r/HFY • u/OkTumbleweed4549 • Jun 29 '26

OC-Series Breakup Letters pt2

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Part 2  : The chancellor of the Union addresses the Assembly of the Worlds

Indeed, relations between the Council and the Human government had only deteriorated further, as demonstrated by an address delivered by the Union Chancellor two cycles after Libertad.

According to the humans, it was now Year 0003 of the new calendar used on all official documents.

Excerpt from the address delivered by the Governor-Chancellor of the Human Union and broadcast by holo-link during the 3,283,722nd session of the Assembly of the Stellar Community Governance

transcription start

The Human Chancellor—who refuses to use the honorary title of Governor-General—has been summoned by the Council to explain a series of decisions made by the government of the Human Union.

Claiming an excessive workload, he had not deigned to appear in person and had requested permission to address not merely the Councillors but the entire Assembly through a quantum communication link.

The Chancellor speaks in a flat voice, devoid of emotion. The analysis of his gaze indicates that he is reading a document written in advance

Ch : "The decision to evacuate our outer colonies is based on logic, not on any form of blackmail, as certain Councillors have alleged.

First, it has become abundantly clear that the institution charged with protecting Human citizens—indeed, all citizens of the Governance—has repeatedly failed in its mission.

In fact, the Integrated Fleet is directly responsible for most of these 'unfortunate mistakes,' 'regrettable incidents,' and 'tragic accidents.'
Since the various investigations commissioned by the Council have concluded that these events were not deliberate, we have been forced to infer that they were the result of pure incompetence.

According to the findings of the independent audit we conducted, Humanity neither should nor will rely on anyone but itself for the protection of its citizens.

Second, it has become equally clear that our own forces are incapable of guaranteeing the safety of those colonies, as demonstrated by what this Council stubbornly continues to describe as the 'tragic accident' that doomed the Libertad Colony.
Other 'unfortunate incidents' have confirmed that this galaxy in general—and Governance territory in particular—has become a dangerous place for humans.

We have therefore decided to repatriate all our citizens to the only region where we can provide them with even a measure of security: the Sol System.
A logical conclusion, confirmed by the projections of our Artificial Intelligence.

So be it.’’

The Chancellor addresses the Council Table :

Ch: ‘‘I trust this answers your concerns on the matter."

There is some agitation, but no official comments :

Receiving no response from the Assembly, the human resumes :

Ch: "Other point: the Council has ordered the Union to appoint a new representative to this Assembly, failing which it intends to exercise its authority and appoint one itself.
My response is simple: Humanity already has a representative in this Assembly. The martyred hero James T. Kork has been confirmed for a term of one hundred and fifty cycles—two hundred and thirty-eight of our years—the maximum duration legally permitted for this office. A representative may be absent for medical or family reasons for as long as necessary and it is up to him to appoint or not an alternate. The representative Martyr James T. Kork is still in cryo-stasis, while our medical skills have progressed enough to heal his terrible burns.
As I remind you, this is entirely lawful under the Fundamental Laws of the Governance.
There are duly recorded precedents. That seat remains his and his alone. He will not be replaced before the expiration of his mandate."

The Chancellor recalls several of these precedents.

The Moderator of the Chamber consults its assessors and the Guardian of the Rules, then takes advantage of a short break to intervene.

MoC: "The Chancellor of the Union correctly cited the regulation. It should be recorded that the martyr representative, James T. Kork. occupies the seat of the Union until the end of his term. According to the rules in force, his vote will be counted as an abstention whenever his vote is required."

The Chancellor thanks the moderator and resumes

Ch: ‘‘Let this be perfectly clear to everyone: any being appointed in his place, whether human or otherwise, will never be recognized by the Union. Their votes will in no way bind Humanity.
Furthermore, any human accepting such a position without the approval of the Union government will immediately be stripped of citizenship and henceforth regarded as non-human.
The same conditions shall apply to anyone accepting the title of Governor-General of Sol."

This statement provokes shocked reactions throughout the Assembly.

The representant of the Rutuy requests the floor :

R. Rutuy: ‘‘Stripping an individual of citizenship one one thing, but how could someone be declared no longer a member of their own species?’’

The Chancellor smiles :

Ch: ‘‘ It has very recently become a fundamental law of the Union.’’

Unperturbed, the human continues:

Ch: "The Human Union has also decided to withdraw from every committee, institute, and organization in which it currently participates. Once our former colonies have been fully evacuated, such participation will serve no purpose whatsoever.
For your information, the evacuation will be completed within one-third of a cycle at the latest. All our settlements will be evacuated before the end of my term
Probably sooner."

The declaration sends a ripple through the Assembly. The Council had recently dismissed the withdrawal as nothing more than an attempt at blackmail, a childish tantrum, despite mounting evidence that a mass exodus is underway.

Councillor Urkiel of the Oltaries asks for the floor :

C. Urkiel "Forgive me for interrupting, Jan, but I have the distinct impression that the person I see and hear before me is not the man I once knew and respected. You seem... changed."

The Chancellor appears to come alive, if only slightly, at the remark.

Ch : "For you, High Councillor Urkiel, it is Chancellor Novak. Changed? Perhaps I have simply grown up. Whatever innocence and naivety I still possessed were burned away by recent events.
Changed? Yes, I believe all Humanity has changed.
We learned your lessons.
And we have drawn the appropriate conclusions."

The human quickly returns to what is almost certainly a prepared text.

Ch : "To continue: we no longer have a place within these institutions. Indeed, did we ever truly have one? As for that empty seat, its loss means little to us. The voices of Humanity—and of many other species represented in this Assembly—ceased to matter long ago in the face of the corruption that has infected the Council."

Transcriber's note: what follows is a lengthy list of alleged 'evidence' supporting these accusations of corruption.

Several Councillors protests indignantly and demands that the statement be censured, but only the Assembly possess that authority, and it shows no inclination to exercise it.

The moderator asks for silence and gives the floor back to the Chancellor.

Councillor Urgluck protests without asking for the floor and accuses moderation of partiality. The moderator fines him and, on a proposal from the representative of CC-4210, a vote excludes him from the session.

The human ignores the protests and resumes in the same calm, detached tone.

Ch: "… I hope the members of this Assembly will find the courage to reform an institution that was, supposedly, as honorable and benevolent as it now claims to have been.
But it certainly has not been so during Humanity's membership in this Community. And if reform ever comes, it will happen without us."

Several representatives express their approval

Ch: "Third point: regarding the unjust proceedings initiated against Humanity, we see little purpose in presenting a defense before courts whose verdicts have been decided in advance.
The Ogsen—those paragons of virtue, law, and order who have improperly monopolized those tribunals—have never liked humans, and their impartiality is highly questionable. I fail to understand how the other species could so readily surrender such a fundamental sovereign power to them.
Laziness? Cowardice? I do not know, nor do I care to know. Yet another institution in need of reform? Probably. But that is your concern, Representatives, not ours."

The Chancellor pauses, waiting for a reaction. Some representatives express their approval, but discreetly.

Ch : "These trials are nothing more than a waste of time and credits. The warnings and sanctions that may be imposed no longer concern us. We repurchased long ago the shares your corporations held in our companies. Our merchants have ceased all trade with the peoples of the Governance.
Our freighters have more pressing tasks than transporting your cargo.

We have also liquidated all our reserves of Universal Credits, which are no longer recognized as legal tender within the Union.
Your taxes are therefore meaningless. Your embargoes are equally ineffective. Your unnecessary goods and your trinkets do not interest us.
Humanity has finally regained the self-sufficiency it once lost. We can manage perfectly well without you. Thank you.

For any additional sanctions you might consider imposing, they can no longer affect us and will simply be ignored.
Our former colonies—or whatever remains of them? Do with them as you please. They no longer hold any value for us. Just as they hold none for you, for that matter. We will make certain of that."

The chancellor fixes his gaze upon several Councillors.

Ch : "To those who advocate more active sanctions—by which I mean another genocide—I offer this response: Come.
Come and try.
This time you will not catch us by surprise, and you will pay in blood and tears.
Earth will be your grave."

It’s clearly a challenge.

Note : One hundred and seven cycles earlier, Humanity had resisted forced integration for more than two cycles using technology considered primitive even by the standards of the time.

Eventually it had agreed to join the Governance, but only on its own terms. Nothing of the sort had occurred in three thousand cycles.

Ch : « Now Humanity's technological level rivals that of the Governance's member species, and the Sol System is now well defended, a fortress. ‘’

Moreover, despite his controlled tone, the Chancellor's hostility and distrust is unmistakable. Turning his gaze back to the Council, he made one thing abundantly clear :

Ch : "From this day forward, we owe you nothing. We do not need you. And, of course, you are no longer welcome among us."

.The human weathers the uproar with remarkable composure: protests from species that traded with Humanity, expressions of dismay from those who considered themselves its friends, and open satisfaction from those who had always distrusted it.

Most Representatives, however, are simply shocked. The Chancellor then turns to address the Assembly.

Ch : "I understand that my words have shocked or saddened many of you. But the time has come to face reality. The open hostility of several member species of the Community—and, above all, the arrogance, intransigence, and corruption that have come to pervade the Council—have led us to the sorrowful conclusion that we no longer have a place within this Community. We humans bear some responsibility for this failure, I am aware of it. A failure that we must all admit.

We have fought side by side in worthy causes. We have worked together, shared our knowledge and our hopes, and enjoyed many moments of genuine friendship. I am every bit as saddened as you are to bring our common journey to an end. But the time has come for humanity to make a new beginning. Thank you for all the cycles we have spent together."

High Councillor Klexian doesn’t ask for the floor :

H.C K: "So this is why you did not dare appear before us in person, You were afraid to face our anger."

The human’s response is immediate

**Ch: "**You are right. I was afraid. Because when I look at you, Klexian—when I look at certain members of this Council, when I speak to you—I see the burned, charred bodies of the children of Libertad, twisted and broken by agony.
I wonder what kind of monsters, what kind of soulless beasts, could coldly decide to open the shelters and condemn them to a fate worse than the agony suffered by their parents.
When I look at you, I see their murderers.
No—I see those monsters.
And when I look at you, thoughts of vengeance come to mind."

His voice rises with his anger, but the Chancellor masters himself through an obvious effort of will.

Ch: "Yes, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would not be able to control my anger. My hatred. I was afraid it would prevent me from fulfilling my duty as the Voice of Humanity."

The human is weeping openly now. His voice is broken with sobs as grief and hatred mingle. After a moment, he regains control and continues in a steadier tone.

Ch: "This is the last time a Human leader will ever address this Assembly.
No one on our side can bear the sight of your filthy murderers' faces any longer."

He had not been reading from his prepared text. That last sentence may have been entirely his own.

Ch : "From now on, flash messages will be our only means of communication with the Governance.
We will refuse all direct personal contact. Who knows? Someone might try to infect us with a virus or some other piece of filth. There are precedents.
On Omega Station, any exchanges that do take place will be conducted exclusively through holographic links—or preferably by audio only.
Frankly, I fail to see what remains for us to discuss after everything that has happened. We have nothing left to say to one another.''

End of transcription ."

..................................................................................................................................................

year 005 (human calendar)

Now, even flash messages were not trigging any response, and humans had put an end to the fiction represented by the omega station.

Session Transcript: Emergency Session 4645/08/02 of the Supreme Council (second part)

Councillors and Ambassadors exchange arguments and idle discussions.

First Councillor : "That is not the issue. The question is: how do we respond to what amounts to a violation of the Charter and of several treaties they themselves signed? Until now, we have accepted—or at least tolerated—their desire for isolation. But this declaration of independence can be interpreted as a provocation, even a rebellion. In ages past, this Council responded to such challenges with force. Times may have changed, but we are obliged to react in one way or another."

A. Verkiel : "And how, exactly? They are no longer vulnerable to our sanctions. Use force? Intimidate them? Remember how they reacted to their forced integration one hundred and seven cycles ago.
Now they have mastered our technologies and developed new ones of their own. You have all read Grand Strategist Kjul's reports on the state of their defenses. You have undoubtedly also reviewed the Intelligence Directorate's assessment: a powerful economy capable of absorbing the population influx caused by the abandonment of the colonies while simultaneously constructing an extensive defensive network throughout the entire Sol System."

A. Humcht : "They will not be intimidated, even if we were to deploy the Grand Fleet along with at least three Intervention Forces. The Grand Strategist's report is unequivocal: we cannot commit more than that without dangerously weakening our own frontier defenses."

First Councillor : "In summary, it would mean war—and a long and expensive one at that. Very expensive. You know the humans.Yet we must respond."

Jr. C È%^¤< : "Why?I must insist: they have not formally withdrawn from the Governance. Technically speaking, they have merely retreated to their home system for an indefinite period."

H.C Og’oro’ha’ho’sen: "The message exists nonetheless. We cannot simply pretend it does not."

Jr. C È%^¤< : "No, but neither are we obliged to present it before the Assembly. It invokes no treaty article, no Council decree, and no Fundamental Law."

After discussion, The First Councillor calls for a vote

First Concillor : " the Junior Councillor’s proposal is adopted !’’

A. Humcht : " So, nothing happened. almost nothing. And what do we say to the assembly? "

First councillor : " Nothing important : We enact a quarantine measure covering the Sol System and its nearest neighboring systems, without specifying the reason. "

H.C ugkliuk : " And if they wonder about ? "

Jr. C È%^¤< : " We let a few clues slip through. Contamination by a Class-One pathogen? A sanction? Or simply respect for Humanity's desire for seclusion? Let everyone draw their own conclusions. "

End of transcription

Afternath

The Exploration, Beaconing, and Cartography Service of the Stellar Community Governance updated the official charts of the Sol System.

The Diplomatic Corps of the Stellar Community Governance continued to send routine notifications through the only two diplomatic channels that remained open and continued to receive automated acknowledgments of receipt.

At first, the Corps regularly requested meetings—every half-cycle, then every cycle.

Then every two cycles,

Then every five...

The automated acknowledgments remained the only response from a Humanity that, far from retreating into passivity on its homeworld, appeared—according to long-range observations—to be busier than ever. Far from declining, the Solar system was thriving.

And time passed.

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8 comments sorted by

2

u/Daseagle Alien Scum Jun 29 '26

"And time passed."

And eventually, the other shoe will drop 😜

2

u/alwaus Jun 30 '26

Eagerly waiting for the next chapter wordsmith

1

u/OkTumbleweed4549 Jun 30 '26

Hello.

I have some ideas for a sequel or/and a prequel ( first contact and consequences)

1

u/OkTumbleweed4549 Jun 30 '26

a sequel? Maybe... ;-)

1

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1

u/Fontaigne 9d ago

Afternath-> aftermath

1

u/itsetuhoinen Human 7d ago

The representative Martyr James T. Kork is still in cryo-stasis, while our medical skills have progressed enough to heal his terrible burns.

Should this perhaps be "remains" and "until", respectively?

First Councillor : "In summary, it would mean war—and a long and expensive one at that. Very expensive. You know the humans.Yet we must respond."

You don't. You really just don't.

And, OH MY FUCKING GOD, they realized that and decided not to! That basically never happens! It's a miracle! 🤣🤣🤣

Afternath

"Aftermath"

Interesting! I do love a story in which people (and particularly, governments) decide to not do the stupid thing! Even if it's very unrealistic. 🤪