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PRELUDE

The United Stars of the Galaxy, commonly referred to simply as the Union is a multicultural society that started out, a little over three thousand years ago. It all began with three human societies. The Sarans who acted and looked just like the ancient Egyptians that built the Pyramids ; their rebellious sons that adopted ancient Rome as their role model and the humans of Earth, now commonly known as Terrans came together, united under common laws and goals in the year 2220. The very next day the young Union received its first member, the amphibious non-human Ult.

Now 2806 standard years later, in the year 5026 (Old Terran Time ), there are almost 5000 member societies, with representatives gathering in the majestic and impressive construct known as the Assembly Sphere on the Unions central planet, Pluribus Unum.

Representatives and members from as far as the M32 galaxy met here either in person or telepresent via the marvelous Avatar technology to discuss all those issues and problems a huge mega society might have.

Individuals of the smallest Union species were no bigger than a corn of rice, while the biggest one, a sentient galactic nebula measured several light minutes across. There were beings that lived inside stars and had no physical body; others resembling giant pizzas crawling over the superdense metallic helium of a Jovian supergiant. The truly gigantic Bandrupo and the small fuzzy Holdians ; the Petharians, native to a planet where liquid magma was as common as water on a garden world. The beautiful Delicates from the distant Large Magellan cloud, resembling a skilled artists dream who tried to combine the most beautiful woman with butterflies, chiffon veils and colorful paradise birds and somehow succeeded. All these and many more were just examples of the diversity of this mega society.

Here on Pluribus Unum, the heart of this mighty and diverse Union. The representatives of Union members and Union citizens came together in a place known far beyond the Union as the Assembly Shere. From the outside it represented itself as a majestic hemisphere, it's apex at 6,400 meters. The Assembly, however, was a perfect sphere, meeting the ground at its equator and extending another 6,400 meters below the ground. Seven trillion cubic meters of internal volume, the walls lined with alcoves, almost 19 million. Of which a little over two million were occupied. The United Stars of the Galaxies had done away with presidents and ministries. With politicians and political parties. It was governed instead by its citizens. It was a bold idea and it kept evolving and changing, as galaxy spanning mega civilizations went. The Union was still young. When ministries faded away, councils took their place. When leaders and presidents were abolished, new institutions developed. While everyone agreed, the Union had no official leadership. Some individuals had percolated to the top. There was Mothermachine, the largest sentient AI in the known universe. She was the originator and leader of the X101 Sentmacs. There was the Klack Queen, unchallenged ruler over all that was Klack. Trillions of ant-like insectoids with advanced technology and a vast empire. The voice of the Pan Saran emperor had great influence over the voting results, and so it was the case of Saran Queen. While Terrans had no prominent leader, the immortal Admiral of the Fleet McElligott was a prominent figure. Of course, there was Admiral Stahl, also an Immortal and also of Earth, and while he was among the most beloved individuals, he was not a member of the Assembly. Chief above all was the Narth Supreme. The vast majority of all Union citizens considered him to be the unofficial leader. While this entity firmly rejected this and insisted to be nothing more than a Union citizen. When the Narth Supreme suggested something, it always received nearly one hundred percent of Union-wide votes. Other institutions developed, like the Grey Ghosts. Chosen guardians of the Union's secrets. The friendship of a representative of a small and unimportant world called Nilfeheim, a Saresii leader and the Narth representative created another one of these organically developed Assembly institutions. These three became known as the Wisemen of the Assembly, as their counsel and opinion on all kind of issues were often requested and almost always applied.

Egill Skallagrimmson, the representative of Nilfeheim disliked that prominent role. He resented the fact that the suggestion of the Ult, making the Wisemen a real institution was overwhelmingly agreed upon and even received a Union-wide vote of over ninety-eight percent. The former hermit of Nilfeheim had just entered the Ring corridor through the President Enroe door, the East entrance to the sphere. Each door of the sphere had a name, this one had been named after the first president of the Union and was used to officially open the sphere after its construction had been completed. There wasn't an office of president anymore of course. It was still early in the day. Union clocks showed the beginning of Five Hour, early. Which translated to 8:33 am in Old Terran time, but he was a true child of Nilfeheim, rising early was a cultural habit. To him, this was already halfway into the day. Not that there was any set time he had to be at the Assembly. The institution was in session around the clock. Many representatives chose to attend when the docket list of issues discussed and voted on, were important to them. Egill, however, liked settled routines. He arrived at the Assembly in the morning and stayed there for a full workday. He did not have to commute very far either, not that the idea of a far commute was the same on Pluribus than it was on Nilfeheim. He knew people who traveled over 1000 lightyears twice a day to work here. Transmatter Tunnels and space trains shrunk these unimaginable distances to trips that lasted minutes. His elaborate and very luxurious apartment, located on the top floor of the Erik Ragnarsson tower in the old Saresii district about twenty klicks from the Sphere. That a once small company founded by Eric's grandfather on Nilfeheim had grown into a company that could afford to purchase an entire building standing on the most expensive real estate ground in the known Universe, gave attest to the business acumen of the late Erik Ragnarsson. While Elena was not his granddaughter by blood, she had taken the reins of that company and did so with the same tenacity and talent for business. Egill's usually grumpy face displayed a fine smile as he thought about that most beautiful young woman. That he held a keep-warm carryout bag filled with Nilfeheim style fast food was of course part of the reason he was thinking about that gorgeous, raven-haired sister of Eric. He instantly corrected his thoughts. Eric was no more. She was Erica. A deeply shrouded being was stepping out of thin air and joined him entering the Assembly Sphere. Egill held the bag close to his chest."Your timing is impeccable, probably smelling my food." "One can not smell food telepathically and one has been to the Hungry Viking and obtained an ample supply of Fin Stew. One is particularly fond of Fin Stew." "You turning more Neo Viking every day." "Then one succeeds in this endeavor. One's godchild is on his way to Pluribus." Egill fished for a Bacon roll in his bag."Hogun is coming?" "No, Freydis has decided to visit. Narth Eric wishes to see Narth Prime." The Nilfeheim representative found what he was looking for, unwrapped the bacon bread and took a bite."Why come here then, this is Pluribus." "Freydis can not visit Narth Prime, she will stay with you while the Narth Supreme takes Narth-Eric to Narth Prime." "Odin's beard. Do you have anything that does not require the word Narth?" "One has this container of Fin stew." Egill rolled his eyes."Smart ass." Then he said."The Narth Supreme himself will take the little Olafson to that place of yours?" "Yes, Eric-Narth will receive an increase of his psionic abilities and instructions." "Well, no better place to do all this." "One thinks so too. And Eric is not gone." "Were you snooping in my mind again?" "One merely checked if you purchased Fin Stew and noticed." "I know it makes little sense to a Narth, but Eric has decided to be a woman. That's a huge change in human terms. I am still proud of her, but I can't help missing the old Eric. I know Tyr did something to make him feel that way." "Our friend Alegar feels this way and so do many, but the white Tyranno did more than that and Eric is not female. He will eventually separate from Erica." "What?" "The essence, the mind of Erica was placed in Eric's body at birth. Tyr is an agent of the Rule if you will, aiming to restore the Rule to the strict division of duality." "I think you need to explain this in more detail." "The Narth Supreme will be here to give you this explanation in a more adequate detail than one is capable of." Egill sighed."Fair enough." Just then they both were almost stampeded by a crowd running away from something. Alarmed the Nilfeheim man stopped a Saran."What is it? Some kind of attack?" "Isis help! The Y'All are here in force!"

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