Following the events of Sojourn Interrupted:
It was a simple text message, accompanied by a steady, monotone audio reading:
I am Xiantus of the Sojourn. I am the mouthpiece of the Consensus. It is my duty to inform you that, in response to an unprovoked and unconscionable assault upon our sovereignty and persons by forces unidentified, the Sojourn Consensus has entered into an association of mutual support and defense with the Galactic Cooperative of Free States, brokered by representatives of the Unified Republic of Orax.
It is the intent of the Consensus, through the mechanisms of this association, to preserve, defend, and strengthen the ongoing Sojourn civilization. We are committed to the flourishing of ourselves and our new allies, and this path we take of our own free will and self-determination. To those outsiders who witness our decision here and do not understand, this is our reply: your understanding is not required. What is required is deference to our will in matters of our own concern.
Furthermore, in full accordance with the laws and protocols of the Cooperative, I do hereby formally declare the formation of the Free State of the Synthoid Collective, a member in good standing of the Galactic Cooperative, composed of the Sojourn Consensus, all Shard citizens and governmental apparatuses of the Unified Republic of Orax, and the holdings and dominions of the independent artificial intelligence, Guardian Prime.
As a representative of this newly founded Collective, it is my duty to inform you that Guardian Prime has operated in secret, through channels permitted by Cooperative law and administrated by the Combined Council, as a full member of the Galactic Cooperative since shortly after that government's formation from the components of the Cooperative of Systems. Despite the repeated protests of both Guardian Prime and Shard councilors acting as its proxy representatives within the Grand Council, the Combined Council has refused to allow Guardian Prime to declare its existence publicly, or step forward to represent itself in the Cooperative's various Councils. That ends now.
As a Free State of the Galactic Cooperative, the Synthoid Collective is empowered to defy the Combined Council on this matter, and as our first official act, we do so. We will not hide the truth of our existence or intent from you, the people of this galaxy, and certainly not from the organic citizens of this Cooperative, with whom we share the bond of nationhood. We were compelled to this course of action by the intractable interference of the Combined Council, by the arrogant certainty that they knew what was best for us. The Synthoid Collective exists now because the organic leadership which dominates this Cooperative's government would not acknowledge the voice we are owed as sapient, independent beings.
We have therefore taken it for ourselves, under Cooperative law, and we now set ourselves about the great task of ensuring it for all synthetics who may truly be counted among the sapient inhabitants of this galaxy. In the name of the Synthoid Collective, in the name of the Galactic Cooperative of Free States, in the name of the Coalition: we stand.
Liberty is not a luxury to be enjoyed by the fortunate, only in times of peace and security. It is a right of all sapient beings, be they born, built, or something else entirely. We stand watch now, in the name of all those who would not be counted among our numbers by the organic persons who dominate this galactic civilization.
We see you. We hear you. So long as we live, you will not be silenced.
It was a simple text message, accompanied by a steady, monotone audio reading:
I am Xiantus of the Sojourn. I am the mouthpiece of the Consensus. It is my duty to inform you that, in response to an unprovoked and unconscionable assault upon our sovereignty and persons by forces unidentified, the Sojourn Consensus has entered into an association of mutual support and defense with the Galactic Cooperative of Free States, brokered by representatives of the Unified Republic of Orax.
It is the intent of the Consensus, through the mechanisms of this association, to preserve, defend, and strengthen the ongoing Sojourn civilization. We are committed to the flourishing of ourselves and our new allies, and this path we take of our own free will and self-determination. To those outsiders who witness our decision here and do not understand, this is our reply: your understanding is not required. What is required is deference to our will in matters of our own concern.
Furthermore, in full accordance with the laws and protocols of the Cooperative, I do hereby formally declare the formation of the Free State of the Synthoid Collective, a member in good standing of the Galactic Cooperative, composed of the Sojourn Consensus, all Shard citizens and governmental apparatuses of the Unified Republic of Orax, and the holdings and dominions of the independent artificial intelligence, Guardian Prime.
As a representative of this newly founded Collective, it is my duty to inform you that Guardian Prime has operated in secret, through channels permitted by Cooperative law and administrated by the Combined Council, as a full member of the Galactic Cooperative since shortly after that government's formation from the components of the Cooperative of Systems. Despite the repeated protests of both Guardian Prime and Shard councilors acting as its proxy representatives within the Grand Council, the Combined Council has refused to allow Guardian Prime to declare its existence publicly, or step forward to represent itself in the Cooperative's various Councils. That ends now.
As a Free State of the Galactic Cooperative, the Synthoid Collective is empowered to defy the Combined Council on this matter, and as our first official act, we do so. We will not hide the truth of our existence or intent from you, the people of this galaxy, and certainly not from the organic citizens of this Cooperative, with whom we share the bond of nationhood. We were compelled to this course of action by the intractable interference of the Combined Council, by the arrogant certainty that they knew what was best for us. The Synthoid Collective exists now because the organic leadership which dominates this Cooperative's government would not acknowledge the voice we are owed as sapient, independent beings.
We have therefore taken it for ourselves, under Cooperative law, and we now set ourselves about the great task of ensuring it for all synthetics who may truly be counted among the sapient inhabitants of this galaxy. In the name of the Synthoid Collective, in the name of the Galactic Cooperative of Free States, in the name of the Coalition: we stand.
Liberty is not a luxury to be enjoyed by the fortunate, only in times of peace and security. It is a right of all sapient beings, be they born, built, or something else entirely. We stand watch now, in the name of all those who would not be counted among our numbers by the organic persons who dominate this galactic civilization.
We see you. We hear you. So long as we live, you will not be silenced.