In the year 2488, a sunny day dawned in the region where a new city had been erected. The atmosphere was festive, with a large gathering of people from various occupations around the world assembled for the opening ceremony. It was the day when the new city, Capitol, and the Headquarters of the Council of Humanity (later shortened to COH) were inaugurated and established.
On a large platform that was broadcast worldwide, stood a man in his late thirties, who would later be hailed as a legend and the chairman of COH for thousands of years, even in Ilya's time. Marken Menison was his name, the first and only person in human history to awaken a civilization-class LR (Legendary Rarity) ability, singlehandedly pushing human society towards prosperity for millennia. This ability was not strong in terms of direct power but in the impact it had on civilization. It granted Marken the ability to cast a vote, a seemingly simple act with profound implications. Every member of this ability's owner's civilization could instinctively vote on laws, proposals, or anything else. The greatest part was that it was enforceable not only on those who voted but on the entire civilization, whether alive or yet to be born. This was the beauty of every civilization-scale ability; it affected everyone within its scope.
"From the inception of humankind, we have been driven by one main force that has brought us to this moment, and that force is curiosity," began Marken. "From primitive times to the current era of star-seeking, we have sought to explain everything about who we are, why we are, and how we are. Every action humanity has ever taken has been in pursuit of understanding and exploring the reality we inhabit. Sadly, some have veered off this path, content with limited understanding and turning inward, leading to dark chapters in our history. Wars, bloodshed, domination of one group over another. But today, it ends. This day will be etched in human history, the day we unite for a single purpose: to live, to prosper, to explore."
He paused, allowing the crowd to absorb his words. "From today, the Council of Humanity will begin crafting laws and norms that will guide us towards a brighter future. Each of you will have a voice, as I will use my ability to enable every human to vote and decide if these laws are truly what we need."
As he had said, in 2489, the Universal Human Cooperation Act (later shortened to UHCA) was voted on and signed with overwhelming support from the human civilization.
"Oh, shit, this fossil is still alive," Ilya almost blurted out, but he stopped himself, fearing that someone might be listening. This memory of a recording was etched in his mind from childhood, as every human would see it at least once in their life.
Reflecting on the laws he remembered, some of the stress lifted from him. Most were a common collection of laws he was accustomed to from his previous life. Of course, there were new laws, such as those against space piracy, which was now impossible as any attempt would result in death.
There were also some unusual laws, like the prohibition of exterminating other intelligent alien species, emphasizing their preservation at least on a community level. Ilya understood this as a means to safeguard the wonders of intelligent life in the universe.
While extermination was forbidden, enslavement was not, serving as the primary driver of human expansion. Humans could not reproduce at a scale to dominate multiple galaxies and even venture into different clusters of galaxies like the Virgo cluster where Ilya currently found himself.
[The Virgo cluster is a neighboring cluster of galaxies in our local group, often referred to as the capital of the supercluster with the same name.]
Most of the aliens encountered by humans were primitive in their development. Some could be uplifted if they showed potential and used as a labor force, while others were taken to one of humanity's "zoos" in the galaxies.
In human forces, most individuals were enslaved alien species. It dawned on Ilya why his spaceship wasn't fully crewed; humans were scarce, even in their home territory, let alone in this newly established frontier.
After sorting through his memories to grasp the basic principles of society in this new life, two hours had already passed. He rose from his bed, glanced at the cleared bar table, noticed the droid was nowhere to be seen, and made his way to the ship's control room for a meeting with his ship captain.
The ship was massive. Ilya hadn't fully grasped its size before, as the med bay was close to his compartment, but now, walking through its long corridors, he marveled at the scale of the vessel and pondered about even larger ships in the human arsenal.
The door opened, revealing Captain Rebecca engrossed in a holographic projection of the ship's travel path and nearby stellar objects. At the sound of the door opening, Rebecca turned her attention to the newcomer.
"Sir Ilya, I see you are well now," she greeted formally, though Ilya sensed a hint of disdain from the young captain.
"Yes, Captain Rebecca, I feel better. The doctor mentioned you wanted to see me," Ilya responded.
"Sir, we will reach our destination in two and a half hours. It will be our final stop until you decide on our next course of action," Rebecca informed him.
Ilya glanced at the holographic projection, observing the ship's trajectory towards a space station. Curious about the station and why it was their final destination, he inquired further.
"What can you tell me about this station, Captain, and why is it our final destination?" he asked.
"Sir, as you recall, your mother wanted you to navigate with ease and minimize risks until you have the strength to venture into the central parts of the galaxy, where each expansion faces the coalition. We are currently on the periphery of this galaxy, at the edge of human-controlled territory. These factors make this place the ideal starting point for any endeavor you have in mind, given our current capabilities," Rebecca explained.
Ilya noted a few terms that needed clarification but refrained from interrupting, allowing the captain to continue.
"This station, Terminus, is the last trade station in this sector before entering unclaimed territory with minimal chances of encountering other species," Rebecca elaborated.
Ilya pondered the plans the captain mentioned, but he realized he had none. He had just inhabited this body and was certain that the old Ilya had no concrete plans either. In his memories, the previous Ilya didn't even know the ship's destination, let alone a long-term strategy that the captain expected from him.
Before he could dwell on this further, a notification sounded in his mind.
"Requirements met. Local Scale Ability FFF: AI Agent upgrading."
Ilya's expression shifted, catching the captain's attention. "Sir, are you feeling alright?" she inquired.
"Oh, yes, I suddenly remembered something. I need to make some changes to my plans," Ilya replied, masking his surprise and swiftly heading back to the door he had entered from. "Oh, and Captain, please inform me when we reach the station. I will explain everything then."
The sudden change in Ilya's demeanor left the captain bewildered. As Ilya retreated to his compartment, he felt a rush of sweat, unsure of what had just transpired. He was greeted by a hovering panel in front of him.
"Upgrade finished. {Local Scale Ability – FFF tier: AI Agent} upgraded to {Civilization Scale Ability – SLR (Special Legendary Rarity) tier: Destiny Agent}. Do You Accept Upgrade?"
Dumbfounded by the unexpected upgrade, Ilya hesitated briefly before clicking on the accept button, triggering a series of calibration processes.
"Calibrating. Scanning preferences. Scanning Biometrics. Scanning Memories. Scanning Soul. Irregularity Detected: Merged Soul. Finding Solution..."
The process caused Ilya intense pain, but he endured it, waiting for the system to resolve the issue. It continued for some time almost blinding Ilya with its intense red alert popups.
"Request Limit Reached. Initiating Permissions Override. Solution Found. Starting Recalibration. Calibration Complete. Dissonance Has Been Eliminated. Permissions Returned To Previous Level. System Operation Test – PASS."
As the recalibration concluded, a voice echoed in his mind, "Hello Master."