—I’m sorry.
—No, Vincent. I’m sorry. You, and the Americans, you started all this. You don’t get to be sorry. You get to live with it, that’s all.
— …
—And the camps? You’re surprised about that? You’re the ones who told us we’re all kind of related to them, some of us more than others. You told us they only came for a few of their kind. You’re still saying it. Dr. Franklin said it on television the same day you disappeared. I know you think it’s supposed to make everyone feel better, knowing that these Ekt, or whatever, didn’t really want to kill all of us. But it doesn’t Vincent. It just doesn’t. My baby’s dead. She’s not coming back. And they’re still here. The people they came for, some of them are still here. Millions of us died, and they’re still here, walking the streets, like nothing happened.
—I’m sure they feel responsible.
—Yeah, I’m sure they do. But they shouldn’t. They shouldn’t be feeling anything at all. They should be dead. We’ll never be safe until they’re all dead.
—Are you saying they’re killing people in these camps?
—Only the A5s, for now.
—Eva …
—Well, I told you—
—You told me she’d have a hard time getting a job. You— —We keep her in a glass jar, Vincent. What would you have us do? The aliens came for those people. As long as they’re here, there’s no reason the Ekt shouldn’t come again. You just told me we can’t stop them.
—Eva’s not one of them. She … She’s my daughter. I’m human. I’m like you.
—No, Vincent, you’re not like me. Don’t look at me that way. It’s not my opinion, it’s a measurable fact. You’re an A4. You’re less human than I am. I’m less human than Dr. Franklin.
—But those people you’re talking about, the ones they came for, they’re … different. They’re …
—What are they, Vincent? … See. You didn’t get it before, but you’re getting it now, aren’t you? They came for a handful of their kind, but they realized their blood had mixed with ours along the way. So who would they come back for? The ones that have more alien DNA? How much more?
—I don’t—
—I know you don’t. No one knows. No one knows where they’d stop. No one knows what would make them say: “OK. We’ll leave now. We’ll stop killing everyone.” So we’re guessing. Start from the top. Work your way down. Right now, we’re rounding up A3s and up, but we’re stopping the purge at A5. Not everyone is, by the way. I wouldn’t go to France if I were you.
—That’s insane. This has to stop.
—Then help me stop it. Tell me what happened.
—I don’t know what you wanna hear.
—Start from the beginning. You end up on another planet. You’re stuck inside Themis for days. You can’t get out. You think you’re all gonna die. Then what? Obviously you didn’t die in there.
—I made a fire. That set off an alarm. People came.
—What people?
—People! I don’t know who they were. We didn’t understand what they were saying. We were weak, scared, confused.
—And?
—I don’t know! I woke up inside a small room with no windows. I was there for days, a couple weeks maybe.
—Alone?
—Yes.
—They put each of you in a different room.
—No, Eva, Rose, and Eugene were together.
—Why just you?
—I …
—I what?
—I punched one of them, sorta. He … He grabbed Eva, and I tried to punch him. Then they put me in a different room.
—That’s funny … OK. Maybe it wasn’t funny back then, but it’s funny now. No? What then? Did they hurt you?
—No. They’re not like that.
—Not like what? You punch someone in the face, they don’t need to be anything to wanna punch you back. It’s just— —Human nature?
—I see what you did there. OK, so they’re supernice. And you spent a week or two in a dark room, alone.
—Yes. Well, someone came. He …
—He what? Brought you flowers? Some tea?
—He taught me how to speak.
FILE NO. EE006—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Interview between Opt Enatast and Vincent Couture
Location unknown
—Ast eyet Enatast.
—My friends and I have been separated. I want to see them.
—Ast eyet Enatast.
—Where are you keeping my friends? My friends? I just want to know if they’re safe. You have absolutely no idea what I’m saying, do you?
—Ast … eyet … Enatast.
—Good for you. I don’t understand. But you already knew that.
—Ast … ey … et … En … at … ast.
—So you keep saying. I guess that means there’s no tiny robot coming to inject me with translator microbes. That was a joke. I take it you didn’t watch Farscape. DRDs, little yellow things. Never mind … How about this? Shaka, when the walls fell.
—Ast … ey … et … En … at … ast.
—Dear God. Do you know why they have everyone speak English on television? It’s because learning a language takes fucking forever! Sorry. Bad word. Don’t learn that one. That’s why I did linguistic theory, so I wouldn’t have to do this, ever. Fieldwork sucks. Again, bad word.
—Ast—
—I know. I know. Now you’re touching your forehead. Is that a greeting? Let me try. Ass Enatat …
— …
—Blank stare. I guess not. Is that your name? My name is Vincent. Vincent … Vincent. This is my head.
—Eps eyet Yincent!
—You’re smiling. Eps eyet Vincent!
—Ast.
—What? Ah wait. I just said you’re Vincent, didn’t I? Ast eyet Vincent. Eps eyet Ena …
—Enatast!
—Yes! I can say my name! I’m a genius. I’m gonna need something to write this down. Your turn. You are Enatast. I am Vincent.
Oh, don’t look at me that way. I have a feeling I’m not the smart one in this room. An hour from now, you’ll feel like you’re trying to teach a cat to do tricks. I learn yours, you learn mine. That’s the deal. You … are … Enatast …
—Yout … ay … Yincent.
—Close enough! Now where are my friends? Friends. Here. Let me mime them for you. Eva, tiny human. Eugene. Big Man. Rose. I can’t mime Rose. My friends!
—Optept akt.
—Yes, optept akt! Where are my friends!
—Eyet onyosk.
—Don’t eyet onyosk me. You know what I’m saying. Optept akt! I have no idea what it means, but I mimed my friends and you said Optept akt. Ast … see, with my eyes, optept akt!
FILE NO. EE011—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Interview between Brigadier General Eugene Govender and Dr. Rose Franklin
Location unknown
—Wake up and smell the coffee, Rose! We’re goddamn prisoners!
—They’re just being cautious, General.
—Cautious! Is that what you call it? The doors lock from the outside. There are armed … teenagers outside the door. This is a jail.
—What did you expect? They don’t know us. They don’t know what our intentions are.
—Of course they know what they are. Our intention is to get out of this shithole and go back home, which is precisely what they seem to be hell-bent on preventing.
—I don’t think they mean us any harm.
—You don’t think … Goddammit! They killed a hundred million of us! That’s pretty unambiguous if you ask me.
—I’m certain that’s not what they came to do. And you know I meant the four of us. They could have killed us on the spot when they found us inside Themis.
—Is that good? Who’s to say they don’t want to torture us, dissect us, make us watch while they cut us into little pieces? Maybe that’s what they’re doing to Couture while you and I are talking.
—Shhhh!
—The kid’s sleeping, Rose. She can’t hear us.
—And what if she’s not? She’s ten! She’s scared enough as it is. Don’t put ideas in her head. Vincent’s coming back. He could be in the next room. You saw what he did to that guard when he grabbed Eva.
—Goddamn idiot. I thought he was gonna get us all killed.
—That’s my point. They didn’t kill us. In fact, since we arrived, the only violence came from us, not them.
—If I didn’t know you better, Rose Franklin, I’d say you’re taking their side.