“More noteworthy,” added Stevie, “that Obelus was able to break into enough levels of encrypted correspondence that he was able to locate a CIA caravan with basically no paper trail.”

Cora suppressed a shudder at the memory of that caravan. Four CIA agents had been tasked with transporting Cora and the Fremdan Genome, a collection of what Ampersand had described as “genetic material,” which turned out to be a living, breathing alien person, to an undisclosed location, but Obelus had found them before they got there. Cora and the Genome had been the only ones to make it out alive.

“What does that have to do with defense?” she asked, shaking the memory off.

Again, that awkward silence, like her hamster had died but no one wanted to break it to her.

“Let me put it this way,” said Luciana. “They are not thinking in terms of defense.”

It took Cora a moment to see what Luciana was getting at. “Oh my God.”

“What Obelus did, while terrifying, could potentially be repurposed by the military,” said Dr. Sev.

Sol chuckled humorlessly, adding, “If an ETI can break into NORAD after following a trail of badly encrypted emails, an ETI can probably find bin Laden.”

Cora didn’t react, stunned that it was being floated anywhere, at any level of government, that the Fremda group could be used for military purposes. But wasn’t it more naive to be surprised? Of course they were thinking like that. This is America. Besides, she couldn’t say she hadn’t had thoughts like that. Not “find and kill bin Laden,” exactly, but if Ampersand put his mind to it, he could do some terrifying things, and he was in no way beholden to human scruples.

But by that same token, he could also do some good things. Great things, even. How many of humanity’s problems could be solved by technologies it was well within his capacity to innovate?

But, of course, extrajudicial killing would be the first thing they’d think of, wouldn’t it?

Cora looked at Sol. “What do you think?”

“Well, I would love to know where bin Laden is. I would love to personally shove my foot down his throat and put it out the other side.”

“And I think . . .” Luciana shook her head, momentarily at a loss for words. “I think Scio wouldn’t agree to it. But if he did, something about the U.S. military repurposing alien tech to decide who lives and who dies doesn’t sit right with me.”

“That’s not a road any of us want to go down,” said Dr. Sev. Sol’s expression indicated to Cora that he was totally humoring the idea of going down that road.

“But why is it the DOD that’s being loudest?” asked Cora. “If Cheney’s so desperate for a political win, can’t you just ask him to, like, cure AIDS or something?”

Luciana’s, Dr. Sev’s, and Stevie’s eyes all popped as if they hadn’t considered that but, my, what a marvelous idea! Sol, predictably, ignored it. “Well, you know what, the CDC is the one agency that doesn’t seem to really have any interest in getting in on this. But the Cheney administration is in a tailspin. They’re being threatened in a primary. An incumbent has never lost a presidential primary before. So they are desperate, and there are those within the administration putting out feelers on how to turn these incredibly powerful ETIs into an asset. And, of course, the best and most obvious way to do that is through the military, and they are chomping at the bit to get in here. So if you really think that’s a bad idea then you need your buddy to get out here in person in front of Brigadier General Porter, and explain why.”