—How do they control it? Did they make more people like Vincent?
—No, they got the b … best engineers they could find and locked them in a room until they figured out a way. They built some contraption—it’s a robot, really—that sits on top of the existing controls. The pilot stands about a foot to the side, their legs inside flexible … tubes. There are sensors inside that ca … capture the human leg movements. The machine translates them into something that matches the alien physiology, then transfers motion to the robot’s controls. It’s fascinating to watch. I have it on video. Would you like to see?
—Some other time. I want to know how they made it work again. I disabled that robot, like you said. It didn’t work. It fell apart. The metal in its leg was—
—Dr. Franklin, I’m a gen … eticist. I know nothing about the metal, or what you d … did to it.
—You know it lost a leg. You can’t just attach a new one. It doesn’t work like that.
—They found a way to convince the rest of the body that the monstrosity they put in its place was the real thing. I don’t know how they did that.
—Surely you must know something. It happened here, no?
—All I know is it has to do with the decay rate of the metal where the pieces touch.
—I thought of that when we assembled Themis. I got nowhere with it.
—You know, Dr. Franklin, it is not entirely impossible that they found someone better than you.
—It’s easy to find someone better than me. I just don’t think we have the technology to do what you’re suggesting. We didn’t when I left, anyway.
—If it makes you feel better, they did have some help.
—From whom?
—Come, let me show you. Oh, and Dr. Franklin?
—Yes.
—I want you to know I had nnn … nothing to do with this.
FILE NO. 2143
INTERVIEW BETWEEN DR. ROSE FRANKLIN AND DETAINEE 46275
Location: United States Central Command (CENTCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida
—Dr. Franklin! What a pleasure!
—Mr. Burns! Your face! Who did this to you?
—I believe his name is Keith.
—This is crazy. Someone has to pay for this. Let me—
—No, Dr. Franklin, don’t. That someone will end up being me. They won’t listen to you, and they’ll punish me for not being able to convince you that I enjoy being punched in the face repeatedly.
—How did they find you? Who told them about you?
—You did, I’m afraid.
—Me?
—Oh, don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. Unfortunately, you don’t enjoy the same level of anonymity our late friend did. Apparently, the NSA was curious to see why you flew to Washington during the alien attack and decided to have you followed. They arrested me not long after you vanished, in my favorite restaurant, no less.
—I’m so, so sorry.
—Don’t be. There’s nothing you could have done. And, you know, this room really isn’t so bad when I have it all to myself. My apartment wasn’t much bigger. I do miss television, and going out, and pens. They won’t give me a pen. I think they’re afraid I’ll try to kill myself. If these little physical therapy sessions told us anything, it’s that I don’t like the sight of blood, but they still won’t give me a pen. But enough about me! I’m not the one who’s been on another planet for almost a decade. How was it? What does it look like?
—You don’t know, do you?
—Why would I? I’m from Michigan.
—It was … interesting.
—OK, then. That’s all I wanted to know.
—I’m just not sure this is the best place to talk.
—Oh, that! Yes, the only time they turn off the cameras is when Keith pays me a visit. Some other time, then.
—What do they want with you? Why are they keeping you here?
—How did we get here? Good question. They took a blood sample when they first interrogated me, and they have been very interested in me ever since.
—But why here? They keep people with unusual DNA in camps.
—Well, my test results were more interesting than most. Not all, but most. Your blood is much more interesting if you ask me.
—And what do they want with you?
—They want information, mostly. I’m a … consultant. They consult me on things. They are very, very enthusiastic about it.
—They beat you up while interrogating you.
—Not exactly. They beat me up, period. Then they come and ask questions. Then they beat me up again to make sure I answer their questions the next time they come.
—What kind of questions?
—Hmmm. Technical questions, mostly. They wanted to know how to get a certain robot to function again. I’m a technical consultant.
—What made them think you would know anything about that?
—I’m not sure. I might have said something. I might have said a lot of things while I was being consulted.
—What have you told them?
—I told them … I told them everything I knew, I suppose. They can be very convincing, you know. It turns out people like me are very sensitive to certain drugs they have, and I’ll admit I have a very low tolerance for pain. Whatever I told them, it seems it wasn’t enough because they keep coming back for more. They seem genuinely surprised every time I don’t know the answer to a question. I keep explaining to them that the people who really knew died three thousand years ago. I must not be very good at explaining it.
—You’re the one who told them how to fix the missing leg.
—I remember them asking about that, yes. Oh yes. They asked about that many times. Did it work? They never told me if my solution worked.
—It did. Now they’re using that robot to bend other nations to their will.
—That’s not very nice.
—No. It’s not. I never even thought about what we’d do with that robot after it fell down. I was so happy, so relieved when they all left Earth, I—
—You didn’t have time! They took you away. There’s nothing you could have done—
—I could have sprayed bacteria all over that robot, disabled every part of it.
—Did you have enough?
—Not at the time, no.
—That’s what I thought. How’s Eva?
—I don’t know. She escaped.
—Escaped? From where?
—I’m sorry. We were being held in Russia. She found a way out of her cell, but I don’t know where she is. I’m worried about her.
—She’ll be OK. Did she have help? It would be better if she had some help, a friend to look after her.
—I don’t know. What are you saying?
—Nothing. Only that if I were in her shoes, I’d like to have a friend to watch over me. Wouldn’t you?
—Yes. I’d like that very much. I’d be very grateful.
—You’re a nice person, Dr. Franklin.
—You used to call me Rose.
—We haven’t met in nine years. I don’t know how you feel about me anymore.
—Why would I feel any different?
—I can give you a hundred million reasons.
—You feel responsible for what happened? You’ve been helping us, helping me, all along! You saved … so many of us.
—You did all that. I just told you a story or two. Besides, someone has to be held accountable, and since my ancestors are not here … They did come for people like me, you know.
—I don’t think you really believe that.
— …
—You know what I’d like? I’d like to hear a story.
—Oh, I think you’ve heard them all. I’m an old man. Old men don’t have any new stories to tell.
—Please? I could really use one now
—Well, there is the one about the blind archer. Have you heard that one before?
—I don’t think I have, no.
—Skaei was a great Viking archer and hunter. That wasn’t her real name—Skaei is a giantess, a goddess in Norse mythology—but she was so good with a bow … So good, she could feed the entire village by herself, and for years she did just that. People said she hunted with her eyes closed, that she could hear the heartbeat of her prey.
She couldn’t. That became abundantly clear when Skaei went blind.
—What happened? Was it an accident?