[center][h2][u]Interstellar Space - Undisclosed Location[/u][/h2][/center]

Felipe ran his hand along the smooth black metal of the hallway wall, savouring every moment of the action.  He knew that the sensation was no different than he’d have experienced had he repeated the action in any one of a thousand of other buildings, but that wasn’t what mattered.  What mattered was that he did it here, that he relished the experience of finally having arrived in this place he’d always wanted to be, one few in the galaxy could boast of entering.

The central archives of the Resurrection.  Maybe Mars had something similar deep below its crust, maybe not, all Felipe knew was that there was a good chance there existed no greater archive of Humanities history and culture.  Everything from tablets tens of thousands of years old to flora that had been carefully preserved over millennia, unmarred by genetic tampering.  It wasn’t a complete record, it was likely that no such thing would ever exist, but it was a work in progress that pursued that impossible target relentlessly and unfailingly.  A window on the other side of the hall looked into a vast room where ancient ruins plundered from Earth untold centuries ago were carefully preserved so that they could last for eons to come.

It was a lot to take in, and Felipe didn't doubt he could lose himself in such a place for years.  The archive was a station, the location of which he hadn’t been told, but based on how long it took to get anywhere in it he didn’t doubt it was easily larger than a small city.  Shaking himself from his musings he payed closer attention to his guide.  

The affable woman had been accommodating, answering what questions she could and apologizing for what she couldn't, but something about her manner hadn’t sat well with him since his arrival some hours ago.  He suspected she was waiting for any chance to eject him, after all who would trust a first generation immigrant in such a place?  It was a prejudice that was hard to shake, with the waves of migration beginning to slow many who arrived in the Great Resurrections space had their loyalties questioned for the rest of their lives.  

Well, he’d have to disappoint her.  He had too much to learn from this place, and the satellite archives had only offered what he imagined were deliberately tantalizing scraps.  The Guide spoke with an affected warmth, “We’re nearly at the section you requested access to Mister Perez, but as I’ve warned you our records are incomplete and this is one of the more notable gaps.”

Felipe grinned, “And isn’t that interesting?”

The woman shook her head, “Not every gap has an explanation Mister Perez, we lack information about a number of ancient societies but we don’t assume that there was a great conspiracy to make that the case.  You’re not the first to come here seeking these answers, and I can assure you more qualified individuals have already failed to piece together anything useful.” 

Felipe chuckled, he was behind her but he didn’t need to see the woman face to pick up on the sneer he wore.  He didn’t doubt the validity of her statement, but he had long since realized that qualifications can be as blinding as they are illuminating.  Familiarity and expertise were a two edged sword.  Answering her with genuine mirth he spoke, “I’m sure, but another set of eyes has never hurt has it?  I don’t blame you from tiring of people researching this though, I can only imagine how many fanatics you get trying to cut through all the myths and dethrone the figure our distant neighbours seem to think of as a god.  You might be pleased to learn I’m not the least bit interested in ‘Orion’ or his exploits.”

The woman glanced back with a curious expression, her blond hair up in a bun preventing it from spilling over he face, “So what might you be looking into then, Mister Perez?”

Felipe raised the small bag he carried and patted it, “What I’ve been looking into for ages, what people were doing shortly before 'Orion' entered the picture.  You might, or might not, be stunned at how little there is there.  Conspiracy or no, we can all understand the Empire propping up their supposed founder.  What's curious is that it seems they went a bit beyond that.  Somebody mutilated the history of that first war with the Scorpine, and its a tragedy we don't fully understand the structure of Humania before its unfortunate reformation.  I understand most look further back, or look at the rise of the Empire itself, but Humans didn’t stop thinking their own thoughts when we made first contact.  Just because we knew aliens existed didn’t mean we were...  Consorting with them. There’s a lot of value there, in what we were doing before the Empire and after we claimed our little spur, and I figure I might be the one to look.”

[center][h2][u]Perestiri System - Perestiri I[/u][/h2][/center]

The ship Theodore was set to board was a peculiar one, peculiar enough that upon seeing it he openly gawked.  By all accounts Councillor Gulliot should have have had access to a stealth fighter, let alone one with an automated guidance system.  Then again, Theodore couldn't imagine any of this was supposed to be happening, he had faith in the agenda of the Economic Council but the underlying knowledge that this meeting was almost certainly not approved by the State council discomforted him.

With a deep sigh he walked up to the fighter, which true to the theme of this excursion opened its cockpit as if in wait for him.  The hanger was empty, but had it recognized him specifically or?  It didn't matter, he supposed.  Reluctantly he climbed into the ship and watched as it took over, relegating him to the role of a mere passenger as the coordinated supplied by the Ecumene blinked in a corer of the ships heads up display.

He often wondered if it was worth accepting these 'promotions'.  For years he'd been running from group to group negotiating deals to the benefit of his Council, this wasn't the first time he'd been told to do something of questionable legality. Still, what the Ecumene wanted with the Economic council he could only guess, or at least that's what he thought before the fighters engines roared to life and in lieu of the sky behind the opening hanger doors he saw Councillor Gulliot's face projected on the cockpits main display.

“Mister Allard," The projection smiled, "I can't express enough how pleased I am you accepted this assignment, especially with so little information.  There is a lot to cover, and I'm afraid there wont be notes, so please listen closely.  As of some days ago the Economic Council has decided to pursue what we've dubbed the contingency policy, which I'm afraid will with make us all hero’s or traitors by the time we're done.  I do hope you're comfortable with that risk, because you've already taken it.”

Theodore audibly swallowed.