[He notices how forced it sounds, but he doesn't insist on bringing it up.]

They can come far on their own merits. And some of them are incredibly special.

[There's a flicker of something, a furrow to his brow, but it goes away quickly. Instead of continuing, he takes another drink and waves over a waiter to give them refills. And they come quickly, in fresh glasses with ice.]

The ones in my world have achieved space travel that is as common as hopping on a plane, for one. I even have a small ship back home.

And humans made that possible before I was even born.