![sj-Qt8diusVRqg-unsplash.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/internutter/23ynUGJdp6jrFqUUgVoEsTAMUMaNjSmE7QAmkeMoGDGDjL3rRurGkkde34QSnFnNjvUdh.jpg)

> Friendly Local Paintball Game Garners Galactic Attention, blare the headlines! Warriors battle for supremacy! Human team is DEFEATED!
> The day that shocked the whole of the Alliance, and caused entire worlds to break out in parties. To say that the humans had a Silly Season on Earth was the understatement of the century.
> [https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04168-k150-clever-move](https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04168-k150-clever-move) -- Anon Guest

The last moments were all over the infonets. For some reason, an archival image of a speed-skating victory emerged to make the rounds in close association with the Thranityr victory. In any other context, the phrase, "Humanity defeated," would be cause for alarm.

In this context, it was cause for amusement.

_Normally_ it was horrifying to see the Humans lose. In this case, there was little at stake beyond the price of an all-you-can-gorge meal for the victors. Details of the sheer volumes of Unsuitable Food spread far and wide.

Humans could eat a lot. So, too, could the Thranityr. Which resulted in a publicity spread with the victors seated at their feast and the defeated serving them more platters. Only the Archivaas noted that the panoramic picture paralleled DaVinci's _Last Supper_.

And, weirdly, the rest of the human race celebrated _with_ the Alliance. They declared that the Thranityr had worked for it. Well, most of them did.

Some people will get angry about anything.

"It's a dumb _game_," said Trucker Lews. "They won, we lost. It's not the end of the world."

"Everyone says that like they know, but _I_ know better. This is the sign! This is the beginning of the end. This is the tipping point to end all tipping point! First a game, then a sport, then a _war_! And when they win the war, _we're_ the feast."

"...wake up, sheeple," mumbled Lews.

"Exactly! The sheeple need to wake up to the truth."

_And you're the only one who can speak it,_ thought Lews.

"And _I'm_ the only one who can speak it," said the hitchhiker. "I have to spread the word. Warn civilisation, so that there can still _be_ a civilisation when the war starts."

"Sure," said Lews noncommittally. Ze was going to drop this nutbar off at the next station. Screw having someone to talk to for the next leg. There was just some crazy you didn't want to have around for very long.

Lews would wish her luck. She was going to need it.

[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@uxsj_ph?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">SJ 📸</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/seafoods-on-brown-wooden-plate-Qt8diusVRqg?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>]

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