Wandering Meteor

On the Mother Stars of both the Bose Civilization and the Fermi Civilization, nearly everyone could witness the war in the stars with their own eyes.

And unlike other civilizations, the Bose Civilization and Fermi Civilization had experienced this war firsthand from the beginning and had personally witnessed and felt the terror of the Wandering Alliance. As the war grew more intense and extensive, this terror turned increasingly into panic.

Since this war lasted for a very long time and went through several phases, the peoples of these two civilizations had lived in panic for an extended period, and when this panic became habitual, it easily gave rise to a deep-seated mentality of worship and awe. Eventually, when the people on the mother planets of these two civilizations saw the near-total annihilation of the Retribution Alliance coupled with their sense of reverence, quite a number proposed surrendering to the Wandering Alliance and joining them.

"What a joke! The Wandering Alliance has killed so many of our compatriots; we are implacable enemies. How can we surrender to them? I urge you not to make such foolish mistakes and become the sinners of our civilization!" Of course, there were dissenters within the Bose Civilization and the Fermi Civilization who immediately rejected this absurd suggestion at the global conference, denouncing both the proposers and those who agreed.

Those who agreed argued with justification: "This is no joke; we are serious, and we propose this considering the interests of our civilization. Of course, your point stands; the Wandering Alliance did kill many of our compatriots, but let's not forget, we also took the lives of many of theirs. This is war, and it is unavoidable for anyone; there is no right or wrong in war, only stance. You call us foolish, but in fact, it is you who are truly foolish. At least our proposal could give our civilization a glimmer of hope to ensure that the people on our Mother Star survive and continue to develop. What about your opinion? Do you wish for the last seeds of our civilization to die under the Wandering Alliance's fire before you're content?"

"Right, dying in battle is still better than surrendering to the enemy; at least we would die standing, not live kneeling. Even if the Wandering Alliance accepts you, your lives will not be easy; you might live worse than animals. Not to mention that after such a long time of war, the number of lives sacrificed is too numerous to be reconciled. We are all adults and have experienced many things in the Universe, so I advise you not to be so naive and lively when thinking!"

The agreeing side retorted: "That's why I say you are foolish. Only by surviving do we have a future. If we really die, what use is there for your so-called pride? This Universe doesn't record your so-called pride, it only records the civilizations that ultimately survive. Other civilizations will not waste energy recording the information of the extinct. As for whether the Wandering Alliance will accept us and what our future lives will be like, those are all unknowns; you shouldn't replace the future with your own fantasies but rather base your thoughts and judgments on facts."

"Sophistry is just sophistry; no matter how eloquently you argue, it doesn't change the essence of reality. The real fact is that things have not yet happened. If we are fantasizing, aren't you also fantasizing? Since we're all the same, how do you propose we use facts as the basis for judgment?" the opposition countered.

The agreeing side responded: "Have you forgotten the Forest Sea Civilization and the Desert Sea Civilization?"

They continued: "There were survivors from these two civilizations who were captured by the Wandering Alliance. And what happened? When we tried to establish contact with them to rescue them, they refused and even persuaded us to join the Wandering Alliance. Do you all remember this bizarre incident? Isn't this a fact? Isn't this a basis for judgment? Of course, the situation of the Forest Sea Civilization and the Desert Sea Civilization is different from ours; we can't generalize everything, but their experience at least proves some aspects of the Wandering Alliance's way of doing things and could provide us with a lot of intelligence from the data. Moreover, there's one more thing: the Wandering Alliance has accepted the Metal Civilization. Considering that the Wandering Alliance is composed of many different species of civilizations, this suggests that the Wandering Alliance could very likely be an advanced civilization characterized by inclusivity and unity. Surrendering and joining them wouldn't be disgraceful!"

"Fine, even if what you say is the truth, the grudges from our mutual slaughter with the Wandering Alliance are not so easily resolved, and that is also a fact," the opposition retorted.

The proponents argued, "We have never denied this. It's something we've taken into account when making our decisions. But it is precisely because we have considered the risks on both sides that we believe the chances of surrendering and joining are higher. Hence, a wise civilization chooses the option with greater probability of success as the correct choice."

"Bullshit, stop making excuses for your cowardly proposal. You say that the risk of resistance is greater; I say that the risk of surrender is greater. And Bo Han, don't you forget, it was you who categorically rejected the proposal of the Forest Sea Civilization survivors. You even said you'd rather die than surrender to the Wandering Alliance. Now your change of stance is so rapid, it's downright duplicitous. How can we trust you with this?" the opposition began to shift their line of attack.

The proponents responded, "I admit, I did say those words back then. But I've also mentioned that the Wandering Alliance's rate of scientific development is much faster than ours—a truly endless treasure. If we could learn the Wandering Alliance's method of developing science, we would become stronger and stronger. It's exactly because I realized this that, during the war, I've been trying to uncover the secret to the Wandering Alliance's rapid scientific development. However, after my research, I've found that the root of the Wandering Alliance's fast-paced scientific progress lies in their culture and system, something that's absolutely impossible to replicate. If we were to forcibly copy it, it would mean that our civilization's cultural foundation would change, which is tantamount to joining the Wandering Alliance. Therefore, after careful consideration, I proposed that we might as well directly join the Wandering Alliance, as they have more experience in such reforms. If they truly assist us, the chances of success in our own reforms will be much higher."

"Hah, what a joke, really smart of you. Can't beat them, so you join them, huh?" the opposition mocked.

The proponents said, "You don't need to ridicule us; we know best what we're doing. Even if it means losing face, or even being condemned as the sinners of our civilization, as long as it ensures the survival of our civilization, we are willing to take on that role. Instead, it's you who should not let personal feelings interfere with the discussion of the critical issue of our civilization's survival. Otherwise, it would only lead to disaster and you would become the true sinners behind our civilization's demise."

"We have not been influenced by personal emotions; we have always been trying to stop you from betraying our civilization. In any case, we will never agree to surrender!" the opposition exclaimed with unyielding fervor.

Seeing their response, the proponents sighed helplessly and said, "We've said all that can be said. Since you still disagree, then we will have to let you see the will of the people of the Mother Star. Currently, both the military and the general populace basically support the proposal we've made, and the Mother Star's armed forces are already under our control. If you still insist on disagreeing, I'm sorry, but given the urgent situation and the Wandering Alliance's potential to launch a final offensive at any moment, for the greater good of our civilization, we will have to sacrifice you!"

With the order from the proponents, a large number of armed personnel rushed into the conference room and aimed their weapons at the members of the opposition.

The members of the opposition, who once were resolute and adamantly opposed, completely succumbed on the spot out of fear when they saw that even the military was now in the hands of the proponents and powerful weapons were aimed at their heads.

In the end, both the Bose Civilization and the Fermi Civilization went through their respective political coups and successively made the decision to surrender!