Record-keeping notes:
Natzo: The Colonials indeed do have more experience. Bur to the technology difference, some is obsolete but not all of it. Sometimes it's not the technology but the experience that allows one to survive and win in a battle.
Skipper1337: Earth (and honestly the Colonials) must continue to try to bend each other to their own will because that what governments do. The hyperdrive and the communications offers have strings attached, and the Colonials know it, but they have to decide whether to accept it or not and it is very enticing. If the colonials had the superior technology, they would be doing the same things to Earth. You asked if there is really any subtle comparison to our current political situation in the US and the story. The answer is both yes and now. Kinsey Sr. was the epitome of American First as was his ulterior motives. Everything he did reeked of self interest first and America's interests second. Hey, this may be a case of life imitating art? No, Earth has not signed a peace treaty with the Colonies yet, but they are heading towards that. But they have a previous treaty with the Race first. Also, the Asgard have one also they are going to cause havoc in two chapters from now on New Picon. In the companion story 'Shadows' the Asgard/Race treaty is even stronger which will be seen. It's at the point that the younger Emperor has approved so radical genetic modifications unknown to the general population…
Both stories parallel each other but again, this is more of a relaxed story as compared to the other. Murphy's Law is a pain and it will show its face in the next chapter as the Ashtorath respond to Goesel's speech which starts in this chapter.
Chris Coyne. Patience. I can only do what I can as my time permits. In other words, I am working on it…
Mf0012: To a huge number of Colonials the Terrans are backwards with technology far in advanced in their station. It is a stereotype and has some elements of truth. On the other hand there are huge pockets of Colonial society that is somewhat primitive in their thinking and culture. Neither side's population is at the same level everywhere. It makes the Colonials feel good to think is below them. Earth loves seeing Colonials as war mongers with religious obsessed people when its not true. But it's nice to think of them as such. What if Kinsey remained President? Would the Cyrannus stars novas right now? Probably.
It takes time to change. As we've seen in this story, the technology is being integrated slower than in other stories. Earth needs time to adjust to the new techs. The Colonials need time to adjust to the new reality in the galaxy. It does not happen overnight and in my opinion, it shouldn't. The technologies are coming fast and hard. A lot of the older generation is not adjusting as fast. Many countries are slower on the uptake. Time is needed for stuff to soak in. I have relatives that believe that we are punching permanent holes in the ozone layer every time we shoot a rocket into space. They are upset because black and white televisions are gone. Trust me, it will take time for us to get comfortable going into space on those first-generation ships. The SGA Earth is the same. Plus, in these stories, the SG Earth will spend time learning how to build but the whys of it as well.
More notes: In this chapter I mention three species of the Race empire as Lizardians collectively. The colonials only know of three. But there are five variations. Two are known to the SGA including the lizard hybrids. Goesel is aware of that species but he is not about to tell his people yet. Talk about freaking out… He has enough problems about the people of Earth without telling them that little tidbit.
WARNING! WARNING! LOTS OF TALK AND SPEECHES! WARNING! WARNING!
WARNING! WARNING! THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL CONTINUE LOTS OF TALKING!
WARNING! WARNING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Chapter sixteen
Revealing Truths and Consequences -Part One
Cyrannus Star system
Caprica
President Goesel had fifteen minutes before he was to make his ground-breaking speech, one he was certain would rock the Colonies to its core. He was surprised that he wasn't nervous, only anxious. His flotilla of aides and security were packed in with him in the Grey Room, preparing for the final moments when he would exit and make his way towards the Quorum Presidium.
In the private secured room, Roberta, one of his most trusted aides, inspected the President from head to toe. The dark-haired woman in the immaculate blue dress, carefully scanned him and his clothing for any flaws that might present itself on video. The critics were always looking for something to criticize the President for. The last time, they claimed that he had a small amount of food stuck on his mustache. Inwardly, Roberta cringed every time she thought about that little snafu. How everyone could have missed so obvious a flaw should have been impossible. But the cameras caught it and the talking heads talked about it for two days. There were even conspiracies about it.
No, the President wasn't subtly insulting the Quorum were sloppy in their governing and the scrap of food wasn't to be taken as some sort of indictment on the way the Quorum governed itself and the people. Nevertheless, it was an important lesson that the Colonial executive staff learned quite well.
Never let crumbs be seen on the President's mustache on television.
"How do I look, Roberta?"
"Perfect, Mister President. You tend to slouch about three quarters of the way through your speeches. You don't do it every time, but sir, you do it enough for people to notice. I would recommend that you stand straighter at the podium so that your suit won't generate any wrinkles while you're speaking."
"Mister President, the teleprompters are green and the Terran caption translation system is working perfectly."
"Excellent, we know Earth be watching. We know they can translate the speech for themselves, but this lets them know that we're being considerate of them and that we are interested in them listening to the speech."
"Sir, we are getting a lot of positive feedback in the polls concerning the upcoming speech. But the quorum is still upset because they don't have copies of the speech. They feel like you are blindsiding them."
"That's exactly what I'm doing," he said. "The last thing we need is for them to start ranting across the Colonies before I even give the speech."
"All of the major news corporations are waiting to transmit across the Colonies."
"Excellent. What about the Pontiffs?"
"They are already at the quorum Presidium. High priestess Stroma and the entire enclave is already seated. The Division of Justices are present and accounted for. Six of the eight corporate heads of the defense corporations are also seated and waiting. All of the members of the executive branch are there just waiting for you to enter."
A man in his late thirties carried a briefcase walked up and handed the briefcase to the President. "I made the last-minute changes that you requested, sir."
"Thank you, James. Did you make sure to put in the additions that I requested?"
"Yes, sir." The man paused for a second before speaking. "Sir, are you sure you want to do this? It could easily cause a panic among the people."
"The people of the Colonies of Kobol are not as weak as you think, James. Religious convictions aside, the people are strong, and the truth may hurt but I believe we'll be the stronger for it."
"I hope so, Sir. We can be very closed-minded people."
"That goes for people everywhere, especially in politics," he smirked. "None of us are immune to that."
"True words…," Antonio turned and smiled as his wife Jennifer gave him a light peck on the cheek.
"Sorry," she smiled. "I don't want the press to assume that you're having an affair with someone in the executive office before you made your speech," his wife said as she wiped the lipstick from the cheek she just kissed. "You know what a scandal that would cause." Smiling, she straightened his tie and tightened it slightly just enough to make it a just little snugger. "There, that gives you a more executive look." His wife smiled at him and he smiled back. "oh," she added, "don't forget to tinkle before you got out."
"Jen!" he hissed, sure that everyone had heard…which, judging from the coughs, suppressed smiles, and in one case, a deepening red-faced aide, they had.
"You remember what happened last time," his wife chided, uncaring whether they heard there or not. "The State of the Colonies' speech where you got stuck speaking to the Quorum and the reporters and almost couldn't get away in time? I saw you dancing."
"I was merely anxious to attend a most important meeting," he grumbled.
"Yes, my love," she whispered, "Antonio, I was never so embarrassed for you in my life. Into the rest room," she ordered. "I don't want the President of the Colonies to repeat that, shall we say, experience. Once was enough."
President Antonio Goesel looked around the room, carefully studying the faces studiously avoiding his glare. All except one.
Roberta.
"Sir, your wife is right," she stated. "Polls indicate that you will drop ten points if you repeat your exit like you did at the State of the Colonies without informing your constituents as to why. Your actions were perceived to be a snub of the Quorum minority delegation. That cost you."
"This is politics. Everything I do costs," he said as he faced his wife. "I shall defer to my advisors. And I shall make sure that I don't embarrass my staff and my wife. And, keep from losing any more points, which I can ill-afford as the people will most likely burn me in effigy after this speech."
"The people will understand."
"I'm not worried about the people. It's the Quorum I'm concerned about. Now, excuse me while I go and prepare myself for the speech."
"Make sure you have enough tissue paper."
He quickly left, muttering to himself.
"…We now turn you over to Petre Suba and Elissa Kanmi, hosts of CBN's Caprica Tonight, Extended Edition. We continue our coverage on the Presidential speech."
Petre: "Thank you, Keba. The speech should begin sometime in the next twenty minutes. You can see from our different cameras viewing the chambers, that almost all the branches of government are represented in traditional robes and about to take their seats. As we've been telling you all night, usually the different branches of the government only present themselves dressed in their traditional robes during the State of the Colonies address or the Mid-Year Presidium Address that occurs once every other year."
Elissa: "That's right, Petri. Unlike most of the speeches, this one tonight would not only be going across the Colonial systems, but will be addressed directly to the Terran system, once called the Apellai. That name now has been removed from the official government papers, another example of the continuing separation between Earth and her brother colonies. It is a known fact that the government has been officially and unofficially separating us from our original supposition that Earth needs to reunify with the Colonies. This change began happening a little over a year ago when the President first used the name Terran instead of the original Colonial name Apellai."
Petre: "That's true, Lissa. Not only that, but that name has been removed from almost all religious conversation when talking about Earth. This represents a marked change in way our officials are interacting with the Thirteenth Colony."
Elissa: "Then, can we even consider them that anymore?"
Petre: Good question, one that we will need to answer. In the last few months, there have been many rumors that the Executive Branch is positioning itself against pushing for any form of forced reunification with Earth. That is something that polls across the Colonies indicate that they are in agreement with. Now, fifty-four percent of the population say that Earth should not be forced to unite with the Colonies unless they choose to do so, while twenty-seven percent, up from nineteen, believe that the people of Earth may not be connected to the Colonies in any way other than a fact that they are Human. This brings up some unsettling questions that will need answers very soon.
Elissa: "Indeed, that is true. Even members of the government are questioning whether the Terrans were once part of the Colonies as we have assumed they were. However, there are a lot of people that insist that they still are, citing facts that have filtered in from Earth's records as well as the continuing cultural exchanges. According to several sources, most of the artifacts, documents and cultural exchanges appear to indicate there are obvious similarities linking our two cultures. The problem is defining exactly what those similarities signify. And, what is the most interesting is how quiet the religious community has been lately. The missionaries sent to Earth a year and a half ago now, have been, for the most part sequestered away not talking to the public. Everyone in the religious community has been very tight-lipped."
Petre: "Not only has the high priestesses and priests of the Order of Athena been quiet about the information they received from the missionaries during the trip to the planet, but the government officials have been equally quiet. Their lack of disclosure has been a major sticking point among critics, who have all but demanded some form of accountability be taken by the President. This may be one of the reasons why the President is addressing us today. But, there have also been rumors that Earth–Colonial relations have been strained once more and we may be on the verge of war. It's been no secret that the new worlds we've discovered that have attracted so many people are heading towards to begin new lives, are less than fifty light-years distance from Earth. It is quite likely that Earth sees this as a form of incursion into their own territories and may be taking actions that could lead to war."
Elissa: "I find it very unlikely, Petre. One, Earth has no reason to really go after us, or we against them. Second, there have been a lot of Colonials traveling to Earth to attend seminars and meetings with Earth officials and corporations. And we have Terran star liners arriving on a semi-regular basis to Caprica and Picon filled with passengers from Earth, and two other worlds not considered colonies of Earth. In light of this, I find that the possibility of war between our two nations is remote. I find it comforting because the last thing we need to do is to have us fighting against each other. William, you've been remarkably quiet. Do you have an opinion about this?"
William: I've just been listening to you as both of you have made cogent arguments. I have to agree with you there. Nobody wants a war. We do have to acknowledge though, that the cultural differences between our people and the Terrans is considerable. And here, I am referring to the religious differences between our two people. However, as you noted, there is a growing change among many of the people in the colonies which seems to indicate that they are less concerned about the religious values of the people of Earth than we were just a mere three years ago. We still don't know as much about their world as we would like but from what we've heard, it is frankly speaking, fascinating. It is not only an interest in Earth, but some of their pseudo-colonies, worlds that have branched away from the planet and have their own independence. How these independent worlds function is a matter of interest to most of the people here. We must remember that fifty years ago, we really weren't unified. Because of the Cylon war, were forced to unify. We had something to fight against as a people and our worlds came together. There is still a desire by many to have more independence between the Colonial worlds."
Elissa: "That's true. But, getting back to the religious aspect, there are many, many people who see the Earth religions as a threat to our own beliefs. Many people suspect that is the reason why the missionaries went to Earth in the first place. Not surprisingly, that particular little adventure didn't turn out the way many people had hoped for. It's known that at least one of the missionaries turned away from her religious convictions and embraced a form of monotheism native to Earth. In fact, she married a native priest. And, one of our most renown and beloved priestess chose to remain on Earth to continue her study and analysis of the culture there instead of returning home. This has caused a lot of concern among those in the religious community with some religious leaders openly stating that Terran religions are more corrupting than we first believed. But we have to let our audience know that those opinions are becoming the minority."
Petre: "We're not that weak. But, it is a concern."
William: "Yes, for some people, it is. However, there are many people that have no problem with the concept of freedom of religion as practiced by several countries on Earth. This is especially true with a lot of the younger people who don't see it as a serious problem. We are finding that many of the older generation feel uncomfortable considering what happened with the monotheist wars sixty years earlier. There still are a lot of harsh feelings concerning the riots that killed so many people on planets Gemenon,Sagittaron, and Scorpia."
Elissa: "That hasn't stopped millions of people immigrating to the new colony worlds located less than fifty light-years from Earth. They don't seem threatened by Earth's religions."
William: "That's because they haven't been directly exposed to it, at least not yet. Right now, there is a thirty-five-light-year prohibition zone around Earth imposed by the Tollanian government, however with improving relations, we don't know how long that will last. Who knows what might happen in twenty years when more contact between the new colonies and Earth. We may see both sides getting along just fine. Or, worst case scenario, we may be at war."
Elissa: "That is a possibility. We also should take into consideration the Cylon influence. I can easily see Earth being influenced by the machines."
William: "I think we're worrying about the Cylon threat a little bit too much and underestimating the people of Earth. We won the war. The only Cylons still existing…"
Petre: "That we know of…""
Elissa: "That we know of, are in Earth territory. If I'm not mistaken, there are only a few hundred allegedly functioning on Earth. It is doubtful that they can influence the people of Earth so much that they become a true threat. The people there are aware of the dangers that the Cylons represent and I'm sure that they're not foolish enough to allow those creatures access to their systems and critical areas that could threaten their own security."
Petre: "But Lissa, that's the fear that many of our own officials in the military, civilian, and religious sectors. This could easily happen because of Earth's lack of understanding of the true Cylon threat."
William: "Sorry, I don't agree with you. I think we make assumptions that are not based on the facts. Currently, we don't have the information om the Cylons and what they are doing on Earth. The clones may be isolated; they may be part of the civilian population for all we know. But, at this time, I believe that Earth can deal with the situation because they are aware of what the Cylons tried to do to us. Also, we must acknowledge that Earth is more advanced than we are. They may be more aware of the Cylon threat than we give them credit for."
Elissa: "They've certainly proved that, at lease from the technological point of view. The civilian aerospace corporations are still talking about that little stunt that the Terran space liner pulled a couple weeks ago. You know they didn't have to speed up like that to enter their FLT. They were just showing off."
Petre: "Well, they certainly got their point across.
Elissa: "Yes, that was a big embarrassment to those viper pilots and the military. That civilian liner outran our most advanced vipers with an ease that was unimaginable. If our news team captured the incident, most people wouldn't have believed it. Our government certainly wouldn't have allowed that video to see the light of day. That alone shows us how far behind the Terrans we are. It's also a very good example why we should not provoke them any more than we already have. It also shows that we need to garner favor with them so that we can acquire some the technology that they apparently take for granted. Imagine if we could travel tens of thousands of light years in a matter of days rather than years."
Petre: "I think you're exaggerating. There's no way they can travel that fast."
William: "Well, we know they made it to Earth in a day. In comparison, it takes us about a year to make it to the Terran star system. That transport was just a civilian liner. So, we have asked question exactly how fast can their military warships travel? Either way, it is something that we need to acquire if we are going to expand."
Elissa: "People should also know that Vice-President Willius and Quorum Minority Leader Minas will not be in attendance as both are still touring the new colonies and making an impromptu to visit Terra. Former President Richard Adar, now appointed ambassador to Earth will not be attending for the same reason."
Petre: "Several of our news correspondents, including some from our rival stations, have requested permission from the Colonial government to visit Earth. The Earth government seems not to have a problem with this and has given us permission. So far, our own government has denied us permission for the last two years; but, with this speech, I suspect things are about to change. Like it or not, our people are co-mingling more, and the obsession our government has trying to keep every contact with Earth-related events classified, is becoming difficult. The lack of transparency is pushing our government towards a critical point. I believe this also means that the people of the Colonies are at a critical juncture. The Quorum's political agenda is slowly distancing itself from the will of the people. There is a disconnect here between what the officials want and what the people want. Look, I've talked to people in cities and townships all over Caprica and Picon.
I've also talked to many people in large as well as small towns across the twelve worlds. A significant majority of them are interested in closer relations with Earth and the independent worlds. Allegedly, there are however, a lot of government officials and many CEOs of large corporations that are opposed to this unless they can influence the outcome in ways that benefit them foremost. Many people are of the opinion that those same individuals are trying to capitalize on this situation so that they can influence and profit from it before the common person is even aware of the possible benefits. For example, several sources are saying that a conglomerate of corporations are actively trying to contract for a private resort on Terra's Pacifica territories, specifically, on three islands of the Tahitian land group for ultra-rich clients of said corporations. Earth was offered a huge amount of credits for the property. Earth reportedly rejected the offer. None of these alleged actions were revealed to the public."
Elissa: "So, you're saying that profit and self-interest are the main motives that are keeping us from more openness with Earth?"
Petre: "That's what my sources are telling me. It indicates that these people are thinking long term. We haven't even established travel civilian lanes to Earth yet, nor have we any vessels that can reach Earth in a reasonable time. But they are working for exclusivity. The common person has little to no chance if the corporations have their say, according to our sources. There are many people who believe that our own officials including some of the religious leaders are pushing the matters of religion as an excuse not to associate with Earth other than with significant limitations that benefit them. I will add this point. I've heard from a lot of our military officials that some of our military leaders are still quietly furious that Earth pushed back so successfully against our forces. These individuals consider Earth a primary threat to be squashed. But, and I will also add this, there are many, many people in the military in positions of power that have moved past the battles and wants Earth's military culture to ultimately side with us as a unified entity. Elissa and Petre, this is something I'm hearing more and more. This seems to be an almost desperate need for us to unite, at lease from a military standpoint.""
William: "I've seen some evidence of that as well. There seems to be a growing concern about alien life and the threat that possibly represents. We've had our first confirmed, intelligent alien life form contact with a species known as the Race. Unknown to us, this contact happened a little over two years ago. Although the details of this first contact is classified, we know that there was some sort of conflict between our forces and theirs. We know that Earth intervened. We also know there have been some talks between our two governments, but the details of been very sketchy."
Petre: "I can't imagine how that first contact must've went. Imagine meeting aliens for the first time. How difficult must it have been just to be able to communicate? I can truly understand if we have some type of conflict with them in our first meeting. But this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that mankind is not alone in the universe, not that I believe that in the first place."
Elissa: "But the scrolls as stated that mankind began out there. They don't hint of alien life forms existing in the universe."
Petre: "As I've said before, and I will say it again–and it always gets me in trouble–the scrolls don't tell us everything. I understand the religious impact of the statement I'm saying however I will not pretend that I believe everything that the scrolls say, and I have never believed that man is the only creature out there in this vast galaxy, or this universe. Apparently, I was right."
William: "The first thing we did was shoot at them."
Petre: "That's what it seems like, or maybe they shot first seeing our Battlestars coming at them. But I want to focus on our own actions. What does this say about us? How many friends might we have out there?"
William: "In contrast, how many enemies might we have out there as well? This is something that we will find out, I suspect, sooner rather than later."
Elissa: "Aren't you afraid of what we may find?"
William: "There are threats most probably, But I would like to believe that there are more positives in the universe rather than the negatives. Our biggest problems are going to be ourselves, and by that, I mean, Humanity. We are the greatest threat to this galaxy."
Elissa: "I thought the Cylons were the galaxy's greatest threat."
William: "We and the Terrans are most likely the greatest threats that ever crawled into space. The Race? They may be a problem–we don't know until our government allows us to get out there and interview them and find out who and what they are. Yes, I believe they are hiding something they don't want the public to know about. As of right now, we are hiding from the greater community. Case in point: despite all our years in space, we never met an intelligent species, so that led to some assumptions that obviously in retrospect, we know are not true. We also know that we Colonials live in an isolated sector of space. In contrast, the Terran system is surrounded by worlds that can support Human and other forms of intelligent life. Once our people move into those new colony worlds what would we expect to happen? Are they going to be wedded to the Colonial way of life, or are they going to begin to go their own way creating their own unique culture? How will Earth influence them, or how will those colonists influence Earth? Will those new colonists get used to the idea that there aliens among them? In turn, in a few generations what would they think of us? Will they become cosmopolitans while we will be known as 'country rubes'? Do we honestly think that they're going to fall back into the traditional Kobollian way of life? These are questions we going to have to answer and answer soon if we want to remain a unified people. The question is, should we even try to enforce unification, considering the fact that they are tens of thousands of light years away from their parent culture?"
Petre: "I hate to interrupt this riveting conversation, but we're going to change tracks. But, to our audience, I promise that we will get back to this very interesting conversation. We hope to have some Terran represents here to get their input. We're receiving a huge number of calls from people weighing in with comments and questions.
I've just received word that the President is entering right now. Most of the people in the Presidium are beginning to stand up, beginning to clap which is a definite indication that the President is now inside a building. We can see President Goesel coming down the aisle now… Shaking hands, greeting the people. I see he has bowed to the High Priestess who is also his aunt… He's still making his way among the throngs of people trying to shake his hands. I'm sure security is a nightmare at this point… He's finally made his way to the stage. To the side, we see his wife and other family members of the executive branch taking their seats now. The room is now quieting as High Priestess Livia Stomata prepares to recite the invocation."
Elissa: you will note that she is wearing the purple, green and gold robes of her order. Normally, these robes are worn only during the State of the Colonies address and at state funerals. The fact that she is wearing this now gives an indication of how important this speech is going to be."
Petre: "The invocation will be spoken in ancient Kobollian, as is tradition. At this point I'm not sure if there will be a direct translation for the people of Earth. I shall assume that the missionaries still on Earth can give the people there a direct translation. People are standing now as she begins her invocation."
Elissa: "Our tradition is a definite departure from Earth's. The country of the Americana North has a strict, almost obsessive rule separating church from state. They may speak of religion, or their specific monotheistic God during the speeches, however religion plays no part in the legal system, or so I've been told. Strange indeed."
Petre: "The President has now stepped up to the podium. You can almost feel the deafening applause vibrate the floor, as members of the Quorum both major and minor houses acknowledge him. Again, this speech is being broadcast throughout the Cyrannus star system and is being transmitted to the planet Earth. When he is finished, we will do an analysis of his speech and cover the important parts. Ladies and gentlemen and people of Terra, the President of the Colonies of Kobol...
To the honorable members of the Quorum, to the members of the legislature that serve our great nation, to the religious enclaves that tend to both the spiritual and physical needs of our citizenry, to the citizens of the Colonies of Kobol and finally, to the people of the Terran star system, and the newly formed United Coalition of Worlds. I, President Antonio Goesel, bid you greetings from our great and wonderful capital world of Caprica, one of many worlds of the Colonies of Kobol. As I address all those listening to my voice and seeing my face, some for the first time, I want to recount the progress that we've made in the last year.
First, I will recount the financial challenges that we have endured in the last year in our culture and our society. The financial challenges have been significant and we, the officials responsible for the safety and stability of our nation, have carefully coordinated together to avoid catastrophe to making sure that our collective economy continues to grow. We have discovered new minerals, new sources of precious and exotic metals desperately needed to continue our economic growth. We're building schools as well as ships for those colonists traveling to distant shores. We have an economically viable military, the largest since the height of the Cylon war, not dedicated to war, but dedicated to help establish the peace for us and our children. Our colonists' brethren, traveling to distant, newly established colonies will feel secure knowing that their safety is assured from their first steps from our territories to their first steps on our new worlds. The ways are already being prepared for them. New housing is already being built. Land is being cleared for farming. Industrial, farming equipment, and medical vessels will be there to greet them. Our Agricultural vessels are following at a slower rate to guarantee the safety of the animals and plants being transported. Guardian battlestars and waypoint stations will escort and offer safe havens for our brave colonists. We have battled against an ever-diminishing number of terrorist actions and organized pirate gangs to maintain the safety of our space lanes. We are in the process of developing and additional new world for our people to live in safety and comfort. We have another discovered new world our population can colonize. These worlds are rich in life and minerals required to supply our people with all their needs in comfort.
In our explorations, we have found two worlds that have small Human populations already there which we have integrated with and are in the process of helping them to improve their quality of life. We have quickly learned from experience to allow them to continue essentially unimpeded. The possibilities of these new people having their culture damaged or lost because of our interference will not be tolerated. If, however they wish to join our people and become one with us, we will not hinder them. But they should be allowed to develop at their own pace and not emulate our culture or religious values as some have attempted to do. We have not abandoned them nor will we in this time of new discovery. But, we have learned, and it is a bitter lesson, that we cannot force them to follow our rules and laws just because we are bigger, better and stronger than they are.
We have been blessed. I must repeat what has been said of the territorial worlds of New Picon, Pontu Nika, and Makaria. They are diverse, rich in minerals as well as in life equal to the worlds of the Twelve Colonies. There are trees and plants, there are oceans and rivers, mountains and streams, deserts and arctic wastelands all for the taking. These planets are perfect for the habitation of Human life and our species. There is no evidence of intelligent or Human life, so we are not taking from anyone. And we have every intention of making the most of these blessed finds without fear of usurping others' territories.
Relations with Earth and its independent worlds that form their coalition is at an all-time high. We're in a process of establishing ties with the species called the Race, an empire that comprises three species of reptilians. These completely different intelligent species of reptile-like life forms are collectively known by the people of Earth and the independent worlds around them as Lizardians. The species have independently developed technology sufficient to propel them through the stars. Our first contact with them was difficult and as the President, I personally take full responsibility for the incident and resulting battle between our two great nations. I acknowledge that the people of Earth's coalition were instrumental in halting what could have become a disastrous conflict. Instead of going to war which would have resulted in the loss of countless lives, we reached a critical point where we, the people of Kobol were able to open the lines of communications with the people of Earth. The war with the empire of the Race, that would have drawn Earth into the conflict, was averted.
Instead of shunning us, Terra allowed missionaries, representatives of the religious factions of our world to come to visit and learn about their world. They allowed diplomats, scientists, and archaeologists, to examiner their world, to learn of their opinions, to study their religions, to speak to their people in freedom and without restriction, and to study what we once called the Thirteenth Colony. I want people of our nation to understand that this is important work and it has made a real difference in the lives of those who have traveled to Earth. Their reports, their commentaries and communiques, and their accumulating knowledge of the planet and its culture have been instrumental in helping us to gain a better of the Terrans. We intend to reciprocate to the best of our abilities.
We have a long way to go but we are beginning to see the light in the tunnel as we continue to gain understanding and knowledge of our distant relatives. It is through their knowledge and their eyes that we begin to believe that what we first assumed concerning the people of Earth is no longer valid. We thought we knew who and what they are, but we have found that our information was woefully incomplete and inaccurate. This strange paradox of what we thought we knew and what we have discovered now, will now defines who and what we are in relation to ourselves and to Earth.
What this administration has learned has been difficult to accept and to define in ways that we can fully understand and feel comfortable with. We have worked diligently and obtained independent collaboration. We are continuing to either confirm or discount further data as it becomes available. Despite enormous progress cultivating our relationship with the Terrans and their allies, this administration has found that many people have begun to lose the trust in the institutions of government and religion. There are many citizens of this great nation that believe that we there has been an egregious lack of transparency when it comes to the truth about the Terrans. Our preconceived notions and beliefs have pushed us in directions that are, in some cases patently false and divisive. Our beliefs have taken us down one road we expected to travel, but the reality we now face pushes us towards another path. Those conflicts of interests have pushed our nation towards the uncertainly of what the truth is and places us in a conflict of crisis. We as a nation hold our truths to be real and the unknown frightens us as a people. What defines us is conflicted with what we thought we knew. I say to the colonies of Kobol, we cannot be restricted by what we think we know. We must be ready to expand our minds and our hearts and our spirits by who and what we truly are.
So, there are decisions that we must act upon. We, as a united people, can choose to press forward with a positive mindset for cooperation and integration with the greater galactic community, or we can retreat into the comfort of our beliefs and assumptions and remain isolated and ignorant. It is my belief that we should not focus on comfortable ideology, but we must step forward and act upon the facts as frightening as they may be. We can look forward and take the first steps of integrating with the people of Earth and the independent worlds in their sectors of space, or we can close in on ourselves comforted in the knowledge that we alone know the truth about Humanity and the galaxy around us. I realize this is troubling and it is not comforting, but what I am saying holds the elements of truth which we as a people, should be strong enough not to shy away from. To bury our heads in the sand is to invite disaster and death not only to the culture of our people but to death itself. We are strong people and I believe we cannot hide from the truth no matter how difficult it is.
I have personally wrestled with the newfound knowledge that has been given to me. There have been many difficult decisions in which I and the leadership have made in the best interests of our people.
Although these decisions are difficult, they have been a blessing as well. Our economy is booming as we have discovered precious minerals, and metals essential to the continued vitality of our culture. We're speaking to the Race in an effort to secure a treaty with them to obtain a precious substance that is the lifeline of the Colonies. The Race is in possession of tyllium. This precious resource is in quantities sufficient to power our industrial needs for the next thousand years. We will aggressively, yet respectfully treat with them to obtain the lifeblood of our people. This does not come without risk. We have many challenges to overcome such as trust and respect. Although our relations have improved, we are not where we should be, but we are striving to improve each and every day. I'm confident that we will achieve our goals; then both we and the Race will come to an acceptable agreement that will benefit both sides. We are confident that both sides are now cultivating ways that can benefit all our people, economically as well as in security. This will take time but not as much as we might believe.
Both our people and the people of Earth have one great passion and that is that we demand respect from each other whether it be matters of gender, or race, or religion, or disability, or cultural differences that seem incompatible to those experiencing it for the first time. We must realize that these differences although concerning, ultimately makes us stronger because we are accepting those differences. I have received many reports concerning the various religions of Earth and I want to ensure our people that, although there are similarities between their religions and the Cylon faith, any belief that there is a connection between the two could not be further from the truth. Earth's religions have been developing for thousands of years independent of Cylon beliefs.
It is not true that the Terran people are trying to convert us to monotheism. There is no truth that Earth is trying to force us to abandon our own religions. If it were, then they would have tried to use religion as a condition for any acceptances of treaties that we would make with them. They have not done so. It is not true that Earth wants to conquer and enslave us, and force us to abandon our religions and beliefs so that they can replace them with theirs. It is true that they are trying to influence us as we are trying to influence them. It is true that Earth is an independent entity not connected to the officiating rules, regulations, and legalities of Colonial Law. We have no jurisdiction over them and they have no jurisdiction over us. Despite some beliefs to the contrary, the original and subsequent laws of Colonization do not and cannot affect a world that has been separated from the Colonies for the last two to 4000 years. To attempt to subjugate e or force a world may or may not be the Thirteenth Colony so that we may feel comfortable in a judicial system can only lead to disaster. As I have reiterated before, Earth also known as Terra, may well not be the Thirteenth Colony. If we do find remnants of the Thirteenth Colony as we have found our home world of Kobol, how will we treat with them? Will they remember us, or will they have forgotten their roots? Will they wish to join us their brethren or will the decide to remain independent? How will we respond to their decisions? Only time will tell, and I have faith that when and if that time does come, we will decide wisely. How we treat with the Race and the Coalition will certainly give us an indication where minds and hearts are. We should embrace our cousins and others to become stronger than the sum of our parts.
As we travel towards his great unknown, I realize that this will create real problems. Because of our isolationism these problems have been relegated and neglected. Alternative visions of our world have prevailed in our nation both in a conservative and liberal politics. With our religious factions, their ideas and beliefs have been challenged in the wealthiest sectors as well as the poorest sectors of society. We have seen that both sides seek to restore what they have believe is a better, simpler way of life, free from outside influences.
We as a people cannot dismiss these visions. I, as President, cannot dismiss these visions because they are powerful, and they reflect the dissatisfaction and fears of many of our people. Because of certain truths in the galaxy, I believe that these visions fail to recognize our position as members of Humanity. We cannot run and hide and imprison ourselves in walls and barriers and then claim that we are safe from outside influences. We, as a nation cannot answer with a simple rejection of what is true and what is outside in the galaxy. Instead we should strive to work together with our brothers and hopefully, our future allies to make sure that we benefit from such integration and that it be broadly shared. The disruption of our economic, political, cultural, and our own religion should not be tolerated by the people simply because we have those who are afraid to step forward towards a new and sometimes frightening path. However, the imbalance is there than many who wish to maintain the status quo. I believe there's another path, one that ensures our security and economic prosperity without fear of others attempting to take it away from us either by coercion or by force. We have a saying–it is an ancient saying, 'the monster is out of the cave and it will not be pushed back into it'. We are known by the greater galaxy now and we cannot go back and hide, knowing that nothing will ever threaten us.
Because we have been opened to the wider universe, we have discovered many wondrous things. New people, innovative technologies, new species, and new cultures have been shown to us. We've seen not one, but three distinct species of alien reptilian intelligence we could not have imagined less than four years ago. We have encountered people that have shown us technologies and have knowledge of things that we could never have imagined could have existed outside of our fiction writer's imagination. The simple acknowledgment that those technologies exist and are possible has helped us to look at our sciences in new ways and we have diligently been in contact with the people of Terra and the independent worlds that comprise the United Coalition of Worlds. New propulsion technologies, new medical advances, and new forms of communication are in the process of being researched and introduced into our economy in such ways that will not hurt but boost it tenfold. We are expanding our technological base by the day and we are better for it.
But with every blessing that we received, there is also cost. We've seen the wider galaxy now, and it has seen us. Earth people have a saying: 'the genie is out of the bottle'. This phrase means that others have seen us. Some have, expressing friendship. Some have come with intentions of conquering or destroying our people. We were once safe, isolated in our ignorance. Now that we know what's out there we cannot turn back and pretend that we haven't seen it. If we do so, it will surely come for us. To that extent, we are making preparations that will ensure the salvation, the safety of the Colonies of Kobol and our people.
The Empire of the Race was a first contact with alien life forms, but they have not been our only contact. There is a species that discovered us. Because of our relationship to Earth, this alien government discovered our existence. Where we were once safe and isolated sectors space, that is no longer true.
Three months ago, an alien ship appeared at the border that once separated Cylon from Colonial space. The ship was pyramid-shape and its ambassador wished to contact our government. We have discovered that this design is common in the galaxy and many friendly governments as well as pirates and hostile entities use ship design called the Ha'tak. Although the crew that visited us is Humanoid, they are not Human as we understand the term. The ship is the standard vessel for what was known as the Goa'uld Empire. It was vast, once ruling more than eighty percent the galaxy with an iron hand. The Goa'uld encountered Humans on Earth eight thousand years ago… that number is correct according to all our research. It is a known fact that they took many Humans from Terra and transplanted them throughout the galaxy. They called the Humans of Earth the 'Tau'ri, which in the Goa'uld language means 'first world' and its people were also called the Tau'ri'. It is a derogatory term used by these aliens to the denote mankind of Terra.
A rebellion on Earth forced the Goa'uld to flee. For many thousands of years Earth had time to grow and mature. Twenty-six years by Earth's calendar, they encountered Earth again. The Empire does not tolerate any advanced Human world or alien species that might develop enough technology to threaten their rule. Hundreds of worlds and hundreds of species have been obliterated by the Goa'uld. The Goa'uld encountered the Terrans hostilities immediately began. Their leader Ra, trued to cripple or destroy Earth using a super-enhanced nuclear device. He failed and was killed. His death signified that Earth was a threat, one they could not allow to continue to exist. Ra's death remained a mystery that would not be solved by the Goa'uld for years. Once they rediscovered Earth, it was designated a threat and they tried to once more enslave the people, or in failing that they would have destroyed Earth. Although badly outnumbered and technologically inferior, the people of Terra survived becoming stronger, then crippled the Empire, killing most of the Goa'uld System Lords.
The ship that visited our system is one of vast number under the direct control of the empire that seceded the Goa'uld Empire. From the ashes of the old Empire a new Empire formed, the Ashtorath Goa'uld Empire. While all this was happening, we were hidden, safely isolated by our nebula, unaware of the desperate battle waged between Humanity and the Goa'uld. Earth is now a young, budding galactic power and the Goa'uld are a shadow of their former selves. However, they are rising again to become that power that they once were. And, they have found us.
One of the Ashtorath Lords came to us to forge an alliance between our people and theirs. I have been given time to think about this and tonight, I will respond to her request.
TBC
note: I wrote 'true words', not 'truer words'.