Homage to Colonia
06 Feb 2018Jellicoe
Colonia, utopia, mankind's fresh start half the galaxy away. Beyond the squabbles and wars of the core worlds, a haven of peace and liberty where all could live proud and free, safe from the corporate tyranny of the Federation, the whims of Imperial aristocrats or the tarnished, corrupted ideals of the Alliance. The reality did not quite live up to the dream of course, how could it? People were still people however far they roamed and they brought their greed, their jealousy and their lust for power to this latest new frontier just as they had to all the previous ones. In time history would repeat itself here, just as it had before and, no doubt, just as it would again, the talented, the ruthless or the plain lucky would amass wealth or power or both which they would use to cement their position and so Colonia, like the Federation, like even the Alliance would gain its own aristocracy in all but name. Perhaps the Empire had it right after all, just accept reality give such people a title and place demands of honour and duty on the rank to try and reign in their avarice. All this though was for the future, for now Colonia was a vibrant melting pot of explorers, fortune hunters, adventurous sightseers and of course, settlers. The settlers alone were as mixed a bag as could be imagined, workers who had travelled here seeking a better life, freed or escaped slaves brought by one of the many escape lines for a fresh start wanting only to live free or refugees who had sold every possession they had to escape from some war, famine or other disaster wanting only to live. Here in Colonia miners seeking riches rubbed shoulders with political dissidents seeking only the freedom to think and speak, all were welcome so long as the quarrels and feuds of the bubble were left behind. There was a unique spirit to Colonia, an almost tangible energy that coursed through its people underpinned by the determination to escape the mistakes of the past, to build something better that would stand for all time as a beacon to the whole of humanity. A dream as old as humanity itself.Jellicoe and his jaded crew fed on the energy of the place, drinking it in like the first drops of rain on an arid field, the people were happy in Colonia, not stupefied or cowed as all too many were in the core but happy, and unafraid. Work was plentiful, there were never enough people so the most valuable commodity was labour, thus the workers, for now at least, were in the saddle, and the spirit of the place was infectious, even to the most careworn soul. Despite all this though Jellicoe and his crew spent as much time in space as possible, for if the people buzzed with a visceral energy then space radiated a reassuring peace bathed in the light of innumerable stars. Indeed the very word 'space' seemed, here, to be a hopeless misnomer, failing utterly to do justice to the glorious splendour of the place, the ancient term of 'the heavens' seemed a little more fitting if still painfully inadequate to describe the all pervading magnificence of the light. By day they would travel, the palatial luxury of the 'Iron Duke' seeming more fitting for the glory of their surroundings. They went nowhere in particular, did nothing in particular but soak in the majesty of their surroundings. Few words were spoken, few seemed necessary and none adequate to the all enfolding brilliance that surrounded them.
"We could stay you know?" Claude said wistfully one night as they gazed upwards through the window of the Cutter's reception room, "Make a life out here and leave it all behind."
"It is so very tempting," Jellicoe replied his voice full of longing, "No more killing, no more death just spend the rest of our lives in peace surrounded by this." He gestured up toward the heavens as he spoke.
"But?"
"It can't stay like this," Jellicoe said bleakly, "Colonia will change, more people will come, men and women will grow rich and powerful, conflict will follow and Colonia will be just like everywhere else. I prefer the memory of what it is to the reality of what it will become."
"We could stop it, fight to keep the dream alive."
"Fight human nature? We'd be like straws trying to stand against the wind, and besides..."
"There's Kira and your son." Claude finished the sentence for him.
"There is," Jellicoe replied with a rueful smile, "but if you want to stay here I won't stand in your way."
Claude was silent for a long time a he gazed in apparent rapture at the starscape above, carefully collecting his thoughts and choosing his words before speaking again.
"Poets and singers never write about friendship do they? only about love. They're fools. True friendship is as strong as the deepest love and also lasts a lifetime. Just promise me one thing?"
"Name it."
"Before we go back I want to fo to the centre and just once look into the heart of the void."