Getting a Technology System in Modern Day

Chapter 642 A Difficult Problem...

\uFEFF\uFEFFAyaka took a moment to compose herself, then squared her shoulders and faced Birch. \u201CBut right now we have more pressing matters to consider. We\u2019ll take you up on your gracious offer of a memorial in the future, but we need to know more about your children, and the children of your compatriots,\u201D she said. \u201CHow mature, mentally and emotionally speaking, will they be when they\u2019re... born?\u201D<\/p>

\u201CThat is an excellent question, Captain. We discussed it among ourselves and decided that it wouldn\u2019t be cost-effective, in terms of mana expenditure, to raise them to the maturity level of Joon-ho when they\u2019re first born. But that was only a contributing factor to the eventual decision.... What was more important was that we learned from him that individuals that aren\u2019t part of a collective, as we are, are shaped and formed by their experiences.<\/p>

\u201CSo if we were to artificially implant Joon-ho\u2019s experiences into our children, they would be born with the same inspirations, hopes, and plans that he has within him based on his own life experience. And that, we thought, would be unbefitting of their unique individuality, an individuality that we hope to foster in them.\u201D<\/p>

Ayaka nodded in understanding. She wholeheartedly agreed, and the thought of billions of Terrible Teenagers running amok sent a chill shivering down her spine. One Joon-ho was more than enough, and perhaps half a Joon-ho too much.<\/p>

\u201CHow do you plan on raising them, Lady Birch?\u201D she asked.<\/p>

Birch\u2019s head rotated a hundred and eighty degrees and she gazed off into the distance as though she could see through the root construct that compromised the outer walls of the castle she had created out of what was essentially an extremely sturdy wicker. \u201CWe were actually hoping that you could help us with that, Captain,\u201D she finally said after a moment.<\/p>

The smile on Boris\u2019 face faltered as he was reminded that Birch was still fundamentally alien; no human could possibly swivel, twist, and turn their heads as she did out of hand.<\/p>

\u201CWe can teach you developmental psychology if you like, and childrearing practices... at least, we can teach you HUMAN childrearing practices. I\u2019m not sure how well they would apply to nonhuman species, though,\u201D Ayaka said, then turned to Boris. \u201CWhat do you think?\u201D<\/p>

\u201CDa. It\u2019s likely that our childrearing practices and developmental psychology would only have limited applicability to the newborns,\u201D he said, resting his elbow in his hand and rubbing his chin with his thumb. Ayaka concealed a wince; Boris had apparently forgotten that he was still wearing a SLEEK suit and that chin rub must have stung like a bitch.<\/p>

But the gregarious Russian gave no sign as he continued, \u201CWe would need to study one in their development and generate a new field of developmental psychology....\u201D He trailed off, mumbling incoherently to himself as he considered the creation of an entirely new field of psychology and the ramifications of it. As far as anyone knew, this was the first interaction humanity had ever had with an alien species, so his name would join the other greats of psychology in recorded history!<\/p>

...If, that is, he was successful. Developing an entirely new school of thought to the point that it could be applied to billions of newborns\u2014adult bodies or not\u2014would be extremely difficult. And that difficulty would be raised to hell mode if he had to do it in the remaining time before the population was born. \u2018Dammit!\u2019 he thought. \u201CWhy couldn\u2019t they have staggered the births, or reserved some of them? Or even just not birth so fucking many of them so they came out at least able to speak and use rudimentary tools!\u2019<\/p>

\u201CWell, Boris?\u201D Ayaka asked.<\/p>

\u201COh? Ah! Ahem... da. It\u2019s possible, but so is Proxima Centauri going supernova tomorrow. There\u2019s just not enough time to come up with a developmental plan for a species that doesn\u2019t even exist yet,\u201D he said.<\/p>

\u201CBut it\u2019s theoretically possible? What about time dilation?\u201D<\/p>

\u201CWe would need a control group and enough time dilation to watch them develop completely without interference to get a baseline, then repeat the process through a generational study with multiple test groups....\u201D Boris devolved into highly technical psychological terms and Ayaka\u2019s mind fuzzed out a bit.<\/p>

\u201CGive me a moment to discuss the situation with the fleet, please, Lady Birch. Right now it\u2019s looking like we simply don\u2019t have enough time for the first generation, but there may be another possibility,\u201D she said, turning to Birch.

\u201CAnother possibility, Captain Takahashi?\u201D Birch asked, spinning her head back around to face the erstwhile diplomat.<\/p>

\u201CYes, it\u2019s possible that, if you can delay their birth for say... a week, perhaps two, we can come up with a stopgap measure.\u201D<\/p>

\u201CWhat is a week?\u201D Birch tilted her head in confusion.<\/p>

\u201CA week is seven days... oh. Oh! Right, your concept of time differs from ours. A week would be....\u201D She turned to Joon-ho with an expectant expression on her face.<\/p>

\u201CAlmost a full turning around your sun, Birch,\u201D he added. \u201CBetter to say three full turnings, tops. That would be four weeks, give or take, in Earth time.\u201D<\/p>

Ayaka nodded and her eyes glazed over as she \u201Cspoke\u201D to the admiral on the Proxima. A few minutes later, she said, \u201CYes, three turnings would be barely enough time for what I have in mind. We can build a massive supercluster that allows extreme time dilation and build enough VR pods to grant your children access to it, where they would be raised in a freeform environment that allows for maximum possibility in their development. Would that suffice, Lady Birch?\u201D<\/p>

\u201CThat would be splendid, Captain Takahashi,\u201D Birch said with a smile. Though, on her alien face that lacked lips, her smile looked more like a thin-lipped grimace. But that was just one of the quirks of xenodiplomacy; body language, in particular, would always remain different between different species.<\/p>

\u201CSo what would you offer in exchange?\u201D Ayaka asked.<\/p>

\u201CWell, I\u2019m not sure we really have anything to offer,\u201D Birch said.<\/p>

\u201CWhat about joining the empire?\u201D George interjected.<\/p>

Birch turned to him, her face a mask. \u201CJoining the empire? We will not promise anything on our children\u2019s behalf, nor will we attempt to guide, or force, them into a decision of their own.\u201D<\/p> \u201CWhat about if the decision was left up to them?\u201D he continued.<\/p>

lights\u039D\u03BFv\u03B5l \u0188\u03BFm \u201CThat would be... acceptable, Mr. Stefanopolous. We understand that diplomacy requires negotiation, and negotiation is a matter of give and take. But there are some things we will never compromise on, and interfering in our children\u2019s lives is one of those things.\u201D<\/p>

\u201CExcellent!\u201D he exclaimed. \u201CThen let\u2019s begin the negotiations, shall we?\u201D George, now in his negotiator mode, was far less dour and much more willing to speak in complete sentences.<\/p>

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