Continuum

Stevo, his own anger rising, stood to defended his world. "Yes people are violent, Mary, but not all of them. Think of all those people who are good, and who are just trying to survive right now. Don't they deserve to live, Mary? How can you turn your back on them?"

"Stevo, in the long view of things, it does not matter if they are spared this catastrophe or not. You already know that the next time there is a crisis we will not assist them, because you will not be here to ask us, nor to demand of us what could possibly destroy us."

He got a little hopeful for a moment, at this last thought from her, for she had not yet said that she would not help his world.

Mary sensed his thought and said flatly, "My friend, we do not wish to help you or your world, even now. You know that we are not welcome here in your world, and we will not be for many decades, if ever. You also know that they would destroy us if they discovered us.  The people of your world can never know about us. Even you agree to this in your own thinking, don't you, Stevo?"

Stevo, again forgetting, and unaware that all his thoughts were exposed, tried a different kind of argument. "Mary, people can change. They have been changing for centuries. I must believe that there is hope for our two species! Together we are much stronger than either of us would be alone. You need us, Mary!"

He faltered now, essentially running out of arguments. In a sick moment, he knew that even he did not believe all that he was telling her about humankind.

Stevo sat down now, feeling shame for his race, and his world. What could he say to her to change her mind? Somehow, in all the years he planned for this, and in the times he had dreamt of their meeting, he had not imagined her reluctance to help, or even of her apparent anger.

Stevo was not encouraged by her expression. Mary, standing over him, continued, "If you could command us, Stevo, would you not enslave us for your purposes? Even if we complied, would your people then not seek to destroy us because we are so different? You cannot even accept the differences you have in each other, so how can you expect us to believe you will accept ours?"

Stevo was utterly dejected. Mary moved closer to him, sat down, and put her arm around him. He didn't even notice that it felt very warm and human.

Mary said quietly, "Stevo, my friend, if we help you now  it must be on our terms completely, and no other way. I will call the others, and we will place a few of ourselves in key places where there is no person left who can do those specialized tasks in your infrastructure. Then when the time is right, we will end your Continuum. . . "

Stevo looked directly at her, utterly astounded at her statement. "Why, Mary?" He spoke this aloud.

She smiled that small smile of hers again. "My friend, it is not that I didn't want to help you or your world. You know we did that almost on a daily basis a long time ago. I just wanted you to understand that it is our decision, and only ours to make. There is nothing you or anyone else could have said to make us do this."