86 "There are no gamma life forms left in this
system," explained The Voice. "You may now shut down the transport beam
tube. We have picked up our cargo. We may now depart. This place, too,
had its Empire, but those who loved The Light fought its Darkness and
destroyed it.
87 Unfortunately, only a few hundred males survived and they sat up
that shelter you detected below. They could have sustained their race
by artificial means but that was not their way. All the Souls that
survived from all the planets have gathered there, waiting, waiting for
travelers like us, travelers that could take them away from this dying
system.
88 Now only the droids they made to keep them company, made to look and
feel like their female creatures, and the few small animals left remain
there. Eventually, when the planets cool down, the droids will go out
and destroy the automatic systems, replant the inhabitable worlds, and
seed them with the animals that are left. Then they will retreat to
their base and observe what will occur. Who knows what some other
travelers coming through this sector will find in fifty or sixty
thousand years. Let us return to the other ships. The sadness of this
place reminds me too much of our own homes."
89 "The only difference is," sighed North, "our weapons leave so little
trace! People would have a hard time telling rather the devastation of
our planets was by war or some natural cause. Here there is no
question. I had hoped that the insanity of war was not universal, but I
can now see that hope is wrong."
90 "As long as there are beings," explained The Voice, "that think
themselves above others, who take by force, rather than trade, who
bring conquest rather than peace, there will always be war. The only
thing that stops people like those, is might superior than their own,
used for justice,
rather than tyranny. Let us make way."