[b]Overview[/b]

Things have been a bit quite for the past year, but said silence is nearing its end as machinations beyond the reach of sol begin to turn in the colonies faster than the flow of information can keep up with.

[hr]

[b]January 23rd, 2375
In orbit of Earth[/b]

Aboard one of the dozens of orbital defense platforms around Earth, an agent for the United Front named Liam Patrick looks out from one of the small view ports in a room deemed hazardous to go into encase of attack that would be jettisoned the moment an attack happens and sees the clouds floating lazily by thousands of kilometers below.  The colorful lights of Earth have been shining for over four hundred years now.  Liam however, moves away from the viewport and gets back into the space station proper through one of the several layers of hatches which lead to the proper station.  The spinning hallways keep some semblance of gravity similar to what Earth has back at home.  A several technicians who pretend like they’re working stand around watching television due to not being really needed most of the time anyways.  One of which being the Chief Technical advisor himself who notices Liam and just offhandedly says “Enjoying the viewing station again?  I like the viewing station.  I go there quite a bit.”

“It’s a hazard.  If someone attacks, those viewport modules get jettisoned due to the liability having windows on a space station causes.” Liam tells the technician, looking back where he came from with a concern in his eyes.

The technician is amused by Liam’s concern says “I know that, I am the Chief Technician.  I wouldn’t even have this job if I didn’t.  But it’s not like anyone actually plans to invade the solar system and those who do will enjoy the finest of Terran Engineering.  You know this station we are standing on?  It’s one big gun full of super charged death particles that will fry anything that even thinks of coming closer than the moon.  And we have over 72 of them!  As no giant empire of aliens from another galaxy have come crashing down upon mankind yet, I think we are quite safe.  It’s Earth itself I’m worried about if anything.” 

“Earth is the happiest place in the galaxy.” Liam blankly tells the Chief technician, confused at how a technician of all people is expressing worry about Earth’s future.

“I suppose.” The chief technician says rather offhandedly.  “But surely there’s more to life than being happy.”
“Happiness is happiness, Mr. Adel.  It’s not like we make the people of Earth live the way they do, they have the freedom to gain whatever talents or skills they so dream of.” Liam tells the technician with a upright and sort of assuring tone.  

“If they get the license, that is.”, the Adel the technician says with little awareness of who it is he is even talking to.  Adel than picks up a toy spaceship from his desk and shows it to Liam, saying “I know, for instance that I’ll never ever pilot one of these.”

The agent is distraught by what Adel is telling him and begins to go on a seemingly irrational and out of nowhere rant “The only actually hard licenses are when dealing with aerospace or civilian spacecraft.  If we had no licenses there would be disaster.  It is bad enough when a rogue organization sends a ‘diplomatic’ envoy here ever other decade.  Imagine if you had numerous people with personal, easily attained ships all over space.  Think of how many people would die every day from some drunk lunatic piloting his ship into a densely populated area.  These policies exist for a reason!  They exist so you and your children can live in safety and without dread of whatever strange creature or terrorist organization coming to Earth and murdering everyone you know.  The way you live now is the fruit of the United Front’s labor to keep stability even as the off worlders seek chaos.”

“I suppose…” The technician says.  

The Technician loses interest in the conversation and excuses himself from talking to Liam by saying “Well, Five Men on Mars is about to continue so this conversation is over.”

Liam catches his breathe and just continues walking.  The vice president should be here any minute.