[Hornet X1]

2400.5 Distant Eye Explorer Ship 0002, Unexplored Territories, 3 Way Dance.

“Daddy, is it true they have bodily orifices specifically for excreting waste?” the small crystalline figure on the view screen was several light years distant, connected only by the slim bead of a hyper-pulse ansamble. Even the distance could not prevent the electromagnetic equivalent of a smile from spreading across his silicate matrix. Love for ones family knows no bounds, not even light years.

“Which ones, dear heart?”

The problem was simple. Not even the Emperor predicted that not one but three species would appear simultaneously on the Concordium’s border. Thankfully, at least two seemed peaceful. The third was a gaping question mark in the Emperor’s planned, peaceable, expansion of the Concordium.

The Diplomatic Corps were in a frenzy attempting to gather adequate information to conduct negotiations with the previously unknown beings. While peace could never be guaranteed they could at least attempt to light the lamp of reason in their small corner of the void, for a time. Before the solar winds blew too hard.

“Uhm.... you know, the biologic ones, the hydrogen based ones.”

The idea of Orifices in the physical “body” was a horrifying thought to the Corathan. Such holes were symptomatic of severe illness in their species. But, the idea that they would exist to process waste material actually generated by the physical form .....

“Yes dear.”

“Ewwwww !, Do they eat it too ! ?”

His internal EM emissions could not help but sputter for a moment in consternation. It was obvious that the God Emperor was right in his plan to begin a public program of education on non-terrestrial sentient life. The civilian population could not be allowed to wander the dark corridors of the future unaware of their surroundings and confined to points of view singular onto themselves if they were to survive the future.

“No, No dear, the biologics in question may be different from us physically but they indeed have a culture and heritage all their own worthy of study and respect. Do not overlook the fact that their is more to them than their physical handicaps.”

“Duty calls me, so tell your mother that I love and miss her and I will see you both when next we are allowed transmissions to the home world”

“Bye daddy!”

With a quick burst of emissions, Diplomat 41 watched the image of his little girl fade from the display. Only a hundred years old and still entirely to precious to be in the middle of her childhood. But still, the education system was draining into the abyss and he really must speak to her mother about finding a nice private school or so he thought.

He floated outward into the main shaft of the explorer craft allowing his room door to close behind him. Within the central work area, the holo-tank displayed the features of the three newly discovered species rotating in slow orbit over the chambers heart. With each passing transmission the lower information grid pulsed revised data for the crew’s use.

Negotiations appeared to be going extremely well on at least one front, the other two were currently stable but not enough time had truly been allowed to make an assertion of the Diplomatic Corps success. Instructions from the home world were sparse and basically informed them to act on their own recognizance. Such an encouraging show of faith or something else?

As he glanced over to the second holo-display he could not help but be disturbed. The Emperor had decreed a live feed from the artifact generated “prophecies” be kept in continuous live transmission to the diplomatic corps. The images of worlds being ripped asunder had intensified to a sickening level.

However, as Corps negotiations gained success on one front images of violence on that frontier faded for a time almost as if indicating a time of peace before growing ugly again.

Pilot 22 floated past and followed his gaze. “It almost makes you wonder why we even try.”

“To the contrary, I know exactly why I work and toward what ends.” Diplomat 41 allowed his minds eye to travel back to the display in his quarters and to a conversation moments passed. Her birthday was only a cycle away.