Post by The Governor on Feb 19, 2016 5:36:22 GMT
In a circular room, three beings stood around a circular table of durasteel. The first was a man with dark brown hair, standing five foot nine. He wore a coat of dark grey covered in medals, dark grey pants, and a medium grey shirt. Hardship and determination were etched into the depths of his green eyes. This was Rear Admiral Kurt Kellermann, and he was the most important fleet officer left from the Human Colonial Alliance mission to colonise Triangulum. He commanded all the government starships left from the HCA, and he had been told he would receive command of Dothvalian ones as well.
The second man stood at 6'2, tall and thin, with hair of dark blond. He wore black pants, a red shirt, and a fine coat of black and silver. The same hardship in Kellermann's eyes could be seen in this man's irises of dark blue. His name was Governor James Laurence, and he had been the architect of a dream turned nightmare. Colonising Triangulum had been an HCA directive, and he had been in command of the overall mission. Now he controlled a planet called Karsopolis, which the settlers had chosen as their new home world. Until further notice, he also controlled the other dozen or so planets where occasional settlements had been made.
The third being was a Dothvalian Empress, Tyla Mälan. She would have been riveting, if not covered by a primitive refrigeration armour. She was the ruler of the local aliens, those who had saved the handful of survivors from the colonisation mission. she opened the meeting by saying, "Welcome Governor, Admiral, I'm glad you could attend. It's a pleasure."
"Thank you Frau Empress," Kellermann said evenly. "We would be tactless to not meet with you, considering all you've done for mankind."
"Yes," Laurence added. "You've done a great deal for us, more than our own race. We never expected colonising Triangulum to be easy, but we always expected the support from the HCA, Terra and its Colonies. Shows what they're good for."
Kellermann frowned, said in a measured tone, "I'm not sure that's a fair thing to say, Herr Governor. They did provide der Alliierte Flotte der Triangulum what we needed to get here. Essen, Wasser, and much more. They gave the Allied fleet provisions to begin with."
Laurence replied in a shaky voice, "Please, stop using their language. I know it isn't a fair thing to ask, but the vast majority of the settlers here are Terran. We use Galactic Standard, and I know you were forced to as well. These colonists will, alongside Dothvalian. But Colonial Standard is spoken by only a few. I want as much of the HCA as possible forgotten, including their extra language. And I'm perfectly in line to say whatever I feel about the HCA. We were forgotten by those negligent bastards, Kurt, and millions have died as a result!"
Kellermann wanted to protest, but he knew Laurence was right. Dozens of times, they had attempted to contact the HCA, always met with silence. On several occasions, scientists had boosted the signal. "I suppose you're right. If they had cared at all, they would have answered, told us they couldn't help us. We wouldn't have needed them and not had them."
"Exactly," Laurence said. "They've shown us we can't depend on others to do what's right. We have nobody but each other, and we have to take steps to ensure we stick together."
"What are you playing at, Governor?" Kellermann asked.
"Democracy, the HCA. Whether we got lost in their bureaucratic machine or whether they just didn't care about us, I don't care. I am not allowing our citizens to neglect one another. Not a single citizen will be forgotten, for the state will look after all of them. Our citizens are going to do nothing but help one another, and I'll shackle anyone who has a problem with that. No disagreement slowing us down, no ideals dividing us. Our biggest concern is survival and prosperity. The collective good, not the individual. And we're going to recover. Humans never have been and never will be a simple footnote in someone else's history. We won't be the race that died on th Dothvalian watch. We'll rise again, stronger than ever in time."
Empress Mälan said evenly, "You have the full support of the Dothvalians, whatever you decide."
Kellermann enquired, "What now then? We're going to start this state based on the good of everyone. Where do we go from here?"
"I'm glad you asked," Laurence said. He pressed a button on the table, opening onto the planet below. It was called Karsopolis, and it was shrouded in many places by storm clouds. Laurence began, "Karsopolis. Covered in wild forests, mountains, and eternal storm clouds. Thirty degrees for as long as we've observed it, but we expect it warms to sixty during the spring months. Screaming winds, black clouds that block out most of the light from the local star, and year round rain. Constant lightning too. Their flashes is about the brightest natural illumination down there. I'd like your troops to clear out the beasts, as well as clear some of the forests." The planet spun below, a good deal larger than Earth, with a much greater ocean and only a few supercontinents. One looked to be a joining of North America and Eurasia. The other looked liked a combination of South America and Africa. At a midway point between them both was a smaller continent, slightly larger than Earth's Austrlia.
"Fine," Kellermann said. "We can do this. But why this place, Governor? This place cold and rainy, with its tight land and its deep oceans? And what are you going to call our state, these thirteen planets trying to survive in the harshest Galaxy?"
Laurence replied, "Because, rough as it is, Karsopolis is the closest planet we've found in this galaxy to Earth, or Nova Sol. The rest are frozen tundras. We can have settlements on them, but terra forming can only do so much. Karsopolis has potential." He then considered the last question. "We're going to become the Dothvalian Confederacy. And you're the first Head Of The Confederate Navy. Congratulations, High Admiral."
"I'll help you, Governor. But this isn't home."
"Perhaps not," Laurence said. "But we're never going back."
Karsopolis System, 800-1000 Years Later, Governor's Residence
From his high office, Governor Karson Sharp looked down at the planet. He hadn't expected to receive the post so soon, at least a dozen or so more years. But because of an unfortunate hyperspace accident, the twenty-one year old was ruling one of the strongest civilisations in the universe. He was also one of the youngest Governors in Confederate history, and Sharp had big footsteps to follow. His late mother, the previous Governor, had set into motion plans to return to the Milky Way. He would have to carry on her work, ensure that her work was complete.
He thought again of the information stored in the Confederate Archives, wondered what had become of the old HCA. Surely it was gone by now? All those questions would be answered upon the return. A great deal had occurred since the colonists had arrived in Triangulum. Karsopolis had been terra formed so that a bit more land had been added, and now vast cities covered the surface. Even so, there were colossal Walls separating forest from metropolis. The two worlds lived side by side now, not like in the beginning when man had still been hunted by the native predators. The planetary oceans remained, though some floating cities now existed. Yes. Karsopolis was different now, as was the Confederacy. And as he reflected on this, Sharp wondered how the Milky Way had changed. But he was in no hurry. More preparations had to be completed, and Sharp had a lifetime to return to mankind's cradle.
The second man stood at 6'2, tall and thin, with hair of dark blond. He wore black pants, a red shirt, and a fine coat of black and silver. The same hardship in Kellermann's eyes could be seen in this man's irises of dark blue. His name was Governor James Laurence, and he had been the architect of a dream turned nightmare. Colonising Triangulum had been an HCA directive, and he had been in command of the overall mission. Now he controlled a planet called Karsopolis, which the settlers had chosen as their new home world. Until further notice, he also controlled the other dozen or so planets where occasional settlements had been made.
The third being was a Dothvalian Empress, Tyla Mälan. She would have been riveting, if not covered by a primitive refrigeration armour. She was the ruler of the local aliens, those who had saved the handful of survivors from the colonisation mission. she opened the meeting by saying, "Welcome Governor, Admiral, I'm glad you could attend. It's a pleasure."
"Thank you Frau Empress," Kellermann said evenly. "We would be tactless to not meet with you, considering all you've done for mankind."
"Yes," Laurence added. "You've done a great deal for us, more than our own race. We never expected colonising Triangulum to be easy, but we always expected the support from the HCA, Terra and its Colonies. Shows what they're good for."
Kellermann frowned, said in a measured tone, "I'm not sure that's a fair thing to say, Herr Governor. They did provide der Alliierte Flotte der Triangulum what we needed to get here. Essen, Wasser, and much more. They gave the Allied fleet provisions to begin with."
Laurence replied in a shaky voice, "Please, stop using their language. I know it isn't a fair thing to ask, but the vast majority of the settlers here are Terran. We use Galactic Standard, and I know you were forced to as well. These colonists will, alongside Dothvalian. But Colonial Standard is spoken by only a few. I want as much of the HCA as possible forgotten, including their extra language. And I'm perfectly in line to say whatever I feel about the HCA. We were forgotten by those negligent bastards, Kurt, and millions have died as a result!"
Kellermann wanted to protest, but he knew Laurence was right. Dozens of times, they had attempted to contact the HCA, always met with silence. On several occasions, scientists had boosted the signal. "I suppose you're right. If they had cared at all, they would have answered, told us they couldn't help us. We wouldn't have needed them and not had them."
"Exactly," Laurence said. "They've shown us we can't depend on others to do what's right. We have nobody but each other, and we have to take steps to ensure we stick together."
"What are you playing at, Governor?" Kellermann asked.
"Democracy, the HCA. Whether we got lost in their bureaucratic machine or whether they just didn't care about us, I don't care. I am not allowing our citizens to neglect one another. Not a single citizen will be forgotten, for the state will look after all of them. Our citizens are going to do nothing but help one another, and I'll shackle anyone who has a problem with that. No disagreement slowing us down, no ideals dividing us. Our biggest concern is survival and prosperity. The collective good, not the individual. And we're going to recover. Humans never have been and never will be a simple footnote in someone else's history. We won't be the race that died on th Dothvalian watch. We'll rise again, stronger than ever in time."
Empress Mälan said evenly, "You have the full support of the Dothvalians, whatever you decide."
Kellermann enquired, "What now then? We're going to start this state based on the good of everyone. Where do we go from here?"
"I'm glad you asked," Laurence said. He pressed a button on the table, opening onto the planet below. It was called Karsopolis, and it was shrouded in many places by storm clouds. Laurence began, "Karsopolis. Covered in wild forests, mountains, and eternal storm clouds. Thirty degrees for as long as we've observed it, but we expect it warms to sixty during the spring months. Screaming winds, black clouds that block out most of the light from the local star, and year round rain. Constant lightning too. Their flashes is about the brightest natural illumination down there. I'd like your troops to clear out the beasts, as well as clear some of the forests." The planet spun below, a good deal larger than Earth, with a much greater ocean and only a few supercontinents. One looked to be a joining of North America and Eurasia. The other looked liked a combination of South America and Africa. At a midway point between them both was a smaller continent, slightly larger than Earth's Austrlia.
"Fine," Kellermann said. "We can do this. But why this place, Governor? This place cold and rainy, with its tight land and its deep oceans? And what are you going to call our state, these thirteen planets trying to survive in the harshest Galaxy?"
Laurence replied, "Because, rough as it is, Karsopolis is the closest planet we've found in this galaxy to Earth, or Nova Sol. The rest are frozen tundras. We can have settlements on them, but terra forming can only do so much. Karsopolis has potential." He then considered the last question. "We're going to become the Dothvalian Confederacy. And you're the first Head Of The Confederate Navy. Congratulations, High Admiral."
"I'll help you, Governor. But this isn't home."
"Perhaps not," Laurence said. "But we're never going back."
Karsopolis System, 800-1000 Years Later, Governor's Residence
From his high office, Governor Karson Sharp looked down at the planet. He hadn't expected to receive the post so soon, at least a dozen or so more years. But because of an unfortunate hyperspace accident, the twenty-one year old was ruling one of the strongest civilisations in the universe. He was also one of the youngest Governors in Confederate history, and Sharp had big footsteps to follow. His late mother, the previous Governor, had set into motion plans to return to the Milky Way. He would have to carry on her work, ensure that her work was complete.
He thought again of the information stored in the Confederate Archives, wondered what had become of the old HCA. Surely it was gone by now? All those questions would be answered upon the return. A great deal had occurred since the colonists had arrived in Triangulum. Karsopolis had been terra formed so that a bit more land had been added, and now vast cities covered the surface. Even so, there were colossal Walls separating forest from metropolis. The two worlds lived side by side now, not like in the beginning when man had still been hunted by the native predators. The planetary oceans remained, though some floating cities now existed. Yes. Karsopolis was different now, as was the Confederacy. And as he reflected on this, Sharp wondered how the Milky Way had changed. But he was in no hurry. More preparations had to be completed, and Sharp had a lifetime to return to mankind's cradle.