Story Arc: Welcome to the Normandy SR-2
Episode 1: Jane Shepard's First Contact (IV)
Chapter 4: The First Conversation with the Sexy Space Elves
XXX
POV Narrator
"Shepard, the Renai AB-3 is attempting to contact us, shall I accept the call?" EDI asks, waiting for the Commander's order before acting.
Kat Shepard looks up from her Omni-Tool; she was reading some information about the USKY government, which at first glance seems somewhere between a "Family Oligarchy."
For those who don't know, Family Oligarchy is how one refers to a "rule of the few" when those few are members of a royal lineage.
"Already? It's been 15 minutes since they gave us the translation matrix, I've barely had time to look through their Codex!" Kat Shepard said, feeling like she was back in high school and about to take a pop quiz and she hadn't studied anything but the book titles.
"Actually, it's been almost forty minutes since we obtained the translation matrix, and EDI has transmitted to us on our Omni-Tools what it could decipher of the first contact packet transmitted by Renai AB-3." said Miranda, who is reading several paragraphs of text with utmost attention.
"A Codex that covers the history and culture of ten new alien races and the governance that encompasses them all is too simple," Kat Shepard said, confident it would take several days to read the entire first contact package.
"It's made even more difficult by the fact that EDI was only able to transmit a portion of the USKY Codex to us," Shepard said, having only a few fragments of the entire puzzle at his disposal.
"The trick is simply to focus on the important topics," Miranda said, not having the same difficulty as the red-haired woman.
"What important topics?" Kat Shepherd asks, clearly being a heroine famous throughout the known galaxy doesn't make her a scholar of foreign societies.
"The Captain of the Renai AB-3, Amelia Blight, is a Ysatnafian, so we need to focus on them. Fortunately, the fragments deciphered by EDI contain several interesting things about the Ysatnafians," Miranda said, having only read the material regarding the inhabitants of the planet Ysatnaf.
"Half an hour or forty minutes isn't enough time to really learn anything about them," said Kat Shepard, confident that there must be a reason why people spend years studying to get a doctorate in Cultural and Social Anthropology.
"That's certainly true, but it doesn't hurt to get information about important things. I managed to learn some information about the religion and history of the Ysatnafians, which are strangely intertwined." Miranda said, closing the Omni-Tool.
"Ancient history doesn't distinguish between myth and reality; all the notable figures are blessed by heaven or belong to sacred lineages or something like that. This habit of embellishing their history with myth and folklore continues in contemporary history as well, but in a reduced amount and focused on the royal family and their closest supporters," Miranda said, considering it a flaw that the historians of this alien species cannot be objective.
"I'm curious what you learned?" the red-haired woman asks, preferring for the moment to hear the information from Miranda's mouth rather than read it.
"Their main religion is Hikarinus, divided into three main branches: The Holy Church of Light, the Temples of the Seven Astrals, and the Cult of the True King." Miranda said, starting with the basic information.
'Is there a religious movement called the Cult of the True King?' Kat Shepard thinks, raising an eyebrow, finding it a bad omen.
Personality cults are often characteristics of totalitarian states.
"Their religion, at first glance, reminds me of a mix of Christianity combined with the Greek/Norse pantheon and... elements typical of Japanese video game lore." Miranda said, hesitating slightly on the last part of her sentence.
"I'm not a theological scholar, but that seems like an interesting way to describe a religion," Kat Shepard said, making an odd expression.
Of course, hearing Miranda, a femme fatale who is part of a dark organza, talk about Japanese video games... well, it's like watching Jack the Ripper talk about animal rights.
"The Ysatnafians are polytheistic, they believe in multiple deities, although the word 'divine' isn't precise," Miranda said, having a slight difficulty finding the right word.
"According to Hikarinusian belief, the world was created by a Goddess of Light, nicknamed the Great Mother, her True Name a secret kept by their Popess. This Great Goddess governs light, life, space, time, and fate," Miranda says, discussing the foundations of Hikarinus.
"When the Great Mother created the foundations of their world, she gave birth to seven offspring of her own accord, using her own essence. These children, called Astrals, are worshiped as Archangels or Greater Deities. Their role and purpose varies depending on the religious branch," Miranda said, having no time to study the theological differences of the alien religious factions.
"I'm a little curious, what are these Astrals called?" asks the red-haired woman.
"In order from largest to smallest we have: Bahamut; Leviathan, Gorem, Garuda, Ramuh, Ifrit, Shiva." Miranda recites the names of the deities, in a serious voice.
"Now the names of some bosses from a fantasy video game or something like that." Kat Shepard said, nodding her head.
"It must be a translation problem, their names are translated into English like this," Miranda said, ever the logical one.
"The third and final important element of the Hikarinus, besides the Goddess of Light and the Astral Seven, is their Messiah, also known as the True King of Light, King of Kings, Chosen King, or Champion of the Goddess of Light. This figure is of enormous importance to the Ysatnafians and the USKY," Miranda said, causing a small holographic screen to appear on the Omni-Tool, showing an image of an archaeological find.
The museum piece is a stone tablet showing a faded painting of a humanoid figure with pointed ears, inside a large circle, surrounded by numerous weapons.
"I understand that learning about their culture is important for various reasons, but why do you seem so interested in their religion?" Kat Shepard asks, expecting Miranda to be more interested in their science or biology or something more rational.
"Give me five minutes and I'll explain everything to you," said Miranda, unable to explain the importance of this messianic figure for present and future diplomatic discussions.
"Their first is the Messiah or proto-Messiah, born, according to their calendar, 18,550 years ago. He was born from an incestuous relationship between a brother and sister, twins at that. For reasons unknown, the son was blessed by the Goddess of Light, that he and his descendants would become Holy Kings and Queens, with the task of being a bridge between heaven and earth." Miranda said, trying to be objective.
"Is their Messiah the product of incest?" Kat Shepherd asks, grimacing in disgust.
"Questionable origins aside, the blessed child's holy bloodline ruled the world for thousands of years, until the 113th Holy King was attacked and cursed to a slow death by the Herald of Darkness, a kind of Antichrist." Miranda said, mentioning a shadowy figure from the Hikarinus religion.
"Holy King blessed by the Goddess of Light, the good guy. The Herald of Darkness, the bad guy. All simple, and anime-like," said Kat Shepard, appreciating the simplicity of this religion's titles.
"Shepard, you absolutely must not say anything like that in front of the Ysatnafians. Even if it seems ridiculous in our eyes, it's sacred stuff to them." Miranda said, sounding like a stern professor chastising her ignorant student.
"Is religion such a big deal to them?" Kat Shepard asks, raising an eyebrow, not being one for the spiritual side of things.
"After the death of the 113th Holy King, the Popess of that era gave a prophecy about how a new Messiah, the True King of Light, would one day appear who would defeat the darkness and lead the people to the stars," Miranda explains, nearing the end of her speech.
"A prophecy about the coming of the Messiah doesn't seem strange to me," said the red-haired woman, having heard similar things before.
"In the more recent history books, the ones less shrouded in myth and legend, it states that 550 years ago, their Messiah, the True King of Light, made his appearance in the region of the Boiling Isles." Miranda said, running her hand through her hair.
"So what? According to our calendar, Jesus was born 2,185 years ago?" Kat Shepard said, sounding foolish. Surely, if she knew that alien elves can live for centuries, and some for more than a millennium, she would react differently.
"Our messiah was crucified. The Ysatnafian messiah started a Holy War that ended with him conquering the world, proclaiming himself Absolute Ruler of Ysatnaf, then beginning efforts to explore space and colonize other planets," Miranda said, arriving where she wanted.
Kat Shepard opens her mouth and closes it, this information provided by Miranda is important.
"That might explain how an interstellar society is governed by an absolute monarchy. But we're not about to argue with priests and priestesses. What's so worrying you?" Kat Shepard said, trying not to think about the problems of a possible theocratic tyranny where control is maintained through religious fervor.
"Their last Holy Crusade occurred 15 years ago, led by the firstborn of the True King of Light to prove himself worthy of succeeding to the throne. The conflict ended with a scorched planet." Miranda explains what worries her: offending the aliens and bringing humanity into conflict with an interstellar empire of fanatics.
"Don't discuss religion with sexy new aliens, simple rule to remember." Joker said, having heard the entire conversation between the two women.
"For once, I hope I'm biased, or that we're getting the wrong picture because we don't understand the context and/or don't have the full picture," Kat Shepard thinks, hoping the new aliens, who have a ship bigger than her Normandy, are friendly and reasonable.
"Commander Shepard, am I answering the Renai AB-3 call, yes or no?" EDI asks, waiting for a response.
"I almost forgot about their call. Answer, EDI." The red-haired woman said, positioning herself in front of the screen.
A live image of Captain Amelia Blight appears on the Normandy SR-2's main holographic display.
"Hello, Commander Shepard, do you understand? Is the translation matrix provided compatible with your systems?" Amelia asks in a friendly tone.
The space elf woman wants to establish a two-way communication channel and start a dialogue.
"Yes, I understand your words perfectly, Captain Blight. Thank you for the translation matrix, it will help us tremendously in the short and long term." Kat Shepard said, starting this conversation off on the right foot.
"If it's not a bother, I'd prefer to be called Captain Amelia or Doctor Amelia." The space elf woman said, not wanting to be called by her last name.
"As you wish, Captain Amelia." Kat Shepard said, seeing no harm in obliging Amelia.
"As we both know, this is a First Contact scenario, a significant historical moment for both parties involved, but also extremely sensitive. We don't know you and you don't know us, the risk of misunderstandings and errors is high." Amelia said, as if she knew the kind of anxiety and nervousness the crew of the Normandy SR-2 were feeling.
"I see you have a pretty good picture of the situation." Kat Shepard said, starting to get the feeling she was talking to an asari.
"Experience speaks for itself. This is the first contact between the Ysatnafians and humans (of this dimension and this galaxy), but it's not the first time I've made first contact with an unknown race," Amelia said, her voice calm.
The female Captain of Renai AB-3 has faced similar situations before, albeit under worse circumstances.
"This is my first time carrying out a First Contact assignment. I know the procedure, but I'm not an experienced diplomat." The red-haired woman said, making no attempt to hide her lack of experience.
Kat, when she received confirmation that she is a beginner who is confronted by an expert, she decided to play with her cards on the table,
So if she accidentally makes a mistake she can't be judged harshly, being a beginner.
"You can rest assured, Commander Shepard. No one aboard Renai AB-3 wants to start a Second First Contact War. From what I've read, the turians haven't handled the situation well." Amelia said, her friendly face finally showing a hint of... displeasure/annoyance?
"Turians can be a little rigid and overworked, but I know a lot of good turians," Kat Shepard said, feeling compelled to protect the turians' honor, as their allies and members of the Citadel Council.
"I believe that war should be used when all diplomatic options have failed," Amelia said, expressing her opinion on the matter.
"I'm worrying for nothing, too. We humans have a messed-up history, with many people doing crazy things in the name of faith." Thinks the heroine of Elysium, feeling lighter after hearing the space elf woman's words.
"Captain Amelia, is your doctor in diplomacy by any chance?" Kat Shepard asks, trying to be friendly and make the conversation more comfortable.
"No, I'm not a diplomat, but I know several real diplomats and have been involved in many high-level meetings of economic, political, and military importance," Amelia explains, giving a contradictory impression.
She says she's not a diplomat, but she seems to know a lot of important people and have been involved in very important meetings.
'If this woman is just a light frigate captain, then Shepard is just another female soldier.' Miranda thinks, sure that Amelia is a big shot in the USKY.
"So, is your PhD in xenobiology or xenopsychology?" Kat Shepard asks, believing that Amelia studied these subjects due to having participated in multiple First Contact situations.
Amelia runs a hand through her neon-blonde hair, her long, pointed ears twitching, a sign that Shepard's question makes her feel something, probably a happy emotion.
"Actually, I have more than one doctorate, but they're not in xenobiology or xenopsychology. Interesting subjects, but they're not my thing." Amelia said, more interested in machinery than meat.
"May I ask what interests you intellectually?" asks the red-haired woman, taking a different approach than usual. Elysium's heroine, instead of thinking about the nation Amelia represents, focuses on Amelia herself.
After all, a friendly "ambassador" does more good than an unpleasant "ambassador."
"I'm a certified doctor of chemistry, geology, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, robotics engineering, aerospace engineering, macroengineering, quantum physics, with a PhD in xenomatter and three other subjects (Magic, Magitech, Technomagic)." Amelia explains with a certain degree of professional pride, loving to talk about all things science/magic, even her academic achievements.
"These are thirteen doctorates." Kat Shepherd said in a surprised voice.
Elysium's heroine is clearly a woman of action, but being on a ship for so long with Liara T'Soni and Tali'Zorah has taught her a thing or two about academia.
One, that not even a brilliant Salarian can obtain that many doctorates and degrees, even if he probably can't live long enough to go through the entire program of study.
Two, the Asari, who can live a thousand years, when they choose to become women scientists, they don't start collecting doctorates, they simply choose a topic of interest, get a degree, and dedicate themselves to the work for a few centuries or a lifetime.
Thus, asari female scientists have approximately two or three doctorates, often in related fields.
A person with thirteen doctorates to his name is unprecedented, as far as Kat Shepard knows.
"Yes, thirteen doctorates, and I'm proud of every single one of them. It took me several decades to obtain my undisputed degrees and even longer to establish myself as a leading expert," Amelia said, puffing out her gigantic chest with pride.
'I don't care whether they're natural or artificial, they're a sight to behold.' thinks Joker, who witnesses the entire encounter.
"Captain Amelia, I don't mean to be rude, but how old are you?" Kat Shepard asks, starting to believe that Ysatnafians may have more in common with asari.
"This year I'll be 568," Amelia replies, as if it were something natural.
"This is an impossible age for a human, let alone anyone who isn't an asari or a krogan, to reach." Kat Shepard said, receiving confirmation that the Ysatnafians are an alien race with long life expectancies.
"How long do humans (in this dimension, and in this galaxy) live?" asks Amelia, curious to find out how good humanity's medicine is.
"150 is considered an achievable age for an average human in a galactic context." Kat Shepard responds.
"That's half the life expectancy of a Loboan." Amelia exclaims in a surprised voice, expecting at least two hundred years.
"You Ysatnafians, how long can you live? A thousand years?" Kat Shepard asks, trying to guess, using the Asari as a reference.
"Ysatnafians are one of the four (six) longest-lived species in the USKY; the average middle-class Ysatnafian citizen who receives no treatment beyond the standard civilian level can live to be around 800 years old. It is not uncommon for a person of high rank to reach an age of over 1000 years." Amelia explains, recounting what is common knowledge to her.
"The asari have lost their monopoly," Joker mutters under his breath, certain that the blue-skinned women won't be happy to see sexy space elves who can outlive them.
"Commander Shepard, may I ask how many hours are in a day and how many days are in a year on humanity's home planet?" Amelia asks, wanting to know the details. Perhaps she'll discover a difference between the local Earth and the other Earths she's seen; there are always small variations.
"On Earth, a day is 24 hours long, and a year is 365 days long." Kat Shepard replies, seeing no harm in doing so.
"On Ysatnaf, a day is made up of 30 hours, a year is made up of 360 days," Amelia said, offering her own variation of the information offered.
The space elf woman's ears droop, as she assumes a thoughtful expression.
'Is something happening?' thinks the red-haired woman, slightly alarmed, not knowing what a pair of drooping, pointed ears might mean.
"My 567 Ysatnafian years are equivalent to 698 human years. It's always interesting to see how your age is adjusted according to other people's calendars," Amelia explains, her ears perking up.
'This woman is a nerd.' Kat Shepard thinks, certain that no other type of person would be happy about math problems.
"I apologize for interrupting, but this discussion is losing its thread." Miranda said, stepping forward and standing beside Kat Shepard.
"Who are you?" asks Amelia, looking at the Femme Fatale with a slight suspicion, but for personal reasons.
"I'm Miranda Lawson, Commander Shepard's XO." Miranda said, introducing herself with her current position.
The red-haired woman refrained from rolling her eyes to the ceiling, not considering Miranda her true XO, that place belongs to Garrus.
Amelia's suspicion disappears when she senses Shepard's "embarrassed" look towards Miranda, imagining who knows what scenario.
"Nice to meet you, Vice-Commander Miranda." Amelia said in a friendly voice.
"It's my honor to meet you, Doctor Amelia, for the interruption earlier, but the conversation was taking a more scientific than diplomatic turn," Miranda said in a professional voice, explaining her reasoning.
"I have to agree with you, Vice-Commander Miranda, I tend to focus on the more scientific aspects; after all, I am a woman of science, despite my rank in the fleet," Amelia said, knowing her flaws.
"Fleet?" asks Kat Shepard, slightly concerned about the existence of a huge, unknown fleet, traveling who knows where and doing who knows what.
"I think it's appropriate for me to tell you a little more about myself and the circumstances that led to our unexpected meeting." Amelia said, preparing to explain everything, omitting some parts about mysticism and dimensional travel.
A sentence in an unknown language is spoken from Amelia's side of the screen.
"What do you want to do?" Amelia asks, turning to someone outside the camera's frame.
A sentence incomprehensible to humanity is uttered once again.
"I understand." Amelia replies, nodding her head.
'What's going on? Is there a problem inside the ship?' Kat Shepard thinks, starting to get nervous, but keeps her expression calm.
The space elf woman turns back to Kat Shepard and Miranda.
"Commander Shepard, Vice-Commander Miranda, I'm informing you of a change of plans. We'd like to propose a face-to-face meeting. We believe it would be more productive and beneficial for both parties." Amelia said, casting a subtle glance at someone not visible on the screen.
'Is there anyone higher in rank than Captain Amelia on board?' Miranda thinks suspiciously, knowing that the people who hide in the shadows are the most dangerous.
Kat Shepard shares more or less the same line of thought as Miranda, but doesn't show it.
"I've always preferred talking to people face to face," the red-haired woman said, smiling at the unfamiliar game before her.
"We'll leave the choice of meeting up to you. Would you prefer us to go aboard the Normandy SR-2 or you to come inside the Renai AB-3?" Amelia asks, giving the humans the choice, as a sign of goodwill.
"We come to you/you come to us." Kat Shepard and Miranda respond at the same time, expressing opposing wills.
The Heroine of Elysium and the Femme Fatale turn to each other, exchanging a glance.
The red-haired woman wants the new aliens on her ship, so her crew will be safer in case of unexpected events.
The black-haired woman wants to board the alien ship so she can learn more about them and their technology.
"You're the Commander, it's up to you to decide." Miranda said, leaving the choice to Shepard.
"Captain Amelia, I would be honored to have you aboard my ship." Kat Shepard declares, placing a hand on her chest.
"I will be there as captain and scientist, a bodyguard and a VIP who can discuss seriously important matters." Amelia lists the people who will be the group present at the meeting.
"A female scientist, a bodyguard, and a mysterious diplomat. It looks like a trio of salarians, turians, and asari." Miranda thinks, reflecting on the strange coincidence.
"Sounds reasonable to me," Kat Shepard said, agreeing to host three unknown aliens aboard the Normandy SR-2.
"Can the meeting take place in two hours, so both parties can prepare properly?" Amelia asks in a friendly, calm tone.
"I agree with this proposal, the rest of my crew hasn't had time to digest the news yet." Kat Shepard said, confident that being given two hours is more than helpful for the crew of the Normandy SR-2.
"I want to give you a little warning, so there are no nasty surprises. The Renai AB-3 is a Light Frigate built for improved cargo storage and strike force deployment," Amelia said, speaking admirably of her Starship, which was like a daughter to her.
'Let's learn some of the specifications of this ship.' Miranda thinks, memorizing this information.
"We have no unarmed vehicles, the only vehicle we have to reach the Normandy SR-2 is the Low Altitude Assault Transport, aka LAAT." Amelia said, splitting the screen in two.
On the left is an image of Amelia, while on the right is an image of the vehicle that the Renai AB-3 crew plans to use to reach the Normandy SR-2.
"Of course, we'll leave the missiles inside the hangar, but we can't remove the two forward laser cannons and the laser turrets on the wings," Amelia said, trying to bring this meeting to a good conclusion.
'Did he say laser?' Miranda thinks, her eyes widening as she hears such technology, which exists in theory and in the movies, being mentioned as if it were nothing special.
"Captain Amelia, thank you for your kindness, I hope to meet you soon." Kat Shepard said, maintaining a composed expression.
"Same, Commander Shepard." Amelia said, ending the call.
The Normandy SR-2's holographic display shows only a black, static background.
The heroine of Elysium took a deep breath, not knowing why that simple chat was more tiring than many of her battles.
"I think from our first conversation, we can stop speculating that they are religious fanatics. Their leaders have probably used the excuse of religion or divine will as an excuse to justify starting a war in the past." Kat Shepard concludes, feeling lighter, but just as tired.
"So, we don't have a sexy female doctor who broke away from her religious fanatic family?" Joker asks jokingly.
"Jeff Moreau, keep your strange ideas to yourself. This is a delicate situation that could have negative consequences." Miranda said in a stern voice.
"What bad could happen?" Joker asks, thinking only of Amelia's beauty and not the more important aspects of a new conglomerate of alien races.
"The existence of a fleet composed of ships larger than ours, armed with possible laser weapons and equipped with wormhole technology." Miranda said, pronouncing reality.
"Better keep our guests away from the bridge," Joker said, using his head for once.
"We need to make an announcement to the crew and prepare a room for our guests. We only have two hours," Kat Shepard declares, ready to work.
Continues ...
XXX
■ Codex - USKY :
Here are the life expectancies of a normal individual of each single species that make up the USKY (United Space Kingdom of Ysatnaf and its colonies).
Ps. I decided to include some Halo-style aliases and an insult-type nickname.
- Klyntar, aka Saboteurs or Slimes (They are virtually biologically immortal.)
Interesting fact:: Symbiotes are typically genderless and reproduce asexually, often leaving behind "offspring" that tend to be more powerful than the parent.
- Synthetics, aka Ravagers or Scraps (definition to group together all sentient synthetic life forms of inorganic origin in the USKY] (They are virtually immortal.)
Interesting fact: Except for the very first AIs created by the father and mother of the Synthetics, all Sentient Synthetics are female. The USKY government is fully convinced that male AIs are the ones who want to kill all organic life, while female AIs tend to save the world, or at least the most evil thing they do is fall in love with their captain/partner, occasionally playing pranks on their rivals.
- Thep-Khufan, aka Pharaohs or Mummies (5000 years old, as old as a pyramid)
Note: They are beings composed of linen-like bandages, but with a cellular structure similar to that of organic tissue. Having no internal organs or a traditional circulatory system, they are not subject to human biological aging.
-Transylians, aka Doctors or Frankens (2000 years)
Note: Being composed of several parts sewn together and integrated with organic electrical generators, their survival does not depend on standard cellular aging, but on their ability to sustain and repair their own physical structure.
-Viera, aka Ballerini or Bunny-Girls (900 years old)
Interesting fact: 90% of their population is female. Therefore, the female Viera were extremely happy to discover that most other alien races don't have their gender demographic problem.
- Ysatnafians, aka Warlocks or Elves (800 years)
Interesting Fact: A person's magical power greatly influences their lifespan. The more powerful an Ysatnafian's magic, the longer they can live. Blood lineage is also an important factor. Those with blood from one of the Seven Great Noble Families typically have double their life expectancy, not counting their magical power.
The oldest living Ysatnafian is Lord General Militant Cor Leonis, aka the Immortal, who boasts of being 1877 years old and looks "60".
- Eliksni, alias Pirates or Insects (700 years)
Note: Their longevity depends directly on access to their main resource, "Nectar" which also regulates their physical growth, allowing the older and more privileged members to become the "Nectar" they consume, the more they grow and live longer.
- Au-Ras, aka Lancers or Half-Dragons (700 years)
Interesting fact: Strong sexual dimorphism. There is an extreme height difference between the sexes: males are imposing (up to 217 cm), while females are petite (about 146-158 cm).
- Lalafell, aka Traders or Gnomes (500 years)
Interesting fact: They are among the smallest races, with an appearance that makes it difficult for other races to guess their age. Their average height is 90 centimeters. The largest Lalafell in recorded history reached 98 centimeters.
- Gundalians, aka Soldiers or Minions (400 years)
Interesting fact: While all Gundalians can generate electricity from their hands to stun enemies or control their technology, some individuals, especially prominent nobles, display unique powers such as hypnosis, underwater breathing, and camouflage.
- Neathians, aka Wise Men or Nymphs (400 years)
Interesting fact: Princess Fabia Sheen, Queen Seren's younger sister, married the Second Prince of USKY, subsequently giving birth to the first Ysatnafian-Neathian hybrid, Stella Sheen. Fiaba Sheen is currently expecting her seventh child, hoping for a boy.
- Loboani, alias Scouts or Wolves (300 years)
Interesting Fact: Rapid Development. Loboans appear to reach physical maturity rather quickly, reaching full maturity around 12 Earth years.