"6,000,000,000 of them you say?"

[MeGrownMind]

"6,000,000,000, yes sir," said the captain.

"That's a large population group for a planet class this size. They must be a species of great achievement."

"Once, sir. Our forward observers report that for centuries they warred for religious purposes," the captain said distantly, keeping his eyes strained on the data panel.

"And? Surely they surpassed this hump."

"They did, sir, a portion of the species reached an era that they refer to as the 'Age of Enlightenment' but what we fondly recall as the 'Revolution of Reason.' They even industrialized, sir."

"Incredible. Let us begin trade relations at once. These are a species worth knowing."

The captain cleared his throat. "They threw it away," he said plainly, his eyes never leaving the data panel.

"What?"

"Their revolutions allowed for leisure and plenty, but they threw it away. Two wars consumed the globe in fire. This was merely a century ago."

"But a century for a species this advanced is no far reach. They've recovered, surely."

"Not exactly. Their mistakes did not give way to humility. They continued the course of destruction as if it were life-giving breath." The captain blushed. "The overwhelming majority of women still paint themselves in cosmetics even, and the men pursue sports."

The admiral shook his head. "Turn the ship around."

[Donnadogsoth]

"There is one who could unite them," said the science officer.  "Two thousand years ago a man who embodied the rational, compassionate soul of the species was tortured and murdered on trumped up charges in an effort to halt his revolution."

 

"And?"  said the admiral.

 

"He taught that immortality, rather than temporal gain, should be the goal of the individual.  Within a few hundred years his followers had taken control of the largest empire on the planet at that time.  From there science and art flowered, an age of exploration and technological discovery was launched, and the concept of human rights was developed and enshrined in law.  Yet opposing forces have fought back, seeking to dismantle this belief and scatter its followers.  Each time, the believers have rallied and expanded the scope of the desire for immorality cum justice."

 

"What is your prognosis of the current strife?"

 

"I predict that the believers will rally once more, under circumstantial duress, and will design and win a new peace among the warring nation-states, cultures, and religions, that will launch them into becoming a nascent space-faring civilisation on the road to accomplishments equivalent or higher than our own."

 

"Draft a report and send it the supreme command.  They will decide whether interference is warranted.  In the meantime, Engineering, design and plant an observation problem on their moon.  We shall be watching their career with great interest."

[AncapFTW]

"There is one who could unite them," said the science officer.  "Two thousand years ago a man who embodied the rational, compassionate soul of the species was tortured and murdered on trumped up charges in an effort to halt his revolution."

 

"Are you certain?"  said the Admiral.  "It also says here that he had magical abilities, such as raising the dead, healing people, walking on water, transmutation, and even illusion.   Given their level of technology at the time, it doesn't seem like such feats are possible."

 

"Well, it does say his father was "from heaven" and that he was concieved without intercorse, which could point to fetal implantation by an alien lifeform with more advanced technology, technology which he might have had access to, given that he often spoke with his father.  Besides, the book says it's true, and the humans classify the book as non-fiction."

 

"While the first part is concievably possible, the last sentence is illogical, as it is circular reasoning."

 

"Oh," said the science officer.  "I'm sorry, my species isn't very logical.  I never was good at logic in school."

 

"That's all right," said the Admiral.  "It says here that they are starting to abandon such beliefs in favor of reason, and have even started to reject violent coersive authorities which they call "governments".  Perhaps in a few decades or a century they will reach a level at which we can safely interact with them."

[Donnadogsoth]

"While the first part is concievably possible, the last sentence is illogical, as it is circular reasoning."

 

"Oh," said the science officer.  "I'm sorry, my species isn't very logical.  I never was good at logic in school."

 

"That's all right," said the Admiral.  "It says here that they are starting to abandon such beliefs in favor of reason, and have even started to reject violent coersive authorities which they call "governments".  Perhaps in a few decades or a century they will reach a level at which we can safely interact with them."

 

The communications officer piped up, "Logic doesn't matter when the issue is the primacy of love, Admiral."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Love is what this leader died for.  Logic is just a tool to use to get what we want, it's not worthy of worship.  But love of mankind, which is what he was talking about, mankind meaning them and us, without distinction, is the highest law, even in our own civilisation.  Why would our civilisation have even been started, if not for love of man?  It took love to escape the bonds of coercion, a love willing to sacrifice itself, to die, even on an ignoble torture device, naked in public, if need be.  That's the essence of this leader, not his theurgy, and it's his spirit that lives on affecting the life of the entire planet."

 

"How do you know about this, officer?"

 

"Because I've researched the relevant files.  I follow him, now, because of it."

 

"And you would sacrifice yourself for your fellow man?"

 

"...Yes."

 

"Then will you be our envoy?  Get fitted for an appropriate costume and pick a place to be beamed down to.  Live among them for ten solar years and see if they are amenable to love sufficient to make them reasonable.  We will monitor your progress but will not interfere with their affairs."

 

"I will."