“I agree. But the same could be true for any highly developed civilization. Would anyone we interviewed in confidence describe you as having a special affinity for the Life-Form Theory over, say, the Civilization Theory?”
Aki knew that she had entered the high-risk portion of the discussion. She knew the interviewers had vetted her, but she did not know to whom they had spoken. The main difference between the Civilization Theory that the woman with flowing white hair had just brought up and the Life-Form Theory was the belief in an intelligent presence. Followers of the Life-Form Theory subscribed to the idea that evolution takes place without any underlying intentions. As such, believers were labeled nihilists, mostly because the idea that life was moving in a haphazard and meaningless fashion without purpose seemed hopeless. Confessing to nihilism or even an awareness of existential meaninglessness would most likely rule someone out as a candidate for protecting the solar system. Yet, Aki had doubts about any theory that built its validity on the need for hope instead of empirical evidence.
Looking at evolution on Earth, nonintelligent life-forms—those for whom everything is left to the algorithms of evolution because nonintelligent life-forms cannot purposefully shape their own environment—have adapted better than people have. An intelligent life-form changes its environment to suit its petty needs instead of allowing itself to be selected. Yet the ongoing world death toll was revealing human intelligence, despite its efforts, to be losing out to the chaotic whims of its environment. An advanced intelligent life-form would have been able to do a better job. Otherwise, it would be impossible to distinguish adequately developed intelligence from adequately developed non-intelligence.
For Aki, the questions always got sadder quickly. Would ending human life work out better for the other species of Earth? Would learning how to abandon self-awareness and drift like the less thoughtful creatures lead to less pain or even some form of enlightenment? It could not help but make one wonder what would happen if people stopped changing. Perhaps letting go and letting the world have its way with humanity was the ultimate solution to the puzzle of life. In any case, the further one went with the argument, the less one seemed to care about anything at all. Those were the signs of nihilism that Aki knew they were assessing.
She did not want to answer. Mostly because deep down inside she did not know. She could not tell a soul, but it was the answer she was hoping to find in space. All four panelists were the elite of their fields. They embodied Western civilization, were highly educated and were most likely Christians. Greater numbers of believers had found positions of power in the sciences now that their End Times were looking nigh. Aki had met others like them throughout her time as a researcher. Silently, she was grateful for her previous insights into how this sort thought, even if people like these interviewers had never impressed her very much.
“What fascinates me about the Life-Form Theory is that…every step of the process can be explained without assuming that the Builders intend to invade.” She bowed slightly and closed her eyes.
“You are hoping that we are dealing with new neighbors who are doing some friendly landscaping before they move in?” interrupted the overweight man, rubbing at his mouth again.
“I cannot take it for granted that an advanced civilization is acting out of aggression for no reason. The Life-Form Theory tends to fit, even if it only fits my bias. But…” Aki trailed off, unsure what to say.
“You think it is possible that the new neighbors did not notice that life was already here?” asked the man with the gray hair.
“It is the same thing, and it would be a shame to think that such an advanced civilization could be insensitive. Such insensitivity is—” She waved her hand, searching for the word. “Unnatural.”
“Don’t you think these ‘Builders’ might operate based on values that are different from our own?” asked the polite woman.
Aki was overstepping where she had meant to go. She could not tell if the interviewers had provoked her or if she had changed her own mind and wanted the panel to know what she really thought before they made their decision. “If the hypothetical Builders are truly advanced, I believe they would be willing to listen…maybe even respect our wishes. I doubt that they simultaneously have intelligence and have also concluded that human beings do not matter at all.”
“You support the Life-Form Theory?” asked the woman, sounding less polite now.
Aki heard her front teeth click as she nearly bit her tongue. “It is one possibility. If it is a life-form, a single generation must live a long time indeed. There would also be little chance for interspecific competition, which would slow its evolutionary process even further. Despite the possibility, the process appears to be quite sophisticated. There is enough room for speculation that, without knowing anything about its ecosystems for example, it is hard to say anything with certainty. To be honest, I have an easier time believing that it is an automated device created by an alien civilization.” She was well aware that she had just lied but was also pretty sure that the three people who were judging her had not noticed.
“I see. Thank you, Ms. Shiraishi. That will be all,” said the man with the jowls.
Walking out, Aki heard him whisper, “Cold fish. She lacks charm and has no sense of humor. I like her looks, but I would not pay for a second date if she did not make the first one memorable.”
“Which means we have found what we are looking for,” said the woman.
Aki kept walking slowly. She could not help but be glad that these interviewers were not as quiet as they thought they were.
The gray-haired man added, “We are looking for people to save the solar system. I believe we will be better off leaving that job to men.”
“We need a woman on the team,” she countered.
“I know. Why do you have to make my life so difficult, darling?”
TWO WEEKS AFTER Aki returned home, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to the center to notify her that she had been accepted. She was glad that the news came through diplomatic channels. She had expected a soldier to knock on her door.
“There will be a press briefing next week to announce the results. I recommend tying up loose ends,” instructed the official on his way out.
Aki worried that her heart might be beating erratically. She took a deep breath. When she came to her senses she realized what he meant by tying up loose ends. He was suggesting that she say her goodbyes.
That weekend, Aki visited her parents at their home west of Tokyo for the first time in over six months. She arrived at the station to find all the nearby shops closed. On the twenty-minute walk to the residential neighborhood where her parents lived, she thought she saw people that she recognized, but they neither waved nor smiled. More tired than she had expected from the walk, Aki found her mother working in the vegetable greenhouse in the backyard.
“Where is Father?”
“He bought two cases of dried horse mackerel online. He went to Shimizu to pick it up and will be back soon.”
Retail had collapsed by degrees. Now food was usually sold in bulk by auction over the Internet. While in the garden, trying to coax life into the vegetables that could subsist in diminished sunlight, Aki’s mother brought her up to date on her remaining relatives and the neighbors. Rice, meat, eggs, now even milk, were being rationed across the Pacific Rim. Unlike the black market after World War II, farmers in rural areas were suffering just as much as the rest of the country—food was scarce for everyone now that the days were dimmer. Fish was likely to be rationed next. Shorelines had retreated and ocean currents had become sluggish and irregular, both body blows to the fishing industry. The sudden, drastic changes in weather also caused more accidents at sea. Industrial-grade products that could combat the harsh environmental changes were selling well; maybe survival gear was the only thing keeping the economy afloat. What would her parents do when the limping market collapsed? She worried that she would be too many trillions of kilometers away to be of help when her parents’ electricity was cut off.