Author's Note: I have done nothing in real life, and have only written this. Oh man... Again, lots rambling. I'm trying to follow the original structure of the story, and these chapters are very text heavy and world building heavy. I would rewrite this, but I'm too lazy considering I already rewrote this chapter... Ok enjoy!(More notes and vocab/definitions at the bottom)
Disclaimer: This story contains profanity, violence, bloodshed, death and many modern world issues. These harsh and complex topics are covered in a fictional sense. This story contains only original characters. Any resemblance to any real person, alive or deceased is a coincidence.
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Summary: The TV crackles and the program starts. "In 2142..."
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Chapter III: Langley
The screen gently fizzed as the program began playing. A short buzz played before a cheerful jingle blasted out of the speakers. Someone grabbed the remote and turned down the volume. A voice began speaking: "In 2142, humanity conquered space. Large colonies made up of giant asteroids fused together orbited Earth and the moon, allowing humanity to be less dependent on Earth, preventing the catastrophic climate change that would destroy the planet.
There were six colonies, each having a staggered orbit path that took them around the Earth and the moon; Side 1, Almara. Side 2, Belstania. Side 3, Bueland. Side 4, Lugstadt. Side 5, Belroy. Side 6, Castell. And Side 7. Langley. Langley was much smaller than all the other colonies, not even officially being able to be classified as a side yet, due to its size, but it was still a bustling hodgepodge of people. Filled with over 12 million people, Langley was a melting pot of different people, races, ideologies and religions, but one person stood out. James Barghley Johnson."
A photo was displayed, containing a man with gray hair and blue streaks, smiling. Two men flanked him, carrying rifles. The narrator continued: "Johnson was a radical thinker, bringing into Langley political ideologies that were seen as "the stupid ideas of a man who knows nothing about humanity." We were wrong. He pulled the peoples of Langley into one united society, pushing them to fight, pushing them to unite the colonies. And the USNC (United Space Nations Council) knew nothing. After 8 years of space colonisation, in 2150, Johnson's party, the Langley Freedom Party (LFP) was elected into leadership. Johnson then changed his name into the now infamous Langley Johnson, claiming that he was "the son of our nation, born of rock and steel", that he was destined to rule Langley, and all the other colonies.
Midway through 2150, Johnson began building up Langley's armed forces. During the establishment of each colony, the USNC declared Executive Order 1124 (or EO1124), more commonly known as The 1124 Arming Declaration. This order allowed each colony to possess a Cosmos Self Defence Force (CSDF), under strict restrictions outlined in EO1124. Johnson expanded the Langley CSDF, converting the more conventional CSDF into the Langley Armed Forces, or the LAF. Under radical new leadership, the LAF began conducting aggressive exercises, usually with live ammunition.
The USNC requested that these exercises cease, but they didn't. Based on the USNC Assembly records, Johnson stated that:" The narrator cut out, with the screen quickly switching to more pixelated footage. The man appeared, his blue streaks gone, his eyes wrinkled, but the fire in his eyes still burned. "My dream. My dream is one that we find to be nonsensical. One that could never be achieved. A united Earth sphere. Seven colonies as one, operating under the watchful eye of our mother, the Earth." The footage cut out, followed by a gruff voice: "President Johnson. As the leader of a colony that is yet to hold status as a side-" Johnson burst: "Yes councilmember! Yes! Langley is still not a side, yet we hold more than half the population of Lugstadt in less than half the room! The USNC has not yet provided the funding or material to assist our nation in efforts to expand the colony interior and improve living conditions! The corruption and bureaucratic bullshit that I have to face just to keep my people alive is absolutely outrageous!"
The councilmember stood up: "President Johnson! Your outburst use of crude language is not appreciated!" Johnson growled and retorted: "And neither are you of my people! Langley contributes the most in the USNC manufacturing fund and yet you still "lack" the bloody resources to help us! So god help me if I end up destroying you for my nation's survival!" The council room was silent, and the footage cut out. The narrator began again: "After this outburst, Langley stopped contributing to the USNC funds. This period is known as the Dark Period. Nothing and no one entered or left Langley. Anyone who tried was stopped and often killed by LAF forces. This continued until the fateful year. When President Johnson attended the 2152 USNC assembly, he stated: "Lest you help us, or we destroy you."
No one took him seriously, until Langley declared war.
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More notes: Mmmmmm rambles... One of my friends pointed out that I haven't formatted the chapters properly, so the next chapters will have new formatting. Ok peace. -Genpatz4
Vocab and Definitions:
-USNC: United Space Nations Council
-The 1124 Arming Declaration: Executive Order 1124 (EO1124) was declared in 2142. This EO stated: "... as such, due to a probability of interference with life on the colonies from other entities not from this solar system or galaxy, the USNC will assist and fund all states in the implementation of a self defence force or militia..." EO1124 is considered to be one of the founding factors that caused the War for the Sphere.
-LAF: Langley Armed Forces
-Earth Sphere: The domain that contains the Earth and the Moon.
Next Time...
An interplanetary war on a scale never seen before in human history between Langley and the USNC. Delve into the nitty gritty in: CHAPTER IV: War for the Sphere.