So the discussion has us at an impasse; either we grant ETIs, knowing absolutely nothing about their similarities or differences to us, full human rights, or we grant them no rights. The idea that these are our only two options strikes me as odd because part of what makes us human is our ability to problem solve, to innovate.

I would like to suggest a third option.

1

“Hey, anyone home?”

Cora blinked, shooting to attention. “Yes.”

“Did you hear the question?”

“Yes.” She blinked again, trying to snap out of the mind fog that had been plaguing her all morning. The fluorescent lights in this conference room were the frequency of knives. “Scio has declined to speak.”

Sol shot her a millisecond of a glare, then faced the brigadier general seated on the other side of the conference table. “If he says he’s not going to talk to us, that’s pretty much that for the day.”

Brigadier General Whatsisfuck didn’t even look at Cora, which had been par for the course for this meeting and also fine by her. This guy was only the last in a long line of government bureaucrats she’d had to reassure everything was fine and the world isn’t ending while also gently telling them no, the aliens do not want to talk to you. State had been fine—they’d been polite, and only came knocking once. Homeland Security were low-key awful, but at least they kept it short and to the point. NASA were actually cool, she enjoyed those guys. The Department of Energy even showed up at one point; she had no idea what that was about. But the Department of Defense, they were the worst. Not only would they not take no for an answer, there were so many of them, none of the different departments ever communicated with each other, and they just kept showing up with the head of whatever new ETI task force they’d formed this week. This one was called something like . . . National . . . Security . . . Intelligence Force for Who Gives a Shit? She was so tired.

“I know it’s a strange situation,” said ROSA director Sevak “Dr. Sev” Ghasabian, flanked on his right by Cora’s aunt Luciana. A fiftysomething with sharp features and a head like a cue ball, he preferred Dr. Sev, just in case anyone was unclear on which degree he’d completed. “I know you’re on a tight schedule, but the best we can suggest is that one of them might be more amenable if you come back tomorrow.”

“When I flew out here, it was my understanding that some face time was going to happen with one of the, um, amygdalines.”

The brigadier general, a square-shouldered man who looked like a Boy Scout wearing age makeup, still ignored Cora. She wondered if it was because of who she was, since he was being noticeably dismissive to Luciana, too. Perhaps it was because they were members of the Ortega family, and her father, Nils Ortega, was presently the biggest force of chaos on this earth besides the aliens. Given that they were the only women in the room, it could also be shameless misogyny. Or both!