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The Ambassador's species are an unnamed alien species who had altered the evolution of Humans, seeking to create an ideal warrior race to join their armies.
Biology[]
The Ambassador's species stand taller than Humans, although they appear nearly identical to Humans in every physical sense. However, they also bear very pale skin, and are able to live for an extended period of time. Any other differences in their biology are unknown.
Culture and society[]
The Ambassador's species are imperialists, building their society around their prowess at warfare. They appear to have been fighting several conflicts across space, seeking galactic dominance. To this end, they went to thousands of planets and altered the evolution of many species, seeking to breed more warriors to build their armies. In the millions of years that followed, they kept watch over the species they altered, and if they appeared to display enough of a talent for warfare, the Ambassador's species would assimilate them into their society, possibly through force or political manipulation. If a species does not meet their standards, a verdict made over several centuries of observation and debate, they will still meet with the species, but only to inform them of their failure, usually destroying them immediately. Most notably, the Ambassador's species appears to find the concept of peace amusing and absurd.
Despite their focus on warfare and dominance, their representatives bear a rather benign appearance, displaying no visible weapons and wearing a softly glowing silvery suit, arriving with no guards or other assets meant for intimidation other than their ships, which also do not display any visible armaments. They are also known to give a chance for a species who has not met their expectations to escape destruction by proving to them that they are capable warriors within a given timeframe, although the representatives do not explicitly say what their intent in altering the species was. They do not seem to hold any remorse for killing off entire species, although they do see the species they altered as their children in a sense.
Technology[]
The Ambassador's species developed highly advanced technology, including faster than light travel and teleportation technology. Their starships resemble spheres that are several stories tall, flying through an unknown technology that appears to be a reactionless drive. Their ships are also equipped with powerful weaponry, able to quickly destroy large comets and entire planets. Their most notable technological feat is their ability to create and alter species to be more ideal to their goals, presumably in the way of making species sapient. Additionally, members of the Ambassador's species appear to carry signal devices somewhere on their bodies, possibly as cybernetics, which create flashes of lights at their fingertips when used, able to be activated by snapping their fingers.
History[]
Long ago, the Ambassador's species started up a galactic campaign of conquest. To this end, they sought out more warriors. Two million years ago, they began a program of seeding and altering life across the galaxy, which included Earth. After altering the evolution of Humans, they kept a close watch on Humanity to see if their expectations would be met. During the 1980s, after observing Humans for two million years, they sent a direct message to world leaders to inform them that a delegate will be sent to meet with them. The UN gathered together, and were met by The Ambassador, a nameless member of this species chosen as their representative to Earth, who teleported into the meeting room from his ship. The Ambassador explained his species' hand in creating modern man, and said that Humans had not lived up to their expectations, not saying what those expectations were, although he did explicitly state that one grievance was Humanity's "small talent for war", which included primitive weaponry, general savagery, and border conflicts. He then informed the UN that his species will destroy the Human race in 24 hours, which prompted the USSR representative to demand proof that The Ambassador's species was capable of pulling off such a feat, although The Ambassador assured him that proof would come soon in the skies. The US official then pleaded with The Ambassador to give Earth one last chance, and The Ambassador agreed to meet with them again after 24 hours to see their progress, teleporting away and having a warship destroy Halley's Comet as proof of their capabilities. Assuming that The Ambassador's species intended for Humanity to be peaceful, likely fooled by The Ambassador's benign appearance and calm demeanor, the UN created the World Peace Accord, the first and only document for lasting world peace, and present it to The Ambassador when he returned.
The Ambassador's armada descends on Earth
Looking over the papers, The Ambassador laughed at the UN before telling them the truth, that his species bred warriors, and explained that his statement of "a small talent for war" was literal, as in Humanity was not good enough at war by their standards, clumsily fighting with relatively crude weapons over petty things and ultimately getting locked in a war of intimidation that no one could win. He concludes by saying that the worst of it all is that Humans desire peace above all else, which is what his species despises. Throwing down the World Peace Accord, The Ambassador snapped his fingers to signal his forces, and teleported away. His voice lingered in the room, presumably broadcasted from his ship, remarking that the Humans had been amusing, as his armada descends on the surface, killing all life and then leaving to repeat the process on a new planet.
Appearances[]
- The Twilight Zone, s01e15b, "A Small Talent for War" (1986)
Notes[]
- The episode is a subversion of a common trope in science fiction, where an alien species or supernatural entity creates or simply judges Humanity with the intent of Humans being peaceful, only to deem them too violent, as seen with Klaatu's species. In this case, the aliens wanted Humanity to be violent and powerful warriors, but deemed them too peaceful.