"I have to tell them that the aliens have made a great deal of progress, and that we have lagged pitifully behind in copying them. Have we done anything on our own? No."
Alina closed her eyes. "God, what pessimism. Gimme 'nother cigarette; mine went out."
Parmay handed her a cigarette. "What do you mean: 'pessimism'? What have we done?"
His wife held up a hand and began counting off fingers.
"One: Increase in the standard of living. The five-hour work week.
"Two: If and when it comes to a pitched battle between us and the aliens, we have the ionic disruptor. I can guarantee that no known conductor can stand up against it. And—"
Parmay waved her down. "Cut. That's just another problem to hand to the Ancestors. We have increased our own personal comforts; what does that mean to a group of people who are hacking out a new civilization on some godforsaken planet a couple of hundred light years from home?
"And how do you know we're invincible? The ionic disruptor disintegrates all and any metals or alloys we know of. But isn't it possible that the aliens have some alloy we don't have?"
"You find me a non-conducting metal," Alina said positively, "and I'll admit that the disruptor might fail against it."
"I repeat, my dear, how do you know we're invincible?"