[dumbluck]

Administrator Gelstin sighed as he perused the Council meeting minutes one last time. Things were happening too quickly; he felt like the Society was slipping through his fingers. No sooner had he finally secured Peace for the Society, than the possibility of traveling to other star systems was discovered, followed immediately by the possibility of a whole new, alien threat to that ideal his people had sacrificed so much to finally achieve. Then, not three short months after that possibility revealed itself, it became reality with the appearance of what could only be an alien ship through the unexplored WarpPoint. It had burst transmitted mountains of data, then disappeared back through the WarpPoint, and the linguists were still working on deciphering that data. They couldn't even tell him what these aliens call themselves!

Meanwhile, Xtreme IV was colonized. This month it finished construction on a SY facility, and construction has begun on the first of two Defense Class corvettes commissioned there. For now, the ships will remain under the auspices of the Construction Administrator. What was once the "Best Hope for the Belanai" isn't anymore; there are more colonization opportunities, with better resource potential, in Sophenis. And who knows what other possibilities lay out there among the stars? So Xtreme IV has been renamed False Hope.

Speaking of other opportunities, the colony ship Opportunity is about to land the second Society colony on what we now know was once called Sophenis IV. The Council decided to use the ancient system names gleaned from the ruins on Sophenis IX, save for our own Xtreme solar system. Since no other Warp Points have been detected in Sophenis, the Council decided to focus that system on industrialization. If Peace is to survive against this new possible alien threat, we must be strong enough that these aliens are wary of attacking us. That is why the council has reinstated the Military Administrator position. We must be ready for war, if it comes.

Unfortunately, old Gelram Grafz, the former Military Administrator, died last year. Our next council meeting will focus on finding an new Military Administrator. Gelstin doesn't envy the winner of that position. They will be responsible for developing a defense strategy in a completely new environment, with completely untested equipment and tactics. Filling that position will be a difficult, critical task for the Council.

As for the mysterious aliens, captain Arabna Jelocu and the crew of the Scout are about to follow the nameless alien ship though WarpPoint #2 and find out what's on the other side. Information is our only weapon right now, and it is in critically short supply. Jelocu has shown a level head so far, he's the best choice for tracking down these aliens... Jelocu... Hmm. Perhaps.