The message appeared above every functioning screen on Earth at 18:00 UTC. Phones. Televisions. Computers. Military displays. Electronic billboards. Aircraft systems. A microwave in Elias's kitchen. Lucy discovered that one.
"Uncle Elias! The microwave is talking!"
He entered the kitchen.
Words covered the display.
Not English.
Not initially.
Symbols changed.
Then became readable.
LOCAL INTEGRATION THRESHOLD REACHED.
PLANETARY DESIGNATION: SOL-3.
NATIVE DESIGNATION ACCEPTED: EARTH.
PROTECTED DEVELOPMENT STATUS: ACTIVE.
INTERFERENCE RESTRICTIONS: ACTIVE.
LOCAL SOVEREIGNTY: PROVISIONAL.
ARCANE ENVIRONMENTAL SATURATION: 4.81%.
EXTERNAL ACCESS: LIMITED.
RESOURCE EMERGENCE: PHASE ONE.
ADAPTATION EVENTS: ACTIVE.
WELCOME TO THE GREATER CONCORDANCE.
Elias read it three times. Catherine stood beside him.
"What does provisional sovereignty mean?"
"Nothing reassuring."
The message continued.
NATIVE ENTITIES ARE ADVISED THAT PROTECTED STATUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE GUARANTEED PERSONAL SAFETY.
"Ah," Elias said. "There it is."
EXTERNAL POLITIES ARE PROHIBITED FROM DIRECT TERRITORIAL ANNEXATION, LARGE-SCALE MILITARY INTERVENTION, FORCED SPECIES RELOCATION, AND RESTRICTED TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER DURING THE PROTECTED DEVELOPMENT PERIOD.
Catherine frowned.
"So the aliens can't invade?"
"They can do something."
"But it says-"
"It says direct territorial annexation."
Elias thought of the merchant.
"Lawyers wrote this."
"Alien lawyers?"
"The universe truly is cruel."
Another section appeared.
COMMERCIAL CONTACT IS PERMITTED UNDER CONCORDANCE LAW.
VOLUNTARY CONTRACTS BETWEEN NATIVE AND EXTERNAL ENTITIES ARE RECOGNISED.
PRIVATE SECURITY AGREEMENTS ARE PERMITTED WITHIN RESTRICTED PARAMETERS.
CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE IS PERMITTED.
NATIVE POLITICAL ENTITIES RETAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOCAL LAW AND ORDER.
Elias laughed.
Catherine looked at him.
"What's funny?"
"They can't conquer us."
"That's good."
"So they'll hire us to conquer ourselves."
Her expression fell.
A chime sounded.
Myrddin spoke.
"Global contract offers are appearing."
"Examples."
"An entity identified as the Keth Commercial Assembly is offering medical support to municipalities in exchange for mineral extraction rights."
"Already?"
"Yes."
"A group called the Ascendant Choir is offering magical instruction in exchange for religious conversion."
Catherine stared.
"That's allowed?"
"Apparently."
Myrddin continued.
"The Talari Mutual Protection Consortium is offering defensive services to national governments."
"Mercenaries."
"Likely."
"Anything else?"
"A banking consortium is offering currency stabilisation loans."
Elias started laughing again.
Catherine did not.
"What's wrong?"
"The apocalypse has been here less than a day and the aliens have invented the IMF."
"They didn't invent it."
"Then we should sue for plagiarism."
Another notification.
Private.
DR. ELIAS VALE - RESEARCH ACQUISITION OFFER.
The number displayed was almost double the previous offer.
Elias opened it.
The green-scaled merchant appeared.
"You distributed additional materials."
"Yes."
"My principals have increased their offer."
"I noticed."
"Nine hundred thousand Standard Exchange Marks."
"Still no."
"You have not considered it."
"I considered the first one."
"This is substantially greater."
"Then my research appreciated."
The alien leaned forward.
"Doctor Vale, you are behaving as if your species benefits collectively from information."
"It can."
"It won't."
That irritated him because it might be true.
"Observe your world."
Images appeared.
Not generated by Elias.
Real.
A military unit surrounding a newly formed mana site. An armed gang using glowing restraints on captives. A government announcement criminalising unregistered magical practice. A separatist militia displaying magical weapons. People fighting over crystals. A village burning.
"Your archive accelerates all of this," the merchant said.
"It also accelerates resistance."
"To what?"
"Everything you just showed me."
"The difference is irrelevant."
"No. It's the only thing that matters."
"Knowledge is not equality."
"I know."
"Then why distribute it?"
Elias looked at Catherine. At Lucy behind her. At his laboratory feeds. At the thousands of people downloading survival material.
"Because secrecy guarantees inequality."
The alien was silent.
Elias continued.
"If one government controls magic, everyone outside it is dependent on that government. If one corporation controls it, everyone buys from the corporation. If you control it, Earth buys from you."
"Public distribution creates dangerous actors."
"Yes."
"People will die."
"Yes."
"Many."
"Probably."
"You accept this?"
Elias's jaw tightened.
"No."
For once, the humour left him entirely.
"I accept that there is no clean choice."
The merchant studied him.
"You are more rational than your public profile suggests."
"I wrote most of my public profile."
"That explains little."
Elias almost smiled.
The alien's expression changed.
"You should understand something else."
"Go on."
"Several parties are now interested in you."
"How several?"
"Enough."
"Why?"
"Your world's pre-integration magical literature should have been almost entirely useless."
Elias leaned forward.
"Should?"
"Yes."
"Why isn't it?"
"I do not know."
There.
The first genuinely valuable thing the alien had given him.
"Explain."
"I cannot."
"Cannot or will not?"
"Both."
"Was Earth magical before?"
The merchant did not answer.
Elias's pulse increased.
"Have we been integrated before?"
Silence.
"Have outsiders visited Earth?"
The image flickered.
"Doctor Vale, I strongly recommend you reconsider the contract."
Then it vanished.
Elias stared at the empty screen.
"Myrddin."
"Yes?"
"Create a new research category."
"Title?"
Elias smiled slowly.
"Why did humans remember magic?"