Page 206 - TruthAboutLyingFinal

The Truth About Lying
occasionally, the act of explaining the test helps a species pass it.”
The conference room began to dissolve back into white space.
“You speak of the V-7 interface as a revolution,” it said. “We see it for what it is: a sensory cage of your own design.
“The test is not whether your technology works. It does.
“The test is whether you possess the wisdom to survive it.”
Jinji stepped forward. “How do we find that balance?”
“If I told you, it would not be your solution. It would be mine.” The Curator began to fade. “You have to discover it yourselves. That is the test.”
Vincent’s voice was raw. “And if we can’t?”
“Then I will do what I have done four hundred and seventy-three times before,” the Curator said quietly. “I will preserve what I can, and I will mourn what I cannot. I do not enjoy this work. But it is necessary.”
The white space collapsed.
The Assessment had begun.
Vincent closed his eyes. Not in prayer. For the first time, he understood what they were being asked to become.
Not believers. Not survivors. Something else.
This wasn’t something you prayed to.
It was something that answered, whether you were ready for the truth or not.
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