A History
by
Steve Mount

Over the millennia, man has conquered many realms, many territories, many worlds, both on Earth and off: The wildernesses of Europe, the mighty seas, the deserts of Africa, the floors of the ocean, the harshness of Antarctica, the coldness of space, the brutality of the planets, and the wonder of the stars.

Man has done well with what he has conquered, thought there have been faults - - we are only human: Europe and the Americas thrived, though tyranny still sprouted here and there. The pressure of trillions of tons of water were some times too much for the hydropolises. Greed could turn the best of intentions into genocide.

But then, there was hope, hope in the planets. A detailed history is unimportant. It is the result that matters. The result that shows how far we have come.

"We hold these Truths to be that self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
-- Declaration of Independence, United States of America, 1776.

This statement is still used as the basic model for the governments of many peoples and was used, in modified form, for the Unified Earth Constitution of 2017.

The Earth's gravity was not enough to hold man from space. Near space, outer space, the moon, Mars, Venus, and beyond. A forgotten philosopher once said that space travelers slipped the surly bonds of Earth. Eventually, it was commonplace.

"The colony of Mir, the first on the Planet Nadezhda, calls for the following: Peace, Love, Respect, and the Rights basic to all men, all women, all children. This is our pledge to the People of Mir, to the People of Earth, to All."
-- Announcement made by Leonid Arashnikov upon the landing of the Chelovechestvo spacecraft on Nadezhda, 2034.

"It is the realization of our two peoples, the Triia Soviets and the Walloons of Marden that in order to coexist in our planetary system, war must come to an end. Millions have died, millions more have suffered. The time for peace is here, and it shall stand."
-- Triia and Marden joint Statement of Peace following the Jump Wars of 2078-2082

"This is a momentous time in the history of Man. There have been attempts at peace between us before. It worked on Earth. It must now as well. In the name of the colonies and of the Creator, we, the planets of the known Universe, bind together to form this, our United Planetary Alliance."
--Preamble to the UPA Charter of 2134.

Peace between planets was the not the first step, however. Long before the UPA, agreements had been signed, laws put into effect, amendments made, and judgments passed down, all of which made men equal in the eyes of law, undeniably, irreversibly. Prejudice still existed after the laws, to be sure, and still does. But the mindset of the people was ready for the change.

Blacks, Whites, Asians, Indians, Eskimos, Hydrones, and Metas all received equality slowly but surely. Planets were colonized and terraformed by groups deliberately chosen for diversity, and tolerance to those who were different developed. Soon, this tolerance grew to a "so-what?" attitude -- color of skin and physical characteristics became as unimportant as eye color.

Of course, as seems to be the pattern of all human history, when mankind finally makes progress, something always happens to affect it. In this case, to the delight of many and the despair of as many more, it was the contact with the Uyri'ians.

"This race of beings is a threat to all of humanity, Arab and Jew, Meta and Natural, Russian and American on all of our planets! The answer is painful, but it is clear: Death to the Great Satan! Death to the Uyri'!"
--Speech of UPA Secretary-General, Shawwai al-Shat, to the UPA General Assembly, 2179

We had not yet learned.

After so many centuries of fighting among ourselves, we had not learned the basis of understanding. Communication between the UPA and the Uyri'ian Council of Elders stopped. We attacked them in cold-blood. As we all know, the ensuing war lasted three decades and touched every planet in the known territories.

Billions died, whole planets were destroyed at the touch of a button. Great leaders perished in horrible ways. Atrocities on both sides were committed.

It was a native-born Terran and a native-born Uyri'ian that ended the war. John Harriston and Rtyan Cehyuan-Ry'an met and combined their fifth column organizations within their respective governments. The war machine ground to a halt and talks were forced upon the UPA and the Council.

"The Uyri' and the Human races have come together to correct a terrible wrong. History will judge Man as the instigator of this odious war, but both willingly continued it for as long as it lasted, and for that, we are both at fault. There is so much to be gained from Alliance rather than Animosity. We have just begun the process."
-- Editorial, New York Times System Edition, June 21 SD, 2210.

Since that time, the Rosemal, the Lirans, the Delacch, a score of other races, as prominent and developed as Man have both made their presence known and have been found. The Central Galaxian Committee was formed and peace is the rule, not the exception.

Man has come a long way. Now that the 2500th year after the coming of Earth's Christ is dawning upon us, the peace that still-revered man promised finally exists. Many gods and governments live in harmony. Individual rights for all within the galaxy are assured. Equality between the many races is no longer merely de jure but de facto as well.

"We, the Representatives of the Peoples, do so ordain that this Document be accepted by All of the Galaxy: All People are to be Free. All Governments are to be Sovereign. These are the Basic Axioms of the Galactic Government, and it is the Intention of the Framers that the actions of this Body be directed toward this Divine Purpose."
-- Central Galactic Committee, Formal Definition of Purpose, 2399.