It was the middle of the night, and Allon Torn had just returned home from work.
Five hours of unpaid overtime was killing him, but he had nobody to complain to. The union in his workplace was corrupt to the point of being useless, and when he tried to talk to his coworkers about it, he was just told he should be lucky that one even existed. He couldn’t even vent to his family or friends, as he lacked both.
He tried to sleep, but he couldn’t, as his brain was too preocupied with concerns and other thoughts to just switch off.
He sighed, and sat by his desk. He turned on his computer, and did what he would always do when he could not sleep - resumed work on his project.
The project that got him kicked from the Council of Sages.
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He opened up the console, and began typing commands. One by one, the necessary files and applications were being opened, and soon enough, he could begin.
This was an ambitious project. One that would normally be worked on by large teams, not one person. Even he - one of the most intelligent people in Hydrosia - first worked on it with a group of fellow scientists at a local university.
Anter Xent, Rewa Vante, Powen Croll, Cona Maran… They were good, brilliant scientists, but above all, good people. Kind, helpful, reliable.
His removal from the Council, however, was a massive personal crisis for him, and so he did not communicate with them for a long time, preferring to cope alone, eventually losing contact with them.
But now was not the time for regrets. He continued working, as he continued inserting data into the program.
After some time, he felt satisfied. The AI managed to find good solutions for most of the terraformation projects it was shown by him.
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He worked for some time, before eventually returning to bed. Knowing that he had done a good job on a project that truly mattered to him, he was finally able to sleep well.
Thankfully, the morning that followed was a day off, so there was no need for him to wake up particularly early.
Then, he took a peek at the morning news from Hydrosia Courier, the public news.
He scrolled through a couple headlines. Sports… politics, that - with the Council holding near absolute power - didn’t really matter… some funny story that happened at a seaweed plantation…
He was just about to close the feed and move on with his day, until suddenly…
“WAR IN NEIGHBOURING NATION - VENTARIA ATTACKS COLESTIA”
“Our newly discovered neighbour, the Common Republic of Colestia has recently been invaded. While records we have managed so far vary, the invader appears to be the self-proclaimed Great Empire of Ventaria. Little is known about the aggressor. We can only hope that the escalation of this conflict remains relatively limited.”
His heart stopped for a split second. A war between galactic civilizations would bring disaster unseen before. Hydrosia saw itself prosper peacufully during this ongoing galactic age, but it appears Colestia did not have that much luck. All those innocent lives, lost to the fires of war… Was there a way to… save them?
And then, he had an idea. His project… maybe with certain changes, it could be used to help potential Colestian refugees! However, what he needed to put this idea in action was a group of intelligent people with a lot of power… and the only group that matched this definition was one that welcomed him no longer. But it was worth a try.
He left the house, rushing to the Citizens’ Hall.
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“So, you are proposing that we use a modified version of your quite controversial project - which was, in your own words, created to make our terraformation procedures ‘less destructive’ and ‘more humane’ in order to find a way to terraform some planets in order to adjust them for potential Colestian refugees?”
Torn nodded his head.
“Yes, Profesor… That is exactly what I had in mind.”
Seon Pux looked at him… and then laughed.
“Mr Torn, the answer is - of course - no. Not only do you propose the use of a project that was rejected by the Council a long time ago because of the strains it would put on the economy - and because its very nature was insulting to Hydrosia, indirectly calling its actions ‘inhumane’ and ‘immoral’ - but also, you have the audacity to come here and ask something of the Council without being its member. Unorthodox display of hubris, but very well. We are amused.”
Torn looked down on the floor. Of course. The Council was just going to insult him, both directly and indirectly by refusing to use his scientific title.
He looked at Maka Peum, the Council member whom he considered to be the most compassionate, with desperation.
“Professor, please… Imagine what benefits this could do to Hydrosia’s international reputation.”
“Professor Torn… The rest of the Council does have a point. We cannot currently introduce such a project. But I can assure you, any Colestians that ask for help shall receive it. I’m terribly sorry, but that is the Council’s decision.”
He sighed in both disappointment and relief. He might not have accomplished his goal, but at least he would not have to deal with a heavy conscience.
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He left, as he could not accomplish anything else here today. But that did not mean the day would not hold any surprises for him.
As he was leaving, walking through the admittedly beautiful, yet empty and silent hallways of the Citizens’ Hall, he suddenly spotted something different than artworks depiciting Hydrosian history and various diplomas awarded to Council members (his were there too once, before being removed) - a familiar face.
Rushing to the Council meeting room was a Hydrosian woman around his age. Even though she moved very fast, he was certain it was someone he knew. Or even… someone all of Hydrosia knew by now, but he knew before.
Before she discovered Colestia.
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“Ah, Ms Maran. We were expecting you. Welcome. I suppose you’re here to discuss your admission to the Council?”
“Yes, Proffesor Decri.”
Cona Maran, an ambitious researcher, most known in Hydrosia for being part of the exploration mission that eventually discovered Colestia, looked up on the Council members. At last, her application was being considered seriously. Now to-
“Do you have certificate A38?”
Of course. The bureaucracy.
“…Yes. I have it right here.”
“Very well… And the Blue Form?”
“Here it is.”
“Now, all we need is-”
“My certificate of graduation, certificate of health, and several others… Here”
Maran knew this could be viewed as unproffesional, and yet her impatience won her over - this was her eighth time applying to the Council, and the reason for her seven rejections was the fact that she lacked a document she did not even know existed.
What followed was a minute of awkward silence interrupted only by the sound of documents being placed on the desk.
“…Very well. What follows now is a short interview with one of the Council members. You will be interviewed by Proffesor Peum in the room next door.”
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