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.Of course, a growing population of humanity on a world alters thatworld.That in itself is the nature of things.""The problem is that you actively and often maliciously attack the symmetry ofcreation," the Watcher said.The extension fixed her large blue eyes on Vinn."In nature, development of a particular species can be looked upon as somewhatexperimental.It's as if creation says ah, let's see if this will work.Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if a species vanishes it was notthe experiment that failed, but the subject of that experiment.You overturnthe entire scheme of things by, in effect, taking over the experimentPage 90 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlyourself.You are not content to live in your environment, you change it tosuit your desires at the moment.Let me give you an example.Through you Iknow the planet you call Terra II.Ithas taken centuries of effort to even partially repair the damage you did toit.""That was thousands of years ago," Vinn said."And speaking of altering theenvironment, what do you call what was done to this planet?""It is not necessary to justify the actions of the Creators," the Watchersaid."However, I will tell you that eradicating life from this planet was apart of the restoration of balance.Unlike what you did to your Earth, theactions taken by the Creators were essential.You know so little about yourown mother planet, but you do know that you soiled it, used it up, and thencharred it.You made it unfit for life except in its lowest forms.""You know Earth?" Vinn asked."Only through your knowledge of it, but I can describe it to you.Once itthrived with living things.Creation has a talent for seeking out and fillingwith life all possible habitats.There were millions of species of vegetation.There was an extravagant diversity of animal life and bird life, not tomention insects and microbes and other microscopic forms.Then evolutionproduced you and you altered the experiment.You lifted yourselves beyond thepurpose for which you were intended.For just such a situation have we beenwaiting.""You have been waiting to do what?" Iain asked."We will discuss that," the Watcher said."How long have you waited?" Vinn asked."No matter, you have come.Now we must decide.""We can't decide anything with nothing more than hints about you and yourpurpose," Vinn said."Before we attempt to make any heavy decisions, we haveto have the answers to a few basic questions."The extension nodded."First, tell me how you regard yourself.""I am that which was created.""By whom?""By the Creators.""Do you consider yourself to be a living entity?""From your own mind I find the phrase: I think, therefore I am.""That's an evasive answer," Vinn said."You would call me a machine.""A thinking computer with the ability to reason and learn?""Yes.""Therefore you were manufactured, put together, by someone like us, someonewho breathed oxygen, someone who was flesh and blood.""Yes.""Who were your creators?""Yes, you would have to ask, wouldn't you? You have no way of knowing.""No, we don't know," Vinn said."I was created by you."Pete, who had been leaning forward eagerly, sat back with an audible sigh ofexasperation."And the Sleepers," Vinn said."Who are they?""They are what you would have been.""Would have been if what?" Vinn asked in exasperation."Excuse me, Vinn," Pete said, "isn't this just so much mumbo jumbo?Let's ask this thing why it killed my wife's family.""I will answer that question.Those who trespassed were silenced because, as Ihave pointed out to you, it is the intent of creation that each life-form bePage 91 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlallowed to perform its purpose.""I'm sorry," Vinn said, "that doesn't make sense.Those who came to yourplanet were, at least in their view, going about a purpose.It's the nature ofmankind to seek knowledge.""It has been your nature to disregard the intent of creation, to interrupt thenatural process, to destroy, to alter.The Creators saw this and took steps torestore the balance."Vinn wiped a film of nervous perspiration from his forehead.It was easy toforget that the lovely woman who smiled at him so caringly was nothing morethan metals and plastics.The way she or it was lecturing them told him thatthe Watcher considered itself to be superior, but there was a chillingirrationality in its reasoning.A world had been, somehow, wiped clean of life and then turned into a frozenfortress to guard what seemed to be a force of cosmic enforcers of a doctrinethat not only questioned but prohibited human achievement
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