Peter Hamilton: Manhattan in Reverse

‘That’s a rhetorical question, right?’

‘Actually, no. It’s a romantic question. They had millions of years to develop rationality, and failed. We, on the other hand, have only been around in our current form for about thirty to fifty thousand years depending who you listen to, and already we’re here, two hundred light-years from Earth. But this is a deciding moment for the Onid; we’re their dinosaur killer, Paula.’

An Onid bounded up, carrying the biggest nugget they’d seen. Dino smiled ruefully at it, and swapped the precious metal for another flashgem. ‘How about that. I’m the new Peter Minuit.’

‘Who?’

‘Peter Minuit, the Director General of the New Netherlands province. In 1626 he purchased some land from a tribe of the Wappinger Confederacy, allegedly using trinkets and cloth to a total value of 60 guilders. It was the best land deal the human race has ever known.’

‘Manhattan Island,’ Paula said.

‘Correct.’

‘So you want to buy the Kajara Mountains.’

‘And all the Onid lands surrounding them. Buy them, lease them, whatever deal I can strike with Farndale.’

‘And then what?’

‘The gang had worked it out as well,’ Dino said. ‘That’s why they’d captured the baby Onid. See, the Onids’ value extends a lot further than some ore in those mountains. Don’t you see, they’re walking metal detectors. And better than that, they’re smart with it. At least as bright as a terrestrial dog. Though by what we’ve seen here today I’d say smarter. I believe I can even justifiably argue for them to be given proto-sentient status.’

‘That’s good,’ she said, trying to sound supportive.

‘No no. They’re at the cusp right now. The gang were going to take those babies away and breed them, just like humans did with dogs. And they’d concentrate on all the wrong traits. Those with the strongest magnetic sense will be prized above everything. Not intelligence, and certainly not an independent streak. That will be the first thing breeders will eradicate. Do you understand? Humans will have an economic incentive to meddle with the potential of another species. Every wilderness homestead on every new planet will want to own an Onid: they can do everything a dog can, with the added bonus they’ll find anything valuable in your land. An effective non-technological sensor, one you can keep expanding for zero-cost through procreation.’

‘Are you sure they’re proto-sentient?’

‘No. And that’s what makes this such a terrible crime. They might never make that climb out of proto-status, and we’ll never know because it won’t happen for another ten thousand years. But that’s it, Paula. With shits like that gang flooding across this land and stealing the herds, they never ever will. Definitely. I have to stop that, Paula. I have to protect their one fragile chance to evolve naturally.’

‘By buying the Kajara? What will you do, set up some kind of protectorate?’

‘Yes. They threw the Native Americans off Manhattan Island. I’m going to do the opposite. This will be a Manhattan in reverse. I’ll keep them safe here. It will be an enclave where evolution can run its course, without any interference.’

Paula watched the herd. They were dispersing from the burial ground now. Except for a persistent five or six who hung around Dino in the hope of more trinkets. That seemed like a clever thing to be doing to her. ‘That sounds very admirable.’ So much so it appealed to her instinctive sense of order.

‘Will you help?’

‘Yes. I’ll talk to Wilson. At the very least I can get you that time to come back and trade your trinkets for gold. And I can support any application to change Onid status to proto-sentient.’

‘Thank you. That’s a good start.’

‘On a very long road,’ Paula warned him. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing. This isn’t going to be easy.’

‘Change never is. That’s what makes it so worthwhile.’