When civilization found the humans, they had colonized or begun to exploit most of their little system. Civilization waited, of course, to see if these young barbarians had advanced far enough to be able to realize that squabbles over the limited resources circling Sol were not the cause of strife, but a reason to strive as one. Eventually, humanity realized they could look to the small worlds within their grasp and use them together and use them in peace.
After first contact, and the world-shaking that such an event does to a species, humanity thought to ask of the civilized races, Have you seen our kin? Some of humanity had flung themselves out into the darkness, beyond the bubble of their little star in search of⊠what? Knowledge, new worlds, new resources? The ambassadors of civilization shuddered at the thought. The humans were such a young, foolish race. Without the benefits of warp, or jump, or flit or any of the other tech for travelling and communicating faster than a wave or particle could travel in normal space, then crawled beyond the boundaries of their home. With crude ion drives and nuclear propulsion, they tried to push themselves to the boundaries of C. They flew into the void at the madness of relativistic speeds. They packed themselves into metal and glass ships for voyages that would span many generations of their tragically short lives before they could reach a habitable home. At the ragged edge of civilized space, the area around Sol was not a particularly friendly one.
Civilization collectively shuddered at the thought. The various techs which they used to travel the stars were all old, some over than life on humanityâs home planet. No race that had discovered them still lived, and they had been passed from race to race in an endless chain of civilization while the galaxy rotated on its axis countless times. What madness did this new race possess to do such a thing, or was it merely ignorance of a better way?
Seeking to aid humanity in finding their lost kin, the civilized races realized with growing horror exactly where humanity had sought to find a new place to live. Not knowing the direction that civilization lay, they headed in entirely the wrong direction. Out into the wild space beyond, where lived the terrors, and the swarms, and the lurkers in the darkness. Civilized beings did not venture there for almost any reason, and in the event there was a dire need, they would pack their ships with weapons from the ancient armories and remain vigilant at all times. Death in this space could come without warning to ship or base or world. No wonder the humans had stopped communication with their light pulses and their âradioâ, each time after an initial promising start. No, humanity was told, your kin are gone, and we shall not seek them out. Humanity mourned their loss yet again, and these foolhardy explorers began to pass into myth as the humans began to quickly adapt and integrate themselves into civilization.
There is no way to underestimate the surprise when ships from the lost human tribes suddenly showed up again near Earth. Firstly, because not a single civilized ship detected their arrival, and initial misunderstandings almost lead to armed conflict. Surprise turned to utter shock when it was discovered that the human ships had traveled using new tech, that they had discovered themselves. Scientist from civilized races rushed to examine this almost unbelievable news. No living race had developed their own such tech from nothing, using their own ingenuity. It was inconceivable.
How, asked civilization, had you survived the challenges of the space beyond where we, the elder races, dare not travel? Well sure, it was tough, answered humanityâs wild explorers, but we improvised, adapted, and overcame. We endured. After initial losses of beings, ships, and even worlds, the humans looked at what was trying to kill them and then went on the hunt themselves. They rebuilt, found a way to face and beat the horrors that had devastated them, and then move on. And when the swarms arrived, they did the same. Yet again, they endured. And finally, they found an enemy that could fold space around itself without ship or tech arrived, dragging humans off into other dimensions to consume them. They discovered the mystery behind their foe, and threw themselves into the spaces between space to fight and defeat them. âDidnât this kill some of you?â asked the civilized races, âWasnât it dangerous? Almost certainly fatal?â Of course, answered the explorers, there were unspeakable dangers and losses. But the rest of us survived. They drove horrors off, and adapted their way of folding space into their ships. They traveled back to humanityâs home, long thought lost to the wars that raged in the century when they left. Oh by the way, they noted, weâve cleared a few dozens worlds of terrors and horrors and swarms and stuff. Theyâre pretty cool. Wanna come see? The explorer had begun bringing swarmlings along on leashes, and had pack-bonded with them.
With this new revelation, the civilized races quietly but urgently discussed among themselves their recent acquaintance. What have we found? Pack-bonding endurance hunters, infinitely adaptable. Seemingly not overly intelligent, but at times almost too clever. Theyâd welcomed the humans, begun to integrate them into society, allow them to serve on civilized ships. My, but they were useful. In a cycle or two, they may end up in our government (that brought significant alarm). Was it too late to send them back? Was it even possible to isolate them at this point?
One delegate, weary from long discussion, pulled something from a pouch, and pressed it to their skin to the mild shock of those around them. A human would equate the behavior to drinking from a flask. He looked around the chamber and said, âAt least theyâre on our side.â
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