Unforeseen meeting

The cosmic space before my eyes sparkled with thousands of lights. Only then, flying, did I truly realize the vastness of the universe. Star constellations, galaxies—we passed them all behind us. I love these star patrols. As the officer commanding a reconnaissance scout ship, I had the most important task before me.

I had to observe, analyze, and evaluate events occurring in space, and quickly relay my findings to headquarters so that our headquarters could quickly diagnose and develop appropriate preventative measures against the dangers I had identified. Unfortunately, such actions were necessary. We couldn't allow a return to the events of several hundred years ago, when the fledgling Star Union was exposed to bloody, devastating wars that nearly led to its destruction in its infancy.

"Yes, yes," I thought to myself, "many millennia passed before we, as a civilization, reached a level that entitled us to stellar conquests." Before we could reconcile ourselves enough within ourselves to venture out into the open. We would have been almost destroyed, not by ourselves, as prophesied, but by external invaders. Our history was a bit crazy. As a civilization, we couldn't leave our home planet for thousands of years. Torn apart by mutual quarrels and wars, we couldn't reconcile. Millions had to die needlessly before our leaders finally concluded that mutual wars, apart from destroying our natural environment, had achieved nothing sensible. By the time we finally grew to understand that wars could only bring our complete annihilation, it was already very late.

Our home planet, devastated by warfare and a devastating exploitation and extraction economy, could no longer sustain us. We had to start searching for new places to live and other sources of nourishment. It wasn't easy. After all, we were conservatives who couldn't imagine living anywhere other than our natural environment. But we succeeded. We cast aside our prejudices and set off into space. It wasn't easy. It quickly became clear that, besides us, the universe was home to many civilizations, convinced, like us, of their own superiority over other life forms. No sooner had we left our galaxy than we encountered other life forms who, like us, were convinced of their own superiority.

New, devastating wars erupted. They consolidated our civilization and forced us to bring destruction to others. We were good at it. In fact, one could say we emerged as a nation of victors. Wherever we appeared, and with whomever we initiated the conflict, it ended in our victory. At first, however, we were close to being annihilated ourselves. Lacking adequately prepared mechanisms for detecting and assessing potential dangers, we ourselves became easy prey for aliens. Despite initial setbacks, we were able to emerge victorious. Our weapons proved superior to those of our enemies, and our fighting spirit could overcome any obstacles.

That's why the conflicts that arose always ultimately ended in our victory. Despite initially enormous losses, we were able to rise and respond even more powerfully.

Over hundreds of years, a system for space exploration and the early detection of potential threats was developed. Reconnaissance scout ships were used for this purpose, their task being to fly into previously unexplored regions of space and diagnose newly discovered civilizations. At first, none of us even realized how many different races inhabited space. Most were peaceful, and we left them to their own devices. We didn't interfere with their lives, as this could have ended tragically. Unwritten cosmic law forbade contact with civilizations that hadn't yet matured. The shock for such a nation would have been too great and could have ended in tragedy. No one wanted that. Everyone has the right to mature before becoming mature enough to join the cosmic community. Those who could join could do so either with our help, becoming a full member of the Star Union, with all the rights and obligations of membership, or by developing on their own, exposing themselves to all the dangers inherent in independent space existence. The Star Union

is a loose federation of inhabited planets whose mission is to help each other in times of crisis.

Each full member of the Union can fully benefit from the knowledge of other civilizations and count on assistance in case of danger. Of course, it had the right to retain its own language and culture. The only thing that united us was a common currency and the right to operate freely on all associated planets.

During our star patrols, we often encountered civilizations too cruel to function normally. It was clear that they could pose a serious threat to the Federation in the future. Back then, the procedure was simple. Appropriate studies were conducted, and when the results indicated such a society was beyond reform, the Federation government, after consultation with its full members, made the only correct decision: physically eradicate the threat. I know it may seem cruel, but believe me, there is no other way to maintain order and peace in the universe. Sometimes one must be cruel to ensure the peaceful existence of billions of beings.

That is why such a great responsibility rests with me. I must properly assess the civilizations I encounter and send a factual report to my command so that I can make the appropriate decision. This is not easy. Often, the societies I encounter appear at first glance to be terribly cruel and ruthless. The only possible solution seems to be immediate elimination. However, after a longer examination, it turns out that they can be saved. Then, a specified period of extended observation is granted before a final decision is made. The opposite also happens. A nation that seems peaceful and benign, under the influence of certain factors, turns into bloodthirsty beasts, bringing destruction to all around. That's why the task before me is so important, and why such a great responsibility rests on me. No one wants to be responsible for the deaths of millions of beings, yet dare not leave behind a potential threat to billions.

I'm currently on a routine patrol flight. I search the outskirts of galaxies for unknown civilizations, which I must properly assess. Typically, such a patrol flight lasts many time units. It must be carried out very precisely. No system that could harbor life should be abandoned. My sensors are tuned to all possible frequencies, detecting any waves in space that could be the result of intelligent beings. My intergalactic translator receives and translates all detected sounds into our language. It is a difficult and highly responsible job.

We're approaching a solar system where, according to the rules of the universe, life could exist. Several planets clustered around a single star. This is a standard system for life to emerge. Following the rules of patrol, I approach the star as close as possible and begin my examination from there. I fly as slowly as possible to avoid any potential signs of life. However, the planet is dead, and so is the other. Suddenly, my sensors start to go haywire. Something's happening. I see an object with life approaching ever so slightly!!!!! My cameras zoom in as far as they will go. I'm stunned. This is a living organism, all alone in space!!!!! This is unbelievable. How is it possible to fly like this without any protection? My translator makes strange sounds for a moment, and then I hear a voice translated into our language:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible. Adam Małysz has taken off from the threshold and flown. No one sees him. We've lost contact with the competitor. We have no idea where he is. This is more than a record.

I don't understand any of this. Who is Adam Małysz? What's going on?" I'm calmly flying on patrol, and some lunatic almost hits my ship. What if he hit my nuclear reactor? I can't even fit that in my head. I wiped my sweaty forehead with one of my legs. It was terrifying. I need to thoroughly investigate this civilization. I absolutely must understand what's going on here.