Emperor of Fisnavavaada gives public speech, declares 218.5 the Cycle of the Asternomix

The Emperor himself today came out of the palace over the rear terrace to give a speech to tens of thousands lined up on the Imperial Circle. The Emperor said he had felt as if he had come to an “epiphany”, and is set to give a speech on it today. Looks like we’re starting, so now down to the Imperial Circle, for the Emperor’s speech.

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“Today, I stand in front of you as your Dictator of the People. Now, when my father died, passing the role of Emperor down to me, I adopted not just the palace and the responsibilities, but I adopted a code which pledged me to serve the people. Not just my people, not just my neighbors, not just my family. I pledged to serve all people. And today, fellow kerbals, I have decided the best way to serve all people is to further our species as a whole. Our scientists have proven to us that what is above us is not heavens, is no chamber of the gods, is no glorious chariot of the sun and mun. Above is the most wonderful, longest, humbling nothing. This is the most incredible nothing. The world is clear. If you think of this nothing above as mere blankness, you don’t understand the world. What’s above is everything within nothing. We exist in the nothing. Everyone exists in the nothing. But our portion of the nothing that we exist within is so small. We have but one planet to explore by foot, and four more to explore by probe. Today, I decree that 218.5 shall be the Cycle of the Asternomix, a great figure from ancient mythology, one who we learn about in school, the Teacher. Today, the nothing is our Teacher, and we are students. We are students of the universe, and we are products of the universe. I believe that is within the best interests of all people that we further the species by exploring the great nothing, and learning more from it. I call to the leaders of the world to come together, and set aside their conflicts, and to put kerbals on Duna. Not for a week, not for a year, nothing for show. No, we shall make a pledge to the nothing. We will put kerbals on Duna indefinitely. We will learn from the nothing, and join with it further. I call to the leaders of the world not to fight, not to compete, but to come together for the People. I feel, personally, that an attack on anyone pursuing the best interests of the People is an attack on the People, and we shall tolerate no attack on the will of the People. In the Cycle of the Asternomix, we go to the nothing to learn.”