"Why in the Cloud City? Let them visit Mars and take in the new scenery. And whose directives are they obeying?" Robin enquired.
"We anticipated that the Guardians, unlike the Terrans they formerly were, would not obey Terran orders. They occasionally pay attention to the Traveler and the Ghost, but they also have their own independence. We don't own them anymore." said Sigret.
"That's okay. I don't have an issue with them as long as they don't hurt us and try to ensure humanity's security in every manner." said Robin.
"So I was considering giving them a small spacecraft so they can independently explore the nearby star systems and act as beacons for humanity." From the side, Myrene spoke. She didn't often share her own opinions, but when she did, she did so with a great deal of thought.
"That's a fresh tip that's good to know. I'll bring some No Man's Sky spacecrafts and give one to each of them." Myrene's suggestion, in Robin's opinion, was brilliant. Sigret and JARVIS both agreed that this was a fantastic idea.
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In the meantime, Traveler's presence had finally reached to the attention of those working at NASA and other space agencies, who were shocked to see the enormous floating ball. For those who had played Destiny, they pointed out that this huge ball thing could be called Traveler.
People were unable to distinguish between what was real and what was phony since there were so many coincidences between man-made games and reality. Some people argued that someone was able to able to create these things after taking inspiration from the games.
Of course, when these people spoke about their ideas on the internet people laughed at them saying nobody could have the power of creation as that would make him a God. Nobody was ready to accept the idea that God was among them since doing so would only increase people's anxiety and paranoia.
Due to the new fact-checking mechanism, Internet users have become more courteous and have stopped starting online conflicts. Every arbitrary assertion they put on the Internet was being fact-checked by the AIs in real-time. Fact checks and supporting documentation were released for those who were found to be inciting unwarranted hatred and peddling misleading information to further their own agendas.
All fact checks were done with the right documentation and by highly functional AIs, thus they were 100% legitimate. A person would also be imprisoned and jailed if they were discovered to have spread false information online more than a predetermined number of times.
Due to the last point, people became more respectful, and whenever there were disagreements on social media, they were generally resolved amicably rather than by hurling vulgarities and harassing others. This was a really unusual change on the Internet that improved everything.
Mike Tyson's famous words of 'Social media made y'all way to[o] comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for' finally came to reality, though it was only for those who just spewed misinformation but this definitely had a good affect on the social media culture. Naturally, the changeover took a while because few nations had the resources or men willing to go find someone to arrest for using social media improperly, but at least it was a start.
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May 15, 2024
Some days had passed since the meeting and the foreign administrations of the various countries contacted through the channel given by North Korea to them and talked directly with the administration of Terrans.
They publicly extended an invitation to visit Earth because they wished to pay tribute to them and build monuments to them. For those who 'died'. Additionally, they made hints that since they have saved their planet, they enjoy working together more.
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The Terrans did not decline the invitation; instead, they answered the call, and today was chosen as the day to descend and interact with humans in person. And it was determined that America, not North Korea, would be the location where they would arrive.
Even the American president and the American people were taken aback by this, since they had never anticipated that the alien-humans would be prepared to meet them in America rather than North Korea.
The Americans were proud of this, and Washington, DC, prepared to welcome the visitors. Except for North Korea, all of the heads of state attended. The foreign minister, one of the people from Ark showed up for this event.
The Washington DC Convention Center was chosen as the venue for the event. The Washington DC Convention Center's vast hall was decked with lavish decorations and illuminated by a gentle, golden light. As leaders from all across the world gathered, a sense of excitement pervaded the atmosphere.
"Uh.. Will Mr. President not show up for the this event?" UAE stepped forward and asked North Korea's foreign minister.
"No, I'm really sorry about that. He has some personal business, and Supreme Commander feels his absence could be a little strange given that this is the first time humans and an extraterrestrial force will officially met. He doesn't want to have an impact on those nearby. I'm confident that you get what I mean." said the foreign minister.
The other leaders who heard this gave a hollow laugh listening to it. They were all outside on the Center's open lawn, which had been significantly cleared out so that the Terran spacecraft could fly in and land close.
Thankfully there was enough space.
Suddenly a low rumble filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. The ground trembled beneath the feet of the attendees, causing a momentary pause in the proceedings. All eyes moved to the sky, where a massive spacecraft's shadow cast by it loomed over the crowd.
The Battlecruiser came down close to the Convention Center after a beautiful descent and buzzing of its thrusters. The enormous doors of the spacecraft slowly opened, showing a man dressed in military garb, with a long coat and headgear on his head, as the throng gazed in wonder. He had a thick moustache and appeared to be in his mid-40s.
This was Edmund Duke, the General of the Terrans.
He wasn't alone however; six men were standing behind him, each wearing a different type of armor that covered their entire bodies, including their faces. They were the Guardians of Traveler, or more precisely, they were revived Terrans.
They arrived in order to fulfill Robin's request that they meet the Champion of Light and to observe humanity. the planet that they were meant to protect.
The president of the United States approached with his security detail in the midst of murmuring and whispering, his countenance a mix of astonishment and interest. He made his way toward Edmund Duke, who had emerged from the Battlecruiser exuding confidence and authority.
"General Duke, its our honor to finally meet you face to face. We are appreciative and thankful that you protected us from the extraterrestrial invasion." stated the President.
"Mr. President, it's an honor to be here." Duke spoke in a thick, raspy voice.
"Your courage and commitment to upholding humanity have motivated people all throughout the world. We are saddened by your losses." stated the President.
"I appreciate it, Mr. President. The work was collaborative. We could not have done it without the backing of our military and the indomitable spirit of mankind, who battled tirelessly to defend our land. stated Duke. The President breathed a sigh of relief at this. His remarks implied that they were on their side since they were human beings first and foremost.
The major event was about to take place inside the Convention, and soon the General and the others were led inside. Dignitaries and officials were present in the room, but they kept their conversations to themselves as they waited for the guest to reach the stage. The audience went silent in awe as Duke and the Guardians ascended the platform. World leaders and officials stood to their feet and gave a rousing round of applause in appreciation and admiration. As the recognized world leader who was hosting the event walked up to the stage, the cheers began to fade.
The host greeted the alien-humans with a warm grin, expressing sincere gratitude for their unwavering dedication to defending humanity. The hall was once more filled with a reverberating symphony of adoration as the crowd's cheers increased in volume. He spoke in a formal manner about it.
Following the modest gathering, a sizable meal was made up and Duke and others were requested to partake in some dishes from their world. Sadly, the Guardians were unable to eat. General Duke was unambiguous in his remarks when he identified them as Guardians. They were Terrans who had been raised from the dead, and they were currently working for the Light.
"So.. Basically they.. Basically they died in the war in which we saw?" One of the world leaders enquired after stumbling upon his statements. He couldn't believe what he heard from General Duke.