Aliens

"This is Clarin! This is the center of civilization! Look at all the other planets and subplanets, their failure to maintain order. This is the only subplanet to have a firm set of rulings written by a governing Congress of elected Chancellors. Show me another if you can." Alten, a Chancellor himself, rarely entertained challenges to the Congress, but his brother, a rebel against nearly anything organized or civilized, could always hit a nerve with him. Yes, Valentz, a proponent of anarchy, had his own minions and certainly his own ideas of "rule", or the lack thereof.

Seven generations prior to them, the "Fathers" felt the pressure of, what were then named "intruders", seeking "acceptance" and a new chance to survive and multiply. The older generations realized, that the more the Chancellors yielded to other planetarians, the weaker they would become, but still the new Chancellors with each generation became more and more liberal minded. Should those in power refuse acceptance of any individual planet or subplanet's subjects, there would be an outcry, a threat to their positions as Chancellors. As more planets heard of these new policies they would take advantage of the situation. The majority of the Clarin population realized this, but their voice was not heard. As a result, the minority had their way. The minority being a mixture of Guontans, Helters, Saniples and Alainians. While significantly fewer in number, they would organize, and be sure to occupy as much of the government "transmission" time as possible. It required a superior will for one to turn the transmissions off, a will developed over time and experience. Turning off the transmissions would end in "shut down", or termination of the individual. This would be one's final act.

Essentially, the "intruders" were simply nationals from other planets, seeking refuge from conditions where rule had failed. Failure was often the product of a population growing faster than could even be counted, never mind "ruled". Now, on their new subplanet, they would make up their own rules as they went along, insisting on creating a small sector of their own kind, and disregarding the mores and rules of the Congress. As they did so, they were effectively dividing Clarin into smaller segments, referred to as "planetoids", which would operate in the same manner as their own predecessors, discounting the fact that their rules had failed. Still, they would prefer to live by their own rule and even their own Ruler. As the vast numbers grew, the number of the "rules" of Congress would diminish, eventually leading to utter chaos. Theft, rape, arson, became commonplace. Their planetoid's only "rule" being, survival of the fittest, they were one step above animals.

Alten and Valentz, while polar opposites, always remembered that they were brothers. Clarin had seen many changes over the last decades, and not changes for the better. The subplanet, while dividing by planetoids, was also dividing by rule. Alten, realizing how powerless he had become, had started to lean in the direction of his brother's rebellious nature. Valentz, realizing the result of a lack of a common "rule", felt powerless in his own cause, and leaned toward his brother's conservative nature. Though it had been decades since the two had shared a single thought together, they were sharing one this evening. A nation divided, is not a nation at all. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, facing west, and said "good-byes" to each other, as they turned off transmissions.