The shift in the Continuity's stance was formalized with the arrival of a second, much larger ship. This one was angular and severe, a vessel of law and judgment. It was the Arbiter of Precedents.
A formal trial was convened, not in a physical courtroom, but in a shared virtual space. On one side stood the Continuity, represented by the serene, unchanging forms of the K'tharr. On the other stood Humanity, represented by Elias, Thorne, and Lena, their avatars flickering with the raw data of their collective memory.
The charge: "Unsanctioned Sentient Development and Potential Galactic Destabilization."
The trial was unlike anything humans could have imagined. There were no lawyers, no emotional appeals. It was a pure exchange of data. The Continuity presented millennia of galactic history, showing how "chaotic" species had brought ruin upon themselves and others. They argued that humanity's current path—driven by emotion, flawed memory, and illogical hope—was a predictable prelude to disaster.
Humanity's defense was their existence. Elias presented the memory of the blue sky. Lena presented the story of the Scavenger Kings, of survival against impossible odds. Thorne presented the saga of the Odyssey, a testament to long-term planning and sacrifice. They did not argue for their perfection, but for their right to be imperfect. They argued that their "flaws" were the source of their resilience, their creativity, their capacity for love and forgiveness.
The "evidence" was the entire, unvarnished history of the human race, from its first steps to its near-destruction and its painful rebirth.