I've got a list of names | Glowfic Constellation

Afen is disappointed in the universe. He bounds back and forth across his room explaining why to his wife, his infant granddaughter, the end table, and a reporter flabbergasted by her good luck and cringing silently against the wall in the hopes he won't remember she's there.

"There is no reason to suppose that a species evolving independently of Amentans, with their own evolutionary history and living mammalian species likely related to theirs, would end up looking like us. None. Every explanation every scientist has ventured to the press has been unimaginative and unconvincing retroactive refitting of bad models to baffling data. Aliens shouldn't look like us but with different hair colors. Aliens that are not made out of carbon at all would be unsurprising; aliens with only as much physiological dissimilarity as exists between us and animal species on our planet would be mildly surprising; aliens with opposable thumbs would be truly remarkable. This is not remarkable and biologically enlightening; this is just inconsistent with everything we understand about the universe. It doesn't teach us new things about evolution; it should make us rethink evolution. - don't quote that part, they'll take it out of context."

Reporter nods rapidly.

"All of that said, I've picked up three of the languages and I'm working on building a good machine translator, it's a challenge with as little as they've produced in the way of electronic records. I'm absolutely going there to meet them as soon as the politicians figure out what to do with themselves."

"Do you have any predictions about that?"

"About politics? Why would I have predictions about politics? They deliberately obscure relevant information, for one thing, and for another it's deathly boring."

"- I mean, sir, surely you hear from your son about -"

"I have seven children and some of them are very dense indeed but not quite dense enough to try to interest me in politics."

"I was referring to -"

"I know who you were referring to. If you want a statement from Aitim go bother Aitim."

"Thank you for your time."

"I did not alter my activities in response to your presence and therefore you can't yet be said to have wasted any of my time though you should go before you do."

...out skitters the reporter.

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He comes on in.

Tahike is snuggled under a blanket in an armchair. Blinks at him. Wife fetches out the cake.

"There is a secretive group of humans who call themselves wizards, and have abilities that they understand to be literally magical. We have a research team trying to chemically replicate some magical substances, and so far they've been very, very confused. Wizarding humans, because of their abilities, had a higher tech level than the normal humans, and live in secret societies hidden from everyone else. It is illegal under wizarding law to bring the existence of wizards to the attention of other humans, but it is not otherwise illegal to commit any number of crimes against them. One ability they possess and have demonstrated is the ability to erase memories."

"Oh," says Tahike softly.

"There's also reason to suspect that wizards are interfertile with Amentans even though normal humans are not."

Tahike looks down. "Oh," she says again.

"I'm here to answer questions for you and offer to cover the credit cost if that's - if that's the decision you make."

"Is - he, whoever he is - going to come back -"

"We have changed security on shuttles in order to make wizarding travel to Amenta much, much harder to accomplish and impossible without it coming to our attention. Here - I don't know. Maybe. The child would be very likely to have magical abilities and would, once those manifested, be welcome in magical society."

"Would he approach them then?"

"Possibly."

"I don't remember anything."

"There are drugs they call 'love potions' which induce strong attachment to a specific person. Our local consultants thought that was likely, given the vague note that you left. We hired other wizards to try to find you; they were able to trace it as far as a specific bit of wilderness which is a shielded wizard house. We don't have more information than that. I'm sorry."

"But I'm gay."

"It's a magical drug, I don't think it - needs the target to have a single redeeming or attractive quality in order to work. To be abundantly clear here, you didn't leave your wife, you were the victim of horrifying mind-altering magic."

Wife goes over and sits on the arm of Tahike's chair. They hug.

"I don't want an abortion," Tahike says, "but I don't want some horrible magic rapist to come looking for me or the baby -"

"We are pretty sure they can't get to Anitam. There are also wizards here who you could live with if you like."

"And that would help?"

"I think you would be wholly safe on their property but might not be able to leave it. If you want the baby to have magical peers, we're trying to work with wizards to get agreement on consensual hybrid children. We think they might have very mild springs. Wizards don't have population controls and average replacement birthrates."

"- we might just want to go home - is it very difficult to raise a magical baby -"

"I have no reason to think it's any harder than any other baby. I think it makes a lot of sense to go home."

Nod nod.

"If we manage to learn who it was and successfully take them into custody, are there questions you would like asked?"

"Why me?" says Tahike. "And - and - mostly 'why me' but - if they want the baby or if the baby's safe."