Mark would have placed the survival of humanity before anything else. If humanity tries to intercept the Builders, how could we even go about it? Anyone who says we should fight has not planned the logistics or considered the outcomes. If we knew they were going to attack, then maybe an all-out defensive assault would be just enough to send the message that the costs of conquest might outweigh the benefits.
This is different. I do not expect an attack or even an attempt to communicate. The Builders have ignored every message we’ve sent. Military solutions are often aimed at eliminating threats, but then military solutions end up eliminating people. A colossal ship, or most likely a fleet, hurtling through space is a threat. I just cannot see any defensive plan that would thwart an aggressive attack by such advanced intelligence. If that intelligence were serious about attacking, I think I would know…
In the seven years since the Ring had been destroyed, food production had partially recovered. Rationing was less common now and prices had fallen; the usual staples were more readily available on store shelves. Yet humanity had cause for concern instead of cause for rejoicing. Doomsday prophecies were gaining currency. Extremist cults and survivalists were recruiting members and building underground shelters to protect from invasion. Aki was unsure whether she should laugh at such measures or pity those comforted by bunkers, prayers, and canned goods. She tried to ignore the lunatic fringes of this most recent panic, but unfounded theories informed many of the resources she used for her research. Since so little could be proven with facts, speculation was used to spackle over the gaps.
Seven years earlier, starvation had been thwarted thanks to mutual aid and international cooperation. Destroying the Ring had shown Homo sapiens how questions of survival were ultimately only answerable on the species-wide level. Now, as 2030 approached, humanity was succumbing to the fear of extinction again. Motives were becoming murky. Dozing while watching a broadcast on the Worldunity Network, Aki was jolted awake when she heard the anchor announce that an anomaly had been discovered on the Vert-Ring. An amateur astronomer had captured the surprising appearance of a small, dark spot. The new Vert-Ring had only reached 30,000 kilometers and the shadowy feature was a mere 50 kilometers across, but it was unmistakably the beginning of a graser cannon.
The UNSDF made an official statement within an hour and released more detailed photographs to the public. Aki recognized the graser’s base and its accents of complex curved lines. The stump of the lens barrel protruded from the base like a searchlight. Strands extended up, growing in all directions, reaching like capillaries. Aki rubbed her temples, a headache starting as she remembered her experience on the Island.
A young man from the Mercury Base eventually appeared on the network screen. His innocent demeanor struck Aki as genuine, but his relentless enthusiasm seemed both forced and an artifact of inexperience.
“We confess that the culmination of this investigation moved too slowly. We were about to release the photograph ourselves. This is not Builder-coded construction; it is our own work. We have spearheaded the formation of a new Island. The graser cannons that surround the Island are more complicated to create than the Island itself. We have been trying to separate these cannons to be able to incite the formation of deceleration lasers. Breakthroughs in the decoding of the mechagenetic Ring particle makeup allow us to grow isolated components. As a test, we attempted to initiate the creation of this single graser cannon.
“To be frank, we didn’t expect such success. We’re investigating how to harness the graser for defensive purposes. The firing range of the graser cannon is 2.8 million kilometers. As a defensive weapon, we would need to mount the cannon to a massive transport ship and move that weapon to a more strategic location. We have not developed the technology necessary to remove it intact and operational as the graser is powered by the Ring itself. We have learned that the tanker, one of the fundamental Ring particles, contains the energy we would need to operate the graser. We have developed the technology to handle small amounts of ring material. We feel that we will be able to develop the technology needed for this endeavor within the next six years. Harnessing the power of the graser will allow us to target high-speed objects and destroy them. Our plan has certain issues of complexity, but given the current state of our defense capabilities and few other alternatives, we are going to do everything in our power to see it through to fruition in the name of human and Earth survival.”
The next segment discussed an instant survey that showed 87 percent of three hundred thousand respondents in favor of developing grasers to defend humanity. Aki yawned and fell asleep on her couch, exhausted from worry and stress.
ACT VIII: FEBRUARY 23, 2029
RAUL ASKED TO meet at the same café. The menu had a broader selection now than it did when Aki had been there five years earlier.
“I still live on the combo platter.” His tray overflowed with french fries, chicken strips, and some deformed dumplings.
“Someday you will understand how ‘garbage in equals garbage out’ applies to both coding and the human body.” Despite such a horrendous diet and a bit of acne, Aki could not help but notice that Raul was more muscular than when she had first met him. His green eyes looked clearer, and Aki had a sense that he still knew her better than most people did, partially because he was one of the few people she could be honest around.
“Aren’t you going to take off your shades?” he asked.
“No. I’m incognito. I use a bodyguard now.”
“Your life’s like an old spy movie,” he said, craning his neck in an attempt to spot her bodyguard.
As vain as it sounded, Aki also knew that on some level she preferred to keep her sunglasses on because they hid a wrinkle or two. “How are things at the ETICC?”
“Paradisiacal. Hundreds of times more computing power.”
A year and a half ago, Raul had been offered a research position at the ETICC. Connecting with Aki had been a turning point in his life. Accepting Natalia as a failed effort and moving forward instead of hanging on when Natalia never quite worked seemed to allow him to move on to other pursuits. With Aki’s encouragement, he had earned his multidisciplinary doctorate in linguistics and cognitive psychology. Since working at the ETICC, his name had appeared in prestigious papers, and Dr. Raul Sanchez had presented his research on extraterrestrial civilizations at several conferences.
“Are you still doing research on AI?”
“Not officially, but it’s on my mind all the time,” he said. Aki wondered if she heard regret in his voice. “I haven’t made much progress. I’m too busy trying to create a universally comprehended artificial language.”
As the conversation became more complex, Aki asked Raul to slow down and stop mumbling. She hoped that Raul did not feel like he was talking to his mother. After dinner, they walked along the tree-lined streets of the campus. He seemed anxious, anticipating that Aki had some favor to ask. Maybe that was all in her head, but she did indeed have a request. As they passed Bancroft Library, Aki decided to broach the subject.
“I watched a recording of one of your speeches.”
“Not my favorite thing,” Raul said. “Especially the speaking in front of people part.”
“I need you to write one for me to deliver.”