It All Started With Magnets

.29.

"They have descriptions of bombs in here that make the Tsar Bomba look like a fucking night light." I couldn't tell if he was just stressed or half scared at the prospects.

I tilted my head. "Which one?"

"They have more than one?" He whirled around as he asked it, his eyes widening.

"Yah, there's like four?" I squinted slightly, thinking back on it. "No," I shook my head. "Three. They have three. Black Breaker and Sunrise. Those are Ilthi designed. Then the Grog have one called 'Ge'k frak'tik Ilk'tga Hag'fik'gor' Which when translated into English means 'Universe with cock in ear' but a better translation is 'to fuck the universe's ear'. Which I only remembered because it's hilarious." I chuckled at the remembrance. Bof'jag had told it to me because he said it was one of the only things he could ever remember from the Accords. "I remembered four because one was actually used back when they had discovered Jy and there was a massive, planet destroying asteroid heading for the planet, so they used I think it was Sunrise? Yah it was Sunrise, that's how it got its name. And blew it up. Apparently it was so powerful of an explosion that it temporarily made shadowed side of Jy light up like it was day. So for like seven minutes, Jy had daylight on both sides of the planet."

"And these people want to get into a peace agreement with us?" Hollister looked incredulous and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes. Listen, yes there's scary shit in the Accords, that's the point of it. But it's very much outlining that everyone knows the scary shit but agree to never make or use it, unless completely agreed upon or universally requested, or it will come with retaliation." I shrugged again. "It's rather ingenious. Everyone knows about it, everyone understands it, everyone agrees to not touch it." Best way to win a standoff, was to mutually agree to never get into one.

"What if we did..." He paused as he said it. "Touch it that is."

"You would forfeit your right to be in the Galactic Union, you would be barred from all new technology, and would be retaliated against." I shook my head, leaning it over the back of my chair with a yawn. "I'm sure there is probably a discussion phase before all that that would allow you to take apart all the dangerous tech and get rid of it but I'm not an Accords expert so I don't know. You would have to ask the person in charge of that section." I waved him off as I said it. I knew bits and pieces, weird little facts, not the entirety of it.

"It's just they are technologically superior to us. We can't defend ourselve-"

"Why would you need to?" I cut him off as I lifted my head to look at him. "Why would you need to defend yourself against them?" I tilted my head as I stared at him, my eyes narrowing.

"They are technologically superior-"

"Which would be pretty much eradicated because once we join the Galactic Union they distribute that tech to us as well so we can be brought up to their level." That was the point, you joined the Galactic Union, they elevated your species to the same level as everyone else. So everyone had the same chances and tech and advancement. "So what are you defending against?" I watched him carefully as I said it. Humans could be a little paranoid and trigger happy so I wanted a reason for it.

He sighed, running his hand through his short cropped hair, "What if one of them decide to go rogue?"

My eyes narrowed further, "Which one? There has never been a rogue species since the Galactic Union was founded like four hundred thousand years ago. But yah, I'm certain they will break that streak just for us." I couldn't help the sarcasm I took as I rolled my eyes.

"I don't appreciate the attitude." It came out clipped and I rolled my eyes again.

"What do you want, Hollister?" I gestured at him with my arm. "You're looking for a reason to distrust them, you're looking for a reason to be paranoid, you're looking for a reason to tell them no. You think there is something underhanded going on." That was clear, the human paranoia was creeping in, understandable but irritating from my perspective.