2024-04-09 06:16
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<p>[Participant in the April 2024 Writathon challenge.]</p> <p>Leap Day, 2028. It was to be a day of triumph, a day when the entire world benefited, as a new reactionless space drive was finally tested beyond Earth orbit. Instead, cameras and telescopes trained on the experiment caught a glimpse of something much more world-shattering: proof of an alien spacecraft leaving our planet.</p> <p>Beyond the solar system, two ancient galactic empires are locked in a millennia-old cold war -- a cold war about to become very hot, thanks to the latest survey of a seemingly-insignificant planet beyond the edge of developed space. Neutrality is incomprehensible, and all newly-discovered species join a side . . . whether they want to or not. Earth therefore has only two choices: volunteer to be subjugated, or become the latest battleground in a war that began before the construction of the pyramids.</p> <p>Or, perhaps, a third option -- where the nations of Earth pool their resources and show the galaxy what humans mean when they say the best defense is a good offense.</p> <p>Cover by Cedar Sanderson using a combination of stock art, digital painting, and a Midjourney-generated ship to match the designs described in the story.</p> <p>The Best Defense is a science fiction web serial in the HFY subgenre -- a story niche that, first and foremost, describes humans being awesome because they are human. You can expect:</p> <p>- Multiple POVs, including humans, aliens, and AI characters.</p> <p>- Significant near-future space exploration concepts.</p> <p>- A dash of real physics next to the ray guns and snarky AI.</p> <p>- Character-driven stories against a backdrop of detailed worldbuilding.</p> <p>- A gradual build of humanity from planet-bound to star-faring, eventually resulting in giant space battles.</p> <p>- Strange alien societies on a scale far larger than what is normally seen in sci-fi.</p> <p>- Humans shattering the status quo without being OP.</p> <p>Content warnings are limited to Profanity, which will still be light.</p> <p>This story is also mirrored in the r/HFY subreddit under u/OGNovelNinja.</p>
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