2530: The Galaxy Gets Bigger

It was like the Gold Rush, planetary prospectors were desperate to stake their claim on ‘unformed’ worlds. Most followed the Federal protocols, others don’t.

Gaia Planet Services attempted to terraform a planet without authorization. Turns out the planet wasn’t uninhabited. A new race, later discovered to be the Xi’An Empire, showed up while the terraformers were building the equipment. Needless to say, they were a little perturbed. The Xi’An captured the entire crew and kept them under guard. They released one, the foreman Charles Baxter, as a gesture of good faith.

Back on Earth, High-Secretary Cho, High-General Volder, and High-Advocate Machado along with a select sub-committee of Senators gathered to get a clear assessment of what happened from Baxter and what to do about the Xi’An.
HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: If everyone’s set, Mr. Baxter, please begin. Tell us about the events of that day. BAXTER: I’ve been advised by the Company’s attorney-

HIGH-ADVOCATE MACHADO: Mr. Baxter, this is not a criminal hearing. We are simply trying to get a clear picture of what happened. There are still two hundred seventy-five of your colleagues held by an alien civilization. Any help you provide us today will be taken into account when this crisis is resolved.

[Baxter confers with Attorney]
BAXTER: We were surveying, looking for plant-points to set up the equipment. There were three transports scheduled to land so we were expecting to hear ships. I was up on a ridge when the first one came into view. I knew immediately it wasn’t ours. Human, I mean. It didn’t look like any Banu ship I’d ever seen, but you know how they are…

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Please stay on topic.

BAXTER: Well, next thing we knew, they were all over us. Ships coming from all sorts of directions.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Didn’t you run scans before landing?

BAXTER: Not really. I mean, I don’t think so.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Don’t you think it would be wise before attempting to terraform a planet?

BAXTER: You don’t know what it’s like out there. You wait around too long, some other Corp will swoop in and process that rock faster than you can blink.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: While we appreciate your sociological insight, Mr. Baxter, we need facts, not hyperbole if we’re going to free the hostages.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: General, we have not concluded that a military action is necessary.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: I understand but we need to have a plan on the table to enact should the diplomatic solutions go sour.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Agreed. Please continue, Mr. Baxter. . . .END EXCERPT

UPE Military forces maintained a perimeter at the jump-point entrance. It took fifteen days to work out a communication system to speak with the Xi’An. That started a tense negotiation period. The Xi’An were meticulous with their demands.

By the time the hostages were released, over fifty-seven days had passed. Though the UPE had managed to avoid war, relations with the Xi’An were tense.

Es war wie beim Goldrausch, die Planetensucher waren verzweifelt, ihren Anspruch auf "ungeformte" Welten zu setzen. Die meisten folgten den Bundesprotokollen, andere nicht.

Gaia Planet Services versuchte, einen Planeten ohne Genehmigung zu terraformen. Es stellte sich heraus, dass der Planet nicht unbewohnt war. Eine neue Rasse, die später als das Xi'An-Reich entdeckt wurde, tauchte auf, während die Terraformer die Ausrüstung bauten. Unnötig zu sagen, dass sie ein wenig beunruhigt waren. Die Xi'An nahmen die gesamte Besatzung gefangen und hielten sie unter Bewachung. Sie ließen einen, den Polier Charles Baxter, als eine Geste des guten Willens frei.

Zurück auf der Erde versammelten sich High-Secretary Cho, High-General Volder und High-Advocate Machado zusammen mit einem ausgewählten Unterausschuss von Senatoren, um eine klare Einschätzung dessen zu erhalten, was von Baxter passiert ist und was mit dem Xi'An geschehen soll.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Wenn alle bereit sind, Mr. Baxter, fangen Sie bitte an. Erzählen Sie uns von den Ereignissen dieses Tages. BAXTER: Ich wurde vom Anwalt der Firma beraten.

HIGH-ADVOCATE MACHADO: Herr Baxter, dies ist keine Strafverhandlung. Wir versuchen nur, ein klares Bild davon zu bekommen, was passiert ist. Es gibt immer noch zweihundertfünfundsiebzig Ihrer Kollegen, die von einer fremden Zivilisation gehalten werden. Jede Hilfe, die Sie uns heute leisten, wird bei der Lösung dieser Krise berücksichtigt.

[Baxter spricht mit dem Anwalt]
BAXTER: Wir haben Vermessungen durchgeführt und nach Anlagenpunkten gesucht, um die Ausrüstung aufzustellen. Es waren drei Transporte geplant, die landen sollten, so dass wir erwarteten, Schiffe zu hören. Ich war oben auf einem Hügel, als der erste in Sicht kam. Ich wusste sofort, dass es nicht uns gehörte. Menschlich, meine ich. Es sah nicht aus wie ein Banu-Schiff, das ich je gesehen hatte, aber du weißt, wie sie sind.....

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Bitte bleiben Sie beim Thema.

BAXTER: Nun, das nächste, was wir wussten, war, dass sie überall auf uns waren. Schiffe, die aus allen möglichen Richtungen kommen.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Hast du keine Scans vor der Landung durchgeführt?

BAXTER: Nicht wirklich. Ich meine, ich glaube nicht.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Denkst du nicht, dass es klug wäre, bevor du versuchst, einen Planeten zu terraformen?

BAXTER: Du weißt nicht, wie es da draußen ist. Du wartest zu lange herum, ein anderes Corp wird hereinkommen und dieses Gestein schneller verarbeiten, als du blinzeln kannst.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Obwohl wir Ihre soziologischen Erkenntnisse zu schätzen wissen, Herr Baxter, brauchen wir Fakten, nicht Übertreibungen, wenn wir die Geiseln befreien wollen.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: General, wir haben nicht den Schluss gezogen, dass eine militärische Aktion notwendig ist.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Ich verstehe, aber wir brauchen einen Plan, der auf dem Tisch liegt, um zu handeln, wenn die diplomatischen Lösungen sauer werden.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Einverstanden. Bitte fahren Sie fort, Herr Baxter.


. ..ENDE AUSZUG

Die UPE-Militärs hielten einen Umfang am Eingang des Sprungbrettes aufrecht. Es dauerte fünfzehn Tage, um ein Kommunikationssystem zu entwickeln, um mit den Xi'An zu sprechen. Damit begann eine angespannte Verhandlungsphase. Die Xi'An waren mit ihren Anforderungen sehr sorgfältig.

Als die Geiseln freigelassen wurden, waren über siebenundfünfzig Tage vergangen. Obwohl es der UPE gelungen war, Krieg zu vermeiden, waren die Beziehungen zu den Xi'An angespannt.

It was like the Gold Rush, planetary prospectors were desperate to stake their claim on ‘unformed’ worlds. Most followed the Federal protocols, others don’t.

Gaia Planet Services attempted to terraform a planet without authorization. Turns out the planet wasn’t uninhabited. A new race, later discovered to be the Xi’An Empire, showed up while the terraformers were building the equipment. Needless to say, they were a little perturbed. The Xi’An captured the entire crew and kept them under guard. They released one, the foreman Charles Baxter, as a gesture of good faith.

Back on Earth, High-Secretary Cho, High-General Volder, and High-Advocate Machado along with a select sub-committee of Senators gathered to get a clear assessment of what happened from Baxter and what to do about the Xi’An.
HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: If everyone’s set, Mr. Baxter, please begin. Tell us about the events of that day. BAXTER: I’ve been advised by the Company’s attorney-

HIGH-ADVOCATE MACHADO: Mr. Baxter, this is not a criminal hearing. We are simply trying to get a clear picture of what happened. There are still two hundred seventy-five of your colleagues held by an alien civilization. Any help you provide us today will be taken into account when this crisis is resolved.

[Baxter confers with Attorney]
BAXTER: We were surveying, looking for plant-points to set up the equipment. There were three transports scheduled to land so we were expecting to hear ships. I was up on a ridge when the first one came into view. I knew immediately it wasn’t ours. Human, I mean. It didn’t look like any Banu ship I’d ever seen, but you know how they are…

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Please stay on topic.

BAXTER: Well, next thing we knew, they were all over us. Ships coming from all sorts of directions.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Didn’t you run scans before landing?

BAXTER: Not really. I mean, I don’t think so.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: Don’t you think it would be wise before attempting to terraform a planet?

BAXTER: You don’t know what it’s like out there. You wait around too long, some other Corp will swoop in and process that rock faster than you can blink.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: While we appreciate your sociological insight, Mr. Baxter, we need facts, not hyperbole if we’re going to free the hostages.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: General, we have not concluded that a military action is necessary.

HIGH-GENERAL VOLDER: I understand but we need to have a plan on the table to enact should the diplomatic solutions go sour.

HIGH-SECRETARY CHO: Agreed. Please continue, Mr. Baxter. . . .END EXCERPT

UPE Military forces maintained a perimeter at the jump-point entrance. It took fifteen days to work out a communication system to speak with the Xi’An. That started a tense negotiation period. The Xi’An were meticulous with their demands.

By the time the hostages were released, over fifty-seven days had passed. Though the UPE had managed to avoid war, relations with the Xi’An were tense.