...
Well, so what? Three star systems? Ha! They aren't united by a worldnet in even one of them! They'll face insurmountable problems with interstellar communications, splinter, and collapse under the weight of their own infighting. No need to worry about those Bulrathi. Back to perfection - the perfect contemplation of the terraforming techniques and reduced waste technologies that the Worldnet has been developing for just about a decade and a half with all the energy not bent on factories.
2326
The beauty of Project RIW-080 spreads before the Meklar people, like TER-010 just a few years back. The Scout whose tenuous connection to the Worldnet has been our only extraplanetary presence since its twin was destroyed by a giant space whatsit two decades ago continues to send back signals weakly. The few insane among us who would attempt to disconnect from Worldnet have long been a concern, and a solution at last presents itself along with RIW-080. Those who inexplicably wish to be separate from our perfection are meklarely (of course not "humanely;" what would that word even mean?) granted the separation of space; we shall build new scouting star ships for them. Imagine that! New ships! Haha - what fools to want to travel beyond Meklon the Glorious! Better to stay in our perfect world and start computer and propulsion research next year!
2332
Ah - our fifth and sixth LCS-011 scout ships! With the old-fashioned Scouts were scrapped last year, we now have the galaxy's most perfect starforce! No reason to build any more for about 45 years!
2371
An inferior species arrives on the scene of the galaxy:
Miamar's fuzzy Mrrshans, with three aggressive, technology-loving worlds ... which remain technologically inferior to the people of Meklon, who do nothing in their wisdom but sustain their beautiful oneness, contemplate their perfect nav...y, and engage in scientific studies. With two levels of terraforming, finished factory projects IIT-008 and IRC-003, hydrogen fuel and nuclear engines, and new force fields about to complete, the Meklar have little to fear from any planet - or any set of three.
2384
Miamar may say she owns four worlds now and has for several years, but what does it mean for one being to own what she cannot ever touch? We have no fear of her with our HPR-005 rocket defenses or the Dotomite crystals that last year allowed our communications drones to reach Farseer of the Alkari. He too owns four worlds, if "owning" in that context has any meaning. No doubt they will battle over worlds too far away for them to comprehend the distances; we intend to research in peace. Our goods are much desired, with 100 BC of trade beginning with the winged Alkari on top of the 25 with Miamar we finally established ten years since. There shall be more in the future - far more, indeed! But the best news is this: Our most important early project, EER-541, is finally complete!
Behold the wonder that is Worldnet technology!
2407
The moment has come for the Worldnet's most important diplomatic action in the lifetime of the galaxy. The Alkari have spread like pigeons in a city, reaching the six-world benchmark sometime last decade and now triggering an election for High Master of the New Republic-to-be!
The Meklar abstain from the voting; that's totally unimportant, actually. No, the key to our defeat of the galaxy's unenlightened beings is the exchange we just held with the imperfect but nevertheless very useful Mrrshan people. Our trade agreement was already raised almost twenty years since, to match what we held with the Alkari, and relations have grown so strong that Miamar has just agreed to our proposal of mutual non-aggression. The most satisfying news of all though is that our predictions were sound: She is at war with the mighty Alkari people, wasting her energy and theirs in fruitless wars over distant worlds while we pursue knowledge unhindered on our own. So, to aid her in colonizing stars before the Alkari, and to ensure the battle between them is not too lopsided in spite of the birds' numerical advantages, we have provided her with the secrets of our DCR-007 long-range technology. Of course, we did not wish her to feel beholden to us - that would hardly be honorable - though with the help of these fuel crystals, she will not only have access to far-flung Alkari targets, but be able to send diplomatic shuttles to the Bulrathi and persuade them to join in her war. No, we arranged a "trade" for them - one that we found highly amusing.
Yes, please, Miamar. We are very eager to learn the secrets of your Range 5 technology. We're so eager that we'll give you our Range 7 for it, okay?
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Next: The Way of Peace
