanded, clearly upset.
Shiv'Ru shrank back; she knew her God had a propensity for punishments of the more vulgar kind; she hoped he was in a good mood before responding. "I was more concerned with getting back to report these things to you, and as the one human had already demonstrated, he could easily punch through the ship. If the human's God had come to collect him personally, I should not attempt to anger either the human or the God."
"Hmm," Dem'Noq said, "It still seems as if you failed, not only in your assignment to produce actionable reports concerning their troops, if any, and mineable materials of the planet, but also in fulfilling your duties as the spiritual representative of your ship, effectively my will for the duration of your trip."
Shiv'Ru nodded and felt her body shaking. She hoped her voice was steady as she responded. "Of course, my God." Arguing, she knew, was never an option when dealing with Dem'Noq.
"Well, what would you have me do with you?" Dem'Noq sneered.
"I would not presume to know your mind, my God," Shiv'Ru said, her mind going into panic mode as one thought circled her head repeatedly. "Not the Gel Froth, Not the Gel Froth." She hoped that Dem'Noq was not upset enough for that.
"Rise, my child," Dem'Noq said, his tone surprisingly calm and reassuring.
Shiv'Ru did as she was commanded by her God, lifting her eyes to look upon his splendor. As soon as their eyes met, she knew the sweet tone was a lie. Faster than she could perceive, something hit the side of her face, and she flew down the long hall where she was reporting to her God, landing on the floor in a crumpled mess.
"You have failed me Shiv'Ru; you no longer deserve to act as my will. You shall have one chance to make this up to me. When we invade this planet, and we will, You shall serve to spread the will of Dem'Noq as a forward insurrectionist. Until then, you will be punished and replaced; you shall serve your punishment in Gel Froth." Dem'Noq Decreed.
The cruelty in her God's voice shocked her. As guards dragged her away, she found herself thinking of Ted, how the seemingly superior being had clearly demonstrated that he had the power to do terrible things to her and the crew, but never once had he raised his hands in anger or even first to any of the Chilxan on the ship.
"Good luck, Ted, and good luck, Humanity. May your dark God take mercy on you and grant you favor in battle." Shiv'Ru laughed quietly at herself for wishing the enemy victory against her people and her God.
---
[Lunar Surface, Earth]
The explanation that kuillana gave was summarized shortly in three points. First, meetings between races typically depended heavily on the Gods of the races meeting. Second, the stronger race on a biological scale held the upper hand in these negotiations. Third, the In'Quinar Goddess, Ivarna, was terrified of Humanity and of Cthulhu.
Victoria decided that she needed to make some things clear on her own. "Firstly, let me assure you that the followers of Cthulhu, and most likely a vast majority of Humanity, would never hurt you unless attacked first. So please assure your Goddess of that. However, unfortunately, there are people in power who tend to have a 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality. They will be your biggest opposition to any kind of alliance."
Ted, who had remained quiet throughout the proceedings thus far, chuckled coldly. "Yeah, especially the dickhead that we, unfortunately, call the President."
Victoria smiled at Ted, who, upon hearing how the President had spoken to her and treated her on their first meeting, had wanted to personally castrate the man. "Ted is correct; the president will be the biggest obstacle; he is arguably the most powerful person on the planet."
"It is not you?" Kuillana asked confusion in her voice.
"No, though I have my own share of power, it is not granted by Cthulhu. It is the power that I have accrued for myself over many years." Victoria said.
"How can we deal with this then?" Kuillana asked, her tone pleading.
"I vote to castrate him and then leave him on some desolate island," Ted said grumpily.
"While I can see that as being an incredibly amusing thing to see, I think I might have another solution for you," Cthulhu said, stepping out of the dark portal that had appeared, once again wearing his human form. "Give me a moment, and I will bring the people I think we need."
Cthulhu stepped through another portal, and silence reigned on the newly seeded moon for a few moments. After a quarter-hour, a dark portal opened, and seven people stepped through. The Pope, The Imam, The Rabi, The President of the United States, Two United Nations General Assembly Representatives, and Brian Nefarun all stepped through, and finally, Cthulhu appeared.
Cthulhu waved a hand, and the chairs slid to accommodate the growth of the table and the rising of new chairs from the ground. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask that you all please have a seat so that we might start this meeting, and Kuillana, if you would ask your Goddess to join us, I believe that she is permitted to travel with her powers upon the request of a high priestess."
Everyone sat, and Kuillana bowed her head for a moment; behind her, a white fog coalesced into the shape of the Goddes Ivarna. Cthulhu Created a throne of White next to Kuillana, and Ivarna took a seat.
"I don't see the point of this." The President said, his attitude clearly still in a twist from Cthulhu's casual disablement of the world's nuclear arsenal.
"Mr. President, I would suggest that you reign in the child that seems to control your temper and attitude," Cthulhu said, smiling in a way that made people feel like he would eat them, "as this meeting is a meeting of peace, and any that violate that peace will be dealt with by me."
Cthulhu smiled as the blood drained from President Staltson's face. "Now to the first order of business, I would like to inform everyone that I have it on good authority that the President will no longer be the president for much longer thanks to an investigation into his inappropriate use of government funds for the hire of young female performers," Cthulhu said this and emphasized the last word in such a way that even the Goddess Ivarna understood the implications.
"Secondly," Cthulhu continued, "I believe that we have reached a cease-fire, and I will no longer be branded as a false God. Once again, I remind you that I do not demand that you cease the practice of your religion or even include me in it; simply do not defame my name."
The Pope, The Imam, and The Rabi looked at each other and nodded; the Pope spoke. "We agree that while you are not the God that we have faith in, you are the closest thing to a God that Humanity has encountered thus far, so we will withdraw our accusations that you are a false God. However, we will continue to hope for our God's return."
"As you wish," Cthulhu said, turning to Brian Nefarun. "You young man, I would personally like to see you put in charge of finding a new president, someone who will work for the people only, and then see you coordinate the construction of interstellar warships post haste. I would also ask that you strive for global unity and whatnot, but let's start small."
"I am amicable to that plan," Brian said, "being totally honest here, I despise President Staltson."
"Brian, how could you!?" Demanded the President.
Brian turned a cold glare that would have been brutal had Chtulhu not been standing there. "One of those performers that you hired? Yezra? Yeah, she was my step-sister; she thought that you wanted a dance, and that was it; far be it from me to judge her line of work, but apparently, you don't take no for an answer." The venom in Brian's voice could have melted steel.
Ted stood as if to move toward the President.
"Ted," Cthulhu said, his voice calm and reassuring, "I promise that if he breaks the peace, I will allow you to do it, but I ask that you allow me to finish this little outpouring of intelligence."
Ted's whole body flexed as if it was driven to strike the stain of the man seated at the table from the office of the President. "Very well, Cthulhu," Ted said, taking a deep breath and glaring at the President. "But I want you to know, Mr. Staltson. I love America; I love everything about it. And the fact that someone like you could make it to where you are sickens me. I suggest you take whatever the federal courts or Cthulhu offer because I won't make an offer."
"Thank you, Ted, well-spoken." Cthulhu turned to the two U.N. Reps. "Ivan, Karla, I want you to work alongside Victoria and Ted to broker an alliance on behalf of Humanity with the In'Quinar race and their Goddess Ivarna. Please treat them with respect, as I know you are capable of doing."
"I would be honored," Ivan said, his heavy Russian-sounding accent barely contained.
"As would I," Karla said in a Swedish accent.
"Thank you," Cthulhu said and nodded to them. "Now that just leaves you, Mr. President."
"You have no authority. You can't do this. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!" President Staltson did not like that he was clearly on the chopping block, and everyone seemed to be okay with it.
"You are right, though I could force you," Cthulhu said, smiling that bone-chilling smile again. "However, I would rather you appoint Brian here, your V.P., and then step down as President for whatever reason you desire. I am also happy to let events play out and see if you end up in prison or killed in a holding cell. Or I could just take a walk with Ivarna and see what happens when Ted here gets to you when I get back."
“I…you…They." President Staltson stuttered. Chtulhu could see the wheels turning in his head and knew the man would probably rather die than admit to his crimes.
"So, mister president, what will it be?" Cthulhu asked.
Ivarna could not help but feel bad for the man, as not more than an hour ago, she had been on the receiving end of the grin and tone now directed at the so-called President. It had made her shiver in fear; she wondered what it would do to a mortal.
