She threw her hands up, "And were we lying when we said that we did not know the Earth still bore human life? No we were not. You wish to know who redirected the comet? It was the baselines. They desired to use it to terraform Mars. After the war our ancestors simply nudged it to hit the Earth instead; a fresh start. To bury the radiation and speed the recovery of the planet. What was done was for the greater good of what was believed to be the last remnants of mankind."

She looks Doug in the eyes, "Does that even matter to you? Or does this thirst for vengeance consume all of your thoughts? You think us smug, you think that we believe we're better than you? You think that the punishment we have meted out was not sufficient, because you wish for nothing but blood and carnage. You come to us with a bomb, bearing accusations and threats of violence." She stopped and shook her head, disgusted.

Doug gave a grim smile and replied, "Let's try to keep a sense of perspective on all this. It's been your people abusing me and mine, not the reverse. I didn't try to convince your family you were dead. I'm not the one who thought such an action wasn't worth much punishment. We have never abused any of yours. If mass murder is on the table, it's because you and yours put it there, not me and mine."

"Which brings us to... When? When did you find out about us? Your crew didn't know when they started the rock, and that's all very fine. But was our blowing it up really your first clue?"

That was an extremely good question. If they were telling the truth that they didn't know anyone had survived the Burn then when did they learn humanity survived? Before or after we destroyed the rock? If they had known of our existence and let the rock fall anyway then that was genocide plain and simple. The answer to this question would be crucial.

"Abusing? I think not. You cannot. You WILL not judge us on the rogue actions of my predecessor. You will not thrust intent and motive upon the many for the actions of the few!" Aaron's anger apparently boiling over, his red face standing in contrast to his yellow robe.

"Peace Aaron, we knew when we allowed them to enter that they would be unable to turn from their path." Rebeka looked at Doug and Raider. "Despite his outburst Aaron is no less correct. You have come here bearing ill intent and weapons of genocide, and despite your erroneous assumptions we have done you no harm, nor have we intended harm on you. No harm came to you on your last visit, and it would appear that in fact you were spared from this taint that you have spoken of as a direct result of the temporal dilation effect which is the norm for our society. If there is blame to be laid perhaps you should lay it upon yourselves. No crime was committed upon you, or against you or your people. If you were unwilling to deal with the repercussions of your trespassing in our home perhaps you should have not come at all."

Raider shifted himself just enough to speak, "So then why not directly answer the question that was just asked instead of avoiding it? You say we are judging the many based on the actions of the few, but if it's true your predecessor caused the taint bomb or allowed the rock to proceed to hit the Earth knowing the consequences then it means you the 'many' are just as culpable. You consider justice to be merely stripping him of his rank and responsibilities but letting him go on with his life after committing mass murder? That doesn't speak well of your justice, or your societies values. As for us, we have come to you in the only way we could come. If you are guilty of trying to wipe us out then we must do what we can do defend ourselves and this is the only way we can do it. If you are not guilty then this will not be used, and instead we will remove it and establish a dialogue with you in a more polite fashion. More than that, we will ask for your help, and try to work with you to save the remnants of humanity. But before any of that can happen we need a straight answer to the question Doug asked."

Doug laughed harshly and said, "And what else am I supposed to judge you on? Your chosen representative acted in your name and bragged what he did wasn't even illegal, and he wasn't lying. You didn't punish him for what he did to us, you punished him for what he did to your own people. After all we're aberrants, mindless, violent animals. Who cares if we get pissed or even die?"

"Speaking as someone who has run into a lot of cultures, this is a tribal society. Responsibility only applies to people inside the tribe. People outside the tribe are non-persons. They don't have rights, they can be abused or even killed without a problem."

Doug tone got very ugly as he said, "And your silence speaks volumes. Despite all your protestations of innocence, you knew. You knew your people moved the rock long ago by your time, more recently by ours. You knew we were here long before we nuked the rock. You just figured we'd be better off dead since we're not you."

Doug took a deep breath and in a jarring disconnect added more neutrally, "So... now that we've settled where we are, how we got here, and what you are... different question. Are you aware of any other Earth like planets out there? Any other colonies that we could try to evacuate people to?"

"Would you also condemn us for your inability to breath if our atmosphere were different from your own? You accuse us of wrongdoing, that we both agree, but you fail to understand that what you perceive as an attack is how we live at all times." She pointed an accusatory finger at Raider, "You say that Randall was guilty of mass murder. Who's? Where is your proof? You condemn our justice system and yet your is the party holding a weapon of mass destruction within the heart of our society. He was guilty of two things; catching me off gaurd with a telepathic attack, and being a pompous ass. The first is a criminal act for which he was punished, the second is merely a fact of life. If it were a crime the two of you would be just as guilty as he was."

She rounds on Doug, returning his hard tone with her own. "We did not know you were there. WE. DID. NOT. KNOW! Not until you acted on the comet did we become aware. We have done nothing to you. You blame us for the changes wrought in your absence but refuse your own culpability. It is our practice to accelerate our local time frame and YOU. TRESSPASSED. HERE. Your loss of subjective time is a direct result of your invasion of our home. You did not ask our permission, you did not attempt contact first, you simply invaded our home, and as a result while you were gone time passed and events unfolded. Events which we had no hand in, and yet you lay the blame at our feet and condemn us as murderers."

Rebeka laughs at Courier scornfully, "You expect our help? After this? I think I have answered all the questions that I will. I think you should leave now." She stood with the others, waiting for Doug to rise to be escorted out to the airlock. For his part Doug sat a moment longer ruminating on the truth, or at least the truth as they had told it.

Doug listened to what she said through a lens of hate, grief, and rage and sent to Raider, She lied. They knew.

Raider returned the thought, Did they really? You are absolutely, 100% sure they knew we were there before we deflected the rock?

To the moonies, "Do you know of any extra solar planets that are habitable? If you do perhaps we can go and leave you in peace to do what you will with the Earth. We don't want you as enemies, but if we are under constant fear of another asteroid or other attack, then we can't concentrate on helping humanity's survivors. Everyone left down there now are either aberrated monsters or are regular human's with no chance of erupting as novas. If they are going to be saved it's up to us."

With an effort of will, Doug replied mentally, I'm sure. They deserve to die.