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Wade looked at the AI of the San Ti and spoke calmly to it “During the game, didn’t you say to the players that if one of you survives, then all of you survive?”
“Yes” it responded.
“Then I hope you didn’t put all your people on those ships you got coming to Earth.”
“We do not understand.”
“I’m going to tell you the only possible way your species can survive in the long term and then you will understand.” He paused. “Divide your ships and send them off to dwarf planets or moons far away your star system and ours, you damn well know there’s many of them. Only far away and in small groups can civilizations like yours survive in the vastness of the universe.” He waited.
The ai stood immobile for a few seconds. Then, it’s face contorted into a smile. “You think you know more than us about the universe, Dr. Wade? We’ll live well on your planet when we arrive and crush you beneath our feet. You are bugs.”
Wade maintained his calm facade, if he faltered, it was over. “I can never presume to know what you know, as well as you should presume you know what I know. You can’t read my mind after all. No matter how much you watch.”
At this, the AI dropped its smile. That was its only reaction. Wade continued speaking.
“We are bugs. Worms, if you like. And you are birds. You know the saying that goes ‘The early bird catches the worm’? That is you, sabotaging our science while we were none the wiser. The bird flying down to get its food.” Wade paused again, looking for an objection. When he got none, he continued. “However,” He smiled, “even the birds have to look out for the hawks.”
“It’s this an assumption, Dr. Wade?” argued the ai. Its face remained still, but if the Sant ti were afraid before, they were even more so now. They had benefited from humans equating them to gods, if they knew... But no, if humans in general knew, then the San ti would’ve seen it. “Continue to make your point.” It added. So, Wade did.
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Jin looked surprised to see Wade back in base so early and when he called for a meeting with everyone, she didn’t know what to expect. What he said there would later shock the entire world.
He had managed to stop the Santi on their journey to Earth, not permanently, of course, he was just one human after all, but for an indefinite amount of time, on the basis of assured mutual destruction between both civilizations if they continued.
Many thought him a lunatic, and with good reason, after seeing the giant eye in the sky, it was nuts to think we could destroy them with nowhere near that level of technology in our hands. Wade, on the other hand, simply said “We’ve had the technology to end them for many decades already, we just didn’t know how to use it. It doesn’t need to be that advanced.” And no other words left his mouth, publicly, at least.
Privately, it was a whole different matter. The San Ti would not be interfering with human science, and they stopped their ships, but it wasn’t over. It would never be truly over. The future of humanity would also have to be in space, and that would require an insane amount of work over many decades, if not centuries. And that if the San Ti didn’t decide to risk it all and come anyway.
For now, it was about time Dr. Jin Cheng should be bursting into his office. A few seconds later, there she was.
“What is going on? How did you get them to stop? Is the probe with the human brain not going to be made then? Does this mean you’re not going to go to Will with your crazy idea? What are-” Wade cut in her increasing amount of questions before he got a migraine.
“Dr. Cheng, please shut up already.” He said. “I already explained myself, I will not say anything more about the San Ti. I don’t owe you any more than that.”
“But you can’t just-”
“I said NO, Dr. Cheng.” He sighed. He looked down, and then his eyes found hers again. “How about this. I will authorize the use of the cryo chamber for your friend, if he wants it, until Dr. Salazar and whomever she pleases manage to get a nanotechnology treatment working for his illness. Will that get you to shut up and leave my sight for the foreseeable future?” He finished.
Dr. Cheng was already walking out of his office when he heard her say “Yes!”
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It was hard to convince Will, but in the end, he could never say no to Jin, not when she looked at him with those big eyes of her. So, he agreed, for her sake, on the condition that he would not wake up one day and see them all as old, wrinkly people. If they couldn’t cure him with nanotechnology in a maximum of 3 years, they would let him go in peace.
“I promise you we will make it work, and it will not take that long.” Jin told him, his hand in between both of hers, resting on the hospital bed. She leaned forward on her chair besides his bed. “We’ve shown you what Auggie can do now, she’s brilliant!”
“You’re brilliant too, you know.” Will responded. “I hope you know I’m only agreeing because you’re the one asking.” He added after a small pause.
“And I won’t let you down on this. I promise, Will.”
“I trust you.” He said, a small smile blossoming on his face at the conviction in her eyes. “I could never not trust you.”
Right then, Will thought he could see affection in her eyes too, and he could feel hints of hope in his soul for the first time in a long, long time.
Jin immediately raised up from her chair to hug him, and they kept holding each other for as long as they could until they were interrupted. Before he let her go, Will told her she was now in charge of taking care of his fish and his book.
As she looked at him entering the cryo chamber, she smiled. It didn’t go over her head that the only two things he had with him were gifts she gave him.
And if she needed any confirmation, inside the book was a piece of paper with the words “I love you, Jin” in Will’s writing.
Afterwards, when he next woke, Jin would say them back to him.