The interior of the sphere was vastly different from its exterior; it was a dazzling, gargantuan structure. They had built an entire metropolis inside. In the very heart of the city stood a palace resembling a skyscraper of white and gold, piercing the artificial sky. This had to be the headquarters of the Federation. After landing the ship, the crew stood in awe. The existence of a metropolis covered in forests and flowing rivers inside such a metallic titan was beyond shocking. Ken was perhaps the most stunned of all; for someone who had spent most of his life underground, this was an unbelievable sight. Directly ahead of them lay a massive bridge, where Xylos and a five-member representative delegation awaited them.
The crew of twenty began walking toward Xylos across the bridge, mesmerized by the scenery. Below the bridge, at the ground level, ran a river where beings from various civilizations were running and playing. Some watched the human crew with curiosity; after all, the Homo sapiens they had only seen on screens were now standing before them, evolved enough to reach the stars.
The crew was organized into four-man specialist teams: the Engineering/Auxiliary Captain team led by Ken; the Attack Team responsible for weapons; the Defense Team managing shields; the Communications Team handling signals and planetary data; and finally, the Medical Team.
When they finally reached the delegation, Xylos greeted them with a smile. "Welcome, Children of Adam. First, we apologize for the disturbance caused by the Reptilians. As the envoy of the Great Federation, I guarantee that such a conflict will not happen again." Xylos's physical presence was even more imposing than on the screen, and his voice was incredibly deep. Ken found it strange that such a massive creature spoke with such profound wisdom.
Bjorn stepped forward as the representative. "Not at all, sir. It was actually our mistake. Had the roles been reversed, we likely would have responded the same way." Though the captain was usually cool-headed, the crew saw him visibly tense for the first time. Bjorn realized this and straightened his posture, taking a deep breath; a captain could not show weakness. Xylos gestured toward the central palace. "This way, please."
As they followed the delegation, only one question echoed in their minds: "What kind of life awaits us now?" Ken, however, was preoccupied with a different thought: the sheer scale of the universe. He realized he had been living in a prison all his life. But there was no time for sentiment; a meeting that would determine their fate was ahead.
As they walked, Xylos explained the structure and principles of the Federation. There were four "Universal Rules" that were unbreakable:
1. Member civilizations shall never wage war against one another.
2. All races are equal; none is superior to another.
3. No civilization shall interfere in the internal affairs of another, even in the case of civil war.
4. Interference with a technologically immature civilization is strictly prohibited.
These rules were the pillars of the Federation, built on the principle of "Brotherhood and Solidarity." Without it, such a massive organization would be impossible to sustain. They finally reached the center, standing before a gargantuan door engraved with an emblem they had seen on the escort ships: a sphere encompassing the entire galaxy, symbolizing the Federation's reach.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The crew instinctively took combat stances. "Do not worry, they are with us," Xylos said. As the crew asked, "Who?", the massive doors began to groan open. They were stunned to see giants, at least five meters tall, pushing the doors open. These were the guards. Their skin was so radiant it almost burned the eyes, and they possessed massive golden eyes. As the crew entered the hall with the delegation, they were met with a long red carpet leading into a council chamber designed like a coliseum. Representatives from every civilization were seated, waiting for the session to begin. At the end of the red carpet stood five thrones...