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"My point is I don't think the Formics came here solely to kill us."
"They've killed twenty million people, Bingwen."
"Oh they're killing us. There's no question of that. And they're doing it effectively and intentionally. But that's not the primary reason why they're here. If it were, we would be their only target. They would always come after us. But initially they didn't. They killed all living things. Grass, trees, crops. All life. We need to ask ourselves why."
"I'll ask you: Why?"
Bingwen shrugged. "Some people might say that they're here to destroy the planet, that this is what they do as a species. They move through the universe killing all life. Maybe they're afraid intelligent beings will evolve enough to be a threat to them. So they kill everything to protect themselves against possible future attacks."
"Kill your enemy before he becomes your enemy."
"Yes."
"Is that what you think?"
"It's possible. Maybe even likely. But I don't think it's the only explanation. I think it far more likely that Formics are farmers."
Li raised an eyebrow. "Farmers?"
"Or whatever comes before farmers. Once, in my village, we had a few hectares of forest where we wanted to plant other crops besides rice. So we burned down the forest and cleared the land. It took awhile for the soil to heal, but once it did, it was rich and ready for planting. I think the Formics are doing the same, stripping the land to prepare it for crops. You can't just throw seed on the ground among what's already growing there and hope for the best. You have to remove everything that's currently seizing nutrients and start completely over."
"It's called 'terraforming,'" said Li.
"What's that?"
"What you're describing. It means they're preparing the ground for plant life that fits their own protein structure. We've known this is what they're doing for some time now."
"Why don't I hear people talking about this?"
"You're eight years old. Adults don't have these conversations with children. And anyway most people are idiots. They don't care about the why. They only care about what threatens them."
"I care about the why," said Bingwen.
"Which is why you're on this train. The military needs people who ask why."
They finished their meal, and the train pulled away an hour later, loaded with food and supplies. Other soldiers joined them in the passenger car, all of them heavily armed.
Later, in middle of the night, the train suddenly stopped, throwing the passenger car into chaos. Equipment fell from storage compartments. Men tumbled from seats. Bingwen jerked awake.
Li checked his wrist pad. "Something's wrong."
He got up and moved toward the front of the train. Bingwen fell in behind him. When they reached the driver's cab, they found the engineer shaken.
"What's wrong?" asked Li. "Why have we stopped?"
"Bandits," said the engineer, pointing out the front window. "They've set up a barricade. I had to stop or we would have crashed."
Bingwen went to the front window. The headlights of the train shined out into the darkness, illuminating thirty men ahead of them on the right side of the track. Most of them were armed with rifles, machetes, or farm tools. A large man sat on a horse at the front of the mob, a rifle resting in the crook of his arm. Thirty meters farther down the track, a huge bonfire made of felled trees burned in the center of the track, surrounded by heavy iron beams, old farming equipment, and large metal drums, all obstructing the way.
Li grabbed the radio from the front console and switched it to external speaker. When he spoke, his voice boomed outside the train. "These tracks are the property of the People's Republic of China. To obstruct them is treason."
The man on horseback must have had a projection device because his response was just as loud. "You are no longer in China. We have claimed our independence. The village of Chuanzhen and its lands are ours now. Your government forced us to grow cash crops instead of the crops we need to live on. Now we have no food. And since trade in this region has collapsed, how are we to survive? How can we feed our children? No one will accept our money because the whole financial system has shut down here. We have no choice but to charge you a tax for crossing our lands. We know you have food and supplies on board. Share what you have with us and we'll clear the track and let you go."
"I am not the commanding officer on this train," said Lieutenant Li. "I cannot speak on his behalf. Let me consult with him and return with his answer."
"You have three minutes," said the man on the horse.
Li switched off the radio, unholstered his pistol, and gave it to the engineer. "Stay by this door," he said, gesturing to the side entrance. "If anyone tries to come inside, shoot them."
