Only Human (Themis Files #3)(21)

Location: GRU building, Saint Petersburg, Russia


—Look, Katherine. I can talk to you about what the weather was like, what we ate for breakfast, but I don’t think you’re that curious about it. What do you really wanna know?

—The same thing everyone wants to know, Vincent. I want to know if they’re coming back!

—They’re not! I told you already. How many times do you want me to say it? The Ekt aren’t coming back here. I really, honestly—cross my heart and hope to die—don’t think they are. The whole Earth debacle is a huge deal for them. They’ll talk about it forever, but there’s no way they’ll ever agree on anything. It’s all about interference. Everything is. Coming here to remove the alien descendants is definitely interfering, but they agreed to it thinking it would only affect a few people, and it was better than having our entire species “infected” with their genetics. Realizing that’s exactly what had happened was really bad. Killing millions of us while figuring this out is also bad, not so much because people died but because that’s even more interference. It’s like trying to wipe an oil stain off your shirt, only to realize your hands are dirty and you’re smearing more shit all over. They can’t fix this. They won’t do anything.

—I wish I could believe that.

—Well, that’s your choice, now, isn’t it? But stop asking the question if you don’t care about the answer.

—It’s just hard to believe, Vincent. You said they came here to find a few people. They left when we all started dying, but they still haven’t found those people. They’re still here. Won’t they want to come back and finish the job?

—I’m telling you, they don’t want a war with us. They told us in so many words. They were Ekt words, so there might have been fewer.

—They did?

—Tell us? Yes! General Govender was there. He made peace with their government.

—Officially?

—What does that even mean? Yes. Officially. He met with them, in an official manner. It was all … very official.





FILE NO. EE028—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT


Interview between Eugene Govender and Opt Enatast


Location: Assigned residence, Etyakt region


Translated by Vincent Couture


—Sit down, Couture. You’re making me nervous. What does he want with me?

[He said: “Take me to your leader.” I’m only half kidding, that’s sort of what he said. He wants to talk to the boss. I explained to him what a general was, and he said he wanted to meet you.]

What’s his name again?

[Opt Enatast.]

Do I call him Opt? Mister Opt?

[No. Either the whole thing or just Enatast. Or you don’t call him anything.]

I have to call him something.

[How often do you use someone’s name when you talk to them? But whatever, call him Enatast. That’s what I do. I don’t think it’s rude, but even if it were, he had to teach me how to use the toilet, I’m sure he’ll cut us some slack on etiquette.]

And you’ll translate everything back and forth.

[He might understand you if you keep it simple. If not, I’ll do my best, but you still need to keep it simple.]

Goddammit!

[Here he is. Eyyetist, Enatast. Eyet General Eugene Govender.]

—Eyyetist, Vincent. Eyipot otot eps, Yeneyay.

—What’d he say?

[I don’t know. Something polite.]

Did he call me Yeneyay?

[Yes. He called you general. Just shake his hand, will you? I showed him how that works.]

It’s an honor to meet you, Opt Enatast.

—Eyitokt aktept otok apats Akitast—

[Whoa. Stop! Slowly. Ansyets. Ansyets.]

Eyitokt … aktept … otok apats Akitast.

[Speak like Great Council of Akitast. I speak for the Council, on behalf of, something like that.]

Ast eyapetent ekukt eteyans.

[I apologize, or I’m sorry for the death of the Terrans, humans.]

…

[You have to say something now, General.]

—Ask him why they attacked us.

[How about you apologize for their four pilots first?]

A hundred million to four. We’re not exactly even. Ask him.

[Ekt eyepsats iset akt.]

—Eyekant ops. Aks eyepsats apepoks Ekt. Ast eyapetent.

[We didn’t. We attacked Ekt criminals. I’m sorry.]

—That’s it? A hundred million dead, and he’s sorry?

[Look, General, he’s not the one who sent those robots. I’m sure he’d have a lot more to say if his interpreter didn’t have the vocabulary of a three-year-old. Just take the man at his word, will you?]

Ask him if he knows how many of us they killed.

[No, I won’t. Even if I could, I’m not asking him that.]

Fine. Tell him … Tell him we don’t want a war.

[Aks eyapat ops …]

Vincent?

[EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. BOOM! TATATATATA! AAARGH!]

What the hell are you doing?

[I’m miming a war. I told you to keep it simple.]

—Oyokyets!

[Maybe?]

Aks anyoks eyapat ops oyokyets.

[We don’t want a war either. There!]

—Tell him I don’t speak for our entire planet. Tell him no one does. Tell him it won’t be easy to convince the people on Earth that they don’t mean us any harm, not after what they’ve done. It might take a few generations before we’re able to start a relationship with a clean slate. Tell him I’ll do my best to explain to our leaders that this was … Goddammit, how do you tell someone one hundred million dead was an accident? It wouldn’t hurt if they took some responsibility. This five-year-old thing: It was an accident. I don’t think it’s gonna sit too well with anyone who’s had their biggest city turned into a mass grave. Are you sure he can’t understand me? YOU! I’M TALKING TO YOU! Did you hear what I just said?