Okay, here is chapter 2, this chapter will be 11 hours before Mass Relay discovery to show what is going on Earth. I tried to make this chapter longer than the previous one and i tried to not rush it like in the previous one chapter, so let me know, if it's okay. Now let's get to the chapter!

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Chapter 2, part 1 – Earth

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Earth, Sydney, 15. August 2570, about 11 hours earlier.

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Sydney was alive today, roads were full of cars, people walked out, went shoping, went to jobs, or they went home from their jobs to také care of their families, delt with daily matters and more. They lived peacefull life. The life they didn't have due to the war with Covenant. But it was seen that people were geting through the events of war ans slowly accepted they are in coalition with their former enemy. All they wanted, and they did, is to live without any wories. But for lord Hood it was the opposite. Terance was taking a short nap, before an AI started waking him up.

"Mr. Hood, are you awake?"

Hood groaned and turned around on his bed.

„Leave me alone Steve."

AI called Steve Rogers, appeared on his table, his avatar looked like a famous Marvel hero, captain America, with his typical shield and suit from the first Captains movie and started speaking: „Terance, the generals are requesting your presence, they need help with logistics problems and also discuss with routine military matters. After that awaiting you an opening ceremony for launching a new Poseidon class light carrier. I hope you won't miss the launch of new Poseidon-class carrier."

AI sometimes called Hood by his name and it was annoying for him. But he can't fall asleep back, so what he could do? Terrance didn't try to sleep again and just woke up and went preparing for his next day full of military and maybe political matters.

„What is my first program?", asked, while he was performing his hygiene, after that, he went out from bathroom and made himself a cofee.

„Your first matter is a morning meeting with the UNSC generals about solving logistics problems and safe material transport to the outer colonies and food suplies import.", Steve answered. Hood slowly drinked his coffee and read daily news , daily reports while he listened to his AI.

„Okay, i'll be there soon."

After news and reports check, Hood get up from his table, he put on his standard vice admiral uniform and went from his room right to the meeting. Hood went through corridors, and command center, he received regards from guards, military personel and others.

„Sir."

„Morning sir."

„Lord Hood."

„Good morning lord Hood."

„Good morning sir."

Hood sometimes replied back and sometimes Hood nodded his head. Lord Hood was very respected person in the UNSC. On his road to the conference room Terrance checked his daily program that AI sent him. Sometimes he thought he is too old for doing this, well, he was maybe old. But it's as terminator in movie said: „I am old, but not to scrap." Hood always thinks about this, because it describes him as well. Hood watching terminator? It sounds like a joke, but there is more weird things…like Master chief playing Doom Eternal, a game from 21st century. About Master Chief, when UNSC found his ship, or the second half of the ship, everyone went crazy after the news arrived. Everyone wanted to see Chief, the legendary supersoldier from the Human-Covenant war. Someone tried to get to his living room for autograph only. Hood had to get him a personel guard. But when Terrance thinks about it, it was kinda funny too. After next 10 minutes of walking, he finally arrived to the conference room, other generals and military experts were awaiting him.

„Good morning Lord Hood, i hope your way here was pleasant.", one of the generals talked first.

„Yes, thank you, but now let's start with why we are here."

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Sydney, Senate building appartments, 12:47,15. August, 2570.

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If you want to find the safest building in Sydney, Senate building will be the first. Its a giant building with a giant cupola on it's midle. As one of the important buildings it was defended by a lot of anti missile systems, with very durable structure, barracks for soldiers guarding senate 24/7/365 and antinuclear shelter. In senate it was busy everyday. Everyday were organized meetings with colony councils, premiers, economists, scientist and others to solve daily problems. But for Edvigo Arcangelo it was special day. Edvigo was a politician, he cares about home politics mostly. But not today. He had meeting with MWTO (Milky Way Threaty Organisation) leaders about the new discovery. When Edvigo asked, why president can't meet with them and why is president sending him, the only answer Edvigo has got was: „I am sorry, but i have a lot things to do today and i don't have time, i have chosen you because you are one of the best, after Viceadmiral Hood, UEG has.". Edvigo thought the oposite, he has problems with confidence, but when he read the readon of the meeting, he knew it was important and then he accepted with that. Now he was preparing for the meeting. Edvigo was 173 centimeters tall, with brown hair, blue eyes with a bit of green. He had muscle body due to routine gym visiting. Edvigo loved sport activities like run, walk, and others. It was not typical for a politician. Everybody called him predator, because of his agresive politics style. He was sitting in the room with other politicians and waited for his victim. He has also the ability of saing his thoughts outloud and not offend someone, if he didn't want to do it. At the start the relations were strained but after few days you have got used to it. Edvigo raised atmosphere during political negotiations. You were never bored with him. But this was nothing he excepted, Edvigo wasn't prepared for it so it will be way harder to adapt for him. But someone had to do it and he was the only one.

„Okay Edvigo, it's just another siting on chair and listening to the bullshits.", said to himself while he was wearing blue suit on his white shirt. Then he got to his black shoes, after it he looked at the time.

„It's time to go.", said again.

Edvigo checked if he didn't missed something and finally went to the meeting.

Meeting room

Edvigo finally arrived and went to the one place left.

„I am sorry for the late gentleman, on my way i was interrupted by one idiot with a lot of problems i couldn't solve now. For all who don't know me, my name is Edvigo Arcangelo and i will subtitute Mr. President because our president has a lot of things to do.", Edvigo introduced himself.

„Alright…mr. Edvigo, so if everyone is finally here, we can start with todays topic.", Elite in golden armour called Thel Vadam started. By his right side also were his asistent and his friend, Rtas Vadum. The meeting has begun and after first words Edvigo knew, it will be a very long time.

3 hours later

3 hours. 3 painfull hours for Edvigo. They got from a new found sector full of planets rich in mineral resources, through military problems to the newly discovered Forerunner artifact.

„Wait, do you just want to send your people to the artifact?"

Thel sighted. Edvigo was very active human. He gave some good points, sometimes was helpfull, but sometimes it was annoying. To some problems he aproached strictly and very carefully even it wasn't necessary. This was one of the things.

„Yes, i do.", Thel answered simply. Then it has all begun.

„What? You can't just send your people on an foreign places, especially the Forerunner ones. You g even know, what can be hiding there. What about the Flood?"

Even Rtas was being annoyed, so he reacted on his guestion.

„The flood will be eliminated, we were doing this for a long time and we have enought experience with fighting the Flood."

„And what about viruses? Bacterial diseases?"

Well, Rtas was excepting something diferent, but not an argument of this type. Jiralhanae leader snorted.

„Our immune system can deal with it, we are not like you humans."

„You can't know that, Forerunners were more advance than us, the disease that were normal for them should be lethal for us. They had cure for them, we don't have anything, our medicine will not good enought."

„Will not?", Thel asked amazed.

Edvigo knew he didn't have to say it, and tried to save it, ONI would kill him.

„It's logic that our, primitive for Forerunner standarts" should not be enought to hold virus of this type."

Everyone in the room has slowly becoming frustrated, after Rtas figured it out, he decided to end this meeting before someone would kill him.

„I understand your wories but we will deal with it, i hope you will join us. But now i find this meeting as finished. Everyone can go."

There was nothing to say about that Edvigo was happy. Because when Rtas said it, he immediately stand up and walked away. It looked funny for him.

„I should talk to him. I think he don't telling us everything.", Thel said.

„What do you except from politicians? They always have their secrets.", Rtas reacted.

„Indeed.", Rtas said and after that they walked away too and left the meeting room empty.

Apartment section

Edvigo came in and went to the living room and sat on the couch and tried to relax, but it was kinda hard.

„Sherman?"

„Hello Edvigo, i hope the meeting was sucessfull."

On Edvigos table has displayed his AI, his avatar looked as a famous WW2 american general called Sherman.

„It was the opposite for me, i made an idiot from myself.", Edvigo replied to his words with sights of humiliation.

„It was nightmare, they just want send units on one of the Forerunner artifact even with the possibility of virus aproach.", added to his reply.

„The possibility is maybe small, but i understand your point, what can i do for you?", Sherman asked.

„Cascade of Jellyfish, what is their situation now?", Edvigo was praying for at least some good news for today. AI propably knew what he wants to see, so he doesn't talk and showed him news.

After few minutes of silence Edvigo got the courage of speak: „Oh my god."

He stands up and walked over to the window, looking on the beautifull city in front of him. Edvigo had very bad day, at first, he did an idiot from himself in front of MWTO leaders, than this.

„It's getting worse and worse."

He turned to his AI and asked: „Is there any advance in stoping or slowing down the virus?"

„Very, very slow sir, doctors and scientists are trying their best, but it's not enought."

„What the stats saying?", Edvigo insisted.

„The number of infected in all colonies in the Cascade of Jellyfish sector is about 2.5mil. Which 437k are critical. Casualties are around 10k now. Number of infected per day in all colonies are 15.7k and it's rapidly raising, death number per day is low. Something around 58, but the situation is very bad. People are scared, some of them tried to escape from the colonies. Scientist are trying to get some data from the Forerunner research facility, but it's very complicated. Even the best scientists are don't understand it. Forerunners medicine was way better than our today.", Sherman sadly answered. Edvigo was quiet. He had no words. The situation was really bad.

„My data are saying that at this rate we will lose the sector in 25-35 years. Propably faster, but as i say, we make small advance of slowing down the virus spread.", AI added in believe that Sherman can relieve already tense situation.

„Call lord Hood and tell him i want to see him immediately, he have to skip the ceremony.", Edvigo told his AI.

„Yes sir, something else?"

„Nothing, thank you."

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Okay so here it is. I wanted to take a look at actual problems UEG is dealing with and the actual politics and relationships, i decided to separate it on two parts. I am not an expert on polititcs also so let me know if i did it good or bad and some tips would be good. Also thanks for the faw, follow and reviews. I really apreciate it. See ya on part 2!