"We've collected these images of a crashed Z-5 on a planet it's inhabitants refer to as Earth." Colonel Pokro displayed the image across the Captain's HUD.

Captain Riken looked over the image with disbelief and embarrassment. The room was fall of himself and his subordinates, yet you could hear a pen drop. Everyone was standing there awkwardly. The cause of this catastrophe was nothing more than a minor faux pas in the grand scheme of the universe, however it was still completely avoidable.

"Sir?" Colonel Pokro broke the silence. "Should we send a clean up crew?"

Captain Riken rubbed his fingers on his forehead, trying to hold the invading headache at bay. "Stewart, what is the calculated risk assessment for this, Earth did you say?"

Stewart, an analyst with a background in intergalactic communication and threat assessment walks to the head of the room. Colonel Pokro reluctantly moved out of the way and took a seat next to the Captain.

"We have ran many tests for Earth, sir. Not just risk assessments, but also intelligence, quality of life, interspecies relationships, their ability to cohabitate, and their likelihood to advance to intergalactic travel."

Riken straightened up in his chair. "And your findings?"

"Sir. The results appeared to be inconclusive at first, but after running the numbers a few times it was evident that the most intelligent life forms on this planet, called humans, pose virtually zero threat on intergalactic life. They are quite simply too busy warring with each other. Their intelligence level was nearly incalculable due to such rare low scores."

Riken started to feel some relief, although he was still embarrassed. "Is it necessary Stewart for us to retrieve the ship?"

"Sir, the humans are already planning to figure out how to hide it from each other and ensure their public majority knows nothing of it. As far as the damage they can potentially do with our craft, the threat is canceled out by their specie’s demise. It would take nearly 250 of their years to understand the technology. Our atmospheric scans showed that at their current pace of carbon emissions and monetization of rare natural resources, the humans will meet their own end in the next 100 years at most. So no sir, I do not believe it is worth the trip to Earth."

Captian Riken's room was quiet again, everyone waiting for him to decide the next course of action.

"Thank you, Stewart. Everyone out please." Everyone began to exit the room single file, whispering among themselves. "Everyone, except you Riko."

A younger Ebokran stopped at the door, his eyes refusing to meet his father's. The room eptied until it was just the two of them. Captain and Officer. Father and Son.

"Dad." Riko said.

"How much did you have to drink?" Riken asked.

"That depends, do you mean before the crash or like so far today?"

"This behavior is unacceptable and I will not promote you if it continues."

"Like it was so cold when I climbed out of the ship, I definitely learned my lesson."

Riken began to pace the room.

"I'm sorry dad."

"I know, I know you are. I'm just disappointed. Your mother is going to want to take away you hover craft for at least a week. Between the two of us, you'll never fly a craft for the Core again."

"Are you serious dad?"

"That was an expensive ship. Now it's just gonna go to waste on some low level planet called Earth. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Like okay, but can I still drive my hover craft?"

"Just don't tell your mother."