Chapter Five: Backup Power for 130 Million People

At 8:23, the grid stabilized. [SECOND CIVILIZATION MISSION COMPLETE.] [ASSESSMENT: DISTRIBUTED COOPERATION. CURRENT-CIVILIZATION REPRODUCTION RATE: 92%.] [ACCESS GRANTED: ENERGY THREE, INFORMATION TWO. VESSEL REPAIR: 21%.] [WARNING: COMPLETION PULSE HAS IMPROVED HOSTILE LOCATION ACCURACY TO EIGHT HUNDRED KILOMETERS.] Cheers filled the hall. The media named the open protocol “Firefly.” Its code was downloaded two hundred million times before morning. Vaughan sent one message: You proved the masses can save themselves. You also proved they need you to design their choices first. Zhou replied: At least mine had an exit button.