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A Long Time Ago…

By Psion

All Rights Reserved

The bright midday light of Sol shone over the manicured lawns of the Ranger Academy in Geneva Switzerland, Earth. Cadets milled about as they made their way from one class to another while junior officers attended advanced courses to maintain their commissions in the specialist departments. Here, the Ranger Corps of the Earth Hegemony trained a new generation of men and women to take up the mantel of the Ranger, humanity’s vanguard in the turbulent universe of 2120 AD.

.In the city itself, millions worked at various administrative tasks in the seat of the Earth Hegemony’s government, towering megastructures housed thousands of officials, bureaucrats, and laborers responsible for keeping the Hegemony government running smoothly. Various embassies and government buildings housed representatives from every nation on Earth and the more developed colonies on Alpha Centauri and Tau Ceti. And then there was the Ranger Academy. Situated within the heart of downtown Geneva, the Academy was a modest campus of a dozen sleek, interconnected buildings surrounded by meticulously maintained grounds. Here, the Hegemony trained the next generation of its finest warriors…

Karen Stone and Jonathan Fortsmith hardly stood out from the rest of the thirty-odd 1st and 2nd class lieutenants filing in for the Advanced Sapient Xenology course required to maintain their commissions. Both hailing from America as evidenced by the flag patch on their right shoulders, the only real splash of color to contrast the black fabrics of their duty uniforms, a black jumpsuit with matching boots and studded with pockets.

Karen, an African-American woman from the state of Iowa, and Jonathan, a blond Caucasian from New York City; both took a seat near the center of the lecture hall as they were surrounded by Ranger officers recruited from countries in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Yet who they were and where they were from was irrelevant, they were Rangers. They were what protected humanity from the great unknown lurking in the endless black.

The course lecturer was a wizened man of Japanese descent. If Jonathan were to take a guess based on the way the man carried himself and the olive branch pin on his collar, their instructor was a veteran of the Hegemony’s diplomatic corps. Considering the course was supposed to be about the two empires that surrounded the Hegemony on three sides and the alien races that inhabited those empires, the diplomat was fairly well qualified to speak on the topic.

“Good afternoon class, I am Mr. Akiyama.” The instructor began in flawless English. “The Academy asked, if after my fifteen years as the Earth ambassador aboard the Enduring Hope, I was interested in offering some wisdom to the Ranger Corps. Needless to say, I said yes.” He introduced with a wry smile.

The class was speechless out of more then just simple academic politeness. The Earth Embassy Ambassador on the Enduring Hope? The star base the Hegemony built specifically for conducting diplomatic missions between the various powers? This was going to be interesting. Who knew what stories Mr. Akiyama could share, to say nothing of the ones he couldn’t share.

“Through this course, you will learn about the fourteen member species of the Ro'Erry Confederacy and the G’Luc Republic. In the fifteen years I spent aboard Enduring Hope, I had gotten to know each of them fairly well. Not as creatures in a biology textbook but as people that we share the known galaxy with for better or worse. Sometimes surprisingly honorable and compassionate, other times unbelievably manipulative and morally bankrupt. Not unlike a certain other species I could name.” The learned instructor began, getting a few chuckles from the officers attending the lecture. Now there was a joke that needed no explanation.

“But first some brief history to remind us how we got here. Most of you already have had this lesson drilled into your heads but it never hurts to have a refresher. In the early 2060’s, physicists of the European Union unlocked the secrets of hyperspace folding and managed to build the first engine capable of Faster Then Light travel. This became the first time the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 was truly tested as every major space agency wanted to be a part of the next great era in space exploration. Each agency went on to develop their deep space exploration program, each program going off in a different direction to try and plant their flag first on unimaginable discoveries. Many exciting developments happened that decade… and then in 2071 AD we discovered we were not alone in the universe. We discovered the Ro'Erry Confederacy and the Zlith Empire, the latter ruling over what would eventually become the G’Luc Republic. This discovery led to the formation of the modern Earth Hegemony. The nations of Earth unifying as one against a threat that could turn the entire planet to glass on a whim.”

The class did remember all of this fairly well. Not only was the discovery a part of every primary school history lesson, the war that broke out soon after between the fledgling Hegemony and the Zlith Empire was an all-consuming conflict that raged for over forty years. Everyone in that room had parents and grandparents that fought in that war. When the Zlith Emperor was finally caught trying to cross over into Hegemony space to escape the wrath of the G’Luc Resistance only to be promptly gunned down by Hegemony Rangers, Hegemony-side celebrations lasted for weeks. The generation that sat in that classroom was the first that didn’t have an uncertain future ahead of it.

The history refresher took up the remainder of the allotted class time and they were dismissed soon afterwards. For the next three months, the class spent three hours a day, three days a week, learning about the other sapient life forms inhabiting the known galaxy.

The first month was spent discussing the Ro'Erry Confederacy and the seven races that formed it. A technocratic democracy that frequently flirted on the edge of becoming a society where scarcity of resources was permanently nonexistent, the Confederacy focused on a less materialistic and more knowledge-focused way of life that valued learning and research over constant acquisition of material goods. Then again, when someone had developed a phenomenal understanding of matter manipulation, sculpting matter with highly-efficient nanotechnology capable of replicating everything from food to finished goods, material wealth had less importance. And that was one of the technological cornerstones that the children of all seven species of the Confederacy were trained in to one extent or another. But of course there was one Ro'Erry species above all the others that the entire class wanted to know about. But no one was sure how to ask Mr. Akiyama about them without appearing rude…

Fortunately, the instructor felt it was better to just address the metaphorical elephant in the room then try to hide it under a rug. “Alright, let’s start our presentations on the species that make up the Ro'Erry Confederacy with the one I’m sure everyone here wants to know about for one reason or another. The Vulperions.” Akiyama explained as he began his presentation with by projecting a large three-dimensional hologram of a male and female Vulperion in the space above his head.

The class took their eyes off of the lecturer to look at the holograms above their heads, regarding the translucent images above with a mix of emotions. The species was famous, or infamous depending on how one chose to look at it, for their insatiable appetites for the carnal pleasures. Even before this course, most of the class had heard of the Vulperions, their escapades woven into such a fine a mixture of myth and fact that it was hard to tell which was which.

Jon rested his chin against his folded hands as he stared at the image in front of the class and listened intently to Mr. Akiyama. They looked like what he expected them to look like but with all the misinformation as well as outright lies spread by xenophobes, it was good to have his information confirmed by someone who knew first hand. Amazing what beings inhabited the universe. And of course it was also amazing what the Hegemony allowed them to study to learn more about their neighbors....

Karen meanwhile blinked and stared at the hologram of the beings before her. Staring right back at her were two humanoid creatures that seemed to faintly resemble bipedal Terran foxes. Very shapely humanoids that appeared to enjoy being scantily dressed judging by how little clothing both the male and female examples were wearing. The female looked very close to what Karen Stone had expected, proportions were a little more realistic then some of the pro-isolationist propaganda her family proudly collected but still very well-endowed. However the male was a surprise, she didn’t expect a male Vulperion to look so… dainty. His arms and chest were toned but slender, the only serious muscle seemed to be in his thighs, giving the illusion of broad hips. Yet one look at the rocket he had sheathed between his legs, Karen could not dispute his masculinity.

“Before you are an example of a typical Vulperion male and female respectively. Let me begin by saying that the stereotype of the Vulperions being ‘space hookers’ is insultingly untrue. Vulperions generally don’t believe in charging money for sexual favors.” Akiyama continued; it took the class a second to realize that he was making a joke.

As the class laughed, he briefly smiled then sighed once the laughter died down. “And yes, the story about the Ro'Erry delegation attempting and failing to successfully bribe Colonel Pierce with a trio of Vulperion concubines is unfortunately true. Needless to say, the Confederacy had to send a new ambassador in a hurry after the one responsible for that stunt had to resign.”

The class was all too familiar with that story or at least the general details. Colonel Abraham Pierce was the Hegemony officer in charge of Enduring Hope. An extremely honorable man if a bit old-fashioned in some of his values. And apparently the Ro'Erry ambassador missed the memo that “I’m married” were two words that meant something to Pierce.

Continuing on, Akiyama briefly looked at his notes before looking back up at the class. “What is also true is that the average Vulperion possesses an interesting and at times unsettling pair of abilities. In addition to stronger senses of taste, smell, and hearing then humans, these fox-like beings are natural empaths and can emit pheromones that make other beings more susceptible to various suggestions. The latter of course has been the subject of no end of scare-tactic propaganda produced by the more radical elements of the Isolationist party. And while it would be false to tell you that there isn’t a grain of truth in those lies, in general the Vulperions cannot commit those sorts of acts. The psychic feedback from their empathetic abilities would cause them physical pain. The few Vulperions that can outright manipulate people without pain are the species version of sociopaths.”

Finished with what he wanted to say about that species, he scanned the classroom. “Are there any questions so far?”

For a second no one spoke or raised their hand. Karen looked around quickly. Most of the class was either staring at the Vulperion holograms and likely thinking a number of impure thoughts or were hesitant to speak about what was on their minds. Seeing no one else taking the initiative, she raised her hand.

“Yes?” Akiyama asked, looking at her intently.

“Why do they look like that?” She asked, almost immediately wishing she could take the question back and word it better.

“Like what?” He asked with a glint in his eye, almost as if he knew what the question was before she even said it. Apparently her question was a common one.

“Well… like fox people?” She finally asked.

The instructor smiled. “No one really knows; this is an enigma you will see with a few other species. Their appearance and even their genetic makeup is indeed similar to creatures observed here on Earth but how this happened is a mystery that drives everyone crazy. The best example of this mystery involves the Logi and the Worlong who we will get to in a bit.”

There were few other questions after Karen’s, mostly related to the anatomy and physiology of the species that somehow managed to avoid being perverse like what they ate or what their biochemistry was like. By the end of class, Jon and Karen had started to form a decent picture of Vulperion biology. The discussion on their society would have to wait until tomorrow…

Seated in a quiet corner of the academy library, Karen Stone stared intently at a library computer screen as she read ahead to prepare for the next day’s discussion. Multiple documents describing Vulperion culture were tabbed and arranged in order of length before she began reading in earnest. Resting her cheek on her hand, she scowled as she read an abridged version of their culture and history.

“What a bunch of sluts.” She grumbled to no one in particular as she kept reading. “Despite having no natural gifts towards science and engineering, the Vulperions have no trouble keeping pace with the other six Confederacy species due to their large population producing their fair share of scientists and engineers. Indeed, it was only after they encountered the Logi and joined the Confederacy that their population started to stabilize.” She quoted softly, her scowl deepening. “Yeah… that’s probably only because they found other species to screw. Can’t believe I have to study this to maintain my commission.”

“Better this then Intermediate Field Medicine, I’m taking that as well.” Fortsmith interjected suddenly, appearing behind her with the silence of a ghost.

Karen Stone briefly jumped out of her chair as she registered that her classmate was behind her. “Damn it Jon, are you sure you’re not cut out for Recon? Would not be surprised if you tested high for that on the Ranger Aptitude Test.” She cursed, her voice raising a few octaves before she remembered where she was.

“Yeah I'm sure, got the R.A.T. scores to prove it too.” He chuckled softly. “So trying to read ahead on Advanced Xenology as well?”

Stone shook her head. “Wonder if it’s too late to transfer out. Can’t believe we’re studying these freaks.”

“I was wondering how long before you would start down that path Karen… Willful ignorance of your surroundings is not a good trait to have. Would have thought the Isolationists learned that the hard way after that hacking incident last year. Spent about a hundred million credits producing an elaborate campaign slathering every digital billboard and advertisement pylon across the Hegemony in pro-Isolationism propaganda only for a handful of Confederacy teenagers to hack them from several systems away within a week. Took a month for your bigot friends to realize their campaign had been turned into advertisements for Vulperion pleasure planets and porn stars.”

“Still can’t believe the rest of the Hegemony managed to collectively agree to not say anything about that.”

“Because it was too damn funny. You Isolationists keep swearing up and down that you’re not idiots yet your actions keep saying the opposite. Look, love them or hate them, they are there. And the only way we can figure out how to deal with them is to learn about them.”

“Now who’s spewing propaganda?”

“If that is what you want to call the truth then I guess I have nothing more to say.” Jonathan replied with a shrug, taking his reading material and leaving Karen alone with her thoughts. Karen shook her head and turned back to her reading. A few months, just a few more months were all she had to put up with before she could get back to work…

Over the next few weeks, they discussed the Bendee, Cu-rati, Priz, Fis, Los, and Logi before wrapping up the discussion the Ro'Erry Confederacy. Jonathan Fortsmith sat down in his usual spot near the center of the lecture hall and opened up his pocket computer so he could take notes on each presentation. His conversation with Karen was soon forgotten about, only recalled when he looked up and noticed her sitting down a few rows down from him. Apparently she couldn’t transfer out of this nor did she share Jon’s enthusiasm for the topic. Which was a pity because he found the topic only got more fascinating the longer it went on.

The Bendee were a species of exceptional builders and engineers, short and stocky humanoids ripped with muscle yet possessing a delicate touch for fine detail work. Jon found himself comparing them to the mythical dwarves of Norse mythology but that was a comparison that didn't hold up for very long. Beyond their near-human appearance and penchant for toolsmithing and other industrial pursuits, there really wasn't much connecting the buff, hairless, gray-skinned humanoids with those fictional creatures of ancient lore.

The Cu-rati were a species of tall and stocky pale blue and white-furred ursinoids, a matriarchy known for its masterful healers and bioengineers… and for being very fond of hugs if Akiyama’s stories had any truth to them. Looking at them, Jon had a hard time imagining how that would be an unpleasant experience. They looked like giant pandas walking upright except they were a pale blue where a panda was black. While the Vulperions had the obvious reputation, Jon had heard the phrase “blueberries and cream” used in reference to certain Cu-rati circles more then once.

The Priz were an oddity among the otherwise socialist-leaning Confederacy, a short race of slender humanoids with big eyes that had a talent for numbers and mercantile pursuits. Mocked and disrespected by their peers, they came into their own in stabilizing relations with the G’Luc Republic and strengthening ties with the Hegemony, two nations with more capitalistic forms of economics. The purple-skinned beings went from being pariahs to one of the most important species in the Confederacy. Somewhere there was a cosmic being laughing at a joke that Jon wasn't getting.

The Fis were a reptilian species of warriors, proud and honorable fighters that form a mainstay of the Confederacy’s legendary Fleet out of an opportunity for combat. The two Fis, Karen wasn't entirely sure which one was male and which one was female due to their non-mammalian anatomy, conjured up images of scaly velociraptors from old cautionary science-fiction about reckless meddling in genetic engineering. Beyond their appearance, the Fis were a culture steeped in tradition. Brutish but honest and honorable traditions apparently as befitting a species that was as equally adept with their natural hand and foot claws as they were with modern weaponry.

The Los sounded like an odd bunch to Karen, a race of simians with forest green fur and natural explorers consumed by an insatiable wanderlust. So much so that they had successfully mapped every last meter of their planet by the time they achieved orbital space flight, including the bottoms of their planet's eight oceans. When they joined the Confederacy, they produced some of its hardiest explorers and survivalists, mapping out countless planets and serving on the First Contact teams that met with both the Hegemony and the then-G'Luc Resistance.

And then there was the last species before Akiyama moved onto the G’Luc Republic was the Logi themselves, the founders of the Confederacy. Looking at the holographic examples of the Logi, Karen did a double-take and immediately started to understand what Mr. Akiyama meant when he talked about “mysteries that drove everyone crazy.” Staring back at her was a pair of creatures that at first glance looked like humans except taller, more muscular, and with a facial structure that seemed... off. It took a moment for her to process what she was looking at.

“Neanderthals?” Someone in the class asked before realizing they were wondering aloud.

The diplomat chuckled. “I was wondering how long it would take someone to make that connection. Yes, by all evidence we have available, the Logi are a modern evolution of the Neanderthal man. It's a mystery that drives them mad, especially given that apparently there were bones of us on display in their museums as an 'Early Logi' exhibit.” He replied, his grin broadening as he let that ironic image sink in.

Looking around, Jon saw that the rest of the class was struggling to process the same question he was grappling with. How? Just how did this happen? Apparently that was one of the mysteries of the universe that drove men mad trying to figure it out. In any case, the G'Luc Republic waited...

The G’Luc Republic was the other great empire of the known universe. Technically younger then even the Hegemony, the Republic was formed after the subjugated “ward” races drove out the Zlith Empire and restored a proper democratic republic in the empire's stead. While not as technologically advanced as their neighbors in the Confederacy, the inhabitants of the Republic were resourceful, well armed, and attuned to an energy that befuddled Hegemony scientists. This cosmic “source” supposedly flowed throughout the universe and through every living thing yet the only people who knew how to truly manipulate it was a small cabal of mystics known as the Order of the Magi. Despite multiple attempts to study it independently, what little information outsiders had on this energy was from the Order of the Magi and as such was heavily wrapped in metaphor and mysticism which naturally drove both the Hegemony and the Ro'Erry Confederacy completely crazy.

The various species of the G’Luc Republic were as varied and diverse as their counterparts were though Jonathan noted there were a drastic number of martial cultures as opposed to ones dedicated to more peaceful pursuits. Perhaps that wasn’t a surprise though, he considered with a little more thought, the G’Luc Republic had been rebelling against their oppressors, the Zlith Empire, for nearly a century before first contact with Earth. Out of the Mar-Chan, Zonee, Krek, Furiees, Ruufs, and Worlong, only the Krek didn’t have a pronounced fighting spirit. Even the sickeningly cute Mar-Chan, vulgar junkers and garage techies that bore a passing resemblance to Terra’s Pomeranians, could apparently be scrappy little buggers when it came down to it. And they were just one species, five more made up the modern G’Luc Republic.

Just from their appearance, Karen could surmise that the Krek were an unpleasant species to communicate with. Tall, spindly creatures with a distinctly bird-like appearance, gray feathers, and shifty little eyes largely hidden beneath big feathery eyebrows. Mr. Akiyama’s presentation on them seemed to confirm this initial impression. Where the Priz focused more on long-term gains and looking at the bigger picture, the Krek favored reckless pursuit of short-term gains and immediate payoffs. They also had a tendency to merchandise the likeness of the other G’Luc species, particularly the “cutesy” appearance of the Mar-Chan, which lead to the other species antagonizing them to no end.

When he first saw the Zonee, Jon was convinced someone had slipped a picture from an old 1970's sci-fi art collection into Mr. Akiyama's presentation as a joke. Yet the retired diplomat continued on with his presentation like nothing was amiss. The Zonee were a matriarchy of humanoids with dark orange skin and purple pupil-less eyes. Very well-curved humanoids in the case of the females if the model of a busty Zonee amazon dressed in tight but pragmatic clothing was anything to go by. Both halves of the species were exceptional hunters, ecologists, and biological engineers. After the Zlith Wars, the Zonee found themselves very much in demand as bounty hunters and terraforming specialists for rebuilding environments ravaged by the war.

The Furiees and the Ruufs were two sides of an unusual coin from Fortsmith’s perspective. Both disliked the other, both radically different masters of warfare. The Furiees were feline-like techno-barbarian warriors that resembled hybrid tiger/panther creatures and fought with a fiercely independent spirit. The Ruufs were canine-like and built an orderly, militant society focused on community and discipline; basically the complete opposite of their feline rivals. And indeed both species were frequently at a standoff with each other. Yet apparently they put aside their differences during the war to overthrow the Zlith Empire and became quite the force to be reckoned with until the alliance was concluded at the end of the Zlith war.

Last was the Worlong, pale gray-skinned humanoids with fiery red eyes that were legendary for their attuned nature to the intangible energy force, the Source, that the Order of Magi harnessed to manifest all manner of supernatural abilities that defied scientific inquiry. Supporting yet remaining somewhat apart from the rest of the G'Luc Republic, they spent most of their time in seclusion and reflecting on the mysteries of the universe. Yet perhaps because of their poorly understood connection to the more mysterious aspects of the universe, they always had impeccable timing when it came to appearing where they were most needed.

As the section on the G’Luc Republic wrapped up, the semester drew to a close and it was time for the class to be tested on what they learned. Despite his easy-going nature, Mr. Akiyama turned out to be a demanding taskmaster when it was test time. The former diplomat’s test hit students with a barrage of questions about the biology and culture of the various species they studied intermixed with questions referencing the various anecdotal stories he told to make sure the students had been paying attention during lectures.

Finishing their tests and receiving their marks, Fortsmith and Stone were able to maintain their commissions and would receive reassignment soon. Their next postings would be assigned to them in a week’s time so Jonathan and Karen said their goodbyes to each other and their professor before boarding a high-speed magrail train home to visit their families before their next deployment…