Free InterstellarNet: Origins by Edward M. Lerner Page A

on.”
    “Exactly. ET’s science appears not to have gone in those directions.”
    “And in return for this decades-old technology we can expect to receive advanced chemical knowledge, such as for fuel cells. In effect we will get something for nothing.” Ramos thumped the table. “How can we lose?”
    “Who are ‘we’ who cannot lose?” Charise Ganes asked coldly. “Who obtains this advanced chemistry and reaps the benefits? A few big multinational corporations?”
    “If I may?” It was Khaldun ibn-Saud, ambassador and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (and, Dean suspected, another Klein ally). “All our universities have listened to ET. When he responds, all will do so again. We shall all get the new technology.”
    Another noisy interruption from the street. Just for a moment Li Zhou Huang, the Chinese ambassador, narrowed his eyes.
    Of course, Li’s government wasn’t big on public protest. The regime continued to rationalize the Tiananmen Square massacre. Talk about cultural differences, Dean thought.
    Dean’s mental antennae quivered again. What was it?
    The ambassadors were now talking to each other—and as often past each other. No one seemed interested in Dean at the moment. Putting his trust in his subconscious, he gave less than his full attention to the debate. Cultural differences. Cultural sensitivities.
    Step back, Dean told himself. Big picture. The decoding remained unchallenged. The potential benefit of the proposed swap was uncontested. The subliminal text of his briefing, that ET would get technology inferior to what the less developed countries had already mastered, may have converted a few ambassadors. That was one cultural sensitivity addressed….
    What was his subconscious poking at?
    Ambassador Ganes orchestrated a steady stream of objections, pressing what seemed to be the last-ditch counterargument to a reply. Who is this ET? Why is he so secretive? What are his motives? Ganes had never given Dean any impression she was xenophobic—but whatever did bother her somehow justified fanning and exploiting xenophobia in others.
    French-accented English in Dean’s earpiece presented the translated objections of Chad. Some combination of the translator’s accent and the booming bass voice of Chad’s ambassador brought to Dean’s mind the leader of the Media & Education committee. “Our role is to package and control the Lalande information,” Paul Ricard had said at the kickoff, “in a manner respectful of the various cultural sensitivities.”
    Dean had focused that day on the impracticality of controlling ET information. What about packaging that information? He remembered sitting through one droning oration after another about the optimal multicultural spinning of prospective announcements.
    So what had he learned?
    In the streets a new chant broke out, louder than ever. “Hey, Hey. Ho, Ho. COP-U-OS has got to go! ” Sirens wailed.
    Just how many people were outside protesting? Dean wondered.
    Li Zhou Huang squinted once more, his feelings toward the crowd evident. Earth First had been wise to omit China from its planned demonstrations.
    The chant changed to “ET hang up! ET hang up!”
    What did ET know about Earth’s cultures? Almost certainly, nothing. Ditto for any sensitivity that news of ET’s culture might arouse passions on Earth. And so—
    Dean blinked. Suddenly, it all made sense. He grabbed a mike. “The concerns now being expressed may rest on a misapprehension.”
    “And what is that?” Ambassador Ganes asked frostily.
    “That the society on Lalande 21185 is being secretive.” Dean spread his arms wide. “Many cultural perspectives are evident at this hearing. And yet despite the precedent here on Earth, we speak of ET, of a personification rather than a populace. I wonder if we have fallen into the error of positing a single alien culture.” As he had, until a moment ago.
    “Imagine a far-off conference of aliens preparing a message to Earth. They, too, have