Why Haven’t the Humans Transformed? (3/3) (Patreon)

We agreed to this meeting. The humans, as alien and bizarre as their methods were, were nothing if not entirely peaceful and civilized throughout each and every one of our interactions. Their practices were barbaric, yes, and their reticence to conform to the galactic norm was indeed disturbing… but that didn’t mean we were simply going to allow our biases to close us off to the possibilities of diplomacy.

Yet not everyone within our ranks saw eye to eye with this direction. It was inevitable given how large and expansive our alliance had truly become. We had diverged into more than ten thousand distinct species, all with their own unique cultures, civilizations, and ideologies. But a compromise was still struck despite this, for a single sentiment rang true throughout us all despite our vast differences :  coexistence.

We could hate the humans, we could dislike them and what they stand for, but coexistence was not out of the question.

The Grand Parliament was chosen as the venue for this fateful meeting, which rather poetically was deep within our territory, as opposed to our previous meetings having all been concentrated on the human homefront.

This grand structure occupying some 100 square kilometers of space, was the way it was not simply out of aesthetics or a testament to some philosophy of hubris, but out a necessity to house each and every one of the ten thousand unique species in specially constructed quarters, sections, and habitats tailored for each species.

Yet when we inquired about the human’s specific requirements, they declined.

This once again puzzled us to no end as it seemed entirely antithetical to humanity’s modus operandi up to this point.

When we inquired as to why they refused to send us their species’ specific needs and requirements, the answer we received was admittedly just as cryptic: “As a gesture of good will for what will be the proposal we intend to submit.”

Debates would rage on as to what this truly meant until the fateful day of the humans’ arrival. Our guesses as to the sheer uniformity of the humans’ FTL capable vessels all those years ago were indeed accurate. As it was clear that every single ship was designed with one sole species in mind, and as a result, carried with it a strange, almost otherworldly sameness that ultimately resulted in the hair-raising and spine tingling of many that watched the ships’ approach.

Countless onlookers watched on, either live at the touchdown site itself, or via their viewscreens at home and at work as the first humans set foot on Artillian soil.

Yet what emerged, or rather, who emerged wasn’t but another diplomat in yet another encounter suit, but none other than that same exact human who had greeted us before, millenia ago within the Sol system.

Many would not have noticed, not even as he announced his name as it had been so long since then… but I knew. Because my particular branch of the Artillian family tree had the interesting quirk of living for thousands upon thousands of years… indeed, I was there as I saw the man all those years ago on Sol.

Questions abound as to the average human life expectancy as I knew all would be answered when we sat down for the human’s speech, and whatever proposal he had on hand.

“Esteemed members of the Grand Parliament, I wish to convey humanity’s intent for it is clear that both of our great peoples lack a clear understanding of either’s intent. It has become clear to us that mutual, peaceful, coexistence is the only way forward. Humanity, as it has and always will be, stands as a force of peace, and this will never change.”

“Yet it is exactly because of these differences that I believe our futures are intertwined. For it is because of our vastly different ideologies that our interests never overlap, that our goals and aims never truly intersect. It is because of these differences that we are able to propose what we propose today… a division of the galaxy.”

“For both of our peoples to coexist and thrive, for all parties involved to reach a peaceful existence, I call for the lines to be drawn to delineate our vastly different interests. Humanity has no need, and no interest in the affairs of worlds hosting existing ecosystems. Our aims for expansion has always been the terraformation and conversion of worlds to Earth-like environments. We understand the beauty, complexity, and awe inspiring wonder of each of these alien ecosystems, and we wish nothing more than to leave them untouched. It is clear that the Alliance acts as shepherds for these worlds, and we understand now the beauty of your ideology. Coexistence and the propagation of these unique worlds is a thankless venture, yet one that you have made your core ideology. Humanity could not have asked for better partners in this regard.”

“Our aims on the other hand are to convert barren worlds into planets more suited to our conditions. Our belief is in the mastery of one’s environment to service the needs of our people, yes, but we would never force that upon existing worlds. It is as a result of this that our expansion to the stars is slow, but methodical, as we wish to allow for our citizens to expand to the stars comfortably, safely, and with dignity in mind. It is why we believe that even with our differences, we truly are the same… we ultimately want what’s best for our people, despite our vast differences. It is a result of this that we believe that this division is within the realm of possibility. For your people to continue on their journeys of diversification, and for ours to continue on our journey of expansion through mastery, and, our ventures into the self through technological ascendancy.”

“Humanity offers a hand in peace in building a better galaxy for both of our peoples, in our own, unique ways, in peace and coexistence.”