ABE regulated my blood pressure even as it channeled my rebuttal. “You said GOLEM—or whatever it’s become—possesses the desires of a sociopath. Being a Buddhist, I’m guessing you never read the Bible, though I suspect GOLEM did. According to the Old Testament, God inflicted quite a lot of punishment on His chosen ones, not to mention all those who died in the flood, and the Holocaust, and, oh yeah, the GDO. And just for the sake of argument, wouldn’t cows and sheep and other farm animals be considered genetic commodities created to serve man?”

“You are equating the cephalopods with livestock?”

“I’m just saying that whatever GOLEM has become over the last twelve million years, it may have been influenced by a Judeo-Christian-Islamic interpretation of a supreme being.”

“I cannot speak for the biblical references, but the Holocaust and the Die-Off were cause-and-effect events that were brought about by man’s unbridled ego—the same ego that now motivates you to defend the acts of evil perpetrated by your machine.”

She was right, of course.

“Dharma, I’m sorry. I like Oscar. I respect his kind. Finish telling me what happened. After thousands of years of fighting, how did the cephalopeds become pacifists?”

She took a moment to register my sincerity, then began again. “If peace could not be acquired with their enemy, then it would be acquired without them. A grassroots movement took shape, based on the belief that acts of violence and aggression, even against their oppressors, affected the cephalopeds’ connection with the spiritual realm. This belief, acted upon before a spiritual connection even existed, not only elevated their species over time, but gave them access to what they refer to as the ‘Light of the Creator’—a source of energy and fulfillment that transformed their entire existence.”

“Is this their idea of fulfillment? To hide in caves and accept their place on the food chain?”

“Ike, these creatures see a far bigger picture. As to their slaughter, they are convinced an event is coming—a spiritual awakening that translates into something called the ‘Rebirth Moon.’ The event was foretold long ago, precipitated by your appearance.”

“My appearance? Am I supposed to be some sort of cephaloped messiah?”

“That remains to be seen. But remember what I said to you back on Oceanus. That your presence on the Omega mission would change the course of history.”

“And what about your presence, Dharma? Why are you here?”

“I am here to guide you when you are led astray by your ego.” Reaching for my hand, she squeezed it. “We’re both tired and hungry. Let’s not think about anything else until we’ve eaten and rested.”