I enjoyed this story a lot - your premise is clever and well-researched - but I can't help but feel like the actual story is slightly out of focus. The pivotal moment of this story to me, and the part that really piqued my interest, came in the final two paragraphs: the Vrix are human, almost. The Vrix are human, but not quite. Reading the story leaves me thinking intensely about the moment of first contact in your literal Uncanny Valley; I wish you'd given that moment more space.