Intergalactic Summit

Entry One: First Steps

Okay, so ... this is going to be kind of hard on me. Or really easy.

I'm not sure which is scarier.

This step's been a long time coming, pretty much ever since I started sticking notes on my travels and observations out under everybody's nose like this. A lot of the point of Sojourn has been to face old fears, and ...

... yeah. The Federation scared the person I used to be terribly, and the "facts" I remember are horrifying.

Please don't get me wrong: I don't think the old "me" ever thought the Gallente were especially mean or overtly aggressive, and I don't, either. But this is going to be a challenge, even so.

Over my time with the Amarr, and somewhat further since leaving them, it's become apparent that my Achur background is not just my base of knowledge, but my frame of perspective as well. I might not feel closely bound to Achura, but in terms of cultural expectations, moral reasoning, and so on, I basically am an Achur.

My knowledge base also seems to be of the loyalist school, more grateful to the Caldari than resentful of them, so, there's that.

Long story short, I "know" the Federation as a ... you know? I think I won't get into that. Let's just say I've got a lot of preexisting ideas about the Federation that make the ideas I had about the Empire seem pretty minor.

So ... well. Here goes.

The ground rules are going to be a little different this time. I'll be living and traveling in Federal territory, but as myself, not as a member of a Federal institution.

Also, PY-RE is the closest thing to a home I've found (though I remain deeply grateful to SFRIM) for reasons I've rattled off elsewhere, and which remain true. What I hoped to learn from them is an ongoing work in progress, and nowhere near done. I'll be staying, though I won't be wearing any provocative insignia in the Federation or otherwise making a bad guest of myself. I'm told the Federation's culture is individualistic and open enough to be able to accept stuff like this, so hopefully this will work.

In the general spirit of taking in diverse perspectives and ideas, I'm also looking for contacts, guides, and travel destinations, though getting involved in this might entail putting up with someone kind of offensively ignorant and biased, and we're likely to disagree a lot about what's bias and what's honest critique. So I'll be trying to bite my tongue a lot, maybe. Getting past all this programming is going to be ...

... well, I'm looking forward to it. But I don't expect this to be easy.

And I kind of love being a tourist (a ghoulish one, according to some). I hope you won't break your usual doings very much, so I think most of the time I'll want to see ... less-"touristy" places.

("Touristy places" includes tourist sites for tourists who don't want to see touristy places.)

I want to see the Federation. If I find a bunch of illusions, I might leave with a head maybe even more full of wrong ideas than I'll have when I arrive.

That would be sad.

I hope you take time to visit the out of the way places.

The Federation is often characterized and rarely understood.

During your visit, should you have the time, please visit.

I am fairly easy to find.

Ms. Jenneth! How wonderful to see that you'll be travelling across the space of Gallente Federation. I understand it might be hard for you, both for the fact you were probably a naughty pirate potato in your past life, and also for the fact you might or might not be fully loyal to Caldari State now. Fear not however, we're amazingly nice and open people and we will do our best to make you feel like at home. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute.

Here I prepared a simple list of places you should absolutely positively visit in order to fruitfill your Gallentean experience. Please note that many of these places might be very expensive, might be for VIP only, kinky, in many cases even wildly inappropriate for people of high profile. Are you a high profile, Ms. Jenneth-lovelyface? Are people looking at you and taking pictures whenever you go? Please treat with caution such places if that is the case! Should there be a problem however, please contact the FOTCO (Federal Omni Tourist Control) which specializes on keeping the inappropriate situations more manageable for an average tourist.

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● Crystal Boulevard street // Caille // Gallente Prime // Luminaire
Whole street is made entirely out of clear crystal - including the buildings, roads, lamps and all. This place offers various of very luxurious shops, nightclubs, very expensive business megatowers and other. You can also visit the The Glittering Dream, which is the nightclub, I used to dance back in the day. Please talk to madame Alegra and she will make you feel like at home.

● Exquisite street // Caille // Gallente Prime // Luminaire
A true entertainment heaven for everyone. The whole street is filled with spectacular services such is the Doctor Q; a place when you can hear from the mysterious Doctor Q the whole future of your life to 87% accuracy. And don't forget to visit the most amazing theme park in New Eden -- The Joveland. The Joveland has a larger cumulative attendance than any other theme park in the cluster, with over 650 trillion guests since it opened.

● Hueromont Incident // Hueromont // Gallente Prime // Luminaire
Shall you feel the need to reflect between the relationship of Caldari State and Gallente Federation, this might be one of the best places for it! This is the site of burning carrier of Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba, from the early days of Gallente-Caldari War. Killing approximately two million people and destroying a significant portion of the age-old city, it holds some rather sad and tragic memories.

● Operation Highlander Battleground // Caldari Prime // Luminaire
The cause for this battle was the ever-lasting Caldari titan Shiigeru (Leviathan-class) on the orbit of the planet, watching and protecting the Caldari homeworld from above; up until the Federation Navy decided it is time to act. The crash of the Titan into the planet is known as one of the largest conventional explosions in the history of man.

● The President // Ladistier
Jacus Roden is the President of Gallente Federation, wielding great power, and is in many respects the most powerful individual in New Eden. He resides in Ladistier. Visiting him face to face would be of course nearly impossible, but you might be in luck and see his convoy!

● The Senate // Villore
The heart of democracy and Freedom in the cluster, the senate is the legislative arm of the Gallente Federal government. It has great powers and is capable of decisions ranging from delivering Freedom to dark and cold places to declaring state of total wars against any and all Federation enemies. Do you want see the power of Freedom on your own eyes? This is the place to experience it.

● Roden Shipyards // Iyen-Oursta
The most powerful shipyards known to man, The Roden Center in Iyen-Oursta is the shining diamond and inconceivable mighty superpower of Federation Navy. Building the stellar spaceships of any scale Ms. Jenneth, this is the place for weeping and quiet sobbing: "This is why the Federation will never be destroyed." That is of course only if you feel like a Gallente patriot.

● Soltueur // REDACTED
The Iapetan superclass Titan, the Soltueur was constructed during the end of the Caldari-Gallente war. It is one of the largest objects ever built by mankind, being almost 1400 kilometers long, capable of causing disasters on planets and acting like a gravitational pull of size of a moon. Visiting and experiencing The Soltueur is of course impossible, unless you're a very and extremely important individual in the Gallente Federation. And who knows, maybe you're Miss Jenneth!

Might I recommend my home planet of Lirsautton V in Ysiette, Everyshore. (Just a few hops from Dodixie)

The locals call the planet "Tei-Su". It has rich and thriving rain forests, plenty of fertile land, and grasslands that span seemingly forever. Our cities are built to not disturb the environment, but are still right in the middle of it, so everywhere is nice and close to a peaceful park or reserve where one can work or relax in the open air.

The food, well, it is something you have to try for yourself.

To be honest travel and tourism in Gallente space will only be as easy or as hard as you make it yourself. I'm sure there are many goings on that are very much over exaggerated for the tourists. On the other hand there are certainly areas you wouldn't wish to visit without escort and experiences you would never have thought you would have an interest in.

Please do feel free to drop by at my hunting lodge in Mies, it is the only above ground portion of my PI facility there and is situated on a perfect section of coastline. I shall introduce you to the joys of finest Absynthe and contrary to popular belief we Gallente are not pure hedonists. Though we are open to such pastimes of course

I am more than happy to show you any and / or all of the delights we have to offer but only with and entirely within the boundaries of your own agreement.

Enjoy the Federation, Aria.

I spent some time there a few years ago. The food is decent, though what passes for 'Traditional Caldari' food isn't anything like home....

I think I still have an apartment in Fricoure if you need someplace to stay for a time.

I think that this station having been built by Duvolle, and all the ones that usually belong to megacorporations like this one, tend to be rather generic and, you might find the cultural variety you are looking for in private rented areas.

In any case, space stations always suffer from less isolationism than planets themselves, and tend to be a blend of the spacer culture rather than national cultures.

Entry Three: Dread

It's maybe time I explained why the Federation scares me.

It's not that I think that people are going to be awful to me here. It's not that I think they're going to harass me or force boosters on me or hurt me just for being an Achur or mix me up in some experimental polyamorous weirdness.

I don't.

It's the concern for people's wellbeing that frightens me. The cheerful acceptance of strangers-- not only their own bloodlines, but cultural Achura, Raata, even Sani Sabik-- living in their midst. The well-meaning kindness.

The willingness to look at me and see ... just me. Not a corporation or a cause, or even the ideas or faith I subscribe to.

Just me. The chance to be that, and welcome ... it's terrifyingly inviting.

Why would this be frightening? Well, I don't really expect them to do something like lure me in with lovely promises and then mount my head on a plaque or stick me in the magic Achur-to-Gallente machine. After all, there are other Achura and even Caldari living here, and I'd guess probably happily.

That's not the problem.

Earlier tonight, I spoke with a military pilot, a strong Federal supporter, and related some of my uncertainties about the Federation's stability, especially in a crisis. You mean like U-Nats, she asked me. Sort of, I said. I expressed my concern over the looming challenges the cluster faces: the Drifters, Sansha's Nation, whatever comes next.

Don't worry, she said. We're gentle at peace, but when roused, we're fierce.

No, I explained. I don't mean just being fierce if you have to.

I mean, what will happen when you're driven from your homeworlds; when your continents are being glassed; when you're suffering defeat after defeat; when the casualty reports just keep flowing in, and every family has lost someone, and it only gets worse every day.

To her very great credit, she thought about that seriously, and answered:

We'd either unite and stand together, she said, or we'd lose everything. She put the odds at 50/50.

I pretty much agree with that assessment. So here's the scenario.

Supposing the Federation achieves everything it wants: slavery abolished; Amarr and the State liberalized; the Republic a proper democracy-- and in time, all of humanity united in an individualistic dream of peace, democracy, and freedom.

And this is when the hammer blow falls.

The Caldari, forever either preparing for or enduring winter, faced such a time and survived. The Amarr have never faced such a time, but they have their faith to unite them. ... But both are gone. Perhaps the Matari, in their long time enduring servitude, might have learned tricks that would survive the transfer to democracy, but....

50/50. That's what it would probably come down to.

That the Federation is as attractive and brittle as the crystal it so loves: that is the fear. That we could lose what makes us strong and resilient as we're drawn into an idealistic dream that can't be depended upon in the long run.

That's the dread: that democracy's not a stable system under pressure; that the Federation might bring us to a place where we are happy, and doomed.

That I could be drawn into such an attractive, toxic dream, and be unable to escape it.

The Federation's beauty and comfort is not much of a surprise. I'm hoping to find something here that will improve my estimation of the odds.

I have no love for the Federation as a governing body as such but rather for the ideals encompassed by it. I find that I would rather fight amongst those who would give everything in defence of each other rather than those who fight for themselves either through unshakable belief in their prowess or their God.

To destroy the Federation would mean destroying all who form the Federation and that would be incredibly difficult.