Ensemble [Book 1: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 39: M.I.R.E

"With all due respect, Mr. Chairman, these past Human failings illustrate a clear and ongoing pattern of planetary abuse. I ask that you please indulge me for a short while longer."

Quintavius nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." Toeth continued, "At that time, as a group, the decision was made to continue Monitoring the Humans. However, the Council also reserved the right to actively Intervene, as conditions warranted going forward. Then, when Humans from the contiguous northern continent made unilateral attempts to reach out to the Zeta-Alpha Draconian Alliance in the year of 1954, our contingent agreed to provide minor technology in exchange for the ability to conduct limited biological sampling."

Zyok Melkaan, who was the Sektor V representative of the Sirran binary star system, had been shaking his head for some time now and finally made his thoughts known.

"Please, Toeth, refrain from insulting our collective intelligence. Your people had no right whatsoever to draft an agreement with an Unenlightened, native species. But you already know this. We also know the true reason you, along with your Alpha-Draconian allies, are captivated by Terra, and other similarly defenseless planets: rare and valuable resources. Your only concern related to the possibility of nuclear fallout is its deleterious effect on the biota and other natural assets this planet has to offer. Your hollow attempt to portray benevolence as your driving motive fools no one."

Toeth looked away from the Councilmembers in front of him, shook his head, and exhaled. "As usual, Sirran, you mistake our intentions completely," Toeth finally responded. "The primary motive for agreeing to this so-called 'Reatta Treaty' you refer to was to ensure that the Humans' reckless nuclear aspirations would be held in check. None of us on this Council want to see such a promising species and beautiful planet disappear overnight."

After a moment to re-gather himself, Zulton Toeth continued.

"I will not take much more of this Council's time except to remind each of you the patience we have collectively, and repeatedly, shown as it relates to earlier detrimental activities associated with this aggressive and often irresponsible species. During our most recent official Intervention, we witnessed senseless greed on a scale so immense that it very nearly brought down their entire global economic system a second time in less than 100 solar cycles. I am sure I need not remind the Council that it was our species, and those directly aligned with us, who agreed to meet and assist the Humans when they reached out in desperation. By extending the earlier agreement we had in place with them, we were able to discreetly help them avert a global calamity that would have wreaked enormous pain and suffering upon billions of Human beings.

"At the direction of this very Council, it was determined that the introduction of limited time travel technology provided the best solution to alleviate the grave danger that was facing the Terran System. Without our assistance, our projections, as well as the prognoses of others, depicted nothing but dire long-term outcomes for the Humans and many other Terran life forms. The resulting widespread global impoverishment that would have otherwise transpired, would have lead to political unrest and, ultimately, nuclear instability planet-wide. As we all know, we could not in good conscience stand by idly and allow such devastation to unfold.

"The facts show that with our leadership, backed by the Council's Intervention, we helped the Terrans stabilize their civilization at a critical juncture in their evolutionary journey. Naturally, since 2008 we have closely monitored their use of this gifted technology. Surprisingly, and to the species' credit, they have managed to effectively maintain global political and economic stability for nearly four of their decades. That is, until select Members of this Council provided a rival Human rebel organization with similar temporal shift technology. At that time, it was argued that such action was required to help 'balance the scales of power and enable the re-emergence of societal free will.' I am certain that I will not have to remind the Councilmembers responsible for this action that Zetans and our allied contingency vehemently disagreed with this flawed logic.