The Inaugural Address

PART II - ENTRY VII

THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HRH, EMPRESS ALEXANDRIA SCORPIUS

DIVINE RULER OF THE ASTROLOGICAL COMMONWEALTH

My citizens,

If you were taken aback slightly by now-Director Amber's advice to "...be careful of those who may want to stop you and stay safe" -- you're not alone. After meeting my late brother for the first and last time that fateful day last year, reading this transcript infuriated me while also sending shivers down my spine. The amount of force maintaining the status quo and the level of distance traditionally between the Commonwealth and the House of Scorpius was never something I liked or even necessarily understood. Director Amber's words acted as a necessary precaution to Philip, and now act as a precursor to the accounts of further danger he faced, much of which are documented in the following pages.

In regards to that distance I mentioned earlier, I hope this address proves beyond a doubt that I do not wish to act or seem like an inaccessible Empress. Yes, I do appreciate my privacy when appropriate, but as the nation's most powerful public servant, I cannot afford to be entirely removed from the reality this nation and its people face.

To be more mindful of whatever current issues are at hand, I will be introducing a new advisory committee, elected by the public, to provide counsel to me when overseeing policies and anything that impacts the nation's citizens as a whole. This new advisory board will not be made up of my colleagues in the House of Scorpius. I will expand on that later, as now I wish to include some more letters from Philip that helped me frame the advisory committee I plan to install during my reign.

These next letters come from Philip's time at his journey's next stop, the beautiful Aquarian Territory, home to some of the most peace-loving humanitarians of the Commonwealth.

Included first is a synopsis of a meeting with Garrett Kloffman, the leader of the Aquarian Mountaineers' Association, or AMA. AMA is an environmental organization that studies the lasting environmental impact of the War of Revelation as well as what we can do currently to protect what natural beauty we still possess in the Commonwealth. I am not afraid to admit that not enough has been done by former administrations to protect our lands and I vow today that strong measures will be put in place to strengthen and expand federal environmental protections.

I'll let Garrett and Philip take it from here.

HRH, Empress Alexandria Scorpius

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January 11th, 2399

HRH Alexandria Scorpius,

Greetings from the Aquarian Territory -- home of the most easy going people I have ever met. Also, happy (late) new year! Now that it's finally 2399, the transition process from your predecessor's administration to your own administration is just on the horizon. The thought of it all both excites and terrifies me. The mission has come so far, no doubt, but it also has so far to go. Security precautions are ramping up, Brock is doubling down on escape plans in the event I am in grave danger, and our planned route keeps changing in order to keep the wrong people from finding us, and meetings keep getting cancelled. We're approaching the second half of this so-called tour of the territories, and I truly am unaware of what the second leg will look like with so many precautions. It's exhausting, but I hope it proves how dedicated we are to make a real change for the people of the commonwealth.

Although I do not have a transcript of my meeting with the next individual I interviewed, I did take notes and recall the conversation rather well. His name is Garrett Kloffman, chair of the Aquarian Mountaineers Association. I don't know if you're familiar with the organization, but they study our environment and how to aid/reverse the horrible impact humanity has made on the natural world. They are the oldest and largest environmental organization in the Commonwealth, and I hope they stick around and even expand their services during your reign.

Garrett is hopeful that once you take office more policies to protect our environment will be embraced by your administration. As you are well aware, climate protection is one of the few things you've publicly spoken in favor of throughout the days of your youth. Given the strong statements you provided -- despite going against the precedent of the House of Scorpius that require heir apparents to remain largely apolitical till reaching office -- it's clear that you truly wish to improve things. Garrett sees that, and would love for you to one day embrace him and other climate activists.

Attached are the notes I managed to write up while interviewing Mr. Kloffman. They include the few questions I prepared prior to the interview with his response written in bullet points. Please do not take my commentary as sound scientific findings. My intention with including the notes is simply to inspire you enough to reach out to him yourself, as his work reveals threats to our national security and survival.

Without further ado, here are those notes...

NOTES FROM MEETING WITH GARRETT KLOFFMAN, CHAIR OF THE AMA (AQUARIAN MOUNTAINEERS ASSOCIATION)

Q: Scientists are constantly discovering more implications on how the War of Revelation negatively impacted the planet. What are the most surprising and/or concerning discoveries from the AMA findings from recent reports?

A:

FINDINGS FROM THE 2398 AMA SURVEY OF THE AMERICAS:

- suspected impact on the planet's ozone layer is more detrimental than previously thought

flyover evaluations of air and water quality over the American west coasts (Specifically tests done over the former US State of California and former South American country of Chile) extended the date of civilized human retrieval of the Americas from 2600 to at least 2700.

Long distance radio static suggests potential off-grid human settlements to exist on the the far side the Andes Mountain Range in South America as well as the far side of the Rocky Mountain Range in North America

93% of the Gulf of Mexico region now is entirely submerged into the Atlantic ocean

FINDINGS FROM THE 2398 AMA SURVEY OF EURASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST:

the projected date of civilized human retrieval of Europe remains (at the earliest) 2700

Former Italian peninsula now 85% submerged under the Mediterranean Sea

potential off-grid human settlements may exist deep within the Alps Mountain Range of Central Europe

Q: What could a new House of Scorpius administration with a focus on climate protection and surveillance mean for the world and our own nation specifically?

A: More funding for all things climate related would be a game changer that could help us understand the modern world, and answer the ever intriguing and important question of whether or not we are the only human civilization left.

Q: When, if ever, do you believe AMA will be able to detect other human civilizations on planet Earth?

A: AMA and it's joint committee representing several territories is waiting to hear back on funding proposals submitted to the House of Scorpius that would make expeditions to explore in more depth the findings of unnatural radio static in both the Americas and Europe possible. Our findings could be vital to the Commonwealth's political and environmental prospects, as well as for our national security.

Q: If you could request anything from the next administration, what would it be?

A: I would love for Alexandria to visit our climate center in New Auckland and meet with us regarding our current findings and budget proposals. We'd love to form a partnership with the incoming Empress so that we can work together to better address the climate crises we face as a unified nation.