Post by Gigachad on Dec 27, 2021 12:54:11 GMT
Ahlih,Yada Confederacy-Northern Invilis Corridor
Mister Eston straightened his tie while descending along the space elevator. He had just passed through custom services on the orbital ring surrounding Ahlih,the Yada Confederacy's official capital.
The doors opened,allowing him,alongside a slew of other people,to step out into the receiving station. It did not take him long to find himself in the streets of the world's largest megacity,which in turn served as its capital. The streets were very crowded,as expected of the populous insectoids that called the Confederacy home. Still,they were not the only ones. Among them he noticed the presence of lithorians of various shapes and sizes yet undeniably part of the hivemind. He came to be quite good at recognizing the aliens after working with them,it was all about identifying some rough features that tended to show in almost all of them.
The Austral spawn were a clear minority,but considering their reproductive rates that may only be a matter of time before they became more significant. Still,their influence was undeniable. He must've passed by a dozen billboards showcasing new types of worms that the Yada were cultivating,each displaying those very subtle features he knew about.
The ugly truth also made itself clear. Even out in the capital,beggars and homeless were surprisingly commonplace. Low class workers that couldn't compete with the new arrivals,their work ethic and endurance for such was just too much. Even despite various programs to support and offer higher education to these people,the number was only rising.
Eston finally came upon his destination,the central government building,currently surrounded by journalists and reporters from across the Corridor,some beyond. Much like him,they had come here for the big event,though for different reasons.
Wading his way through the crowd,the lithorian organisms kept the masses of belligerents off of him long enough to pass through the front gate. He soon found himself wandering the halls of the complex,coming across an unexpected contact as he did so.
"Ah,Mister Eston! I'm happy to see you here" rang a voice from behind him,followed by a tap on the shoulder,prompting the entrepreneur to turn around.
"Uq'eik,I'd be lying if I said this was unexpected. I take it this is the next step in your assignment?"
"You would be correct. It is also the most important so far. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother coming here"
"Seeing as you provided transport,no. Though I'm not quite sure why I have to be here in person?"
"Oh,everyone who ever left the Austral zone is here. Well,almost everyone. Point is,all Collective officials are supposed to be here,to keep up our image"
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why do I fall in that category?"
"You do work under us. Thus,at least legally speaking,you are a part of the chosen attendees. I understand it seems nonsensical,but there's no arguing with those above" the alien said,concealing his hands as the sleeves of his robe connected.
"Right,what's this about anyway? I'm seeing diplomats from all over the region"
"That would spoil the surprise,just take your seating and find out when I give my speech"
Eston was less than pleased with the response,but nevertheless let the alien be and eventually made it to the area where the speech would be held. The gates must've been opened as he was prowling about,seeing as the room was full of the reporters and other folk he had seen outside. Much to his relief,he was guided to an elevated spot by an attendant,that's where he would be sitting.
He noted another of the aliens taking a seat next to him. It was quite humanoid,but had no eyes,its head was dominated by a large headrest and it had a very long bladed tail.
"Mister Eston,I assume? I heard Uq'eik talking about you earlier"
"Yes.You are acquainted with him?"
"More than that. I am what you would call a sibling to him. At least….in manner of speaking"
"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"
"We shared the same gestation chamber,you see. In most parts of the Collective that counts as being brothers"
"Ah,that's quite interesting. I'm sorry,I don't think I caught your name?"
"Iv'eid. It is my pleasu-"
Their conversation was interrupted as the sound of apparatus taking pictures or filming took over the room. Uq'eik had appeared on stage,and he wasn't alone,being flanked by leaders from about a dozen local nations. The two silently nodded to eachother,they'd continue their chat another time.
"Greetings fellow sapients of the galaxy. I am certain that most of you wonder what the reason for this event is. We are merely here to state the conclusion we have come to after extensive meetings and discussions among ourselves"
The alien took a deep breath,turning off the audio device with but a thought so as to make it inaudible. The blitzes of cameras were now assaulting his eyes more than ever,yet he remained unblinking.
"First however,I should inform you why we felt the need to gather in the first place. The galactic system,at least as it is right now,is completely unsustainable. The balance of power,alongside the economic and social landscapes have been sent down a path of unstoppable change.I will not sugarcoat it to you,not like the analysts of the Union or others,this transition will not be a pretty one"
The lithorian weighed his words again,carefully. He had clearly caught the attention of the crowd,perhaps in a rather bad way,and had to regulate his speech more than ever. This was the apex of his career in the field of diplomacy and politics.
"There will be war,there will be death,disease,famine and debauchery,perhaps on a scale not seen yet. There will be both economic and political collapses,entire nations may well cease to be."
By now the crowd had erupted in intense bouts of whispering,mostly concerned.
"I am certain that I have just shattered the world view of many,yet with all due respect,this shouldn't be so. The signs were there,they had been there since the end of the second ancerious war,before my people had even established contact with the galactic community. I know that each of you has seen these signs,perhaps even understood them profoundly,yet in the end chose to ignore them all the same"
…….
"The foolish have broken into panic and hysteria by now. Perhaps they will take to the streets,perhaps they will try to fix the problem,but it is far too late. The wise would do well to retain their demeanor,prepare and hear out what I have to say further. The Lithorian Collective,alongside its close contacts in the Invilis Corridor,have come to a unanimous conclusion"
…..
"We must weather the coming storm together,to lessen the suffering that you,the people of this galaxy,will have to experience. It is thus with great pride that I announce the formation of the Ancerious Compendium Of Mutualism,otherwise shortened to A.C.O.M
This supranational entity will serve as an economic and defense pact,bolstering the relations,security and interconnectivity of nations in the uncertain times to come. There will be two types of memberships that a nation can aspire to upon joining:junior and senior"
…….
"Junior members will receive advantages in trade and economic privileges,operating much like any other member of a trade block. Senior members on the other hand will receive significantly more leeway in these categories,but are obligated to defend any other member should they be under threat from outside aggressors. Suffice to say,being the proposers of this idea and wishing nothing but the prosperity of this region,the Lithorian Collective shall be a senior member. I will now allow my colleagues to explain their own nation's stance on their A.C.O.M memberships"
"Thank you for this opportunity. The Kingdom of Montagal too desires the stability of this region and will do anything in its power to aid our less developed neighbours. We shall join as senior members"
"Having come out of particularly dark times ourselves,all thanks to the aid of our Lithorian benefactors,I can safely say that the Free Confederacy of Lakarn fully supports the founding and continued operation of A.C.O.M .We shall join as senior members."
"The Olami Free States have been under a sheltered and passive existence. We owe it to our neighbours to spread the stability we have been experiencing and benefit the community as a result. We shall join as a junior member."
"The mage orders of the Locus Eucephine have festered in isolationism for far too long. Our people,gifted with the talents and knowledge of the arcane,have a responsibility to use such for the betterment of the galaxy. We will join as senior members."
"We,as the Golems of Galdrak,lack any of the history of our friends here. Having been birthed by the masterful Galdrak,our people were left purposeless and politically inert by his passing. It is time for that to change,we shall help in building a better future for us all,to honor our maker's memory. We will take senior membership"
"On the contrary to the last members,we of the Yada Confederacy have always strived to keep this region secured. We lost many lives in our conflict against the Carmeni Empire,and we've fought side by side with the Montagal Kingdom's warriors to defeat those aggressors. Today,we shall do so again with the lithorians,and their goal of instilling prosperity to our corner of Ancerious. We will be senior members"
"The people of the Second Kalegan Empire know full well what oppression and debauchery is like,having been grounded by the Carmeni heel for decades. We would not wish it on anyone else,and feel it necessary that we repay our Montagal and Yada liberators by doing the same thing for others. We will be senior members"
"The Clans of Trat will aid this endeavour in any way we can. Our people too know the terrible reality that governs this galaxy,having been altered against our will and used as mere test subjects. Such a blatant disregard of sapient rights can never be allowed to occur,we will not rest until such practices are stamped out in our Corridor."
The alien soon returned on stage,ushering the departure of the other leaders as Uq'eik became the sole center of attention.
"Very inspiring messages. I would like to add that the Republic of Monica,Topar Free State,Republic of Kulil and the Council of Harosusor will be joining A.C.O.M as junior members. Despite being unable to attend,they should still be congratulated for choosing to make our world a better place"
"Similarly,the Orillian Free State desires to join A.C.O.M as a senior member,though Lady Yrillix is similarly physically unavailable for this ceremony. Nevertheless,today marks the start of a glorious new chapter in Invilis politics and perhaps,in time,beyond. Thank you for participating or watching us remotely and I hope that you will all endure the struggles to come,for they shall make you stronger."
Mister Eston straightened his tie while descending along the space elevator. He had just passed through custom services on the orbital ring surrounding Ahlih,the Yada Confederacy's official capital.
The doors opened,allowing him,alongside a slew of other people,to step out into the receiving station. It did not take him long to find himself in the streets of the world's largest megacity,which in turn served as its capital. The streets were very crowded,as expected of the populous insectoids that called the Confederacy home. Still,they were not the only ones. Among them he noticed the presence of lithorians of various shapes and sizes yet undeniably part of the hivemind. He came to be quite good at recognizing the aliens after working with them,it was all about identifying some rough features that tended to show in almost all of them.
The Austral spawn were a clear minority,but considering their reproductive rates that may only be a matter of time before they became more significant. Still,their influence was undeniable. He must've passed by a dozen billboards showcasing new types of worms that the Yada were cultivating,each displaying those very subtle features he knew about.
The ugly truth also made itself clear. Even out in the capital,beggars and homeless were surprisingly commonplace. Low class workers that couldn't compete with the new arrivals,their work ethic and endurance for such was just too much. Even despite various programs to support and offer higher education to these people,the number was only rising.
Eston finally came upon his destination,the central government building,currently surrounded by journalists and reporters from across the Corridor,some beyond. Much like him,they had come here for the big event,though for different reasons.
Wading his way through the crowd,the lithorian organisms kept the masses of belligerents off of him long enough to pass through the front gate. He soon found himself wandering the halls of the complex,coming across an unexpected contact as he did so.
"Ah,Mister Eston! I'm happy to see you here" rang a voice from behind him,followed by a tap on the shoulder,prompting the entrepreneur to turn around.
"Uq'eik,I'd be lying if I said this was unexpected. I take it this is the next step in your assignment?"
"You would be correct. It is also the most important so far. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother coming here"
"Seeing as you provided transport,no. Though I'm not quite sure why I have to be here in person?"
"Oh,everyone who ever left the Austral zone is here. Well,almost everyone. Point is,all Collective officials are supposed to be here,to keep up our image"
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why do I fall in that category?"
"You do work under us. Thus,at least legally speaking,you are a part of the chosen attendees. I understand it seems nonsensical,but there's no arguing with those above" the alien said,concealing his hands as the sleeves of his robe connected.
"Right,what's this about anyway? I'm seeing diplomats from all over the region"
"That would spoil the surprise,just take your seating and find out when I give my speech"
Eston was less than pleased with the response,but nevertheless let the alien be and eventually made it to the area where the speech would be held. The gates must've been opened as he was prowling about,seeing as the room was full of the reporters and other folk he had seen outside. Much to his relief,he was guided to an elevated spot by an attendant,that's where he would be sitting.
He noted another of the aliens taking a seat next to him. It was quite humanoid,but had no eyes,its head was dominated by a large headrest and it had a very long bladed tail.
"Mister Eston,I assume? I heard Uq'eik talking about you earlier"
"Yes.You are acquainted with him?"
"More than that. I am what you would call a sibling to him. At least….in manner of speaking"
"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"
"We shared the same gestation chamber,you see. In most parts of the Collective that counts as being brothers"
"Ah,that's quite interesting. I'm sorry,I don't think I caught your name?"
"Iv'eid. It is my pleasu-"
Their conversation was interrupted as the sound of apparatus taking pictures or filming took over the room. Uq'eik had appeared on stage,and he wasn't alone,being flanked by leaders from about a dozen local nations. The two silently nodded to eachother,they'd continue their chat another time.
"Greetings fellow sapients of the galaxy. I am certain that most of you wonder what the reason for this event is. We are merely here to state the conclusion we have come to after extensive meetings and discussions among ourselves"
The alien took a deep breath,turning off the audio device with but a thought so as to make it inaudible. The blitzes of cameras were now assaulting his eyes more than ever,yet he remained unblinking.
"First however,I should inform you why we felt the need to gather in the first place. The galactic system,at least as it is right now,is completely unsustainable. The balance of power,alongside the economic and social landscapes have been sent down a path of unstoppable change.I will not sugarcoat it to you,not like the analysts of the Union or others,this transition will not be a pretty one"
The lithorian weighed his words again,carefully. He had clearly caught the attention of the crowd,perhaps in a rather bad way,and had to regulate his speech more than ever. This was the apex of his career in the field of diplomacy and politics.
"There will be war,there will be death,disease,famine and debauchery,perhaps on a scale not seen yet. There will be both economic and political collapses,entire nations may well cease to be."
By now the crowd had erupted in intense bouts of whispering,mostly concerned.
"I am certain that I have just shattered the world view of many,yet with all due respect,this shouldn't be so. The signs were there,they had been there since the end of the second ancerious war,before my people had even established contact with the galactic community. I know that each of you has seen these signs,perhaps even understood them profoundly,yet in the end chose to ignore them all the same"
…….
"The foolish have broken into panic and hysteria by now. Perhaps they will take to the streets,perhaps they will try to fix the problem,but it is far too late. The wise would do well to retain their demeanor,prepare and hear out what I have to say further. The Lithorian Collective,alongside its close contacts in the Invilis Corridor,have come to a unanimous conclusion"
…..
"We must weather the coming storm together,to lessen the suffering that you,the people of this galaxy,will have to experience. It is thus with great pride that I announce the formation of the Ancerious Compendium Of Mutualism,otherwise shortened to A.C.O.M
This supranational entity will serve as an economic and defense pact,bolstering the relations,security and interconnectivity of nations in the uncertain times to come. There will be two types of memberships that a nation can aspire to upon joining:junior and senior"
…….
"Junior members will receive advantages in trade and economic privileges,operating much like any other member of a trade block. Senior members on the other hand will receive significantly more leeway in these categories,but are obligated to defend any other member should they be under threat from outside aggressors. Suffice to say,being the proposers of this idea and wishing nothing but the prosperity of this region,the Lithorian Collective shall be a senior member. I will now allow my colleagues to explain their own nation's stance on their A.C.O.M memberships"
"Thank you for this opportunity. The Kingdom of Montagal too desires the stability of this region and will do anything in its power to aid our less developed neighbours. We shall join as senior members"
"Having come out of particularly dark times ourselves,all thanks to the aid of our Lithorian benefactors,I can safely say that the Free Confederacy of Lakarn fully supports the founding and continued operation of A.C.O.M .We shall join as senior members."
"The Olami Free States have been under a sheltered and passive existence. We owe it to our neighbours to spread the stability we have been experiencing and benefit the community as a result. We shall join as a junior member."
"The mage orders of the Locus Eucephine have festered in isolationism for far too long. Our people,gifted with the talents and knowledge of the arcane,have a responsibility to use such for the betterment of the galaxy. We will join as senior members."
"We,as the Golems of Galdrak,lack any of the history of our friends here. Having been birthed by the masterful Galdrak,our people were left purposeless and politically inert by his passing. It is time for that to change,we shall help in building a better future for us all,to honor our maker's memory. We will take senior membership"
"On the contrary to the last members,we of the Yada Confederacy have always strived to keep this region secured. We lost many lives in our conflict against the Carmeni Empire,and we've fought side by side with the Montagal Kingdom's warriors to defeat those aggressors. Today,we shall do so again with the lithorians,and their goal of instilling prosperity to our corner of Ancerious. We will be senior members"
"The people of the Second Kalegan Empire know full well what oppression and debauchery is like,having been grounded by the Carmeni heel for decades. We would not wish it on anyone else,and feel it necessary that we repay our Montagal and Yada liberators by doing the same thing for others. We will be senior members"
"The Clans of Trat will aid this endeavour in any way we can. Our people too know the terrible reality that governs this galaxy,having been altered against our will and used as mere test subjects. Such a blatant disregard of sapient rights can never be allowed to occur,we will not rest until such practices are stamped out in our Corridor."
The alien soon returned on stage,ushering the departure of the other leaders as Uq'eik became the sole center of attention.
"Very inspiring messages. I would like to add that the Republic of Monica,Topar Free State,Republic of Kulil and the Council of Harosusor will be joining A.C.O.M as junior members. Despite being unable to attend,they should still be congratulated for choosing to make our world a better place"
"Similarly,the Orillian Free State desires to join A.C.O.M as a senior member,though Lady Yrillix is similarly physically unavailable for this ceremony. Nevertheless,today marks the start of a glorious new chapter in Invilis politics and perhaps,in time,beyond. Thank you for participating or watching us remotely and I hope that you will all endure the struggles to come,for they shall make you stronger."