With time moving like a boulder falling from a mountain, the day of the long-awaited and much-anticipated handover ceremony finally arrived.Recognizing its significance, the event was declared a holiday—the first ever shared across all imperial territories. The excitement was palpable, and in front of the planet's largest public square, located by the Proximian main government building, more than twenty million Proximians had gathered to witness the historic occasion.This number had been limited due to concerns over crowd safety; any more, and the event might have turned unforgettable in the wrong way. The rest of the Proximians attended virtually, watching the broadcast from the safety of their homes, eager to be a part of this monumental event.But the ceremony wasn’t just for the Proximians. Nearly all the members of the exploration fleet, except for those on military duty, were also in attendance. This brought together representatives from both groups who would now be the member
"We are not perfect," Aron began, his tone shifting to seriousness after the customary greetings, causing many in the audience to raise their brows in curiosity."As humans, we’ve fought one another. We’ve killed, stolen, betrayed, and committed countless atrocities against each other." He paused, the weight of his words hanging in the air. People began to wonder if he regretted saying that or if he had been handed the wrong script.But Aron pressed on, undeterred. "I’m not saying this to boast of our flaws or diminish humanity. I say this to make it clear—we are flawed individuals."He continued, "Yes, we fought each other, but we also helped each other. Yes, we committed atrocities, but we also did better—so much so that those better actions overshadowed the worst. And, importantly, we learned. We learned from our mistakes and took steps to prevent them from happening again, or, if they did happen, to minimize the damage.""This," he said with conviction, "is our only real advantage
A week after the handover ceremony, the exploration fleet had begun the long process of packing for their return to Earth. With packing always taking longer than unpacking, it took an entire month for them to complete the task. Now, the entire fleet stood ready for their journey back home.{Sir, the packing is complete, and the time to move out is approaching. They are asking if they should extend the expected departure time.} Nova's voice echoed in Aron's mind as he stood inside the now-empty stellar forge."I'm about done here, so we’ll move out as scheduled," Aron replied calmly, finishing the etching of a massive rune around the wide opening of the forge.{Okay} she said as she sent the response back to the fleet admiral."Boot it up and run a full systems check to ensure everything is working as intended," Aron ordered briefly, having completed his part of the work. The remaining modifications had been handled by the miniature atomic printer he’d brought to the forge.Nova didn’t
December 15, 5 AE (After Empire)It has now been five years since the formation of the empire, and it has finally entered a phase of stability. No major obstacles threaten the empire, aside from the inevitable minor issues that arise. However, even these small problems are kept to a minimum and are swiftly addressed whenever they occur.With all citizens now relocated to fortress cities, satellite cities, nearby villages, and even the rebuilt former cities upgraded to fortress city standards, the empire could confidently claim it had completely eradicated homelessness.Due to the large number of newly built cities combined with the refurbished older cities, the empire was experiencing an overflow of unoccupied houses under its administration. In a fully capitalistic system, this surplus would have led to a significant drop in property values, as supply far exceeded demand.However, the empire was not a fully capitalistic or free-market society. While the free market was allowed to ope
Imperial Space Agency.“So, if they intend to stop, it should be within the next two months,” Dr. Musa Aminu, the head of the ISA, said while reviewing the latest observation data.Over the past five years, the empire’s advancements in observation technology, combined with their rapid production and deployment capabilities, had allowed them to gather increasingly detailed information on the approaching visitors. Now, with precise calculations and high observational fidelity, they could pinpoint the exact region where the visitors were likely to pass through.However, there was a limit to the current mana-based observation technology. The approaching vessel continuously emitted mana, and when combined with the ambient mana present in the void between heliosphere-protected star systems, this made it impossible to capture a detailed image of the vessel. As a result, they would have to rely on visual observation when the vessel came closer to gather more precise details."Are we really ju
As the days passed, the day of the Imperial Council meeting finally arrived.Inside the VR Imperial Palace's grand Emperor’s Council Chamber. One by one, the heads and vice heads of imperial agencies began to appear. Within just five minutes, all of the required officials were present—more than half an hour before the meeting's official start time. Since the first council meeting, seating had always operated on a first-come, first-served basis, and this tradition was well-respected.With everyone arriving so early, the room was filled with quiet conversations and activity. The officials used the extra time to prepare, run final checks on their materials, and engage in light discussions with those seated nearby. It was a calm before the storm of important decisions and discussions, as they waited for the meeting to formally begin.There was no chaos or disruption as the attendees conversed calmly with one another, fully aware of the need to uphold the dignity of the council chamber. T
As Aron settled into his seat, the sound of applause filled the council chamber. The ministers and councilors rose to their feet in unison, clapping enthusiastically in recognition of the emperor's speech.Gaia, maintaining her usual composed demeanor, raised her hand, motioning for silence. Gradually, the applause quieted, and the chamber returned to its calm, formal atmosphere.{Thank you, everyone,} Gaia said, her voice gentle but commanding. {Now, we’ll begin with the first item on the agenda. The Imperial Health Agency. Councilor Ross, the floor is yours.}A podium was elevated in front of Councilor Nathan Ross, who then rose from his seat to present his agency's progress report. “Having successfully established a solution for maintaining the health of our citizens, our agency has transitioned its focus. We are now concentrating on researching the distinctions between humans and Proximians, aiming to leverage these differences to enhance the well-being of all races within the emp
The reporting proceeded swiftly, with many agencies delivering concise updates. As most of these agencies operated on a day-to-day basis, they had few long-term projects to discuss. Some had already achieved their major objectives, allowing them to keep their reports brief. In under five minutes, many agency heads summarized their current progress before yielding the floor to the next speaker, maintaining the meeting's steady pace.There was no shame in delivering brief reports, as it was far more detrimental to drag out presentations with unnecessary details. The agencies with fewer ongoing projects understood that efficiency was key, especially in the presence of the emperor. Everyone in the room was acutely aware that attempting to prolong a report without substance would not only fail to impress but could lead to swift repercussions. The emperor’s keen insight into such matters meant that any attempt to waste time would likely result in immediate replacement.After about six hou