Chapter Forty: The Decline of a Civilization

Condon's spacecraft had reached the position from which an attack on the Celt planet could be launched. This small, single-pilot craft, composed primarily of dark matter, possessed exceptional stealth capabilities and lay hidden seven million kilometers from Celt. At this precise moment, the planet was transiting its star, and through his optical telescope, Condon saw a large black spot entering the outline of the mother star. He adjusted the telescope, gradually enlarging the planet's profile until he could discern the sight of starlight filtering through the planetary atmosphere.

The historic moment arrived. Condon pressed the button in his hand, sending a six-gram fusion black bullet hurtling toward Celt at sub-light speed. Just as Celt slipped from the shadow of its star, the bullet struck the planet's equator. In an instant, the entire planet collapsed into a neutron star no bigger than a soccer ball. The once notorious and tyrannical Celt civilization vanished from the galaxy, and the greatest threat to the Quartpa civilization had been eliminated.

King Tal lived each day in constant fear, wary that the Quart army might attack Tal at any moment, yet he still found time to follow the ongoing reports from the front lines. Occasionally, he indulged his longstanding hobby of observing astronomical events.

A beautiful secretary, who also enjoyed gazing at the sky, approached the king: "Your Majesty, while using your largest optical telescope in your private observatory, I found I could no longer locate the Celt planet. I find this very strange."

The king, well-versed in astronomy, sensed something amiss and questioned her directly: "Are you sure you searched in the right direction?"

"I suggest you see for yourself, Your Majesty. I hardly trust my own eyes," she replied.

The king searched carefully with the optical telescope and indeed found nothing. According to custom, this was the ideal time to observe Celt. He summoned professional astronomers and astrophysicists to investigate together.

After a series of observations and studies, one astronomer informed the king: "The giant gas planet Celt has collapsed into a tiny neutron star. The surrounding gravitational effects indicate this was not a natural phenomenon—it may have been struck by the Quartpa people's black hole weapon."

The king still refused to believe such a truth and attempted to contact Queen Celt herself via interstellar communication devices, but found no response; every channel was silent.

A powerful wave of terror swept through King Tal's mind, leaving him bewildered and frantic. Still, he wanted to see the current face of Celt with his own eyes. Guided by a professional astronomer, he peered through a high-resolution optical telescope and indeed saw a soccer-ball-sized neutron star orbiting the mother star where Celt once was—a sight that left him utterly stunned.

At this moment of confusion and anxiety, another beautiful secretary spoke: "Your Majesty, Intelligence Chief G and Military Commander E request an audience."

"Bring them in," said the king.

"The Quartpa military has dispatched agents who used a black hole weapon to destroy Celt completely. All life, including the Celts themselves, has vanished from this world. Celt is now a neutron star only twenty-five centimeters in diameter," said Commander E.

The king asked, "What should we do next? Quart may attack us at any moment."

"We have little time left. The Tak coalition fleet is rapidly moving toward the Quartpa planet and will soon pass by our own world. Whether we fight or surrender must be decided by Your Majesty," said Intelligence Chief G.

In this critical moment, the wise and resolute King Tal immediately ordered: "Before the coalition soldiers at the front learn of Celt's fate, Commander E must require all ships of the united fleet, large and small, to stop at Tal for supplies and weapons refitting as they pass by. The direction of events will be decided by the three of us here and other elites. Tal may soon face an attack by Quart's black hole weapons. Commander E, activate the global defense system now—do not relax for a single day."

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Commander E.

Tal had recently suffered a sneak attack by Quart, targeting a baby incubation bureau, and the military and civilians, still traumatized, became even more fearful upon hearing of Celt's destruction. Anxious and unsettled, Tal society was thrown into turmoil. The king swiftly made a wise decision: he ordered Intelligence Chief G to send a message of peace to the Quartpa leader, expressing Tal's willingness to surrender unconditionally.

Following the king's instructions, Intelligence Chief G contacted Quartpa military officials to formally announce Tal's surrender, hoping to avoid the same fate as Celt.

The Tak coalition's massive fleet was still advancing at high speed and was about to pass Tal. Upon receiving Commander E's orders, the coalition landed all ships on Tal for logistical supplies, new weapons, and reinforcements. The weary coalition soldiers eagerly welcomed this opportunity for rest and reorganization, and, unaware of the truth, landed joyfully on Tal's desert plains. King Tal and Commander E personally greeted them.

The entire coalition force was accommodated in the king's underground pyramid palace. After warmly welcoming these heroes, the king addressed them in the grand pyramid plaza: "Dear soldiers, I am delighted to see your triumphant return. First, I must thank the courageous Celt warriors for their fearless spirit and selfless dedication. In our hour of peril, it was they who helped us defeat Quart near the solar system twice, leaving them in disarray. On behalf of ten billion Tal people, I offer heartfelt thanks to the great Celt soldiers. When we were in trouble, our noble Celt friends came to our aid—this will be recorded in Tal's history."

Thunderous applause filled the hall.

Suddenly, the king's expression and tone changed, his head bowed, eyes fixed on the ground, as if burdened by some unspeakable secret. The atmosphere grew tense, especially among the recently returned soldiers. All waited impatiently for him to continue, but his demeanor grew ever stranger. He wiped his own tears, then raised his head, murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. We have failed the Celt soldiers, failed our noble Celt friends, failed Queen Celt most of all..."

Though even King Tal lacked the courage to reveal Celt's fate to the Celt soldiers, he had to muster the strength to tell the truth to the victorious coalition. Upon learning that Celt had been destroyed by Quartpa's black hole weapon, the rational Tal soldiers did not react with rage but quietly accepted the king's proposal to surrender.

But the Celt soldiers, upon hearing that their queen and all their people had been annihilated with their planet, were filled with fury. Grief-stricken, their emotions repeatedly spiraled out of control, and many attempted to break out of the pyramid and commandeer ships for revenge against Quart. Some even committed suicide on the spot. Yet, after repeated persuasion and consolation from the Tal soldiers, the Celts reluctantly accepted reality. Like orphaned dogs, the Celt army had lost its home, and their fate would require negotiation between Tal and Quart.

Commander E and Intelligence Chief G entered the king's office together.

"Your Majesty, Quartpa's new leader, Abbott, has been appointed. He proposes the following: First, Tal need not pay war reparations. Second, to prevent future conflict, Tal must strictly uphold the Tal-Quart agreement, with more binding details added to the original terms. Third, Celt soldiers are to be handled by Tal; Quart only demands they surrender the black string weapon," said Commander E.

The defeated had no bargaining chips and could only agree completely to the victor's demands.

Nor could the vanquished expect equal ceremony from the victors. Quart would not send high-ranking officers to accept surrender; instead, surviving ships near the solar system would send a representative to accept Tal's surrender as they passed by. The largest surviving Quart officer was only a major.

Returning Quart ships would pause ten light-seconds from Tal, awaiting Commander E to board and attend the surrender ceremony.

Commander E piloted a small triangular craft alone, landing on the rear of a Quart warship. Quart soldiers politely escorted him to the main cabin to meet the major, and the surrender ceremony was about to begin.

Other soldiers stood scattered along the walls. The Quart major stepped to the center of the chamber and conducted the simple ceremony.

The Quart major said: "Honorable Commander E of Tal, dear comrades, greetings. The arrival of Commander E sent by King Tal marks the opening of peace between Quart and Tal, signifying the end of this cruel and merciless war—a result we all longed to see. On behalf of Leader Abbott and all Quartpa people, I thank King Tal."

Commander E replied: "Regrettably, Tal's mistakes have caused great harm to both civilizations. On behalf of the king, I apologize to the Quartpa military and people. My purpose here is clear: I acknowledge Tal's defeat and bring the king's intent. To learn from this lesson and ensure lasting peace, Tal accepts Quartpa's new proposals and will contribute to maintaining peace in the galaxy alongside the great Quartpa civilization."

The Quart major read out the new treaty: "Quart and Tal could have coexisted peacefully, but today's situation arose because Tal failed to fully observe the agreement drafted by both sides. To prevent future conflict, both must strictly abide by the agreement and its clauses. Considering Quart's own misunderstandings during this process, the new leader does not demand reparations, but Tal must accept additional binding terms: in the future, any Tal visit to the solar system must pass Quart's review. Commander E, will you accept these demands on behalf of King Tal?"

Commander E answered: "Tal and Quart must live in peace; our people eagerly seek a new path for lasting friendly coexistence. I thank Leader Abbott for his wisdom and vision. On behalf of King Tal, I accept and support these new requirements."

A simple surrender ceremony followed. Commander E, holding a model of the plasma sword used by Tal warriors, bowed and handed it to the Quart major. The ceremony ended. There was no hatred, discrimination, mockery, or hostility.

The Celt civilization had vanished without trace from the universe. Quart and Tal now enjoyed a temporary peace, while Earth's ignorant people, having barely escaped death, remained oblivious to all that transpired beyond, continuing to slaughter one another at home.

Though an Indian guitarist's performance of "Angel's Kiss" inadvertently saved Earth's civilization, humanity remained in peril. Almost simultaneously with Celt's destruction, nuclear war erupted: one morning, upon the command of the dictator of the Eastern European Caesar Republic, over a million Caesar troops invaded Eastern Europe and parts of East Asia. These soldiers held no political ideals of their own, serving only the dictator's ambition to restore their nation's historical territory. To demonstrate military might, Caesar troops committed brutal massacres against unarmed civilians.

To the west, NATO forces launched an offensive against Caesar; to the east, the Yamato nation landed at the Tumen River. Under the coalition's overwhelming intervention, Caesar's armies collapsed in defeat. International economic sanctions devastated Caesar's economy, sparking widespread unrest and anti-war protests demanding peace. The dictator faced removal from power. To salvage his dignity and heroic image, he pressed the nuclear button. Most missiles were intercepted or destroyed in silos and depots, but a few warheads struck regions in America, Europe, and Asia. The blasts killed half the planet’s population instantly. Radioactive dust blotted out sunlight, and seventy to eighty percent of vegetation and crops failed to grow. From then on, Earth's civilization began to fade. Within a few centuries, countless intermittent conflicts over habitable land further reduced the population to only two hundred thousand, scattered across remote regions: Namibia's Bushmen, New Zealand's Maori, Arctic Inuit, Maya in Central American jungles, South Asian aboriginals, and a few East Asian natives. Their survival owed to living far from mainstream civilization. Most of humanity’s writing, mathematics, science, art... had been lost; people returned to hunting and gathering, primitive once again.

Where does humanity's future lie? Perhaps, after King Tal receives Quartpa’s leader’s approval, Neanderthals will be released to Earth to take over, becoming the planet’s new masters... (Continued: The Rise of Earth’s New Civilization).