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may already know her name.”
    On the other hand, I might not. “Sorry.”
    â€œShe’s ranked the third best chess player in the world, though it’s only a matter of time before she’s number one,” Ms. Price said. “Are you sure you haven’t heard of her? There was a lot of coverage in the media last year when she shot up the ranks after beating Magnus Carlsen.”
    I shrugged. “I got an Xbox last year, so I was sort of distracted.”
    Ms. Price clicked her remote, and the screen rose and the lights came back up. “And there you have it,” she said. “If you agree to go, those are going to be the only human beings you’ll have contact with for the coming year. Besides me, that is.” A normal person would have smiled after saying this. Ms. Price tapped her nails on her desk.
    I, meanwhile, was considering the implications of what I had learned. That sinking feeling in my gut was all too familiar. Normally I’d swallow my pride and keep my head down, but that didn’t seem like an option here. I had to say what was on my mind.
    â€œThose guys are really impressive,” I said. “They have all these amazing skills. Best chess player in the world? I don’t have anything like that. Why am I even here?”
    â€œYour confusion is understandable,” Dr. Roop said gently. “Let me explain. The selection committee chooses from each world three beings they believe have the best chance of success in the Confederation. However, we do not want to bias the process by selecting only particular representatives who match our ideals, since it is never wise to evaluate a species based only on extraordinary individuals. Consequently, there is always a fourth being chosen at random, one picked from a somewhat contoured pool, but still a more or less blind choice.”
    â€œSomewhat contoured?” I said. “What does that mean?”
    â€œIn this case, as your species conforms to the quite popular male-female gender split, we wanted to balance things out with a second male,” Dr. Roop said. “Also, because yours is the most culturally dominant nation on your world, and it had not yetbeen represented, we felt it was prudent to pick an American. Or a Canadian. We don’t understand the difference.”
    â€œSo,” I said, “my name was pulled from a hat of twelve-year-old North American boys.”
    â€œEleven to thirteen, but yes,” said Dr. Roop.
    â€œAnd there’s nothing about me to make anyone, anywhere, think that I have a better chance of success than any other boy my age?”
    â€œInitially, yes,” Ms. Price said, looking at me through narrowed eyes, as if to suggest she had been steadily revising her estimation downward.
    â€œAnd this healing technology you mentioned,” I said. “What if I made helping my mother a condition of my going?”
    Ms. Price rolled her eyes. That again.
    â€œI wish I could offer such an incentive,” Dr. Roop said. “Were it my choice, I would happily provide your mother with the aid she needs, but our laws preclude any technological or medical assistance to species that haven’t gone through the evaluation.”
    I didn’t think there was much to be gained by asking him to violate the Prime Directive. I knew what I had to do, so I stood up and looked at them both.
    â€œI am really flattered,” I said. “I can’t believe what I’ve seen and learned here. This is, without a doubt, the most incredible day of my life. But I’m going to have to take a pass.”
    â€œWhat?” cried Ms. Price. “Sit down!”
    â€œSorry,” I said. “I’m out. Can someone drive me home?”

CHAPTER FIVE
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    I was not chickening out. Not really.
    Sure, I was afraid. Terrified. I was going full coward on this. It’s one thing to daydream, as we all have, about going off in a spaceship and having amazing