It All Started With A Shuttle Flight - Prologue. Prologue

The screens showing the Link Cast News scrolled images from across the Confederation as different News Casters were commenting about various ongoing celebrations. Scenes changed as the Special Report logo phased into view. And a lone figure facing the screens smiled.

“This is a Link Cast Special Report. I’m Mercedes Munoz from Link Cast Central in the Madegarin Sector. Today, throughout the Western Confederation, we celebrate Exodus Day. The day when the first colony ships left Sol System from the Core Home World to found the Core Worlds colonies themselves four thousand, five hundred and forty-one stanyears ago. Today we have a special guest with us. Professor of history from the prestigious Western Confederation’s Silva Academy, at the Capital of the Confederation’s Senate, on Labridore IV. Dr. Maiju Sarrat.” She turned to look left as the holo cams shifted the view. “Welcome Dr. Sarrat.” The older female broadcaster said.

“Thank you, Mercedes. It’s wonderful to be here for this special day and please. Call me Maiju.” The holo cams floated around to expand the view to include not only both people seated next to each other, but the grand cityscape behind them out the armorplas windows.

“I will. Thank you Maiju. At this point in our history of over four thousand years. What is the largest mistake that the founding colonists made when they left Sol?” Mercedes asks.

Maiju’s knowing smile as she answered revealed that she had already known the questions that were to be asked. “Well. You can look at that from several angles.” She says as she shifted her legs from a crossed position to down in front of her as she leaned in towards Mercedes. “First off, as we all know. Many of the original colonies were supported not just by governments, but by individuals and corporations owned by those individuals. That created the funding needed to launch so many colonization efforts at once.”

Mercedes nodded, contemplating, “But didn’t that cut the governments out of complete control of the colonies?”

“To a point. What it did was change from governmental corruption to corporate corruption until each colony set down the charters and constitutional rights approximately fifty-seven stanyears later. That effectively cut the bureaucratic corruption down by ninety percent for the first five or six hundred years until the colonies themselves expanded through colonization. That was about the time of the genetic specialist, and their modifications came along.”

“The reason humanity now lives to be over two hundred and fifty stanyears on average instead of one hundred-ten?” asked Mercedes.

“Yes, precisely. Combine that with our ability to birth children in chambers instead of females having to carry them to term, which was already working to increase populations by allowing male/male and female/female couples to have children together with no member of the opposite sex needed, the colonies now had a population explosion. Look at Alterra III, for example. They landed three hundred thousand original colonists and brought the fabrication equipment to make Birthing Chambers and the people needed to operate them. In the first hundred years, they had been into the fourth generation already. By the sixth century of their founding, they had a population of almost one point eight billion people. All thanks to technology and proper planning. With their young population, they could colonize multiple systems and did. A few others of the original colonies followed the immigration path. Others grew first before introducing immigration. And now we have multiple autonomous states like our own Confederation. Most of which are out on the frontiers of the Core Worlds Republic. Hence why we have little interaction with them.” Dr. Sarrat finished.

“Very nice summary of how we got here, but what about the fringes of our space?” Asked Mercedes.

“That is smaller groups that broke away from their original worlds. They are growing slowly. Much like we did over a thousand years ago and much like us, they also have a shortfall of habitable planets. We have made use of stations and asteroid bases. Some were rather large in the hundreds of millions of people, but the Core Worlds went for the best world’s first. Which is why they didn’t venture out in this direction at first until they realized we had the resources they needed.”

“And we have very good trade relations with the outward Core Worlds and our neighbors. Thanks to the creation of the Jump Gates.”

Dr. Sarrat nodded. “Well said Mercedes. Yes. That and our manufacturing abilities. Jump Gate technology has been a boon to all the different states of humanity’s colonized space. It has opened new doors to all of us since its inception six hundred years ago.”

“What about our ambitious imperial neighbors to our southwest of coreward boundary? The Wolstencroft Empire?” Mercedes asks, pushing the conversation in a different direction.

“They are not much of a concern at this moment. Between our own naval forces and that of the larger corporations out on the frontier.” She shrugged. “They don’t have the quality, but quantity has a quality all its own. They don’t appear to have any problems understanding what would happen if they crossed the border again like they did twelve stanyears ago. I don’t think they will be a problem for the next twenty stanyears, at least.” Dr. Sarrat says with muted assurance.

The figure watching the screens smiled again.

“And that’s all the time we have. Thank you, Dr. Sarrat, for joining us today.” Said Mercedes Munoz. Who dipped her head in acknowledgment?

“You are most welcome, Mercedes.”

“Back to the studio for more on today’s Exodus Day celebrations.” Mercedes says as the holo cams panned out as she stood to shake hands with Dr. Sarrat. Once they were off air, Mercedes asked another question.

“Well, Maiju. How long do you think we have until the Core Worlds step into our politics and clean out the corruption throughout the Confederation?” Asked Mercedes.

Dr. Maiju Sarrat appeared taken aback by the unexpected question. “I’m not sure what you mean, Mercedes. The Core Worlds Republic will not intervene in our self-governance unless war breaks out.” If she only knew. Maiju thought as she responded.

Mercedes smiled with innocence. “Just something I heard a few months ago and I am looking into.” Maiju nodded as she turned and left the stage.

An hour later, back in Dr. Sarrat’s office, her Link chimed. A message from an unknown sender. She opened it. And? Tapping back her reply, Yes. As she sent a copy of her implant’s recording of the event. She closed her Link and returned to her work. On another world, the gravchair moved the lone figure to her table for lunch while she watched the recorded interview on her own implant. Smiling as she tapped out an order on her tablet. A staff member approached her with a tablet, which she held her hand out for. Moments of silent reading were followed by a sharp question.

“Find out why is the Unknown Sector getting involved.” She said as she handed the tablet back. The staffer bowed his head and disappeared as fast as he arrived. Her finger tapped the table a few times before she resumed her lunch.

 ***

“Why does great-grandpa insist we watch that?”

“Did you finish packing?”

“Yeah.”

“We will leave in four hours. You can ask him tomorrow.”

“OK.”.