Breakthrough (Breakthrough, #1)

by Michael C. Grumley

But we would still be talking about a required level of energy that is far beyond anything we could manage.” “You mean ‘we’ as in the United States?” asked Stevas. “No,” said Harding. “I mean ‘we’ as in human beings.”

Palin gave him an almost puzzled look. “If you have more than enough, should you not give it?” Clay opened his eyes wide with disbelief. “Not at the cost of millions of lives.” “This tsunami will not kill everyone. Most will survive, will they not?” “Yes but-” “Is it not better to save both races than let one perish?” Palin asked. Clay shook his head incredulously. “This is not a business transaction.” “History, for both of our worlds, is filled with millions and millions of meaningless deaths. Wars over lands or resources that later meant nothing. The worst, over religious beliefs, which were nothing more than emotional ideas being systematically forced onto others. Humans, both of us, have given much less thought and value to life than my people are doing now.”

She thought of Dirk, who had innocently swam right into the middle of it all, thinking he was helping. Dolphins were so much more beautiful than humans, she thought. They deserved to be here more than we did.