Chapter 580

A great many things happened in the world every day, and some of them genuinely belonged in the public eye.

Celebrities were the obvious example. Their daily lives, affairs, scandals, and every other scrap of gossip were exposed almost the moment they happened, whether the celebrities wanted it or not. In some ways, that was simply part of the job. Fame fueled their careers, and their lives became entertainment for everyone else.

People needed entertainment. No matter how serious or respectable a person might appear, there was always a part of them that wanted to enjoy themselves.

That was also why celebrities could make absurd amounts of money. Put a movie star in a film watched by millions of people, take a small cut from every ticket sold, and suddenly the numbers became rather impressive.

But not everything in the world belonged in the public eye.

Military personnel and scientists, for instance.

They didn’t make their living from being watched. Being discussed and entertaining the public wasn’t part of their job description.

Besides, the work itself could be painfully dull and incomprehensible to ordinary people. Put someone next to Stephen Hawking for an entire day, and unless they happened to have several advanced degrees, they probably wouldn’t understand what he was doing for most of it. They’d know when he ate, slept, or went to the bathroom. Everything else might as well have been written in another language.

It was difficult to get excited about something that made you feel like your intelligence had been personally insulted.

People sometimes complained that newspapers were filled with celebrity gossip and asked why they didn’t publish more about scientists.

The answer was simple.

If you were reading an entertainment newspaper, maybe you shouldn’t expect it to suddenly become an academic journal.

If you really wanted to learn about Einstein, there were biographies, collected works, and books on relativity waiting for you. Buy one and read it.

The same principle applied to S.H.I.E.L.D.

The secrets S.H.I.E.L.D. refused to release weren’t harmless celebrity gossip. They weren’t stories about which politician had stolen someone’s pressure cooker. They were matters capable of shaking the entire world.

And most ordinary people probably had no desire to know the details.

"How is that possible?"

Skye clearly disagreed.

"According to you, the public doesn’t want to know the truth. They’d rather believe the lies S.H.I.E.L.D. tells them? Really? You’re saying they’d prefer a lie to the truth?"

"Why wouldn’t they?"

Evenson grinned.

"The cruelest thing in the world, the thing that causes people the most pain, is often the truth. Humans are naturally inclined to avoid suffering. Sometimes they know perfectly well that something is false, but they still want you to lie to them for a little while longer so they can keep enjoying that comfortable illusion."

He pointed at Skye.

"But what you’re trying to do is tear that illusion away from them. You’re taking away their little piece of false happiness. That’s pretty cruel."

"Bullshit."

Skye shook her head.

"That’s just an excuse S.H.I.E.L.D. uses to justify what it does. The truth is the truth because it actually happened. People have a right to face reality."

"Look at you."

Evenson’s smile faded into a faint sneer.

"You hate S.H.I.E.L.D., yet you’re doing exactly what you accuse them of doing. You’re ignoring what the public might want and deciding for them based on what you personally believe is right."

Skye froze.

For a brief moment, she couldn’t answer.

Was he right?

Was what she was doing really no different from S.H.I.E.L.D.?

"I just did what I believed was right," she said stubbornly.

"Who doesn’t?"

Evenson shrugged.

"Do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. believes it’s doing the wrong thing? We’re all doing what we think is right."

He leaned back.

"And honestly, there’s nothing particularly strange about that. People don’t actually like making choices. Having choices is often harder than having none at all."

He paused, then narrowed his eyes.

"But there’s an important distinction here. Do you understand the difference between saying that people need to face the truth and saying that people can face the truth?"

Skye frowned.

"Is that really such a big difference? Are S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets so terrifying that people can’t handle them?"

"Fine."

Evenson looked at her.

"I’ll tell you a few things. You can decide for yourself."

He smiled.

"You’ve spent all this time digging into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets. Now you’re finally going to see what you’ve been looking for."

"Go ahead."

Skye slapped a hand against the table.

She looked almost excited, like someone about to enter a haunted house who had convinced herself there was no possible way anything inside could scare her.

"Let’s hear it. What’s supposed to be so frightening?"

"Everyone knows about aliens now."

Evenson rubbed his nose.

"What they don’t know is that every alien civilization we’ve encountered so far is, on the whole, significantly more advanced than Earth. Some of those species evolved with superior physical capabilities. Others modified themselves afterward. Either way, compared to humans, their bodies are vastly more capable."

He stopped and watched her.

Skye merely shrugged.

"That’s it? I don’t see what’s so terrifying about that."

"Fair enough. Hollywood has been using that plot for decades."

Evenson shook his head.

"The problem is that it’s real now."

His expression grew more serious.

"And those alien civilizations aren’t all friendly toward Earth. Do you know how some of them view humanity?"

He raised one finger.

"Primitive species."

Another.

"Primitive civilization."

"And a third."

"Primitive planet."

He folded his hands.

"Put all three together, and you get something very simple: inferior life."

Skye pursed her lips.

"Inferior life..."

The words stung more than she wanted to admit.

For as long as humanity had existed, people had considered themselves the pinnacle of life on Earth. Now they had discovered that, on a cosmic scale, they might barely qualify as intelligent livestock.

"Remember Loki?" Evenson continued. "The one who brought the Chitauri invasion to Earth. When he first arrived, someone told him, ’We have no quarrel with you.’"

Evenson rested his hands beneath his nose.

"Loki’s response was essentially this: ants have no quarrel with your boot, either."

Skye’s expression tightened.

"So that’s how they see us. Like ants."

"Pretty much. If one gets crushed, you don’t lose sleep over it."

"Is it really... that bad?"

For years, humanity had considered itself the master of its own world. The realization that aliens might regard them as little more than insects was difficult to swallow.

Even if Earth was technologically inferior, surely intelligent life deserved some basic respect.

"Back when humanity was still in the Stone Age, aliens had already visited Earth."

Evenson didn’t give her time to recover.

"Humans worshipped them as gods. Do you know what those ’gods’ thought of humans?"

Skye said nothing.

"Test subjects. Cannon fodder."

His voice remained calm.

"They experimented on humans. They wanted to throw them into wars they’d started and use them as disposable troops."

Skye’s face paled.

"And the only reason humanity survived that period wasn’t because humans successfully fought them off. It wasn’t because our ancestors impressed them with their kindness."

Evenson shrugged.

"The aliens had internal political problems. Those problems made them abandon the plan."

He looked directly at her.

"Human civilization nearly ended before it had even properly begun."

Skye swallowed.

"And that was one of the civilized versions."

Evenson’s smile was humorless.

"Some of the less civilized ones apparently thought humans belonged on the menu alongside cattle and sheep."

Skye stared at him.

"So if an alien abducted someone today, their final destination might not be an operating table."

Evenson paused.

"It might be the alien’s bathroom."

Skye’s expression went blank.

"That’s... really bad."

"Actually, that isn’t the worst part."

Evenson sighed dramatically.

"Those aliens are openly hostile. If they’re hostile, at least we know what we’re dealing with."

He raised a hand.

"The truly frightening part is that even the alien civilizations that appear friendly aren’t necessarily safe."

He gave her a troubled look.

"Take Asgard. You know about Asgard, right? Thor’s home. He uses the Bifrost to travel between worlds."

"Of course."

Skye’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"Thor..."

She practically sparkled.

"He’s incredible. I’d love to get his autograph. Just once. I’d even trade him Captain America’s autograph for it."

Evenson covered his face.

So she’s a Thor fangirl.

He lowered his hand and muttered, "Personally, I don’t think Thor is nearly as handsome as I am. And that head of his..."

He sighed.

"Spend enough time around him and you’ll realize he’s basically a walking concussion."

"Focus."

He snapped his fingers in front of her face.

Skye blinked and returned to reality.

"Right. Asgard."

"Earth’s general opinion of Asgard is pretty positive," Evenson said. "But there’s one problem. We now know the Bifrost isn’t merely transportation."

He leaned forward.

"It’s a weapon."

Skye’s expression slowly changed.

"A planet-killing weapon."

He held up one finger.

"If the Bifrost were aimed at Earth and maintained its output for long enough, it could cut the planet in half."

Skye stared.

Evenson continued solemnly.

"So imagine Heimdall has a few too many drinks at a feast, goes home drunk, and decides to drive the Bifrost."

He paused.

"By the time he sobers up and looks for Earth again, it might not be there."

Skye’s mouth twitched.

"And the really comforting part?"

Evenson spread his hands.

"Asgardians drink. A lot."

Skye’s expression hardened.

On Earth, drunk driving could kill a handful of people.

In Asgard, drunk driving could potentially kill an entire planet.

For the first time, Skye began to understand why keeping certain facts from the public might not be as simple as S.H.I.E.L.D. refusing to trust them.

It wasn’t merely a matter of fear.

It was a matter of living with a knife hanging over the world’s neck.

"And that’s still not the worst of it," Evenson said.

Skye looked at him warily.

"Almost every advanced alien civilization possesses weapons of similar scale."

"They aren’t necessarily as powerful as the Bifrost, and they aren’t necessarily as efficient. But they can still wipe out humanity."

He shrugged.

"After all, humans managed to invent nuclear weapons. If a species thousands of years ahead of us couldn’t build something worse, I’d be rather disappointed in them."

Skye slowly nodded.

That part, unfortunately, made perfect sense.

Humans had already created weapons capable of destroying themselves. There was no reason to assume civilizations vastly more advanced than humanity hadn’t done the same.

"And all of that is only what’s waiting in this universe."

Evenson lifted another finger.

"There are other dimensions."

Skye’s brow furrowed.

"Take the Dark Dimension. Its ruler, Dormammu, seems very interested in Earth. He’s constantly looking for a way to pull this planet into his domain."

Skye stared at him.

"And what happens if he succeeds?"

"Dimensional physics aren’t exactly my specialty."

Evenson shrugged.

"Who knows what Earth would become after that kind of transition?"

He gave her a pointed look.

"But you’re a girl who practically lives online. Surely you’ve heard the term ’dimensional reduction.’ Try imagining what that might mean when an entire planet gets dragged into another dimension."

Skye rubbed her forehead.

Somehow, this conversation had gone from aliens to interdimensional cosmic entities, and her brain was struggling to keep up.

"Maybe all of those threats sound distant to you," Evenson said, "because you haven’t learned how to recognize them."

He leaned closer.

"You don’t actually think the Chitauri invasion ended just because the Battle of New York ended, do you?"

"I know the invasion was only a first engagement."

Skye tilted her head.

"The Chitauri will probably come back eventually. I’ve heard that argument in the mayor’s speech."

She frowned.

"Honestly, though, that still feels pretty distant."

"I’ve heard that speech."

Evenson nodded enthusiastically.

"It was excellent."

He would say that anywhere.

After all, the speech had been written by the Eredar Twins.

"But the Chitauri could return next year, or in a hundred years. Nobody knows."

He shrugged.

"And if they wait a century, Earth might have advanced far enough technologically that the next fight could go very differently."

Skye nodded.

"Exactly."

"But that’s not what I’m talking about."

Evenson waved a hand.

"You still haven’t realized the important part."

"The important part?"

"The Chitauri came from another planet."

Skye blinked.

"Yes..."

"So?"

She stared at him.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Evenson looked at her with the weary expression of a teacher who had just discovered his student had forgotten the most basic concept imaginable.

"So there’s a microscope downstairs."

He pointed toward the door.

"Do you want me to borrow one for you? We can take a look at how many bacteria are living on your clothes and skin."

He paused.

"Maybe count the mites while we’re at it."

Skye’s eyes widened.

"You’re talking about alien bacteria."

"Exactly."

Evenson’s expression became serious.

"And possibly alien viruses."

The humor vanished from his face.

"The Chitauri didn’t come out of a sterile laboratory. Whatever microorganisms live on them are alien organisms too. They don’t belong to Earth’s ecosystem."

He tapped the table.

"That means they may have no natural predators here."

Another tap.

"And Earth’s immune systems may have no defense against them."

Skye’s face slowly drained of color.

"Think about what happens if even one of those microorganisms is infectious."

Evenson leaned back.

"The first alien pandemic in human history."

He smiled grimly.

"And I guarantee Earth’s cold medicine won’t do much against Chitauri influenza."

Skye stared at him.

"So..."

Evenson spread his hands.

"Do you still blame S.H.I.E.L.D. for immediately recovering and quarantining every Chitauri remnant they could find?"

Skye fell silent.

It took her a long time to answer.

"These..."

She swallowed.

"These are the truths S.H.I.E.L.D. has been hiding?"

"This is the truth of the world."

Evenson’s voice was unexpectedly somber.

"Whenever humans have looked into the night sky, they’ve felt some measure of fear and insignificance. The universe is vast. Space is dark. We don’t know what’s out there."

He looked at her.

"The reality is worse."

"There are things hiding in that darkness that could tear Earth apart."

He paused.

"And there isn’t just one."

Skye said nothing.

"The reason humanity can still live comfortably on this tiny planet, go to work, raise families, watch movies, complain about traffic, and generally pretend everything is normal..."

Evenson gave a faint, bitter smile.

"...is because most of them don’t know."

Ignorance is bliss.

It sounded like the sort of phrase a tyrant might use to justify keeping people ignorant.

But if those threats were real, perhaps ignorance had another purpose.

If telling billions of people about every cosmic predator circling Earth would cause society to collapse from fear before any of those predators even arrived, then perhaps keeping the public ignorant really was the lesser evil.

Skye remained quiet for several moments.

Finally, she sighed.

"I’ll admit it."

She looked down.

"I’ve misunderstood S.H.I.E.L.D. in some ways."

She had finally grasped the difference.

These weren’t celebrity scandals. They weren’t harmless secrets or political embarrassments.

Every one of them had the potential to trigger a global catastrophe.

That demanded caution.

"But..."

She raised her head.

"The truth can’t stay hidden forever."

Her voice was quieter now, but firm.

"Maybe people aren’t ready for it. Maybe they can’t face it yet. But eventually, they have to."

"That’s more mature than I expected from you."

Evenson nodded.

"But do you really think S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn’t considered how to fight back?"

He leaned back.

"How do you think the Avengers came into existence?"

Skye frowned.

"We aren’t hiding the truth because we’re giving up. We’re hiding it because we need stability."

His tone became firm.

"Stability comes first."

"If the world remains stable, we can avoid wasting our strength fighting each other. We can direct our resources toward the threats that actually matter."

He spread his hands.

"If you want to call that keeping people ignorant, fine."

His eyes hardened.

"But what else are we supposed to do?"

"If we tell ordinary people about all of this right now, what can they actually accomplish?"

"Nothing."

"They can’t fight the aliens. They can’t stop an interdimensional entity. They can’t develop a defense against an extraterrestrial pathogen overnight."

"All they can do is panic."

Evenson looked directly at her.

"And panic won’t save them."

...