—I thought you bombed Moscow yourself.
—Potato, po-tah-to. The point is she doesn’t inspire a lot of trust right now. I was glad when I found out she’s held on to some Earth customs—she gave me the finger the first time I saw her—but still, she speaks friggin’ alien.
—She’s as human as you are. We lived by ourselves. I raised her. Rose did. She was with us.
—See! That’s the spirit. Now I have something more positive than the finger thing to share with my boss. What else can you tell me? Come on! Anything! OK, tell me what happened when you landed on Esat Ekt—yeah, Rose told me. It’s a good name. What’d you do? Was anyone there to greet you? Did you just walk around aimlessly until you ran into people? Please?
—We didn’t do anything…We were waiting to die.
FILE NO. 1641 EE001
PARTY LOG—EVA REYES
Location: Inside Themis, EDC Headquarters, New York, New York
—This is Eva Reyes. We’re on board Themis, celebrating. I’m with my dad, Dr. Franklin, and General Govender. I…I don’t know what I’m supposed to say! Hey, Vincent?
[Yes, Eva?]
Why do I have to wear the headset?
[Because we’re recording this. Rose likes to record everything.]
I know that, but why me? Why can’t any of you wear it?
[Let’s see. I have a broken shoulder and a bent-up leg. Rose has a broken tibia.]
It’s a headset. It goes on your head.
[You can move around more than we can. Stop complaining, will you?]
The general could wear it.
[The general is slightly inebriated.]
{I heard that, Couture!}
[Sorry sir. I meant to say you’re drunk as a skunk.]
{It’s that damn champagne. Why can’t I get a real drink? And why is it so dark in here? I can barely see my glass!}
That’s the other thing I wanted to ask about. Why am I the only one drinking juice?
[So you can do the recording. Oh, that and you’re ten.]
Come on, Vincent! I just kicked some giant robot’s ass. I just want one glass of champagne.
[Technically, Rose kicked his ass—]
<Come here, Eva. I’ll give you a glass. A small one!>
Thank you, Dr. Franklin.
<I told you to call me Rose.>
I’m not sure I—
<Vincent does it. If you don’t, I’ll start calling you Ms. Reyes.>
OK, then, Rose. How does it feel?
<Champagne? It’s—>
No, I meant you were right. Your plan worked.
<I guess it did. Why are you making that face, General?>
{Show the aliens that humans could be just as tough without them messing with our DNA, by shooting some green goo full of bacteria out of a keg—}
What are you saying, General?
{I’m saying…What was I saying?}
<The general was saying he didn’t think my plan had any chance of success.>
Is that right, General?
{Not a chance in hell.}
Haha! What about you, Vincent? Did you think it would work?
[Me? I—]
<You thought it was stupid. Come on, Vincent! You can say it!>
[No, Rose! I understood the logic behind it. I just wasn’t sure that, even if the bacteria worked, the aliens were gonna get the right message.]
<We don’t know that they did.>
How can you say that, Dr. Franklin? They left, didn’t they!
<It’s Rose, remember? We don’t know why they left. We don’t know if that’s what they really wanted us to do. This is just what Mr. Burns told me. He knows more about them than we do, but he hasn’t talked to them. He was probably guessing as much as we were.>
Why else would they have left?
{Because Dr. Franklin sprayed them with some goddamn goo!}
[General, maybe you should try some of Eva’s juice.]
It’s apple juice.
{Shut up, Couture! That’s an order!}
Seriously, Rose. Why else would they leave?
<Your father can guess. Ask him!>
Vincent?
[I don’t know! I think, maybe, they could have been scared by the bacteria. What if all their robots, their ships, maybe their homes, are made using the same technology. Imagine for a second what would happen if some of that bacteria made it to their world.]
…
What was that?
[I can’t remember what I was saying. Did the light just get brighter?]
Maybe.
[I think Themis just powered up.]
<Without any of the helmets on?>
Can she do that?
{I don’t know! I’ve never been in this damn robot of yours.}
Vincent?
[The console is lit up. Eva, get up there and put your helmet on.]
Sure. But we’re in a garage! What do you expect me to see?
[I don’t know, Eva. It’s just a hunch.]
I’m putting it on. I…I don’t think—
[What is it, Eva?]
<Eva?>
{Goddammit kid! What do you see?}
Guys? I don’t think we’re on Earth anymore…
[What?]
<What do you mean not on Earth? Vincent, put your helmet on.>
Giant robots. They’re all around us.
{The ones that attacked us?}
I don’t know, General. There are…
{Goddamn it kid! It’s a simple question. Are these the same ones that attacked us?}
I don’t know! I don’t know if they’re here.
{Couture, what the hell is she talking about?}
[Shit! She means she can’t tell. There are hundreds of them.]
Thousands. They’re all lined up in perfectly straight rows. Behind us too.
[She’s right. It looks like the Terracotta Army. And we’re smack dab in the middle of it.]
I’m scared, Dad.
[Yeah. Me too.]
FILE NO. EE002—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT