They’re an empire of
zealots. They must think what they’re doing
is the right thing to do."
"You’ve grasped the situation soundly.
We tried to reason with them, but our many
diplomatic missions have all been destroyed.
We’ve long since stopped sending them."
Xik folded his arms behind his back.
"They’re a monolithic force trying to crush
everything. What I’ve told you is most of the
little we’ve learned about them. They aren’t
interested in cultural exchange."
"This is a hell of a lot to take in."
"It is the reality of the world you live
in."
"It’s kind of depressing," Daniel said.
"We’re fighting for a universe that will burn
out."
"Better than a universe in which
everyone is dead."
"Can’t argue with that."
"In any case," Xik added, "that end is still an unfathomably long time away. Over
100 trillion years for your universe, about
the same for mine. Enough time, I suspect,
for us to find a better solution." He made a
sort of grim smile. "We’ll be gone by then
anyway."
Daniel looked back. "Hey, if you’re so
advanced, don’t you have super-medicine?
Immortality?"
"We live about 400 years. That is
considered…enough. After that time, we
have a choice to either commit ourselves to
recycling or go into stasis. Or keep living—
but that’s frowned upon."
"So -"
Xik raised his white-gloved hand. "I
can’t go into the details, Mr. Fitzgerald. It’s
a bit hypocritical, but aside from giving you
the means to defend yourself, I’m not to
interfere. Especially concerning technology."
Daniel shrugged in acceptance. The
Klide lifestyle wasn’t really relevant,
anyway. Earth had bigger problems. "So…
extractors are pretty tough?"
"One could rip you limb from limb quite
easily."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Daniel rubbed his nose. "And overseers?"
"There are a variety," Xik said, "though the most common aren’t very flexible, for
magicians. Makes them easier to train. Their
magic is still extremely powerful, of course,
and being a sentient individual as smart as
you or I, they’re much more dangerous."
"You know…if we don’t kill that
extractor, a lot of people are going to die in
three days."
"Yes. A lot of people."
"Isn’t there anything we can do?"
"No."
Daniel didn’t know what he felt then.
He’d signed the contract and had his magic,
and he was still a useless weakling. The
world was spitting on him and laughing
about it.
Xik must have seen it on his face.
"Remember this anger, Daniel. Remember
how you felt when you saw a spawn on your
brother’s back. You’ll need that feeling."
"You think so?"
"Your earth is a complicated place.
Humans, like many races, are capable of
great irrationality, be it from love, or hate. I
fear that the Vorid are merely one of your
worries."
"…I’m not surprised."
"Really?" Xik said. "So suspecting of
your own people?"
Daniel shifted on the tile somewhat,
drawing in one of his legs. "You mentioned
love and hate. You forgot fear. I wonder
what a wizard is afraid of?"
Xik gave him a grim nod. "Your magical
orders might very well have hidden more
history from us than we expected."
"Everyone has skeletons in their closet."
"Too true."
"I don’t blame them, though. Seriously."
"The ever-pragmatic Mr. Fitzgerald
doesn’t blame them for the consequences of
their fear?"
"I don’t have a right to," Daniel said,
"considering I’m no longer human, am I? I
turned myself into a monster to get what I
wanted."
"…that’s quite a suggestion."
"It’s true." Daniel looked at his hands. "I have to kill things, now. It’s part of the
program." He stared at his fingers a bit
longer, then glanced back to Xik. "But we’d
rather die on our feet than live on our knees.
Said a great man at some time. I forget."
"…I’ll remember your words," Xik
said. "I am sorry, Daniel."
"It’s the reality of the world I live in,"
Daniel repeated. He sighed. "I can’t
zealots. They must think what they’re doing
is the right thing to do."
"You’ve grasped the situation soundly.
We tried to reason with them, but our many
diplomatic missions have all been destroyed.
We’ve long since stopped sending them."
Xik folded his arms behind his back.
"They’re a monolithic force trying to crush
everything. What I’ve told you is most of the
little we’ve learned about them. They aren’t
interested in cultural exchange."
"This is a hell of a lot to take in."
"It is the reality of the world you live
in."
"It’s kind of depressing," Daniel said.
"We’re fighting for a universe that will burn
out."
"Better than a universe in which
everyone is dead."
"Can’t argue with that."
"In any case," Xik added, "that end is still an unfathomably long time away. Over
100 trillion years for your universe, about
the same for mine. Enough time, I suspect,
for us to find a better solution." He made a
sort of grim smile. "We’ll be gone by then
anyway."
Daniel looked back. "Hey, if you’re so
advanced, don’t you have super-medicine?
Immortality?"
"We live about 400 years. That is
considered…enough. After that time, we
have a choice to either commit ourselves to
recycling or go into stasis. Or keep living—
but that’s frowned upon."
"So -"
Xik raised his white-gloved hand. "I
can’t go into the details, Mr. Fitzgerald. It’s
a bit hypocritical, but aside from giving you
the means to defend yourself, I’m not to
interfere. Especially concerning technology."
Daniel shrugged in acceptance. The
Klide lifestyle wasn’t really relevant,
anyway. Earth had bigger problems. "So…
extractors are pretty tough?"
"One could rip you limb from limb quite
easily."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Daniel rubbed his nose. "And overseers?"
"There are a variety," Xik said, "though the most common aren’t very flexible, for
magicians. Makes them easier to train. Their
magic is still extremely powerful, of course,
and being a sentient individual as smart as
you or I, they’re much more dangerous."
"You know…if we don’t kill that
extractor, a lot of people are going to die in
three days."
"Yes. A lot of people."
"Isn’t there anything we can do?"
"No."
Daniel didn’t know what he felt then.
He’d signed the contract and had his magic,
and he was still a useless weakling. The
world was spitting on him and laughing
about it.
Xik must have seen it on his face.
"Remember this anger, Daniel. Remember
how you felt when you saw a spawn on your
brother’s back. You’ll need that feeling."
"You think so?"
"Your earth is a complicated place.
Humans, like many races, are capable of
great irrationality, be it from love, or hate. I
fear that the Vorid are merely one of your
worries."
"…I’m not surprised."
"Really?" Xik said. "So suspecting of
your own people?"
Daniel shifted on the tile somewhat,
drawing in one of his legs. "You mentioned
love and hate. You forgot fear. I wonder
what a wizard is afraid of?"
Xik gave him a grim nod. "Your magical
orders might very well have hidden more
history from us than we expected."
"Everyone has skeletons in their closet."
"Too true."
"I don’t blame them, though. Seriously."
"The ever-pragmatic Mr. Fitzgerald
doesn’t blame them for the consequences of
their fear?"
"I don’t have a right to," Daniel said,
"considering I’m no longer human, am I? I
turned myself into a monster to get what I
wanted."
"…that’s quite a suggestion."
"It’s true." Daniel looked at his hands. "I have to kill things, now. It’s part of the
program." He stared at his fingers a bit
longer, then glanced back to Xik. "But we’d
rather die on our feet than live on our knees.
Said a great man at some time. I forget."
"…I’ll remember your words," Xik
said. "I am sorry, Daniel."
"It’s the reality of the world I live in,"
Daniel repeated. He sighed. "I can’t
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