Jerry: A History Half-Remembered

This article originally appeared in Jump Point 10.9.
In the outer reaches of the Davien system sits the Banu Friendship Museum, which has celebrated the special relationship between Humans and Banu ever since its grand opening in 2838. The museum sees a steady stream of Human tourists and student field trips but relatively few Banu visitors. To attract and retain Banu visitors, the museum recently remodeled its gift shop into a Banu-inspired marketplace. Curator Orisaka also revamped the museum’s main exhibit, which provides a chronological account of the relationship between Humans and Banu, by adding large images of Jerry, the first Banu encountered by Humanity, near the exhibit’s entrance. Clearly visible from the lobby, Orisaka hopes their images will draw Banu to the exhibit out of sheer curiosity. While Jerry may be easily identified by many Humans, as their name and likeness are a staple of the Equivalency curriculum, the Banu, who do not culturally celebrate famous figures from history, have forgotten them completely. In Orisaka’s eyes, “Preserving and honoring the legacy of the Banu who brought us together falls squarely on Humanity’s shoulders.”

FIRST CONTACT
It was 3:13 SET on June 12, 2438, when Vernon Tar heard his ship scanners ping. He was searching for new jump points within a sector of Davien after previous trips had returned promising scans. Worried it might be another navjumper attempting to steal his discovery, Tar opened fire on the vessel. Only after those initial shots did he realize the ship’s design was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Tar relayed his coordinates and a brief description of his encounter to local officials who relayed it to the United Nations of Earth (UNE). Much to his surprise, the ship maintained its position once it became clear Tar was no further threat. Inside the ship that would be later known as a Defender sat Njeri, who the UNE would designate with the name Jerry. Later on, when Njeri learned that this was a close approximation of their Banu name as spoken by Humans, the Banu would embrace the title as a badge of honor and insist on being called it exclusively. The Banu didn’t flee because they also realized they had encountered a new species and hoped their discovery would be their ticket home and out of trouble.

It wasn’t professional ambition or scientific curiosity that brought Jerry into Davien, it was sheer survival. Jerry had been caught embezzling funds from their souli and fled to avoid the consequences. “Jerry was far from a criminal mastermind,” according to Natalia Gordillo, a member of the UNE’s hastily assembled diplomatic team who befriended the Banu and wrote the biography Jerry. While the Banu’s absence of traditional historical records makes aspects of her book almost impossible to corroborate, scholars still consider Gordillo’s book to be the definitive biography on Jerry as it is the only one written by a contemporary who knew them.

Published in 2447, Jerry became a bestseller and for many Humans was their first in-depth look at Banu life and culture. The book revealed fascinating specifics about soulis, the practice of divestment, the Banu’s relationship to time, and more. Yet, it also told a deeply personal and universal story about how Jerry felt out of place with their lot in life. Though a “deskbound” bureaucrat in their souli, Jerry dreamed of being a pilot and intended to use the embezzled funds to buy themselves a position in a respected exploration souli. When their essosouli sniffed out Jerry’s scheme, they panicked and fled in one of the souli’s ships, resulting in a multi-day chase that eventually, through sheer luck and some innate skill, led Jerry to discovering a jump into Davien.

LEGACY
Following first contact, the language difference made it nearly impossible for Jerry to communicate with the Human delegation of scientists and military officials led by General Neal Socolovich. Declassified documents now on display at the Banu Friendship Museum note Jerry’s affable nature and willingness to work with the TECH-Div team to understand each other’s language. These documents also describe a famous incident where a variety of food was presented to Jerry and they proceeded to eat everything, including the packaging around the sandwich and nutrition bar.

Additional Banu appeared in Davien two weeks after Jerry’s arrival. The delegation met with General Socolovich and spent the next few months breaking down the language barrier. This led to the first Interstellar Peace and Trade Accord ratified in October of 2438, which Jerry signed in an honorary capacity. In those intervening months, Jerry helped the teams working to decipher each other’s language and became increasingly fascinated by all things Human. When the Banu delegation was set to return home, they presented Jerry with the option to stay in Davien as an official envoy or return to the Protectorate without fear of repercussions for their crimes. Jerry returned to the Protectorate expecting to be celebrated for their discovery. The decision would be the biggest regret of their life.

Jerry’s souli agreed to let them finish their contract but treated them distrustfully. They reassigned Jerry to a new department where supervisors wearily watched their every move. In Jerry, Gordillo writes that Jerry had hoped their discovery would open up new opportunities for them, but their souli was uninterested in pursuing Human relations. Having spent a few months in a truly privileged and unique position working with Humanity, Jerry struggled to return to their old life. As soon as they were able, Jerry officially severed their ties to their souli and set out on their own.

Middle-aged and souli-less, a suspicious combination in the eyes of many Banu, Jerry started their own Human-relations souli but failed to land any contracts. In the time since their return, other soulis had quickly emerged ready to fill that role and Jerry learned that they couldn’t compete with soulis that could speak common fluently and had more extensive knowledge of Humans than they did. With their options and life savings dwindling, Jerry returned to Davien hoping their fortunes would turn. Upon their arrival, people swarmed Jerry asking for pictures. They figured it was because they were Banu but quickly realized that people knew their name and legacy. Jerry found the attention overwhelming yet exhilarating, telling Gordillo that their life changed once realizing that, “back home I was just another Banu but here… here I was special.”

Jerry would call Davien home for the rest of their life. They learned to speak common and traveled widely across the UNE giving speeches about Banu life and culture. They reconnected with Natalia Gordillo at one such event, which led to them writing their biography. Jerry died at their home in Davien on November 2, 2456, surrounded by Human and Banu friends. While their name may only be remembered by Humanity, their actions forever changed the universe for both Humans and Banu.

Dieser Artikel erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 10.9.
In den Außenbezirken des Davien-Systems befindet sich das Banu-Freundschaftsmuseum, das seit seiner Eröffnung im Jahr 2838 die besondere Beziehung zwischen Menschen und Banu feiert. Das Museum wird regelmäßig von menschlichen Touristen und Studenten besucht, aber nur von relativ wenigen Banu. Um Banu-Besucher anzulocken und zu halten, hat das Museum vor kurzem seinen Geschenkeladen in einen von den Banu inspirierten Marktplatz umgestaltet. Kurator Orisaka hat auch die Hauptausstellung des Museums, die die Beziehung zwischen Menschen und Banu chronologisch darstellt, umgestaltet, indem er große Bilder von Jerry, dem ersten Banu, dem die Menschen begegnet sind, in der Nähe des Ausstellungseingangs angebracht hat. Orisaka hofft, dass ihre Bilder die Banu aus reiner Neugierde in die Ausstellung locken. Während Jerry für viele Menschen leicht zu erkennen ist, da sein Name und sein Abbild ein fester Bestandteil des Gleichstellungslehrplans sind, haben ihn die Banu, die berühmte Figuren aus der Geschichte kulturell nicht feiern, völlig vergessen. In Orisakas Augen ist es "die Aufgabe der Menschheit, das Vermächtnis der Banu, die uns zusammengebracht haben, zu bewahren und zu ehren".

ERSTER KONTAKT
Es war 3:13 Uhr am 12. Juni 2438, als Vernon Tar seine Schiffsscanner piepsen hörte. Er war auf der Suche nach neuen Sprungpunkten innerhalb eines Sektors von Davien, nachdem frühere Reisen vielversprechende Scans geliefert hatten. Aus Sorge, es könnte sich um einen anderen Navjumper handeln, der seine Entdeckung stehlen wollte, eröffnete Tar das Feuer auf das Schiff. Erst nach den ersten Schüssen erkannte er, dass das Schiff anders gebaut war als alles, was er je gesehen hatte. Tar gab seine Koordinaten und eine kurze Beschreibung seiner Begegnung an die örtlichen Beamten weiter, die sie an die Vereinten Nationen der Erde (UNE) weiterleiteten. Zu seiner großen Überraschung behielt das Schiff seine Position bei, als klar wurde, dass Tar keine Gefahr mehr darstellte. In dem Schiff, das später als Defender bekannt wurde, saß Njeri, den die UNE auf den Namen Jerry taufte. Später, als Njeri erfuhr, dass dieser Name ihrem Banu-Namen, wie er von den Menschen gesprochen wurde, sehr nahe kam, nahmen die Banu den Titel als Ehrenzeichen an und bestanden darauf, ausschließlich so genannt zu werden. Die Banu flohen nicht, weil sie erkannten, dass sie auf eine neue Spezies gestoßen waren und hofften, dass ihre Entdeckung sie nach Hause und aus den Schwierigkeiten heraus bringen würde.

Es war nicht beruflicher Ehrgeiz oder wissenschaftliche Neugier, die Jerry nach Davien brachten, es war das schiere Überleben. Jerry war dabei erwischt worden, wie er Gelder von ihrem Souli veruntreut hatte und floh, um den Konsequenzen zu entgehen. "Jerry war weit davon entfernt, ein kriminelles Superhirn zu sein", sagt Natalia Gordillo, ein Mitglied des eilig zusammengestellten diplomatischen Teams der UNE, das sich mit den Banu angefreundet und die Biografie Jerry geschrieben hat. Da die Banu keine traditionellen historischen Aufzeichnungen haben, ist es fast unmöglich, bestimmte Aspekte ihres Buches zu bestätigen. Dennoch betrachten Wissenschaftler/innen Gordillos Buch als die maßgebliche Biografie über Jerry, da es die einzige ist, die von einer Zeitgenossin geschrieben wurde, die sie kannte.

Das 2447 erschienene Buch wurde ein Bestseller und war für viele Menschen der erste tiefere Einblick in das Leben und die Kultur der Banu. Das Buch enthüllte faszinierende Details über Soulis, die Praxis des Ablegens, das Verhältnis der Banu zur Zeit und vieles mehr. Es erzählt aber auch eine zutiefst persönliche und universelle Geschichte darüber, wie sich Jerry in seinem Leben fehl am Platz fühlt. Obwohl er in ihrem Souli ein Bürokrat war, träumte Jerry davon, Pilot zu werden und wollte sich mit den veruntreuten Geldern eine Stelle in einem angesehenen Explorations-Souli kaufen. Als ihre Essosouli Jerrys Plan durchschauten, gerieten sie in Panik und flohen mit einem der Souli-Schiffe. Das Ergebnis war eine mehrtägige Verfolgungsjagd, bei der Jerry schließlich durch pures Glück und etwas angeborenes Geschick einen Sprung nach Davien entdeckte.

LEGACY
Nach dem ersten Kontakt war es für Jerry aufgrund des Sprachunterschieds fast unmöglich, mit der menschlichen Delegation von Wissenschaftlern und Militärs unter der Leitung von General Neal Socolovich zu kommunizieren. In deklassierten Dokumenten, die jetzt im Banu-Freundschaftsmuseum ausgestellt sind, wird Jerrys freundliche Art und seine Bereitschaft erwähnt, mit dem TECH-Div-Team zusammenzuarbeiten, um die Sprache des jeweils anderen zu verstehen. In diesen Dokumenten wird auch ein berühmter Vorfall beschrieben, bei dem Jerry eine Reihe von Lebensmitteln vorgesetzt wurde und er dann alles aß, einschließlich der Verpackung des Sandwichs und des Ernährungsriegels.

Weitere Banu tauchten zwei Wochen nach Jerrys Ankunft in Davien auf. Die Delegation traf sich mit General Socolovich und verbrachte die nächsten Monate damit, die Sprachbarriere zu überwinden. Dies führte zum ersten interstellaren Friedens- und Handelsabkommen, das im Oktober 2438 ratifiziert wurde und das Jerry ehrenamtlich unterzeichnete. In den dazwischen liegenden Monaten half Jerry den Teams, die Sprache des jeweils anderen zu entschlüsseln, und war zunehmend fasziniert von allem, was menschlich war. Als die Banu-Delegation nach Hause zurückkehren wollte, stellten sie Jerry vor die Wahl, als offizieller Abgesandter in Davien zu bleiben oder ins Protektorat zurückzukehren, ohne Konsequenzen für ihre Verbrechen befürchten zu müssen. Jerry kehrte ins Protektorat zurück und erwartete, für seine Entdeckung gefeiert zu werden. Diese Entscheidung würden sie in ihrem Leben am meisten bereuen.

Jerrys Seelenverwandte stimmten zu, ihn seinen Vertrag beenden zu lassen, behandelten ihn aber misstrauisch. Sie versetzten Jerry in eine neue Abteilung, in der die Vorgesetzten müde jeden seiner Schritte beobachteten. In Jerry schreibt Gordillo, dass Jerry gehofft hatte, seine Entdeckung würde ihm neue Möglichkeiten eröffnen, aber sein Souli war nicht daran interessiert, menschliche Beziehungen zu pflegen. Nachdem sie einige Monate in einer wirklich privilegierten und einzigartigen Position verbracht hatten, in der sie mit der Menschheit zusammenarbeiten konnten, fiel es Jerry schwer, in ihr altes Leben zurückzukehren. Sobald sie dazu in der Lage waren, löste Jerry offiziell die Verbindung zu ihrem Souli und machte sich auf den Weg.

Im mittleren Alter und ohne Seele - in den Augen vieler Banu eine verdächtige Kombination - gründete Jerry ihr eigenes Souli für menschliche Beziehungen, aber es gelang ihnen nicht, einen Vertrag zu bekommen. In der Zeit seit ihrer Rückkehr waren schnell andere Soulis aufgetaucht, die bereit waren, diese Rolle zu übernehmen, und Jerry musste feststellen, dass sie nicht mit Soulis konkurrieren konnten, die fließend Hochsprache sprachen und mehr über die Menschen wussten als sie. Da ihre Möglichkeiten und Ersparnisse schwanden, kehrte Jerry nach Davien zurück und hoffte, dass sich ihr Schicksal wenden würde. Bei ihrer Ankunft wurde Jerry von Menschen umringt, die ihn um ein Foto baten. Sie dachten, es läge daran, dass sie Banu waren, aber sie merkten schnell, dass die Leute ihren Namen und ihr Erbe kannten. Jerry fand die Aufmerksamkeit überwältigend, aber auch erheiternd. Er erzählte Gordillo, dass sich sein Leben änderte, als er erkannte, dass "ich zu Hause nur ein weiterer Banu war, aber hier... hier war ich etwas Besonderes."

Jerry würde Davien für den Rest seines Lebens sein Zuhause nennen. Sie lernten Common zu sprechen und reisten weit durch die UNE, um Vorträge über das Leben und die Kultur der Banu zu halten. Bei einer dieser Veranstaltungen lernten sie Natalia Gordillo kennen, die daraufhin ihre Biografie schrieb. Jerry starb am 2. November 2456 in ihrem Haus in Davien, umgeben von Menschen und Banu-Freunden. Auch wenn ihr Name nur den Menschen in Erinnerung geblieben ist, haben ihre Taten das Universum für Menschen und Banu für immer verändert.

This article originally appeared in Jump Point 10.9.
In the outer reaches of the Davien system sits the Banu Friendship Museum, which has celebrated the special relationship between Humans and Banu ever since its grand opening in 2838. The museum sees a steady stream of Human tourists and student field trips but relatively few Banu visitors. To attract and retain Banu visitors, the museum recently remodeled its gift shop into a Banu-inspired marketplace. Curator Orisaka also revamped the museum’s main exhibit, which provides a chronological account of the relationship between Humans and Banu, by adding large images of Jerry, the first Banu encountered by Humanity, near the exhibit’s entrance. Clearly visible from the lobby, Orisaka hopes their images will draw Banu to the exhibit out of sheer curiosity. While Jerry may be easily identified by many Humans, as their name and likeness are a staple of the Equivalency curriculum, the Banu, who do not culturally celebrate famous figures from history, have forgotten them completely. In Orisaka’s eyes, “Preserving and honoring the legacy of the Banu who brought us together falls squarely on Humanity’s shoulders.”

FIRST CONTACT
It was 3:13 SET on June 12, 2438, when Vernon Tar heard his ship scanners ping. He was searching for new jump points within a sector of Davien after previous trips had returned promising scans. Worried it might be another navjumper attempting to steal his discovery, Tar opened fire on the vessel. Only after those initial shots did he realize the ship’s design was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Tar relayed his coordinates and a brief description of his encounter to local officials who relayed it to the United Nations of Earth (UNE). Much to his surprise, the ship maintained its position once it became clear Tar was no further threat. Inside the ship that would be later known as a Defender sat Njeri, who the UNE would designate with the name Jerry. Later on, when Njeri learned that this was a close approximation of their Banu name as spoken by Humans, the Banu would embrace the title as a badge of honor and insist on being called it exclusively. The Banu didn’t flee because they also realized they had encountered a new species and hoped their discovery would be their ticket home and out of trouble.

It wasn’t professional ambition or scientific curiosity that brought Jerry into Davien, it was sheer survival. Jerry had been caught embezzling funds from their souli and fled to avoid the consequences. “Jerry was far from a criminal mastermind,” according to Natalia Gordillo, a member of the UNE’s hastily assembled diplomatic team who befriended the Banu and wrote the biography Jerry. While the Banu’s absence of traditional historical records makes aspects of her book almost impossible to corroborate, scholars still consider Gordillo’s book to be the definitive biography on Jerry as it is the only one written by a contemporary who knew them.

Published in 2447, Jerry became a bestseller and for many Humans was their first in-depth look at Banu life and culture. The book revealed fascinating specifics about soulis, the practice of divestment, the Banu’s relationship to time, and more. Yet, it also told a deeply personal and universal story about how Jerry felt out of place with their lot in life. Though a “deskbound” bureaucrat in their souli, Jerry dreamed of being a pilot and intended to use the embezzled funds to buy themselves a position in a respected exploration souli. When their essosouli sniffed out Jerry’s scheme, they panicked and fled in one of the souli’s ships, resulting in a multi-day chase that eventually, through sheer luck and some innate skill, led Jerry to discovering a jump into Davien.

LEGACY
Following first contact, the language difference made it nearly impossible for Jerry to communicate with the Human delegation of scientists and military officials led by General Neal Socolovich. Declassified documents now on display at the Banu Friendship Museum note Jerry’s affable nature and willingness to work with the TECH-Div team to understand each other’s language. These documents also describe a famous incident where a variety of food was presented to Jerry and they proceeded to eat everything, including the packaging around the sandwich and nutrition bar.

Additional Banu appeared in Davien two weeks after Jerry’s arrival. The delegation met with General Socolovich and spent the next few months breaking down the language barrier. This led to the first Interstellar Peace and Trade Accord ratified in October of 2438, which Jerry signed in an honorary capacity. In those intervening months, Jerry helped the teams working to decipher each other’s language and became increasingly fascinated by all things Human. When the Banu delegation was set to return home, they presented Jerry with the option to stay in Davien as an official envoy or return to the Protectorate without fear of repercussions for their crimes. Jerry returned to the Protectorate expecting to be celebrated for their discovery. The decision would be the biggest regret of their life.

Jerry’s souli agreed to let them finish their contract but treated them distrustfully. They reassigned Jerry to a new department where supervisors wearily watched their every move. In Jerry, Gordillo writes that Jerry had hoped their discovery would open up new opportunities for them, but their souli was uninterested in pursuing Human relations. Having spent a few months in a truly privileged and unique position working with Humanity, Jerry struggled to return to their old life. As soon as they were able, Jerry officially severed their ties to their souli and set out on their own.

Middle-aged and souli-less, a suspicious combination in the eyes of many Banu, Jerry started their own Human-relations souli but failed to land any contracts. In the time since their return, other soulis had quickly emerged ready to fill that role and Jerry learned that they couldn’t compete with soulis that could speak common fluently and had more extensive knowledge of Humans than they did. With their options and life savings dwindling, Jerry returned to Davien hoping their fortunes would turn. Upon their arrival, people swarmed Jerry asking for pictures. They figured it was because they were Banu but quickly realized that people knew their name and legacy. Jerry found the attention overwhelming yet exhilarating, telling Gordillo that their life changed once realizing that, “back home I was just another Banu but here… here I was special.”

Jerry would call Davien home for the rest of their life. They learned to speak common and traveled widely across the UNE giving speeches about Banu life and culture. They reconnected with Natalia Gordillo at one such event, which led to them writing their biography. Jerry died at their home in Davien on November 2, 2456, surrounded by Human and Banu friends. While their name may only be remembered by Humanity, their actions forever changed the universe for both Humans and Banu.