K-Pax (14 page)

"W
e
 
don'
t
 
hav
e
 
marriag
e
 
o
n
 
K-PAX-n
o
 
husbands
,
 
n
o
 
wives
,
 
n
o
 
families-ge
t
 
it
?
 
Or
,
 
t
o
 
pu
t
 
i
t
 
more
correctly
,
th
e
entir
e
populatio
n
i
s
on
e
bi
g
family."

"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
biologica
l
childre
n
o
f
you
r
own?"

"No."

Ther
e
 
ar
e
 
man
y
 
reason
s
 
wh
y
 
a
 
perso
n
 
decide
s
 
no
t
 
t
o
 
hav
e
 
children
.
 
On
e
 
o
f
 
thes
e
 
ha
s
 
t
o
 
d
o
 
with
abus
e
 
b
y
 
o
r
 
hatre
d
 
o
f
 
hi
s
 
parents
.
 
"Let'
s
 
ge
t
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
you
r
 
mothe
r
 
an
d
 
father
.
 
D
o
 
yo
u
 
se
e
 
the
m
 
very
often?"

H
e
sighe
d
i
n
apparen
t
frustration
.
"No."

"D
o
yo
u
lik
e
them?"

"Ar
e
yo
u
stil
l
beatin
g
you
r
wife?"

"
I
don'
t
understand."

"You
r
 
question
s
 
ar
e
 
phrase
d
 
fro
m
 
th
e
 
poin
t
 
o
f
 
vie
w
 
o
f
 
a
n
 
EART
H
 
person
.
 
O
n
 
K-PA
X
 
the
y
 
would b
e
nonsense."

"M
r
pro
t
–"

"Jus
t
prot."

"Let'
s
establis
h
som
e
sor
t
o
f
groun
d
rule
s
fo
r
thes
e
sessions
,
shal
l
we
?
I'
m
sur
e
yo
u
wil
l
forgiv
e
m
e
i
f
I

phras
e
m
y
question
s
fro
m
th
e
poin
t
o
f
vie
w
o
f
a
n
Eart
h
perso
n
since
,
i
n
fact
,
tha
t
i
s
wha
t
I
am
.
I

coul
d
 
no
t
 
phras
e
 
the
m
 
i
n
K-PAXia
n
 
term
s
 
eve
n
 
i
f
I
 
wante
d
 
t
o
 
becaus
e
 
I
 
a
m
 
no
t
 
familia
r
 
wit
h
 
your
wa
y
 
o
f
 
life
.
 
I
 
a
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
as
k
 
yo
u
 
t
o
 
humo
r
 
me
,
 
t
o
 
bea
r
 
wit
h
 
m
e
 
i
n
 
this
.
 
Pleas
e
 
tr
y
 
t
o
 
answe
r
 
the question
s
 
i
n
th
e
 
bes
t
 
wa
y
 
yo
u
 
can
,
 
usin
g
 
Eart
h
 
expressions
,
 
whic
h
 
yo
u
 
see
m
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
quit
e
 
familia
r
 
with,
wheneve
r
possible
.
Woul
d
tha
t
b
e
a
fai
r
reques
t
unde
r
th
e
circumstances?"

"
I
a
m
happ
y
yo
u
hav
e
sai
d
that
.
Perhap
s
w
e
ca
n
lear
n
fro
m
eac
h
other."

"I
f
yo
u
ar
e
happy
,
I
a
m
happ
y
too
.
Now
,
i
f
yo
u
ar
e
ready
,
mayb
e
yo
u
coul
d
tel
l
m
e
a
littl
e
abou
t
your
parents
.
Fo
r
example
,
d
o
yo
u
kno
w
wh
o
you
r
mothe
r
an
d
fathe
r
are
?
Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
me
t
them?"

"
I
hav
e
me
t
m
y
mother
.
I
hav
e
no
t
ye
t
ru
n
acros
s
m
y
father."
It'
s
hi
s
fathe
r
th
e
patien
t
hates
!
`Ru
n
across'?"

"K-PA
X
i
s
a
bi
g
place."

"Bu
t
surely-"

"O
r
i
f
I
hav
e
me
t
him
,
n
o
on
e
ha
s
pointe
d
ou
t
ou
r
biologica
l
relationship."

"Ar
e
ther
e
man
y
peopl
e
o
n
you
r
plane
t
wh
o
don'
t
kno
w
wh
o
thei
r
father
s
are?"

H
e
 
grinne
d
 
a
t
 
this
,
 
quickl
y
 
pickin
g
 
u
p
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
doubl
e
 
meaning
.
 
"Mos
t
 
d
o
 
not
.
 
I
t
 
i
s
 
no
t
 
a
n
 
important
thing."

"Bu
t
yo
u
kno
w
you
r
mother."

"Purel
y
a
coincidence
.
A
mutua
l
acquaintanc
e
happene
d
t
o
mentio
n
ou
r
biologica
l
connection."

"Tha
t
 
i
s
 
difficul
t
 
fo
r
 
a
n
 
Eart
h
 
perso
n
 
t
o
 
understand
.
 
Perhap
s
 
yo
u
 
coul
d
 
explai
n
 
wh
y
 
you
r
 
`biological
connections
'
ar
e
no
t
importan
t
t
o
you."

"Wh
y
shoul
d
the
y
be?"

"Because-uh
,
fo
r
now
,
le
t
m
e
as
k
th
e
questions
,
an
d
yo
u
giv
e
th
e
answers
,
al
l
right?"

"Sometime
s
a
questio
n
i
s
th
e
bes
t
answer."

"
I
suppos
e
yo
u
don'
t
kno
w
ho
w
man
y
brother
s
an
d
sister
s
yo
u
have."

"O
n
K-PA
X
w
e
ar
e
al
l
siblings."

"
I
mean
t
biologica
l
siblings."

"
I
woul
d
b
e
surprise
d
 
i
f
ther
e
 
wer
e
 
any
.
 
Almos
t
 
n
o
 
on
e
 
ha
s
 
mor
e
 
tha
n
 
on
e
 
child
,
 
fo
r
 
reason
s
 
I
 
have
alread
y
explained."

"Isn'
t
ther
e
pee
r
pressur
e
o
r
governmen
t
incentive
s
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
you
r
specie
s
doesn'
t
di
e
out?"

"Ther
e
i
s
n
o
governmen
t
o
n
K-PAX."

"Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
mean-it'
s
a
n
anarchy?"

"That'
s
a
s
goo
d
a
wor
d
a
s
any."

"Bu
t
wh
o
build
s
th
e
roads
?
Th
e
hospitals
?
Wh
o
run
s
th
e
schools?"

"Really
,
gene
,
it'
s
no
t
tha
t
difficul
t
t
o
understand
.
O
n
K-PAX
,
on
e
doe
s
wha
t
need
s
t
o
b
e
done."

"Wha
t
i
f
n
o
on
e
notice
s
tha
t
somethin
g
need
s
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
done
?
 
Wha
t
 
i
f
someon
e
 
know
s
 
somethin
g
 
needs
t
o
b
e
don
e
bu
t
refuse
s
t
o
d
o
it
?
Wha
t
i
f
a
perso
n
decide
s
t
o
d
o
nothing?"

"Tha
t
doesn'
t
happe
n
o
n
K-PAX."

"Never?"

"Wha
t
woul
d
b
e
th
e
point?"

"Well
,
t
o
expres
s
dissatisfactio
n
ove
r
th
e
wage
s
bein
g
paid
,
fo
r
on
e
thing."

"W
e
don'
t
hav
e
`wages
'
o
n
K-PAX
.
O
r
mone
y
o
f
an
y
kind."
I
jotte
d
thi
s
down
.
"N
o
money
?
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
barte
r
with?"

"W
e
 
don'
t
 
`barter.
'
 
Yo
u
 
reall
y
 
shoul
d
 
lear
n
 
t
o
 
liste
n
 
t
o
 
you
r
 
patients
,
 
doctor
.
 
I
 
tol
d
 
yo
u
 
befor
e
 
-
 
if
somethin
g
 
need
s
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
done
,
 
yo
u
 
d
o
 
it
.
 
I
f
 
someon
e
 
need
s
 
somethin
g
 
yo
u
 
have
,
 
yo
u
 
giv
e
 
i
t
 
t
o
 
him
.
 
This
avoid
s
a
multitud
e
o
f
problem
s
an
d
ha
s
worke
d
prett
y
wel
l
o
n
ou
r
PLANE
T
fo
r
severa
l
billio
n
years."

"Al
l
right
.
Ho
w
bi
g
i
s
you
r
planet?"

"Abou
t
 
th
e
 
siz
e
 
o
f
 
you
r
 
 
NEPTUNE
.
 
 
You'l
l
 
 
fin
d
 
 
thi
s
 
 
als
o
 
 
o
n
 
 
th
e
 
 
transcrip
t
 
 
o
f
 
 
las
t
 
 
week's
conversation."

"Than
k
you
.
An
d
wha
t
i
s
th
e
population?"

"Ther
e
 
ar
e
 
abou
t
 
fiftee
n
 
millio
n
 
o
f
 
m
y
 
species
,
 
i
f
 
tha
t
 
i
s
 
wha
t
 
yo
u
 
mean
.
 
Bu
t
 
ther
e
 
ar
e
 
man
y
 
other
being
s
beside
s
ourselves."

"Wha
t
kind
s
o
f
beings?"

"
A
variet
y
o
f
creatures
,
som
e
o
f
who
m
resembl
e
th
e
animal
s
o
f
EARTH
,
som
e
not."

"Ar
e
thes
e
wil
d
o
r
domesticate
d
animals?"

"W
e
don'
t
'domesticate
'
an
y
o
f
ou
r
beings."

"Yo
u
don'
t
rais
e
an
y
animal
s
fo
r
food?"

"N
o
 
on
e
 
'raises
'
 
anothe
r
 
bein
g
 
fo
r
 
an
y
 
purpos
e
 
o
n
 
K-PAX
,
 
an
d
 
certainl
y
 
no
t
 
fo
r
 
food
.
 
W
e
 
ar
e
 
not
cannibals.
"
I
detecte
d
a
sudde
n
an
d
unexpecte
d
not
e
o
f
ange
r
i
n
thi
s
response-why?

"Le
t
m
e
jus
t
fil
l
i
n
on
e
o
r
tw
o
blank
s
i
n
you
r
childhood
.
A
s
I
understan
d
it
,
yo
u
 
wer
e
 
brough
t
 
u
p
 
b
y
 
a
numbe
r
o
f
surrogat
e
parents
,
i
s
tha
t
right?"