“What makes you say that?”
“You wouldn’t be interested in us otherwise. Also, you said we had some sort of mystical quality. An existence so charmed that even though we’re at your mercy, you still fear we might escape. Like we’re in a fantasy tale, and you’re worried we might be unkillable because we’re key figures in an ancient prophecy. You know, one that foresees a soldier and a novelist saving the galaxy.” I raised my eyebrows. “If a prophecy like this were true, we couldn’t die until it was fulfilled.”
“You have quite the imagination,” said Michelle. “But I don’t believe in fantasy.”
“No, but you do believe in a predictive AI. One that says I’m vital somehow. And that Tessa also has an important role to play. Not an ancient prophecy, but one compelling and enigmatic enough to make you superstitious.”
“You’re more perceptive than I thought you’d be,” said Michelle.
I was more perceptive than I thought I’d be, thanks to the nanites making me sharper than normal, which I was now convinced was happening.
“So did Nari give you any specifics on why you’re important?” she asked.
“None.”
“Why do you think you are?”
I smiled. “This is what you’re really after, isn’t it? You’re desperate for some insight—any insight—as to why we’re the chosen ones in this AI prophecy.”
“I would like to know that, yes. But I also wanted to meet you. Take your measure. Evaluate the being that our best AI calculates is so important.”
“Before you kill him,” I said.
She shrank back. “If you keep going there I’ll be forced to cut this short.”
“I thought you were genetically enhanced to handle this sort of thing,” said Tessa.
“We are, but it’s still quite uncomfortable to speak about your untimely . . . passing.”
“Yeah, well imagine how uncomfortable it is for us,” I said. “So why don’t we just call the whole thing off.”
“I wish I could. I really do. I don’t bear either of you ill will. Did Nari tell you that not all twenty-two members of the galactic community see things the same way?”
“What you mean is, did he tell us that some races in the Galactic Federation think humanity is much more of a threat than a solution?”
“Yes. There are a number of factions, and each has its own point of view. Nari’s species, which you incorrectly call the Rho, are the ones calling the shots. But many disagree with them.”
She paused. “To be clear, our conclusions have nothing to do with you, personally, Jason. Everything we know about you tells us that you aren’t a bad person—for a human. Not prone to violence—unless it is forced upon you. Imaginative. Thoughtful. A good story teller.”
She sighed. “If you were Adolf Hitler this would be a lot easier for us.”
“Sorry that my decency is making this so difficult,” I said in contempt. “Even more reason to call the whole thing off.”
Michelle looked ill. “I can’t tell you how much I’d like that. Again, we have nothing against you, or even against humanity as a whole. You are who you are. Nari’s people, and others, think we can tame a wolf. But my faction is convinced that the wolf will turn on us as soon as we let it out of its trap.”
“Do you deny that you’re all headed toward extinction?” said Tessa.
“No. But we think we may be able to delay this considerably. It’s a long way off. Anything can happen. Perhaps genetic engineering techniques can heighten our parental instincts, drive us to reproduce more, get more excitement from existence, and so on.
“But you wouldn’t be the same,” said Tessa. “Tampering with your psyches in this way would kill something vital to the makeup of your respective species. Alter the very qualities you most value about yourselves. If not, you’d have taken this step already.”
Michelle sighed. “You’re right,” she admitted. “But while we haven’t found the right genetic recipe yet, there’s plenty of time for that to change.”
“And what if it doesn’t?” I said.
“Then it doesn’t. But humanity still wouldn’t be the answer. I’d still rather die in my sleep than be torn to pieces and devoured by a wolf.”
I had to admit, she had a point.
“In our minds,” continued the alien, “we have no choice. We’d love to just leave Earth in peace, which is what we’ve been advocating for from the start.”
“Right,” said Tessa. “Leaving us alone to eliminate ourselves as a future threat.”
“We only wanted to ensure no one meddled in your affairs. Now our goal is to play the least invasive role possible while restoring what should have been the natural course of events. We aren’t interested in actively participating in humanity’s demise.”
“Just in making sure this demise comes to pass,” I said. “By actively participating in the demise of me and Tessa. The flies in the ointment. The mystical humans who might somehow help Nari and the not-really-Rho succeed here.”
Michelle lowered her eyes. “I wish there was another way. You deserve better.”
“There is a another way,” said Tessa. “Like Jason’s been telling you. Call it off. We’ll promise to go away and have nothing to do with Nari—or the Federation.”
Michelle shook her head, looking ill once again. “I can’t. But thank you both for speaking with me. I’ll be taking my leave now. I am so sorry you got caught up in this.”
“Wait,” I said, still desperately trying to find a way out, no matter how remote the chances. “Are you aware that Nari wanted a private meeting with us today? To tell us things he didn’t tell us the first time around?”
Michelle looked intrigued. “I’m not.”
“It’s true,” I assured her.
“Do you have any sense of what he might say?”