but mostly speaking to a rapt audience. “That’s the origin of the Cygnus Realm. So we’re not exactly typical of humans you’re likely to find elsewhere in the Milky Way.”
“Well, before this meeting, we weren’t even aware of other humans,” Lomas said. “We’ve assumed, I guess, that humanity was us—that we were its legacy, long departed from Earth and now its banner bearers among the stars.” She sat back in her chair. “It’s a little humbling to find out that not only are we not that, but we’re not even the most advanced group of humans around.”
“All due respect,” Envaer said, leaning forward, his face tight, “but we’ve heard how remarkable your technology is. How do we know it’s true?” He looked at Lomas. “Proconsul, I would avoid rushing to judgment over the claims these people have made.”
Dash smiled patiently. There was a time for kindness and a time for proof. They were now at the latter stage of this little dance with the sycophant Envaer. “Sentinel, how many people are in this base, and how long would it take you to destroy it?”
“There are one hundred and twelve humans present, counting you and Leira, occupying three point two kilometers of corridors and approximately one million cubic meters of excavated space. All weapon systems are capable of destroying it completely in less than one minute.” Sentinel paused, then added, “Ten seconds if I’m feeling, as you like to say, spicy.”
Murmurs rattled around the table, along with looks of alarm, but Dash raised a hand. “Could this base realistically defend itself if I ordered you to destroy it?”
“None of its four missile launchers, particle-beam weapons, and twelve smaller point defense arrays would be able to penetrate the Archetype’s shields before all were neutralized. Would you like me to ping the location of every sidearm on the moon as well?”
Dash turned to Lomas with a shrug of apology. “I’d rather not demonstrate, and that’s not our purpose.”
“That’s fine. In any case, we saw the aftermath of your battle against the Deepers. From the time our probe registered the first shots to the point where they were very thoroughly dead, was—”
“It was shockingly brief,” Abillart said.
“You guys were watching us fight?” Leira asked.
“Only indirectly,” Lomas replied. “You saw the remains of one of our patrols after they’d tangled with those Deeper ships you fought. We followed up with an automated probe to see what had happened to our people, and we just happened to catch your battle in the distance.”
“Your weapons produced electromagnetic and other signatures that are wholly unfamiliar,” Abillart said. “I was especially intrigued by neutrino cascades that—”
“We’ll get to talking about the specific technology eventually, I’m sure,” Lomas said. “Right now, I think we’re really just getting to know one another. And to that end”—Lomas began to gesture toward the stars—“we’re a confederation, loose but strong, of twenty systems given whether or not we’re all speaking to each other at any moment. You know how families can be.”
“Understood. Squabbles are part of governing. Life, really,” Dash said.
“Each Rimworld League system controls their own fate, except for matters of defense, security, and trade. We need each other, and frankly, we’re not strong enough to stand alone. Whatever cultural differences we have get glossed over in a hurry when the shooting starts.”
“Funny, that,” Leira said.
“You said it. We know when to dig in on a rate or loan or argument. We also know when to lock arms and point our guns in the same direction. Like now,” Lomas said. “Our records tell of this place, the Sagittarius Arm, being settled after a long trek around the core from the Orion Arm. Even with the best translation drives available, the progenitors of the League had been underway for at least a decade and, depending on what was meant by underway, as much as two. For them it was a one-way trip, and here we are. Up to our eyeballs in aliens and fighting for our lives.”
“Kind of makes you wonder who else might be out here,” Leira said. “I mean, I don’t think we have any records of your expedition at all. Isn’t that right, Tybalt?”
“It is,” Tybalt replied over the comm. “The Creators did not recognize or record it, for reasons only known to them. As for your species, you have passed through a number of chaotic periods, during which any number of expeditions could have been mounted.”
“That is actually an artificial intelligence speaking?” Abillart asked.
Leira nodded. “It is.”
“It is so .