Engagement [Book 3: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 5: The Colonist's Rigel

Chapter 5: The Colonist's Rigel

Dr. Allison Coker was 55 years old but you would never know it. Using mid 21st physical aging norms as a guide, she didn't look a day over 35. She had jet-black hair with bright blue eyes and was very physically fit. She also happened to be the daughter of one of the founders of the Rigel External Colonization Project, General Wilson Coker. With Human population expansion at the top of the priority list for all remaining Colonies, every sperm-capable male was strongly encouraged to 'donate and deliver' as much and as often as possible. There were no exceptions and very little in the way of complaints made (at least on the male side of the procreation ledger). 

 Her father was 95 when Allison was born. He died less than a year later. No matter, the elder Coker knew that his diverse and vibrant family line would continue to live on without him. From as early as she could remember, Allison was part of a Colonial contingent that was hell-bent on eventually returning to Earth and doing so with a vengeance. As a result, she spent a good portion of her formative years learning how to handle and use a myriad of weaponry. As an adult, she also witnessed and participated in many forms of scientific experimentation. Over time, many of these R&D efforts began to yield tangible benefits for the Colonists, including genetic engineering and cosmic ray deterrence both of which helped her to maintain her youthful good looks. More significantly, this advanced research also led to the eradication of most forms of cancer that had previously and routinely ravaged the Human population on 'Old Earth' (as it was colloquially known by many of the Rigel Colonists).

In addition to the many significant bioengineering advancements that had taken hold in the past century, Allison also often marveled at Rigel's radical physical transformation. In a geological blink of an eye, the outpost had quite literally morphed from a marginally habitable, wholly unspectacular satellite revolving around a gas giant into a veritable Nirvana easily capable of sustaining countless forms of advanced life. To say the 100-year Terraforming project was a success was a wild understatement. However, these achievements did not come without their own set of problems. Taking credit for this remarkable transformation became a game unto itself. The citizens of Triugha, which was the Alpha Centauri tri-star system homeworld, would argue that they were the ones who deserved much of the credit since their people were responsible for initiating the effort well before Humans came on the scene. 

 Conversely, the Colonists on Rigel, a group she proudly belonged to, would argue that the project would have never survived if it weren't for the endless dedication and countless sacrifices made by Humans, especially during the early decades when Terra Forming had yet to fully take hold. Of course, Allison realized that the truth was somewhere in the middle and that both groups were correct. She also realized that this wasn't just a silly exercise in chest-beating and ego-stroking. No, much more was at stake. Together, the Alpha Centaurians and the Human Colonists had managed, in spectacular fashion, to manufacture a temperate world fully capable of supporting millions of individuals and countless other forms of plant and animal life. 

 As if that was not enough, Rigel was also the beneficiary of advanced bioengineering that quickly resulted in an optimized biosphere that was now largely disease and pestilent free. It was like no other world either of these dominant species had ever known. The inherent value of such a desirable commodity was the reason current tension existed. Both entities wanted the fruits of their perceived labor. While Allison could see the bigger picture and fully appreciate the Alpha Centaurian viewpoint, none of that mattered. For her, and many that fell within her genetic lineage, one factor trumped all other considerations. Human beings were still on the precipice of extinction. Their home planet was forcibly taken from them. For her and people close to her, the scars from that visceral loss were still clearly visible to see. The incredible sacrifice that her ancestors endured simply to ensure the continuation of the Human Species was sacred. None of her people were willing to lose what they had built and desperately fought for over the past century without a spectacular fight. That was the reality they were all willing to die for...

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