Epstein-Barr Core
Space Navigation School
First term student's first class, Monday, September 12th, 2245, Thallaxad City, Terran Meritocracy.
"Who can tell me what this triplet of numbers represents?"
"A coordinate?"
"Anything more specific?"
"That's close to the galactic core."
"Actually, it is the galactic core, accounting for drift, from Terra, who is of course, 0,0,0."
"Why didn't the meritocracy redefine the 0.0.0 triplet?"
"What an interesting question, anyone got an answer?"
"It would have lessened their legitimacy as heirs of Terra?"
"Terra's focus as Birthsphere isn't in question..."
"Could it?"
"in a Meritocracy of over a hundred systems, does it make sense to rock the boat that much?"
"Is it even a meritocracy, without Earth, was a cogent question, asked in earlier times."
"Why?"
"The voyage of discovery is what made many of the clone lines meritable."
"Red Queen, please come to the observation deck."
"Yes?"
"I thought you might like to see this."
"What is that?"
"We're at 1 light-year from the galactic core, certainly the closest we've ever been. I thought you might like to see."
"I only see an abyss, a hole from which light falls in, while these debris get absorbed."
"These debris are themselves the remains of a star. A blue giant, we called it Sumire."
"Is there some point you're trying to make?"
"We are like this star, if we are not careful, if we let ourselves be sucked in, we will be destroyed by the abyss of war.
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