Story 1: The Weapons of Humans We were prevailing. It had to be;
we were taking them down more than they were taking us down. According to the
records, this conflict with the Earthlings was only costing us a fraction of the last
war we fought, a mere fraction. However, despite the lower casualties we were
enduring, our progress was slow. Then the survivors returned. You see, a Ralax weapon is like most other weapons
in the galaxy. It emits a compact energy pulse that immediately halts electrical activity in
the body while simultaneously burning through the target. It results in fatality 99% of the time
it hits, and occasionally, it can go through more than one enemy. It's compact, lightweight,
and efficient. It's the perfect weapon for neutralizing your adversary, and neutralizing
your adversary is the perfect way to win a war. Or so we believed. The humans are terrifying. It's not because of
their appearance, nor their intelligence. No, humans are terrifying because of
their resourcefulness. The ways they employ their intelligence make
our worst sadists seem like saints. Human weapons don't aim to take lives.
Humans use combustion-propelled pieces of soft metal to engage in combat.
It's inefficient, crude, barbaric, and ruthlessly effective. When we
heard the human general broadcast to the universe why we had received so many
survivors of the war, we were appalled. "We did not spare the lives of your
soldiers out of mercy. We watched as you used two soldiers to carry your one
wounded back to your lines, and we let them, for they could not fire if they were carrying
their comrades. We wish for them all to return to your home planet. We will fill every hospital
bed with your broken soldiers, and no civilian will have a place to be treated. Your streets will
be lined with the amputees, your parades a gallery of loss. We will put on display your sundered
sons and deformed daughters, and those who came out unwounded will still not and be to be called
survivors. They will whisper the truths they know, and tell you all of the horrors of humanity.
You will know their fear as the ground explodes from our land mines, designs perfected over
centuries. They will tell you of concertina wire, spools of barbs and pain that sit, unflinching,
in the night as your soldiers patrol, waiting for the taste of their flesh. They will tell you
of defoliants, worlds purged of all plant life so your children could not hide. You will hear of
our guns, louder than the thunder, and of how our bullets tumble through your chest, tearing
your organs and shattering your bones. Then they will speak of artillery, hundreds of standard
mass units falling from the sky and exploding. You will see those that look beyond. They that
saw the horror, and the horror looked back. Now, when they gaze into nothing, when
they watch their memories, know this: Humanity does not forget. And
humanity does not forgive. We asked for peace. We will find it at your grave." The broadcast sent shockwaves through our ranks,
and a chilling realization dawned upon us: we had sorely underestimated the
humans. Their weapons, although archaic and seemingly inefficient, had inflicted a
psychological impact far beyond our calculations. In the days that followed, we delved
deep into understanding the source of their formidable arsenal. Our scientists and
analysts pored over captured human weaponry, dissected battle recordings, and
scrutinized every piece of intelligence we could gather. What we discovered
was as humbling as it was terrifying. The humans had honed their weaponry and
tactics through centuries of conflict, learning and adapting with an unparalleled
tenacity. Their history was etched with wars, revolutions, and struggles for survival,
each contributing to the evolution of their methods of combat. These experiences
had shaped their approach to warfare, instilling in them an uncanny ability
to innovate, improvise, and overcome. We unraveled the secrets of their
primitive yet devastating firearms, and we recoiled at the realization. The humans had
refined these weapons over generations, perfecting the art of causing maximum harm with ruthless
efficiency. Their firearms, so seemingly crude, were the result of relentless refinement, designed
to maim and kill with brutal effectiveness. But it wasn't just their weapons that posed
a threat; it was their sheer determination to defend their way of life. Their history books were
filled with accounts of resilience, sacrifice, and the unyielding spirit of survival.
From ancient battles to modern conflicts, the humans had consistently displayed
an unwavering resolve, turning the tide against overwhelming odds time and time again. Their penchant for innovation, adaptability,
and unrelenting spirit had culminated in the creation of weapons and tactics that
transcended the boundaries of conventional warfare. It was clear that the humans' ability
to harness their ingenuity and resilience had propelled them to develop weapons that struck
fear into the hearts of their adversaries. As we came to terms with the depth
of the human capacity for warfare, we realized that we had encountered
a foe unlike any other. The humans' ability to harness their collective will and
ingenuity had forged weapons and strategies that defied our expectations and shook the
very foundation of our military doctrines. The stark truth became apparent: to confront
the humans, we would not only have to face their weapons but also reckon with their
unyielding determination and the formidable legacy of their tumultuous history. It
was a reckoning that would force us to reevaluate everything we thought we knew about
warfare and the nature of conflict itself.
