Administrative Conflicts

Just a few seconds of electronic tampering with my brain after a long hibernation and now I’m fully alert and conscious. Just in time for the arrival of my transport to the Altairian starbase orbiting Devos II. This huge starbase made by the Altairian civilization seems as huge as ever. It’s beautiful apparent natural shape form resembling a seashell distracts the first time visitors from the fact that it holds the biggest know Altairian war fleet, and it has repelled in the past by itself two full incursions of the Republic’s fleets into Altairian space. Most humans that know something about this place think of it as dreadful, but they just don’t know how amazing and beautiful the base is from the inside. It’s quite difficult to describe everything I have seen on all my years living here but just saying that the entire Altairian population on this stellar system is born inside the base explains why they defend this position with all their strength.

The smile I was carrying during the docking process has now faded. I can’t go to the embassy directly to see my family that has been waiting for me almost three months. No negotiations or meetings are made inside since the Altairian Administrator can’t physically enter there. So I must go directly to the Starbase Control Center to meet him and carry away the "negotiations". An in-base transport has already taken me to the group of braincell-like shaped buildings near the core of the base going through the neuron net like web that interconnects all buildings in this internal city. During the travel I try to reflect on what I was told back on Earth. I’m perplexed by my government response to the current events and the message they want me to deliver to the Administrator. So important is the message that the Republic didn’t want any military hothead intercept the message if it had been transmitted in a more conventional way. Not that I’m surprised by the events that leaded to my travel to Earth. I have b een aware of everything that happens between the Sol Republic and the Galactic Commonwealth. I just didn’t expect the Republic’s Parliament would act as the Administrator foretold.

As I walk inside this huge building that stands before me I watch the small six-eyed gecko like creatures crawl over the walls and into the holes that surround the building. Those small creatures are the Altairians, actually just one of the many species that form part of their civilization, but the only ones that are inhabit this spacestation. I continue walking carelessly without escort toward the center of the building since there is mutual trust between the Administrator and I. The crystal wall in front of me fades out like heated plastic until the hole made acquires the shape of a perfectly designed oval entrance welcoming me. Inside lies that huge enigmatic totem-like monolith I first met 7 years ago. Once inside, it greets me in a very human fashion with a soft unhuman voice, "How was your voyage?" I respond in an automatic way, "Fine, thanks." Soon after that small friendly exchange of words, I decide to recite the message recorded in my brain implant. "The Parliament has acknowledged the Republic’ s current situation. The economy is nearly collapsed; our scientific and technological research is reversing, despite the amount of resources the government has spent on it; the extrasolar colonies are on the brink of revolt and, our military forces lack both organization and resources to continue this long war against your civilization."