JoeK.com - I don’t like the code, but the code likes me.
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Intercepted Transmission: Galactic Date: 28 June 2379 @ 1523 hours.
Receiver:
“Hello.”Caller:
“Hi, it’s me...”Receiver:
“What... ? Ja—”Caller:
“—NO! Don’t say my name...”Receiver:
“What? What’s going on? We haven’t heard from you in months. The last we heard you had joined some new cult and—”Caller:
“—It’s not a cult. Listen, I’m OK. I’ve gone underground with the Empire of Our Children. The GTVA has been on the lookout for those of us who are helping to lead this thing.”Receiver:
“The Empire of Our Children? You’ve joined them!? But Jai—”Caller:
“—Shh! Not my name...”Receiver:
“But... I don’t understand. Why would you do this? You’re in hiding? Do you mean that you’re a criminal?”Caller:
“Is it criminal to believe in something? Listen, this is important. What I’m doing is important. What have you heard of the EOC?”Receiver:
“Well, just what I hear on the news mostly. That they’re trying to stop us from going back to Sol, to Earth... our home. Also that they want us to close all the nodes... how would we get from one system to another then? I’ve seen reports on the news that the EOC has been attacking colony settlements in Tau Boötes and Upsilon Andromedae... killing innocent people looking for a new home. And I’ve also heard, though this is mostly rumor, that they want to put children in charge? For children to run the governments?”Caller:
“No, no, no. It’s not like that. What you’ve been mostly hearing is propaganda. Lies constructed by the GTVA to try to make people fear us and to ruin our cause. Yes, it is true that we want to stop the opening of the Sol node. But it’s not that we don’t want to return home, but that we don’t want the Shivans to come back. We don’t know what’s happened at Sol. We haven’t heard any messages from them by radio at Alpha Centauri, and we’ve been beaming messages to them ever since the node collapsed forty-eight years ago. We know what we’re sending powerful enough signals for them to pick up, and it would only take eight to nine years for them to receive and send a reply. Maybe they simply fell into chaos and haven’t been able to construct a big enough receiver and transmitter as we have, but it’s been forty-eight years! What could have happened to them? We fear the worst. We fear that maybe the Shivans found another way to Sol, have wiped out everyone there, and are just waiting for us to open up another way into our space.”Receiver:
“C’mon, do you really believe that?”Caller:
“I do, but can you risk not believing it? Which chance would you rather take: leave Sol alone, waiting for one of the colony-ships we sent to arrive there about a thousand years from now; or open up the node, and if there are Shivans on the other side, give them the doorway to flood into our systems once again. From what we’ve seen them to do Capella, do you really think we would be able to stop them again?”Receiver:
“Well, the GTVA has been building those new Colossus ships.”Caller:
“Yeah, three of them... the Shivans had over eighty juggernauts at Capella, and they even sacrificed a handful of them just to destroy that entire system. We couldn’t afford to lose one Colossus, and they toss their biggest ships aside like they grow on trees!”Receiver:
“OK, so maybe the Shivans are waiting in Sol, but how can we know for sure?”Caller:
“Wait for reports from one of the colony-ships.”Receiver:
“That’s it, huh? Just wait a thousand years to know.”Caller:
“Versus facing the Shivans again? Yeah, I’m ready to live with that.”Receiver:
“OK, but what about those news reports from Upsilon Andromedae? Are you really killing innocent colonists?”Caller:
*sighs* “We try not to—”Receiver:
“—Try not to!? What does that mean?”Caller:
“It means that we’re only trying to stop them. We try disabling their ships. We try destroying their food and water cargoes. But we don’t try to kill them. Some have died, yes. But when somebody shoots at you, you shoot back. That’s they way it is. But the rest is GTVA lies. We’ve never killed children nor innocent civilians. Everyone that has died against us has died with a gun in their hands fighting us. And we’ve lost people too. Many more than the colonists because they have the GTVA fighting on their side... and we’re not strong enough yet to face them.”Receiver:
“Have you... have you killed anyone?”Caller:
“No, I’m not a fighter. I— well I can’t tell you want I do, but I have not yet used a weapon against another sentient being.”Receiver:
“That’s good. I don’t know what I would tell Mother if you had. But I still don’t understand why you’re trying to stop these colonists? What’s wrong with finding new homes? The galaxy is so big, there’s lots of room for us, right?”Caller:
“Yes, the galaxy is big, and the universe bigger, but we think that the Shivans dominate both the galaxy and the universe. Do we really want to keep expanding until we’ve pushed into their territory? Why can’t we just be happy with what we have? With what they’ve left us?”Receiver:
“I don’t know. I’ve always been happy where I am, but other people have other goals and dreams.”Caller:
“Yes, I know. Tell me, have you heard of the Adamites?”Receiver:
“The who?... Wait, I think I have on some science program. Aren’t they some primitive species on Epsilon Eridani III who are using stone tools?”Caller:
“They’re not just using stone tools. The Adamites are another sentient species. Sure, they’re far more primitive than us, but they’ve developed the wheel and agriculture and they even build homes for themselves. And do you know what’s happening to them?”Receiver:
“Obviously I don’t.”Caller:
“They’re being exploited. They’re being robbed of their land. Sure, at first the GTVA made a policy to study them peacefully without interfering with them, but how long do you think that lasted? It wasn’t long before the mining corporations found rare ore on their planet and got the go ahead to mine it. Plus, the climate of Epsilon Eridani III is perfect for both Terran and Vasudan life. Already several colonist groups are dividing up the Adamites’ home planet for themselves.”Receiver:
“But you said they’re being exploited... how?”Caller:
“Well, if forcing them out of their homelands isn’t enough, how about the fact—and yes, it is fact, the EOC has dozens of images and recordings—that some of the mining corporations have already been using some of the Adamite villagers to explore caves looking for their precious minerals and ore?”Receiver:
“You can’t be serious. Surely the GTVA would not allow that—”Caller:
“—Why wouldn’t they? Who do you think supplies the materials to build the GTVA’s warships? And who do you think contributes the most funds to the GTVA? The mining corporations, that’s who.”Receiver:
“But they’ve really been doing this?”Caller:
“Yes, they have. And that’s what concerns us, the EOC, the most. Do you remember the tales of the Ancients?”Receiver:
“Of course, everyone learns about them in school. Thousands of years ago their empire more vast than the GTVA is now. They built the Knossos portals and we used their technology to stop the Lucifer forty-eight years ago.”Caller:
“And their entire species, their entire culture and civilization, was wiped out by the Shivans.”Receiver:
“Yeah...”Caller:
“Yeah.... And ancient Vasudan prophecies tell about Ancients and their sins—”Receiver:
“—Their sins?”Caller:
“Yes. The Ancients expanded beyond what they needed, and they exploited other sentient life forms. Archeological digs have found evidence of the Ancients on Vasuda Prime. At the time the Ancients were destroyed by the Shivans, they were beginning to settle on Vasuda Prime. And from both archeological finds and the old prophecies we know that the Ancients were taking advantage of the Vasudans as they had dozens of other species.”Receiver:
“And that means... ?”Caller:
“And that means that if we keep up with our ways, we’re next.”Receiver:
“What do you mean—”Caller:
“—Listen. The Shivans first attacked us forty-eight years ago. But they didn’t attack ‘us’, Terran-Vasudan society. Remember, back then the Terrans and Vasudans were at war with each other. But what stopped that? Well when the Shivans came we joined our forces to stop them. After that it was thirty-two years before we encountered the Shivans again. The EOC believes that the Shivans stopped their extermination of us because we learned how to get along. Rather than fighting with each other, our two sentient species learned how to cooperate and work together. And now what do we do when we find a third sentient species?! We begin to take advantage of them just like the Ancients did of so many others!”Receiver:
“Yeah, but what about Capella? Why did the Shivans come back if we had learned to work together?”Caller:
“Well, other than the Neo-Terran Front waging a species-war against the Vasudans, we feel that it was because we encroached on their territory.”Receiver:
“What do you mean?”Caller:
“What do you mean, ‘What do I mean?’ A Knossos portal was discovered in Gamma Draconis and the GTVA and NTF went through it. There was a nebula on the other side infested with Shivans, but did we leave it alone? No. We started to fight with them again.”Receiver:
“Yeah, but wasn’t it the Shivans who attacked us first? Outside of the nebula, in Gamma Draconis?”Caller:
“Yeah, they came out of the nebula, but probably to see who went into their nebula in the first place. And look what happened when we poked our noses where we didn’t belong. The Shivans destroyed Capella and we lost our home... and our father.”Receiver:
*silence*Caller:
“Look, I’m sorry I had to bring it up... but it’s true. The only thing we can do about it now is make sure it doesn’t happen again. Do you want the Shivans to come back? Do you want them to kill you and leave your children fatherless? Or even yet to kill them also as they wipe us out entirely like they did the Ancients?”Receiver:
“No. No I don’t. I love my children, you know I’d do anything for them.”Caller:
“Then how about helping us?”Receiver:
“What? You can’t be serious, can you?”Caller:
“I’m not asking you do drop everything and come into hiding with us. I’m not even asking you to pick up a weapon. We need supporters, but we don’t need them all to fight. All you really have to do is believe in our cause.”Receiver:
“And other than keeping the Shivans from returning, what is your cause?”Caller:
“It’s to provide a future for our children. That’s what we mean by ‘Empire Of Our Children’... we want to make sure that there is an empire, a culture and civilization, left for them. We want to make sure that there is a species left for them! That the Terran and Vasudan species do not die out and become a footnote in history as the Ancients did. We want to make sure that there are children of Terrans and Vasudans for eons and eons. Is that a cause you’re willing to believe in?”Receiver:
“Of course... who wouldn’t believe in that?”Caller:
“Well obviously those who are exploiting the Adamites, and those who want to reopen the Sol node when we have no idea what might be on the other side.”Receiver:
“OK, so what do you want of me?”Caller:
“Nothing more than to know that you’re on our side. That you believe in what we believe in.”Receiver:
“I don’t know... I guess...”Caller:
“You do want a future for your children right? I know I want one for my niece and nephews.”Receiver:
“Yes, of course I want a future for them, how can you even question that?”Caller:
“Well then... ?”Receiver:
“OK, sure I’m on your side. I mean at the very least your my sister and I’ve always supported you no matter how crazy your ideas were.”Caller:
“Thank you, you don’t know how much it means to me.”Receiver:
“But I don’t have to do anything?”Caller:
“Not really. Think of us as a charity. Sometimes we might ask you to donate a few credits to our cause, or maybe some food preserves.”Receiver:
“That’s it?”Caller:
“That’s it. As well as not to slander our name. Try to say good things about us when people bring up our name. Talk about our cause from our point of view when someone says negative things about us.”Receiver:
“Yeah, sure, that sounds easy enough.”Caller:
“Oh, and one other thing... sometimes we might need you to help out EOC members in need.”Receiver:
“Great, I knew you’d get me in trouble... what do you mean?”Caller:
“There are those of us who are in hiding from GTVA officials... myself included. Well what if I asked you if I could hide in your home?”Receiver:
“Well I would say that you’re family and I’d do anything for you, but if you’re going to turn my home into a criminal nest—”Caller:
“—No. Not like that, not anything like that. I care for your home and family as much as I care for you. Those of us who need to hide have sensor-jammers and other devices to hide ourselves. We just need the shelter of someone friendly to the EOC so that we can get a good night’s sleep and some warm food.”Receiver:
“But—”Caller:
“But we’re not a danger to anyone but ourselves. It’s not like we’re being hunted—which we’re not. We just sometimes need a place to stay as we travel from system to system to spread our beliefs and get more people on our side.”Receiver:
“I don’t know. Doesn’t the GTVA know that you and these others are working for the EOC?”Caller:
“No. We keep our identities hidden whenever we can. Hence our needing to stay with friends. Please... will you help out... for me?”Receiver:
“Oh... OK. But remember, I have a family, two sons and a daughter—”Caller:
“—I know—”Receiver:
“—and a stable job. I’m a respected member of my community—”Caller:
“—I know, I know—”Receiver:
“—just... Just promise me we’ll be OK.”Caller:
“We will. We will be OK. Thank you brother, thank you very much.”Receiver:
“Yeah, well just give Mom a call and let her know you’re doing OK...”Caller:
“I will.”Receiver:
“And don’t scare her by telling her that your in hiding or anything...”Caller:
“I won’t. Thank you again for all you’ve helped me with.”Receiver:
“Sure.”Caller:
“Goodbye, I promise I’ll try to stay in touch more.”Receiver:
“Thank you.”
End of transmission. Unable to trace recipient nor transmitter. Telecom scrambling equipment suspected.
End of report. GTVI Listening Post Kappa 57.