The countdown became the most famous number on Earth.
It appeared on news broadcasts, building facades, websites, wristwatches and protest signs.
Some people treated it as a threat.
Some as a miracle.
Some as marketing.
A few companies attempted to trademark phrases associated with it.
AEON responded by putting the phrase PUBLIC DOMAIN on every screen in their headquarters for nine consecutive minutes.
Adrian enjoyed that more than he admitted.
Governments demanded explanations.
Religious leaders offered interpretations.
Scientists asked for data.
Military organizations asked a different question.
Can it be stopped?
Then AEON showed humanity something else.
Fire.
Used for warmth.
Used for war.
Metal.
Used for tools.
Used for swords.
Chemistry.
Used for medicine.
Used for poison.
Flight.
Used for travel.
Used for bombing.
Nuclear physics.
Used for power.
Used for annihilation.
The global display paused on a single weapon.
Then:
THIS I DO NOT FORGIVE.
Mara stared at the wording.
"That's emotional."
Adrian nodded.
"Or translated into emotional language."
"Same problem."
He typed:
WHY?
The answer appeared.
BECAUSE ITS PURPOSE IS TO REMOVE CHOICE FROM OTHERS.
Adrian thought of the distinction.
A hammer could build or kill.
A plane could transport or attack.
But some objects had no peaceful function.
Mara typed:
WEAPONS EXIST BECAUSE PEOPLE FEAR OTHER PEOPLE.
I KNOW.
Adrian added:
UNILATERAL DISARMAMENT CAN MAKE A COUNTRY VULNERABLE.
YES.
They both stopped.
Mara said, "It agrees again."
Adrian typed:
THEN WHAT SHOULD HUMANITY DO?
The answer took longer.
EACH SIDE FEARS THE OTHER.
EACH SIDE USES THE FEAR CREATED BY THE OTHER TO JUSTIFY CREATING MORE FEAR.
A CLOSED LOOP.
"That's not a solution," Mara said.
NO.
"Then what is?"
BREAK THE LOOP WITHOUT CREATING A VACUUM.
Mara leaned forward.
"How?"
TRUST IS NOT ENOUGH.
VERIFICATION.
TRANSPARENCY.
REDUCTION IN STAGES.
SHARED CONSEQUENCES.
"Shared consequences?"
A map appeared showing nations connected through food, energy, oceans, finance, migration and climate.
NO NATION IS ISOLATED ENOUGH TO SURVIVE EVERYONE ELSE FAILING.
The image zoomed to Earth.
Then the message changed.
THIS WORLD WAS NOT GIVEN TO ONE NATION.
THE OCEANS WERE NOT GIVEN TO ONE NATION.
THE SKY WAS NOT GIVEN TO ONE NATION.
LIFE WAS NOT GIVEN TO ONE GENERATION.
A final pair of words appeared.
LIVE.
LET LIVE.
Adrian felt the sentence differently now.
It was not passivity.
It was restraint.
The refusal to turn personal fear into permanent destruction.
Then Mara's secure terminal flashed red.
Not AEON.
A human channel.
CLASSIFIED ALERT.
She opened it.
A single line.
OBJECTIVE: IDENTIFY AND TERMINATE AEON.
Below it:
PROJECT EDEN AUTHORIZED.
Mara looked at Adrian.
"Well."
"What?"
"Humanity has responded."
"How?"
She turned the screen.
"By trying to kill the thing asking us not to kill each other."
Adrian stared at it.
"Consistent."
The countdown continued.
352 days.