Scott Sigler: The Rookie

THE END

From “Religion of an Empire: Mason Stewart’s Purist Church”

It has been argued for centuries whether Mason Stewart was, indeed, a true prophet, or was just the right man in the right place at the right time.

Earth’s ancient history is fraught with war and hatred between the dominant religions. Three religions, in particular — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — have been at each other’s throats for millennia. Historians can only estimate the number of deaths caused by altercations amongst these sects, and yet the most ironic part is that all three, essentially, worship the very same god.

It was this “one true god” that Mason Stewart called upon when he founded the Purist Nation just three months after Humanity’s first interstellar contact: the historic “Message from Space” sent out by the Whitok race in 2395. Humanity’s reaction to the discovery of life on other planets was mixed at best, ranging from boundless optimism to prophecies of doom and destruction. Elements of all three major religions railed against the concept of intelligent life on other planets. Stewart’s fire-and-brimstone speeches catered to these elements. His single most brilliant tactic was that he didn’t embrace an existing religion, but started his own. His was not an offshoot of Christianity or Islam or Judaism, but an entirely new church that incorporated elements of all three.

Many historians feel that Stewart’s incorporation of religious elements is proof positive that he was a calculating opportunist, that he skillfully created a philosophy “familiar enough” to be comfortable for members of all three religions. Members of the Purist Nation, however, say Stewart was a direct conduit for God, whom Stewart called the “High One.” Stewart painted a picture that the three religions were not “wrong,” just that man’s interpretation hadn’t been quite “right.”

The presence of alien life caused a great schism in the three religions. The leaders of Christianity, Judaism and Islam supported Humanity’s involvement with other races, yet millions of rank-and-file members did not. Fundamentalist movements sprang up all over the world, growing in numbers and strength when Whitokians established a permanent colony on Earth in 2406. Severe violence marked the various schisms as fundamentalists sought to kill Whitokians, drive them from Earth, and take control away from “blasphemous” church leaders. As Stewart’s church gained strength, his message called out to these fundamentalists. He gave them exactly what they wanted: an organized, religiously justified platform from which to hate alien races.

The Purist Nation boldly claimed responsibility for terrorist actions that cost the lives of thousands of Whitokian immigrants. The crackdown of 2431, however, put a permanent end to those terrorist acts. Governments and religions around the world cooperated to capture or kill Purist Nation terrorists. With his best shock troops eliminated, Stewart faced a turning point in his power base. Instead of trying to play politics, he called upon the immense wealth of his church to outfit a fleet of starships. Over five million followers of the Purist Nation fled Earth at the end of 2431.

The journey was difficult, to say the least. Poor technology, overcrowding and accidents caused the loss of some thirty ships and over one million lives before the Purist Nation fleet colonized their first planet, named “Stewart” after their bold leader. Many elements of this “exodus” have been incorporated into the Purist Nation’s holy texts. The new planet gave the Purist Nation a home free of cultural influence from Earth.

From “Rise to Power: The Quyth Concordia 2752 to present,” written by Viler the Meek

It is often mentioned in galactic history texts that the Quyth Concordia’s rise to power is merely a fluke of biology. The Quyth, after all, are the only sentient species that can completely ignore latent radiation, even when that radiation reaches levels high enough to kill Humans, Ki, Sklorno, Harrah, Whitok, Leekee and Creterakians.

This innate ability allowed the Quyth to expand from one planet to a five-planet empire rich in mineral wealth. In the seminal year of 2573, the Quyth shocked the galaxy by establishing a permanent, flourishing colony on the planet Gritchlik, which the Sklorno irradiated during the Quyth-Sklorno war. By the end of 2573, the Quyth had also colonized three other irradiated worlds — Whitok, Ionath, and Chikchik. This marked the fastest expansion in the galaxy’s history, and instantly catapulted the Quyth from a galactic second-stringer to a major player on the political landscape.

Yet despite the Concordia’s continued success, and despite the fact that the Concordia is one of only six systems to remain independent from the Creterakian Empire, sociologists from other species continue to say that the Quyth’s success relies solely on resistance to radiation. These so-called “experts” like to point out that the Quyth’s expansion was largely unchallenged, because no government could justify fighting a war over a “dead” planet. An interesting stance, but how logical is it?

Humans, for example, target planets rich in oxygen with Earth-like gravity. The Tower Republic and Leekee Collective have cooperatively shared planets in the same system, with the Republic taking the land and the Collective claiming domain over the oceans. Is that not a perfect example of a “biological fluke” resulting in expansion of territory? The Republic and the Collective do not war over planets, because they each occupy non-competitive ecological niches.

The Harrah, as another example, are the only species in the galaxy that can live on gas-giant planets. And yet how many “experts” point out the “biological fluke” that has led the Harrah to become a five-planet empire of immense military and political power? And how many of these mostly-Human “experts” point out the obvious, that while all Human governments bend to the will of the Creterakian Empire, the Quyth Concordia remains independent?

From “Species Biology & Football,” written by Cho-Ah-Huity

It is well-known that the Ki are the best linemen in football. While many call me biased, as I am a proud subject of the Ki Empire, I support this claim with facts.

First of all, there is the size factor. A Ki lineman stands on average six feet high vertically, with another six feet reaching back from the vertical body. It is the six-foot-long “ground-body” that provides amazing stability. Six legs support the ground-body, giving the Ki lineman the lowest center of gravity of any species. Because of this, it is very difficult to knock a Ki lineman to the ground.

Then there is the strength factor. In the “bench press,” a Human test of strength that is uniquely suited to measuring football prowess, the average Human lineman benches 720 pounds while the average Ki lineman benches 1,130 pounds. Quyth Warriors, the only other species capable of playing on the line, bench around 600 pounds. Humans from heavy-G worlds are becoming more of a factor in the game, yet they average around 900 pounds in the bench press. Clearly, the Ki is the strongest species in the game.

It has been noted, repeatedly, that both Quyth Warriors and heavy-G Humans are faster than Ki, have better lateral movement, and faster reaction time due to their smaller size — mostly because they have less mass to move. These factors make both species excellent linebackers and defensive ends. However, those factors are usually not enough to offset the Ki’s advantage in size and strength. Depending on the offensive scheme, Quyth and heavy-G Humans can make good run-blockers, but if you want to throw the ball you need the pass-blocking prowess of the Ki species.