<We derived pride and identity from the virtue of hospitality, and humans have exposed to us how flat our notion of it was,> explained Bandit <You gave us what we would never have offered another. Forever will those of us here be in the debt of the Hercules humans. To ask for an atom more would only widen our shame.>
Min-ji shook her head.
<You shouldn't feel ashamed,> she signaled <The people of Hercules seem thrilled to have you, and I don't blame them. In any case we didn't build the ringworlds; they were constructed by the singularity entity just before it departed for higher dimensions. You have just as much a right to be here as anyone.>
<This one has explained itself poorly,> signaled Bandit <Those of us are beneath the humans. Your hospitality is greater than ours, and that is our shame. Yours words only substantiate the conclusions from which our shame derives.>
<So you see yourselves as guests,> signaled Min-ji.
<Yes!> agreed Bandit <This one is understood. All of us are reduced to permanent guest status.>
<That's what you're missing, uh,> began Min-ji.
<Bandit,> finished Sparkle.
<Yes, Bandit> signaled Min-ji <The people here don't see the social transaction that occurred the same way. They don't see themselves as having made some extended offer of hospitality. You're not guests here. As they see it you asked to join their civilization and they said 'yes'. Now you've been doing so much good here, putting so much into the system as they see it, that they feel ashamed that they are unable to pay you back in kind. Because you're not guests to them, you're neighbors.>
It was mostly true, Min-ji hoped. It didn't feel like a lie, at least.
<We must consider what you have conveyed. That one is a wise one. The one humans call Min-ji Cerulean,> signaled Bandit,
<Is there anything else you require education concerning?> asked Goldie.
Min-ji smiled.
<Do your people produce art?> she asked.
* * *
Three days later Min-ji found herself at the top of the absurdly tall building, looking for a place to sit within Canny Benign.9.7.3's fractal seating plan.
"You work fast," said Canny, flashing his eye yellow briefly to denote a smile.
"I take it the situation has worked out to the mutual benefit of all concerned?" asked Min-ji.
"The aliens have requested that an area of the ring to be altered to fit the conditions of their homeworld," said Canny.
"The real problem is gravity," explained Vwwea, who could only spare a single Macaque for this meeting "How do we alter the local strength when all of the gravity on Hercules is generated by centrifugal force. The answer: giant AG modules, the largest ever built. Once the AG field is established that could be used to keep in the new atmosphere.
This is going to be a massive project."
"It's perfect," said Canny "Something only we could put together. The reputation gain here could be unprecedented. I've just reintegrated with the results of some very promising simulations."
"Once this is finished we'll all have so much influence there won't be a show on the ring we can't get front row tickets to," extolled Vwwea.
"I have some philosophical objections to being given preferential treatment in that way, but for now I'd just like to know if you think this will be enough to get us the weapons we need," said Min-ji. The pit of her stomach strained at the thought of being the person in the room whose intentions were so base.
"I think you'll find the people of Hercules quite helpful indeed in the near future," said Vwwea, grinning the not-quite-friendly grin of a monkey "I can't imagine there is anything available here you will be unable to acquire."
"Caesar is already looking into it," said Sparkle "He said he knew a guy. You should trust him. He's our friend."
"He's not my friend," insisted Min-ji.
"Oh yes he is," said Sparkle "He helps us and spends lots of time with us. You can't say he's not your friend just because you don't like him."
"We can discuss the nuance of friendship later," said Min-ji "I don't think our hosts are interested."
"You could discuss it now," said Canny "I do not have any particular plans and this is an interesting interaction."
"I'd be willing to give this the 1/7th of my attention I'm capable of sparing at the moment."
After a frustrating 20 minutes Min-ji was forced to concede that she was, in fact, Caesar's friend.