Explorers Found A The Deathworld And A Vessel Beyond Imagination—Controlled By Humans

0:00My name's Mackenzie, and I started to go fund me for the adoptive mother of a nonverbal, autistic child. The mother had lost her job because she wasn't able to find adequate care for this autistic child. So she really needed some help with living expenses, paying some back bills. So I launched a GoFundMe to help support them during this crisis. And we raised about $10,000 within just a couple of months. I think that the surprising thing was by telling a clear story and just like really being very clear about what we needed, we have some really generous donations from people who are really moved by the situation that this family was struggling with. GoFundMe is the world's number one fundraising platform trusted by over 200 million people. Start your GoFundMe today at GoFundMe.com. That's GoFundMe.com. GoFundMe.com. This podcast is supported by GoFundMe.

1:01Most people would rather assemble a 300-piece cabinet than search for insurance. That's why the Zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the Zebra.com. Hello, I'm Wilkins' stories all the time. Glad you are here. Let's get into it. The starts had always been quiet. In 10,000 years of space travel the Veroni Exploration Collective had mapped over two million star systems. They had found life on many worlds, simple creatures that swam in methan seas, voting organisms that drifted through gas giant atmospheres, even a few species that had developed basic tool use. But intelligent life, truly intelligent life capable of building cities and ships was rare beyond measure. The collective itself was made of seven species who had found each other across the long centers. They had formed an alliance based on trade, science and mutual protection. Together, they believed they understood the universe and its rules.

2:01They believed they knew what was possible and what was not. They were wrong. Commander Thessick stood on the observation deck of the eternal witness, her crystalline body catching the light of distant stars. She was Kaurath, a species that had evolved on a low-gravity world of silicon planes in ammonia rain. Her body was beautiful in a geometric way. All angles and facets that shifted color with her emotional state. Right now, she glowed a steady blue. The color of comfogus reports, she said. Her voice-like wind tines in a gentle breeze. Her sensor officer, a mulberry named Keth, looked up from his console. The mulberry was soft-botted creatures. The flesh translucent, unfilled with bioluminescent organs. Keth's internal lights flickered with confusion. Commander, I am having difficulty believing what I am seeing, he said. The energy signature we detected is not coming from a planet or star. It is coming from an artificial construct. Thessick's mube closer to the main display. The image showed a dark shape against the star field, barely visible. But the sensor readings told a different story.

3:02The object was massive, nearly 800 kilometers in diameter. It was generating levels that rivaled small suns. And it was moving. A ship? Thessick sat. Of that size? It appears so, Commander. But there is more. Keth's lights turned yellow with anxiety. I have traced the object's origin point based on its trajectory and speed. It came from the inner region of the galaxy. From a star system we have fled as forbidden. The observation deck fell silent. Every member of the crew knew what forbidden meant. The collective had identified certain star systems as off-limits, planets. Places where conditions were so extreme that no sane species would ever evolve there. These were the death worlds. Planet so hostile that they existed only to kill. Which system? Thessick asked the part of her did not want to know. Keth checked his readings three times before entering. Tall. The third planet. Classification. Class three death world. Oxygen nitrogen atmosphere. Extreme radiation from the parent star

4:04tiktonic instability and a gravity well of 9.8 meters per second squared. A gasp went through the crew. Cosroman three was the highest danger rating. Class I welds were merely unpleasant. Cosroman two worlds were actively dangerous. The classroom in three worlds were considered impossible for intelligent life. The conditions were simply too harsh. Evolution on such worlds produced only monsters, creatures built for violence and survival at any cost. That cannot be correct, said this ex. When the calculations again, I have run them seven times commander. The result is the same. This vessel originated from Earth. This exfelt her crystalline structure vibrate with an ease. She had studied the reports on cell three during her training. The planet was a nightmare. Its atmosphere contained oxygen, a gas so reactive that it could corrode metal and burn organic tissue. Its surface was covered in water, a universal solvent that dissolved nearly everything. The planet experienced constant geological violence with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and something called hurricanes that could level entire regions

5:05and the life from there were even worse. The report spoke of predators with razor teeth and claws of venomous creatures that could kill with a single bite of microscopic organisms that invaded the bodies of larger beings and consumed them from within. Earth was a world at war with itself. Wherever living thing existed only by killing other living things, no intelligence could arise from such chaos. It was simply not possible. Yet here was a shape larger than any the collective had ever built. Bearing materials that spectral analysis confirmed came from that very world. Iron, titanium, carbon composites, elements forged in the heart of that deadly planet. We must get closer, at this it's decided. Maintain full sense of coverage and charge defensive systems. We approach with caution. The eternal witness moved forward through the void, its engines harming with carefully contained energy. As the drew nearer, the alien vessel resolved into greater detail on the screens. Thesicks felt her color shift to world purple. The shade of wonder and fear combined. The ship was not elegant. Collective vessels were designed with flowing lines and efficient coves, minimizing material usage

6:08while maximizing structural integrity. This vessel looked like it had been built by beings who had never heard of such concepts. It was covered in thick armor plates, redundant systems, and what appeared to be weapons and placements. Lots of weapons and placements. I'm detecting launch-based calf reported. Hundreds of them. The vessel appears to carry a fleet of smaller craft for the knit structure. A carrier design, Thesicks said. They brought an entire navy with them. There is more commander. I'm reading life signs aboard the main vessel. Approximately 200,000 individual organisms, 200,000. Thesicks tried to process that number. The eternal witness carried crew of 47. The largest collective ships held perhaps 300, but 200,000 beings, all aboard a single vessel, traveling through space for purposes unknown. Commander said another crew member, a Thesick communication specialist named for him. The vessel is hailing us. Every being on the observation deck froze. This was the moment they had trained for their entire careers. First contact with an unknown species.

7:09The protocols were clear, but protocols seemed meaningless in the face of what they were encountering. On screen, Thesicks commanded. The display flickered and an image appeared. Thesick's biology in preparation for any unlikely encounter. She recognized what she was seeing, though the reality was more unsettling than any report could convey. The being was bipedal, standing upright on two legs in the crushing gravity of its home world. Its body was covered in some kind of fabric, presumably for temperature regulation or cultural reasons. Its skin was a brownish shade, stretched over a skeleton of calcium and a muscular system capable of incredible force output, but it was the face that drew Vesick's attention. Two forward-facing eyes, the mark of a predator species, a nose and mouth positioned for efficient oxygen intake, and an expression that she could not read at all. The being's facial muscles are ranged in some configuration that might have been threatening or welcoming or anything in between. This is the United Nations Ship Prometheus that being said. His voice was translated automatically by the ship systems, though the original sounds were harsh and guttural, shaped by a mouthful of bone structures that could crush and tear.

8:10I am capped in Alina Vasquez. We represent the people of Earth. We have traveled a very long way to find others like I ourselves. Others who look up at the stars and wonder, what is out there? This is to come home and to compose herself. She had to respond. The protocol's demanded it. This is Commander Vesick's of the Velroni Exploration Collective, she said. We represent an alliance of seven space-faring species. We greet you in peace and with curiosity. Peace and curiosity, Captain Vasquez repeated. The muscles around her eyes contract slightly and her mouth curved upward. This exists database identified this as a smile, a human expression of pleasure or welcome. But the sight of those teeth, white and hard and designed for processing organic matter made several crew members step backward. We are very happy to hear. Most people would rather attend a corporate team building workshop than search for auto and home insurance. Go team, feel that synergy. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra dot com. Who's ready for the truss fall?

9:11Most people would rather assemble a 300-piece cabinet than search for insurance. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra dot com. Yeah, that. The human continued we have been traveling for 80 years, three generations of our people have been born aboard the ship living their entire lives and space we always hope we would find someone else out here. We always believed we were not alone 80 years, the six calculated the distance in her mind the humans had cost nearly a quarter of the galaxy traveling in a straight line from the dithy homelto into the unknown. There had no idea what they would find. They had no guarantee of success. They had simply gone. You traveled all this way without knowing if anyone existed to meet. Thesick's apt. Captain Vask was nodded. Another human gesture that Thesick's recognized. We had to try. Humanity has always been a species of explorers. When we ran out of places to explore on earth, we looked to the sky. When we exhausted our own solar system, we looked further. The not knowing was difficult, but staying home and never trying would have been worse.

10:14Thesick's exchange glances with her crew. This was unprecedented. The collective species had achieved space travel only half a century as of careful development, building their capability step-by-step with the help of species who had come before. The humans had done it alone with no guidance, no assistance, and no certainty of success. We would like to learn more about your people, Thesick said carefully. Would you permit a diplomatic delegation to visit your vessel? Another smile from the human captain. We would be honored, Commander. We have prepared quarters suitable for beings with different environmental needs. Please come aboard. Let us begin what we hope will be along in productive friendship. The communication ended, and Thesick's turn to face her crew. The colors and light showed a mixture of fear, excitement, and disbelief. She understood completely. Prepare the diplomatic shuttle she ordered. Full environmental suits and on-descorts. We are going aboard. Teth lets flickered nervously. Commander, is that wise? These beings come from a class-dreadeth world. Their very existence violates everything

11:15we understand about evolution and survival. They could be dangerous beyond our ability to comprehend. And they could be Thesick's agreed. But they have crossed the galaxy's impede say hello. They have been waiting 80 years for someone to talk to. I do not believe they have come all this way to harm us. With respect to Commander, you do not know what they believe. You do not know what drives them. Thesick's moved toward the exit, her crystalline body catching the light one more time. Then I will go and find out. That is why we are explorers. Keth, to find answers to questions, we do not yet know how to ask. The diplomatic shuttle launched from the eternal witness and I are later carrying Thesick's and a team of five specialists from different collector species. As they approach the Prometheus, the true scale of the human vessel became apparent. It was not just a ship, it was a world unto itself and mobile habitat, carrying an entire civilization through the stars. Thesick saw lights in windows suggesting living spaces within the massive structure. She saw what appeared to be parks or green spaces visible through transparent domes.

12:16She saw smaller vessels moving around the exterior performing maintenance of patrol duties. The humans had not simply built a transport. They had built a home. The shuttle entered a docking bay that could have held a dozen collective cruisers would room to spare. As the bay doors closed and atmosphere flooded the space, Thesick's prepared herself for what was to come. She would be among the first beings in galactic history to walk among humans to learn their ways to understand how species from an impossible world had achieved the impossible. The shuttle door opened. Standing on the other side, waiting patiently, was a human female in a crisp uniform. She was smaller than Captain Vasquez but carried herself with confidence. Her forward-facing eyes met Thesick's optical senses without flinching. Commander Thesick, she said, I am Lieutenant Commander Sergein. Welcome aboard the Prometheus. I will be your guide during your visit. Please follow me. There is much to see and I think you will find our species very interesting. Thesick stepped onto the human vessel feeling the pull of artificial gravity that matched its standard. The weight was crushing compared to her home world

13:16but her suit compensated automatically. She looked at the human standing before her, this being from a world of nightmares who spoke of friendship and welcome. I believe I already find you're interesting the Lieutenant Commander Thesick said. I look forward to learning more. Sarah Chen smiled, showing her teeth in that predator's gesture of welcome. Then let us begin. And so, in a docking bay aboard a vessel that should not exist, crude by species that should not have survived, the first true meeting between humanity and the galaxy began near the side and you where it would lead. Near the side could predict what would come but both sides hoped and sometimes hoped was enough to bridge even the greatest of distances. The corridors of the Prometheus stretched before them like the tunnels of some vast underground city. This is what the Longside Lieutenant Commander Sarah Chen and her crystalline body humming with the effort of processing everything she was seeing. They hind her, the other members of the diplomatic delegation followed in varying states of shock and wonder. The ship is divided into 24 major sections Jen explained as they walked. Each section is largely self-sufficient with its own power generation, life support, food production and residential areas.

14:18If one section suffers a gastrophic failure, the others can seal off and continue functioning. You designed your vessel to survive its own destruction? Asketh. His bioluminescent organs flickering with disbelief. Chen glanced back at the mulberry with what seemed like amusement. We designed it to survive anything. That is how humans think. We always ask ourselves what could go wrong and then we plan for it. The Prometheus can lose half its sections and still maintain life support for the remaining population. We can seal bulkheads, redirect power and reroute critical systems in minutes. This extended that the corridors themselves reflected this philosophy. Every few hundred meters thick doors stood ready to close a moment's notice. Control panels lined the walls at regular intervals. Emergencies supply stations were visible at every junction. The humans had built their ship expecting disaster and refusing to die because of it. They passed a large window that looked out onto an interior space. Thus it stopped her optical sensors struggling to process what she was seeing. Inside the chamber was what appeared to be a forest.

15:19Trees rose toward artificial lights that mimic the sun. Plants covered the ground in shades of green that seemed almost aggressive in their vitality. Unmoving among the vegetation were humans, walking on paths or sitting on benches, children running and playing in the open space. This is Biodome 7, Chen said. We have found such domes throughout the ship each containing a different earthy ecosystem. Forest, grasslands, wetlands, even a small desert section. They provide food, oxygen generation and psychological comfort for our people. You brought your death world with you, thus excite quietly. Chen's expression shifted in a way that thisx could not quite interpret. We brought our home with us. I understand that earth seems terrifying to you. But to us, it is beautiful. Those trees provide shade on hot days and release oxygen for us to breathe. Those flowers attract insects that pollinate our crops. Every piece of that ecosystem exists in balance with every other piece. A balance built on death and consumption. Kiss pointed out. Yes, Channec reed without hesitation. Life on earth exists by consuming other life.

16:21Plants grow and soil made from dead organisms. Animals eat plants or other animals. When those animals die, their bodies feed to soil that grows new plants. It is a cycle, an endless loop of death and rebirth. We are part of that cycle. And we have made peace with it. They continue walking deeper into the ship. Thexics noticed that the humans they passed looked at the delegation with curiosity but not fear. Some smiled and waved. Children pointed and asked questions of their parents. There was no alarm, no panic at the site of alien beings walking through their home. Your people do not seem afraid of us. Thexics observed. Why would they be afraid? Channec asked. We have been waiting our whole lives to meet someone else. Finding you is a dream come true. Not a nightmare. Most people would rather tend a corporate team building workshop than search for auto and home insurance. Go team, feel that synergy. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra.com. Who's ready for the truss fall?

17:22Most people would rather assemble a 300-piece cabinet than search for insurance. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra.com. They entered a medical facility where Channe had arranged for them to learn more about human biology. A doctor named Marcus Whip greeted them. A tall human with dark skin and kind eyes. He led them to a display screen showing a diagram of the human body. I understand you have questions about our physiology, Woodson. I would try to answer them as simply as possible. This is a step forward. Your species breeds oxygen. Arrakos indicate that oxygen is a highly reactive gas corrosive to most materials and toxic to most life forms. How do you survive? Whip nodded as if he had expected this question. Oxygen is dangerous. That is true. But our bodies have evolved to use that danger. We breathe in oxygen and use it to burn fuel at the cellular level, generating the energy we need to survive. The process creates waste products that weak sail.

18:24It is cold respiration. You burn fuel inside your bodies. Ket sounded horrified. In a sense, yes. A metabolism is essentially a controlled combustion process. It generates heat, which is why human maintain a constant internal temperature of approximately 37 degrees Celsius. We are warm-blooded, carrying our own heat source wherever we go. The delegation exchanged uneasy glances. The idea of beings that generated internal fire that breed corrosive gas and use to power themselves was deeply unsettling. But Webb continued his explanation with a condominium of a teacher instructing students. Our bodies are also remarkably durable, he said. Human bones are made of calcium phosphate, a material that is both strong and flexible. We can survive falls that would shatter more rigid structures. Our skin is a self-repairing barrier that heals when damaged. Cut a human and the wound will close on its own within days or weeks. Self-repair? That's success. You regenerate damaged tissue. To a degree, yes. We cannot grow limbs like some earth creatures can,

19:25but we heal remarkably well. Broken bones knit back together. Damaged organs can partially restore themselves. Even our brains have limited capacity for rewiring around injured areas. Webb showed them images of human injuries and their healing process. Cuts that closed, bruises that faded, bones that mended. The aliens watched in silence, struggling to comprehend the species that could take damage and simply recover. There is another aspect of human biology that you should understand, Webb continued. We are what is called persistence predators. On Earth, many predators rely on speed or strength to catch their prey. They ambush, they pounce, they kill quickly. Humans develop a different strategy. He pulled up images of ancient humans on the savannah chasing animals across vast distances. We are not the fastest animals on Earth. We are not the strongest. But we can travel farther than almost anything else. A human can walk or run for hours, even days, without stopping. We can cover distances that would exhaust any other creature. Our ancestors hunted by following prey

20:26until the prey simply could not run anymore. We outlasted them. You hunted through exhaustion. That's it slowly. You pursued your prey until it died of fatigue. Yes. And this trait has shaped our psychology as much as our biology. Humans do not give up easily. When we want something, we pursue it with patience and determination. We traveled eight years to reach this part of space because we believe someone was out there. We did not know for certain. We simply refused to stop until we found out. The medical tool continued, revealing more details about the human body. The Armenian system, which followed off microscopic invaders with chemical warfare. The digestive system, which broke down organic matter, using acid strong enough to dissolve metal. The nervous system, which transmitted pain signals to ward of damage and pleasure signals to reward beneficial behavior. By the end, the sex felt she was beginning to understand why humans had survived their death world. They were not merely resistant to danger. They were built to overcome it, to absorb punishment and keep moving forward. To heal and adapt and persist no matter

21:27what the universe threw at them. But there was one more aspect of human nature that she needed to understand, something that seemed even more impossible in their physical capabilities. Tell me about your social structure. She said to Chan, as they left the medical facility, how we 200,000 humans life together with our conflict. Chan laughed, a short burst of sound that showed her teeth. Who said there is no conflict? Humans argue all the time. We disagree about politics, religion, art, science. The best way to prepare food, we have debates and dispute and sometimes we even yell at each other. But you do not kill each other? Not on the ship, no. We have laws and systems to resolve our disputes peacefully. But that was not always true for our species. Human history is filled with violence. With wars that killed millions and left civilizations and ruins, the sex felt her crystal structure vibrate with alarm. You are a violent species. Chan stopped walking and turned to face the commando directly. Her expression was serious now. Her eyes meeting their sex

22:27is optical sensors with intensity. We can be violent, she said. The capacity lives within us. Our ancestors needed to survive on Earth to fight off predators and compete for resources. But we have another capacity to the capacity for cooperation, for empathy, for love, love, the word translated and perfectly carrying emotional weight that the sex could not quite grasp it is what we feel for each other. Chan explained humans' form bonds with one another connections that make us care about each other's wellbeing. Parents love their children and would die to protect them. Partners love each other and build lives together. Friends love each other and provide support in difficult times. Even strangers can feel compassion for one another. It is hard to help someone they have never met. She gestured around them at the corridor at the humans walking past at a children playing in distant chambers. 200,000 humans live on this ship because we love each other. Not always as individuals, but as a community. We take care of each other because that is who we choose to be. The violent in our nature is still there but we have built something stronger. We have built a society where cooperation matters more than competition where helping others is valued more than hurting them.

23:29Thesicks considered this information carefully. A species capable of terrible violence who were chosen instead to build in corporate. A predator species that had learned to channel its aggression into protection rather than destruction. Why did you leave Earth? She asked. If you had built such a society, why band in it? Chan resumed walking, leading them toward another part of the ship. We did not abandon it. Earth is still there, still home to billions of humans. But we needed to grow. Our population was expanding. Our resources were being stressed. And beyond the practical reasons we had to deeper need, the need to explore, to discover, to find out what else existed in the universe. They entered a large chamber that Thesicks realized was at school. Young humans sat at desks listening to a teacher explain mathematical concepts. The children rinsed in age from very small to nearly adult all learning together. These children were born in space, chants it softly. They have never seen Earth accept in pictures and videos. The ship is their home,

24:30the only one they have ever known. But we teach them about where we came from. We teach them our history, our mistakes, our triumphs. And we teach them that somewhere out there, they might find others to share the stars with. A young girl noticed them watching and waved enthusiastically. This ex found herself raising a crystalline name in a sponsor, a gesture of greeting that seemed to delight the child. She is not afraid of me, Thesicks observed. Why would she be? You are the most exciting thing that has ever happened in her life. You are proof that the universe is bigger and more wonderful than she imagined. She will remember this moment forever. The spent hours turned the ship seeing more of the human world within a world. They visited farms where fruit was grown and carefully maintained conditions. The sulfactories were machines built and repaired equipment. They observed a hospital where injured humans received care. They were remarkable bodies being helped along in their healing process. And everywhere they went, they were greeted with warmth. Humans smiled and waved, asked questions and offered answers. They were curious about the aliens, eager to learn about other species, excited at the prospect of no longer being alone

25:31in the universe. At the turn near its end, Thesicks found herself in observation lounge with large windows looking out at the stars. Chen stood beside her, both of them silent for a moment. I do not understand your species, Thesicks admitted. You come from a world that should have destroyed you. You carry violence in your nature, yet choose peace. You travel for 80 years into the unknown, hoping to find someone to talk to. Nothing about you makes sense according to everything I have been taught, Chen smiled. On this time, Thesicks could see that it was genuine without any trace of predators threat. Maybe that is what makes us human, she said. We do not make sense. We are walking contradictions. We are capable of terrible things and beautiful things. Often in the same day, we laugh and hate, create and destroy a fear and hope, but in the end, we always choose to keep going. We always choose to reach for something better. She turned to look at the stars. At the vast expanse of space that still held countless mysteries, we came out here because we believed that the universe was worth exploring. That somewhere among all those stars, there was something wonderful waiting to be discovered.

26:33And now we have found you. We have found proof that we were right to hope. Thesicks looked at the human beside her. This small fragile seeming creature from a world of nightmares, whose spoke of hope is if it were the most natural thing in the universe. What do you want from us? As ex-asked. What does humanity seek from this encounter? Chin's answer was simple and immediate. Friendship. Understanding. Chance to learn from you and share what we have learned, the chance to stand to get in face whatever challenges the universe might bring. And if we cannot offer that, if the collective decides you are too dangerous to associate with Chen's expression grew serious, but not threatening, then we will be sad. But we will not stop. We will continue exploring, continue searching, continue hoping because that is what humans do. We never stop. Thesicks felt something shift inside her crystalline structure. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate with Chamba. Jump in at chambacasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, BTW Group.

27:34Boy, we're prohibited by mom. CCNC, 21 plus sponsored by Chamba Casino. Does your family schedule look like an endless list of appointments, games, and practices? Does keeping everyone on schedule feel impossible? The Skylight Calendar is here to put an end to your scheduling stress with its all-in-one shared display, visual structure, and color-coded scheduling. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15-inch calendars by going to myskylight.com slash get30. Go to myskylight.com slash get30 for $30 off your 15-inch calendar. That's M-Y-S-K-Y-L-I-G-H-T.com slash get30. Some understand in taking root. These humans were not simply survivors. They were dreamers. Reaching across the void with open hands and hopeful hearts, they were impossible. But they were here, and perhaps that was the most important lesson of all. The message from Commander Thessik's arrived at the Veroni High Council Chamber during what should have been a routine administrative session. Within minutes of his transmission, the chamber had transformed into a scene of chaos and feared that none of this embald leaders had ever witnessed before.

28:34Council of Eth of the Mulvary stood at the center of the vast circular room, his translucent body pulsing with agitated light. Around him, representatives from all seven collective species argued, whispered, and gestured in their various ways of expressing distress. The holographic display above them showed the Prometheus in all its massive and possible glory. This cannot be accurate to cloud council a rucks of the Thessik. His chitinous limbs clicking against the four as he moved. A vessel of that size, crude by beans from a classroom and three death world, Commander Thessik's must have made an error in her observations. I've reviewed her date three times, reply, councilor Yen of the Korath, her crystal-leinform blow in a word shade of orange. There is no error. The humans are real. Their ship is real. And they are requesting formal contact with the collective. High-catsler Marath, eldest of the Veroni delegation, raised a tentacle for silence. The room gradually quieted though the tension remained that can be recycled air. Marath had served on the council for over two centuries, guiding the collective through dozens of crises, but nothing in his long experience had prepared him for this.

29:36Let us review what we know, he said, his voice carrying the com authority of long practice. Commander Thessik's has made first contact with the previous known species. These beings, who call themselves humans, originated from the planet designated Saul III, a class III death world. They have traveled for 80 standard years to reach this region of space and they number approximately 200,000 individuals aboard their vessel. He paused, allowing the facts to settle over the assembled leaders. They have expressed no hostile intent. They have welcomed our diplomatic team aboard their ship and shared information about the biology, history, and culture. Commander Thessik's reports that they seem genuinely interested in peaceful relations with the collective. Seem genuinely interested, interrupted admiral cause of the militant faction, stepping forward from his position along the wall. The admiral was Thessik, a species known for their military prowess and cautious nature. His compound eyes reflected the holographic display as he spoke. Commander Thessik's has spent less than two days among these creatures. How can she possibly know their true intentions? A fair question, more acknowledged.

30:38But we must consider all perspectives. The scientific faction, I believe, has been analyzing the data sent by the eternal witness. Chief scientist Laura of the house and moved to the center of the chamber. The house and were tall and thin. The bod is adapted for their home wall's logravity and high atmospheric pressure. Laura's forums manipulated a day to tab it as she spoke. The human ship is remarkable. She began her voice carrying a tone of genuine amazement. Their technology is different from ours in almost every way where we have developed elegant efficient systems. They have built redundant over engineered ones. The power generation is crude but incredibly robust. Their life support can sustain their population even if half the ship is destroyed. Their structural design prioritizes survival over all other considerations as would be expected from a death world species. Admiral Koss said. They are built for conflict and destruction. Their entire evolutionary history is one of violence and death. That is only partially accurate, Laura blight. Yes, earth is a violent world. Yes, humans evolve as predators.

31:39But they also develop sophisticated social structures, complex languages and artistic traditions. Commander Thessik's reports describe a society that values cooperation, education, and what the humans call love. The word did not translate well into any collective language and confused moments spread through the chamber. Laura continued trying to explain. It appears to be a form of strong emotional bonding between individuals. Humans fill deep attachment to their family members, their mates, their offspring, and even unrelated members of their community. This attachment motivates them to protect and care for each other, even at personal cost. A packed bonding instinct said, counselor rucks dismissively. Many predator species develop such traits to coordinate hunting. This seems to be more than that, Laura said. The humans aboard the Prometheus have maintained their society for three generations without significant internal conflict. They have developed democratic systems from making decisions, educational institutions for their young and cultural practices that emphasize mutual support. Whatever the biological origins, they have chosen to build something beyond mere survival.

32:40High counselor Marath listened carefully, his ancient mind weighing each piece of information. The chamber had grown quieter as a scientific report to continue through the tension remained. What if their military capabilities? Admiral Koss asked. Surely the scientific faction has analyzed their weapon systems. Laura's forum shifted uncomfortably. We have, their weapons are concerning. Not because they are sophisticated, but because they are devastatingly direct. The humans employ kinetic weapons that accelerate solid projectiles to extreme velocities. They have nuclear devices capable of destroying entire cities and their ship carers what appears to be a fleet of smaller combat vessels each armed with similar weapons. They came prepared for war. Koss said grimly as an essential species would win traveling into unknown territory or they came prepared to defend themselves, canceling and countered, which is a reasonable precaution for any explorer. We equip our own vessels with defensive systems, do we not? The argument that followed lasted for hours. The militant faction led by Admiral Koss argued that the humans represented an existential threat

33:41to the collective. They were a predator species from a world designed to produce killers. Their technology, while crude, was more than capable of causing massive destruction and they had arrived at the edge of collective space with the population large enough to colonize new worlds. The diplomatic faction led by council yarn and supported by the Varani delegation argued for caution and continued engagement. The humans had made no aggressive moves. They had shared information freely. They had expressed genuine interest in peaceful relations. To respond with assailability would be to provoke the very conflict they feared. The scientific faction remained largely neutral. Though chiefs, Sion, Dislora repeatedly emphasized the potential benefits of cultural and technological exchange, the humans had developed solutions to problems that the collective had never faced. The redundancy focused engineering, the biological healing capabilities, the psychological resilience could all offer valuable insights. As the debate continued, new information arrived from Commander Thessik's. She reported on her extended conversations with Lieutenant Commander Chen and other human officials. She described the human educational system

34:43where children were taught to question and explore, rather than simply accept. She described their arts, their music, their literature, forms of expression that revealed a species of deep emotional complexity and she reported something else, something that gave even the most hawkish members of the cancer paws. The humans knew they were frightening. They understood that their biology, their history, their very existence was terrifying to other species and they were taking deliberate steps to minimize that fear. They moved slowly around the aliens. They explained their actions before taking them. They showed their teeth less and kept the voices soft. They were trying not to scare the collective representatives. This suggests self-awareness and empathy. Chiefs, Sion, Dislora noted, they recognized that their nature might disturb others and they are actively working to accommodate those concerns. This is not the behavior of mindless predators. Admiral Koss was unconvinced. Or it is the behavior of intelligent predators who know how to manipulate their prey. We cannot assume their intentions based on a few days of careful behavior. We must consider what they might do if they feel threatened.

35:43If resources become scarce, if their population continues to grow, what would you have us do? High council a merit asked. Attack them without provocation. Destroy 200,000 beings, including their children. Because we fear what they might do, I will thus prepare for the worst while hoping for the best Koss replied. We should maintain a defensive posture, keep our fleets ready and monitor the humans closely. If they prove themselves trustworthy over time, we can gradually relax our vigilance, but we cannot afford to be naive. The debate continued for three more days. Messages flew between the council chamber and the eternal witness seeking more information, clarifying details, testing hypotheses. The humans cooperated fully, answering every question, opening every part of their shit to inspection, sharing their history with brutal honesty. They did not hide their violent past. They told the council about the wars, their atrocities, the terrible things humans had done to each other throughout their history. They explained how close they had come to destroying themselves with nuclear weapons and environmental destruction. They admitted their flaws openly without excuse or justification,

36:43but they also told of their triumphs, the movements for peace and justice, a scientific discoverer is that had transformed their understanding of the universe, the artist and philosophers who had imagined better ways to live, the ordinary people who had sacrificed for their communities, who had chosen kindness over cruelty, who had built bridges across differences that seemed impossible to overcome. We are not perfect to Captain Vask was said in a direct address to the council. We have never claimed to be. We carried doctors within us, the legacy of our evolution on a harsh world. But we also carried light, the choice of which to embrace is one we make every day as individuals and as a species. We have traveled across the galaxy because we chose light. We chose hope. We chose to believe that the universe helped friends we had not yet met. Her image filled the council chamber. This small human female who spoke with such conviction and passion, her forward facing predator eyes looked directly at the assembled leaders, challenging them to see beyond their fears. We offer you our hand in friendship she continued. We offer our knowledge, our resources, our willingness to help in whatever way we can. We ask only that you give us a chance to prove ourselves,

37:44judges by our actions, not by the accident of our birth. We cannot change what we evolve from, but we can choose what we evolve into. When the chance mission ended, the chamber was silent. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. The rush of racing? Nothing beats it. But Chumba Casino comes close. Chumba's got fast spins, fun games, daily bonuses, and all the action you can handle. Now that's a ride. Ready to hit the throttle? Get in the driver's seat and head to chumbacasino.com. Let's Chumba. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group Void where prohibited by law, 21 plus terms and conditions apply. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated for Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile. And you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. F***. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that.

38:48And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Hi, Councillor Marathor Rosoli, his ancient body showing the weight of the decision before him. We will take a preliminary vote, he announced. Not a final decision, but an indication of where each faction stands. Those in favor of continue peaceful engagement with the humans, Councillor Yenri is to crystal and limb followed by the rest of the diplomatic faction and several members of the scientific faction. Chief Scientist Laura added her support after a moment of consideration.

39:49Those in favor of defensive posture and limited contact, Admiral Costa raised his appendage, joined by the core of the militant faction. Several undecided counselors reluctantly sided with them. Those in favor of preemptive military action, a handful of hardliners from the militant faction indicated support, but they were clearly a minority. Admiral Costa did not join them despite his aggressive rhetoric. The vote indicates support for continued engagement with appropriate caution. Marath announced, we will establish formal diplomatic relations with the humans while maintaining our defensive capabilities. We will share limited technological and cultural information while monitoring their activities. And we will hope that Captain Fasker speaks the truth about her species. He paused, looking around the chamber at the representatives of seven species who have built something remarkable together over thousands of years. The humans say they came seeking friends. Let us give them the chance to find them. But let us also remember that trust is known for action, not words. Time will reveal the truth of their intentions. The council session ended, but the debate was far from over.

40:49In private chambers and secure communications, the various factions continued to argue their positions. The militants prepared contingency plans for war. The diplomats drafted proposals for cultural exchange. The scientists compiled lists of questions they wanted to ask human researchers. And far away, aboard the bromethis, 200,000 humans waited to learn their fate. Three generations who had been born among the stars, who had never seen Earth accept in stories and dreams. They had found what they were looking for. They had found others in the vast darkness. Now they could only hope that those others would see them not as monsters from a death world, but as fellow travelers in the long journey through the universe. Captain Lene Vasker stood on her bridge, looking at the stars that surrounded her ship. Somewhere among them, being she had never met, were deciding whether humanity deserved a chance. Whether the children playing in the biotoms deserved to grow up in a galaxy that welcomed them. She had done everything she could. She had opened her ship to her society, her history to scrutiny. She had been honest about the darkness in human nature while trying to show the light.

41:49No, there was nothing to do but wait. And hope because that was what humans did. Against all odds, against all reason, against the harsh lessons of a universe that seemed designed to destroy them, they hoped. Admiral Costod and the command deck of the righteous blade, watching the stars' street past as a small fleet raised toward the human vessel. He had not received authorization for this mission. The High Council had voted for diplomatic engagement for patience and caution, but Costod spent his entire career studying threats to the collective and everything about the human scream danger. 200,000 of them breeding and growing, learning about collective technology and offenses through their so-called diplomatic exchanges. How long before they decided they wanted more than friendship? How long before their predator instincts overcame their diplomatic masks? Costod would not wait to find out. He had gathered three warships crude by loyal officers who shared his concerns. They would arrive at the Prometheus, issued demands for surrender and neutralized the human threat before a cooker. The Council would protest, but they would eventually understand. They would thank him for his faucet.

42:50The righteous blade dropped out of faster than light travel alongside the swift justice and the eternal vigilance. The human vessel hung before them, massive and dark against the starfield. Costod felt his compound eyes wide and at the sight of it, but reports had not done it justice. The thing was enormous. The moon-sized construct bristling was armor and weapons. Opened a channel to the human ship, Costod Commander. His communications officer complied. And moments later, the face of Captain Alina Vasker has appeared in the main display. She looked calm, though Costod could see the tension in the way she held her shoulders. Admiral Costs, she said, her voice steady. We were not expecting a visit from the collective military. Is there something we can help you with? You can surrender your vessel and submit to collective authority, Costs replied. You represent a threat to galactic stability. Your population will be relocated to a supervised colony where activities can be monitored and controlled. Vasker's expression did not change, but something shifted behind her eyes. Costs recognized it, though he had never seen it in a human before. It was the look of a predator assessing a threat.

43:52I see, she said quietly. And if we refuse, then we will be forced to take action. Your vessel, while impressive, cannot withstand a combined fiber of three collective warships. Surrender is your only logical option. A long moment of silence followed. Vask seemed to be consulting with others off-screen, though the channel remained open. When she turned back, her face was set in hard lines. Admiral, I want you to understand something. We have spent 80 years traveling through space, hoping to find friends among the stars. We have opened our ship, our history, our culture to the collective in good faith. We have done nothing to threaten you or anyone else. And now you come here with weapons armed, demanding that we surrender our freedom. She leaned forward, her predator eyes fixed on the camera. We do not want to fight you. We came here seeking peace, and that is still what we want. But we will not surrender. We will not allow our children to be taken to some supervised colony, where they can be controlled. If you attack us, we will defend ourselves. You cannot win, Carl said, though flicker of doubt cost his mind.

44:53The human certainty was unsettling. Perhaps not, Vask was agreed. But we can make you pay a price you never imagined. Humans have been fighting for survival since we first stood upright on the savannas of Earth. We have faced predators with claws and teeth, diseases that killed millions, ice ages that should have wiped us out. We are still here. We will always be here. And we will not go quietly. Cost cut the channel and turn to his tactical officer. Target their main power systems. We will disable them and force compliance. The three collective warships open fire simultaneously. Energy beams launched through space toward the Prometheus, striking as Helen Berlin explosions of light. Cost watched with satisfaction as the impacts registered on his senses. The satisfaction lasted approximately two seconds. The human ship absorbed the first barrage like a stone absorbing raindrops. Its layered armor, designed to withstand asteroid impacts and causing creediation, disperse the energy across its surface. Warning lights flickered across the massive vessel, but it remained intact and functional. And then it responded.

45:54Cost had studied the theoretical capabilities of human weapons. Kinetic accelerators, nuclear devices, something called rail guns that propelled solid metal at enormous velocities, but reading about them and witnessing them were very different things. The Prometheus seemed to come alive. Hundreds of weapon emplacements that had been dormant activated simultaneously. Point defense systems tracked in coming fire with machine precision. And from launch bays across a ship's surface, smaller vessels began to emerge like angry insects from a disturbed hive. The first rail gun round hit the swift justice before Kostka gave any orders. It was not an energy weapon that could be deflected or absorbed. It was a solid chunk of metal moving at a significant fraction of light speed. The round punched through the worship shields as if they did not exist, then tore through the hull and spray of debris in atmosphere. Evasive action, cost-sharded. But as fleet was not designed for this kind of combat, collective ships were built to fight other collective ships using energy weapons and shields that followed predictable rules. The humans had no such limitations. They fought with massive momentum with the brutal physics of impact and penetration.

46:56The eternal vigilance launched a full-south of missiles trying to overwhelm the human defenses to sheer numbers. The permeate this point defense systems tracked each missile individually destroying them with focus fire before they could reach their target. The few that got through exploded against armor plating not barely registered the damage. Another rail gun round struck the vigilance crippling its main engines. The ship began to drift powerless and helpless. The swift justice was still bleeding atmosphere. Its crew struggling to seal breaches and restore power. And the human fighters were closing in, faster maneuverable, each one carrying weapons that could get a collective vessel. Costs realized with cold certainty that he had made a terrible mistake. He had underestimated the humans, dismiss them as primitives with crude technology. But there was nothing crude about what he was witnessing. The human fought with the efficiency of beings who had spent their entire evolutionary history learning how to kill. Admiral, his communications officer said, foist trembling. The human vessel is hailing us. Costs expected threats. Demands for surrender. Perhaps floating over their victory.

47:57He stailed himself for whatever cruelty the predators would inflict. Captain Vass was appeared on screen again and her expression may cause his compound eyes widening confusion. She looked not triumphant, but sad. Admiral, your fleet is disabled. You cannot win this fight, but we do not want to destroy you. We do not want to kill anyone. Stand down at weapons and allow us to render assistance to your damaged ships. Cost stared at the display, unable to process what he was hearing. You want to help us? Yes, you people are dying aboard those ships. Let us help them. Why would you do that? We attacked you. Vass was his expression softened slightly though her eyes remained hard because that is who we choose to be. We could destroy your fleet. We could kill everyone aboard. But what would that accomplish? More fear. More hatred. More reasons for your collective to see us as monsters. She shook her head slowly. We came here to make friends admiral. That does not change because some of you decided

48:58to shoot first. Stand down. Let us help you're wounded. And then let us try again to build something better. Cost looked at his tactical display. The swift justice was losing atmosphere faster than the crew could see all breaches. The eternal vigilance had lost life support on three decks. His own ship, the righteous blade, had taken less damage but was now surrounded by human fighters that could destroy him any moment. He had no choice. But more than that, he found himself wanting to believe the human. Wanting to understand how species capable of such devastating violence could choose mercy at the moment of victory. All ships stand down, he ordered. Seize fire and weight instructions. The next iris became legend throughout the collective. Human shuttles launched from the Prometheus carrying emergency supplies, medical equipment, and something far more valuable. Train personnel who knew how to save lives, human medics boarded the crippled collective vessels, moving through damaged corridors with the confidence of beings who had faced worse environments. The seal breaches treated wounded crew members

49:58and stabilized critical systems. They worked alongside terrified aliens who had been taught to see them as monsters and they did it with patience and skill. One human marine, a large male named Sargent Mark Skull, personally carried three injured thessac crew members from a breach compartment to safety. The thessac were heavy. Their chit and a spot is difficult to grip and a corridor was filled with toxic gasses from rapture conduits. Cole did not hesitate. He went in one trip at a time until everyone was out. When I was late at why he had risked his life for beings who had tried to kill his people minutes earlier, Cole seen genuinely confused by the question. They needed help. He said simply, what else was I supposed to do? Admiral Kos witnessed this himself, watching from a damaged control station as human teams worked to save a ship. He saw them treating collective, wounded with the same care they would show their own. He saw them sharing russians with hungry crew members, offering blankets to those in shock, speaking soft words of comfort to the dying. These were the monsters he had been so determined to destroy these predators from a death world with their forward facing eyes and their terrible weapons.

50:58He responded to an unprovoked attack by risking their own lives to save their enemies. When the crisis had passed, when the dead had been honored and the wounded stabilized, Kos requested a private meeting with Captain Vasquez. She agreed and he was transported to the Prometheus Underguard. They met in her ready room, a small space decorated with images of earth and human art. Vasquez offered him a seat and a drink of water, which he accepted with trembling hands. I did not understand, he said finally, we attacked you. We tried to kill your people. Why did you help us? Vasquez was quiet for a moment, considering her words carefully. On Earth, there is a philosophy called the Golden Rule. It exists in almost every human culture, expressed in different ways. Treat others as you wish to be treated. Help those in need. Show mercy to the defeated. She looked at him directly. Her predator, I softer now. We evolved on a world that tried to kill us every day. We survived because we learned to work together to protect each other, to extend our care beyond just our immediate family. The violence in our nature is real admiral. But so is this.

51:59They desire to help to heal, to build rather than destroy. But we were your enemies, Kos protested. You were afraid Vasquez replied. I understand fear. It makes us do terrible things, but fear can be overcome. It has to be overcome. If we want to build anything lasting, she leaned forward her voice intense. We will protect our people admiral. Make no mistake about that. For in our children, and we will fight with everything we have. But we will not become the monsters of those fear we are. We refuse to let our darken nature define us. Every time we have the choice between mercy and cruelty, we will choose mercy. That is the only way to prove that we deserve to be trusted. Kos sat in silence, processing everything he had witnessed and heard. His entire understanding of the universe had been shattered and rebuilt in the span of a few hours. I will tell the council what happened here. He said finally, I will tell them what you did, what you chose to do. Thank you. Vasquez said, that is all we ask. The chance to be judged by our actions,

53:00not by our biology. The chance to show who we truly are. She stood and extended her hand, a human gesture of friendship and agreement. Kos looked at it for a long moment at the soft skin that concealed such terrible strength. Then he reached out his own appendage and took it. Perhaps I was wrong about your species, he admitted. Vasquez smiled, showing her teeth in that expression that Kos was beginning to recognize his genuine warmth, rather than for it. Perhaps you were, she agreed. But he gave us the chance to prove it. And that makes you braver than you know. The news of the battle, and it's after my spread through the collective like wildfire, the images of human medics saving collective lives, of human Marines carrying wounded enemies to safety of a species choosing mercy at the moment of their greatest triumph. Everything changed, not overnight, and not completely. Fear does not disappear because of a single act of kindness. But the conversation shifted. The questions became different. Instead of asking how dangerous the humans were, people began asking what kind of beings would respond to an attack with compassion and aboard the permethis. 200,000 humans continued their journey through the stars,

54:02still hoping for the friends they had always believed were out there. They had proven something important that day. Not that they were harmless because they were not. Not that they were weak because they had demonstrated exactly how dead it could be. They had proven that being capable of terrible violence did not mean being defined by it. That the choice to show mercy was always available even when revenge would be easier, that the measure of a species was not what they could do but what they chose to do. The predators from the death world had chosen to be healers and the galaxy would never see them the same way again. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com, let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law. CTNC's 21 plus sponsored by Chamba Casino. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated for Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine.

55:06F***. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that and right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Five years have passed since the battle that changed everything. Commander Thessick stood on the observation deck of her new ship, the Unity, watching as a fleet of vessels moved information through open space. Half the shipped bore the elegant curves of collective design. The other half displayed the blocky arm and practicality of human engineering. Together, they represented something that would have seemed impossible a decade ago.

56:08The galaxy had changed since the day when three warships attacked the Prometheus and discovered that monsters from death wells could choose to be merciful. The change had not come easily or quickly. There had been debates, protests, entire political movements dedicated to keeping humans at arms length. But the images of human medic saving collective liars had proven too powerful to ignore. The high council had voted after much deliberation to offer humanity provisional membership in the collective. Not full status, not yet. Trust was still being built. One interaction at a time, but the humans were no longer outsiders looking in. They were part of something larger. Contributing their unique perspectives and capabilities to the great project of civilized existence. Thessick's had requested assignment as liaison officer to the human fleet. Her superiors had been surprised by the request. Why would a promising corphe commander want to spend her career among deathwaters? But Thessick's had seen something in the humans that she could not forget. A potential that went beyond their terrifying biology. The Prometheus had continued his journey.

57:08Though it no longer traveled alone, a small fortill of collective ships accompanied it now, carrying diplomats, scientists, and curious citizens who wanted to learn more about the impossible species. Cultural exchange programs had begun with humans visiting collective worlds and collective citizens turned the vast corridors of the human generation ship. The results had been both expected and surprising. Humans adapted to alien environments with remarkable ease. The flexible biology allowing them to survive conditions that would challenge most species, their children learn collective languages quickly, their pattern recognition abilities proving useful for deciphering complex grammar and their creativity, their ability to see problems from unexpected angles had contributed to several breakthrough discoverers and feels ranging from medicine to engineering. But the surprises were what truly marked the first years of contact. Human music with its complex rhythms and emotional depth had become popular among several collective species. Human literature with its exploration of moral ambiguity and personal struggle challenged readers to consider perspectives they had never imagined. Unhuman cooking, despite being based on the consumption of organic matter, had developed a following among adventurous aliens

58:09willing to try synthesize versions of earth cuisine. Essex had tried something called pizza during a cultural exchange event. She was still not certain how she felt about the experience, but she had to admit that the combination of flavors was intriguing. Today however, it was not about cultural exchange. The combined fleet was responding to a distress call from a collective colony on the edge of known space. A geological catastrophe had struck the planet, triggering earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that threatened millions of lives. The colony's own resources were overwhelmed and they had called for help. The humans had volunteered immediately not because they were obligated to, not because they would gain anything from the effort. They had simply heard that people were in danger and decided to help. All ships report ready for relief operations, Sedleton and Commander Chen, who had become one of Essex's closest colleagues over the past years. The human had risen through the ranks quickly, her diplomatic skills and calm demeanor, making her valuable in the complex negotiations of collective politics. The co-authmetical ships were established field hospitals in the northern settlements, the Essex said, reviewing the operational plan.

59:09Human engineering teams were focused on stabilizing damage infrastructure. Verudin's applies will be distributed from the central coordination point. The pro mythus is deploying all available shuttles, Chen reported. We have 3,000 volunteers ready to assist with evacuation and rescue operations. Essex got stuck at the tactical display, watching as human shuttles launched from the massive generation ship. 3,000 volunteers from a population of 200,000. More than 1% of their entire society had chosen to risk their lives helping strangers on a world they had never seen. Why do so many wish to help? They're success. This planet is not their home. These people are not their family. Chen's mile. That warm expression that Essex had learned to recognize as genuine affection rather than predatory threat because they need help. She said simply, is there any other reason necessary? The relief operations continued for weeks. Human rescue teams moved through collapsed buildings with their remarkable endurance, searching for survivors long after other species would have given up. The healing bodies allowed them to work

1:00:09in conditions that would in capacity to collect your volunteers. And this dubbing refusal to accept to fit get them going even when hope seemed lost. They saved thousands of lives. Korath, Mulvary, Thersook, Hysen, and half a dozen other species owed their survival to humans who had traveled across the galaxy and chosen to help. But it was not just the physical rescue that mattered. This observed countless more moments that revealed the true nature of human compassion. A human marine comforting, a terrified Mulvary child whose parents were missing, a human doctor teaching emergency medical techniques to local volunteers, a human engineer explaining how to reinforce structures against future earthquakes, sharing knowledge freely without asking for anything in return. One incident stood out in her memory. A skull had collapsed during a secondary quake trapping dozens of children beneath the rubble. Human rescue teams had worked for 18 irustrate, carefully remove into debris and extracting survivors. At the end, they had saved every single child. The lead rescuer, a woman named Maria Santos, had emerged from the ruins carrying a lost survivor, a small Korath child who had been buried the deepest.

1:01:09Santos was covered in dust and blood, her body showing the strain of nearly a full day without rest. But she was smiling. Got you, little one, she had said, handing the child to waiting medical teams. Everything is going to be okay now. The child's parents have been waiting nearby. The crystalline bald is dim with grief and fear. When this other daughter, still alive against all odds, they have rushed forward and embraced the human who had saved her. They had no words that could express their gratitude. So they simply held her. These alien beings touching a creature from a death world with nothing but love. Santos had hugged them back. This predator with her forward facing eyes and her body built for violence. She had held them gently, carefully, as if they were the most precious things in the universe. That is your family she had said. You take care of each other now. This ex had watched from a distance. Her own crystalline form shifting through colors she could not name. She had studied humans for years. I've learned their biology and history and culture, but she was only now beginning to understand them. They were not to find better origins.

1:02:10They were not limited by their evolution. It had been shaped by a death world. Yes, carrying within them the capacity for terrible violence. But they had also learned something on the harsh planet. Something that had allowed them to survive and eventually to thrive. They had learned that survival meant nothing without connection. That strength meant nothing without compassion. That the ability to destroy was meaningless compared to the ability to build. The humans had come to the star of seeking friends. And in doing so, they had shown the galaxy what friendship truly meant. Years later, they're sexted in the biodome of the Prometheus, walking them on the earth vegetation that still seemed so alien and yet so beautiful. Beside her was Sarah Chan, now a captain in her own right commanding a joint human collective exploration vessel. The two of them had become close friends over the years. And unlikely pairing that it surprised everyone except themselves, physics had found in China kindred spirit, someone who shared her curiosity about the universe and her belief that different species could learn from each other. Shelver and played in the artificial forest around them a mixed group of humans and corath and several other species who had been born aboard the Prometheus

1:03:12or the ships that now traveled with it. They chased each other through the trees, they laughed and mixing in the recycled air. Do you remember when we first met? Chen asked. Watching the children play, Thesick's crystalline body shifted to warm gold, the color of fond memories. I remember being terrified. Your species was everything we had been told to fear. I know. This six considered the question carefully. Now I understand that fear was based on in complete information. You are not what we expected. You are something far more complex and far more wonderful. A human child ran past, chasing a small animal that Thesick's recognized as a dog. The creature bounded through the grass with obvious joy as tail wagging as it played. Behind them came a corath youngling, a crystalline formed shimmering with excitement as she tried to keep up. The children do not fear each other, Thesick's observed. They never learned to. That is the hope. Chen agreed that the next generation will see cooperation and friendship is natural, not as exceptions. That they will grow up in a galaxy where species help each other simply because they can.

1:04:14Thesick's watched as the human child stopped running, waiting for the corath youngling to catch up. When she did, the two of them sat down together in the grass, petting the dog and chattering in a mixture of limelighters. Why do humans bond so easily with other species? They're successful. Even with animals, with machines, with beings completely unlike yourselves. Chen smiled her predator eye-soft with the motion, because we evolved in each connection. On Earth, we survived by forming groups, by caring for each other, by extending our concept of family beyond just those who shared our blood. That need did not disappear when we left our planet. It just grew to include more beings. She knocked beside a small flowering plant, touching its petals gently. We look at the universe and we see potential friends everywhere. In other species, in artificial intelligences, in life forms, we have not yet imagined. We cannot help it. We are built to reach out to connect to love, even when that reaching out might be dangerous. Especially then, the most meaningful connection to the ones that require courage, the friendships, the bridge differences, which seem impossible to overcome.

1:05:15That's looked at her friend. This human, who had once seemed so alien and now felt like family, your species was alone for so long, she said. 80 years of traveling through empty space, hoping to find to those. Did you ever despair? Chen stood up brushing dirt from her uniform. Sometimes, there were dark moments when we wondered if we were the only ones, if the universe was as empty as it seemed. But we kept going. We kept hoping. Why? Chen's answer was simple. Spoken with the conviction of absolute truth, because giving upward of men betraying everything we believed in, we are humans. We endure. We persist. We refused to accept that the darkness as all there is. She looked up at the artificial sky, had the lights that mimicked a sun that was light years away, and we were right. We found you. We found all of you. The galaxy was not empty. It was full of friends we had not yet met. Physics felt something warm in her crystalline core. An emotion she had learned to recognize over years of friendship with humans.

1:06:15You change everything she said. Where species arrived and nothing was the same afterward. The collective had to rethink its assumptions, its fears, its very understanding of what was possible. Is that a good thing? Physics watched the children playing, the dog running, the plants growing in this artificial forest aboard a ship traveling through the stars. Yes, she said. I believe it is. She showed us that beings from a death world could choose mercy. That predators could become protectors. That the most dangerous species in the galaxy might also be the most compassionate. She turned to face Chen directly. Meeting those predators eyes that no longer seen threatening at all, assured us that the universe was not as we believed. And in doing so, you made it better. Chen smiled. That warm human expression that physics had grown to treasure, we could not have done it alone. You gave us a chance when many would have shot first. She judged us by our actions rather than our origins. Whatever we have contributed to the galaxy, it was made possible by your willingness to see pasture fears. The two friends stood together in the garden, surrounded by life from a death world that had become a symbol of hope.

1:07:17Around them, the Prometheus continued its journey. No longer alone, no longer searching. They had found what they were looking for. Not just alien species to talk to, but something deeper. A purpose beyond survival. A reason for their impossible journey. They had found a galaxy that needed exactly what humanity had to offer. Not their weapons were their violence, though those remained if needed, but their compassion, their persistence, their stubborn refusal to give up on the dream of a better universe. The death world had produced something wonderful after all. Not monsters, but healers. Not conquerors, but friends. And as the stars wheeled slowly past, carrying shit from a distant species toward a future none of them could have imagined. One truth became clear to everyone who witnessed the new age of cooperation. The galaxy had never truly been dangerous. It had simply been waiting for the right kind of dangers to protect it. And finally, after 10,000 years of hoping, humanity had arrived. They were home. And that is the end. Thank you for listening. And I will see you in the next one. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing.

1:08:22Victory Lane? Yeah. It's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary. VTW Group. Void we're prohibited by law. CT and C's. 21 plus. Sponsored by Chamba Casino. Finding great candidates to hire can be the best. The best. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board. But then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free. At ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Zip Recruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So, while other companies might deliver a lot of hey, Zip Recruiter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter

1:09:23get a quality candidate within the first day. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zip Recruiter for free. That's right. Free at ziprecruiter.com slash zip. That ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Recruiter.com slash zip.