No Species Will Ever Forget the Moment Humanity’s Patience Finally Snapped | HFY

the grand Council chamber of the galactic concordant hung suspended in the void of space a massive crystalline structure that reflected the light of a thousand stars as I ambassador krx of the utaran Empire settled into my hover seat I couldn't help but notice the empty section where the human delegates should have been not that anyone expected them to show up not after what happened on new Montana order order in the church chamber High Chancellor vexa's Voice boomed through the cavernous space his forearms raised in what we'd all come to recognize as a gesture of authority

we are gathered here to discuss the incident involving the human response to the draid operation I suppressed a laugh earning a glare from Ambassador PTO of the unified hives incident they called it when a drachnid battle Fleet gets turned into space debris apparently that just an incident the humans vexter continued his scaled skin shifting from green to a worried purple have issued what they're calling a final notice of grievance would Ambassador krx please read the communication for the council wonderful they always make me do the uncomfortable Parts probably because my species is one of the

few that can actually pronounce human words without translator assistance I pulled up the holographic document and cleared my throat sacks to the galactic concordat and all associated species I began trying to keep my voice steady for 300 standard Cycles Humanity has participated in good faith within your governmental framework we have endured trade restrictions that crippled our outer colonies we have watched as you carved up our expansion zones we have suffered your protective scientific oversight that has held back our research and development the chamber erupted in murmurs I raised my voice but the unprovoked attack on

new Montana crosses a line that cannot be uncrossed you have mistaken our patience for weakness our diplomacy for fear our restraint for limitation I paused noting how the council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats consider this Humanity's resignation from the concordat effective immediately any species that stands between us and Justice for new Montana will be considered hostile you have 24 standard hours to choose your position Choose Wisely the chamber exploded into chaos trade minister zil of the Commerce worlds fainted her crystalline form tinkling as her attendance caught her The Hive Representatives began their agitated clicking

and through it all high Chancellor vexator just sat there all four hands clasped together his scales now were sickly white surely Ambassador P's clicking voice cut through the chaos the humans understand their position they are one species among hundreds their military power is fraction of the combined Fleet I couldn't help myself I laughed everyone turned to stare at me and I realized I would have to explain what they still didn't understand my esteemed colleagues I said my voice dripping with sarcasm has it occurred to any of you that the humans waited until now to send

this message that perhaps they've spent these 300 Cycles preparing for exactly this moment the silence that followed was deafening the council chamber's silence stretched uncomfortably as I pulled up historical records on my neural display not that I needed them every Diplomat worth their salt knew the three breaking points that led us here we just chose to ignore them like fools dancing on the edge of a neutron star perhaps I suggested standing up from my hover seat we should review how we arrived at this catastrophic moment starting with the pereus Embargo High Chancellor vexator nodded wearily

even he couldn't deny the stupidity of that particular decision officially the Embargo was meant to protect developing species in the pereus arm Frome aggressive human economic practices in reality it was the Commerce worlds protecting their Monopoly on Quantum crystalline Computing the humans submitted 17 separate proposals to modify the Embargo I continued watching my colleagues squirm each one more reasonable than the last but no trade Minister Zila and her precious Commerce worlds needed their profit margins a harsh laugh escaped my throat sacks then came the mass starvation on new Montana new Texas and five other human

colonies cut off from their supply lines the humans requested emergency aid we voted no they requested temporary exemptions we voted no they requested permission to relocate their citizens we voted no Ambassador P clicked his mandibles irritably the law must be upheld the law I cut him off letun talk about the beta Karina incident then when the combined Fleet declared human expansion zones as protected sanctuaries for space dwelling litho strange how those same lithoids were cleared out five Cycles later for drachnid Colony ships the draid representative Supreme Commander rutil Rose from his seat bioluminescent patches flaring

those accusations were never proven oh sit down rxu I snapped we all saw the footage humans had terraformed three planets in that sector invested 60 cycles of work built cities established Farms then suddenly your survey ships discover critically endangered Crystal breathers in that exact sector please the chamber erupted in angry shouts and accusations I let them rage for a moment before triggering the Sonic dampeners in my section in the artificial quiet I accessed more records but the scientific censorship I continued once they'd settled that was our master a piece of diplomatic idiocy when humans developed

their first functional Quantum Consciousness transfer system what did we do the science Council in its Infinite Wisdom declared it too dangerous for an immature species and demanded they abandoned the research High Chancellor vexator scales shifted to a deep blue of remembered shame the technology had significant risks the technology worked I shouted my throat sacks fully inflated it worked better than anything our species had developed but instead of collaboration we chose suppression when Dr Elena Martinez refused to destroy her research the science Council sent in enforcement units 10 human scientists died in the raid the newer

council members looked shocked this part usually got glossed over in the official histories the humans went quiet after that I said my voice softening too quiet they accepted our restrictions followed our rules smiled during diplomatic functions but if any of you had bothered to really look I gestured at the holographic displays showing human space their shipping manifests never quite matched their production numbers their energy consumption was always slightly higher than reported their colonies kept growing despite the [Music] restrictions trade Minister Zila recovered from her fainting spell raised a crystalline appendage are you suggesting they've been

systematically deceiving us no I replied sinking back into my hover seat I'm stating it as fact humans have a saying hope for the best plan for the worst for 300 Cycles we've given them nothing but the worst and I guarantee you they've been planning accordingly the chamber fell silent again as the implications sang in all those years of restrictions vetos and suppression we thought we were containing a potentially dangerous species instead we were just giving them time to prepare time to build time to plan and now with the ashes of new Montana still cooling we'd

finally pushed them past their Breaking Point the holographic display in the center of the council chamber flickered to life showing the the ruins of new Montana even now 3 days after the drachnid attack fires still burned across the continent spanning wheat Fields the massive agricultural domes lay shattered their broken shells scattered across the landscape like the bones of ancient creatures play the footage I demanded my voice rough with emotion most of my colleagues flinched they knew what was coming the recording began new Montana's orbital defense platform forms hung silent in space powered down as required

by concordant law the draid fleet dropped out of hyperspace 47 Capital ships strong no warning no demands just immediate overwhelming force stop Supreme Commander rutal protested we all know what happened no I snarled you will watch you will all watch the draid ships opened fire their energy weapons carved molten scars across the planets surface kinetic bombardment rounds punched through the atmospheric Shields striking cities with the force of small nuclear weapons 7 million humans died in the first hour but that wasn't what broke us what broke us was the agricultural domes notice I said highlighting specific

ships in the display how the draid fleet specifically targeted food production facilities not military installations not industrial centers they deliberately destroyed the means to feed a population the recording continued emergency beacons lit up the night side of the planet as civilian ships tried to escape the drachnid fleet methodically shot them down not all of them just enough to prove they could just enough to send a message 17 hours I continued my throat sacks constricting with barely contained rage for 17 hours human ships across three sectors receiv received distress calls from new Montana calls we were

legally forbidden from answering due to the concordat quarantine protocols High Chancellor vexor raised all four hands the protocols exist to prevent conflict escalation the protocols I cut him off exist to protect aggressors like the draids from consequences but here's what you all seem to have missed the humans obeyed those protocols for 17 hours while their people died they obeyed your laws I switched the display to current sensor readings then exactly 18 hours after the first shot was fired every human military vessel in known space activated previously unknown Drive systems and vanished the chamber erupted in

concerned murmurs Ambassador PX anteni twitched nervously vanished where that's the interesting part I replied unable to keep a note of dark admiration from my voice according to our best sensor data they didn't go anywhere they just stopped being detectable 5,000 ships just gone like they'd never existed trade Minister zil's crystalline form vibrated with anxiety impossible our detection systems are being jammed by technology we didn't know existed I finished for her just like we didn't know about their fleet's true capabilities just like we didn't know about their actual Industrial capacity just like we didn't know about

the massive military installation buried 2 km under new Montana's surface that got their attention I triggered another holographic display this one showing deep scan readings of new Montana taken just before all our sensor Platforms in the system mysteriously failed see that I pointed to a massive structure beneath the planet's crust while we were all busy congratulating ourselves on keeping Humanity contained they built a fortress under our noses one that survived the bombardment one that according to our last readings was launching ships but that's not the worst part I continued saving my biggest Revelation for last

the worst part is what happened 6 hours ago would anyone like to guess silence filled the chamber I let it stretch watching my colleagues squirm every human in known space disappeared not just military personnel every every human trading posts diplomatic missions research stations civilian contractors all empty 3 billion humans across 700 systems gone in an instant the implications hit the council like a Plasma Blast high chancell of vexator scales turned Almost White that's that's not possible the energy requirements alone Quantum Consciousness transfer I said quietly remember that technology we forced them to abandon turns out

they didn't abandon it they perfected it and now we have no idea where Humanity's population has gone where their Fleet is or what they're planning I stood up looking each council member in their various sensory organs but we do know one thing in the last transmission from new Montana before the drachnid fleet opened fire Governor Chen said something to her people the humans have been kind enough to let us keep that recording I played the clip Governor Chen's voice calm despite the approaching Fleet filled the chamber Remember the Alamo none of our Zeno historians could

explain the reference I said watching comprehension Dawn on my colleagues faces until now it's from Human military history it means they're about to make someone pay dearly for a mistake the chamber's emergency alerts chose that moment to start blaring report flooded in from across known space human ships appearing out of nowhere strategic targets hit with surgical precision and one message broadcast on all frequencies Humanity thanks the galactic concorded for its patience now please sit back and observe how Warfare should be conducted the council chamber emergency alerts wouldn't stop screaming red warning Holograms filled the air

as reports poured in from across concordat space Supreme Commander RX sutil kept barking orders into his neural link his bioluminescent patches pulsing with increasing Panic drachnid Fleet base Omega 7 gone just gone his voice cracked 300 ships 50,000 Personnel the humans hit it with some kind of weapon that that that turned everything within a 50 km radius into Elementary particles I finished for him checking my own updates yes they call it the Manhattan protocol apparently they've had that particular surprise waiting for three decades the draid commander facial tentacles wried in distress but our Shields can't

stop a weapon that changes the fundamental forces holding matter together I interrupted not bothering to hide my satisfaction really makes you wonder what else they developed while pretending to follow our technology restrictions doesn't it high Chancellor vexor scales had turned an interesting shade of gray I'd never seen before the the combined Fleet is mobilizing we have numerical superiority we have a new alert cut him off the massive holographic display showed the drachnid home system or rather what was left of it the mighty defense ring of 50,000 automated weapons platforms now floating debris the supposedly impregnable

planetary Shield disabled by a computer virus that somehow bypassed every security measure oh look I commented dryly Humanity remembered your tricks from the beta Karina incident how thoughtful of them to return the favor Ambassador P's mandibles clacked rapidly but the human Fleet can't possibly they don't have the numbers to to be everywhere at once I brought up another tactical display they don't need to be see these patterns classic human military Doctrine vertical envelopment tactical Mobility Force multiplication they're not trying to hold territory they're destroying strategic targets and disappearing before we can respond the chamber shook

not a simulation this time a real impact I checked the external cameras the commercial world's prize defense fleet was engaging three human warships directly above the council chamber the humans were winning fascinating I mused watching the battle their ships are using Maneuvers that should tear them apart the energy readings are off the charts it's like they're not bound by the same laws of physics we are impossible trade Minister zil's crystalline form resonated with fear our scientists assured us that humans couldn't possibly Advance beyond our technological level I laughed did it ever occur to you that

they let us think that that every advancement they showed us was carefully calculated to keep us complacent another explosion lit up space above us one of the human ships had just copied itself then both copies copied themselves the commercial world's fleet was now facing 12 identical warships instead of three Quantum duplication I explained to my stunned colleagues another technology we told them was too dangerous to develop I'm starting to sense a pattern here Supreme Commander rutil suddenly went rigid his neural link buzzing with priority Transmissions the human Fleet it's his voice failed let me guess

I said checking my own updates they just appeared in every major system simultaneously military bases shipyards command centers all under attack at the exact same moment the council chamber fell silent except for the whale of alarms and the distant sound of battles I stood up straightening my diplomatic robes you know what the really interesting part is I looked around at my my terrified colleagues they're being selective precise only military targets only species that supported the draids they're not even blocking civilian traffic High Chancellor vexa found his voice they're showing restraint no I corrected him they're

showing us exactly how much restraint they've been practicing for the past 300 cycles and what happens when that restraint finally runs out the next 6 hours hour in the council chamber felt like watching a masterclass in Warfare trade Minister Zila had shattered herself in panic an hour ago when the humans broadcast their next message not with weapons or threats but with music what is this noise Supreme Commander rutil demanded his tentacles curling in agitation Flight of the Valkyries I answered recognizing the ancient human battle song They're broadcasting it on all frequencies while they dismantle our

fleets apparently they have a sense of humor the Tactical displays told a story that none of us wanted to read the proud drachnid Armada reduced to scattering like prey animals the Commerce world's defense grid turned against their own ships by human cyber warfare The Hive clusters Mighty spawning fleets now drifting in space their Crews seemingly asleep how Ambassador PX mandibles wouldn't stop twitching how are they predicting our every move I pulled up another report laughing despite myself remember all those human servants in our diplomatic Corp the ones we thought were just cheap labor turns out

they've been cataloging our military response patterns for Generations the chamber rocked again as another battle unfolded nearby this time I noticed something odd about the human tactics they're hurting us I realized watching the pattern emerge every Retreat route leads to a prepared Ambush they mapped out this entire campaign before firing the first shot High Chancellor vexor scales had settled into a permanent shade of gray the combined Fleet is reporting strange malfunctions ships shutting down weapons failing Quantum virus I explained reviewing the data they infected our networks years ago laying dormant Gathering data waiting for the

signal when new Montana burned they activated their trap another alert this time a message appeared on every screen in the chamber simple text no audio check your calendars the confusion lasted only moments before understanding hit today's date on the human calendar April 1st April Fool's Day they timed their Revenge to coincide with their ancient holiday of pranks and tricks these humans Rex muttered they turned War into theater no I corrected him they turned your Slaughter of their people into a lesson look at the Battle footage every human ship broadcasts their targets crimes before attacking they're

not just winning they're documenting their Justice the displays showed more human ships appearing from nowhere using tactics that defied conventional physics some phased through solid matter others manipulated time itself arriving at their targets before they launched their attacks that's impossible one of the junior ambassadors whispered the energy requirements alone they solved cold fusion 40 Cycles ago I revealed enjoying the shocked gasps kept that quiet too along with Quantum tunneling temporal mechanics and about a dozen other Technologies we thought were theoretical a new Tactical assessment flashed across my neural link the dra home Fleet Pride of

their empire had just surrendered unconditionally the Commerce world's Defense Forces followed suit minutes later The Dominoes were falling exactly as Humanity planned you know what's truly terrifying I asked the stunned Council this isn't even their full force long range scans suggest most of their Fleet is still waiting in whatever pocket Dimension they've been hiding in Supreme Commander rutil slumped in his hover seat how how long have they been planning this since the first trade restriction I said quietly every insult every restriction every diplomatic slight they remembered them all built their response one piece at a

time created redundancies we never imagined the chamber's main screen lit up with a new message from the human Fleet this time accompanied by another Earth Song something called The Imperial March we're not going to win this are we High Chancellor vexa asked voice barely a whisper wi I shook my head Chancellor we lost this war 300 Cycles ago we just didn't know it until today one month after what humans Now call April Fool's War I stood in the rebuilt Council chamber the changes were impossible to miss the drachnid seats sat empty their empire now under

human oversight the Commerce World section had been reduced to a single chair and in the center where the high Chancellor's platform once floated stood a simple wooden Podium Admiral Meer Rodriguez stepped up to that Podium her dress uniform gleaming under the Starlight no weapons no guards just quiet confidence the terms are non-negotiable she announced her voice carrying that peculiar human mix of warmth and steel but they are we think fair I watched my fellow ambassadors as she outlined Humanity's demands no more technology restrictions no more artificial trade barriers no more interference with human expansion simple

terms that would have prevented this whole disaster if we'd offered them three centuries ago you're not demanding reparations trade Minister zil asked her crystaline form still showing stress fractures from her earlier shattering Admiral Rodriguez smiled not the Diplomatic smile we were used to from humans a real one your functioning economies serve our interests better better than your bankrupted ones we're not here for Revenge we're here for change Supreme Commander rutil now the last of the draid high command raised his tentacles and our military forces will be limited to defensive capabilities only Rodriguez replied you can

keep your Patrol fleets but the next species that launches an unprovoked attack will find their entire military infrastructure turned into a quantum physics experiment again I couldn't help but notice how the Admiral's hand briefly touched a small medal on her chest new Montana service cross she'd lost family there I realized yet here she stood offering peace there is one more thing Rodriguez continued triggering a holographic display we're establishing a new research initiative open to all species no restrictions no censorship pure science pure cooperation the chamber buzzed with surprised murmurs High Chancellor vexator scales shifted to

a cautious green you would share your advanced technology share No Rodriguez shook her head we're offering you the chance to develop it yourselves with guidance think of it as a galactic scholarship program I understood then what Humanity had planned they weren't creating an Empire they were building a school the universe is bigger than our petty power games Rodriguez continued there are threats out there that will require all of us working together real threats the kind that make our recent unpleasantness look like a children's game she gestured to the Stars visible through the chambers Crystal walls

Humanity didn't develop all this technology just to win a war we developed it because we looked into the dark between stars and saw things coming things that should scare you a lot more than we do the chamber fell silent I noticed how every Ambassador suddenly found themselves staring into space wondering what Humanity had seen out there that drove them to such lengths so Rodriguez concluded you have a choice join us in preparing for the real fight or stay locked in your comfortable ignorance but understand this we won't let anyone hold back progress anymore the universe

doesn't care about our politics or our pride it only respects preparation and un as the Admiral stepped down from the podium I couldn't help but laugh my colleagues turned to stare at me 300 Cycles I explained wiping moisture from my throat sacks we spent 300 Cycles trying to contain Humanity because we feared what they might become and in doing so we forced them to become exactly what we feared but better than we imagined Admiral Rodriguez paused on her way out you know Ambassador krx there's an old human saying be careful what you wish for you

might get it and what did we wish for I asked she smiled that terrifyingly genuine smile again you wished for Humanity to learn its place in the Galaxy we did turns out that place is at the front of the class teaching the rest of you how to survive what's coming as she left I looked around at my fellow ambassadors and saw the same realization on all their faces we had tried to play teachers to humanity never realizing we were the ones who needed schooling the Stars seemed a little darker that day but for the first

time in centuries we weren't facing that Darkness alone