Age of Cosmic Exploration, 4

by Zhttty

  "What? The House of Representatives is discussing the validity of the Confinement Order?"

  This was after the long celebration and Yao Yuan was back at the captain’s room going through the documents that had piled up over time. This was his response when he heard Barbie updated him on things that were happening on the political end.

  Barbie waved her hands with much frustration as she added, "Well, it’s not actually entered the official discussion yet. It’s just that some of the representatives are questioning the validity of the Confinement Order on the side, and a select few of them had some… less than pleasurable views."

  Yao Yuan smiled as he put down the document. "Go into the details. We’ve worked with each other for so long; you know I’m not the kind of person to order political execution."

  Barbie hesitated before revealing, "These people are saying the reason the government is not doing away with the Confinement Order is because it wants to continue its autocratic reign of the Hope’s citizens. It is afraid that when people start colonizing the new planet, the new countries and governments will pose a threat to the government’s authority and validity. The Confinement Order is to ensure that the people will not have the sovereignty and a land to call its own so that it will not be threatening to the Hope’s government…"

  Yao Yuan lost his smile, and his expression gradually became serious. After a long while, he said, "They’re right. The Hope’s government was indeed created in a rush, and we eventually have to open the home planet to the people… In that case, I believe the time is ripe to create an actual and valid central government. I can’t allow the same thing that happened on Earth to repeat itself on this planet, so the creation of hundreds of countries is impossible! Mankind does need a government, and the arrival of a new home planet means that we no longer have to wander around aimlessly in space and expose ourselves to various dangers. As long as there is no civil war on a gigantic scale, it is safe to say that human civilization will not meet its end, especially after we’ve entered the 4th revolution…

  "So, after the mass release of the Ultimate Vaccine, we should think about setting up the constitution."

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  Chapter184 The Starting Plan

  However, setting up a constitution was more complicated than saying it out loud.

  The constitution was the groundwork for the country in which it will be implemented. When its government violates its constitution, it means that the government has started to rot from its core. Therefore, the constitution is going to decide the path the country is going to take for as long as the country is alive. How to draft a good constitution and ensure that it is paired with a reliable executive power is something that has to be discussed over a long period of time. For the Hope, that period would be as long as 10 years.

  To be frank, Yao Yuan had no intention of retiring; he wanted to continue governing for the next 100 years. After all, according to the doctors, with the genetic mesomeric technology, he could live well into his 200s. He was the perfect candidate for presidency, and moreover, he was not one to do things half way. Since the responsibility to lead mankind fell onto his shoulders, he felt it was only responsible for him to continue on doing it to the best of his ability.

  Under his leadership, he promised that mankind would have a strong, powerful, and most importantly, united government. The government would not allow the things that transpired on Earth to repeat itself. A small planet with over 100 countries. Each keeping technological secrets and resources from one another, causing international frictions that eventually led to wars. Yao Yuan’s government would not allow that to happen.

  Of course, a unified government came with its own downfalls too, the most conspicuous being the lack of individual autonomy…

  The political sphere of 21st century Earth might have had its own slew of problem, but there is one good thing that is worth admiring: the freedom of choice. With the exception of the few isolated countries, residents of most countries had the choice to migrate to another country if the ideals of their original country’s government couldn’t fit their worldview.

  However, if there is only one government, even though there won’t be the complicated issue of diplomacy, once the government starts to rot and become autocratic, the leaders of such a government usually have control over the military, so the citizens will have no choice but to suffer silently and indefinitely as slaves!

  It is thanks to the freedom of choice that free market became a possibility. Politically speaking, it also encourages healthy competition between governments. The possibility of having a closed-off autocratic country is greatly lowered because other countries would step in to intervene. It might not even be an active intervention because the country will eventually fall into starvation when it is isolated by the international community. One of the most important assets of a country is its citizens. This is because they are the sole force that will bring the government’s vision into fruition. Suppressing them is never a good idea when one wishes for a vibrant and powerful country.

  In other words, Yao Yuan still had a lot of things to be done.

  First, with the arrival of the home planet, mankind could no longer survive under the same governing system as they had on the Hope. To hold a spaceship full of people from different backgrounds together, Yao Yuan had to rely on an autocratic system, to pull the Hope’s citizens together with one voice.

  However, with the home planet, it was expected that mankind would not unnecessarily risk migration through the wide cosmos in the next hundred or even thousands of years. This was due to the uncertainty of the warp system. They could warp out of the planet, but it would be impossible for them to return. Furthermore, their 4th revolution stage meant that they still hadn’t mastered curvature navigation, which meant that their range of travel was limited to the star system within the next hundreds to thousands of years.

  Then again, that was already a big enough space to explore. The star system they were in had 8 planets, of which 5 were terrestrial and 3 were gas giants. There were 2 meteorite clusters and about 19 moons. Other than the ruined Moon 2, all of the other celestial entities represented important resources. The 4th revolution allowed mankind to terraform planets, but it was limited by the distance from the sun. Temperature was a verifiable worry. Luckily, they had another technology: construction of underground space stations. In other words, other than the gas giants, any other terrestrial planets in the system could be colonized by mankind.

  Even though the Hope currently had several tens of thousands people, if there was no giant natural disaster, based on mankind’s medical technology, the government’s policy, birth support, as well as an elongated lifespan, it would not be crazy to expect the number to grow up to ten million people.

  In conclusion, the Hope’s way of governing couldn’t be continued. Even though it could still carry on with Yao Yuan’s high popularity and pressure from the military, forced autocracy could only go on for another 10 years before mutiny occurred.

  Therefore, the creation of a valid government, the construction of the government’s various departments, as well as a more democratic governing system were necessary…

  "…No, the republic system is, theoretically speaking, a forced political compromise. This has been obvious since the Ancient Greeks’ time. It is because the multiple tribes were so close to each other in power that they couldn’t possibly find an agreeable leader that they settled on a circle of elders which eventually evolved into the known republic system. If we select from the more modern countries, it is almost similar to how Washington envisioned America…"

  "Academician An… It is too rash to equate the Greek’s republic system with Washington’s. They might have the same roots, but the eras they were born in were too different for us to equate them as one and the same. I’ll be the first to admit that there are various loopholes when it comes to the American political system, but it is
not without its positive points as well…"

  "Both respected learners, I still feel it is best that we draft the policies according to the Hope’s current situation. It is of no use for us to refer back to these old systems when we’re in a completely brand new environment…"

  These were the arguments put forwards by the group of political science experts, sociologists, and the Hope’s current government leaders. This was not the first time they had the discussion about the Hope’s government future governing policies, but each of the experts had their own opinions. Since the policy would decide the constitution which would then form the country for possibly thousands of years, none was willing to compromise. Even within the widely accepted separation of power policy, there were nuanced differences that separated the experts into opposing groups. It was practically wishful thinking for one to want them to discuss these things with an open mind.

  This was half a month after the 3 mother nest embryos were burnt. The Hope was still floating at an elevation of 3,000 meters above the ground. However, the Hope had moved from its initial location of the battlefield to a delta plain.

  This was a location that was similar to the Amazon plateau. It had a 1 kilometer wide river snaking through it before separating into streams as it met the ocean. This unique environment created verdant grasslands and a lush forest further inland. The location had access to fresh water and a deep riverbed that was suitable for transportation. The lagoons near the ocean that would be perfect for piers. In other words, it was the perfect spot for a starting city.

  In Xiao Niao’s terms, this would be a good city tile. If only there was a luxury item tile, like iron, gold, diamond, or sugar nearby, then it would be perfect.

  Viewed from the Hope’s window, everyone could see the blue ocean that stretched to the horizon and the green knolls as well as woodlands. The untouched slice of nature was at least 100 times better than Earth’s Hawaii or Eagean Sea.

  It was a natural paradise!

  This spot was selected after extensive discussion between Yao Yuan and the two Thinkers, as well as many academicians, researchers, scientists, and Guang Zhen. They all agreed that this was a suitable spot to rebuild human civilization.

  First, the open grassland allowed them to easily notice approaching threat, be it ambush from the alien or native animals.

  Second, there was a supply of fresh water, and the close distance to the sea meant that there would be easy salvage of marine products. The forest nearby also offered fresh meats…

  This was the first step of the starting plan, the selection of mankind’s new capital!

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  Chapter185 Level 2 All-Rounder

  "Hey Jerry, did you hear? The defense unit brought a fish-like creature with feet back to the Hope today," a teen yelled as he waved to another teen a distance away.

  Jerry was flipping through the documents in his hands. It detailed the freshwater consumption used by Street C that was on the Hope’s second floor, since he was second floor Street A, B, C, and D’s water and electricity manager. Other than the usual road maintenance, his job entailed him revising the electricity and water consumption on the 1st of every month for the 4 streets before sending them to the Department of Water and Electricity.

  When the other teen yelled out his name, he put down the document and said indifferently, "Tom, don’t get too excited for nothing. The fish came in a sealed plastic bag, right? They won’t even allow the water from outside the Hope come into contact with anything inside the Hope, much less the fish itself."

  Tom sidled up to Jerry with a face full of smiles. "I’m just trying to chat with you. Why the long face so early in the morning? Even if you gave the fish for me to eat, I don’t think I’d have the guts to eat it anyway. Who knows what will happen after you eat it? Maybe your body will be infested with parasites, or you’ll be changed into a mutant fish! How scary would that be? I, for one, will not go near that fish, much less eat it, but you know those chinks…"

  Jerry shot him a fiery glance, and Tom coughed as he corrected himself. "Those Chinese people are discussing what kind of tasty animals would they find on this planet! Oh my god, do their heads not go beyond the matters of food?"

  Jerry frowned and he rebuked Tom. "How could you say something like that, Tom? I remember your Chinese neighbors treating your family to a scrumptious meal when you first moved into this residential area. Stop being so judgmental and racist; you’re not so good yourself, a ruffian."

  Tom kept smiling, unaffected by Jerry’s admonishment. "Well, I’m only 18, and there are still 6 more years before the required age for me to find a job. The only thing I need to focus on is my studies. Furthermore, both my parents are in the Academy, so they have impressive benefits and salary. Alas, they spend their whole days researching this and that, so it has to fallen on their son to spend their H-coins, or else wouldn’t it be a waste?"

  Jerry ignored him and went back to his documents. He jotted down a few notes.

  Tom waited for Jerry to pick up the thread of conversation, but when he didn’t, Tom continued, "Actually, Jerry, I don’t understand why you are out here working at your young age. You’re only 3 months older than me, right? Furthermore, your dad is a university lecturer, so there’s no need for you to move out so early from home and work to support your own studies. Also, didn’t I hear you volunteer to join the military? Moreover, it’s the Black Star Troopers regime. Did you seriously not hear about the rumors that all the troopers are to be taken into the Homo Evolutis Faction to be molded into robots? Poor Maria has been crying herself to sleep these few days…"

  Jerry sighed and put the documents away. He looked Tom straight in the eye as he said, "Tom, I know you’re here because Maria told you to, so I’m going to cut to the chase lest both of our times are wasted. I wish to join the Black Star Troopers not only because I am a Perceptor, but I feel summoned to do so. I’ve told both you and Maria as much."

  Tom dropped his ruffian-esque demeanor and replied in a serious tone, "Yes, you’ve told us so, but we thought you were kidding. We have not heard God summoning people to join the military before; doesn’t the calling usually mean going into the cloister or church? Why the military camp? Did God tell you to be his blessed knight or avenging angel?"

  Jerry frowned deeply. After a lengthy consideration, he answered, "You misunderstood me. When I said I was summoned, I didn’t mean it in terms of a God’s calling, it’s more of a compellation. I don’t know how to describe it. After I became a Homo Evolutis, I felt compelled to be near Captain Yao Yuan, to fight alongside him. Every time I’m near him, I feel comfortable and safe."

  Tom shivered visibly and took a few deliberate steps away from Jerry, saying, "Oh, I didn’t know… you bend that way. No wonder you rejected Maria every time… Poor Maria."

  Jerry didn’t know whether to be mad or laugh. He shook his head and said, "I only bend one way, and that is straight. Truth be told, I quite like Maria, but only as a sister. She’s too young, only 14. Furthermore, the desire to be near the Captain has nothing to do with my sexual orientation, it’s something more spiritual… like his presence was some sort of physical talisman."

  Tom tried convincing Jerry to change his mind, but it was to no avail. This 18-year-old teen who boarded the Hope when he was 12 had his heart set.

  There were about 30 people who shared the same sentiment as Jerry. They appeared after the war with the mother nest ended. All of them were Homo Evolutis, but varied in gender, Homo Evolutis types, and age. There was another similarity between all of them, and that was their reason for applying to join the Black Star Troopers. They wanted to fight alongside Yao Yuan.

  The one person who was most shocked by this development was none other than Yao Yuan himself.

  Of course, the enlargement of the Black Star Troopers was one of his plans. The troopers had shown its importance in the combat against the mother nest. No matter the
early ambush or later space combat, the Black Star Troopers were responsible for turning the battle around. Without the troopers, Yao Yuan dared to say they would have been infiltrated by the alien before they could even have the chance to warp.

  The 30 plus troopers who died in the war were thus giant losses for the Hope. Combined with the infected Troopers who didn’t hold on until the discovery of the Ultimate Vaccine, the Troopers lost 20 percent of their numbers! They now had about 110 members.

  Authorities from the Barracks had been pressuring Yao Yuan to conscript more people into the Black Star Troopers since the end of the war. According to their data, among the new batch of Homo Evolutis, women included, there were about 10 individuals that could be trained to join the Black Star Troopers.

  Wary of causing resentment through forced enlistment, Yao Yuan hesitated to sign the order. He had kept the need to refurbish the Black Star Troopers on the backburner for about one and a half months. Needless to say, he didn’t expect these people to volunteer to join the troopers. Yao Yuan should've been overjoyed, but when every single one of them mentioned the feeling of being summoned, he became cautious and anxious. To be precise, he was afraid they were all there because they were unconsciously hypnotized by his All-Rounder’s power.

  This was because the All-Rounder had access to all the Homo Evolutis’ powers, just that his power wasn’t as powerful as the respective pure variants. The All-Rounder was a rarity among the Homo Evolutis and the other types, with the same rarity was the Deceiver.

  The Homo Evolutis Faction had tried everything they could to uncover the mysteries of the Deceiver, but they were impeded by Jay’s condition. Therefore, most of the research was theoretical. Some researchers proffered the hypothesis that the Deceiver’s power worked in the same way as the Anima. They could communicate with others through an alternative channel. The biggest difference was that the Deceiver could manipulate the information that was communicated. In other words, while the Anima could relay information that he or she was presented with, the Deceiver could relay whatever he wanted. He could manipulate the information to his advantage in order to deceive his target.