—So what’s the best-case scenario here? They like the British light show, they exit the robot, and they stay for dinner?

—I believe that, secretly or not, everyone is hoping they will simply leave. If they do not, then we hope that they will be the ones to initiate a dialogue and dictate the terms of our mutual discovery. Given their obvious technological superiority, it would seem like the most logical and safest course of action.

—Why would they travel all this way only to leave after a couple days?

—Interestingly enough, it is probably what we would do. At least, it is what we would have done half a century ago. It might be an urban legend, but I was told that in the fifties, the US military started thinking about what it would do if we encountered sentient alien life. They came up with a seven-step procedure, starting with remote surveillance. We would then secretly visit the alien world, and if we felt our weaponry and technology to be more advanced than the aliens, we would begin a series of brief landings during which we would gather samples of plant and animal life, perhaps abducting an alien or two in the process. After that, we would make our existence known to as many aliens as possible, and if we were satisfied with their reaction, we would make contact.

—And if we felt the aliens were superior? What was the plan?

—Pray that they do not see us as food.

FILE NO. 1422

PERSONAL JOURNAL ENTRY—DR. ROSE FRANKLIN, HEAD OF SCIENCE DIVISION, EARTH DEFENSE CORPS

This is what I was afraid of. This is why I wish we…I…had never found Themis. They’re here. Her family’s here, now. Maybe they came to take her home. I wish they would. I wish they’d take me with them. Leave the world as it should be. Even if I stay behind, I do hope they simply leave because whatever they choose to do, there isn’t anything we can do to stop them.

That robot—we named him Kronos—could be six thousand years more advanced than Themis. Assuming that our societies followed a similar evolutionary path, their technological capabilities would have increased exponentially as well. We invented more things in the last one hundred years than we did in the previous one thousand, and we’re likely to invent more than that in the next ten years. Technology might plateau at some point and evolve more slowly, but I can’t even begin to imagine what six thousand years of technological progress might mean for people this advanced. I mean that literally: I can’t imagine it. To say that Themis might be antiquated is such an understatement. She might be the equivalent of a wooden toy for the robot in London. I’d like to keep her as far from there as I can for as long as I can. Unfortunately, that may not be very long. I suggested evacuating the area and waiting six months before we attempt anything. If these aliens want to make contact, let them do it. More importantly, don’t force them to if that’s not what they’re here for. Eugene—he would kill me if he heard me call him by his first name—made it very clear to me that the British Government doesn’t have that kind of patience. I like Eugene. He’s a self-righteous sixty-year-old general with all the open-mindedness you’d expect from a self-righteous sixty-year-old general. But Eugene hates war. He’s seen enough death for a dozen lifetimes, and I trust him to do the right thing.

The right thing might indeed be to send Themis if the alternative is the army. They may not speak any of our languages, but I’m sure they know the meaning of ten thousand men with guns. If there is one aspect of our report that should have been clear, it’s the section on defensive capabilities. I can’t fathom why they would even consider sending troops when the only thing we can say with some degree of certainty is that our weapons would have little or no effect on the robot. And since this robot is bound to be at least as powerful as Themis, it could obliterate any army in a few seconds. Why would anyone want to face that robot? They would at best simply be ignored, and at worst die a completely meaningless death before they ever realize what’s happening.

I am curious, however, as to how that robot made it to London. Witnesses said it didn’t even make a sound. Just appeared out of thin air. For years now, we’ve been looking for a propulsion system, in part because Alyssa thought there might be one, mostly because it would be really convenient. We always assumed it would be just that, a propulsion system, some sort of jet pack that Themis could use to fly. We didn’t find anything, so we looked for commands that would resemble throttle, pitch, yaw, hoping some flames would come out of her feet. But what if it’s not propulsion? If Themis can indeed travel long distances, she might do it in much the same way that robot made it to London. If she can just “beam” herself wherever she wants to go, the commands would look completely different. It might be as simple as entering a set of coordinates and punching go. Of course, I have no idea how such a coordinate system might work, but I’m sure Vincent will be excited to try to figure it out if he gets the chance.

I don’t think Kara and Vincent would last very long against that machine, and if Themis is destroyed, it will surely be the beginning of the end for all of us.

I sincerely hope I’m wrong. I hope a hatch opens on that robot and lets out happy, oddly legged aliens who just want to hug everybody. Everyone at the EDC is so excited about making first contact, I try my best to hide my pessimism. They already think I’m on the verge of depression; they’ll start medicating me if I tell them how I truly feel.

But I can’t shake the feeling that something horrible is about to happen.

Who knows? I might be in desperate need of medication. Believing you’re the only person with their head on straight is usually not a sign of good mental health. Signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. That’s what they said I should be looking for. I wish. That can be treated. I’m afraid there’s only one cure for what I have.

FILE NO. 1427

HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATES, PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Wednesday 6 December

The House met at half past eleven o’clock

PRAYERS

[Mr. Speaker in the Chair]

Points of Order

6 Dec: Column 1325

Daniel Stewart (Rutland and Melton) (LD): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On Monday, in questions to the Prime Minister about municipal response to the alien occupation of Regent’s Park, I described a certain London official in very unfavourable terms and made accusatory remarks that went well beyond my meaning. That city official and my right hon. friend the Member for Ealing, Southall (Sir Charles Duncan), in whose constituency the gentleman resides, have made fervent requests for a retraction. In my attempt to convey just how anxious and concerned I was, I clearly used language that was inappropriate and unfit. I wish to offer an apology and publicly withdraw those remarks.