Revolutionary — T.S. Paul

For the first time in over fifteen years, I will see the green and blue features of the planet Hong Kong. I've dreamed about running through the lush green grasses and hiding in its dark forests such as when I was a child. I have very fond childhood memories of exploring our world and its many wonders. Growing up in a planetary militia family could be very hard on a child. My family was all about tradition, and regimented structure. Children are required to join the military. Our whole lives we'd heard about our family and our traditions. My grandparents were among the first to set foot on this world. They became planetary leaders and set forth the framework that Hong Kong citizens live by today. That fact was daunting to hear from a child's point of view. So much to live up to. Hong Kong was first settled by Chinese refugees fleeing from religious persecution by the reigning government of the time. It is where our plant's name originated. A historical free state once separate but still culturally the same. Or at least that was the initial idea. Additional settlers from a place called Canada brought more people. The Canadians were a strange people who brought with them foods and sports that made little sense. These people were also fleeing persecution. They were the last holdouts of an area of free thinkers. People who stood their ground and took their own responsibilities seriously. Back on Earth, the government was becoming all encompassing. Free thinkers and loners all, they were being chased out of their own country or imprisoned. The colony began to take shape and prosper. A third group, quite by accident, settled the island regions of our planet. It was almost funny how that happened. As my friend Wilson likes to say they "missed the turn at Albuquerque," wherever that is. Their colony ship had a navigational error. They had gotten lost and thought that THIS planet was the one they were looking for. Imagine my grandparents surprise to discover a brand-new colony that appeared overnight. The Greeks, being stubborn, refused to leave. When they grounded their ship, became a moot point. So now we had a Greek, Canadian, and Chinese settlement. Talk about a melting pot of culture. It might be a little strange, but it worked. Three peoples came together to make a new world culture that values personal achievement and industry. Make yourself more than you are. This concept was drummed into me as a child. Be self-sufficient, learn as much as you can. Be the best person that you are able. These were all the lessons I took away with me. But my home is under attack politically like every other sector in space. A corrupt governor has imposed his will upon the people, including my father and siblings. Revolution is muttered by the colonists as Empire jackboots crush rebellious farmers into the dirt. What a homecoming this will be!