The Senate Meeting

(Sorry it took so long.)

The Enlightened Nation was ruled primarily by the Enlightened One but was aided greatly by the senate, who mainly had the role of overseeing day to day activities on the various worlds they had terraformed to be suitable for human life. They held meetings every so often to guide the future of the human race and this was one such occasion.

The room was roughly the size of the Roman Colosseum but only twelve pedestals filled the room. One for each of the senators and one for the Enlightened One. Each pedestal projected a giant holographic image of the senator who stood on it in front of the pedestal that made it easier to see one another.

"What is the point of this meeting?" The Enlightened One asked. "I didn't call for it."

"No you didn't," The leader of the senate announced. "I did."

"Tarsus," The first asked. "You surprise me."

"I can do better than that," Tarsus answered. "We have taken control of the military and are removing you from power."

"Really?" He laughed. "I figured this would happen eventually. Know that you can't take me alive."

"Why not?" Tarsus inquired. "You don't believe that the military is following our orders now?"

"No, not that," He laughed heartily. "I've been dead for many years now. I created a computer program to function in my absence and since you no longer desire my leadership I'm going to destroy the facility that houses it. Good luck leading this forsaken nation without the aide of my specialists."

"The military is following us," Tarsus replied again. "That includes your specialists."

The Enlightened One grinned, "No it doesn't you know of only one of my agents. He will be informed of the destruction of the facility housing the supercomputer running this program and, before killing himself, will send a message to all my agents informing them of the coup, they will then go to Earth and join the rebellion there, as per their orders."

"Curse you Brandon and all your spawn!" Tarsus screamed at him as the image of the Enlightened One began to fade. "You will not win!"

"I already have," He smiled as his image faded to nothing.

"Your orders?" One of the other senators asked.

"Blockade Earth," Tarsus nearly shouted. "No ships to or from Earth until this rebellion is squashed and use of extreme measures authorized!"