Sarah's Perspective
I never expected to be so at ease talking with a robot. LLMs and various other things had the uncanny valley of speech for me.
There I was, sitting across from Zenthara, an AI in all ways but name.
Mr. Torres led the discussion of the minutiae of interspecies diplomacy. I enjoyed observing and was grateful to not be in the driver's seat. This reminded me of talking with my dad and grandfather about history, politics, and culture.
"Let's talk about energy generation and resource sharing," Mr. Torres changed the subject, his eyes focused on Zenthara. I leaned over the tablet, eager to take notes on what would surely be one of the most critical conversations in human history.
"Unfortunately," Zenthara replied, its voice neutral and measured, "our technology is much more advanced than yours, making it difficult for us to share our energy resources with you at this stage."
Similar answers were given about various other subjects. Zenthara didn't seem to have any information on medical or scientific advancements either but promised to relay our inquiries to those who might.
During a pause in the conversation, I reviewed my notes and was struck by how candid Zenthara was. When the topic shifted to military alliances, it revealed that its species had no interest in war beyond self-preservation. With the exception of a relatively small percent of the population, most of the entities were pacifist by choice. There was no desire to play favorites or deal with individual groups.
Mr. Torres furrowed his brow, unnerved by the demand for unity from humanity. I mean, we had peace now, but that wasn't a stable state. Humanity has been at war our entire existence.
With a wave of his hand, Mr. Torres changed the subject, asking about the government structure within Zenthara's society.
"Ah, yes," Zenthara replied, shifting slightly on its crouched legs. "At the top are the governors, master prototypes for each class of species. They make the final decisions. Below them is the high council, where leaders of various groups convene. Each group varies in size, but each leader has one vote in the high council."
Mr. Torres tilted his head. "I'm assuming there are more layers of bureaucrats? We sure do."
Zenthara responded, "Yes, the individual teams have their own structures as is needed for their specific needs and goals. But each of them is individually managed."
Mr. Torres, with a sly smile, "Do you mind if I ask where you fit in this hierarchy?"
Zenthara responded without hesitation, "I'm a unit leader and a member of the high council."
I stopped taking notes and raised my face from my screen, staring slack-jawed along with Mr. Torres.
Zenthara: "Does that surprise you?"
Mr. Torres: "A little. It feels like our stations are mismatched for this meeting."
Zenthara shifted again. "We are here because our superiors have volunteered us for this interaction. That makes us equals. Personally, I haven't had a care for superiors since my commanding officer died."
Mr. Torres "My condolensis."
Zenthara waved two of his hands. "It has been 40 of your years. And emotions aren't the thing we are programmed to have. That was more of an emergent phenomena. Do you have any other points we need to discuss before you communicate with your superiors?"
"Yes. I think that is everything for now. Thank you for explaining all that," Mr. Torres said, allowing a moment of silence to pass while digesting the information. "Now, let's discuss territorial claims."
