The interrogator walked up to the alien intelligence and asked, "What is your name?"
This was a question that Louis had already asked.
The Human Federation had the tester ask this question for several important reasons.
First, to test whether a price would still be exacted if the same question was asked multiple times.
Second, if a price was still required, to test whether the cost was controllable and quantifiable.
Previously, Louis had asked two questions in total—"name" and "origin"—and the price paid was ten human lives.
By asking only for its name this time, they could, as expected, control the consumption of "food" to a single-digit number, even if a price was exacted a second time.
The third reason was the original intent of the test: food substitution.
