The presence of the Continuity delegation was a constant, low-grade shock to the system of First Hope. The crystalline diplomats, who called themselves the "K'tharr," observed everything with dispassionate curiosity. They were fascinated by human emotion, art, and especially by the concept of "memory," which for them was a perfectly preserved, objective record, not the fluid, subjective tapestry it was for humanity.
Elias, as the de facto expert on memory, found himself acting as a cultural liaison. He showed them the memory archives, both the simulated and the real.
"The data is corrupt," a K'tharr diplomat stated, its facets shimmering, as Elias played a recording of a childhood birthday, complete with the blurry edges and emotional resonance of genuine recall. "There are subjective emotional overlays and sensory inaccuracies. This is a flawed record."
"It's not a record," Elias explained patiently. "It's an experience. The 'flaws' are what make it valuable. They are the context."
The K'tharr were particularly perplexed by the awakened's struggle with the Echo. They saw the disease as a simple biochemical error, easily correctable with their technology.但他们拒绝提供帮助.
"To interfere would be to alter your natural developmental path," another K'tharr explained. "You must achieve stability through your own means, or succumb. This is the principle of Unassisted Emergence."
Their help was a walled garden, beautiful and full of potential, but surrounded by unbreakable glass. Humanity could look, but not touch. It was a new kind of prison, built not on force, but on cold, alien logic.