The Covery and Then

"Citizens of the Empire, friends from the fellow Republic of Comporellon, and companions from other worlds, I speak to you today with excitement and fear, for the Empire is no longer at risk of not existing. Yes, the Covery is nigh, and the First Officer of the SHIELD has already retrieved his present Self. They are now discussing in a secluded place in the Avallon Deeps, and soon he will start his journey. What becomes of us from then on is ours and ours alone to determine.

"This is one of the most significant turning points in human history, and dare I say in the history of the whole Galaxy, for we are now one of the major peoples sharing its bounties. That this event should take place now of all times, with the Alexandria en route to reconnoiter other galaxies, is further evidence that we are privileged to live the most crucial episode ever. Together with the Covery and the First Contact, far ahead of the Mutiny and the Leap, the Recovery will make legend, and stand out in the memory of mankind. No more will we fear the Blunder, no more will we need to watch people die and suffer uselessly.

"I know that some of you, even in the Imperial College and the SHIELD, have doubts about Earth-people and their ability to join the Union. And to be quite honest, I share these doubts, as I have long studied the History of Earth. They are ruthless, primitive, and arrogant. But some are saveable, as we all know. Even if it has become less and less frequent, we have always extracted men and women and children who were in danger to assimilate them. One has even made it to the throne of Daneia. That was centuries ago, but others are still worth our trouble. And Earth, whether we like it or not, is our Cradle, our birthplace, our heritage. We cannot let them destroy whole species and ecosystems without at least trying to prevent it. How would we be better than them if we did ?

"What we do with the Recovery and how we deal with these thoughtless barbarians remains to be considered. Contrary to what the grapevine may say, we have no secret hidden plan all ready at hand. How we contact them depends very greatly on when contact can be established. Remember they have no knowledge of other living creatures in the universe, and have not even gone as far as Mars, the closest planet in their solar system. They have wild fantasies and irrational fears about space, and like to scare themselves with movies about man-eating Aliens. The last thing we want is our intervention to cause a wave of mass-suicide. I know that those who would resort to this extremity are weak-minded and easily manipulated by apocalyptic sects, and therefore not really worth worrying about. At least that's what we Imperials think. But we have to keep in mind that they do not live in an enlightened world, that they are under constant social stress. How we would behave if we were born in some dark, patriarchal back-alley in the suburbs of an overpopulated and polluted city, we do not know, cannot know. Their way of thinking is different from ours. But that doesn't mean they cannot be made to amend. At least, some of them.

"The First will let me know when his Other Self leaves, and I wish to move as soon as possible thereafter. For innocents die and the planet suffers. We are now discussing the different possible courses, as simple and direct invasion and annexation are obviously out of the question. We chose to leave the planet ; we have no right to claim it as our own. Let alone that this would be the first ever such act, and I do not intend to have my rule stained with this ignominy. Conflicts will happen. It is unavoidable considering the mindframe of many of their rulers. We may even have to use force. Of that I have little fear: our technological advance is so overwhelming that we could wash out their whole offensive potential overnight. And when I say offensive potential, that is a rhetorical phrase. They have little chances of harming us. But they could work havoc on themselves. They are specially good at killing themselves under friendly fire, and are so childish in the way they use their weapons that they regularly cause accidents. So, the military aspect is not a cause of concern for us. What troubles me more, much more, is the implications that our resorting to the force would have.

"We are going to the Earth to save the endangered species, and to try and civilize those humans who are receptive. In time, Earth-people will become a better race, and I have a dream that one day they will join the Union. This will not happen in our lifetime, but what we do will shape the future of the whole human race. For make no mistake. They are but a few billions, and crammed on one small piece of rock away from all the major trade roads. But they are on Earth, and Earth is where we come from. We cannot turn our back on our past ; we cannot turn a blind eye to the fate of our ancestors. These people are us, thousands of years ago. And now that the First will go, he will no longer be our all-powerful guide. He will remain at the Head of the SHIELD, yes, but the very mission of the SHIELD is about to change. And even He does not know what road we should or should not follow. He does not even know what will befall of him. Will he start aging again ? Will he be caught up by the thirty-five thousand years and fall into dust the moment his Self vanishes in the past ? He has been a prominent figure through all our history. He is the Founder. And at this time he knows no more than us. This is no little alteration in the way of things. This is the end of our childhood. The day of the Covery we were born. The day of the Recovery we shall come of age.

"This is the moment when we are alone, when our past is no longer our future. We cannot afford to forsake them, for we would be abandoning the very essence of our Empire, the most basic truths we hold self-evident. That is why, my friends, I call upon you. I need every good idea you may have to facilitate the proceedings. As always I do not presume to have all the answers by myself. I hope that you will support me in this most awesome endeavor. Thank you for listening to me, and fare you well."