"Like you said. Humanity went out to new planets, and not all of them were hospitable. Besides, we, uh, had a little help with some of the technology."

A lot of humanity's greatest scientific advancements -- even through into more recent times, like Harper's crazy time-traveling teleport -- came about as a result of a combination of Perseid technology and human ingenuity. Just like Harper said.

"In your time, yeah, it still was in its early stages. In my world, too."

He shrugs.

"It's just a part of what humanity is. Something like 90 percent of humans have been genetically enhanced in one way or another."