“That’s probably true, Jack. But an empty universe sounds pretty boring. And we know that’s not the case. It’s not empty; it’s just not crowded.”

“I understand that, Priscilla. Still, I’m not sure we should be looking for excitement. How would a civilization, say, millions of years older than we are react to us if they found out we were here?”

“They’d probably say hello.”

“You really think that would be the case?”

“Why not?”

“What if they were hostile?”

“What makes you think they would be? If they’ve been around a long time, they’re probably not dummies.”

“You sound like the ultimate optimist, Priscilla.”

“I guess anything’s possible. But it’s hard to imagine a highly evolved species picking fights with anyone who shows up.”

“But we could get unlucky, right? Why are you smiling? Isn’t it a bit unsettling to think about what could happen if things didn’t go well? Suppose we encounter a civilization that enjoys blowing up other worlds, and they’re much more technically advanced than we are. What kind of chance would we have to defend ourselves?”

“Probably not much. And you could be right. But it’s just hard to believe that could happen. With all the stuff out there to look at, why would they want to waste their time fighting with neighbors?”

“But we’re getting warnings from scientists.”

“Well, maybe they’re right. Who really knows? I suspect, though, they’ve been watching too many science fiction movies. The members of a society that’s been around for a million years will probably have learned to get along with one another. And it’s hard to see how they could have done that without developing an ethical code that would prevent them from attacking other intelligent species for no reason.”

“I hope you’re right, Priscilla. But, still, if we get it wrong, we’d have a terrible price to pay.” He sat back in his chair. “I have to tell you, you talk about how empty the universe is. For me, it’s not empty enough.”

“I’m surprised to hear that, Jack. You don’t look to me like a guy who scares easily.”

“Ouch. That hurts.”

Hutch laughed. “That’s a natural reaction, I suppose. If there’d been Martians, they would probably have been scared of us.”

“Well, let’s get serious for a moment. We’re into another election season, and the interstellars have already become a hot item. Proctor has said she’ll support the Centauri Initiative, the ban on interstellar travel. How do you think that’ll play out? If she gets reelected, will she follow through?”

“I hope not. It’ll be a serious step backward.”

•  •  •