It was Alex’s turn to think it over. “No,” he said. “I can’t possibly agree to those conditions. Not until I hear the explanation.”
“Then we’ll simply have to leave things as they are.”
“I’m sorry. Answer me this: Why is secrecy so important?”
“Because the danger is so great.”
“What danger?”
“Alex, you’re not being reasonable.”
“Tell me what the danger is.”
“I can’t do that. I’ve already said too much.” And, incredibly, this woman, who had impressed me as being so tough, wiped tears from her cheeks.
She looked in my direction. Then, as though I were of no consequence, back toward Alex. “All right,” she said. “I’m exhausted. I’m tired of carrying this burden on my own. Maybe it is best that you know.”
“Know what, Rachel?”
Rachel seemed to be having trouble finding words. “Alex, you were—” She swallowed. “You were right. I did find another civilization.”
“Where?”
“That’s of no concern. Other than myself, nobody knows. And I’m going to keep it that way.”
“Why?”
“Alex, they’re far in advance of us. Of anything we’ve ever imagined. Sunset thought they were possibly millions of years old. He had a tendency to exaggerate, but he might very well have been correct.”
“How did Sunset happen to be with you?”
“I was with him. We were friends. I went with him once in a while.”
“Okay. Then what happened?”
“They told us to go away. They didn’t want to be bothered by savages.”
“Savages.”
“That’s a direct quote.”
“They speak Standard?”
“Yes.”
“How’d they manage that?”
“I don’t know.”
“The communication was by radio?”
“It was voices in the ship. Or, rather, a voice.”
Alex shook his head. “An actual voice? Or something you heard in your head?”
“A voice. It told us to leave. Not to come back. And not allow any others ‘of your kind’ to intrude.”
“That’s fairly hard to believe, Rachel.”
“Believe what you want. Ask yourself what else would have kept Sunset silent. He knew what it would mean. Once the word got out, there’d be no keeping people away from the place. Even if we refused to make the location public, it would initiate a major hunt. Who knew what the outcome might be? Alex, these creatures were terrifying.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It was as if they got inside us. Took us over. Even today, so many years later, the mere thought of them—” She shuddered.
“How did you respond?”
Her gaze grew intense. “What do you think? Yes, sir. We’ll do what you say. Won’t see any of us around here anymore. Good day to you all.” She actually managed a smile. “How would you have responded?”
“Where’d the tablet come from?”
“They took over the ship. Took it down through the atmosphere and landed it in an open field.”
“That must have been disconcerting.”
“I know how this sounds. It’s nonetheless true. They told us we would not be harmed, but I’ll admit I wasn’t reassured.”
“What happened when you were on the ground?”
“The area was filled with ruins. Stone buildings. Magnificent architecture, but allowed to go to ruin. I asked what they were. Why they’d been abandoned.”
“What did they say?”
“That they were no longer needed. Then we were told to leave the ship.” Her eyes grew large, and she shook her head. “We opened up. Got out.”
“And then?”
“They told us they wanted to do an analysis.”
“Of the ship?”
“I guess. Maybe of us. Damn it, Alex, I don’t know the answers to most of this.”
“It sounds like a harrowing experience.”
“There is no word.”
Another pause. Then: “So what happened? On the ground?”
“A stream ran among the ruins. We stood and watched the ship for a while, but we didn’t see anybody, anything go in. The tablet was set up in front of one of the buildings. A big place. Vaulted roof, what was left of it. Like a church. Or a temple.”
“And Tuttle removed it?”
“No. Not exactly.”
“How did you come into possession of it?”
“We asked them about it. What was it? What did it say? They indicated it was a date and dedication. They wouldn’t do a translation for us. Said we wouldn’t understand. But Sunset wanted to know if we could have it.”
“And—?”
“When we got back to the ship, it was waiting.”
“Rachel, did you ever actually see them?”
“No. We were alone the whole time. But not alone.”
“Did you ask any other questions? Like, how did they learn the language? Who were they?”
“I was too scared. It didn’t strike me at the time that I particularly wanted to ask questions.”
“What about Tuttle?”
“No. Not him either. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen him almost speechless.”
“Okay.” Alex scribbled something on a notepad. “You never went back?”
Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “Are you serious? Would you have gone back?” For a long few moments, no one spoke. Then she continued: “Can I count on you to say nothing about this?”
“Yes.”
“And to drop your investigation, which can only call attention to the matter?”
Alex leaned forward in his chair, propped his elbow on the arm, and rested his chin in his palm. “Rachel, I would certainly drop the investigation if your account were true. Unfortunately, I find it impossible to believe.”
The color drained out of her face. She stared at Alex with such unalloyed venom that I almost expected her to materialize physically and attack him. “Then let it be on your head,” she said. “Whatever happens, it will be your responsibility.” And she broke off.
ELEVEN
It is unthinkable that God should have painted so vast a canvas, and left it for us alone. We will find others like ourselves as we move out among the stars. They will be everywhere.
—Bishop Benjamin Hustings, in reaction to the discovery that there was no one at Alpha Centauri (2511)
“What makes you think she was lying? I’ll admit the story was pretty far out. But why not?”
“She has a problem, Chase.”
“And what’s that?”
“How does she account for the tablet?”
“I thought she managed that pretty well.”
He poured coffee for us. “Do you really think,” he said, “that aliens who don’t want us showing up in their neighborhood would provide evidence that they exist? Why on earth would they hand over the tablet?”