This message finds its way to you because of your exceptional contributions to the human cause. Your dutiful service to our planet and people through these past trying years has not gone unnoticed, and will not go unrewarded. Through a combination of service, ingenuity, and care, you and a select few others like yourself proved that we, as a species, how what it takes to look after ourselves in even the darkest of hours, far from home, with nothing to rely upon but each other. With this in mind, I am requesting that you do mankind one more gallant service.
As you are no doubt aware, four months ago we received an extrasolar transmission from an unknown species, a race which saw fit to entrust our young society with the secrets of their advanced science. This message, known as the Barnard Transmission, contained no words, only numbers. Schematics and instructions. At first these were jumbled and puzzling, but within these last few months they have been decoded. The confusion we felt became wonder, then awe, then joy: this was no mere message, this was a design. The Barnard Transmission was an instruction manual for the creation of a faster-than-light drive system. What better way to welcome us to the galactic community than that?
The timing of the transmission is not lost to us. Mankind's struggles have been mighty over the last several years. Piracy nearly split our global union apart, and then the capture of Mars by the now-defunct Hand of God sect almost lost us our second homeworld. We were a mess, as a species. Yet, someone was watching us from beyond our little bubble of turmoil. Someone saw our struggle, and saw how we overcame it. They saw our great achievements, our space stations and near-lightspeed engines. They saw our devotion to curing disease and extending our life expectancy. They saw our art, our music, our heights of triumph and our depths of defeat. Most of all, they saw our potential. And now, much like our otherworldly benefactors, I have been charged with seeking out those with potential to embark on the greatest undertaking since a man first walked on the surface of Luna, more than a century ago.
You have been requested to be part of man's first journey to another star system.
The project, known as Star Dawn, is the extending of our hand into the vastness of space, to join in friendship with the people who were kind enough to grant us a wider, more spectacular view of our universe. The ship is being constructed even now, a project expected to take approximately three years and five months from the day I write this. It will be crewed by the brightest stars of our inner-system navy, and will include scientists of all disciplines, ambassadors of our culture, and a small detachment of brave defenders in support of those aboard. Your participation is by no means required, but please consider what it means that among the 30 billion or so human beings on Earth, Mars, Luna, and points between, you were one of the few dozen given this honour.
Upon accepting, preparations will be made for you to join us at the newly-founded Mars Extra-Solar Academy (M.E.S.A.) for advanced training in the skills necessary for prolonged spaceflight. You will meet the few dozen men and women that you will share the next chapter of your life with, the foreword to a great new volume in the history of Humanity. You have my thanks, and the thanks of every human alive for your contributions to our society. Please consider this mission as much your legacy as we, as a people, consider it ours.
Honours and Regards,
Prime Minister Maritza Benitez, Presiding Minister of the United Districts of Earth, Luna, and Mars
Arcadia, Mars
