May Writing challenge:Alea iacta est.

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by Thor Damar, May 26, 2009.

  1. Thor Damar

    Thor Damar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Location:
    Thor Damar, God of thunder and monologue..
    The Terran Empire: Now known only as The Empire, The Terran Empire that now rules over the Alpha and Beta quadrants was founded in 2161 after the Great War of...

    The First Emperor, Adam Augustine Terranicus led the Empire though it’s first Golden era and laid the framework for a system that would one day span a Galaxy. Most of the Emperor’s personal life has been lost to legend; his real name and place of birth are forever a mystery which has led some to speculate that...

    It was the first commencement speech of the Imperial Age which established the core principles of this great Empire.

    (Extracted from The Terran Empire: A unifying force by Dr R Spock. 2nd Ed 2394)



    June 1st 2161: Nova Roma, Africa.

    The crowds gathered in the sweltering heat of the mid afternoon sun. There were hundreds of thousands of people from all over the planet, from North America to Asia, from Europe to Africa all here to hear one man.

    He stood at the far end of the Imperial Forum at the heart of the city, the newest and greatest of all the urban centres of Earth. Constructed only a decade ago in celebration of the uniting of all of Earth’s disparate peoples, the city had already grown massively and was now home to thousands from all over the globe. The crowds filled the forum, pushing into every corner of the vast square, every eye and ear focused on the huge platform at the far end.

    He paced the floor, dressed in fine imperial robes a beatific smile upon his face. He was the being that would go down in history and myth as one of the greatest humans and the father to all Terrans.

    He was the First Emperor and his words today would last for centuries...



    “My fellow Terrans,
    Today is a truly auspicious moment in our long and oft violent history. Today we set aside our pretty differences and shallow greed by recognising our common and shared heritage as citizens of this great and bountiful Earth.

    We have come together here at our new capital to share in a common and united purpose, a desire to remove all the boundaries that our ancestors have sought to impose upon us, to create a new civilisation that will create peace and prosperity for all citizens. We do not lightly remove ourselves from our collective pasts, from our predecessors whose sacrifice has bought us to this point and from the proud histories of what is our one human race.
    I use the term Citizen deliberately as this will be the virtue that links us all. No longer will Colour, creed or arbitrary bounders divide us, instead we shall embrace our common purpose and face whatever trials await us as one people.

    Make no mistake my fellow citizens, there will be many struggles yet to face and we will be forced to once again gaze into the dark abyss of our souls. We have barely survived our last great reign of madness and we have seen too many precious lives ended on the altar of power. Today we will set forth on a new mission to rebuild our beloved home and to establish a new beginning for our future children.

    This will be an Empire not of slavery, oppression or war but an Empire of justice and freedom for all citizens. The fundamental principles of this new Imperium are simple and just.

    That all citizens enjoy the right of speech and belief, excepting that which may harm the commonwealth. That all citizens enjoy the right to work and live in safety and that by their own actions they can change their outcomes. That all citizens have the right to the highest standard of living and share a common welfare.
    This new state will be a convent between the people and those who would rule in their name. It will protect and defend all those who take on the mantle of ‘Citizen’ and our allies. A common law will serve to protect and defend the social fabric of our new civilisation and guarantee the rights of all who embrace our body politic.

    It has long been the birthright of all sentient beings to seek out strange new worlds and to erect new and brighter civilisations using nothing but the power of our minds and the strength of our hands. Today we will embark on to a new era of exploration, where science and technology will lead us to the stars themselves.

    The new faster than light drive that has been developed by Dr Cocharne will allow us to journey out into the very depth of space, to see with our own eyes the glories and wonders of our magnificent universe that has given us birth. We cannot know what new life is out there or if we are alone in all of creation but if there are such rich treasures out there in the filament then we are the explorers to find it.

    However as we all know from recent history, the price of peace is a strong defense. To that end I have authorised the creation of an Imperial Starfleet to protect our territories and aid in establishing colonies across the stars. There will also be a wing of this new force directly concerned with the scientific exploration and study of the cosmos. I also intend to establish a diplomatic corps to aid in creating relationships with any and all of interstellar neighbours.


    My people I am humbled to announce that from this day Earth and her peoples will chart a new and proud course that will see us leave the old blood-soaked past to create a bright future for our children. This will not be an easy path, nor is it taken lightly but we as a people have sacrificed so much for this great day and for the many centuries to come.

    In peace, wisdom and justice and with a dignity that will last the ages we have founded a new and great entity that will unite all those who choose the honoured title of ‘Terran’, which shall be open to all sentient beings who embrace our shared values and responsibilities.

    Citizens, my brothers and sisters, It is with no small amount of emotion that I stand before you to give name to this avatar of our dreams and experience, that which will last the ages and shine a light onto the darkness...

    On this bright and glorious day the Terran Empire has been born,

    Long live the Empire! “
     
  2. Nerys Ghemor

    Nerys Ghemor Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2008
    Location:
    Cardăsa Terăm--Nerys Ghemor
    Oh, how quickly power will corrupt...

    Quite chilling to see the Emperor's words. I wonder what he did, to get to that point? And I wonder just what atrocities he or his successors will commit, that start the slide down that slippery slope...?
     
  3. Thor Damar

    Thor Damar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Location:
    Thor Damar, God of thunder and monologue..
    You see that's the funny thing, my Terran empire is a different kettle of fish to that corrupt bunch of brutal incompetents in our MU. I'm not sure in what timeline this takes place but the empire does turn out differently.
    Then again it could be from any number of the universes where the Empire is formed...

    As for the Emperor? No one knows:shifty:
     
  4. trampledamage

    trampledamage Clone Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Location:
    hitching a ride to Erebor
    A great speech. I definitely want to read about what happens next!
     
  5. Thor Damar

    Thor Damar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Location:
    Thor Damar, God of thunder and monologue..
    It may take a while as I have some Cardassian fanfiction to write and I'm still not sure in what direction to take this thing.

    Sufficed to say that this will not be a typical fanfic...
     
  6. Mistral

    Mistral Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2007
    Location:
    Between the candle and the flame
    Very interesting premise.Why would the identity of the First Emperor be lost within 200 years? I didn't get that part...
     
  7. Thor Damar

    Thor Damar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Location:
    Thor Damar, God of thunder and monologue..
    The early years of the Empire were a chaotic period which allowed certain people to... dispose of incriminating personal records.:shifty:

    Also the Empire needs a unifying figure and who better than a semi mythological Emperor? (one of his Imperial names is Augustine after all...)
     
  8. Count Zero

    Count Zero No nation but procrastination Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2005
    Location:
    European Union
    Augustine like one of the fathers of the Church? (If it is supposed to be a reference to the first Roman emperor, it should be Augustus... ;))

    Good speech that makes one hopeful for the future, but of course, most tyrannies are pretty good at hiding their sinister intents and there are seeds of the things that curtail freedom in those states throughout the speech, like the notion of limiting free speech when it's detrimental to "the greater good" or the notion that others have to accept the values of the Empire to be seen as equals.

    The constitution of the GDR contained the same basic rights as that of West Germany, but with the proviso that you could only exercise them within the limits of furthering socialism. So they weren't worth anything in reality. I think a lot of authoritarian states and dictatotships work like that.
     
  9. CeJay

    CeJay Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2006
    Excellently written speech.

    You either get the feeling this guy has a damn good PR department or that he might really mean what he's saying.

    But Count Zero is right. For all the talk about escaping the tyrannies of the past, your emperor is forgetting that authoritarian systems have never fared very well, especially not in preventing the very things he seems to be wanting to avoid.

    I was also under the impression that this was the mirror universe with which we're already famliar with.