"You scream for Ice Scream."(Kevin Hughes) “This? This is powder!”

I didn’t want to be the one to tell him. Not after what the original drug had done to our Warrior Class. We are built to fight…and win. But just one tiny taste of this drug, and our entire chemistry…changes. One taste. That is why I cringed when the Commander picked up whole handfuls of the powder and threw it back in the container…without any gloves on. But you don’t become a Commander unless you are fearless.

Knowing that just one taste will turn you into a coward. A peace loving, kind, caring individual sparring with joy and dare I say it? Peaceful intentions. And there is nothing we can do to them. Nothing. We are built for Combat, not to combat Peace. We all share a gene that doesn’t allow us to fight an inferior foe. As soon as one of us tastes this…this..abomination of evil - they drop out of being a worthy enemy. We can’t fight them. We can’t even raise a fist to them. Best we can ignore them and ban them from the Holds.

I wish we had never discovered Earth. Those first few battles were wonderful. (a smile creased my face there for a moment. Memories of slaughter, destruction, and loss of hope bubbled to my mind.) But then one of our battle tested Squad Leaders tasted the first batch of this crap. He called it Ice. We know what Ice is, and whatever it was…it wasn’t Ice. Just cold. And now…it is everywhere.

It does need to be cold to work. So we started stopping smugglers. Their ships were easy to spot…at first. No armament. Only giant freezers. We thought we got them all. But it only takes one to get through. This stuff is so addicting that just one taste…and you are lost. We lost entire colonies on the fringes already. Two of our prime Battle Orbs …gone. Now they have safe harbor for all their ships. We can’t fire on them anymore, because we know they are unarmed. That damn gene of ours that carries “Honor” is so powerful, we can’t fight people who can’t…fight. Or won’t.

The Commander knew all this. So I choked back my reluctance to answer, straightened up to full attention …the words came out in a short burst of barks:

“It is a diluted form of what the weak ones call “Ice". Once you mix this powder with water…then freeze it. You get what they call: “Popsicles.” Sir, those popsicles only need freezing at Zero for about six minutes. Once they are frozen they basically work like “Ice” except you have to eat a whole one to get the same rush as from just a single taste of “Ice.” The end result is the same tho…peaceful Citizens. Cowards. “

The Commander stepped back from the box of powder dusting his hands as he realized what he had been doing. Not in fear, we don’t feel fear like Humans, over just an idea, or difference…we need actual danger. Even then we reflexively anticipate a solution. Usually in the death or destruction of whatever posed the threat. But how do you react to a mere powder?

“Well, get the Research Team in here. I want this stuff turned into popsicle as soon as possible. I want to see how it is done. What they need to do to get it to work. Maybe we can find a way to make it less potent, or even turn it into a weapon.”

I had never thought of turning the tables on the drug. Make it a weapon? I was so proud of our Commander at that moment…no wonder she made Commander so young. I strutted to Research. Let the Eggheads figure it out.

And so it was. We did not know it, but that first batch of “popsicles” was to change our History…and that of Earth.

“They have done it.”

“Good! Let us see their work.”

We all tromped into the Lab. On the table where tray after tray filled with the now frozen mixture of water and powder. Each with its own little stick protruding from the bottom.

“What are the little stick for?”

The Commander looked a little puzzled.

“Commander, it how they manage to hold the “popsicles”, otherwise the heat from their hand will melt them. It is quite clever in its own way.”

The Commander waved her arms over the wide variety of colors displayed in the trays.

“Why are they different colors?”

“We are not sure. We think…and it is just a guess…that they represent fruit flavors found on Earth.”

“What do you mean…fruit flavors?”

“They have things called fruits, they are a natural treat…no danger to us. At least in their natural state as a plant. They have names like Cherry and that is Red. They have bananas…and those are yellow. They have grapes, and those are purple. We think these colors tell you what the taste will be.”

“Hmm.”

"Then why doesn’t the fruit change our Chemistry like “Ice” and “Popsicles” do?”

The lead Scientist just shrugged.

“Maybe its a phase change…like liquid to gas. Maybe something in the Chemistry acts as a catalyst when it freezes. We just don’t have enough data.”

“Martin, are you in your complete Warrior Clamshell?”

I answered over the Suits communication speaker.

“I am prepared in all ways. I must protest you decision to record the Command Group testing the “Popsicles.”

“Protest noted. I fail to see how these tiny things can effect our minds. You have told me that they are nowhere near as powerful as the original Ice. So taking a single lick isn’t nearly as deadly as licking the “Ice.” “

“True, Sir. If you only take on lick…you should be safe.”

“Then I order everyone to take a single lick. Just one. Now!”

Fifteen members of the single most powerful Command Group flotilla ever sent to space. With close to every ship available to our Race under their Command in their Power bolted at full combat speed to snatch a Popsicle. As one, they each took a lick. Just one. And they discovered what every five year old on Earth already knew:

You can’t just take one lick of a popsicle.

I recorded it all. Fifteen Commanders of the High Board all turned into: peaceful. cooperating, kind, caring, helpful, curious altruistic creatures. I should have gunned them all down like the Commander told me. But I couldn’t activate the Clamshells weaponry. They weren’t a threat. My Honor Gene, which overrides even survival in our culture, took over. I had to just stand and watch as they laughed, giggled, and tried Cherry, then Banana, then mixing them up and making rainbow and try colored Popsicles.

The Commander then ordered the contraband “Ice” from the locked evidence hold.

I watched as their eyes rolled back in their heads with joy. Tears ran down my face as the Commander stirred her ice cream with one of the sticks from a now completely licked clean popsicle.

“Oh, better, much better than a Popsicle!”

Everyone laughed. I was frozen in my Clamshell. My mind , as any Warriors mind would do, racing through the strategic downstream path of this disaster. On a battle filed it would have been a complete defeat. I could see no way we could win now. We can’t fight Cowards. Peace freaks. Kindness.

The Commander stood in front of my Combat Clamshell, all its weapons gleaming but useless. She looked through the Armaglass, holding up some Ice Cream:

“I order you to open up, stop your recording and join us. I want you to try this (waving a dab of the Ice in front of my visor). It is called: “Chocolate Ice Cream” . It is wonderful!”

Second to the Honor Gene being activated, is the slightly less strong gene…obey orders. I obeyed.

She was right.

Chocolate is the best.

I let the strange feelings of peace, contentment, joy, and hope rush over me. I would never fight again. None of us would.

Our thoughts turned to how to help Earth attain the same “Peace” we have…since Ice Cream and Popsicles only have a temporary effect on them. And even then mostly as children, or people alone in front of some screen. Our Scientists are working on it.

For now, we just trade technology for Ice Cream.

Chocolate is second to the the most popular flavor:

“Vanilla!”

Vanilla goes with any topping, or any other form of Ice Cream.

We know, but we keep chocolate sauce around …just in case.

Peace.

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