Much as we discovered the possible beginnings of conflict from the first mission in fragments SO.d24 and MO.d32, so now we have discovered the same during the second mission.
In fragment 418.E.103 we see a protest from the military commander over the rights and privileges of his rank following on directly from comments made by the Captain in 408.E.102. Whether or not he is reasonable to desire heightened security is largely beside the point. What we are seeing here is a microcosm of the same conflict that played out throughout the lifespan of the Earth Republic.
There existed a cultural thread through the Republic military forces that bred a simmering resentment of civilian authority. The military, justly proud of its role in removing nationalistic barriers to world unity, came to resent being set aside in favor of civilian leaders that were, in many cases, the same politicians that had been at the fore of the previous Nationalist era. The Reconciliation that helped forge the Earth Republic ultimately contained the seeds of its own fall. The small glimpse into our past given us by this fragment is illustrative of millions of similar incidents that built up over the 500-odd year lifetime of the Republic, ultimately bringing about the Fall.
As a slightly interesting aside, this fragment is unlike other Second Wave fragments thus far retrieved. Rather than directly entering this into the log, Lieutenant Price is dictating his statement to Uriel, the ship-board A.I. This might be due to the “on the record” nature of the statement, which may have required an official witness. If not, then it would seem the Captain of the Uriel had access restricted to the ship’s logs. If that is so, it might explain some of the tension we can read in this fragment.
Dr. Jeric Lund