[ WP ] Aliens come to Earth in hoping to wipe us out and take over the planet , but are honorable and gives us a fighting chance . They announce they will return in 100 years so as to give Earth a chance to prepare and defend itself . Neither side expected what the other would bring to war

Dr. Kane stood up from his chair and sipped from his flask of Bourbon. `` They're ready, Mrs. President. May god forgive us if we use them.'' 
 
 President Herbert nodded. `` Thank you for all your work, Dr. Kane.'' 
 
 They looked into one another's eyes for a brief moment of silence as they contemplated dark thoughts. Then the Secretary of Defense stepped into the room. `` Mrs. President.'' He said. `` They're entering orbit now. We're ready to transmit.'' 
 
 She nodded and giggled childishly. `` I never thought they'd be back during my term. I'd wanted to do what I could to help prepare my successors... but I had hoped it would n't fall to me.'' She swiped Dr. Kane's flask and took a gulp to calm her nerves. A deep breath seemed to calm her nerves, and she steeled herself for what was coming. `` Let's go.'' She said. 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- 
 
 The cameras were set up in the conference room when she and her entourage entered. After a minute to prep, they opened communications. 
 
 `` So you have returned, as you said you would.'' She stated. `` I am President Herbert of the World Coalition Government. Do you make the same demands of us as you did before?'' 
 
 The alien reply was a transmission that corrupted the terminals in the room, which began displaying the face of the vaguely reptilian hominids. `` We have come to settle upon your world. Your civilization will submit and be made to service us or it will be destroyed and your race made extinct. Do you accept this ultimatum, or will you force me to end your people?'' 
 
 `` I have a counter-proposal for you.'' President Herbert began. `` We have a concept, from an earlier part of our history, when there were many nations competing with one another on this world. It's called mutually assured destruction.'' She paused and clasped her hands behind her back. `` Now I know that our technology ca n't compete with yours, and the vast fleet arrayed against us outnumbers anything we could hope to field. But despite that, I promise you we can retaliate. We can destroy your homeworld -wherever it may be- without ever leaving ours.'' 
 
 The alien made a whurbling sound that the analysts flagged as laughter. `` You expect me to believe such a thing? You would **bluff** when the fate of your people is at stake? And such an absurd claim!? You are foolish.'' It clicked its tongue. `` Surrender, while I still find you amusing.'' 
 
 `` Dr. Kane, if you would?'' President Herbert asked. 
 
 He nodded and stepped forward to stand next to her. Facing the camera he spoke. `` Are you aware of how the universe came to be formed?'' He asked. `` It was a single point of origin from which all the matter and energy that has ever existed and likely **will** ever exist, burst forth. We call it the *big bang*. Imagine such an event happening now. A wall of impenetrable energy, expanding outwards at the speed of light, consuming this universe and giving birth to a new one. The edge of the new universe would, in effect, pull ours into it. From our perspective, everything would be destroyed almost instantly. From the perspective of the new universe, it would take billions of years. We have the capability to trigger such an event. And that is not even the worst of what we can unleash.'' He finished. 
 
 The alien paused, and spoke to people behind him. The analysts decided that he was conferring with his equivalent of advisers. Finally, after several tense minutes, the alien turned back to face them. `` You say that you have such a weapon, but my philosophers say that the only means for you to prove it would be for you to use it. As I can not withdraw without proof of defeat, I am forced to assume you are bluffing and attack. Unless you would care to allow my philosophers to inspect your weapon?'' 
 
 The analysts noted that'philosophers' were probably the alien equivalent to scientists, and that there were likely ulterior motives behind the request. President Herbert frowned. `` You intend for us to reveal our weapon so that you can attempt to take or disable it.'' She snorted. `` Fine. We would rather risk that than a conflict no one would win.'' 
 
 The alien peels its lips back in a mockery of a smile. `` Excellent. My officers will be landing shortly.'' 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- 
 
 Dr. Kane went with the party sent to escort the aliens. He had his own misgivings about allowing them so close to his device, but he knew they had no real choice. 
 
 The alien delegation surprised him. They were all... civilians. A bunch of teachers and scientists, sent down without any military escort at all. They were n't even armed. `` Greetings.'' One of them spoke to him. It... had no sexual identifiers that he could use to mentally assign a pronoun. `` You are the philosopher responsible for making the weapon?'' It asked. 
 
 `` Yes...'' He began. `` Well, me and a team of others.'' He said. 
 
 `` Why would you make such a thing!?'' It demanded. `` With the claimed potential to destroy all of the universe?'' 
 
 `` It was n't meant to be a weapon.'' He replied. `` We were trying to make a power source. Open a pocket dimension, instigate a big bang, then siphon off the resulting energy and matter. If it became unstable, the pocket dimension could be ejected safely from our reality. I wanted to contribute to the well-being of society. This... was n't the direction I intended.'' 
 
 It stared at him for several long moments before nodding. `` A mistake, then, to share your work. You should have destroyed it all.'' 
 
 Dr. Kane shrugged. `` Yet despite it's potential for destruction it might still save my world from the threat your people pose.'' 
 
 It could not argue against that. 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- 
 
 `` So this is it?'' The alien asked. `` The weapon which can at once end all that is and reset it to its original state. How fascinating.'' 
 
 `` It was my life's work.'' Dr. Kane said. 
 
 `` A pity, then.'' It stepped forward and touched something on its arm, causing a shield to form around it and the weapon. All electrical components within the shield shut down and stopped working. `` I shall be taking it for study.'' 
 
 Dr. Kane laughed. He could n't help it. The betrayal was so cliché that he would have been surprised if the alien had n't attempted something. 
 
 `` What do you find so amusing?'' It asked curiously. 
 
 `` Did you think we'd only build **one**?''
