Not a PAW or SHTF situation, But a Sci-fi Story that I suppose is TEOTWAWKI but not in a Bad way.
I hope you like:
First Contact
She hadn’t expected him, or his Species, to be so tall. That was her first personal surprise about the Centauri, though there were many. She had read the preliminary reports, and those from the Dentressi and Elioi. though of course, those were scanty, this would be the first chance an Advanced race would have diplomatic and scientific contact with the Centauri.
There had of course, been plenty of Military Contact.
The Advanced Races had split up the Western Spiral Arm into shares, each race with a fairly evenly devided empire amoung the stars, though there were so many systems and planets to be colonised and Terraformed to each species requirements that most of the western Spiral Arm was barely mapped, and most primitive species were still uncontacted, awaiting the day the Advanced races had the inclination or need for resources to introduce them to the Interstellar community. Of Course, a few managed to collanise nearby Star systems with slower than light travel, but it was a very few who then progressed to faster than light travel, and gravitonic manipulation. If they did, they warrented a visit from ‘their’ empire, the Advanced species that Laid claim to their sector of the galaxy. Who would then initiate Contact after observation, and sponsor the species, slowly allowing them technological advancement under their guidance and control. Although it was a very few species that managed this, it was not particularly unusual, in the vastness of the galaxy.
So, one of the things that wasn’t a great surprise was that the Centauri had infact developed faster than light transport and even gravitonic Control, Nor was it a surprise that the Dentressi had then Contacted them. The surprise, that was not personal to her, but for all advanced species was that the Centauri had resisted, and won.
This was 14 years ago, and the Military facts about the Centauri were relitivly well known, from Surviors of their battles, and recovered Military Recorders. They were a Primitive Species, and fought like it, using barbarous techniques and tactics. They had not even masterd energy weapons and fields against them and still used chemical propellants for warfare. But, their kind of spacebourne warfare had not been experianced by the Advanced Races for millenia, and they had suceeded in defeating all Dentressi forces sent against them.
The Centuari, pre Contact, were established in two star systems, after the way with the Dentressi, they had claimed and begun to colanise 6 more. But, their newly staked territory crossed over into that claimed by the Elioi. The Elioi, arrogant as they are, being one of the oldest advanced races, not only demanded the return of their territory, which the Centauri Agreed to, but tried to claim the territory that the Dentressi had lost to the Centauri. This Again resulted in War. And Again, the Advanced Races Technological Advantage was defeated by the Centauri’s Innovative Tactics, determination, and what appeared to be from reports, inborn skill as warriors. They truly were barbarians.
And they were full of Surprises, as they expanded onto another 6 worlds, now into territory claimed by her people, the goverment had decided to treat with the Barbarians, try diplomacy where Military force had failed.
The Preliminary Talks had occoured 6 months ago, and this was to be the real talk, an Ambassador with full power of negotiation, and, as agreed, an exchange of scientists and researchers, althogh the Centauri team would be allowed only limited acess.
And so, there was another surprise for her, when she had been selected by her university to be an Antroplogical researcher with the scientific exchange.
Which lead to this, her First personal surprise about the Centauri, she hadn’t expect Him to be So Tall. Him, that was her guide/guard in Centauri Society. Human Society, she corrected herself, they call themselves Human and she mirrored his gesture, the prelimiary talks had established that showing of Teeth was a friendly gesture, as it was amoungst her own species. So she smiled At the Human, she didn’t want to offend the Barbarian.
Interested?


