Ralph scoffed, but Christophe hushed him. "I want to hear this."
I suddenly felt put on the spot and a little hesitant. I'd never discussed it on the Condor because there...well there, it didn't matter. We'd already committed either horrific crimes, or acts of great heroism, depending on who you asked. I never got a chance to tell all of them they were wrong. It was neither. "It's evolution. Each species learns something from another. It's not some big, bad byproduct of technology. It's not even acts of kindness. It's just boring old evolution.
"Evolution made us smart enough in the right ways to make deep space travel possible. Great! But evolution made the Qitani smart enough to figure out how to do that without the bulk and cost of mile wide ships, didn't they? Evolution made them smart enough to communicate at lightning speed without the hassle of having to actually speak and struggle to hear.
"So we went there and saw theirs, and showed them ours. How is that any different from a bird that watches a monkey use a stick to get ants and starts doing it for themselves? Should we tell the monkey he should not have eaten ants near the bird because it changed the course of the bird's life? Or give him a medal for just doing what a monkey will do?
"There is no guilt in being human. You tell me that over and over. Well, that means going out and exploring, doesn't it? That means taking humanity around. Not just some hidden part of humanity. All of it. And if that means we teach a population how to heal themselves in order to be allowed to learn the secrets they have figured out in exchange, then that is just evolution. Not good, not bad. Just evolution." I finished and looked around, waiting for someone to argue. I was ready. I'd been sitting on my view point for a lot of years in a small cabin filled with people who wouldn't listen to a kid. I was more than ready for their counter arguments.
But there were none. "Very good, Jacob," Christophe said with a nod. "An enlightening take on an old problem."
"Maybe you have a future in politics after all," Reginald said.
I looked to Ralph and almost dared him to say anything. "Hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion he said." He picked up his plate and began eating again, but he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. He was proud of me.
"I'm very glad to hear you have given some thought to these problems that we face going forward," said Christophe. "Perhaps you paid closer attention to your education than you let on."
I had to give a smile back at him. "You can't grow up around nightly philosophical discussions between bitterly devout scientists and not see the need for compromise."
Ralph laughed out loud. "He's right. Some of them were pretty hell bent on their own ideas and wouldn't listen to anyone else." I gave him a look. "What?" he asked with mock innocence. "I have always looked at all sides of the issue." Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Ralph.
"What did you think about Cogen?" Reginald was sitting back, his leg crossed over the other, and giving me that thinking look of his.
I shrugged. "Looks nice."
"Do you agree that the population problem is due to illness?"
"No. Maybe. I mean, I don't know. I can't agree. There's not enough information."
"We've sampled viruses..."
"Yes, that would maybe be harmful to us," I said cutting him off. "Us, not necessarily them. If there's been any full scale biomapping of the Congate population, the HuTA didn't cover that."
"What's your best guess on it, though? Surely you've formed an opinion."
"My opinion is that disease is just one possibility, but that doesn't mean there aren't others. What is their culture like? Are they really inhibited by their environmental woes, or is it some choice we haven't deduced? The HuTA said they mostly live on one continent, though the stats indicate all eleven should be inhabitable. Why do they avoid the others? Are they for outcasts? Forbidden? Or maybe they don't want to populate everywhere. Maybe they are happy with their society how and where it is. They are just hitting their beginnings with true technology. Maybe they don't even know how much of their planet there is." Ralph was looking at me funny. "What?"
"Your folks would be very proud right now, kid."
It stopped me and I felt a pang of pain. And then, Ashnahta's hand on my own. "Well. It's true," I said, trying to cover my emotions.
"Yes, it is at that, Jacob." Christophe looked to Reginald, who gave a small nod. Christophe nodded back. Something was about to happen. All of this had been a lead in. I gripped Ashnahta's hand, feeling her agreement.
"You have created quite a problem for us, Jake." It was not the time to interrupt, even to defend myself. Reginald obviously had one of his speeches prepared and I was wise enough to just sit and listen. "Just when we thought we had one problem around you solved, along comes another. And it's been mostly of your own design. Now we have the problem of what to do with you once again. I had honestly believed you would make an excellent counter for Lynette. She's very dear to us, you know." He sighed. "But I understand. If there's no spark, there's no spark."
I had to laugh. "You do know we are just kids, right?"
He shrugged. "Have you taken a look at yourself recently, Jacob? After all you've been through, can you really say that you are still a child?" I couldn't. If I was being honest, I absolutely could not. "Besides, in a deep space mission, does any of that matter? Relatively, even if you two traveled only a year by your calendar, how many years would it be to us? You'd have to be very young to embark on something like that with a reasonable expectation that by the time you're truly part of the unknown, you'd still be young enough to have children. I can't think in terms of now. I can't plan in terms of now." He glanced to Ashnahta. "And you can stop glaring at me like that, young lady. Facts are facts. You've won. Save your daggers for real enemies."
She was simultaneously outraged at his insolence and amused at his daring. I could feel it in her. She gave him a small nod of concession. He went up a notch in her book.
"Anyway, like I was saying, while I'm glad we figured it out before we locked the two of you in a tin can a billion miles away, it once again presents us with the problem of what to do with you. I can't send you back to Earth." He held a hand up when I opened my mouth. "You were miserable. I get it. I've had it beaten into my thick skull by a dozen people for months." He gave a rueful smile. "I'm thick, but I pick up eventually. I don't want you to be miserable. Honestly I don't, Jake. I can't pretend to understand you, or your life, or how you think." He laughed. "Hell, I'd be hard pressed to guess what color you even like."
"Anything but yellow," I said, glancing to the horrible Jillian suit I was still supposed to wear.
He laughed loudly at that. "You see? My very point! I have tried and tried and I cannot understand you. It's a fantastic talent you have. It always has people on edge and always guessing wrong. So, I have decided that we are done guessing. You have few options, I must admit. But the choice of action will be completely yours."
I shot a look to Ralph who nodded his consent.
"The first option is for you to stay here, on Utopia. There are any number of positions you could step into today. You'd have top clearance, of course, and access to whatever you'd like. You'd be an employee and pull a salary, but your free time would be that. Free. Well, as much freedom as life inside an eleven square mile bubble can offer. You could even go to Earth if you so chose, as long as you followed the employment contract rules and regulations."
It was a very fair offer. More than fair, actually. Probably more than I really deserved. And it wouldn't be a bad life, would it? I could come and go as I pleased. I would be doing a job that truly contributed to the advancements. I'd have a nice place to live and good food and... "What's another option?"
Reginald gave a laugh. "You were right again, Chris." He sighed. "Too bad. I believe you would make an excellent team member. The second option is probably even worse to you. You could remain on Utopia as a guest. You'd have a large suite, a staff, freedom to go to most places. You'd be allowed to book passage to Earth or Luna, of course, and you would be under no contractual obligations."