$W 12th $W January $W 2368
$W 27 $W days $W after $W the $W Exodus 

$W Deck $W 04
$W ORCo $W Spirit $W of $W Hope

$E High $E Magistrate $E Muhammad $E Al-Zardari: Look at this, Fleetmaster. Do you see the neon sign at the end of the lobby? It's the Chameleon Theatrum from Siraxta City. Now reopened onboard the Spirit of Hope. Cultural Passage is just below, and next to it - the Cathedral of Enlightenment, the new seat of the Equilibrists. You would be surprised how many people attend the devotions. Many more than before the Exodus. 

$B Fleetmaster $B Horatio $B Tyrone: I'm pleasantly surprised, Magistrate. It's been less than a month since the Exodus, but the Spirit of Hope has turned into an almost self-sufficient flying city. What's the situation on the other colony ships? 

$E Al-Zardari: The situation on the Spirit of Hope is definitely the most favorable of all the colony ships. The Abraham is in worse shape, still struggling with overpopulation, but Shipmaster van Achthoven is doing an incredible job managing the crisis. The Adrastus is trying to repair damage taken to her reactor core during the last Shivan attack. Seventeen acres of her hydroponics bay were irradiated. Decontamination teams are doing their best, but it will still be some time before they can recultivate the area.

$B Tyrone: It's a serious threat to their food supply. Did you inform Fleetmaster Caliphtys?

$E Al-Zardari: Two days ago. That's precisely why the Spirit of Hope is still here. Caliphtys ordered the Adrastus to be sent ahead to Delta Lacertae. Fleetmaster Raji will send the Anjaneya and several escort frigates to accompany the Adrastus. Don't worry, Horatio. The Universe is watching our path. 

$B Tyrone: I would prefer it helped us instead of just watching. But that's not what concerns me. This ship, the famous Spirit of Hope, our new capital.... Do you trust the people here? 

$E Al-Zardari: The crew of the Spirit of Hope is a flower of Siraxta, Fleetmaster. Some of the most educated and mannerly men and women from the old Syndicate are here. The Spirit of Hope is the safest place in the whole Exodus Fleet. 

$B Tyrone: This is not a matter of belief, Magistrate. If we establish the Navigators' headquarters here, it must be absolutely safe, both from the Shivans and from within. What are the dangers here?

$E Al-Zardari: The Spirit of Hope is a huge trade and cultural center, Fleetmaster. We have same problems you would find in any major city of the Syndicate: the black market, robberies, petty theft, et cetera. Many citizens are still dealing with a great deal of trauma and that sometimes bring them to superstitions, irrational behaviors and dangerous views. Demagogues, cults, and impostors have been given a new lease on life in the Fleet. There are even rumors of Shivan cultists. But when the Equilibrists rebuild their influence here, they will deal with these problems, each in turn. 

$B Tyrone: So, it's not absolutely safe here.

$E Al-Zardari: No place in the Fleet is completely safe, Fleetmaster. No place in the Universe is ever safe for long. This is the world we live in.

$B Tyrone: I trust you, Magistrate. We all do. If you found the Spirit of Hope proper for this task, then so be it. I may assign my best troops to help you secure the lower decks.

$E Al-Zardari: Strange that you should mention that. Fleetmaster Caliphtys recently made me a similar offer. And my answer then was exactly the same as now: No. Calm down, my friend. My Equilibrists are prepared to fulfill their role. As they were when we fought the Federation. 

$B Tyrone: I suppose they are already doing their job. Legends about this so-called “Sanctuary” are their doing, hmm?

$E Al-Zardari: Promise heaven to the common people, make them believe in it, and they will carry you to its gates. All the way to heaven's door, Horatio.

$B Tyrone: Behind every promise lies a clever manipulation and a cunning man who pulls the strings. Even if he is enlightened Muhammad Al-Zardari, hero of the common people. No matter how many spiritual slogans you deliver to the people, you always remain cold-minded. That's why we re-nominated you. 

$E Al-Zardari: It's not a lie, Fleetmaster. Not...entirely, at least. We promised the people a new home, free of the Shivan threat. And Mastermind seems to be leading us to such a place. I suppose it could be a distant planet far beyond Shivan-infested space. 

$B Tyrone: You...suppose?

$E Al-Zardari: At least I hope so. The path leads far away from any Shivan-infested areas. Thanks to Mastermind, we know their rally points, their movements, their fleet compositions. That's why your Roaming Fleet can be one step ahead of the Shivans in the first place. 

$B Tyrone: That's what you told Caliphtys.

$E Al-Zardari: That's what he wanted to hear. 

$B Tyrone: I don't want to argue, but we need specifics. What's the truth?

$E Al-Zardari: The truth remains elusive, but one thing I am sure of: it was not a coincidence that we found Mastermind when we did. I believe this device will not only show us the path to our salvation, but will also provide us with greater knowledge of our foes. It certainly seems to know them. Mastermind reveals new details to my Navigators every day. It seems evident that Mastermind is trying to tell us something. Actually, it's trying to tell us a great deal, even if most of it is beyond our current comprehension. But this small fraction that we can comprehend was enough to grant us relatively safe passage through hostile territory. We need time, Fleetmaster. Time and patience. Sanctuary is real. We just don't know what it really is... 

$Y Equilibrist $Y Zealot: High Magistrate! We have an emergency! 

$E Al-Zardari: Show me the analysis! Oh... Universe, guide us in this moment of trial!

$B Tyrone: What's happened, High Magistrate?!

$E Al-Zardari: Prepare your men, Horatio! The situation has gotten more complicated...and much sooner than I anticipated. 
