And Insight has the reassuring comfort that it looks like beyond the emotions, beyond the openness and idealism, Humanity did a hardheaded calculation of the mathematical odds when they ran the numbers. Which should be a comfort and a reassurance to those members of the G6 not quite so enamored of Hope and Change, and who find pragmatism familiar.
I get that; on the other hand presenting the hardheaded calculations sounds much more like the job of the actual diplomats, the ones who have been quietly discussing the nuts and bolts of what goes where for years. Technical skill and preparedness are indeed wonderful things, and should be left to the thousands of men and women whom we have tasked with doing exactly that for the last 5+ years and are likely even now exchanging information back and forth through other channels with the other members of the Fleet; Kendl and Amanda aren't the only people on or docked with Concordia, after all.
Amanda's role isn't about having the technical insight; she's not part of the group who has been living and breathing that side for the past half decade while she was running
the entire planet, so she's not going to know all the fiddly bits that someone like Kendl, with her centuries of political and intrigue experience and years of preparation for this exact role will expect. What Amanda brings to the table is, as Adrianna herself said:
"Isn't it obvious?" She asked in return, a weary determination clear in her eyes. "We need you." Her hands came up quickly. "Not for long. Just the initial contact stages, a few months at most. But there's no one else alive that has the same common support, or knows humanity as well as you do.
"Please, Amanda."
It is in this role that Amanda excels, and has excelled during this conference, greeting the Contact Fleet with a disarming open smile, revealing that she regards Shiplord khaki goo as an infection to be cured, that
can be cured, rather than an immediately terminal illness, and being far more open and revealing about what for any other race would be closely held state secrets,
especially a race whose only other alien contact was with a series of Shiplord Tribute Fleets.
The flip side of that disarming openness, however, is that we haven't really expressed that we regard the Shiplords as an anathema. Yes, we acted immediately to heal-blast the Shiplord infection out of the three aides, but even that act was rather clinical and doesn't really highlight the heat of the anger that Humanity feels at the very existence of the system that the Shiplords perpetuate. We're sort of a victim of our own success: we have been so diplomatic and so welcoming of strangers, even ones that, I should remind everyone,
the Contact Fleet still isn't aware that we knew were coming and would not be hostile, that Kendl might well be concerned that we might be open to making a deal with the Shiplords. After all, even after two Tribute Fleets, one only a few years previous, Humanity is apparently open to making diplomatic overtures with potentially hostile aliens, greeting them with open smiles and showing off wonders and Miracles like they were party favors; who's to say they aren't one Shiplord diplomatic courier away from making an alliance with the oppressors of the galaxy?
That's the mountain we need to climb next, and it's one that only Amanda, designated finger on the pulse of Humanity, can climb.
) and have her go to town.
