In the year 2474, the Earth was governed by the General Assembly, a diverse group of individuals representing every corner of the planet and the colonies that had spread through the solar system. They were the voice of humanity, the bearers of peace, and the architects of the new world order. The most powerful among them was the Moderator of the General Assembly, Aria Voss, known for her stern demeanor and incisive wit. Her most distinguishing feature, as all holobrochures of the Assembly noted, was her startling emerald green eyes that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of reality.
Aria’s story began in an era where bio-augmentation had become the norm. To avoid the pitfalls of class division based on enhancements, the Assembly had passed stringent laws. All enhancements were to be purely functional, nothing cosmetic, nothing that would visibly distinguish the haves from the have-nots. But Aria had never been one to play by the rules.
Her appearance was a statement, a rebellion against the conformity of the time. Her luscious hair held the color of the lush forests of Earth, a memory of what the planet once was, and her attire was a blend of organic materials, interwoven with nanofibers that responded to her mental commands.
The image that started it all was taken at the zenith of her career, during the period known as the Great Expansion. It captured her in a rare moment of vulnerability, seated in the private quarters of the Assembly Chamber, moments before she would cast the deciding vote on whether humanity should reach beyond the Kuiper Belt. That vote would shape the future of human exploration and expansion, making her the most influential person in the Assembly.
But there was more to the image than met the eye. The piercing emerald gaze that had become Aria’s trademark was not a mere fashion choice or an act of defiance. It was a glimpse into her very soul, a soul that was not entirely human. Unbeknownst to all, Aria was the first of a new kind, a hybrid whose enhancements allowed her to connect with the Assembly’s A.I., giving her insights that bordered on precognition. This connection was her secret, the source of her unparalleled ability to navigate the treacherous waters of politics.
The image captured her at the precise moment her enhancements had predicted a cataclysmic event at the edge of the solar system, a dark wave of energy hurtling towards Earth. She had to decide: warn the Assembly and reveal her secret, risking her position and the trust of the people, or stay silent and find another way to avert the disaster.
Aria chose the latter, working behind the scenes, rallying the Assembly’s brightest scientists and engineers. Together, they harnessed the power of the wave, redirecting it to supercharge the solar grids, and propelling humanity into an era of energy abundance. The wave’s energy also had an unintended consequence; it advanced human evolution, making Aria’s enhancements common among the populace.
The image of Aria Voss, the Moderator of the General Assembly, would forever be etched in the annals of history, not only as a symbol of human defiance but also as a testament to humanity’s unyielding spirit to forge its destiny among the stars.