Arthur C. Clarke
...they arrived at a very historical moment. Human being was about to launch himself toward the stars. That was never to be.
They ended poverty, they ended wars. They wouldn't let humanity to self-destruct. They brought sufficiency and stability.
It was autumn, golden autumn. They waited, patiently waited for the first signs of Breakthrough. They came.
Then they showed themselves to humans and it was like a nightmare. They looked as the embodiment of the most ancient, worst fears of human race.
The fate of humanity was sealed.
...and then annihilating Earth in one cosmic cataclysm these who used to be humans launched themselves as one being towards the Cosmic Mind, to become One and keep expanding again and again.
