Children of the Mind (Ender, Book 4) (Ender Quartet)

farther this way."
    One of Jane's faces appeared in the air above Miro's computer terminal in the starship. "Don't waste your time trying to discover what I already know. You've got a world to explore. Get to work."
    "Just shut up," said Miro. "If you aren't going to tell us, then we're going to spend whatever time it takes to figure it out on our own."
    "That's telling me, you bold brave hero," said Jane.
    "He's right," said Val. "Just tell us and we won't waste any more time trying to figure it out."
    "And here I thought one of the attributes of living creatures was that you make intuitive leaps that transcend reason and reach beyond the data you have," said Jane. "I'm disappointed that you haven't already guessed it."
    And in that moment, Miro knew. "You're searching for the home planet of the descolada virus," he said.
    Val looked at him, puzzled. "What?"
    "The descolada virus was manufactured. Somebody made it and sent it out, perhaps to terraform other planets in preparation for an attempt at colonization. Whoever it is might still be out there, making more, sending more probes, perhaps sending out viruses we won't be able to contain and defeat. Jane is looking for their home planet. Or rather, she's having us look."
    "Easy guess," said Jane. "You really had more than enough data."
    Val nodded. "Now it's obvious. Some of the worlds we've explored have had very limited flora and fauna. I even commented on it with a couple of them. There must have been a major die-off. Nothing like the limitations on the native life of Lusitania, of course. And no descolada virus."
    "But some other virus, less durable, less effective than the descolada," said Miro. "Their early attempts, maybe. That's what caused a die-off of species on those other worlds. Their probe virus finally died out, but those ecosystems haven't yet recovered from the damage."
    "I was quite pointed about those limited worlds," said Val. "I searched those ecosystems at greater depth, searching for the descolada or something like it, because I knew that a recent major die-off was a sign of danger. I can't believe I didn't make the connection and realize that was what Jane was looking for."
    "So what if we find their home world?" asked Miro. "What then?"
    "I imagine," said Val, "we study them from a safe distance, make sure we're right, and then alert Starways Congress so they can blow the world to hell."
    "Another sentient species?" asked Miro, incredulous. "You think we'd actually invite Congress to destroy them?"
    "You forget that Congress doesn't wait for an invitation," said Val. "Or for permission. And if they think Lusitania is so dangerous as to need to be destroyed, what will they do with a species that manufactures and broadcasts hideously destructive viruses willy-nilly? I'm not even sure Congress would be wrong. It was pure chance that the descolada helped the ancestors of the pequeninos make the transition into sentience. If they did help -- there's evidence that the pequeninos were already sentient and the descolada very nearly wiped them out. Whoever sent that virus out has no conscience. No concept of other species having a right to survive."
    "Maybe they have no such concept now ," said Miro. "But when they meet us ..."
    "If we don't catch some terrible disease and die thirty minutes after landing," said Val. "Don't worry, Miro. I'm not plotting to destroy anyone and everyone we meet. I'm strange enough myself not to hope for the wholesale destruction of strangers."
    "I can't believe we only just realized we're looking for these people, and you're already talking about killing them all!"
    "Whenever humans meet foreigners, weak or strong, dangerous or peaceable, the issue of destruction comes up. It's built into our genes."
    "So is love. So is the need for community. So is the curiosity that overcomes xenophobia. So is decency."
    "You left out the fear of God," said Val. "Don't forget that I'm really Ender. There's a reason they call him the Xenocide, you know."
    "Yes, but you're the gentle side of him, right?"
    "Even gentle people recognize that sometimes the decision not to kill is a decision to die."
    "I can't believe you're saying this."
    "So you didn't know me after all," said Val, wearing a prim little smile.
    "I don't like you smug," said Miro.
    "Good," said Val. "Then you won't be so sad when I die." She turned her back on him. He watched her for a while in silence, baffled. She sat there, leaning back in her chair, looking at the