*
“The riots triggered by this minor incident, growing on social media, continue to grow in intensity. According to the Forces of Law and Order, many bandits and other crooks or terrorists, armed with their own demands, have hijacked the previously peaceful demonstrations and are engaging in large waves of looting. Although many unofficial media claim that the Police are engaging in brutal repression, we discovered on the spot that this is not the case. The officers refused to let us film them but indicated that they had received instructions not to provoke the rioters, hence their very limited interventions. ‘We are trying to protect businesses and homes as much as we can,’ they told us, ‘But these instructions bother us enormously. We should just shoot into the crowd… and if you try to denounce me for these words, my colleagues will find you!’ As we can see, tensions are high even among those who defend us. It is possible that some, occasionally, could have ignored their orders, giving rise to false rumors generalizing these cases...”
*
“The President of the Universe called for calm to the intention of the rioters, assuring that the full attention of the Administration was focused on the points they had raised, but that it was not proper for civilized people to behave in this way. The universe is a democracy and there are legal frameworks to express one's demands...”
*
“As the negligence of the corrupt state is more visible than ever, we call on citizens who seek true justice to support our movement. We do not condone looters and thieves; we are not part of them. Our Rebellion for the Reform of the Administration, the R.R.A., takes it upon itself to eliminate the bandits in the areas currently under control. Join us and, together, let us purge the Administration of its corrup…
The program you are listening to has been designated as a pirate program spreading hatred and calling for terrorism. If you have recorded this program, please delete it immediately. Possession and dissemination of such content may be punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category epsilon. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.”
*
“New barbaric attacks by Nomads have multiplied in recent days, causing billions of victims. The dispersion of the Forces of Law and Order and that of the Army, to face the unusual violence that shakes our universe, seems to have left our defenses weakened in the face of these brutes who pillage and commit many atrocities...”
*
“The scene you see unfolding in this street is unbearably violent. You see that, without our protective shields and the presence of all these police officers, these projectiles would have hit us. Many excited citizens are armed, but fortunately they are mostly hunting weapons or old military models, almost ineffective against modern protections... on the other hand, if the police and journalists are well protected, this is not the case for everyone...
Do you see this metal pile, right there? These are the corpses of our unfortunate mechanoid fellow citizens, murdered by the rioters. Indeed, beyond their speeches intended to call for sympathy, talking about reducing corruption or giving work to the unemployed, it is racism that predominates in the demands of these brutes.
Robots with citizen status... and sometimes even simple passing automatons, are victims of the fury of the scum. Making forbidden, racist statements, such as saying that robots are not people but machines that imitate consciences and steal work, the protesters destroyed many mechanical bodies before using erasers to permanently destroy their Z.I.A. and thus actually murder these unfortunate citizens.
*
“Citizens of the Administration! Wake up! For too long, asleep on the comfortable laurels of our consumer society, we have let civil servants and deputies dictate our conduct, in an increasingly intimate way. While our society is primarily based on the alliance of groups with different, even opposing, values, the Administration seeks to impose the same standards on all of us and, to do this, to silence us with fines when we speak. Each time, they push their lies further and further and assign more and more opinions to the box of opinions punished because they are supposedly ‘racist’, ‘hateful’, ‘discriminatory’ or even simply ‘fake news’. Take robots for example: they have forced us to consider some as our equals, removing their titles from all the scientists who claimed that we could not create robots with real consciences. We all know that these robots serve as additional voters for politicians in cahoots with the big robotics industrialists! Don’t let you beeeee fooghzzleeeeed...”
*
“The scholars of the Universal University, in the historical and political disciplines, have agreed to consider that we are now passing into Lonaé64000 of our sixth Tanaé, in view of the unusual and barbaric nature of the riots that are shaking the Administration, henceforth called the ‘Great Universal Riots’. The director of the University officially announced that it was an exciting period and that he was eager to see what would come out of it, before being immediately arrested. However, it turned out that his speech was not intended to advocate hatred, but that poor Hom was simply senile, which can happen even at thirty-six years old in the event of overwork. He was dismissed from his duties and taken to a guarded retirement home in...”
*
“Breaking News!
This morning... standard morning... a large-scale assassination attempt against the President of the Universe was partially foiled. Despite several thousand casualties, mainly due to a fierce fight between the presidential guards and heavily armed terrorists, the president was able to be safely evacuated. We all remember, nearly ten standard years ago, the assassination of President Xerina and the destruction of the presidential station. Apparently, the protection measures have been considerably improved since then...”
*
“The riots are starting to calm down in much of the universe. With the main bandits arrested and put into stasis, the others seem to have lost their sense of impunity and have started to disperse. Some places, especially in the expansion zone, are still in the throes of unrest, but the army has finally been authorized by the Universal Assembly to intervene to support the Forces of Order and crush the terrorist movements that have taken advantage of the unrest to enslave countries, even entire planets...”
*
“While the unrest seems to be over, the toll continues to rise. Billions of dead, businesses ruined, neighborhoods ravaged... Of all the terrorist groups, it seems that the ‘Black Banner’, a group composed mainly of Chaotiuns claiming allegiance to the Azar clan, has been the one that has profited the most from the chaos. It has been revealed that they have...”
*
“Hello Mrs. Harbelia, welcome to Flash-news. You are a sales representative for the Neru-teque company. What can you tell us about the toll of these terrible events?”
“Well, the damage is considerable. More than one thousand of our laboratories have been completely destroyed and many of our employees have been attacked by rioters driven mad by social networks. As you know, the neural chips we develop are the victims of smear campaigns, claiming for example that they are used to control people. This is impossible, of course, because our products are controlled by administrative inspectors specialized in technology: even if they can each only see part of the data, to preserve professional secrecy, they know how to spot devices that resemble mind control technologies. Moreover, we saw it clearly during the riots: both on the side of the rioters and the police and other citizens, there were people implanted with the SECURA-02 chip. Did they behave differently? No. If we could control people with it, don't you think we would have done something. At least, despite the financial damage and... and the people injured or killed... despite that, these sad events have at least had the merit of proving once and for all that the false rumors about our products... well, precisely, that they are false...”
*
“Interior News: Despite some riots and coups on fringe worlds, the situation has returned to calm in most of the universe. However, discontent remains despite the government's efforts to seem to address the issues raised. The next elections, in almost a year, will tell us what the popular sentiment really is.
External News: With the end of the riots, more troops have been sent to the borders, pushing back the invader...”
*
“Welcome to Kriticalnews! Today we'll talk about the illusion that most media are giving us about the Zcarbb front. We're told they're being pushed back... What? All that means is that our armies have once again proven themselves incapable of retaking ground. If the Zcarbbs are slowing down, it's because they're consolidating their territory. They're planting colonies, enslaving people, in short: the longer we wait, the harder it will be to liberate these planets. So, what's the solution? Well, there isn't one: full and satisfied, our fat citizens won't agree to pay more in order to...”
*
“Newsflash: contact has been lost with three galaxies of the Universal Imperial Federation… sorry: five galaxies now, including one that is not part of this nation. Speculation is running high, with some suspecting a Zcarbb attack deep within our territory, others speaking of a terrorist coup. We will be back with more information soon…”
*
“Professor Quelbrech, many of our listeners are wondering: why does the Zcarbb threat persist? The Administration is the largest entity to have existed throughout the history of the universe: how can this band of insects at the end of the universe resist any attempt at reconquest? Some rumors claim that they have superior technology to ours, because their numbers cannot explain their victories in the context of stellar wars.”
“Superior technology... that's quickly said. It is true that these rumors, confirmed by many experts, are persistent. However, they do not say that we are technologically inferior, but that we are in certain areas. We are, for example, infinitely superior to the Zcarbbs in the field of biotechnology, about as much as the Hogloos are superior to us in this same field. Thus, the Zcarbbs do not know how to copy our ‘Walker’ engines because their essential components are biological. However, the Zcarbbs are very advanced in the fields of robotics and electronics. They can add ten times more mechanical warriors to their already impressive number, which allows them to use wave techniques without taking into account their losses, which they do not care about. They can also take control of our robotic units, which requires the presence of people... sorry, biological citizens, in order to detect faulty programs and quarantine them before they unwittingly join the enemy's power.”
“So, the Zcarbbs are inferior to us in some areas, but are more developed in others?”
“No: in fact, they are far inferior to us, even in robotics. Sure, they are doing great things in this area, but do they have AIs capable of expressing demands? Do they demand citizen rights? Do they join unions? No. This is proof that we are actually more advanced than them, even in these areas.”
“Um... Okay... But, despite everything, they surpass us in military robotics, is that right?”
“Yes. However, Vermeil-type citizens... although they have voluntarily given up their citizen rights... well, they are able to resist Zcarbbs controls thanks to their biological parts, but better still: they protect the mechanoids under their direct control. Thus, vast armies of robots manage to hold their own against the Zcarbbs, thanks to the Vermeils. It seems that the government will submit to a vote, in a few days, a motion to increase the production of Vermeil units. Unfortunately, because of their biological growth, these units will not be operational for about ten years, if the motion is passed...”
*
“To all citizens of the universe! I am General Yana Araya. Those who have heard of me, whether they hate me or agree with me, know that during the Great Universal Riots, I was in favor of the greatest firmness, repressing the riots as they deserved and temporarily suspending the cowardly government of my planet that tried to depose me. If my actions instantly stopped the local unrest, I was nevertheless pursued afterwards like a criminal. I do not seek to justify my actions: among the many people you see behind me, many hate me because of this and, yet, we all rally behind the same banner, that of the Administration: the real one!
We do not have the same opinions, the same methods, the same ideals… However, we believe in some common values, which are also yours even if you may have forgotten them. Faced with the increasing authoritarianism and negligence of the Administration, it is time for nations, species with such different ways of life, people who live in this great alliance, to take back their confiscated freedoms.
While the deputies, corrupted by power and political shenanigans, no longer represent you. While a tyrant, vaguely elected by so many people that the opinions of countless opponents are trampled, directs without real hindrance civil servants that he himself put in place. While the government is more concerned with prohibiting people from expressing their thoughts rather than protecting their freedom of speech. While the foreign invader takes our systems one by one without being really stopped or pushed back... How long will you wait?
These new deputies who surround me represent many administered nations who have decided to separate themselves from the corruption of the Administration, from this corrupt organization that has drifted away by becoming a universal government.
Remember: The Administration was originally only an organization designed to allow the countless nations of the universe to meet on neutral ground to discuss possible alliances, peace and trades. They turned it into a great tyranny disguised as the most hypocritical of democracies. Let's go back to a time when each nation was free to make its own laws, while respecting a few common rules.
We are now the real Administration. To differentiate ourselves from the old dying version, we will call ourselves the Administrative Confederation, because we are made up of many countries that do not necessarily get along, but who want to be free while acting together to protect us from the Zcarbbs.
Our united armies are already on their way to free other worlds from the dictatorial yoke of the so-called universal president and they will not stop until the old Administration promises to respect the freedom of the Administrative Confederation!
Already, many citizens who respect the true values of the Administration have joined us! A galaxy fleet has even sided with us for the most part. It's time to finally clean up the corruption in our system and crush the Zcarbb threat once and for all!
*
“Director Soyoto, as more and more galaxies fall to rioters and assassins overthrowing legitimate governments, many are wondering about the nature of this movement, this so-called ‘Administrative Confederation’. What can you tell us about it?”
“Well, first of all, we can talk about the main personality of this terrorist movement: Yana Araya. If she is only one of their leaders among others, their bias being a sort of alliance of terrorist groups hating each other and rallying around an illusion of ‘freedom’, her choice as spokesperson is very revealing. You see, she does not hide it elsewhere, this Ham is a violent woman who bloodily repressed the riots on her planet, after having arrested her own government which had realized her extremism. Pursued by the Forces of Order after this period of chaos, she apparently joined a coalition of terrorist movements. Most of these nations do not have governments legitimately elected through democratic channels, but more often dictators who came to power through a coup. It is true that a few legitimate nations have joined them, notably on the Zcarbb border, but this must be understood as a desire for survival on their part: they cannot fight on two fronts. Still others, disappointed by an impression of passivity from the Administration in the face of the Zcarbb threat, are betting... the wrong bet, but they believe they are doing the right thing, that this new so-called Administration will be able to protect them...”
*
“While terrorist movements seem to have seized a good part of the territories of the Zcarbb border, forming a so-called ‘Confederation’, another evil entity is expanding in another direction. It would seem that many Hom nations located in sectors ’F’ and ‘G’, the expansion zones, are now under the control of dictators. Some of them have allied themselves in a coalition that they have named the Imperihom. This sinister name once meant ‘The whole of the territories ruled by Homs’, before taking on a darker connotation by the emergence of many dictatorships of all sides that have tried in the past to unify the Homs under this name. The will of this new coalition is therefore evident, by the name chosen...”
*
“In these times when the universe is in disarray, think about your safety and that of your loved ones.
The Blood-tech company offers you an emergency teleportation implant: in the event of receiving a fatal blow or being plunged into a serious condition, the implant will teleport you safely to the Blood-tech laboratory of your galaxy.
There, you will be in a state of stasis, while the highly qualified staff of our hospitals find a way to save your life. Free care is guaranteed by your implantation.
Save your life and those of your loved ones with Blood-tech's last resort implants!
Blood-tech: because safety is priceless!”
*
“The deputies of the Universal Assembly have just voted to suspend the elections indefinitely, considering that many citizens are deprived of the possibility of voting by pressures, exerted in particular by terrorist groups calling themselves the Confederation. The Assembly has also voted to temporarily entrust crisis powers to the president, giving him direct control of the armed forces and the power to pass emergency decrees. The President will speak...”
*
“The Universal President spoke today, as the Zcarbbs have just completed the conquest of a new galaxy. He called on the rebels to fall into line so as not to divide the Administration in the face of threats. Denouncing the false hopes that these terrorists are creating in the hearts of citizens through their speeches filled with lies, he recalled that the real enemies are taking advantage of our divisions and...”
*
“Uana Gemme will receive this weekend the journalism award for her exceptional career. She has just been appointed to present the news for the official media. Uana will also appear this afternoon in the independent media ‘Front-News’, for an interview. For once, she will be on the other side of the questions...”
*
“Following the numerous attacks against our garrisons, we regret to announce that the Universal Army will be withdrawn from territories under terrorist control in order to prevent the situation from degenerating further...”
*
“The bandits who run the Old Administration have once again proven their deviousness by withdrawing the planetary garrisons and galaxy-fleets located on the Zcarbb front, leaving many planets at the mercy of the invaders.
But we will not abandon you. Let your planet's situation be known through the voices of your deputies and we will do everything possible to send you the soldiers necessary for your safety, to the extent of our still weak means.
Do not hesitate to join our citizen militias, or if your planets are far from the front lines, join the army directly, for the safety of all!”
*
“Are you overweight and don't want to resort to surgery or chemicals?
Try the ‘Fermier bon goût’ diet. Our cheese products made from insects crushed using ancestral Hom techniques contain little fat but all the proteins you need to eat well without gaining weight.
‘Fermier bon goût’... Mmmm, what a good diet!”
*
“Faced with the unprecedented crisis, the President has used the powers invested in him to order the construction of a new galaxy-fleet and has unveiled a plan that would eventually double the number of galaxy-fleets and thus effectively protect the civilized universe.
While many are wondering about the colossal budget required for such a project, while the administrative debt continues to climb, many voices are being raised to demand the establishment of a tax on the army and the obligation of military service. We are confident that the President will follow the voice of the people and...”
*
“Professor Jensairian, you are an authority in the field of political studies. While our universe is in the grip of division between the Confederation and the Legal Administration, a small kingdom seems to be carving itself out in a few galaxies in and around the ‘F’ sector. What can you tell us about this new Imperihom that is tyrannizing the distant colonies of the Hom Nations?”
“First of all, you probably know that the Imperihom is a strange idea of the Homs, a sort of running gag in their history. A dictator sets out to create his own little kingdom of Hom supremacists, conquers a few regions, rallies other dictators to his cause... Furthermore, these other dictators may have fundamentally opposing ideologies, in the pure tradition of plurality of the Homtests. In short, it is only a temporary epiphenomenon, which will disappear when the administrative armies are less busy... or even before, since the armies of the Hom Nations will soon react with a little more virulence themselves.”
“So, it is only a temporary phenomenon and destined to disappear quickly?”
“That's it. A sort of surge of racist extremists that appears from time to time among the Homs in favor of periods of chaos: nothing that should worry those who do not live nearby.”
“However, it seems that some non-Hom planets have placed themselves under the protection of this Imperihom. Wouldn't that contradict the assertion that it is a racist group? These planets even seem to maintain total independence.”
“Well, racist individuals are not necessarily going to be hateful towards all members outside their group. What matters to them is to have a space where they feel strong and surrounded by members of their community. As long as they dominate at home, they have no problem maintaining cordial relations with others. In the case we are observing, these are basically military and commercial alliances satisfying the Homs and non-Homs dictatorships.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Yet there also seem to be some perfectly legitimate republics among the nations of Imperihom?”
“There are, indeed, but their legitimacy ceases with their separatism, which is a rupture of the Universal Administrative Constitution…”
*
“Friends of the Empire, join the Administrative Confederation. Already, nearly a quarter of the nations of our beautiful Universal Imperial Federation have rallied. Many others are discussing it and we can announce that nearly three quarters of the Empire supports us.
Stop supporting the former emperor: this coward only knows how to lick the boots of the president of the universe and our enemies of the Universal Republican Confederation. Because, we know who is behind all these iniquitous laws for an authoritarian democratization of the universe. We know who ensures that our territories, the most numerous among those on the front, are not sufficiently well defended against the Zcarbb invaders. We know who, under the pretext of tolerance, political correctness and cohesion, suppresses all freedoms of expression supposedly guaranteed in their doctrines. Yes: it is the lobbies that have long gangrened most of the republics of the U.R.C. and who have been manipulating the Administration since the beginning of the mandate of this dictator of Universal President!
The true emperor, the one who obtained his place through meritocracy, the only guarantee of value since the origins of the Empire, is waiting for you. Join him. Join our true Administration, the Administrative Confederation. Long live the Empire! Long live the true Emperor!”
*
“Will you give in to the sirens of the warmongers? It is not against monsters like the Zcarbbs or the Hogloos that they call you to war, on one side or the other, but against other citizens, like you, members of the Administration. Refuse the military tax! If your planet has applied partial conscription by drawing lots, refuse it! Let us not abandon peace for the benefit of this madness that…
This user's account has been deleted for inciting hatred. Possession and distribution of content from this account may be punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category gamma. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.”
*
“Urgent information for citizens of the Forexo galaxy: our galaxy is currently under massive attack by the Imperihom. Prepare to go to the bunkers as soon as your planetary alerts sound.”
*
“Our journalists report that citizens of the Confederate territories have seen their societies massively turn towards the military industry. ‘Volunteers’ are forcibly enlisted to control the factories, when they have not already been encouraged to join the armed forces...”
*
“Confederate friends: the war is tough, but our efforts are paying off. For the first time, a galaxy has been almost entirely retaken from the Zcarbbs, thanks to the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and the presence of the Fifteenth Administrative Galaxy-fleet. Refusing his superiors’ orders to retreat and leaving us to suffer the assaults of the bugs, the fleet commander, Admiral Nopasé, took the brunt of the attack and helped turn the tide of the battle. Officially relieved of his duties by the Hypocrite Administration, he refused to withdraw as much as to join us. He therefore remains our enemy, no: our adversary. A noble adversary whom we respectfully salute.
All Confederate troops are ordered not to engage the Fifteenth Fleet, except when they attack first or if they are part of the faction that has accepted the new admiral sent by the Hypocrites…”
*
“Today, our troops of the Fifteenth Fleet won a catastrophic victory over the Zcarbbs. Why catastrophic? Because Admiral Nopasé, who commanded them, sent his soldiers to the slaughter against the waves of Zcarbbs, even though the high command ordered him to withdraw. If the invader was indeed pushed back from three-quarters of this galaxy, it was at the cost of countless losses that could have been avoided if…”
*
“Following a collective vote of the remaining soldiers of the Fifteenth Fleet, three-quarters of the force, those who did not cowardly retreat to the new official Fifteenth Fleet, Admiral Nopasé was reappointed to his command of the fleet. Now considered the greatest pirate fleet in History, according to the Administered, we know well who they are: heroes who chose to stay and fight against the real threat, rather than serve as a shield for corrupt leaders!”
*
“Despite our instructions to limit the clashes, the so-called Confederates have just gone too far by attacking the Ryoloy space yards, waging a bloody battle in a civilian sector. Many civilian casualties have been reported, including at least three children! These terrorists were unable to hold out against the counterattack of the regular army and have retreated to the territories they occupy, destroying the space yards in the process. Don't they understand that the enemy is the Zcarbbs?”
*
“Once again, while our finances are drained of blood and force us to enforce authoritarian and unpopular laws, with the sole aim of guaranteeing your freedoms against the invasions of the Zcarbbs and a corrupt and liberticidal Administration, the latter has just bombed several of our planets again. Targeting military infrastructures, but largely affecting civilian ones, they have caused millions of deaths, including four children.
Their cruelty has no limits. They have already withdrawn the armies, paid for with our taxes, to leave us alone against the Zcarbbs, but they are also attacking the only means we have left to defend ourselves!”
*
“The assembly of dictators of the Imperihom recently announced that their final objective is the liberation of Homeria. Many terrorist groups aiming to overthrow the legitimate government of Homeria have since rallied their forces and added their means to the numerous and violent attacks that shake the Homs Nations.
Proud of their military power, the legitimate leaders of the Homs Nations have announced that they refuse any administrative military support, stating that they will crush the separatists themselves. Many mobilizations have been announced: victory should be achieved within a few months to a standard year at the most.”
*
“While most of our forces are mobilized on the Zcarbb side or busy preventing the bloody raids of the Confederate terrorists, our old enemies are back.
Hogloo ‘pirates’, but everyone knows that these are their armies acting unofficially, have attacked millions of border worlds around their space. The soldiers defending these planets have been massacred to the last one, even those who had surrendered, while the populations are now prisoners of their own planets, after the monstrous fashion of the Hogloos.
Where will these barbarians stop? If a third front opens here, who will protect us? The galaxy-fleets of this part of the universe have been reduced to reinforce the others...
But the president has just promised that the new galaxy fleet will be sent to our rescue rather than to the Zcarbb front. Good news, but will just one more fleet, even a large one, be enough?”
*
“To all Hogloos and Harhogloos worlds: the liberation campaign is going well. The soldiers defending the occupied worlds are easily massacred. Too bad for them that we no longer have the right to reduce them to slavery, huh? And to think that the administered still find something to complain about even when we follow their rules, ah, ah, ah!
Come on, let's be serious. As you can see in these images, the jubilant population welcomes our warriors liberating their people from the administered yoke. The Harhogloos are carried in triumph by their civilians whose planets longed for the protection we brought them.
But the fight is not yet won. There are, even within the liberated planets, many traitors corrupted by the perverted ideals of the Administration. Even though they claim to belong to the civilian caste, they behave like warriors and attack their compatriots or destroy military outposts. These behaviors will not be tolerated: the perpetrators and their families will be treated as soldiers.
Let our warriors also remember not to go beyond the limits of the ‘K’ sector: our goal is to retake our territories and those of our allies, not to attack the Administration. The latter, weakened by their civil war, would risk collapsing, delivering the universe to the appetite of the Zcarbbs. And we don’t want to have them as neighbors, do we?”
*
“The President announced this morning a tax cut and an increase in unemployment benefits. The new revised budget will indeed reduce the burden on the population. The tax on the army has also been reduced and a voluntary donation system has been set up. The collection will not be as efficient and it is therefore to be expected that the pace of construction of the galaxy-fleets will be reduced, but the improvement in the situation allows it.
Beware also of the vast fake news campaigns, led by the enemies of Liberty: Hogloos, Zcarbbs and Confederates.”
*
“The Administration's decision to cut taxes is madness and an insult. Madness because its debt continues to increase and they have not reduced the expenses resulting from corruption. An insult because it means that they are leaving us, the Confederates, to bear the full weight of the war against the Zcarbbs alone. It also means that they are abandoning to the Hogloos the population of territories they conquered. Moreover, the weakness of the administration's reactions to their attacks proves it to us: their strategy is to sacrifice all the economically weak regions by leaving them to their own devices!”
*
“Koko-pa, the toothpaste you need! Thanks to its Schoukroute enzymes, Koko-pa paste deeply restores the original quality of tooth enamel. Koko-pa, the toothpaste you need!”
*
“The Imperihom suffered a major defeat today in a desperate attempt to attack Progress, the main capital of the Hom Nations. Having left a third of their fleet on the floor, the rebels have retreated to their territories where they have a stronger foothold, allowing loyalist troops to retake millions of systems.
Political analysts believe that this defeat represents a major turning point in the war and will end the hemorrhage of betrayal that is shaking the Hom Nations. Indeed, since the beginning of the conflict, nearly a twentieth of their countries have joined the cause of the Imperihom, a movement that could now be reversed.”
*
“The traitors of the Administrative Confederation have once again proven their duplicity: analysts have indeed discovered a disturbing pattern in the recent Zcarbb conquests. They seem to have an increased ability to conquer planets in galaxies located on a line increasingly close to the ‘C’ sector, while the rest of the front holds. Indeed, not having the technology of the ‘Walker’ engines, the Zcarbbs use a kind of ‘spatial tears’ to project themselves from one system to another, with a range rarely exceeding two galaxies of average distance. Everything therefore suggests that the traitors are voluntarily sacrificing some of their planets in order to establish a front between the Zcarbbs and the legitimate Administration, putting billions of innocent civilians at risk!”
*
“This is Admiral Fazol of the Confederate Administered Armed Forces. I call upon all Confederate forces still loyal to our true values to join me in stopping the Zcarbb advance in what we now call ‘Zamocles Tip’. While some of our leaders are pleased to see this advance of the enemy towards the territory of the hypocrites of the Old Administration, others support me because they have not been blinded by anger.
We are the defenders of Liberty! To let the Zcarbbs attack the other Administered would be to betray our values. Let us prove to ourselves, and to the population intoxicated by the lies of the corrupt, that we still know who the real enemy is. Let us prove that we are what we say we are: defending the universe!”
*
“Uana Gemme has just been named ‘journalist of the year’ and received the very prestigious Reztilup prize…”
*
“Queens of distant lands, answer the call. Taking advantage of the disorganization of the Evil Empire called the Administration, our coalition troops have taken considerable territory from the enemy, leading to the establishment of billions of colonies with enough space for several generations.
There are many interesting resources to free from the enemy's mismanagement. In the galaxy they call Paroliw, for example, our scouts have just discovered gigantic natural underground reserves of an oil of unparalleled quality! You can teleport samples on demand and see for yourself. This oil seems to be present in the subsoil of a good part of the planets in this galaxy.
Your princesses will love this product! Wouldn't you like them to be able to set up their colonies near such precious resources? Don't wait: join the Defense Alliances operating in the Paroliw galaxy and ensure the future of your princesses! The Zcarbbs must be Zcarbbs[1] in the face of the threat of Evil!”
*
“A new assassination attempt targeted the Universal President this standard morning as he was heading to the Universal Assembly for the vote on the renewal of his crisis powers. Fortunately, the terrorists were quickly subdued and advanced security measures protected most of the civilians caught in the barbaric act of the enemies of Democracy. There are still three deaths to deplore and a dozen wounded, including a child.”
*
“The Homs Nations armies have suffered a major defeat on the border between sectors ‘E’ and ‘F’, ending their recent winning streak. Leaders point to the defection of many traitors, including conscripts, who refused to take part in the fighting or, worse, went straight to join the enemy. As rebel troops advance rapidly, retaking territory that was taken from them, many planetary representatives are calling for a ceasefire.”
*
“The Neru-teque corporation has been sued for selling numerous SECURA-02 chips to Confederate traitors over the past few months. The company's legal software claims this was an independent decision by their subsidiaries in the occupied space, which are currently out of control.”
*
“The ceasefire in the Homs Nations, accepted by the rebel forces, turned out to be a trap: taking advantage of this appeasement, the terrorists of the Imperihom attacked Homeria directly with their main armada. The capture of the planet and the surrounding systems was narrowly avoided by the sending of a galaxy-fleet of the Administration which was able to repel the terrorists.
The current spokesman of the terrorists, a certain Jahrl Deshoms, officially announced that the Imperihom wished to sign a non-aggression treaty with the Administrative Confederation, which he considers more legitimate than the real Universal Administration. His proposal included commercial agreements, involving in particular the delivery of weapons and raw materials to the confederates...”
*
“A major clash took place between four powerful fleets, destroying myriads of ships. The details of the clash are unclear, but it seems that each fleet was fighting the other four. The official information from the various factions - which we can obtain as an independent news agency but cannot reveal for fear of being censored for spreading fake news - was rather confusing. The four armies each seem to have their own version of events.
The clash took place at the end of what is known as the Zamocles Tip, in the intergalactic space between the galaxies of Hordoe II, Paroliw and Zamertud. The fleets involved consisted of the Zcarbb advance army led by Queen Vila-tar-Lovi, the rebel Confederate fleet of Admiral Fazol, another Confederate fleet, this one official, led by Admiral Jogrokon and the Sixth Galaxy-Fleet, led by Admiral Gaindubide.
I cannot say exactly what happened, for fear of being censored. I will therefore limit myself to the objective facts: the Zcarbb and Fazol's army were the first to engage each other, then Admiral Jogrokon's fleet arrived, quickly engaging the other two. Then, Admiral Gaindubide arrived and immediately engaged all the participants.
This is the largest battle ever recorded in history: four galaxy-fleets facing each other in the space empty of stars. Despite the gravity compensators used by each fleet, the effects of the fighting and the combined weight of four fleets as vast as galaxies have had a devastating effect on the edges of the galaxies concerned, despite their protective shields. The debris from the titanic confrontation are forming their own galaxy and the dead are only counted with the help of powerful computers.
The outcome of the battle is uncertain, because all the participants have ended up retreating. The presence of countless debris and overloaded ship cores made this area, although larger than several galaxies, impassable.
The Zcarbbs have retreated to the surroundings of the Paroliw galaxy, which they will probably finalize the conquest of. Admiral Jogrokon has retreated to the surroundings of Hordoe II and Admiral Gaindubide has retreated to the assigned position of the Sixth-Fleet, waiting to see his forces rebuilt. Finally, the rebel Admiral Fazol retreated to the outskirts of Zamertud and conquered the galaxy in the name of the Confederacy. Official sources tell us that there was some fighting, but that the local population and soldiers preferred to surrender due to the danger of the Zcarbb presence and the distance of the Sixth Fleet. Of course, the Confederate media spoke of jubilant populations and other such details, but apparently seems sharply divided between those who support Admiral Fazol and those who consider him a traitor.
It is unlikely that fighting will resume here for a long time, but nothing is certain…”
*
“The crisis powers of the buffoon they call a president have been renewed again, this time for an indefinite period...”
*
“Large spontaneous demonstrations of popular cheering took place after the president's recent announcements regarding the organization of a military service. The opposition grumbled a little, but the limited duration of two months of this silenced the resistance. Petitions of thanks gathering an infinite number of voices were received by the presidential station, saluting the bravery and wisdom of the president who...”
*
“Imperihom forces have been spotted alongside the Confederate armies during recent clashes in Sector ‘F.’ While no official alliance has been announced, it appears that some of the two groups’ officials have chosen to cooperate…”
*
“This is Jahrl Deshoms speaking to you. Yes, the evil dictator who speaks for his fellow Imperihoms. Are you afraid? Well, you should be: I am announcing that we now recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Azar clan to reclaim their galaxy. Even if I do not approve of the methods of these creeps and they have not agreed to officially be part of the Imperihom, there are plenty of people among my colleagues that I do not approve of. What matters is to protect our race’s aspirations for freedom. Against the Administered arbitrary that is slowly depriving us of our freedom of expression, our customs and our ancestral political systems, our Imperihom is united, more powerful than the pathetic attempts of the past. The Administration will fall and the world will learn to fear the Homs!”
*
“Despite the proposal of the wise President of our Universe, the diehards of the Confederation have refused a ceasefire. This was issued following the recent series of defeats suffered by the traitors against the Zcarbbs armies, which caused the final loss of three galaxies. Their determination to refuse this truce proves the madness of our enemies: let us hope that more galaxies will not have to suffer the same fate because of them...”
*
“These dogs of the Administration think we will bow to their dictates? Our troops are about to seize the immense reserves of raw materials of the great nebula of Ghochola III, essential to our survival against the Zcarbbs, and they pretend to offer us peace? Do not be fooled! Victory is approaching, on all fronts!”
*
“New security measures were approved this morning by the Universal Assembly and will be implemented in the coming months. Although these measures involve increased control over the privacy of our fellow citizens, it is obvious that all honest citizens understand that this is necessary to ensure their safety against terrorist infiltration...”
*
“For my next question, Mr. Soyoto, I would talk about the dictators of the Imperihom... Well, precisely, they seem to have no problem using the word dictator to refer to themselves, but also to refer to all the leaders of all governments throughout the universe. Why?”
“Well, my dear Geanpièrt, it's quite subtle. Their point is that any government, whatever it may be, ends up applying measures, sometimes arbitrary, because of the need to maintain order and coherence in the nation they lead. That's true... But, the underhandedness of their proposal is this: they put all governments on the same level. Now, there is a difference between the excesses of an absolute power like theirs and that of a power like... let's say, the President of the Universe. Even though he temporarily holds crisis powers, he is limited by the laws, the Constitution and the Universal Assembly, not to mention the fact that he was elected by the majority of all citizens of the universe.”
“No doubt... But, the dictators of the Imperihom also have constitutions in their nations. And then, regarding the election of the universal president, they claim that given the immense mass of citizens of the universe, it is in reality the largest minority of citizens who voted for him, given the number of candidates gathering fewer votes, but more than him if we added them together...”
“All this is propaganda from the enemies of Democracy. First of all, the constitutions of the Imperihom may theoretically limit the powers of the dictators, they wrote them themselves: this means that in reality they accepted limits according to their own convenience. Then, concerning the electoral system, these are only subtle plays on words intended to induce doubt in people's minds: a sneaky exercise quite traditional to most Homs politicians. Let us recall that after the elections of each sector, the unsuccessful candidates have the choice of rallying their votes to one or the other of the three candidates with the most, and so on in cascade for increasingly larger regions up to the top of the Universe. Do you see a fairer system for electing a representative of an infinite population?”
“Indeed, I don't see anything better... But precisely, a point criticized by the Imperihom is the fact that there is precisely a single representative of the Administration. They insist a lot on this point to the point of calling him their ‘comrade dictator from the other camp’, or the ‘sole dictator’.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I… Well… I probably got a little confused in my notes… Um… Let’s start again with the next question…”
*
“We regret to inform you that as of next week, our main presenter will be replaced. Mr. Geanpièrt, in fact, was arrested today after the discovery of overwhelming evidence of his collusion with the terrorists of the Imperihom. An undeclared bank account in his name was discovered on an Elunadoran planet thanks to the full cooperation of the local authorities. A transfer of nearly five billion administrative credits was deposited there yesterday, coming from an anonymous account whose source was located as coming from a bank in the occupied territories. Unable to assume responsibility for his crimes, Geanpièrt claims not to know of the existence of this account. Due to the gravity of his crimes, he will probably be placed in stasis until the next century...”
*
“A plague of Hogloo origin has devastated several planets of the nation of Shybèra in the Lemektaro galaxy. Extremely contagious and causing a slow and horrible death of the victims, it was fortunately quickly detected. The security systems of the teleporters have automatically transferred infected individuals to quarantine, preventing the horrible biological attack from spreading across the universe. The nation of Shybèra is mostly under containment and planetary destroyers, configured as stasis generators of course, have been deployed to temporarily paralyze the main sources of infection, until a treatment is discovered.
Many voices across the Network have immediately called on the government to take final measures against the Hogloos and to launch the reserve galaxy-fleets against their territories.
The warlord of the Hogloos Nations has affirmed that the Hogloos were not responsible for this attack. He has, however, prudently ordered his troops to cease all assaults on our territories and to withdraw to controlled positions, assuring that he would cooperate fully, but in secrecy, in order to eliminate those responsible for this attack and ensure that it does not happen again.”
*
“A work by artist Onde Foudum was sold at auction today for five quintillion! This work of art, titled ‘Sock’ consists of a sock nailed to a wall. The artist said that what is important in his work is not the sock, but the fact that it is nailed to the wall. He added that anyone gifted in the artistic field can immediately notice the subtlety and boldness of his work.”
*
Imperihom! Imperihom!
Sub rubeo vexillo, omnes ibi gentes Hom!
Distincti omnes libertatem quaerimus;
Est ibi, procul, procul, in via utopia!
Imperihom!
Adversus monstra universi;
Coniungimur, nostrae iurgia obstante!
Non fortissimi aut scientissimi sumus;
Sed in fine, nobis est qui vincet!
Imperihom! Imperihom!
Homs pro gloria!
*
“As another year of mandate comes to an end, his legitimately elected eminence, the Universal President, has renewed his wishes for universal peace, calling for a reminder that it existed before the terrorists plunged the universe into disarray...”
*
“The glorious efforts of our troops have borne fruit, freeing an entire galaxy from Zcarbb domination! While the hypocrites’ president gargles over the beginning of a new year of unelected mandate, we fight to protect the universe!”
*
“In a proud and bloody attempt to make themselves known during the festivities of the renewal of the presidential mandate, these mad rebels have launched a major offensive of their troops against the Zcarbbs. Sacrificing their soldiers without hesitation, most of them forcibly conscripted, they have succeeded in retaking a galaxy. However, it is said that the Zcarbbs themselves have decided to retreat after seeing the catastrophic losses of both sides: if it is with such victories that the Confederates intend to defend their borders, there will soon be no one left to prevent a strong return of the Zcarbbs there...”
*
“A long-term truce has been agreed between the majority of the Hom Nations, loyal to the legitimate Administration, and the separatists of the Imperihom. This measure was denounced during heated debates in the Universal Assembly, with some deputies even calling their counterparts from the Hom Nations ‘traitors’. The latter responded by recalling that the majority of their soldiers served in the universal army, fighting for the most part against the Zcarbbs and the Confederates. If their colleagues forced them to continue the fight against the Imperihom, they would recall all their citizens from these fronts to launch them into this battle, and one would see what would happen elsewhere. It was therefore decided to move one of the galaxy-fleets of the Hogloo front to defend Homeria and the Hom Nations still active in the conflict, against the terrorists of the Imperihom…”
*
“This new year marks a quarter of a standard century where the tyranny of the same person has reigned without election over the majority of the universe, under the pretext of a crisis situation. Without wishing to deny the crisis, how long will we accept to see our democratic rights confiscated by…
This communication has been interrupted because the holder of this account is under arrest warrant. The comments made fall within the framework of the apology of terrorism, please delete them from any recording medium. The possession of such content, including on a memory chip, is punishable by fines and imprisonment up to category gamma, or even beta in the case of repeat offenders. This was a message from the Network Institution, Sub-Institution of Cohesion.”
*
“Have you thought about spending your holidays on Krapal III? Located in the middle of an asteroid belt in the Krapal system, in the Flouz galaxy, in sector ‘D’, this heavenly ocean planet is equipped with a powerful shield to prevent asteroid falls and a 100% controlled environment. Spend your holidays on idyllic beaches under the fagalouf trees and forget the worries of the universe for a while.”
*
“A new album by Flala Gadaga, the star singer who has been at the top of the box office for two weeks, is available for download today. In this title “I have my head full of stars and I am sitting in the ocean”, the famous Glapouine talks about her last holidays on the heavenly islands of...”
*
“This morning, two pets died in a partially failed terrorist attack on the planet Piria in the Fenixia galaxy, in the ‘D’ zone. The culprit was immediately arrested and placed in stasis for life...”
*
“The Lemektaro epidemic has caused fifty-three and a half deaths in the last hour. Don't miss the numbers in the next hour!”
*
“New clashes within the Confederate forces have allowed the Zcarbbs to launch a massive attack up to the ‘E’ sector. Fortunately, our brave universal armies have repelled this assault and have taken the opportunity to retake lands oppressed by the Confederate armies...”
*
“The release date of the new SECURA-04 chip has finally been announced. It will be for the…”
*
“After a new failed assault by the Imperihom on Homeria, their troops cowardly attacked several administered nations in the surrounding area, not involved in their demands…”
*
“His wise eminence, the President of the Universe, thanked this afternoon the deputies of the Universal Assembly, who were kind enough to renew their confidence in him for a new year of crisis mandate…”
*
[…]
[…]
[…]
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[1] Reminder: "Zcarbb" means "United" or "Unified" in their language, so universal translators sometimes have a little trouble telling the difference between the species and the adjective, and translate literally.