Marcus sat in his Manhattan office, gazing out at the spot where Kraz'ox had landed almost four years ago. Quibble, an ancient AI, had chosen Marcus to lead one of the divisions tasked with learning more about the AI and how Ellads and other ancient civilizations had used them.
Quibble had only given them a small portion of his code, less than 0.5%, but it was unlike anything Marcus and his team had ever seen. The scale and language were unimaginable to anyone prior to Quibble's release of the code.
As Marcus read through his team's reports, he was interrupted by Adrian, his new colleague from the office next door.
"Hey, we're about to leave," Adrian said, peeking through the doorway. "Are you coming with us?"
Marcus took a moment to look up and respond. "Sure, let me just finish up here. I'll meet you in front in five minutes, okay?" Adrian nodded and left.
On top of giving them a small portion of his own code, Quibble released all the documents on various research even with the heavy protest from earth’s governments. The AI did not like how Earth’s system of government was set so he released it to the public, without truly understanding how humans and humanity work he did not fully understand the possible consequences of his action.
Amongst millions of documents released, there were instructions from zero on how to terraform planets, build floating cities, and make artificial gravitational fields on asteroids, ships, and space stations. The released documents also included numerous medical and other advancements that would help humans prolong their life spans and make their life easier, from cures to most of the known diseases to efficient and renewable sources of energy to simple things like easy water filtering systems that turn any water source into a hundred percent drinkable.
Quibble had a good idea in his mind, but humanity did not work like that, the vast majority of the human race couldn’t do much with those documents. That’s why governments, big corporations, and wealthy individuals were already in a race toward the new world order.
Marcus closed his laptop and walked out of his office to join his friends. They were headed towards the ceremony in the central park where Captain James, maybe the most famous human at this point in history, would be crowned admiral of the new Galactic Federation led by humanity and its other two founding members Kraz’ox and Anoi.
Three species fought a battle that nearly wiped out all their fleets six months ago and now they were officially forming their own alliance. Two other races were set to join now, former allies of Anoi, the Trox, and Poyours.
The negotiations were long and tiresome before the two warring races were presented with undeniable proof that they were fighting a proxy war for ancient species and decided it was best they joined forces for now with Humans as intermediates between them.
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The park was packed with guests and reporters, but Marcus and his friends had seats near the front row as part of the AI research team. The podium was empty as they found their seats but quickly a young woman took the stand, she was part of the new United Nations that incorporated almost every country in the world, and only a few declined to join to this day.
She briefly went over the day’s program and introduced the next speaker, Earth’s ambassador. Marcus thought that title was a little bit far-fetched and surely a man in his late seventies was not the best choice for the ambassador of Earth. But he had a soft and professional voice and an aura of calm around him as he spoke on goals and future plans for humanity and their new federation.
A few more speakers swapped on the main stand before a thunderous sound broke the boredom of the crown as Pegasus I, the first human interstellar ship, broke into the atmosphere and hovered above the crowd as the crowd broke into cheers. Minutes later a smaller ship, the one used for landing, left Pegasus and landed behind the podium.
The girl announced Captain James Barnes and his companion the ancient AI Quibble and the crowd gave them a standing ovation. Quibble was originally part of Captain’s suit, but after the battle, they built him a body of sorts. For some reason, he was not allowed by his programming restrictions to have a humanoid body, so by his instructions, they build him a half-meter cube that could shift and change its looks.
Captain James walked onto the podium with Quibble in his new form hovering slightly behind him and accepted his new role, as the first official and highest-ranked Admiral of the Galactic Federation.
“Thank you,” Admiral James said as the crowd’s cheering died down slowly. “Thank you for your trust!” Admiral James took a deep breath and continued.
“My fellow humans, Kraz'ox, Anoi, Trox, and Poyours, and all other beings present here today, I stand before you humbled and honored to accept the position of Admiral of the Galactic Federation. I don’t know if I am the most qualified person for this job, but I will certainly give my best with every second on the job!” He said taking a short pause to compose himself.
“As we embark on this new chapter in our history, we must remember that we are not alone in this universe. Our actions affect not only our planet but also the entire galaxy. We must take responsibility for our actions and work together to create a better future for all who are part of this Federation and even those who are not.” A small applause broke out but James continued.
“As we work towards our common goal of peace and prosperity, we must also remember the lessons of our past. We must learn from our mistakes and work to ensure that they are not repeated. We must strive for equality and justice for all, regardless of species or background. The formation of this Galactic Federation is just the beginning. We must continue to work together, listen to one another, and build a better future for all. Let us take this opportunity to unite and create a brighter tomorrow for ourselves and for all those who will come after us.“ The crowd broke into cheers once again as Admiral James and Quibble left the podium.
Marcus found himself on the list of special guests who were invited to the gala later in the night. He didn’t feel like going, but his position demanded his presence there.
He pondered the words Admiral James said, they had a huge burden on their shoulders now as a species. But Marcus worried about the history of violence of the human race and the inability to be united through Earth’s history it was only a matter of time before humanity realized what power they held. He worried for the future of his kids and what the unknown held for them. He wanted them to have a normal life, but that timeline was long gone and he and the rest of humanity had to accept that. It was time to adapt and do his best to help navigate humanity in these uncharted waters.