Continuation of daily report to the Collective Archive, CC 10,049 (day 574) – distribution: all sector heads.
     Lasqendeamyl, primary sector head for offworld affairs, northern hemisphere, recording...

[pause]


     Lasqendeamyl watched the information scrolling down his 'screen, simultaneously reading the intricately detailed reports feeding into his forebrain through the vinic plugged into the small interface behind his ear. He frowned to himself, drummed his digits on his desk, paused the vinic's flow of information, and paced over to gaze out of his transparent exterior wall.

     The world that was to become Caelix Prime had been an extravagantly lush, untamed, unnamed wilderness in the early days of the establishment of the Collective – but the Caelixiin soon put paid to that. Within octades the rich and tangled growth of the ancient forests had been pruned, trimmed, and underplanted with Norandi grasses and Rusciin mosses. Elegant, graceful settlements had appeared, settlements that quickly grew into elegant, graceful cities, sparkling in crystal and silver under the bright white sun. The newcomers straightened the rivers, smoothed out the irregularities in the coastlines, planted broad avenues and plantations of useful arboriforms and viniculars, and generally ordered their new world with a light touch and a pleasing artistry. Even the colder regions became productive: the Caelixiin simply imported willing groups of Zasqans and built them handsome, comfortable warrens under the polar ice. Only the equatorial rainforests escaped their attention. They liked to make a point of leaving something untouched on their worlds. Besides, the forests produced more than enough of the basic gases necessary to keep the planet running at optimal capacity. If it works, why go to the unnecessary and needless expense of trying to fix it?

     So Lasqendeamyl gazed out of his eighth storey office in an airy graceful building in the centre of the conurbation of Virbant, onto a verdant park with many-coloured arboriforms and flowering plants laid out in an agreeable symmetry of pattern and proportion. The sight gave him much pleasure and a sense of satisfaction – unlike some of the reports coming into his office this hour. He sighed and returned to his desk, resumed the flow, and opted to deal with the easier matters first, delegating to the appropriate staff as he went.

     [continue]

     Shaeda. Fourth note: Report of several promising recruits for the diplomatic corps: assessment necessary, to be organised as soon as possible. Personnel acquisition to deal, and I would suggest we have Thali Chantreskin, Shaedan envoy currently onworld, sit in on the interviews. Unless otherwise indicated by the checks into personal backgrounds – specifically if the individual has had any contact with Suaeda or Zgradon – a Fohmatraan need not be present.
     Fifth note: Request from the Prime Council for an increase in water import quotas, to cope with the recent population increase. Advise we comply this time, with a proviso that the Council take steps to keep the population within reasonable bounds. Tech liaison to approach the Mazc to 'request' an increase in the efficiency of onworld recycling equipment: I will personally contact the Ruiopan traders and the Zasqan liaison to discuss the provision of additional water. Environmental Affairs to prepare a report on the water situation on both worlds for me within two days.
     Addendum: Have we had any report back from the eco-teams investigating the feasibility of using ice from any of the Known Worlds' moons yet – and if not, why not? Environmental Affairs to chase, please...

     [pause]


     The sector head glanced up as a young Caelixiin slid the door open and stepped through, a fine goblet and jug of mixed exotic fruit juices held before him on a tray.
     'Freetings, Senior Colleague.'
     Lasqendeamyl gestured to the junior – Fripnortsminayi, he believed the name was – to place the tray on his desk, then took a swallow from the goblet. He nodded to the young aide.
     'Very pleasant – and very welcome.'
     The youngster blushed.
     'Thank you, Senior Colleague.'
     Lasqendeamyl inclined his head, then turned back to his screen. Dismissed, the junior quietly left his superior to his work.

     [continue]

     Norandi. Requisitions from Farms Paadin, Aluuf and Fiidor for four replacement charaiids: the current animals are on the point of retirement. Xenozoology to deal. Priority 3.
     Weather control in the northern hemisphere has been experiencing intermittent problems, gradually increasing in duration and severity. Also several major components – see attached doct. N/I808 for details – at the tertiary recycling plant on Norandi moon Istis are showing signs of wear and need repair-or-replace. This is top priority: dispatch a tech team as soon as possible – tonight, preferably. All salvage to be transported to Dothnach as usual.
     Farm Ridin has presented an official request to be sanctioned to grow pandles. Biotech and security divisions to examine the feasibility. Note: regardless of the vital importance of pandles in the production of so many medications and medical procedures, and biotechs' understandable eagerness for more sources of the plant, its violently toxic, deadly nature must ALWAYS take priority over its usefulness. Unless Farm Ridin can demonstrate absolutely secure bio-containment security at all times, authorisation must be refused.
     Peace Force report – all clear, no change.

     Dothnach. Drought in the Territory of the SaHaa tribes – the Union requests water aid in return for three fully-trained and highly inventive nutritionists, and four large new sculptures. Environmental Affairs to deal – make sure the diplomatic corps has first refusal on the nutritionists.

     Vyridion. Request from the Pa-aran Families for additional mining equipment: authorised, Tech to deal. This time, remember to scale said equipment to the slaves, not the ruling castes!

     Suaeda. Despite continued pressure from the diplomatic corps, the Council of Lirvril refuses to consider allowing an observation post on their territory. No further information is available.

     Zgradon. No new information. Maintain a state of alertness.

     [pause]

     Lasqendeamyl frowned at the information he was now processing: some of this needed to be discussed with his fellow sector heads. Digits running with practised ease over the lightpad before him, he contacted them simultaneously.
     Tried to at any rate. Pandamandrorus, sector head for internal affairs (southern hemisphere) was in conference and couldn't be disturbed, and her northern counterpart, Homborandravy, was taking a meal break and refused to be disturbed. Lasqendeamyl left notification of the planned conference for both of them. Vandriskrymal, his own counterpart in the southern hemisphere, was available however, her image appearing before him in perfect detail. She smiled.
     "Freetings!"
     Lasqendeamyl inclined his head.
     "Freetings, Colleague. Excuse this intrusion."
     She waved away the nicety. Lasqendeamyl's pupils narrowed.
     "I call a meeting of the sector heads, for two local hours' time."
     Vandriskrymal frowned.
     "Problems?"
     "Potentially. Mazc. News of the Alliance. Fohmatraa."
     The female nodded sombrely.
     "Very well. Two hours time..."
     Her image flickered and vanished. Lasqendeamyl closed the connection, unjacked, and moved to stand at the window again, gazing out unseeingly.
     Fohmatraa wasn't a member of the Collective, but the inhabitants were nevertheless the subject of close scrutiny. They were, after all, vital to communication in Haadri. Anything, anything at all, that happened on or affected the watery world or any of its precious telepaths was instantly reported to one of the sector heads, regardless of where they were or what they were doing, and appropriate action determined as a matter of the highest priority.
     It had been known for a long time that Fohmatraa's orbit was fundamentally unstable – it could hardly be anything else under the circumstances. According to the Tsrynth Archyve the planet was, originally, the fifth world in an eleven world system with the star known as Laea as its only sun. Then half a million COT years ago the rogue binary stars Sadath and Vechar captured the system, destroying the outermost planets, disrupting the orbits of the innermost, and causing catastrophic changes to Fohmatraa's topography and climate – not to mention destroying any civilisations that might have existed. How the telepaths had managed to survive was unknown, although their being primarily water-dwelling probably had much to do with it. Sadath and Vechar were such close binaries that they were generally considered a single unit: Fohmatraa orbited them comfortably within the habitable zone. The problem was Laea, which now orbited the binaries and whose gravitational pull was increasingly destabilising Fohmatraa's orbit.
     The latest report from the commstation's astrosurvey team keeping a watchful eye on that part of the galaxy was worrying. Laea itself was nudging closer to the binaries, its own orbit disrupted as their gravity pulled it further in. The Collective's long-term plan to ensure the survival of the species had been in operation for four octades now, hampered less by the difficulty of finding a suitable colony world than by the Fohmatraans' outright refusal to even consider evacuating their homeworld.
     But they couldn't be allowed to become extinct. They were far too important for that. So while the Collective much preferred peaceable solutions to their problems, stronger alternatives would need to be considered. They would discuss viable options at the meeting, but the ultimate decision would, to Lasqendeamyl's relief, rest with the Prime Council.