View source for Comm-Link:Portfolio - The Ark

The dawn of the [[29th century]] saw [[Humanity]] struggling to redefine itself. For over two hundred years, the dynastic and despotic [[Messer family]] ruled the UEE and its people with a callous authority. The pro-Messer propaganda machine crushed dissenting voices and opinions, keeping legitimate facts that might hurt the regime from coming to light.

This information dark age was brought to an end when the Messer regime finally fell in [[2792]]. [[Erin Toi]] ascended to [[Imperator]] and immediately worked with the [[Senate]] to restore faith in the [[UEE]] government. The [[Tribunal system]] was quickly reinstated to provide a check on the Imperator’s power. The terrible [[terraforming]] policies that sparked the successful uprising against Messer were abandoned. And in [[2795]], the [[Fair Chance Act]] was officially adopted to protect the habitat of developing species. These and many other actions were slowly rebuilding a degree of trust between the UEE government and its people. However, mending relations between the UEE and starfaring alien species, who the Messers often vilified for political gain, would prove to be even more difficult.

In [[2793]], Imperator Toi met with a young, ambitious Senator named [[Marshall Leon]] and asked him to help repair Humanity’s interspecies relationships by accepting the position of [[Diplomatic Secretary]]. Imperator Toi believed a first-term Senator who never had to navigate Messer-infected political waters would be seen as an envoy of Humanity’s future, not its past.

Knowing the enormity and complexity of the task at hand, Secretary Leon immediately scheduled meetings with [[Xi’An]] and [[Banu]] diplomats. He acknowledged that the repair of relationships would take time, delicacy and — most importantly — trust, but also knew that his words and promises, or even those of the Imperator, would not be enough to mend the damage done. Only a bold act of diplomacy and peace could convince the entire universe that Humanity had truly changed its ways.

It was with that grand goal in mind that Secretary Leon conceived of [[the Ark]].

== The Dream ==

Secretary Marshall Leon named his project the Ark, after an ancient story about a seafaring ship that saved both Humans and the animals of Earth from a massive flood. As Secretary Leon remarked during his initial speech before the Senate, in early 2794, “Much like its namesake, this Ark will be a manifestation of one of Humanity’s greatest strengths — empathy. A trait that has sadly not been seen from our government in far too long.”

A bill was put forth that requested funds to construct an orbital platform with the dream that it would not be bound to any one location, species or government. It would travel between the systems of all species to promote and share universal knowledge while also providing a neutral, safe space for diplomatic discussions. Secretary Leon was convinced the future of the UEE depended on two things: access to information and stable relationships with other species. As Secretary Leon often said during debates over funding the Ark, “Humanity is better off with friends instead of enemies.”

The combination of Secretary Leon’s stirring arguments, the endorsement of Imperator Toi, and the desire to distance the UEE from its recent past led to the Senate’s overwhelming approval of the Ark. Construction was slated to start in late [[2794]] once a suitable location was chosen. A myriad of Senators, interested in the accompanying economic bump, campaigned to have it built in their system, but Secretary Leon wanted to keep the Ark apolitical. So, in a surprise move, he chose to have it built in [[Tayac system|Tayac]]; a system with no native population or representation in the Senate. A system long deemed off-limits to the public during the Messer era.

A system, like the UEE, looking to redefine itself.

== The Reality ==

Construction on the Ark started in 2795 and progressed more slowly than anticipated. The plan was to cannibalize an abandoned platform above Tayac that the military had used for the recently declassified [[Project Vespa]], a secret attempt by the Messer regime to weaponize the terraforming process. Secretary Leon hoped it would signify that the UEE was dismantling its warmongering ways in favor of peace. Disassembling the weaponized components proved to be more expensive and time-sensitive than expected, incurring major delays for the project.

As the initial budget ballooned, Senators who had previously supported the project started to question it. Mainly, they questioned the section of the bill that created a foundation, independent of any government, to oversee the Ark’s operation. Senators suddenly wondered why the UEE was paying for a project over which they would not have jurisdiction, and even briefly blocked funding as a way to regain control over the Ark. It was only after Imperator Toi brought her political might to bear that the project got back online.