[ WP ] You discover that Earth is the `` North Korea '' of the galaxy

“ They let you out? ” Karal laughed. 
 
 I gave her a weird look. “ What are you talking about? ” 
 
 Karal leaned back and gave me a weird look. “ Are your people still keeping you in the dark? ” 
 
 I rubbed my eyes. Karal came from the planet Hormon. Karal ’ s culture heritage on Hormon led to discussions that often times beat around the bush. The idea was that it led to deeper conversation. Right now it was just annoying. “ Just get to the point, Karal. ” 
 
 Her feathers fluffed in annoyance. “ Earth was known as the Hermit Kingdom. ” 
 
 I cocked an eyebrow. “ What? ” 
 
 “ Your leaders kept you in the dark. We routinely contacted and tried to visit Earth. Your planet was very high up on the list for uplifting about two-hundred years ago. ” 
 
 “ No. ” I shook my head. “ No. ” 
 
 “ Your leaders wanted to stay in power. They didn ’ t want to give it up to the Council. ” 
 
 “ What proof do you have? ” 
 
 Karal brought up a plethora of news stories in the air between us. She reached up and scrolled through the thousands and thousands. She brushed a couple over my way. “ Here a few for you. ” 
 
 I started to read through them. The Tunguska Event was a crashed info probe. Roswell was a broken down envoy. The Moon Landing created waves through the galactic community. Earth ’ s first colony on Mars created a tsunami. 
 
 “ All first world leaders were contacted at some point. All of them brushed us off, ” said Karal. “ Everyone was very disappointed. ” 
 
 I scratched my head. “ So you ’ re saying we stayed isolated and a technological backwater because our leaders wanted to stay in power? ” 
 
 Karal nodded. “ Yep. The Hermit Kingdom ’ s walls only broke down once we littered your airwaves with our message. We took it directly to the people. ” 
 
 “ You ’ re telling me the galactic community took a door-to-door approach and that broke down the barriers? ” 
 
 “ Basically. ” 
 
 I leaned back in my chair and looked around. That wasn ’ t how it had been taught to me. At the same time, no one who had seen the First Contact event firsthand was alive anymore. “ I ’ ve never heard it that way before. ” 
 
 Karal smirked. “ The Hermit Kingdom is still alive. ” 
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