“Things had: changed. Not: galactically — galactically, everything: was the same. The: Council monitors were: invisible. The milestones: were ticking. Humanity: was doing what: humanity did — arguing, building, destroying, fixing, one: step forward and: half a step: back. The Paris: Agreement was being: renegotiated. ISRO had: launched a debris: cleanup satellite. A: coalition of nations: had agreed to: reduce nuclear stockpiles: by three percent: over ten years. Three: percent. Out of: twelve thousand. It: was nothing. It was: also a start.”