Free The Great Destroyer by Jack Thorlin

gravitational force.  They would also likely be slightly shorter, given the increased power necessary for a heart to pump blood high up in the body against the weight of gravity. 
     
    All that, Dr.  Takagawa and her team deduced from the slow spin Igazi watched on the television in the bar in Cape Town.  The analysis had subsequently been leaked by Terran Alliance officials eager to show that they understood the situation.
     
    The video switched to a shot inside the Empathy .  The Equality Minister wore a white t-shirt with the emblem of the mission—a heart superimposed in front of the Earth. 
     
    Igazi groaned, as did half the others in the bar.  “We’d rather watch the alien spaceship than you!” the annoyed bartender mumbled loudly at the television.
     
    “Hello, viewers!” Equality Minister Eldridge said.  “As the leader of this mission, I thought now would be a good time to tell you about the plan for the first contact, which will be recorded by our robotic camera.  Show the people yourself, robot.”
     
    The camera rotated 180 degrees to show a robot’s head.  The robot was evidently about seven feet tall, and its face was shaped like that of a human with a slight grin.  It had two camera ports, but one was evidently empty and covered with a black patch, just as a human with a missing eye might have.  The mouth was evidently a small speaker port, perhaps an inch diameter circle, but a fuller mouth had been etched on to maintain the humanoid appearance.  It had small antennae on either side of his head to mimic the appearance of ears, though they looked like elfin ears because of their height and thinness.  Its torso consisted of segmented metal plates, his arms and legs appearing to be cloaked in something like chain mail. 
     
    “I am Charlie II,” the robot said in a monotone voice, though not one as obviously non-human as Charlie I’s.  “I am the—”
     
    “That’s enough, robot, point the camera back at me,” Eldridge said, pointedly refusing to call Charlie II by his name. 
     
    If Charlie II was offended, he showed no sign.  The camera view rotated back around to face the Equality Minister and her assistant.  “That’s better,” Tanya said.  “Let’s discuss the possible gender issues triggered by the Superterrestrials...”
     
    The Equality Minister stopped mid-sentence and put her hand to her ear, listening to the Space Agency ground control in her earpiece. 
     
    Her assistant said in a loud voice just short of a shout, “Look at the ship!”
     
    The television view shifted to Empathy ’s external camera.  A smaller ship had emerged from behind the Super cylinder and was accelerating to intercept the Empathy .
     
    The Equality Minister said excitedly, “An emissary from the Supers has launched from their parent-ship.  Ground Control informs me that it will reach us in about three minutes.  We are just three minutes away from first contact with the first real civilization in our galaxy, and as Equality Minister, I-”
     
    Watching from Earth, Igazi felt a peculiar sensation.  He had not felt it often in his life in 27th century Earth, but it wrenched its way into his mind as easily as it did his ancestors.  He looked around the bar, which was silent.  People chewed on their fingernails, fiddled with their hands.  One intergender individual had tears streaking down his face.
     
    Despite the assurances of its leaders and the words of a 20th century American President enshrined in the Terran Alliance Charter, the human race had rediscovered fear.

Chapter 13: Takagawa
     
    Takagawa, Jackson, and Yazov watched the first encounter from mission control in Houston.  Their primary task was to direct and monitor Charlie II, ostensibly just a camera robot.
     
    The Equality Minister was droning on about the wonders of meeting the Supers, but trailed off as the Super shuttle craft drew to within a hundred yards of the Empathy . 
     
    The shuttle craft