Reminds me of His Master's Voice by Lem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice_(novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice_(novel)

Reminds me of His Master's Voice by Lem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice_(novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice_(novel) It goes beyond the medium. Humanity could receive a schematic for an extinction device and wouldn't know it until it's turned on. How long would we last before we caved? We could project any potential use for some mysterious alien tech; debate and rationalize at every moment of weakness. Could it cure a plague or teach us even more? Someone could build it in secret.