Endurion: Senate Sanctorum – Planetary Intervention Protocol
Empress Aeryssia spent the next hour outlining key sections of the Planetary Intervention Protocol that were applicable to the Situation Report. There was much conversation and debate amongst the members of the Senate while they sought to understand it fully. The Empress called for a recess to allow time for everyone to reflect on the circumstances prior to the assembly’s next session. The Protocol specified that a two-phase ballot would need to be conducted by the Senate and that it was mandatory for every Senate member to participate.
An hour later, the Senate reassembled and the Empress explained, “Phase One of the ballot is necessary for us to establish whether or not intervention will be undertaken on Andorayan Sanctuarium. I therefore ask that each of you cast your vote accordingly. The deliberation period will be five minutes and I remind you that abstention is not permissible.”
She gestured towards the two options shown in the hologram, which were also mirrored on the glide surfaces in front of the Senators. The options were:
Option 1: Non-intervention – Let the planet and its inhabitant species run their natural course without any interference
Option 2: Remedial Intervention – Implement remedial measures to restore the planet’s environmental equilibrium
Each Senator placed a hand under a small, opaque dome that emerged from the glide surfaces. There were two icons, which corresponded to Options 1 and 2.
By the time the deliberation period was over, all the Senate members had voted and the results for Phase One were shown. Just seven votes had been cast in favour of ‘Non-intervention’; while 35 votes favoured ‘Remedial Intervention’. There was a marked sense of relief from those who supported the vote’s outcome. Some had feared that the result would be much closer, or even lean the other way. This showed just how concerned the Senate members were about the situation.
The Empress continued, “Very well then, Phase One of the ballot clearly indicates that the Senate majority is in favour of remedial intervention. Thus, we will move straight on to Phase Two of the ballot, where it is our duty to select the most appropriate course of intervention to follow. The three remedial intervention options, or ‘remedial threat removal’ options as they are referred to in the Planetary Intervention Protocol, are shown here.” The Empress pointed towards the options shown in the hologram:
Intervention Level; Remedial Threat Removal Options; Description; Remedial Action
Level 1; Total Threat Removal; Remove threat in its entirety; None required
Level 2; Selective Threat Removal; Selective removal of threat; Issue Environmental Restoration Strategy – non-compliance subject to remediation and possible escalation of Intervention Level
Level 3; Suspended Threat Removal; Suspended removal of threat; Issue Environmental Restoration Strategy – non-compliance subject to remediation and possible escalation of Intervention Level
The Empress commented, “Note that each of these three options reflects a respective Intervention Level in terms of ‘threat mitigation severity’ – with Level 1 being the most severe option, and Level 3 being the least severe. The degree of risk that the Senate is prepared to accept will ultimately dictate which option is voted upon and exercised.”
She elaborated, “The first option, Total Threat Removal, offers the highest probability of success in restoring the planet’s environment. It stipulates comprehensive removal of the entire dominant species’ population from the planet, without their knowledge. This would immediately remove the source of this ‘environmental displacement’ problem. The effect would be all-encompassing, which is highly desirable, as this would ensure the fastest and most efficient route for the planet to re-establish its environmental equilibrium. This option would also nullify any risk of legacy issues, such as the dominant species reverting to their old ways at some point in the future.”
The Senate members weighed the option’s numerous pros against its major con: complete removal of an intelligent species.
The Empress then described the third option, “The Suspended Threat Removal option, has the least probability of success. Removal of the dominant species is suspended while its entire population is subjected to ‘remedial action’. This involves the issuing of an ‘Environmental Restoration Strategy’ (ER Strategy) to the dominant species, which prescribes a register of conditions and targets necessary for planetary environmental restoration to be achieved. This option relies solely on the dominant species changing and managing its behaviour in accordance with this ER Strategy.
“It would also require considerable effort from the Federation in terms of drafting the ER Strategy and regularly reviewing the species’ compliance thereto. It would also be a much slower process for re-establishing environmental equilibrium; have a higher degree of extinction casualty; and require the full cooperation of the dominant species – in spite of the moderation and hardship that will be experienced. All of these factors add significantly to this option’s complexity and risk. If the species achieves the ER Strategy’s targets, then remedial threat removal would be suspended indefinitely. But if it does not and environmental deterioration continues, the intervention level would have to be escalated to either Selective or Total Threat Removal, depending on the circumstances.”
The Senate members weighed the option’s high degree of risk against the benefit of offering the intelligent species time to reform.
The Empress continued, “The second option, Selective Threat Removal, has a success probability that varies according to the selection ratio. It stipulates the instantaneous removal of a predetermined portion of the dominant species’ population from the planet, with the remaining population being subjected to an ER Strategy. This option is a precisely calculated compromise between the first and third options. We have been informed by our exploration team that the optimum extent of remedial threat removal, would be 40% of the species’ current population. The remaining 60% would be allowed to remain, but would have to comply with our ER Strategy.”
The Senate members considered the practicality of the option. It held a fair degree of appeal, barring one key aspect … how the remaining population would respond to the partial removal of their species. In all likelihood, the outcome would result in unpredictable and even dangerous knock-on effects.
Endurion: Senate Sanctorum – Consideration
The Empress continued, “Clearly highlighted in the Situation Report, is that for every day this dominant species continues to drive this planet towards its implosion point, it will take exponentially longer for its environment to recover. For instance, if the Total Threat Removal option were to be exercised today, it would take approximately 1 000 years for the planet to restore its environmental equilibrium. This recovery time doubles every second year that the destruction is allowed to continue.”
A graph showed the exponential impact that delayed remedial intervention would have on environmental recovery. Two years of continued destruction would require 2 000 years for recovery, 10 years would require 32 000 years, while 20 years would require over a million years. By 22 years, the planet’s environment would be pushed beyond its implosion point, rendering it irrecoverable and placing it on a rapidly accelerating path of collapse.
A senior Senator addressed the Empress, “Your Majesty, from what I’ve seen, it is evident that the planet’s threatening species needs to be totally removed. This is the only way to ensure that this extraordinary destruction is brought to an immediate end. It is our duty to protect the planet’s other inhabiting species, as they appear to be completely defenceless against this onslaught. If we spare this dominant species, then we are actually condemning almost all other life on the planet to continued depopulation and eventual extinction.
“Besides this, for what reason should we show this species any compassion or mercy? Look at what they’ve done! It is completely unacceptable! This is life-annihilation on a scale never before witnessed in the known galaxy. It is ou
r obligation to minimise further extinction casualties and maximise the probability of the planet’s long-term survival.”
A female Senator sitting adjacent to him spoke out in support of his point, “A reprehensible factor for me is that this intelligent species has, for almost a century, been in possession of impressively accurate environmental data forecasting their planet’s gradual collapse. But in spite of this, they persist with their destructive practices, while taking virtually no meaningful steps to prevent the self-inflicted tragedy from unfolding. The species majority appears to remain either disbelieving or ignorant of the enormity of the problem facing them – possibly through fear, or even for the sake of convenience.”
She continued, “The situation would be easier to understand if the species was oblivious to the problem, but the fact is, they are fully aware of it and will not or cannot deal with it on the scale that is required. It shows gross negligence and culpability on their part and is a disgraceful indictment of their species.”
Various Senators voiced their agreement with the statements.
The Empress spoke again, “Now this is where it becomes even more complicated. Various sections of the dominant species’ population acknowledge their responsibility for the problem and have taken proactive steps to resolve it. They have made substantial efforts to reduce their environmental impact through various renewable energy and geoengineering programmes. Surely these examples of good intent should stand in favour of either the Suspended or Selective Threat Removal options?”
The senior Senator responded, “Understood, Your Majesty. But they appear to have ignored the most basic and important governing principle of any intelligent species: to maintain a carefully calculated sustainable population size. Surely they realise that an ever-increasing population will ultimately destroy their finite planet. Looking at the constitutional and legislative frameworks of this world’s numerous territories, only one territory has suitable measures in place to manage their population’s procreation rate.”
The Empress replied, “Senator, perhaps this should be our primary area of remedial action then, should it not? We could specify population management targets within the Environmental Restoration Strategy. These would need to be met in accordance with strict deadlines. This would assist the species in slowing and reversing their current population growth rate. If one territory has succeeded, it is probable that others will follow.”
The Senator argued, “Your Majesty, the success of a single territory shouldn’t mislead you into assuming that all other territories will willingly conform to similar population management systems. Even though this species appears to be intelligent, we shouldn’t over-estimate its readiness to accept the principle of population management, especially considering this species’ historical and current perceptions of it.”
The Empress countered, “This can be overcome, Senator. Once the species has been persuaded of their planet’s impending environmental collapse, it would, in all likelihood, willingly adopt population management to prevent its own extinction. I strongly believe that the species has not adopted it yet, simply because they remain unconvinced of the environmental disaster’s reality. But even if this is not the case and the species is not willing to adopt population management, in spite of our irrefutable evidence, the applied ER Strategy will stipulate its necessity.”
The Senator responded, “Your Majesty, you show too much faith in a species that really doesn’t deserve it. Consider every harmful thing it has done – and continues to do! It simply lacks the collective willpower to implement the far-reaching changes that are required – most probably out of fear that its unsustainable way of life would have to be moderated. This increases the already high risk of failure associated with the Suspended and Selective Threat Removal options.”
The Empress replied, “Point taken, Senator. But with respect to these two options, the application of the ER Strategy mitigates this high risk. It specifies a list of conditions and targets that the species would need to implement and comply with. The species would be informed that if its population does not comply with the ER Strategy, they will reap the consequence of ‘remediation’, which refers to the corrective realignment of all non-compliant areas with their targets.”
One of the older Senators spoke, “Your Majesty, do you honestly believe that the species will accept an Environmental Restoration Strategy of this nature?”
The Empress stressed, “Senator, when faced with the option of certain suffering and extinction through ecological collapse, or adopting the ER Strategy, the species will likely opt for the latter. It would give them a second chance for a future and they would be foolish not to grasp it. But since environmental collapse is not an option for us, the ER Strategy will be enforced on the species’ population, irrespective of their opinion.”
The older Senator commented, “Considering the extent of this desperate situation, the degree of lifestyle-moderation required of the species to fully comply with the ER Strategy would border on cruelty. This, in my opinion, further supports the Total Threat Removal option: it would be instantaneous and would negate inevitable long-term hardships for the species.”
The point was discussed by the Senate members. They agreed that both the Suspended and Selective Threat Removal options would cause hardship, but if the Senate members had to make a choice for themselves, between a moderated life and total removal, they would opt for a moderated life – irrespective of the hardship.
The Empress moved on. “With respect to the ER Strategy, periodic ‘Interim Compliance Reviews’ would need to be carried out to assess the species’ progress in complying with the register of conditions and targets. In the event of non-compliance, the Senate would need to decide on the degree of remediation required and on whether or not to escalate the intervention level. Thus, we should not be too hasty to vote on Total Threat Removal, since this escalation option will be available to us at future Senate assemblies.”
She continued in the same vein for some time, but the older Senators weren’t swayed by what she said. There was one key question that still needed to be addressed: how many cohabitating species was the Senate prepared to sacrifice in their effort to save this single intelligent species? They regarded every species as having an equal right to exist in the galaxy, yet their attempt to spare this intelligent one would undoubtedly cause the extinction of numerous other species. Even if the environmental equilibrium was eventually re-established, how many precious species might be lost during the time it took to achieve it?
This was the core dilemma facing the Senate members. There was also no doubt in their minds that the Total Threat Removal option was the worst case scenario for the dominant species. But looking at their actions to date, there was more than enough evidence to warrant it. The dominant species had used their intellectual advantage to the detriment of all their cohabitating species, which they obviously viewed as inferior to themselves. They had had their opportunity to rule over this wondrous planet and they had abused it – and now their fate hung in the balance.
The meeting continued for another hour, while they discussed the pros and cons of each of the three remedial threat removal options. The Suspended and Selective Removal options were debated at length, but the general feeling amongst the Senators was that the risk of failure was unacceptably high for both and that neither would necessarily deliver the optimum result.
The time arrived for the Senate to vote. The Empress brought the open discussion to a close and explained the ballot procedure. The right to abstain from the vote was again withheld, as per the Protocol. Time could not be afforded for frivolous political games; every hour counted and they could not risk a compromised vote. It was not an easy decision and many of the Senate members were still torn between all three options. They knew what was at stake and they also knew that if the planet’s environment collapsed, it would be regarded as the greatest galactic cataclysm of all time. The Federation could not afford failure and every Senator knew it. But there
was also the fate of 10 billion intelligent lives to consider. All innocent in their own eyes, but guilty beyond any reasonable doubt in the eyes of the Senate.
Phase Two of the ballot began. Some Senators entered their choice immediately, while others took their time to carefully reconsider the options. Just 24 minutes were required for all the Senate members to cast their votes.
The Empress stepped up onto the platform. She had a heavy feeling that she already knew what the verdict was going to be. She prompted the orbonic projector to reveal the ballot results, and a moment later they were shown for all to see. She was stunned by what was revealed.
Observatory Spacecraft: Contemplation
Commander Trennor was waiting patiently for a message from Empress Aeryssia in response to his Council’s Situation Report. He felt certain that their recommendations would have been followed, and that the Empress’s update would contain the Galacian Senate’s intervention verdict.
He was convinced that the first phase of the Senate’s vote would sway toward remedial intervention, especially in light of the ‘extreme risk’ facing the planet. But speculating on which of the three remedial threat removal options would secure the second phase’s majority vote was not so easy. He suspected that the conservative wing of the Senate would push the vote towards the Total Threat Removal option, but nothing was certain. The Commander had thus prepared himself mentally to execute any one of the three options.
He understood the weight of responsibility that each Senator had at that very moment. Should the majority vote be in favour of Comprehensive or Selective Threat Removal, then those who had voted for it would forever have to bear the burden of their decision on their consciences. This was not to be underestimated, even if it were to be shared across multiple Senate members.
Wake-up Call: 2035 Page 7