by Amy Cross
"Of course."
"I have these melancholy moments," the old man adds with a sigh. "Humanity has been grappling with these problems for many centuries. There are times when I think about our species and I find myself wondering if we might have taken a wrong turn. After all, life on Mars is really not much better than life on Earth. Why do we explore the galaxy when we could just stay at home? Man is a ridiculous, ungainly creature when he ventures out among the stars? We would be better off keeping our feet on the ground, but..."
He pauses.
"I'm sure you're right, Sir," his assistant says after a moment, his voice sounding a little weak. "You're always right..."
"I am," the old man replies. "It's a burden, but I suppose every man has such crosses to carry."
"Still," he continues after a moment, "the empire grows stronger year by year, and the people trust me to keep building our forces. They believe that Caleb de Montemelo is a strong man, and I can hardly disabuse them of that notion." Turning to his assistant, he forces a smile. "The broadcast begins in a few minutes. As well as celebrating the demise of Amanda Cole, I must give renewed focus to our people and show them that humanity does have a place in the stars. It's a lie, of course, but lies are much easier to believe than the truth. For the masses, at least. Stronger men, better men, have no need for such simple concepts. We see humanity's true colors, and we act accordingly."
With that, he turns and steps out onto the floor of the parliament, where he's immediately applauded by the hundreds of ministers who have gathered to hear his speech. Acknowledging their praise with a series of waves, he advances toward the podium, fully aware that cameras are tracking his every move and broadcasting their images not only across Mars and Earth but also across the galaxy. Finally, reaching the podium, he turns to address the gathered ministers as their applause dies down.
"Today," he says after a moment, "is a turning point in the history of the human race. Those who rose among us to hold us back, those who tried to scare us into abandoning our path to destiny, have been silenced. The stars await, and we shall continue to venture forth, fulfilling the dreams of our ancestors when they looked to the night skies and dreamed of walking amongst the gods." He pauses for a moment, to give his words greater gravitas. "There are those who believe mankind does not belong out here, exploring the galaxy. To those people, I say that you must simply watch as we defy our earthly origins and force our way out beyond our natural limits. Perhaps there is no-one out there in the vastness of space to greet us, but this fact merely confirms our status as a remarkable species. We, humanity, shall fill the galaxy with our presence, not as an insignificant speck of dust floating through the void but as a mighty race! We will overcome our deficiencies and forge a place for ourselves throughout the galaxy! If, by some wonderful chance, we one day run into alien life, we will show them that we are not some middling little species struggling to cross the stars. We are humanity, and we have earned our place here!"
He waits as thunderous applause fill the chamber.
"This is our destiny!" he shouts, even as the applause continues. "For as long as I, Caleb de Montemelo, occupy this office, nothing will hold us back from becoming the dominant species in the entire universe, and if anyone tries to stand in our way, we will cast them aside with force!"
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