Dust Bunny (Rust Bucket Universe) Page 25

  "Sir, Cadet Prog, who was the bravest person then?"

  "The bravest example I've seen yet was when I witnessed a ship charge against three larger enemy ships despite the odds," Dave answered.

  "The charge of the dreadnaught America in your war against the Malakins?" Commandant Weitek asked

  "No sir, though that was brave as well. I really don't even know the name of the ship or of the individuals involved. Actually, it was a gunship. One of yours, in fact. It was escorting a convoy of freighters in orbit around the world I know as Electra. The truth be known, it was the first proof we even had that your people weren't allied with the Malakins since the gunship commander charged three Malakin destroyers to gain time for his convoy to get under way and escape. Any experienced commander could see that there was only one possible outcome, yet that gunship charged anyway. I was on board a cruiser at the time. We arrived too late to influence the outcome for the freighters."

  "You took part in the slaughter of our freighters?" Prog asked.

  "No, Cadet Prog. We fired upon only the Malakin warships. You're welcome to review the battle images at anytime," Dave answered.

  "Do not doubt Rear Admiral Oden's word!" Commandant Weitek announced brusquely.

  "No harm done, Commandant Weitek. In fact, we encourage our cadets to speak up and question things and people, no matter who states them. Cadet Prog just gave an excellent example of the type of questioning we seek to encourage," Dave said softly.

  "How may I view the battle images, Rear Admiral Oden?" Prog asked.

  "Once you arrive at Beulah, just access them in the Universal Internet Directory since you don't have any terminals installed yet here on Bragh. They're freely accessible to the public. In fact, that particular battle was considered too important to keep from the public inasmuch as there was plenty of negative publicity going around because of the previous state of affairs between Bragh and the Union. Quite a few people within the Union needed to learn first hand that Bragh wasn't an ally of the Malakin Empire so that you'd gain acceptance," Dave answered.

  "Then we'll encounter resistance to our membership?" Cadet Coom asked.

  "I'm sure that you'll encounter some ill feelings just as I'm sure that humans will encounter some here since both sides lost good people. It's up to the rest of us to set the records straight and help everyone else to accept each other as equals," Dave replied.

  ***

  "Well, what did you think, Rear Admiral Oden?" Commandant Weitek asked as he and Admiral Oden left the assembly hall.

  "They're good cadets, Deni. I hope they're all accepted and later graduate. We need them," Dave answered.

  ***

  Soon after admission to the Union, the first Ape-oid cadet ensigns reported to Beulah for training at the academy. Each of them met privately with Admiral Oden and began his or her training with a slightly new impression of Admiral "Rust Bucket" as they called him. They found he was every bit as concerned about their welfare as he was with anyone else in the Space Academy.

  ***

  By the time a year passed from the end of the Malakin War, the surviving Malakins on Milik were dealing with uncertainty in their daily lives after a difficult learning curve. No assistance came to them from the other Malakin worlds. What they did receive came from the Union which perceived an opportunity to influence at least one Malakin world in a positive manner.

  Though many of the records of the Malakin Empire were lost when Malak was destroyed, records from Bragh further proved that their own attempt to get back into space was entirely coincidental. Had they known of the Malakin threat of genocide or slavery to themselves, they might have opted then to form a temporary alliance with the Union. At least, they already knew by then that the Union didn't want to either enslave or wipe them out.

  ***

  Five years after the Malakin War, several events took place that were noteworthy in the history of the Union of Planets.

  The first Ape-oid graduates from the Academy took their places on Union warships in a Navy fleet that consisted of forty-eight squadrons. They were looked upon with pride by the citizens of Bragh and the rest of the Union. Their graduation demonstrated that the Union was willing to accept the Ape-oids as equals in everything and treat them no differently from anyone else within the Union.

  Another scientific study was completed, proving conclusively that the Ape-oids weren't even remotely related to the apes found on Earth or a few other Union worlds. That greatly eased the minds of Ape-oids everywhere to learn that. A significant number of Ape-oid citizens had feared before that they would wind up in zoological parks where they and their children would live out their lives as savages.

  Work on reclaiming Milik from the ravaging storms of dust that nearly completed the job of wiping out its population was completed. With that effort and the other aid that came from the Union, a rift developed between Milik and the other three Malakin worlds. However, most of the difference between the two factions of Malakins developed as a result of Milik's new environment. Milik was subject to an environment where its social fabric was forced to adapt or die. Milik eventually initiated trading with the Union in an uneasy position where its every move was watched carefully by the other Malakin worlds.

  Likewise, work was completed on reclaiming Opal. Despite a small number of settlers on what was a very warm planet as average temperatures went, it asked for and was granted Union membership. It was the first Ape-oid planet where the Ape-oids decided that nudity was a good idea and the best way to deal with the obscenely high temperature. Of course, the Navy expanded to fifty squadrons and fifty marine units in line with its intention of having two squadrons and two marine units to defend each member world.

  Raymond Lordsman and his fellow conspirators were released from prison. They, along with the crew from the captured Opalian warship, sold off most of Serapha's holdings in the Union including all rights to Serapha. Afterwards they purchased additional ships to add to the freighters that were at Union ports when Serapha was destroyed and supplies before leaving to find a new world and start a new society. They took with them some other like-minded people who believed that the Union went too far with its official public position on tolerance for different lifestyles.

  Admiral Oden was well aware of their release and tracked their movements until they left Union territory. Hidden sensors on board some of the ships continued to show their progress outside of Union territory. Dave ordered the sensors placed on board their ships, not because he feared any of them harming himself, but because of the future threat they constituted to the Union. He wanted to be sure the Union knew where the Seraphans were located. Admiral Oden didn't pay them any attention after they left Union territory, since the former Seraphans were going to be busy enough for a decade or more just getting settled once they found a suitable world. As well, he felt sure that their surviving military wouldn't be anymore coordinated than before as there were still numerous religions represented within their mix of personnel. They would probably insist on having forces from each religion just like before so that none of them could institute a dictatorship over the others.

  As a final gesture of thanks, Dave sent a communication out into space in the direction the former Opalians went in their search for a new world to settle. In his message, he warned them that the surviving former Seraphans were once again free and striking out on their own to settle somewhere.

  Lastly, Rear Admiral Dave Oden was promoted to Fleet Admiral. Regardless, he continued to work as the Commandant of the Space Academy since that was where the Navy most wanted and needed him while peace prevailed. However, Dave still wanted to be back in space on the deck of a warship. It was fortunate for him that as Commandant he could do so each year when the two senior most classes of cadet ensigns spent actual training time in space as they learned to become officers in a Navy that Dave was more than just a little proud of.

  Addendum:

  Universal Rights Bill of the Union of Planets

  1.
All individuals have equal rights under the law.

  2. All individuals have the right to regulate their own bodies according to their own wishes and beliefs.

  - parents of minor children will be presumed to have the right to guide their children in such functions until substantial proof is furnished showing inability or unwillingness on the parents' behalf.

  3. All individuals have the right to pursue a lifestyle of their own choosing in private and public so long as it does not:

  - cause physical harm to another individual, business, or government.

  - cause outstanding physical harm to the environment, unless the individual erases such harm to the environment afterwards through restoration.

  - prevent the ordinary conduct of other individuals, business, and government.

  - government may not support nor restrict any particular lifestyle so long as it does not violate the rights of others.

  4. All individuals have the right to worship or not as they choose:

  - the government at all levels may not support nor restrict any religion so long as the religion does not violate the rights of individuals.

  - businesses may not support, be associated with, nor restrict any religion.

  - religions may not support nor operate any businesses in competition with ordinary business nor interfere with the conduct of ordinary legal business or the rights of individual citizens.

  5. All individuals have the right to move about freely without restriction except in such cases where the government is acting to protect vital interests by establishing a defense base or other facility where security is required in order to protect the government and its people.

  6. All individuals have the right to communicate with other individuals.

  7. All individuals have the right to associate with whomever they choose in whatever numbers they may choose so long as they are peaceful.

  8. All individuals have the right to own and carry personal weapons in any manner as well as use them for defense.

  9. All individuals have the right to freely elect any and all public officials who represent them:

  - elections cannot be postponed nor cancelled by action of the individuals elected into public office.

  - election districts cannot be designed to keep any political group in or out of power and shall be as compact in design as is possible taking topography into account.

  10. All individuals have the right to address their concerns to the government.

  11. All individuals have the right to know all charges being placed against them at the time of arrest for all criminal cases.

  - an arrest warrant shall be issued only on the oath or affirmation of a named individual or on an indictment by grand jury giving probable grounds indicating an offense has been committed.

  - all individuals have the right to due process under the law and to a speedy trial with competent legal representation equal to the abilities of the prosecution.

  - all individuals subject to arrest for criminal acts are entitled to trial by an impartial jury in the governing district in which the crime occurred.

  - all individuals have the right to not self-incriminate themselves with testimony.

  - all individuals have the right to confront their accusers and witnesses.

  - all individuals have the right of compulsory testimony by witnesses in his favor.

  - all individuals are protected against being tried twice for the same offense, even under a different charge, such other charges for the same offense either being tried at the same time or being forfeited by the prosecution.

  12. All individuals have the right to privacy against illegal intrusion.

  13. All individuals have the right to own property and to be secure in their possessions and effects against illegal search or seizure:

  - a legal search warrant shall be issued only on the oath or affirmation of a named individual giving probable cause.

  - the search warrant shall list specifically what or who is being searched for.

  - the search warrant shall list what place or individual is to be searched.

  14. All individuals have the right to fair compensation for work, products, and property.

  - private property taken for public use shall be returned at the soonest opportunity, when possible, and justly compensated for without placing requirements on the individual to apply for such.

  15. All individuals have the right to use their work, products, and property in a manner that they see most fitting:

  - provided that such use does not deprive others of their rights.

  - provided that such use does not cause outstanding physical harm to the environment, unless the individual erases such harm to the environment afterwards through restoration.

  - provided that such use does not cause physical harm to another individual, business, or government.

  - provided that such use does not prevent the ordinary conduct of other individuals, business, and government.

  16. All individuals have the right to seek redress against any government, business, or other individual.

  - the individual shall have the right to seek civil suit to recover just compensation or their work, products, property, and reputation along with punitive awards in either case.

  - a jury may be demanded in such civil cases where the value exceeds one percent of the individual's yearly income or affect's the individual's reputation and ability to earn such income.

  17. The press shall have the freedom to gather and distribute news without intervention by individuals, businesses, and government:

  - provided the press does not disrupt the lawful activities of others nor otherwise violate the law or rights of individuals, businesses, and religions.

  - members of the press shall not be subject to arrest without such arrest being announced to the public by warrant followed by public trial.

  - the press shall not be subject to any form of censorship unless such censorship is to protect the interests of the government against powers seeking its violent overthrow.

  - the press shall be issued a license upon simple application for the sole purpose of identification to the public and not for the purpose of restricting viewpoints, such license being capable of revocation only for criminal behavior determined by conviction by proper trial.

  - the press may be required to pool its resources when availing itself of its right to access aboard government warships or on government installations, such pooling to be by lottery and not by the decision of any warship or installation commander.

  - the press may be required to remove only such classified information from its reporting which would be detrimental to the preservation of the government by powers seeking its violent overthrow and not to suppress opinion or opposition.

  18. Any rights or powers not listed nor specified in the Constitution as belonging to the government belong to the individual and may not be taken by the government at any level without a free election by the people by which they vote by overwhelming majority to give such rights or powers to the government:

  - the rights enumerated in this document cannot be voted away, waived, or modified by the individual or government.

  - any political entity desiring membership in the Union of Planets must ascribe to these rights in their entirety.

  END