Today I did it. I made the decision to leave Cambridge and head for the Omega systems. I haven't been back to the Omegas since I destroyed that planetary biosphere over a year ago. It still gave me the shivers, entering the gate that would take me into Omega 3. But I did it. I was tired of waiting around for the Board of Trustees at Cambridge to make up their minds about letting me teach. At least if I was teaching, I could have done something productive with my skills. No matter. I've been thinking about the Coalition ever since I heard about them in that upscale bar I visited a few weeks ago. There was no point holding back any more.

The trip was pretty calm until I got halfway through Omega 5, though. There's a base there of the Red Hessians, and they aren't gentle. I was able to avoid serious damage by swinging around the base in a wide path. And then, with a very, very deep breath, I entered Omega 52. It didn't take me long to meet the Coalition once I was there. My first encounter was with this very fiery woman named Mary Dross. She's going to be interesting, I think. She's half-convinced I'm a spy, and despite my story and the disk from Planetform that I stole, she isn't quite sure what to think of me yet. That's alright. I have a feeling her and I will be at one another often enough.

What really surprised me was the presence of the High Commissar himself aboard a cruiser, I think, or perhaps a battleship. I wasn't quite sure about the class of the vessel, but that's not my area of expertise. He seems like a reasonable man, thoughtful, considerate. He heard my pleas, even while his cruisers were desperately wanting to destroy my ship. He invited me to Jiangxi, as well as to their primary research outpost. I have no doubt that I'm going to need to prove myself, but the Planetform chip is a start. They all were basically content to ignore my considerable education completely. They did seem encouraged about my desire to watch Liberty burn to the ground, though.

Overall, it's going to be a challenge. I'm surrounded by people who don't trust me as far as they can throw me. But, once I show them what I can do, and that I'm going to show them the loyalty that Planetform never showed me...well, then they won't be able to live without me.

It's been three days since I arrived in Coalition territory. It's not what I expected. So far I've been poisoned, nearly killed someone, physical run into the head of the Coalition's military, and seen what may be the most devastating planetary destruction I've ever personally witnessed. I knew that making such a dramatic change in my life would be interesting, but I never thought it would be like this. Still, there is progress. I've begun the process of settling in on Jiang-Xi, which is now my home. It may also soon serve to be my primary workplace. Looking over the irradiated exclusion zone's basic statistics, I know that I will have my work cut out for me. I've already begun examining the possibility of using radiation-dependent microfauna to help expedite cleaning up the uninhabitable portions of the planet.

In terms of people, I have made three significant connections since my arrival in Omega 52. The first, Mary Dross, is an absolute psychopath. Apparently, she was charged with "interrogating" me to ensure that I was truthful with my introductory statements. And then she poisoned me. Needless to say, forcing me to induce vomiting during our first meeting has not endeared her to me. She's reckless, emotional, spontaneous and does not think things through. She seems to have softened in the last couple of days, though, and even took me on a tour of Coalition territory today. Though, that may be because the Premier was present. She changes dramatically in the presence of authority.

The Premier is the second connection. We spoke briefly, and I escorted him between stations, but the man clearly has a lot on his mind. My natural curiosity got the better of me, and I inundated him with inquiries. Now that I'm here, I want to know more about these people. I will be the first to admit that this was a split-second, rash decision, coming here, but I am determined to make the best of it. I am pleased that he didn't seem bothered by my informal tone of speaking. Someone's title doesn't impress me. The fact that the Premier is clearly working hard to lead his people and get them through such insurmountable odds...that does impress me.

Finally, we have Field Marshall Keller. He is...enigmatic. On first glance, I was ready to dismiss him as another military buffoon in a uniform who can handle a gun better than a conversation. I was pleasantly surprised. Whatever his history, it's clearly impacted him so significantly that his mental processes are bound up in assumptions. Keller demonstrated a clear willingness to move past those assumptions when disproved, though. He also didn't hesitate to apologize when he was wrong. My entire life before now, Planetform, Liberty...it's all been defined by people who refused to take responsibility for their actions. Now I've met someone who does. It's a pleasing change.

For now, I need to prepare for my first assignment. I can't wait to get started.

So much for my first assignment being exciting.

Apparently, as part of my "acclimation" to Coalition protocols and military operations, they decided it would be good for me to sit in on a trade mission. I had to fly all the way to Omicron Mu, take second-in-command of a hauling ship, and then escort it to Omega 54. Apparently, we're in deep with the Red Hessians, and they needed some cargo delivered. It was probably the most boring thing I have ever done my entire life. Thankfully, there was another ship with ours, and the commander of that vessel - I don't even remember his name - was at least good for conversation on the trip.

This whole environment is new to me. I've never been anywhere near a military before. The Coalition is so small in terms of population, and the political organization so vastly different from Liberty, that I feel out of my element. Even with my expertise as a scientist, it's clear that I'm going to need to be fulfilling multiple roles. I hope it doesn't distract me too much from what I came here to do. I want to get out into the exclusion zone on Jiang-Xi and start seeing how badly it is irradiated. That is going to be the biggest obstacle in my work.

I also need to research Coalition laws regarding genetics and reproduction. They need a population spurt, and fast. Just giving them a beautiful planet isn't going to be enough. But, this is the sort of challenge that I love.