Curi crossed his loose-sleeved arms. His dark blue-gray hands were his only visible skin. “Very well, then. If this was not a test of some new weapon, what was it?”

Chekov shrugged. “We… are still attempting to determine that.”

The Altairian scoffed. “You expect us to be satisfied with that? You simply don’t know? Do you think we’re so gullible as to simply take your word for it?”

Terrell leaned forward, finally speaking in relaxed, reasonable tones. “If I may, Ambassador… if we’d come here to lie to you, don’t you think we’d have prepared a better story?

“The fact that science doesn’t pretend to have all the answers is the very thing that makes it such a powerful tool to search for the truth. It’s easy to see a gap in what you know and fill it with your own beliefs or preconceptions—or your own fears. But if you really care about the truth, then you simply step back and let the universe speak for itself. If it doesn’t hand you the answer right away, you just keep looking until you find it, however long it takes.”

The captain crossed his arms, his tone growing stern. “No, Ambassador, we can’t yet tell you what this phenomenon is. But you know what? You can’t tell us what it is either. You don’t know any more than we do.

“If this were some kind of weapons test, there’d be evidence of that, surely. Physical debris, a satellite in the vicinity, a recognizable power signature in the readings. Your own scientists would have been able to spot something, and you’d be here with specific evidence. Instead, all you have are questions. The same questions that we have.”

Terrell smiled. “I can certainly understand how not having the answers can be a source of fear and discomfort. But it can also be a source of wonder and optimism. Because not knowing the answers means that you get to go and look for them. It means the universe still has mysteries and uncharted spaces—and there’s as much room in those open spaces for hope as there is for fear. You just have to be willing to seek it out.”

Once Captain Terrell had said his farewells to the Altairians and summoned a yeoman to escort them to the transporter room, Chekov stared at him in appreciation. “That was quite a speech, sir. It really won the ambassador over.”

“Oh, he was just putting on a show of confrontation to appear strong,” Terrell said. “I doubt he ever seriously believed it was a weapons test. All he needed was a credible excuse to let us defuse the situation, so he can say he addressed the fears of his public back home and convince them it’s all right.”