2175 C.E.

IV: The Coming of the Black Ship

Novan Intelligence Dispatch: 07/04/2175 2307 Nova Standard Time

Border Security-Novan Intelligence Command: DMZ monitoring station detects massive Terran redistribution of warships. 23 ships in sensor range redeployed to Earth system. Intentions unknown. End dispatch.

Personal Journal: William Aucaman

07/05/2175

I believe that Cynthia Mattingly looks down on me to a certain extent. I gather this impression from her tone of voice and facial expressions when we met to study in study period today. When she sat down at the table I had taken in the library, she instantly sighed and got down to business. For most people, I would take this as more or less normal, but I've seen Cynthia before with her friends, and at those times she was much more animated. I've rarely seen her in their company insist seriously that they get to work, as it were, and so I rather suspect that her studiousness was more the result of my presence than any interest in the subject. She seemed quite bored with the topic, as well. Andrea said that I should be prepared to write the whole paper myself, and I'm afraid that she might be right.

It's amazing to me that these engineered kids like Cynthia never seem to have the same work ethic as some of the ordinary kids I've known. I don't know for sure if Cynthia was engineered, of course, since I haven't exactly asked her if she was or not. But the weird thing about engineered kids is that they go through styles. My mom says that the same thing happens with names; a certain name or kind of name will be really popular one year and inexplicably fade out of favor the next. Cynthia looks a lot like the gene-mods or engineered kids in my generation. It's something about the eyes I think; all of them my age have the same weird blue color, and by their shape they look almost Asian. Brent is a gene-mod, and he has the same thing. I guess if you were designed to make your parents look good, then that's already kind of a full-time job and they don't have time for much else.

A grizzly bear wandered into our wildlife reserve late in the afternoon, a little before we went in for dinner. I think it may have been a lone male in search of food or a mate. I was very surprised to see it, not simply because it wandered this far east of its species' usual range. Ever since they were listed as critically endangered species in the early 2100's, they've rarely been seen out of the refuges set up in old national parks or zoos. But more than that, they don't generally leave wooded areas; our wetlands won't make a suitable habitat for it. I don't know why he came, or where he'll go from here. I hope he finds what he's looking for.

Novan Intelligence Dispatch: 07/05/2175 0147 NST

Grushan Coordination Unit-Novan Intelligence Command: Grushan intelligence confirms. All Terran border vessels withdrawn and redeployed to the Earth system. FGSF moving AY01 and AH02 task force to monitor DMZ. End Dispatch.

Official Transcript: HNN News Update: 07/05/2175 2105 EST

[Begin Playback]

LERMAN: Now, breaking news from orbit above Earth. A large Hegemony fleet has just jumped into the Earth star system with several entering into orbit around Earth upon arrival. The remainder have split into a number of groups and spread throughout the system. We reached out to the Terran Interstellar Authority for any indication of the purpose of this massive Hegemony show of force, but spokespeople have declined to comment. We are being told to advise everybody that there is currently no threat to them and to go about your daily business as you otherwise would. More updates are likely to emerge throughout the night; we'll be covering them as they come. For Hegemony News Network, I'm Carrie Lerman.