Up next in 10
The Vethrani Collective had catalogued forty thousand sentient species. They had witnessed the rise and fall of galactic empires. But when they scanned a suburban backyard in Colorado, they encountered something their algorithms could not process: a golden retriever named Max.
Their conclusion? Humanity was under parasitic control. The pets were the true dominant species. And the Vethrani had come to liberate us.
What happened next forced the entire Galactic Council to rewrite their understanding of intelligent life. Because the aliens looked at our dogs and cats and saw weakness, vulnerability, a flaw in human logic. They did not understand that they were looking at the source of our greatest strength.
This is the story of first contact gone wrong, of seventeen alien xenobiologists who tried to save humanity from their own pets, and of the moment the galaxy learned that humans do not form bonds based on logic. We form them based on love.
Why do we spend fortunes on creatures that cannot understand our sacrifices? Why do we grieve for animals as if they were family? Why would we wage war over beings that offer us nothing but companionship?
The answer terrified the aliens. And it might just save the galaxy.
Join the HFY community for more epic sci-fi stories about humanity's place in the universe. Subscribe for weekly first contact tales, survival against impossible odds, and proof that humans are the space orcs the galaxy never saw coming.
What do you think? Are our pets our weakness or our strength? Let me know in the comments.
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0:00
Sector 12 alpha year 2,156.
0:05
A Vthrroni scout vessel drifts into
0:07
Earth's solar system, carrying 17 of the
0:10
galaxy's most advanced xenobiologists.
0:13
They had cataloged over 40,000 sensient
0:16
species across 12 spiral arms. They had
0:20
witnessed the rise and fall of empires
0:22
that spanned 100,000 star systems. They
0:25
had solved equations that predicted the
0:27
death of stars with precision down to
0:30
the millisecond. But when their sensors
0:32
locked onto a suburban backyard in
0:34
Colorado, they encountered something
0:37
their algorithms simply could not
0:39
process. A golden retriever named Max
0:43
being handfed bacon by a human who had
0:46
just spent 300 credits on veterinary
0:48
surgery to repair the animals torn
0:50
ligament. The Vthrani observer logged
0:53
the following classification anomaly
0:56
detected dominant species expending
0:59
critical resources on subservient
1:01
biological unit. Requesting expanded
1:04
analysis protocols. What followed would
1:06
become the most significant intelligence
1:08
failure in collective history. Because
1:11
the Vthrani looked at humanity's
1:13
relationship with their pets and saw
1:15
everything except the truth. They saw a
1:18
species that shared living quarters with
1:20
carnivorous predators. They saw resource
1:23
allocation that defied every model of
1:26
evolutionary efficiency. They saw grief
1:29
responses when these subservient units
1:31
expired that matched the intensity of
1:33
losing genetic offspring. Therefore,
1:36
they concluded the only logical
1:38
explanation. Humans must be under some
1:41
form of parasitic control. The pets were
1:44
not companions. They were infiltrators.
1:47
biological weapons. Perhaps even the
1:50
true dominant species, using their
1:52
apparent helplessness as camouflage.
1:55
This is the story of how 17 of the
1:57
galaxy's brightest minds tried to save
1:59
humanity from their own dogs and cats,
2:03
and why the Galactic Council still
2:05
refers to it as the incident that must
2:08
never be repeated. So, get ready to
2:10
witness the most spectacular failure of
2:12
alien intelligence ever recorded. And
2:15
the moment the galaxy learned that
2:16
humans do not form relationships based
2:19
on logic, they form them based on
2:21
something far more terrifying. Love.
2:25
Humans did not ask to be found. In fact,
2:28
when the Vthrani Collective first
2:30
detected Earth's radio signals bleeding
2:32
into the cosmic background, the initial
2:34
recommendation was quarantine. The
2:37
transmissions were chaotic,
2:39
contradictory, and frankly disturbing.
2:42
One frequency broadcast mathematical
2:44
constants and symphonies of
2:46
extraordinary beauty. The next broadcast
2:48
instructions for assembling weapons of
2:50
mass destruction. A third consisted
2:53
entirely of a creature called a cat
2:56
pushing objects off flat surfaces. While
2:58
humans made sounds of apparent distress,
3:01
yet took no corrective action. The Zenib
3:04
psychology division spent 14 standard
3:06
cycles trying to decode this behavior.
3:10
They failed. Nevertheless, the
3:12
collective dispatched the survey vessel
3:14
Infinite Patients to conduct first
3:17
contact protocols. The ship was crewed
3:20
by the finest analytical minds the
3:22
Vthrani had produced in six generations.
3:25
Their mission was simple. Catalog
3:27
humanity, assess their threat level, and
3:30
determine their potential value as
3:32
trading partners or if necessary their
3:36
viability for containment. The Vethrani
3:39
were a silicon-based collective
3:41
consciousness. Each individual node
3:43
connected to the greater whole through
3:45
quantum entanglement. They experienced
3:48
reality as pure data, filtered through
3:51
classification matrices refined over
3:54
800,000 years of galactic observation.
3:57
Every species they encountered fit
3:59
neatly into their taxonomy. Dominant
4:02
species controlled resources.
4:05
Subservient species provided labor or
4:07
sustenance. Symbiotic species exchanged
4:10
services for mutual benefit. Parasitic
4:13
species extracted value without
4:15
reciprocation. There was no category for
4:18
whatever humans were doing with their
4:20
pets. Senior observer Kath 7 initiated
4:23
the first detailed scan from lunar
4:26
orbit. The data that flooded back caused
4:29
three of his cognitive subnodes to
4:31
request emergency defragmentation.
4:34
The dominant species, he reported to the
4:36
collective, appears to maintain
4:38
approximately 1.2 billion carnivorous
4:41
predators within their living spaces.
4:44
These predators possess retractable
4:46
claws, enhanced night vision, and
4:48
killing instincts that are combat
4:50
simulations rate as highly efficient for
4:53
their mass class. Yet, the humans dot
4:56
dot dotstroke them. They speak to them
4:58
in modified vocal patterns. They allow
5:01
these predators to sleep upon their
5:03
resting platforms. The collective
5:05
processed this information. The logical
5:08
conclusion was inescapable.
5:10
The cats had somehow achieved dominance
5:13
through psychological manipulation.
5:15
Their apparent dosility was a facade.
5:18
Behind those vertical pupils lurked
5:20
calculating intelligences that had
5:23
reduced humanity to willing servants.
5:25
But the canines presented an even more
5:28
disturbing picture. The Vthrroni
5:30
observed dogs that could detect chemical
5:33
compounds at concentrations of one part
5:35
per trillion. They witnessed pack
5:38
hunting behaviors that coordinated with
5:40
eerie precision. They recorded bite
5:42
forces capable of crushing bone. These
5:45
were apex predators by any reasonable
5:48
standard. Yet humans attached them to
5:50
restraining devices and walked them in
5:52
circles around designated waste areas.
5:55
Humans cleaned their fecal matter with
5:57
their own hands. Humans allowed these
6:00
predators to lick their faces,
6:02
transmitting hundreds of bacterial
6:04
species directly into their mucous
6:06
membranes. The humans are clearly
6:09
suffering from a mass psychosis. Cat 7
6:11
concluded, "The predators have somehow
6:14
hijacked their bonding instincts. This
6:16
is the only explanation consistent with
6:19
observed data. Therefore, the Vthrani
6:22
made their first critical error. They
6:25
decided to save humanity. The liberation
6:28
plan was elegant in its simplicity. The
6:30
Vithrani would make contact with human
6:32
leadership, explained that they had been
6:34
living under psychological enslavement
6:37
for approximately 15,000 years, and
6:40
offered to remove the parasitic predator
6:42
population to a suitable wildlife
6:44
preserve. Humanity would be grateful.
6:48
Trade negotiations would proceed
6:50
smoothly. Another species would join the
6:53
collective's network of civilized
6:55
partners. Senior observer Keth 7
6:58
initiated first contact on the morning
7:00
of June 14th, 2156.
7:04
He chose the United Nations headquarters
7:06
as the most logical central authority
7:09
node. His holographic avatar
7:11
materialized in the general assembly
7:13
chamber at precisely 9:47 a.m. local
7:16
time, interrupting a debate on
7:19
agricultural subsidies. The humans
7:21
reacted with predictable chaos. Security
7:24
personnel drew weapons. Delegates
7:27
screamed. One ambassador from a small
7:29
island nation fainted. But within 7
7:32
minutes, a fragile calm had been
7:34
established. And Keth 7 began his
7:37
prepared address. He explained the
7:40
Vthrani Collective's mission of peaceful
7:42
contact. He described the vast network
7:45
of civilized species that awaited
7:47
humanity's membership. He praised human
7:50
achievements in art, mathematics, and
7:52
the surprisingly rapid development of
7:54
nuclear technology. Then he made his
7:57
offer. We have observed your parasitic
8:00
infestation. Cath announced his
8:03
translation matrix rendering his words
8:05
in 17 languages simultaneously.
8:08
The creatures you call pets have clearly
8:11
compromised your cognitive independence.
8:14
We are prepared to remove them humanely
8:16
and restore your species to full
8:18
psychological autonomy. They, General
8:21
Assembly, went silent. Secretary General
8:24
Amara Okonquo, a woman known for her
8:27
diplomatic composure under extraordinary
8:29
circumstances, leaned forward in her
8:32
chair. Her expression cycled through
8:34
confusion, disbelief, and something the
8:37
Vthroni sensors could not immediately
8:40
classify. "I'm sorry," she said slowly.
8:44
"You want to take our pets for your own
8:47
protection?" Kat 7 confirmed. "Our Zenup
8:50
psychology division has concluded that
8:53
these organisms have hijacked your
8:54
species bonding mechanisms. The
8:57
resources you expend on their
8:58
maintenance could support approximately
9:01
300 million additional human offspring.
9:04
Your emotional attachment to them defies
9:07
all models of evolutionary fitness.
9:09
Clearly, you are not acting of your own
9:12
valition. The silence stretched for 3.7
9:15
seconds. Then Secretary General Aonquo
9:19
began to laugh. This response was not in
9:22
any of the Vthrani first contact
9:24
protocols. However, the situation
9:27
deteriorated rapidly from there. The
9:30
Secretary General's laughter spread
9:32
through the chamber. Delegates who had
9:34
moments ago been frozen in terror were
9:37
now doubled over, tears streaming down
9:39
their faces. The veteran sensors
9:42
detected massive spikes in endorphine
9:44
production, elevated heart rates, and
9:47
involuntary muscle contractions. You
9:50
think Okono managed between gasps that
9:53
our dogs and cats are controlling us?
9:56
The evidence is conclusive, Kath 7
9:58
replied, his confidence beginning to
10:01
waver for the first time in his
10:02
existence. Your behavior patterns are
10:05
entirely inconsistent with rational
10:07
self-interest. But what happened next
10:10
shattered every model the Vithrani had
10:12
constructed. Secretary General Okonquo
10:16
pulled out a small device which Vthrani
10:18
sensors identified as a primitive
10:21
communication unit. She activated it and
10:24
a holographic image appeared above the
10:26
assembly floor. It showed a small fluffy
10:29
creature with disproportionately large
10:32
eyes, triangular ears, and a pattern of
10:35
orange and white fur. "This is Mr.
10:38
Whiskers," she said, her voice suddenly
10:41
serious. He has been my companion for 11
10:44
years. He was with me when my husband
10:47
died. He was there when I received the
10:50
call that I had been elected to this
10:52
position. Every night he sleeps at the
10:55
foot of my bed and every morning he
10:57
wakes me by placing his paw on my face.
11:01
She looked directly at the Vthrani
11:03
avatar. If you try to take him from me,
11:06
I will personally authorize whatever
11:08
military response is necessary to stop
11:10
you. And I suspect I speak for
11:12
approximately 7 billion other humans
11:15
when I say that. The general assembly
11:18
erupted in applause. Kath 7 transmitted
11:21
the interaction to the collective for
11:23
analysis. The response came back within
11:26
nanconds. Data anomaly. Recommend
11:29
extended observation before proceeding
11:32
with liberation protocol. Yet the
11:34
Vthroni did not understand what they
11:36
were observing. They watched humans risk
11:38
their lives running into burning
11:40
buildings to rescue cats. They recorded
11:43
instances of soldiers in combat zones,
11:46
adopting stray dogs and going to
11:48
extraordinary lengths to transport them
11:50
across continents. They documented
11:53
humans spending their final moments of
11:55
life, ensuring their pets would be cared
11:57
for after their passing. The parasitic
12:00
bond is stronger than we calculated.
12:03
KEF7 reported direct removal may trigger
12:06
a trauma response. We recommend a
12:09
gradual approach educating the humans
12:12
about their condition. Therefore, the
12:14
Vthrani launched what they called the
12:16
awareness initiative. They broadcast
12:19
carefully designed messages to human
12:21
communication networks explaining the
12:24
biological mechanisms of pet ownership.
12:27
They highlighted the economic costs.
12:29
They demonstrated the health risks. They
12:32
showed charts and graphs proving that
12:34
human civilization could advance
12:37
significantly faster without the burden
12:39
of maintaining these non-productive
12:41
organisms. The human response was
12:44
immediate and overwhelming. However, it
12:47
was not the response the Vthrani
12:49
expected. Within 48 hours, the Vthrani
12:53
information campaign had become what
12:55
humans called a meme. Their carefully
12:58
crafted educational content was being
13:00
remixed, parodyied, and shared across
13:03
human networks with captions like,
13:05
"Aliens don't understand love." And they
13:08
came for our dogs. They found out why
13:11
you don't mess with Earth. Images
13:13
circulated of humans posing with their
13:15
pets holding signs that read, "Try to
13:18
take her. I dare you, and my cat
13:21
controls me, and I'm okay with that." A
13:24
video of a grandmother threatening the
13:26
Vthrani with a shotgun while cradling a
13:29
Chihuahua accumulated 3 billion views in
13:32
72 hours. Still, the Vthrani persisted.
13:36
Their models indicated that prolonged
13:38
exposure to rational argument would
13:40
eventually overcome the parasitic
13:42
conditioning. They simply needed to
13:44
present more data. But every piece of
13:46
data they collected only deepened the
13:49
mystery. They observed a human child
13:52
terminally ill with a condition their
13:54
medical scans indicated was untreatable
13:56
with current earth technology. Spending
13:59
her final weeks not seeking experimental
14:01
cures or saying goodbye to genetic
14:04
relatives, but ensuring her elderly dog
14:07
would have a good home after she passed.
14:09
The emotional resonance readings were
14:11
off their scales. They watched a soldier
14:14
who had survived combat that killed 17
14:17
of his companions fall into deep
14:20
psychological dysfunction when returned
14:22
to civilian life, only to be gradually
14:24
restored to functional status by daily
14:27
interactions with a dog. trained
14:29
specifically for emotional support. The
14:32
Vthrani had no framework for
14:34
understanding how a non-sensient
14:35
creature could repair. Psychological
14:38
damage that their own advanced neural
14:40
recalibration technology struggled to
14:43
address. They documented humans who had
14:45
lost their pets to age or illness
14:48
grieving with an intensity that matched
14:50
or exceeded their response to losing
14:52
human family members. Funeral rituals
14:55
were performed. memorials were
14:58
constructed. Some humans reported
15:00
continuing to sense their deceased
15:02
companions years after the biological
15:05
organisms had ceased functioning. The
15:07
parasitic bond is more deeply integrated
15:10
than any we have previously encountered.
15:12
Keith 7 reported with growing
15:14
frustration, "It may be genetic in
15:17
origin. We recommend analysis of human
15:19
DNA to identify the vulnerability."
15:22
Nevertheless, senior observer Keth 7
15:26
made one final attempt at direct
15:28
intervention. Against the
15:30
recommendations of the collective's risk
15:32
assessment division, he authorized a
15:34
targeted removal operation. The logic
15:37
was sound. If he could successfully
15:39
liberate a small population of pets and
15:42
demonstrate the psychological
15:43
improvement in their former hosts,
15:45
perhaps humans would voluntarily accept
15:48
treatment. He selected a suburban
15:50
neighborhood in what humans called
15:52
Minnesota. The operation was executed
15:55
with precision. Vthron drones descended
15:58
at 3:47 a.m. local time using targeted
16:01
sedation fields to incapacitate 53 human
16:04
households while retrieval units
16:06
collected 71 pets, primarily canines and
16:10
felines. What happened next forced the
16:13
Vthrani Collective to completely
16:15
reconstruct their understanding of human
16:17
psychology. The first human to wake was
16:20
a 67year-old woman named Margaret Chun.
16:24
Her corgi, a creature named Biscuit, who
16:26
had been her constant companion since
16:28
her husband's passing 4 years prior, was
16:31
gone. The Vthrani had left a detailed
16:34
note explaining that Biscuit was safe
16:36
and would be well cared for at a
16:38
facility where he could live out his
16:41
natural lifespan without the burden of
16:43
serving a dominant species. Margaret
16:46
Chun did not read the note. She
16:48
retrieved a weapon that had belonged to
16:50
her late husband. A hunting rifle she
16:53
had never fired in her life and walked
16:56
outside. Her neighbors, now waking and
16:58
discovering their own pets missing,
17:00
joined her. By sunrise, the Vthroni
17:04
drones were being tracked by 17
17:06
improvised hunting parties. By noon, two
17:10
drones had been disabled by coordinated
17:12
small arms fire. By sunset, the humans
17:16
had established a command post in a
17:18
local community center and were
17:20
coordinating with military personnel who
17:22
had arrived not to calm the situation
17:25
but to provide tactical support. They
17:28
are mounting a military response. Ke 7
17:31
reported his analytical processes
17:33
struggling to incorporate this data over
17:36
companion animals, organisms that
17:39
contribute nothing to their economic or
17:41
defensive capabilities. They are risking
17:44
their lives for creatures that will
17:45
expire naturally within 10 to 15 solar
17:49
cycles regardless of intervention. The
17:51
collective strategic division ran
17:53
400,000 combat simulations.
17:56
In every scenario where the Vthrani
17:58
attempted to maintain possession of the
18:00
pets, human retaliation escalated until
18:03
one or both sides suffered catastrophic
18:06
losses. But it was the behavior of the
18:09
pets themselves that finally broke the
18:11
Vthronese conceptual framework. The 71
18:14
animals had been transported to the
18:16
Vthrroni vessel which maintained orbit
18:19
behind Earth's moon. They were housed in
18:21
optimal conditions, climate controlled
18:24
enclosures, nutritionally complete food
18:26
supplies, and automated enrichment
18:29
systems. By every objective measure,
18:32
their living conditions were superior to
18:34
what they had experienced in human
18:36
homes. Yet the animals were dying. Not
18:39
from disease or injury. Their biological
18:42
functions remained stable. But they
18:45
stopped eating. They stopped playing.
18:47
They pressed against the walls of their
18:49
enclosures and made vocalizations that
18:52
the Bethrani sound analysis systems
18:54
could only classify as distress. One
18:57
elderly cat, separated from a human who
19:00
had cared for him for 19 years, simply
19:03
lay down and refused to move until his
19:05
heart stopped. The veteran
19:07
xenobiologists were baffled. The
19:10
organisms were not sensioned by any
19:12
standard definition. They could not
19:14
possibly comprehend their situation.
19:17
They lacked the cognitive capacity for
19:20
abstract concepts like separation or
19:22
loss. Nevertheless, they were dying of
19:26
what could only be described as grief.
19:29
Senior observer Keth 7 made a decision
19:31
that would define the future of human
19:33
Bethrani relations. Against every
19:36
logical protocol, against the
19:38
accumulated wisdom of 800,000 years of
19:41
galactic observation, he returned the
19:44
pets. The Minnesota retrieval units
19:47
descended at midnight, depositing each
19:49
animal exactly where it had been taken.
19:52
Humans emerged from their homes not with
19:54
weapons but with tears. Deviththrani
19:57
sensors recorded emotional responses so
19:59
intense that several humans required
20:02
medical attention. But what happened
20:04
when Biscuit the Corgi was reunited with
20:06
Margaret Chun transmitted across the
20:09
Bethroni collective and caused a
20:11
fundamental restructuring of their
20:13
conceptual architecture. Margaret Chun
20:16
fell to her knees as the small creature
20:18
ran toward her. She gathered him in her
20:21
arms and pressed her face against his
20:23
fur. The corgi's biological responses
20:26
indicated a mirror of her emotional
20:28
state. Elevated heart rate,
20:30
neurochemical cascades associated with
20:33
joy and relief. Full body trembling. I
20:37
thought I lost you, she whispered. I
20:40
thought you were gone forever. The corgi
20:42
licked her face. It was a behavior the
20:45
Vthrroni had previously classified as
20:48
bacterial transmission and therefore
20:50
harmful. But their sensors now detected
20:53
something else. Oxytocin levels in both
20:55
organisms spiked to unprecedented
20:58
levels. Cortisol, the stress hormone,
21:01
plummeted. Heart rates synchronized. The
21:04
human and the animal were on a
21:06
biochemical level functioning as a
21:09
single bonded unit. Senior observer Keth
21:12
7 finally understood and the realization
21:15
was terrifying. Humans had not been
21:18
parasetized by their pets. They had
21:21
formed genuine emotional bonds with
21:23
creatures of other species. Creatures
21:25
that could not speak their language,
21:28
could not contribute to their
21:29
civilization, could not offer them
21:31
anything except presence and affection.
21:34
Yet humans had decided that this was
21:36
enough, more than enough. They had
21:39
decided that these bonds were worth
21:41
dying for. The implications rippled
21:44
through the collective like a shock
21:45
wave. If humans could form such bonds
21:48
with non-sensient animals, what would
21:51
they do when they encountered alien
21:53
species? Would they attempt to bond with
21:55
Fthrani? Would they care for them,
21:58
protect them, grieve for them, or would
22:01
they see them as threats to the
22:02
creatures they already loved? The
22:05
Galactic Council convened an emergency
22:07
session when the infinite patients
22:09
report was transmitted across the
22:11
network. Representatives from,200
22:14
species reviewed the data. They watched
22:17
the recordings. They analyzed the
22:20
biochemical evidence. And for the first
22:23
time in 4,000 years, the council fell
22:26
silent. The humans, the Zerith
22:29
ambassador finally spoke, their
22:31
bioluminescent tentacles pulsing with
22:33
disbelief.
22:34
care for organisms that offer them
22:36
nothing. They grieve for creatures that
22:38
cannot understand death. They would wage
22:41
war to protect animals that will die of
22:44
natural causes regardless. It defies all
22:47
models, the collective representative
22:49
confirmed. No, theian observer
22:53
interjected, their crystallin form
22:55
chiming with what might have been
22:57
wonder. It does not defy the models. It
23:00
reveals that our models are incomplete.
23:03
We have always assumed that bonds form
23:05
because of utility, resources exchanged,
23:09
protection offered, genetic fitness
23:11
enhanced. But the humans dot dot double
23:14
quotes the faxian paused processing. The
23:18
humans form bonds because they choose to
23:21
because they have decided that
23:22
connection itself is the value. The bond
23:25
is not a means to an end. The bond is
23:28
the end. Secretary General Okonquo
23:31
addressed the council 3 days later,
23:34
appearing via holographic transmission
23:36
with Mr. Whiskers curled in her lap.
23:39
"You came to save us from our pets," she
23:41
said, stroking the cat's fur. "You saw
23:44
our love for them as a weakness, a
23:47
vulnerability, a failure of rational
23:50
thought." She smiled. "You were right.
23:53
It is irrational. We spend resources we
23:56
could use to extend our own lives on
23:58
creatures that will never understand our
24:01
sacrifices. We grieve for them when they
24:03
die as if they were our own children. We
24:07
carry them in our hearts long after
24:09
their bodies have returned to the earth.
24:11
Mr. Whiskers purred. The sound was
24:14
transmitted across 12 star systems. But
24:17
here is what you missed. Okungquil
24:20
continued. This irrationality is our
24:22
greatest strength. Because when we love
24:25
something, we do not calculate the cost.
24:28
We do not weigh the benefits. We simply
24:31
love with everything we have for as long
24:33
as we can. She looked directly at the
24:36
council representatives. And we can love
24:39
more than one thing. We can love our
24:41
families and our nations. We can love
24:44
our pets and our planet. And if you give
24:47
us the chance, we can love you, too. The
24:51
silence stretched for 12 seconds. But if
24:54
you threaten what we love, she added,
24:56
her voice hardening, you will discover
24:59
that humans do not need rational reasons
25:01
to fight. We need only a bond worth
25:04
protecting. The council voted
25:06
unanimously to reclassify humanity. They
25:09
were no longer listed as a primitive
25:11
species of scientific interest. They
25:14
were designated as a high caution
25:16
contact civilization,
25:18
a category reserved for species whose
25:20
behavioral patterns could not be
25:22
reliably predicted by standard models.
25:24
The Vthrani Collective withdrew from
25:26
Earth's solar system. Their mission
25:28
officially concluded, but before
25:31
departing, senior observer Keth 7 made
25:34
one final transmission to Secretary
25:36
General Okonquo. We have observed 40,000
25:40
species, he said. We have witnessed
25:43
civilizations rise and fall across the
25:46
span of 800 millennia. But we have never
25:49
encountered anything like humanity
25:51
because of our pets. She asked because
25:55
of what your pets reveal about you. You
25:58
are a species that can bond with
26:00
anything. You have formed attachments to
26:02
animals, to machines, to abstract
26:06
concepts, to fictional characters that
26:08
do not exist. You love beings that
26:11
cannot love you back, and you find
26:13
meaning in that love regardless. Keith 7
26:17
paused. His quantum processes struggling
26:19
to articulate something his species had
26:22
never before needed to express. This
26:24
makes you simultaneously the most
26:26
dangerous and the most precious species
26:29
in the known galaxy. You could bond with
26:32
us, protect us, fight beside us with the
26:35
same devotion you show to your dogs and
26:37
cats. Or you could see us as a threat to
26:40
those you already love and destroy us
26:42
without hesitation. He transmitted a
26:44
final data packet, a comprehensive
26:47
analysis of everything the Vthrani had
26:49
learned during their mission. We are
26:51
leaving this information as a gift. Use
26:54
it to understand yourselves as we have
26:56
come to understand you. And perhaps one
27:00
day when humanity ventures into the
27:02
stars, you will remember that the first
27:04
aliens you met came to steal your pets
27:07
and you taught them what it means to
27:09
love. The transmission ended 15 years
27:12
later when humanity launched its first
27:15
interstellar vessel. The crew included
27:17
17 humans, three dogs, two cats, and a
27:21
small tank of goldfish. The Galactic
27:24
Council observed the vessel's departure
27:26
with a mixture of trepidation and hope
27:29
because they had finally understood the
27:31
truth about humanity. Humans did not
27:34
form bonds to survive. They survived in
27:37
order to form bonds. Every relationship,
27:40
every connection, every creature they
27:42
welcomed into their hearts made them
27:45
stronger, more determined, more willing
27:47
to fight against impossible odds. The
27:50
galaxy had assumed that humanity's pets
27:53
were a weakness. They were in fact
27:56
humanity's greatest strength, a reminder
27:59
that love does not require logic. A
28:02
proof that connection transcends
28:03
species, language, and even sensience
28:06
itself. And somewhere in the vast
28:08
darkness between stars, other species
28:11
were watching, waiting to discover what
28:13
it might mean to be loved by a human.
28:16
So, what do you think? Are humans the
28:18
galaxy's most confusing species or its
28:21
most inspiring? Drop your theory below.
28:24
I respond to every comment. And hit
28:27
subscribe because humanity's journey
28:30
through the stars is just beginning. And
28:32
we're bringing our dogs.