CHAPTER 3

Commonwealth ExoProtectorate Council Meeting

• Focus Characters: Nigel Sheldon, Rafael Columbia, Elaine Doi, Thompson Burnelli, Ozzie Fernandez Isaac, Brewster Kumar, Lee Ki, Gabrielle Else, Eugene Cinzoul
• Location(s): Commonwealth Exploration and Development Office, New York, Manhattan, Fifth Avenue
• Core Narrative: The ExoProtectorate Council meeting begins, with Nigel Sheldon and Ozzie Fernandez Isaac discussing the implications of the Dyson Pair envelopment event. The Council members review the available data and discuss the possibility of a hostile alien species having created the barriers around the Dyson Pair. Nigel proposes building a starship to explore the Dyson Pair, which is met with enthusiasm from the Council. The meeting concludes with a decision to proceed with the starship project, with CST funding up to 30% of the hardware costs. Ozzie is tasked with leading the mission, but Nigel reveals that he has already chosen a captain for the mission. The scene then shifts to Oaktier, where Tara Jennifer Shaheef is preparing for a romantic evening with her lover, Wyobie Cotal, but is instead murdered by a killer who erases her memories and those of her lover.
• Broader Implications: The Council's decision to build a starship sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to a deeper understanding of the Dyson Pair and the potential threats to the Commonwealth.