Human nature

My name is Xavier Klayens. I am a German writer and a renowned historian on a mission to write a chronicle of the first interplanetary conflict in which the human race was involved. This could get me in trouble. But it seems to me necessary that everyone know the real reasons that led to the catastrophic war that devastated a third of the population. I do all of this in the hope that we will learn from our mistakes. If this happens, the survivors of this confrontation may have a second chance on earth. On February 4, 2085, a crew of human beings aboard the Ultrinous spacecraft arrived at the extraterrestrial space station X34 without reporting any inconvenience. Everything happened a few miles away from the moon. Cameras had been installed inside the ship that transmitted what was happening in real time. Millions of people around the world witnessed that historic moment when our species met an alien species for the first time. The men and women who were part of the crew descended from the capsule and greeted the Bastians, who were originally from the planet Bastia located in a nearby galaxy. They are very tall, thin, and purple beings; that look like mutant insects. From time to time they excrete viscous substances from their mouths. They have a luminous crystal attached to their foreheads that changed in brightness according to their mood. On that occasion they were very happy to meet human beings. Thus, its crystals radiated intensely. They were dressed in golden robes and their skin was strangely fragile. The astronauts greeted them in the usual way humans do, and they did it in their own way: rhythmically beating their chests and slapping their lower ligaments (what could be thought of as their knees). After that welcome, the tour of the space station began. The engineers who made up the crew took careful note of this architectural structure and made diagrams of the station's engines. Regarding mutual understanding: the astronauts had no problem communicating with the aliens. They carried novel gadgets that allowed them to understand any language in the universe. All the guests arrived at a meeting room composed of windows overlooking the space and a gigantic table filled with food and drinks. The Bastians sat on the left side and the humans on the right side. It was a very elegant room. It was adorned with vases, paintings of alien creatures, and quirky portraits. It was neither hot nor cold in there. The temperature was just right. Dinner then began without further ado or distraction. Lieutenant Kevin Fillmaz (our assigned ambassador) held a glass of wine in the air and prepared to make a toast. -On behalf of all humanity we announce our intentions to establish a healthy relationship of mutual cooperation between our two species. Ladies and gentlemen, we come in peace! -BLOH! BLOH! - The aliens answered in a calm voice. That is the way they show their happiness. Of course, the humans didn't know it then. But we would have to learn this kind of things the hard way. The ambassador of the aliens (his name cannot be written or pronounced with our archaic alphabetical system) had a peculiarity that distinguished him from the others: on his forehead there was not a single crystal but three crystals. He was sitting in the entire center of the left side. The ambassador of the Bastians also raised his glass and then poured the liquid all over his face; which produced a column of steam. All the astronauts laughed like children when they saw such an absurd gesture. It was then that the alien exclaimed: -Humans! On behalf of the Bastians and our space colonies, I joyfully declare that you have found what you have sought for centuries! Since the first hominid raised its head and looked up at the sky with a confused face. We offer you… THE ANSWERS! The other aliens raised their arms to the sky and howled insanely. -The answers? Asked Kevin. The other astronauts looked a bit dazed. —The answers about the creation of the human race. VLOBRY! - Shouted the alien, addressing one of his own. I still don't know what that means in English, but it must surely be something similar to this: BRING NOW THE TV AND PLAY THE PREVIOUSLY CHOSEN MOVIE! The astronauts fell silent and paid attention to the screen. Before his eyes appeared all the key scenes in the history of mankind. There they saw how a floating mass of light turned the first fish that walked on earth into a lizard, then it evolved into a ferocious dinosaur. They saw the ramification of living beings: mammals, carnivores, flying insects and others ... Until they reached the ape. The ape was transformed (by the work and grace of light) into a hunched caveman who discovered how to use a piece of wood as a weapon to defend himself. Then they saw the fall of empires, and in the blink of an eye, they saw the thousands of Europeans who died from the Black Death. Later they saw the conquerors abusing and massacring the natives… This alarmed them. A clash between such different cultures always brought death and misfortune. —Can you explain to me what is this garbage? — Exclaimed our ambassador. As he did so, Kevin hit the table hard. He was angry. All his beliefs had been mocked with a simple movie. —These are the answers — the Bastian ambassador replied calmly — You were created, molded and perfected by a powerful entity that rules over the entire universe and its name is: The holy light. —BUT ALL THAT IS WRONG! - Shouted one of the astronauts. Betty Crishmore was her name. Ph.D. in mathematics and graduated with honors from the first university installed on the moon. She was red-haired and freckled.

-That is not the way man was created. We evolved without the help of any light, from a bacterium deposited at the bottom of the sea; in what was a long process of billions of years.

-Do you really think that you evolved without any help from a superior being? - Asked the ambassador of the Luminaries.

-BAH! They are all wrong - interceded another astronaut -. We were created but a higher entity, and has its own name: GOD.

-GOD? - Asked the alien ambassador confused.

The astronauts prolonged the debate, even among themselves. The aliens whispered a few comments among themselves and finally asked for silence. The alien ambassador chimed in:

—Seemingly, we have differences. If you don't want to believe us or the movie you just saw, that's fine. We respect and understand your beliefs - he said all this with a smile on his misshapen face.

The astronauts, who were almost going to blows, reacted violently and demanded the Bastians to admit that the film was a montage and that the so-called holy light was a fallacy they invented. The aliens refused and immediately expelled the astronauts. The aliens were visibly angry. On the way back, Betty called the situation (addressing the audience watching the broadcast) as a simple dispute that could be easily resolved.

A week later, we received the news that the Bastians were declaring war on us, arguing that we were rude and disrespectful beings. Some believed that we could win the war, but others were a bit more realistic. Some scientists claimed that we did not stand a chance against the advanced weaponry of the aliens. They possessed artifacts that we fantasized about in our science fiction stories. One of the most fascinating devices of the enemies is the one that allows them to be captured in the form of holograms in the sky. This is how they watched us and learn our tactics.

It was easy for them to counter our war strategies and defeat us in just two years. Now, the human beings live in refugee camps; always fleeing from aliens. They inform me that they have begun to rule cities where they allow humans to live, on the condition that they accept their beliefs. And well, that's all from me. That is the story of the first interplanetary conflict in which humans participated. The only thing left for me to say is: HAIL THE HOLY LIGHT! LONG LIVE OUR MASTERS AND BASTIANS LEADERS!