Raylah

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

<Snipped quote by Raylah>

I'm as surprised as you!

@Tortoise

That's because they are cute like little puppies. And you don't choose creepy androids over puppies.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

_{(Addressing: @Tortoise)}

Kelsie’s heart was racing, and as soon as the airlock door shut after the last guest, she sent the escort away and then just sat on the floor. Her hands covering her face, she was trying to calm her breath, unsuccessful. What the hell was she doing? Did she seriously side with the unarmed clowns against a clearly technologically superior civilization? But what else could she have done? The Zetans were… she stood by her initial opinion that they weren’t human anymore and she hoped that the rest of the Guardians and the Grand General are going to agree with her. Because otherwise she is in really big trouble. She had to get it together, everyone on the ship was under her command, she couldn’t possibly let them see her like this.

After a few minutes, she walked to the bridge. “Parker, send a message to the ECU ship.” She had to make the most out of this diplomatic mess she has created. “Tell them that we would like to invite them to our homeworld Ellara and they are welcome to send their delegation whenever they see fit.” Kelsie assumed that Abadi would have to report to her superiors first and they would have to make some decisions. She wasn’t exactly sure what their government and decision-making process looked like, but she knew that especially the democratic ones could be pretty lengthy.

“Yes, ma’am. And the other ship?”

“No.” Kelsie didn’t want to talk about the Zetans. She didn’t even want to think about the Zetans. Parker seemed relieved. Apparently the crew of the Revenant didn’t really like the Zetans either, which gave Kelsie a small encouragement. "We can hang around for a few hours in case any other ships show up. Then we will head home." Kelsie turned to leave and nearly bumped into Harding.

“How dare you invite my assistant to such an important meeting instead of me?!” he yelled at Kelsie.

He took a very bad moment to pick a fight with her. “You are way out of line, Commander,” she said in an ice-cold voice. “I am the highest ranking officer aboard this ship AND I was appointed to lead this mission by the Grand General, so I can do whatever the hell I want to. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up to him when we return. But raise your voice on me one more time and you will be charged with mutiny and you know what happens after that,” she scolded him and walked out before he could respond. She had a half-mind of just grabbing him by his neck and kicking him right out of the airlock, but it wouldn’t be the best idea right now. Probably.

---

There was less than zero privacy in the common bedroom, so Kelsie crawled into one of the storage rooms. This one contained a lot of boxes with god knows what, maybe even the original mining equipment that was supposed to go to the facility on Donut. She tied a hammock to the metal poles supporting the ceiling and was now chilling in it with a well thumbed book. The Long Path to Glory was a really old book, the first edition coming out well over a 100 years ago. Her copy was one of the newer re-editions, but the content remained the same. It was something like a Bible to the Undefeated, a recollection of all that happened when the colonists first arrived on Ellara, about the Elbow fever and, most importantly, the early losses and victories versus the Screechers. Every officer was encouraged to read those parts, to learn about past mistakes, to make sure not to repeat them.

But Kelsie turned the pages to the very beginning this time. She was trying to see what the original colonists, the people from Earth, the ‘real humans’ were like. What did they think, do, like and dislike? Kelsie and Abadi accused Sigma-Devi of not being a human anymore, but what if they were just hypocritical? Surely in 300 years their society has changed, developed. Did the Undefeated also strode away from what it means to be human? Kelsie didn’t think so, but there were no objective parameters to measure it with.

Long Path to Glory

_{OT: feel free to skip this, nothing important here}

Long Path to Glory

Author's Note

The creation of this book was inspired by a recent sad anniversary. 50 years ago, in 117 AL (After Landing), the last of the original colonists died. Andrew Mason, the last of the true Earth-born, our ancestors. It is true that he had been only a few days old when the colony ship left Earth, so he couldn't provide us with any memories of our long-lost home planet, but he was the last person alive to be listed on the SS Proxima passenger list. While Mason's death might not be that significant to us now, its symbolism is indisputable - from that moment, we were truly on our own, a new nation rising on this God-forsaken planet, built on the bones of our heroic ancestors. I believe the stories of those early days and years, no matter how tragic they might be, should not be forgotten. We might be victorious now, but we must always remember our past defeats, for he who forgets the past is destined to repeat it.

This publication has been compiled from various contemporary sources, both official and unofficial. Some of the official reports and other documents had been classified until now and this will be the first time their content will be made public. The unofficial sources vary greatly - I mostly use excerpts from private diaries or messages and cite articles from contemporary periodicals. I have had several hours of video footage at my disposal, some shots were beautiful and captured happy moments, others were tragic or disturbing. Wherever possible, I try to provide a detailed description of these footages or have illustrational images attached. You can find more information and content on my Net site.

Chapter 1: The Paradise

Report written by SS Proxima captain Grant Park

SS Proxima exited the Gateway at 14:38 ship's time. The passage was instant, without any noticeable phenomena. I have ordered a diagnostic of the ship's systems, resulting in no errors. The crew and the passengers do not seem to be suffering from any side effects either.

The Gateway closed behind us immediately and has not shown any signs of activity since that. Efforts to contact Earth or any other colony ship have been unsuccessful. Star alignment scans predict that we are approximately 12 000 LY from Earth, in a system designated FT-8PO.

The star in the system classifies as a G2V star, it seems to have similar age and size as Earth's Sun. Out of five planets orbiting the star, two are too small to be able to hold an atmosphere and two are gas giants. Fortunately, the initial scans of FT-8PO III are more than promising. The planet is about Earth-size and has a breathable atmosphere. There are large oceans surrounding several continents. The land is covered by vegetation. There are no signs of any advanced life - the space around the planet is empty (except for three natural satellites, to be thoroughly probed later), there are no apparent structures, no measurable electromagnetic fields.

The scans have suggested several possible landing locations, I have chosen one on the largest continent, north of the equator. The environmental conditions seem to be stable, there is a large reservoir of water nearby and enough flat empty space to both land the ship and start the colonization procedures.

Landing attempt scheduled to 6:00 ship’s time.

Prefab quarters brochure

This leaflet contains assembly instructions for DA-X-50 prefab building. DA-X-50 is part of our basic and emergency accommodation product line. If you are looking for more space and comfort, check out the DA-A or DA-C product lines.

Fully assembled DA-X-50 houses 500 people while maintaining the upkeep costs as low as possible. Originally designed as an emergency measure during disasters and calamities, now it is mass produced for all the colony ships leaving Earth. The basic suite contains two bedrooms (each for 4 people) and a separate bathroom. There are 50 suites on each floor, along with a common room and a cafeteria. The base building is just 5 stories high to remove the need for personal elevators. If you are looking for buildings with more stories, check out our DB product lines.

DA-X-50 comes as a prefab consisting of over 150 000 parts that need to be put together in the correct order. The manufacturer does not take liability for any damage caused by incorrect assembly! Consult diagrams 1 - 687 for each step of the assembly. Note that the electric network connectors (as shown on diagrams 250, 267 and 415) need to be connected to a stable power generator (for detailed specifications on power requirements see table 4.15). Each building prefab contains a small recycling facility (see diagrams 105-108). This facility, provided it is stocked with required chemicals and filtration materials, can reduce building’s water consumption by up to 90%. Basic packaging contains enough materials for 3 months of operation. Please contact our sales department if you wish to order larger amounts.

We hope you are satisfied by our high-quality products. Happy living!

Excerpt from Aryanna Miller’s private diary

_{AN: Aryanna Miller was 16 years old when the SS Proxima traveled through the Gateway. Her father was in the ‘essential personnel’ group and was allowed to take his family (Lori (38), Aryanna (16) and Zetan (8)) along.}

I know I’m gonna repeat myself, but this ship SUCKS hard. So many people crammed in here. Could you actually believe that they made me sleep in one bed with my brother? How old am I, 5? To hell with all this, I should have stayed back on Earth with Kaytlyn and Peyton. But no, my dad had to move his over-privileged ass on this floating rust-bucket and drag us along. At least Malcolm got to come too. I don't know what I would do if I had to leave him back there too.

AN: several heart drawings and unintelligible scribbles follow until next page

He contacted me! I wasn’t even sure he remembered my name, but he did and he sent me a message and he is sooooo sweet. He wanted to meet in the storage room by the recyclers in the evening, but my stupid mother insisted that we ‘spend the last evening on Earth as a family’. We are gonna spend the next million evenings as a family! If we survive going through that Gateway thing that is.

You know what the dumbest thing is? Even though we are going to a new planet, we still have to go to school after we land. Like seriously, a SCHOOL is among the first things they build on a brand new world? They keep repeating to us that we are starting a new society. Can’t we start one without learing about fuckin Shakespeare over and over? Seriously, I was so mad when they told me, I punched a table and broke my fingernail. And I haven’t had time to have it fixed. But no, nail salons aren’t gonna be built any time soon, because apparently, having nice nails isn’t important at all. So, not only I’m gonna have to go to a new school, but I’m gonna have to go to a new school with a broken fingernail. Worst. Day. EVER.

The New Land - Gaia Starshine

This
is our new land.
Our new land
better than the old land
We
are the old land
We
must become better
for our new land.
We
are the new land.

Dr. Pearman’s audio notes - transcript

_{AN: Dr. Frank Pearman was an accomplished botanist, leader of the botany department of the expedition’s science team.}

Another sample, this one is marked OI-17, location is square 7, that’s the beachy area north of the city. Collected by, uhh.. I can’t read that. Dorris? Boris? Hey Bob, do we have any Dorris on the team?

unintelligible response

Ah, OK, thanks. Sample OI-17, collected by assistant Morris. One would think that a postgrad student should be able to at least write their name. Anyway, the plant was collected while blooming, there are two large spike inflorescences made out of bicolored florets, red and dark blue, maybe purple? Yes, let’s put purple. Leaves are deltoid, growing only from the bottom of the stem. Center of the leaf is light green, almost white. The plant emits a strong scent, not unpleasant, reminding slightly of jasmine, most likely to attract local pollinators. The root system is simple, several thin roots run from the base of the stem, it doesn’t seem to go very deep, most likely due to the plant naturally growing very close to the water.

The, uhm, DNA results show wide similarities with samples OA-5 and PI-19. Their inflorescences are a bit different, probably showing that the plants belong to the same genus. The genus was named Lysimachia, names for the individual subspecies are to be determined later.

noise from the background

Oy, Frank, come look at this!

Bob, I’m actually working here. What?

excited shouting from the background

Allright, allright. So, what do you have here? Some kind of… carnivorous plant?

It’s not just carnivorous, look. It eats anything!

A chocolate bar, really Bob? What a scientific method.

Nono, look at that speed. You watch the main plant - the beautifully colored trap. You see the huge pair of terminal lobes that are hinged at the midrib that catch the prey. And it has quite a grab. But what you don’t see is that.

Holly shit!

sound of someone jumping up and hitting something, probably a lab table

Right? The main trap, while dangerous itself, also functions as a lure to draw the bigger prey in. And these longer vines, see how fast they move?

Jesus.

They latch on to anything and don’t let go easily, look at my leg. It’s like getting waxed. Honestly if this thing had grown on Earth, it would be pretty high in the food chain. We estimate that they are strong enough to hold and slowly strangle an animal up to the weight of approximately 25 to 30 kilograms, using its corpse as a source of nutrients.

30 kilograms?!

Yes, it is about the size of a medium dog.

Yea. Or a child, Bob. This thing could literally eat children. How many of these plants are there?

Uh. A lot. We should probably tell someone.

Excerpt from Aryanna Miller’s private diary

This planet is a dump. The damn ship was crowded, but this is an entirely new level. We actually share a bathroom with another family now! How disgusting. There are building machines everywhere, you can’t even cross the street. Not that you would have any reasons to cross it. We are only allowed to go to school, which is the building right next to our super-ugly gray block they call the living quarters and then back home. I’m gonna go CRAZY in here soon.

The school is… well it is school. The same boring stuff as back on Earth. Sometimes I feel like we never really left the planet, just moved to a much worse neighborhood. There seem to be a lot more nerds in the classes here, how fair is that? All the cool people were left on Earth and the nerds and weirdos shipped off to another planet. It would be awesome if I somehow didn’t end up here as well. There are a few girls that would be acceptable as friends, I’ll see if any of them will be good enough for me.

The only good thing about this whole mess is that I finally got to meet with Malcolm. He lives in another residential building so it was a bit tricky, but he waited for me in front of school and walked me home and he is so awesome and smart. In the evening I told my mother that I’ll be visiting Ginny, one of the new potential friends, and met up with Malcolm on our roof. People aren’t normally allowed to go there, but Malcolm said he is a very important person in the future government and he has keys to everything. You see, he is not a dumb teenager like those pimple-faces at school. He is 25 (I think) and he is so much wiser. And handsomer! Ginny promised to cover for me. If she does, maybe I’ll consider putting her on a shortlist, even though her parents aren’t really anyone important.

Anyway, we are on the roof. If there is one good thing about this dumb planet, it’s the stars. When was the last time you saw stars on Earth? Sure, you see them from the space stations, but from the actual planet? Never. Here the night sky is just amazing. There are three moons and what looks like billions of stars. Malcolm said that he has an uncle in the astronomy science team and that even though it will be really complicated, he might put a word when they are naming the new constellations to have one named after me. Could you actually believe it?! No more Big bear and Little bear, but Aryanna, right there in the night sky!

All that he wanted for it was a kiss, and, well we would have taken it even further, but some guards came to the roof for a smoke and we had to hide. What a dumb luck.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

Collab with: @Tortoise and @Irredeemable

Cassius Mesalla was never the one to question orders. But these orders seemed insane. Letting even more possible hostile aliens on board? They might claim they are human, but he has seen the security footage of the first delegation and that is not what a human looks like. But orders are orders, especially from a Guardian. The rest of the team seemed to respect Blackwood more than just as a superior officer, they had a history together, but Cassius had been assigned to the Squadron sometime after she left, so he never knew her personally. But it didn’t matter, he would never intentionally disobey a direct order.

He and Senja Angstrom grabbed their gear and weapons and got to the B-2 airlock just in time to see the ECU vessel dock. When the door opened and revealed the second delegation, only the years of training prevented the Reapers from laughing out loud. The new arrivals looked like they robbed storage of costumes used in the old movies and then randomly put the pieces together. On Ellara, people mostly wore their uniforms, or uniform-like modest clothing, usually of some darker color, nothing fancy was ever necessary. Even the ceremonial uniforms were plain and single-colored. To the Undefeated, these people looked like clowns.

But orders were orders, he kept repeating to himself, and Cassius was a professional. “Welcome aboard the Revenant. The Zeta delegation is already in a conference room. I will show you the way,” he said in a calm voice. He gestured to the guests to follow him.

Kelsie returned to the conference room. “I have just received word that the ECU delegation has docked and are on their way here,” she announced to the Zetans. The door opened at that moment, but it was just Petrova, carrying a large tray laid with various fruits and other delicacies that they had brought from Ellara. “This is Miss Julianna Petrova, she is a member of our science team and will stay for the negotiations.” There. It was an immediate idea, but Kelsie was glad she would not be alone with all these strange people. She intended to have the guards stay outside so the room wouldn’t get too crowded and the foreigners wouldn’t feel threatened. Fortunately, Julianna was smart enough not to look surprised, she just smiled and bowed her head towards the guests, moving quietly into a corner.

Then the door opened again, and this time stayed open for a second as the Student Abadi and her pilot stood in it, shocked.

She didn't even know which one to address. In all her dozens of "Student performance reviews," nobody had ever once described Abadi as open-minded. This was, of course, a great compliment in the Oligarchy, that fears innovation like a cat fears an empty food bowl, but still probably explained why it took her mind a second to process what was in front of her. Until something clicked.

One of the- cyborgs, robots, whatever they are- was wearing a dress. A really nice, old-fashioned one. Like any person on New Hollywood might.

“I am Student Abadi. Are you…” she finally realizes, “our Zetan colleagues?”

“Yes, indeed.” Sigma-Devi responded, performing the greeting with her hand once more. She indicated to her colleagues, re-introduced them, then smiled. “We have actually come into contact with your home system, your holographic technology is very impressive.” She smiled widely.

“You seem to have been… Inspired, by our ancestors. Your dress… Your architecture. It is most interesting.”

Kelsie sat quietly as the other diplomats talked, trying not to grin too much over the ECU representatives’ ridiculous attires. One thing she couldn’t figure out was how the hell was Sigma-Devi getting all that information. The Revenant was cut off from Ellara’s communication network as soon as they went through the Gateway and she assumed other vessels were in the same situation. The Zetan shuttle didn’t move, the Gateway didn’t activate, none other ships came through so far. Plus, she didn’t seem to be actually communicating with anyone, engaged in a casual talk with the young girl representing the ECU. Kelsie glanced at Julianna, only to see that while there was a polite smile on her face, her eyes also kept studying Sigma-Devi and a tiniest frown suggested that the assistant was thinking about the same thing as Kelsie.

Clearing her throat to get attention, she stood up to welcome the new delegation. “Welcome aboard the Revenant. This is Sigma-Devi, representing the Zeta system,” she waved her hand in the general direction of the Zetans, “and I am Guardian Kelsie Blackwood from the Undefeated nation from the planet Ellara. I have to say I am glad that so many other colonies have survived to this day. We haven’t had any contact with our home planet since we arrived here, so I don’t know if any other survivors haven’t come across our Gateway. You seem to be much better informed, Sigma-Devi,” Keslie smiled politely.

All these polite smiles and subtle questions; Abadi just left, and she already felt like she was back home. Never the most social Oligarch, maybe, but everyone of her kind grows up in gatherings like this. (With more drinking. And music.)

“Yes,” she forced a laugh when Sigma complimented the ECU’s holographic technology. “Or holograms are as solid as people. Sometimes I think they’re better than them, too.” This was intended as a joke. “So, do your people not have similar inventions?” And this was not. Her main mission, as she understands it, is to gauge these people as potential threats. Better start by finding out what they know.

She takes an empty seat around the table without asking, and leaves her pilot standing by the doorway. “Perhaps an exchange would be possible, one day. Your cybernetics seem… deeply fascinating.”

The duo behind Sigma-Devi fell back a little, the most human of the trio taking center stage during the negotiations. “Yes, It seems our communication technologies are superior to yours,” she said blandly. The Consciousness had feared that their links would be separated when going through the portal, but they had managed excellency- not even a hint of latency. Quantum entanglement really was a wonderful thing.

Reaching for one of the morsels presented by Blackwood’s team, the Zetan popped a piece into her mouth, chewed slowly, and considered the flavours as Abadi talked. “No- we ventured down alternate routes. Such as our robotics and cybernetics.” She beamed.

“Many of them were made in a direct response to our material conditions: Zeta-5 rather dislikes fragile life like humanity.” She turned back towards her red-eyed colleague, gesturing gently towards him. “But now, they’re part of the fabric of our society. There is not a Zetan alive today made wholly of flesh.”

Not a single one? Abadi tried to stop her skin from crawling. In the holo-tapes her people were all raised on, anyone who said something like that would be revealed as a villain in the second act. Or maybe the third, if they’re trying for suspense. The violins are already playing in her head.

“Does that cause you any discomfort?” The most polite way she can think to phrase ‘How do you live like that?’

“Discomfort?” Sigma-Devi blinked a few times, then smiled pleasantly. “No, no, of course not. In fact, without metal, we’d be left much worse off.” She paused for a moment, contemplating how to explain this best. “The baseline human form developed in direct response to the conditions on Earth. When we arrived in Zeta, we found ourselves in the troubling position of needing to adapt faster than was biologically possible.”

She reached up to touch at the metal that now made up her throat. “This is how we adapted. Zetans don’t undergo large-scale implantation against their will- it’s merely a slow process of changing to fit their niche in society.”

Abadi adjusted her hat for a second. In Oligarch society, this meant one was thinking. Right now, her thoughts are about having her organs replaced with whirring, trembling mechanisms. They’re not very nice ones.

“I… suppose I understand,” she confessed. “In my society, such things have sometimes been proposed, but are never accepted.” Obviously. “As you mention, our culture is inspired by that of Old Earth.” She repeats what she was taught to say from infancy: “We strive to keep the memory alive.”

The Oligarch realized how rude this probably was as soon as the words left her mouth. Remembering the voice of her Persuasions teacher scolding her, she caught herself: “But I believe I understand your situation.” She never felt as elegant as the likes of Heralds or even that idiot Tanaka, and now it was almost tangible. “We have great terraforming technologies in our hands. I do wonder how possible it might be to, uh, help with the situation on Zeta.”

“Hmm.” Sigma-Devi considered the last part and paused for a long time. Internally, the Collective was deciding, disseminating, reacting, processing. Finally, she went with a deliberately non-committal answer. “We shall have to see. As for your own peoples, we can provide some of our enhancement technology. I assure you that you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the difference. Be it noses capable of detecting ozone levels to read stormfronts to lungs that can process liquids, we’ve produced some rather marvellous creations.”

She continued on. “It is good to hear you keep Old Earth alive. Our memory archives still speak of Her, in Her prime, before we ruined it, and turned it into.” Sigma-Devi looked at one of the walls, through which all knew what sat. “Perhaps one day we can recover it.”

When the cyborgs offered implants, Abadi’s mouth actually fell open. She was only just working it shut again when Sigma-Devi mentioned Old Earth, and alright, that did tug her heart-strings a little. But that’s because she still has a heart. Not a lump of metal or a clock or whatever the Zetans use.

“Perhaps.” Abadi said, quietly. “Perhaps we can recover Earth, that is. We wish to…” But. “However, while I will run through your suggestion to the Noocracy, I feel obligated to tell you now that no enhancements will be allowed. I do not wish to offend, but the human form is as sacred to us as the human soul and culture. We could not change it.” Her head shook. And her blood was getting a little hotter than it should be. “Ever.”

Across the room, she noticed her pilot was studiously avoiding everyone with his eyes. Nobody was comfortable here.

Sigma-Devi pulled back slightly. “What does that make us to you then?” She frowned. “Are we less than you, for the material conditions we had to adapt to? Surely you must understand that the human form has frailties and limits- do you also not set broken bones, or stymie the effects of senescence? Should my fellow here have let his eyes grow cancerous enough to consume him, to preserve the sanctity of his human form?”

The answer was yes. Yes, he should have. If you are not human, why does it matter if you live? You don’t care if a thing dies. But Student Abadi realized she should not say that here, on this strange ship.

“Of course, I understand the medical applications,” she ventured. “But there has been a great fear among my people, since our early days- our planet is soaked in radiation, you see,” only a slight exaggeration, “and early settlers feared that the genetic damage may become so severe that, generations later, we would not technically be humans at all anymore. And then what are we preserving? If our goal as colonists was to save humanity, and we give that up to survive, then… what have we survived for the sake of?”

These things were taught to her from childhood. She never heard someone question them until now. Is this what foreign contact would be like? Part of her already feared she was being too harsh, but she knew no other way to think, or to speak.

“Zeta is…” Sigma-Devi paused for a long moment, before turning to her colleague- Alpha-Newton, who stepped up. His eyes blinked off for a moment, then whirred faintly. Projected out onto the table, between the food and the oil stains and scratches, was an image.

A barren, blasted rockface stretched out, the wind howling across it. Snow was visible across the cracked and moistureless soil, without a sign of shade nor life. “Surface temperature…” Alpha-Newton paused. “235 Kelvin. Snowfront of 193 Kelvin just passed, Searfront of 323 Kelvin rapidly approaching. Surface radiation measurements… Unsustainable for human habitation.” From underneath the soil, a creature sprung out. It was low to the ground, a scaly, dirty-brown colour. It scuttled about on six legs, and from its head protruded a strange, flat surface that it set about scooping up the snow with. No sooner had it touched the appendage than it melted, the liquid water greedily gulped up.
Less than a minute after surfacing to drink, the creature vanished back into one of the drought-made fissures.

“This is Zeta,” Alpha-Newton declared. “The Alpha-Asphodel Plain. I was born beneath the ground not far from here.” The cyborg’s projector shut itself off.

“When we thought ourselves the last of humankind,” Sigma-Devi continued. “We had to consider what was more important. To cling stubbornly to an outdated form, or to carry mankind’s torch forward however we could. We like to think we succeeded.”

Abadi nodded seriously. “I’m sure it is a harsh place. But my question is this: if you have cast aside your human form, are you really carrying mankind’s torch forward? Or is it a new one?”

“It is mankind’s. Consider.” She gestured. “Devi. Newton. Babbage. My dress. The Asphodel Plains. Our democratic systems. We stand upon the shoulders of every generation of humanity that strived to send us to the stars, and bring them with us.”

‘Betrayal’ was a word that came closer, in Abadi’s mind. But there was a feeling nagging at her. It’s time to disengage.

She sighed at length. “Well, I will not argue with you. I’m sure we have worn enough on our host’s patience.” What did the crew of the Revenant think of all this? “And you have given my people much to think about, I can say. I will make a full report to our elected leader, the Savant, when I return home.”

Kelsie sat quietly as Abadi and Sigma-Devi exchanged harsher and colder responses. Is this what diplomacy looks like? If so, she would prefer open combat any time. These seemingly polite questions and cryptic answers, several meanings hidden in every sentence, arrogance, and abhorrence hidden behind courteous masks. She was a military woman, for christ’s sake! Put a gun in her hand and point her in the right direction and she would not stop until she won or died. But this? This was like running through a minefield blindfolded.

She didn’t have time to properly think about all the arguments, but making quick decisions was something she was trained to do. And there really was not much deciding on which side of the argument should she join. Yes, she could have stayed neutral, but what Sigma-Devi kept suggesting was just… wrong. Logical, maybe, but still wrong.

“I have to side with Student Abadi here. You can consider yourself carrying mankind’s torch, using Earth words to name things.” And they aren’t real names, just for your information, Kelsie wanted to add. “I even understand the need for such development. But haven’t you strode off the ‘human’ path so far that you deserve to be called something else?” Kelsie realized that she just told her guests they weren’t human enough. What the hell was she doing?

“We have been facing a similar choice soon after landing on Ellara. The planet, while beautiful and seemingly hospitable, hid so many dangers that nearly destroyed our colony before it could start to grow. But we decided to hold on to what makes us human, not change what we are.” Kelsie stopped for a moment. “I think we should pause these negotiations until we have had a chance to talk to our respective governments since our communication technologies aren’t as advanced as yours.” She probably should have kept that last bit to herself, but she just couldn’t help it. These things come here all arrogant proposing to expand their atrocious ideas to other cultures? ‘You are not coming anywhere near Ellara,’ Kelsie promised to herself.

While the soldier woman was speaking, and saying some very comforting things, Abadi had her first moment to think clearly since coming onboard. What would the Noocracy’s reaction to this be? She’d only once met the Savant, but she could already remember his steel eyes just sizing her down, like a puzzle he already solved. And she would need to convince him this had been progress.

But it hadn’t been. This meet-up was an argument wrapped in diplomacy, taking place over the husk of Old Earth, where nobody was comfortable and everybody was offended. And it all sounded like a horrible prelude to… not war, hopefully, but something.

The Zetan and the ECU should be counted as unfriendly towards each other, that much is obvious. But what about the Undefeated? A potential ally? At least, the enemy of an enemy? Time will have to tell.

“So that is how it’s going to be?” Sigma-Devi turned to look at each of the representatives in turn. “I hope the rest of your nations prove more open minded than you have shown yourselves to be here. I would hate for disagreements to arise because we are not considered humans.” Omega-Babbage didn’t have to try to accentuate her veiled threat with a more overt one- there was a crackle, a snap, and then the scent of ozone filled the air as a powerful electrical discharge worked its way out. The Collective would not suffer itself to be backed into a corner and trodden upon for their technological advancements. It is much better, read one Old Earth document. To be feared than loved, if one cannot be both. Then, Sigma-Devi’s demeanour changed.

Although Omega-Newton’s body was still positioned in that forward, predatory stance, and made no indication that the electrical discharge had been a mistake, its companion picked up another bit of food. “I will, however,” the woman offered. “Say that this is quite tasty indeed.”

We must find more reasonable individuals. More sensible ones. Ones that understand that metal does not change man any more than the clothes on their back or the tools in their hands.

How to survive a dragon hatching

“No! NO! Shoo, shoo,” Freyhild waved her wooden spoon in the direction of two baby Nadders that had come back again to sniff around the big pot of stew. She was trying to cut some more carrots to add to the stew but couldn’t even finish that without having to run to protect the steaming pot frequently. “Go away, you dumb beasts,” she mumbled, knowing that it is meaningless. They either didn’t understand or just chose to ignore her.

“Here is your water,” a child brought a bucket from the well. Freyhild was cooking outside today, under a makeshift shelter that threatened to collapse any minute, especially as more dragons were sitting on it, peeking curiously.

“Thank you, Halfdan,” she replied to the boy, but he ignored her just as the dragons did.

“Aww, look at those, aren’t they the cutest!”

Freyhild turned around only to see that the Nadders returned, one now hovering right above the pot, waving its wings rapidly. Halfdan was softly nudging the other one, giggling playfully. The dragon fought back, bumping his head against the boy's stomach, knocking him to the ground. Soon they were rolling in the dirt, consumed by their pretended fight, squeaks and giggles coming from that pile of arms, legs and wings. “STOP IT!” They were too close to the pot, it seemed like they were going to tip it over any second.

The wooden spoon came down a couple of times, hitting random limbs entangled on the ground. The dragon waved his wings flying out of her range, hissing angrily. “Go play somewhere else,” she told the boy, trying to stay calm. Normally she would threaten to talk to his parents, but she knew all too well that he probably didn’t have any. Too many adults died fighting, too many orphans now wandered around the new village. “Go tell the builders that the stew is ready, they can take a break to come and eat. Grab a bowl for yourself as well. And you,” she turned to the dragon still hovering over the pot. “If you come any closer to that stew, I swear to Odin that I will just chop you up and throw you right in!” She wouldn’t do that as it was against Hog Morsan’s orders, but the dragon didn’t have to know that.

How to survive a dragon hatching

Freyhild Grimsdottir

name: Freyhild Grimsdottir
age: 38
occupation: weaver

description:
Hair color - red
Eye color - grey

Freyhild does not look her age, although you could find small wrinkles around her eyes and one or two silver hairs on her head, if you dared to take a closer look. She is tall and skinny, with almost freakishly long fingers. She has a few scars here and there, but nothing visible at first sight. Her long forearms are covered by intricate rune tattoos.

temperament: All bad things that happened to her have left her bitter and sarcastic. On the inside, she is just sad and lonely, but hides it behind a mask of irony and bickering. She can be kind and pleasant occasionally around the people she trusts, but earning that trust is hard.

abilities:
Talents:

• skilled weaver
• great at cooking
• moderate archer
• good singer (but rarely sings anymore)
• awesome at smacking people on their heads with a long wooden spoon

Blunders:

• actually fighting with weapons (wooden spoons excluded)
• making friends
• keeping friends
• ‘people skills’ in general

precious belongings:

• her husband’s and son’s arm rings
• leather bag with a bunch of ceramic flasks containing precious dyes
• a long wooden spoon

background: Freyhild and her husband Kjotve lived a happy life, just like all the other Vikings in the village. Kjotve was a raider, and a very good one, always returning from the raids with great spoils and riches and unharmed (mostly). Freyhild was a renowned weaver, her beautiful fabrics sold at a great price on markets in the neighborhooding villages. She even employed a couple of younglings to help her around her workshop, especially with creating yarn during the flax harvest and sheep shedding seasons.

They only had one son, but Thorsten turned out nicely. Strong and skillful after his father, handsome after his mother, he made them both happy. When the attack on the village came, Thorsten and Kjotve were in the first line of defense. None of them made it. Freyhild couldn’t even give them a proper Viking burial as she and the rest of the clan had to flee to save their lives.

dragon: A Razorwhip named Silverwing - an older female who has lost her eggs in an earthquake following a volcano erruption. She is still devastated from the loss, being angry and lashing out at other dragons or humans. Normally, she is very smart and playful around the people she trusts, but as with all Razorwhips, their trust is hard to come by.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Undefeated

_{Meanwhile on the planet Ellara}

The people were nervous, quiet whispers shivering around every corner. A lot of people noticed the strange phenomena when the Gateway reopened and wilder and wilder theories as to what happened began circulating among the people. As the men from the 8th and 9th divisions, recalled from the front, began returning home to the mainland cities, the rumors only grew stronger. Quiet voices suggested that the Screecher tribes have finally united against a common enemy, a thing which surprisingly didn’t happen over the past 300 years. Others fantasized that the natives have developed new technologies, or even that they have learned to use ours. There was one common denominator in all those gossips. ‘We are losing the war,’ the people seemed to be thinking. And that is something that the Grand General couldn’t allow. Especially when it wasn’t even true. It was time to make an official statement.

Some Guardians suggested that he might have been overreacting a bit, halting the entire war front just because the Gateway reopened. There is probably no one there, they argued. Probably. Wars aren't won on probabilities. Some of his people were cradled to feeling safe by battling a primitive enemy. A rifle versus a spear wins. But what about a rifle versus another rifle? Or versus some more advanced weapons that we couldn’t even imagine existed yet? Nobody seemed to realize that in the next war we could be the primitive ones.

Oscar swiped through messages on his datapad. Thankfully, there has been no activity around the Gateway ever since the Revenant went through. What would we do if a bunch of hostile spaceships jumped through and threatened Ellara from space? Not all of the Guardians seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. Fortunately, Kelsie Blackwood did and being one of the smartest people he had ever met, he immediately chose her for the recon mission. Kelsie. She was always trying so hard to make up for certain things that weren’t her fault.

He looked at the next message and cursed. Perun, one of the most important projects he reopened right after hearing about the Gateway, has hit a dead end. There was only one person that could possibly do something about it, but getting them to cooperate will be problematic, to say the least. Oskar sighed and got up. There was so much sensitive information in this matter that he could not possibly delegate it to anyone else.

---

The prison below the Citadel was small. Most criminals were shipped off to labor camps throughout the country, leaving this place only for the most dangerous ones. And those, who needed to be silenced, to never be allowed to contact anyone on the outside.

Oscar passed through several security checks before finally reaching the right cell. He took a deep breath before entering, trying to figure out what to say, but came up with nothing. Guess he will have to improvise. The room was plain gray and dim-lit, furnished only with a bed with a hard mattress, a simple table, and one chair. An older woman with short dark hair sitting cross-legged on the bed watched him carefully, hatred clearly visible on her face. “So, you have finally come to finish me off?” she said, testing each word on her tongue. She hasn’t spoken to anyone for months.

“No.” The Grand General leaned against the table. “I need your help.”

The woman burst into laughter, sounding almost maniacal. “Fuck off.”

“I have reopened the Perun project and I need you to continue with it.”

“Has the meaning of ‘fuck off’ changed while I was locked up? How about ‘go to hell’? Fuck you? Get lost? Wait a second. Why now? What changed? Don’t tell me the Screechers suddenly started using spaceships. So what is going on? Did you finally have a rebellion in your happy little country?” the woman asked ironically.

Oskar shook his head. “No, Claire. The situation doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you want to get out of this place or not. I can give you anyone you choose to act as a military leader of the project. Anyone,...” he started, but got interrupted.

“I want her,” the woman’s voice was a bit shaky, but her tone was determined.

“...but her. She is not available.”

“Not available?!” Claire shrieked and jumped up. “What the hell did you do to her? I swear to god…” she waved her hands in front of his face.

“Calm down. Guardian Blackwood is currently on a mission and I cannot recall her.”

“Guardian,” Claire spat the word out. “So you put a leash on her. I guess I should send her congratulations.”

Oskar raised his eyebrow. “I don’t think she would appreciate it coming from you.”

The woman just snorted and sat back on the bed. “You took everything from me. You took my work. You took my daughter. You murdered my husband! You locked me up in this hole. And now you have the audacity to come and ask me for help?!”

“Claire, I did a lot of things, but I did not murder your husband. He disobeyed a direct order and assaulted his commanding officer! There is no other sentence for that than death and Jeremy knew it. I had no choice,” he added quietly, thoughts lost in a distant memory.

“There is always a choice. He was your friend, for Christ’s sake! And you put a bullet through his head. What kind of sociopath does something like that?”

“A good soldier,” Oskar answered, but his eyes sank down. He couldn’t look her in the eyes, even though she was wrong. His only other choice was to end up in front of the firing squad right next to Jeremy. “Look,” he started in a rough voice. “The only reason you have been kept alive all those years was that one day we might need you. Now is that day. So do you want to get out of this cell, or should I lock it up behind me and leave you to rot? Or just take a gun and get it over with?” He realized that he might have gone a bit too far with that one, so he continued with a bit softer voice. “Is there really no one you can work with? What about Hamonga? He has watched over her all those years.”

Claire hesitated. “Fine, I can take Hamonga, but I at least want to see her. And I want all the information about what the hell is going on outside. I don’t exactly get a daily newspaper here.”

The Grand General smiled. “Fine. But you really can’t see her, I told you she is on a mission and I can’t recall her.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. This planet is not that big, you can just pick the damn comlink and have her in the capital in a few hours.”

“That is the thing, Claire. She is not on this planet.”

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Undefeated

Kelsie left the room, nodding on the two guards to follow her outside. As soon as the doors closed behind them, stoic expressions disappeared from their faces. “What the hell was that THING?” Janice gritted her teeth, trying to keep her voice low. “And that guy’s eyes?! Jesus fuckin Christ!”

“SSSHH,” Kelsie hissed at her. “We don’t know how good their hearing is,” she whispered. “I know they are creepy, but we need to keep a friendly face on.”

“Creepy? Girl, they aren’t even human anymore.”

“We can think what we want, but we have our orders, Sergeant Springer. You two stay here and make sure they don’t leave the room. We don’t want them wandering around the ship.”

They both saluted her and took positions at each side of the door. Kelsie walked around the corner and then stopped, taking a moment to catch her breath. Leaning her forehead against the cold metallic wall, she closed her eyes and wished to be back home. Or even back on the front. In combat, getting surrounded by enemies. Anywhere but here. But wishes don’t magically come true.

She ran into Harding's assistant on her way to the bridge. “Miss Petrova! Could I ask you a huge favor?”

The girl stopped, looking shocked that someone like Kelsie started talking to her. “S-sure. I mean, yes ma’am,” she stuttered.

“I know it is stupid to ask this of someone with your level of education, but could you possibly go through our supplies, pick out the best bits, arrange it on some plate and bring it to the conference room? I don’t want to send more military personnel there.”

Petrova stared at her for a moment, surprised. “You want me to go in there?”

“If it is a problem…”

“No, no, I’m just surprised that you would want someone like me around our esteemed guests.” A slight bitter tone was noticeable as she spoke.

Kelsie wasn’t surprised that the girl acted this way. Most citizens, especially those with higher ranks, considered the Rejected trash and treated them accordingly. But Kelsie (for private reasons she didn’t want to share with anyone) wasn’t one of those people. “Someone like a brilliant scientist, who perfected the modular fusion reactor design? I know why Harding brought you with him. I don’t care what you are, as long as you do your part and follow orders. So get going. Oh, and don’t be surprised. They are a bit… creepy, to say the least.”

The girl ran off and Kelsie finally made her way to the bridge. Parker was nervously looking at the screens. “The other ship hasn’t moved or responded yet. What about our guests?”

“Creepy half-androids,” Kelsie didn’t have time for more words. Parker seemed like he wanted to ask some more, but she waved him off and activated the comlink. “This is Guardian Blackwood from the Undefeated nation to the Earth Cultural Union vessel. We are happy to see representatives of another surviving colony. We currently have the representatives of the Zeta system on board of The Revenant. Perhaps you would like to send your delegation to join us?” She stopped the transmission. “Let me know what they respond. Send them the airlock coordinates if they agree and get Mesalla and Angstrom to gear up and escort them to the conference room,” she told Parker and then sighed. “I will have to go back into the fray.”

@Tortoise

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Undefeated

Kelsie was enjoying a long, scalding hot shower, streams of water running down her lean body. She ran her fingers through short dark hair, rinsing the last remains of shampoo off. It was not a regulation to have it that short, more of a recommendation, but in her position she couldn't afford to look too womanly. She took a deep breath and switched the tap to the other side, slowly exhaling as ice-cold drops fell on her skin, feeling like being pinched by thousands of tiny needles.

Wrapped in a small towel she stepped out of the bathroom, quickly glancing over the room. The bed was already perfectly made, with no sign on it being used for the past hour. It was no surprise, every trooper remembered their first year in the military academy and the endless hours of bed making and uniform folding. A young man next to the bed was just putting his pants on, but when she entered, he quickly jumped to attention. Kelsie smirked a bit, she hoped he would be gone by now. “At ease. You are dismissed, captain.”

The man quickly finished dressing and then hesitated for a moment. “Ma’am? About my application…”

“I said I would think about it. Now get lost.” She sighed and started up her terminal. Yes, a promise once given needed to be kept. He wanted to apply for a promotion to a squadron leader and having a higher officer’s recommendation helped smooth the way. Kelsie’s thoughts wandered to the past hour and she smiled a bit. He was good (in more things than just waging war on the Screechers), but was he really good enough to decide the fate of so many men? Her fingers stopped above the keyboard. What the hell was his name? He was a captain, sure, his first name was David, but the last name? Baker? Barker?

A beeping comlink interrupted her thoughts. An urgent meeting was called by the Grand General.

---

Twenty minutes later she was entering the Tactical room. Several Guardians were already present and quiet but nervous chatter filled the room. Kelsie came closer to a large figure standing in a corner. “Guardian Hamonga,” she greeted the man. Hamonga seemed intimidating to most people, but Kelsie served with him and knew him well. It was in fact him, who suggested her name when a Guardian position opened up, the second-highest rank a person could achieve.

“Guardian Blackwood,” he turned to her. “We are just waiting on Guardian Tai.”

“Tai? Isn’t he on the way north to the front now?”

“He has been recalled, this meeting has the highest priority.”

Kelsie wanted to ask how something could have a higher priority than the ongoing war but didn’t get a chance. Guardian Tai just walked in, followed by Grand General Oscar Pawlowski. The room went silent, everyone standing at attention.

“At ease,” Pawlowski walked to the large table in the middle of the room and sat on one of the chairs. “Sit.” He was not known to waste time with extra words. When all gathered, he swiped on his datapad, sending a data stream to everyone in the room. “The situation is as follows. The Gateway in the system has reopened. So far nothing has come through. We have our sensors locked on that area of space and our small spaceships will take turns patrolling around it.”

The room was silent, everyone scrolling through the data, trying to hide their surprise. “We do not have any means to wage war in space. The spacecraft are for reconnaissance and small transport only, we don't have any bigger spaceships at our disposal. Our missiles can’t travel through space, our troop carriers cannot leave the atmosphere, the personal exoskeletons are not designed to protect from the hard vacuum,” Guardian Tai summed up what everyone else was thinking. “If we get attacked now, we are screwed.”

“Maybe we don’t necessarily have to start a new war with whoever is on the other side of the Gateways?” Coming from a scary figure like Hamonga, words of peace sounded almost ironic. “We could contact other colonies, establish trade routes. We are already at one war that is eating up all our resources. A second conflict, let alone with an advanced civilization, might pose a threat to all we have been building here.”

“It would be wise to gather as much information as possible,” Kelsie added. “We have been at war for 300 years, but others might have been at peace. They could have made huge technological progress in that time.”

“I agree,” Pawlowski interrupted her. “And you are wrong, Guardian Tai. We have one spaceship. The Revenant was originally meant to be the main transport vessel for the intended mining colony on the Donut, but it is being equipped with a small modular fusion reactor and armed with the biggest laser guns we have. It is not much, but at least it will not be going completely unarmed.”

“Going where?”

“Glad that you asked, Guardian Blackwood. The Revenant is going through the Gateway on a diplomatic and recon mission. Since we are a bit short on diplomats,” he grinned, “you will be leading that expedition.”

Kelsie stared at him, stunned by the fact that he actually made a joke. Short on diplomats. What the hell would we need diplomats for? Everyone who ever tried to negotiate with the natives (and there have been some so stupid in the early days of colonization) disappeared. There were findings of human bones with teeth marks, but never any survivors. Then Kelsie’s brain finally caught up with what the Great General actually said. She was supposed to lead this mission?

“The activities on the northern front are suspended until this situation is resolved. We will only keep garrison in the strongholds. The 8th and 9th are recalled back to the Citadel. I expect all of you to start working on ideas on how to deal with this new threat. Guardian Blackwood, you have your orders, all details on a separate data stream. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, sir,” Kelsie saluted and marched out of the room, catching a glimpse of Hamonga giving her thumbs up before the door closed behind her. What just happened?

---

The Revenant looked way better than Kelsie had expected. There were a lot of workers and technicians running around, welding this and cutting that. She left them to do their business and headed inside, throwing her bag onto one of the bunkbeds. There was no room for comfort, but she was used to this. A good quartermaster could actually cram even more people in there.

The engine room was one big mess, cables and pipes lying and hanging everywhere. Two technicians were tinkering with a huge box that was evidently not in the ship’s original plans. A young girl was directing them and Kelsie headed towards her. “Commander Harding?”

The girl turned to Kelsie but before she could say a word a slender man jumped from the corner. “That would be me, Guardian. Don’t mind this one, that is just my assistant.” He impatiently waved at the girl to get back to work. “Miss Petrova will be coming with us to erm… assist me.”

Kelsie noticed that he didn't use any rank when referring to the girl. So she was Rejected, and an exceptionally smart one to be allowed to work on such an important project. “So, this is your big invention, Commander?” Kelsie pointed towards the box.

Harding swelled with pride. “Yes, yes, my great invention. Portable cold fusion reactor, small enough to fit in here, but it will keep the ship going for years.”

“Weren’t these things only in the experimental phase? Is there any danger?” Kelsie had her doubts about using an untested technology on such a crucial mission.

The scientist scoffed. “I can assure you, that all MY inventions are perfectly safe, Guardian!”

Kelsie watched the assistant’s face and couldn’t miss a sad grin when Harding talked about HIS inventions. It was not uncommon for the scientists to find a very talented low-ranked or Rejected person to do all the work and just claim the credits. Kelsie found it disgusting, but it was officially not illegal. “Fine, fine. Let’s just hope that YOUR invention will at least get us into space without blowing the ship into pieces.”

She left the techies to their inventions and mysterious boxes and headed back to the top deck to greet the new arrivals. Four men and two women were unpacking their bags and chatting, all jumping up to attention when she walked in. A tall dark man made a step forward. “Squad 9-C-17 ‘The Reapers’, reporting as ordered, ma’am.”

“At ease, assholes,” Kelsie grinned.

“Well, well, look at her, how cocky she got with her new ranks and whatnot. Still, she calls us when she needs to have her ass covered,” one of the women laughed and mockingly saluted.

“I will let you cover my ass any time, Janice,” another man replied and winked at her.

“It is First Sergeant Springer to you, stupid tincan,” Janice hissed and threw a shoe at him.

“Some things never change,” Kelsie smiled. “Make sure you have all your gear and weapons safely stored. Did they give you the hard vacuum suit and gun upgrades?”

“Well, they made some tinkering to it, we haven’t tested it yet.”

“Let’s hope we won’t have to. This is supposed to be a diplomatic mission, you guys are here just in case something goes wrong.” Kelsie was no diplomat, so she expected a lot of things to go wrong.

“Aaand we are back to the ass-covering.”

Kelsie laughed and left them to their bickering. She knew she could count on them, they had been in countless missions together and always pulled through, although not always without losses. There was just one crew member missing now.

A young man walked up the ramp to the ship, a standard military bag over his shoulder. “Cap… Major David Parker reporting for duty,” he saluted her.

“Welcome on board,” Kelsie smiled. “I see you are enjoying your promotion.” She did eventually remember his last name and when it came to choosing the person who will be piloting the ship, she picked him. He had a lot of experience flying with shuttles in enemy territories and an impressive number of pterro takedowns. Plus, this could be a long mission and it was always useful to have some ‘entertainment’ at hand.

---

Everything on the ship was shaking as they were leaving the atmosphere, but it held together, no explosions or other mishaps. The crew gathered on the bridge to take one last glimpse of the planet. “It looks so peaceful from up here,” Kelsie said quietly. “Anyway, we should get going. Major Parker, is everything ready to go?”

“All systems are in green, ma’am. We had a small leak of the cooling agent, but Commander Harding is taking care of it and says it is not a problem.”

Kelsie rolled her eyes. “If he says so. Let’s go then.”

The Revenant passed two small shuttles patrolling the area around the Gateway. As the ship came closer to it, the Gateway interface popped up on their displays, offering a list of available locations. “Well we all know where we need to go first,” Kelsie pointed at one word at the top of the list. Earth.

---

“Well, this sucks,” Janice summed up what everyone else was thinking as they stared down on the cradle of all mankind. The planet was completely devoid of all life, no water or vegetation visible anywhere, no life detectable. The stations and satellites that once orbited it were either gone or heavily damaged, drifting aimlessly through space.

“I am detecting another ship,” Parker pointed at one of the screens. “It seems to be a small shuttle, and…,” he pressed a few buttons, “it is transmitting a message.”

"Hail, those that still voyage through the stars. We are one of the lost colonies, eager to meet our own kind. Please, we mean no harm."

People on the bridge looked at each other. Shivers ran down Kelsie’s spine, but she was trained not to show any emotions. “Open a channel. The Revenant to the unknown ship. This is Guardian Kelsie Blackwood. We are also representatives of one of the colonies and I have to say we are happy to see we weren’t the only ones to survive. We are looking to establish friendly relations and possible trade routes.” Kelsie ended the transmission and took a deep breath. “Take us closer to that shuttle, but slowly, we don't want to spook them.”

@Irredeemable

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@Timemaster Oh sorry, I didnt really read all the nation sheets in detail before making mine. I can change that if you want, it is not a problem. And they arent really using it as a name, it is more of a description of a group of people than an official label.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Undefeated

The Undefeated

Government Form:
Military dictatorship

Demographics and Population:
650 million humans - 500 million Troops and around 150 million Rejected
400 million Screechers enslaved in labor camps and an unknown number living in the unconquered areas (estimated about 2-3 billion)

---

Planet Name and Description: FT-8PO III - Ellara

At first sight from space, this planet might remind you of Earth. It has vast oceans surrounding several continents and countless islands, thick jungles as well as temperate forests, wide rivers as well as small streams, dry deserts as well as fertile lowlands. But do not be mistaken. This planet is hell. EVERYTHING here will try to kill you. Vast oceans are filled with creatures that would make megalodons cover and run in fear. The mainland is home to various predators - resembling Earth's felines, canines, reptiles, avians. You name it, Ellara has it. Of course, not all animals are first-hand dangerous. Some will just make their way into your storage facilities and eat or destroy all your food. Others will be attracted to the scent of fuel so badly, they will commit mass suicides drowning in your fuel tanks, rendering the content unusable. Some will just try to eat a tiny piece of you or suck your blood. Yes, alien mosquitos. Do I need to say more? How about a corroding fungus? Pollen that dissolves your mucous membrane and makes you sneeze blood until you die? Aggressive natives? I think you got the idea. No surprise that the ship's captain decided to call the planet after his ex-wife.

Three moons orbit Ellara. The smaller two are just lifeless useless rocks that might look pretty in the night sky but add no real value to the colony. The third (nicknamed Donut for its unusual shape) however carries large ore deposits easily accessible from its surface.

History:
When the SS Proxima exited the gateway near a beautiful, habitable planet, the colonists couldn't believe their luck. The ship landed a few hundred miles off the equator, on a flat area near an enormous lake. All the colonization procedures were started and 370 000 excited people swarmed out of the ship. Land, aerial, and water survey teams were dispatched to scout the immediate area. Other groups unloaded cargo, builders started to assemble prefabricated shelters brought from Earth; founding the city of New Haven. The basic infrastructure was ready in just a couple of hours and everything was looking great for the new colony.

The first sign of trouble was losing contact with the survey teams. One by one they failed to report. Only two teams ever returned, although you can hardly call it a return in either case. One heavily damaged hovercraft crashed on the outskirts of the new city, none of the crew survived. And a couple of hours later one man tottered out of the treeline. The scout was delirious, his body horribly swollen, fever clouding his mind. He kept mumbling something about trees and screeches and died just a few hours later. The next morning, 18 people reported feeling sore and swollen joints and having a fever. By evening it was 600. The 'Elbow fever' swept through the population during the following weeks, with an alarming death toll of over 70 000 people. And while the devastated population was trying to recover, a new threat came.

Even though the initial scans of the planet didn't show any signs of technology, it didn't mean it was uninhabited. The locals were primitive humanoids, comparable to humans of the Late Stone age. They were taller and considerably stronger than an average human, their long limbs allowed them to be incredibly agile. If their race had a name, they didn't bother to share it. They showed no interest in communicating with their new neighbors and immediately began to attack them. The natives were well adjusted to the local environment and could move through the terrain almost unnoticed, making it nearly impossible for the colonists to follow when they retreated. Even though armed only with primitive weapons, mostly spears and clubs, their brutal attacks claimed many lives. Given the huge technological advantage that New Haven residents had, the locals died by hundreds, even thousands. And yet there always seemed to be more coming.

As no war was expected when founding a new colony, only about 5% of the original SS Proxima crew were professional soldiers. Another 10% had some degree of military training but had never been in real combat before. There were enough scientists, teachers, people of countless imaginable arts and crafts, builders, farmers, even philosophers, economists, politicians were in abundance. But there weren't enough people capable (and willing) to fight. Even at that time, voices were demanding to stop the violence against the 'helpless primitives' and to start a dialogue with them. This pacifist wing was small but very loud, always questioning every decision that the newly founded parliament made, stalling it by endless debates about the value of all lives.

The democratic system was showing its greatest flaws and people kept dying. The captain of the SS Proxima Grant Park and the military commander general Erling Thorsen couldn't sit by and watch it any longer. They gathered what remained of the military units and took control of New Haven. The parliament was dissolved, martial law declared and all power was transferred to Park, Thorsen and a group of high-ranked officers called the Guardians. Every able man or woman was drafted and trained in combat. Unnecessary buildings were dismantled and used to build fortifications around the city center. New Haven slowly started to transform into what later became known as the Citadel. Those who opposed the new system were quickly dealt with - a few public executions for the biggest trouble makers and years of forced labor for the rest.

As the colony expanded, slowly pushing the locals away from their territories, there was an increased need for a workforce. Even though every person who for whatever reason failed to join the military was given some 'lower' manual labor job, it still wasn't enough to fill all the positions in newly opened mines, farms, or factories. Thorsen and the Guardians decided to start capturing the enemies whenever possible and putting them to work. Captain Park was against it, objecting against the brutal force that had to be used on natives to make them compliant. He was quickly pushed out of the leading position and when he tried to raise his voice in public, his heart suddenly gave out. During the hero's funeral general Thorsen held a long speech, in which he declared the newly founded country to be a military state. The nation of the Undefeated had only one goal - to take control of the entire planet eliminating all threats it would come across. The speech was met with thunderous applause.

Now, almost 300 years later The Undefeated control most of the central continent save from a few harder accessible areas in which smaller groups of natives may still be hiding. There are small strongholds along the coast of the northern continent and heavily armed divisions frequently venture inland to 'clear out' any threats and make room for more expansion.

Culture and Society:
Society is heavily focused on warfare, military aspects influence every part of people's lives. All children attend military academies and their skills are continuously tested, focusing mostly on strength, stamina, agility, and combat theory. Those who fail to pass these tests are expelled and become members of the lower 'caste' of people - the Rejected. The Rejected are still considered citizens but are only allowed to get simple and manual labor jobs and are generally despised by the rest of the population. There is one exception - Rejected that are exceptionally intelligent can obtain assistant positions in scientific facilities.

Aside from military success, science is the only other area in which a person might gain some social status. After the war with the natives started, the science was heavily focused on warfare, but as the situation became more stable, it allowed the scientists to also focus on improving medicine, farming technology, and other areas that were deemed useful for the new nation.

The culture on Ellara is unsurprisingly focused on all kinds of sports. The Olympics are held each year and several smaller races or tournaments in whatever you can think of are split evenly in between. It is common to see people workout in parks, there are multiple shooting ranges in each neighborhood. Art is not forbidden, but it is considered to be entertainment for the losers and unworthy - anyone who wants to climb through the ranks cannot be seen watching a theatrical play or painting a picture.

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Governance and Politics:
The whole nation is controlled by the military. The highest position is the Grand General, supported by a group of 12 high-ranking officers called the Guardians. They have absolute power over everything that goes on in the whole country. These positions are usually held till death (or until physical condition no longer allows them to perform the duties).
On lower levels, the power is distributed according to military ranks.

Technology Overview:
For a long time, the technology level (aside from military technology) remained the same as it was on Earth. Some progress has been made since the Undefeated started to win the war and push the enemy away from the Citadel. The discovery of modular fusion reactors allowed new towns and strongholds to quickly become self-reliant. Currently, the researchers focus on making it small enough so it could be used to power smaller aircraft or troop carriers.

The field of medicine was crucial throughout history, from the very beginning when the Elbow fever was decimating the population and then during the endless conflicts with the natives. Progress was made in traumatology, tissue regeneration, transplants, prosthetics, antibiotics, and many other areas.

The main focus has always been on the main planet and so research of space flight and associated technologies is currently on the same level as it was when the colony ship left Earth. The Undefeated have several smaller spacecrafts that have been used to explore the planet's satellites and preparations are underway to start a mining colony on the biggest moon.

Military Overview:
The Undefeated military system is very complex and the whole society revolves around it. All adult citizens (except for the Rejected) are considered troops and have a military rank. The troops are assigned into divisions that rotate in being deployed into hot zones. Each division is split into several squadrons which then divide into platoons and squads. Some squadrons are specialized in different types of combat, some are medical or engineering units.

Most troops fight as heavily armed infantry. Equipped with a protective exoskeleton, they are shielded not just from enemy spears and arrows, but also from some of the aggressive wildlife. It also helps them to match the strength of the natives, should hand-to-hand combat occur. They can be armed with automatic laser weapons, projectile sidearms, different types of grenades, rocket launchers, flame throwers, or whatever else is necessary for a given environment. The troops are transported in armored hovercrafts, aircrafts, or amphibious transporters.

Long-range artillery and strategic bombers are often used to destroy enemies from a safe distance, using either conventional explosive missiles, or chemical and biological weapons. Even though the enemy doesn't possess flight technologies, the airspace is far from safe. Large reptiles similar to pterodactyls roam the skies of the equatorial area in great numbers and will attack anything that disrupts their territory. Northern regions are inhabited by smaller birds of prey, not a huge threat to the aircraft, but strong wind and violent storms are a constant danger here.