Within two months of the Aegean Republic’s fall, New Rome had become the Exiles official home. Renamed ‘Elysium’, all were welcome, Exiles and non-Exiles alike. Initially only Exiles maintain residence there, however, as more and more people from the other arcologies, and even some from the New Liberty colony became enamored with their black-clad neighbors, non-Exile faces became a more common sight within the halls and concourses of Elysium.
The Exile population experienced a boon with hundreds of citizens from around Vega IV clamoring to join the Exile society. In six months, 1,200 new Exiles had been officially welcomed to the community. Like every Exile however that had come before them however, new Exiles were forced to spend time outside of the arcology on what was called the ‘Exile Sojourn’. The sojourn had two specific functions- it made those new to the society appreciate the harshness of life as an Exile so their origins would never be forgotten, and it also allowed their minds to become fully integrated into the Guardian network, something that often took months to accomplish, and then months more for the individual to become ‘acclimated’ to it. It was seen as something of a spiritual journey, and few were opposed to taking it. A number of established Exiles would even return to the wilds outside of the arcologies or the new villages that had been built over the shanty towns and Old Liberty, having become so accustomed to life on the outside, they simply couldn’t readjust to life indoors. Most simply didn’t like the crowds and the confined spaces compared to the freedom of the outside.
The Exile’s dream of forming the perfect community was slowly beginning to take form. It wasn’t something that occurred over night, and none of them had any particular illusions that it would. During the onset days, there was some vocal resistance to having the Guardian A.I. serve as the centralized administration, but when it became clear that Guardian’s impartiality and ability to make instantaneous decision were so far above the ability of a human mind, most became receptive, and soon there was universal acceptance. Guardian was able to process the wants and needs of the entire Exile population in nano-seconds and act accordingly based on those wants and needs. Those that served to benefit the society as a whole were acted on first. Those wants that tended to be more self-serving or have a potential negative effect on unity were usually vetoed. But nobody, nobody went without. New maintenance bays were constructed throughout the arcology, most taking over space that once belonged to restaurants or boutiques that no longer served a purpose in the new society. Guardian re-instituted a number of protocols once the domain of Warden in order to ensure the smooth operation of the colony, including scheduled maintenance cycles and some of the various violation punishments. At first there was some resistance toward the reestablishment of these protocols, but soon they became normal and nobody noticed them anymore. Punishments were less severe, and in the Exile society, there were few if any true lawbreakers.
Within a year, as hoped, a method had been developed to remove the Exile suit from a wearer’s body. Few chose to undertake the operation however. Many who did however would invariably return to Exile, finding life living amongst non-Exiles to be too erratic and complicated. They’d come to appreciate the simplicity of the life of an Exile, even if it meant giving up some of the niceties.
The four members of the Administrative council who’d been exiled, the Supreme Chancellor among them, returned to the arcologies after they’d completed their sentence. Among them, only one chose to be un-exiled---
Heissler. Having gained considerably humility during his time in exile, he simply could not bear to live among the people he’d brutalized and oppressed for so long. He could live and constantly be reminded of the scars he’d inflicted. With his daughter’s blessing, he left Vega IV and was summarily arrested by the Federation for human rights abuses. After being tried and sentenced to life in a Federal penal colony, he died during transport, never setting foot on the colony.
The other former members of the council attempted to find ways to amend for their past deeds, but ultimately few could and simply couldn’t adjust to their new life. Both Lita Ross and Sergei Tereshkova took their lives. Dawn Kang however found a new role as part of a labor association founded by Lucas Davies’ father. She would help see the construction of new facilities through the colony for the Exiles. Elysium soon gained recognition from the Federation Council as an independent, non-aligned state of Vega IV. Despite their independence, they maintained strong relations with the Federation and an open border. In 2107 Max Trainor had been named as the Federation special envoy to Elysium and worked closely with Alicia Heissler in establishing formal bonds with the Federation. Though he saw less and less of Hayley due to his busy work schedule, the two remained friends even as the years wore on, and she would always occupy a place in his heart even as he eventually went on to marry.
As good as her word, Hayley sought out Dr. Savan shortly after she’d regained her connection with the Guardian network. The two shared intimate thoughts with one another and formed a close bond. Hayley hadn’t realized how much Teresa had suffered internally for her work with the SCIE program until she was able to share her thoughts and feelings. After a year in the wild, serving out her self-imposed sentence, Savan returned to Elysium but opted to remain as an Exile, stating she’d truly found herself while she’d been alone. She chose to return to the medical facility but function as a councilor, where she would help ease new Exiles into their new lives. By 2110, the Exile population had increased to around 2.5 million. People from all around Federation space from all walks of life were drawn to Elysium for the promise a better life. A new life as an Exile. With large deposits of Newtonium discovered on the western continent, human interest moved away from the Aegean colony and eventually the Exiles were given full run of the colony. Elysium City saw continual growth and the Exiles would continue to flourish. 2110 proved a red-letter year, as in that same year, the first recorded ‘Exile Birth’ occurred. The proud parents were Lucas Davies and Laryssa Simone. While the details of how he’d manage to impregnate Laryssa were scarce, they confided in Hayley that they’d modified a maintenance station to take Lucas’s ‘sample’ and then implant it in Laryssa, all the while simulating the act via Guardian.
When at last the birth occurred late that year, Laryssa refused to be removed from the Exile suit, though her waste reclamation system had to be extracted. Instead the used a device created by Dr. Savan that inhibited the nanomachines in the suit from replicating the material when it was cut, and simply created a perforation large enough that would allow the baby to come out.
Lucas and Laryssa earned considerable recognition for what the Exile population considered a ‘miracle’. They did stir a minor controversy among non-Exiles however when they decided to have the child ‘converted’ once he reached age 4. While most in the Exile population just thought it to be a natural progression given the child was in essence born an Exile, the detractors felt the parents were pushing on the child a way of life that he might not agree with. Both Lucas and Laryssa argued that should he ever want to be removed from the Exile suit, he would be more than welcome to exercise that option. When it became clear however that the child was perfectly content to look like his parents and the rest of the Exile population, the arguments ceased.
After that, there was a string of Exile births. Guardian maintained a sizable deposit of ‘samples’ so that should any woman with partner or without wish to experience childbirth, they could do so.
For Hayley, her life as an Exile, while never as flashy or exciting as her former life as a singer, proved to be just as fulfilling. She spent her days as just another Exile, just another part of the community, nobody special, nobody famous. She was just another black suited, helmeted figure, just one of millions. And yet, her message spread throughout Vega IV and throughout the Federation. She’d become the defacto poster child for the Exile society off planet. Her words, her message transmitted through civilized space, like a beacon to anyone seeking a new life:
I have no voice, yet my words are heard by millions.The End