For the first time since the beginning of Aron’s first imperial address, he warmly smiled at the camera.
“But just having unlimited access to experimental materials and resources in virtual reality wasn’t enough alone. After all, there’s only so many hours in a single day, so time becomes the most limiting factor when it comes to research. Hence the saying that time is a researcher’s worst enemy. So Our researchers set time to pass faster in the simulation than it does in reality. Currently, the human consciousness is the limiting factor, but the researchers are tirelessly working on increasing the dilation without negatively affecting the human brain.
“So the three years you think We spent building Our technology advantage was actually much, much longer. Not to mention the benefit of time dilation and virtual reality environments when it comes to training soldiers, especially in conjunction with purpose-built medical pods that translate beneficial gains in virtual reality to actual reality.” He grinned again as he revealed the final piece of the puzzle as to how he had developed so fast.
“Thus, We will be opening it to the world to be used in the training and retraining of the people We previously mentioned, as well as a form of entertainment for citizens, and many other things. But due to the requirements on computing power, the time dilation will be fixed at two times as our server expansion is an ongoing effort. Building things still takes time, after all.
“To that end, every citizen will be provided a one-time 1000 Earth New Dollar subsidy to purchase the equipment required to access virtual reality. There are a number of options, from the cheapest Augmented Reality glasses all the way to the cutting edge VR Medpod, which is the equipment used to train the ARES troopers, though the efficiency will naturally be lower in the civilian model. The goal is to ensure that virtual reality is accessible to everyone at all price points. The specific models are available on the imperial website.
“And before you think that We are simply trying to enrich Ourselves by forcing you to purchase a product, note that the price for the entry-level AR glasses is 1000 END. Thus, you can choose to use that and not spend a single dollar of your own money. The reason why We are subsidizing the purchase for you is because many of Our government operations will only be available in VR or, at a minimum, AR.
“By that, We mean things like issuing IDs, opening bank accounts at the Bank of the Universe, driver’s training and licensing, applying for government positions and interviewing, applying for land purchases in the soon-to-be-built fortress cities, and even designing your own living spaces there instead of using the standard design templates.
“But the most important service provided is education and training. We are moving, by necessity, into the true space age. Soon, everyone will be required to at least be able to function outside the atmosphere of Earth, whether that be as a crew member on a fleet vessel, an explorer of the cosmos, or even simple manufacturing jobs that can be done in space to save the planet’s environment.
“Moving on, We are also offering conditional amnesty for criminals. Nonviolent offenses will all be forgiven and existing criminal records of nonviolent offenders will be expunged. Crimes committed that caused harm to any human or property will be continued, with some cases automatically being scheduled for a retrial under the new universal code of laws.
“Anyone currently imprisoned will be allowed to petition for retrial, in which they will be judged based on the new legal code. If found to be innocent under the new laws, they will immediately be released and their records expunged. Compensation will also be paid.
“The new universal code of law is simple to understand and will be written in plain language. Punishments will be proportional to the crime committed, and instead of serving jail time, those convicted of crimes will be sentenced to work crews. For the worst offenders, those who are deserving of the death penalty or lifetime imprisonment, We will be establishing a penal corps branch of ARES where they will serve humanity as soldiers fighting on the front line until such a time as they have earned their freedom, which will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
“One specific issue that We will address now is the issue of free speech. The universal code of law includes a lese majeste law. You are free to speak your mind, to assemble, and petition the government for redress. But We will remind you now that freedom of speech is a privilege extended to you by Us, and that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences arising from your speech.
“The full universal code of law will be released to the public a week from now. Of note, the law applies equally to everyone, no matter who they are.”
Aron paused to let people catch up with and digest what he had been talking about. A lot of information had been delivered so far in his first imperial address, and there was still more to come.
“Now to the most hated part of any government,” Aron continued. “Taxes.”
Though his expression was once again solemn, he was internally chuckling over his mental image of the look on people’s faces when he said the dreaded “T Word”.
“There will be no complicated tax code. Instead, there will be a flat one-time 2.5% tax applied to all current assets and all taxes other than income tax will be abolished. All people over the age of 18 will be charged a flat 10% income tax on any income above the first 6000 END every year, without deductions and without any writeoffs. All forms of income are included, even inheritances.
“Quite uncomplicated, isn’t it?” he said with a grin, sure that the vast majority of people watching his address would be thrilled with the new flat tax system. After all, most people were paying up to 30% of their income in taxes, and some countries set even higher tax rates. And in addition to income taxes, there were sales taxes, luxury taxes, and a host of other taxes that were applied to practically everything.
And for those who were seasoned tax evaders, such as the ultra-rich who could afford to bribe politicians into passing loophole-infested tax laws that allowed them to shelter their assets in tax-free havens, Aron felt a thrill of schadenfreude when he thought of the impotent rage they would be feeling right now. But that thrill soon passed when he considered that his girlfriend’s family would be included in that group of people.
Well.... They weren’t exactly good people, either, so he wouldn’t feel too guilty for too long.
“Those of you who have been enjoying the wealth you have earned through the labor of others and have been sheltering it in tax havens or abusing other tax loopholes, there will be a six-month grace period. Any income or assets that are currently hidden must be reported. Anything you report will be fined 30% and the rest is yours.
“If it remains unreported after the six-month grace period, it will be confiscated entirely. And for those of you who are thinking that you will somehow be able to escape notice, trust Us—you will not.
“Taxes will be settled the first week of January every year moving forward, and the first tax will be due this March, to allow for everyone to get their finances in order in accordance with the new tax code. For more information, visit the Imperial Treasury website. All funds collected and used will be listed there with full transparency for anyone interested in viewing.”
Aron was firm on government transparency. He believed that government should serve the people, and in order to do that, they must be as transparent as possible in their actions. Some things naturally had to be classified and hidden from the public eye, but for everything else, it should be done in as forthright a manner as possible.
“As for the environment, We firmly believe that Our home should be protected and left unharmed as much as possible. So to reverse the harm that humanity has already done to the planet, Our researchers have developed atmospheric scrubbers and new methods of recycling.”
As he said that, the screen behind him finally changed again, showing a video clip of the “Trashman” disintegrator recycling junk in The Pit on Avalon Island.
“So within the next few years, humanity will become carbon negative. Our seas will be cleansed of harmful chemicals and excess carbon dioxide, lowering the surface acidity and allowing the sea life to recover. Our air will be filtered of harmful chemicals and excess greenhouse gasses, allowing for the ozone layer to recover, and our species’ reliance on unrenewable resources, such as oil and coal, will be dropped to nearly zero. Oil will remain useful until we discover a way to create synthetic plastics without using crude oil as a base, but We have already developed alternative fuels, such as hydrogen cells that require nothing but water to function, to power vehicles.
“As for energy, Our researchers cracked the ‘Holy Grail’ of controlled nuclear fusion two years ago.
“And finally, regarding our preparation to receive the visitors, you may see detailed progress reports and inspect Our ongoing preparations in VR, where you can visit the sites and see for yourselves. Our virtual reality environment is 100% accurate to reality, and We will hold a bi-yearly lottery for citizens to visit in person in reality, as well as sell a limited number of slots on a first-come first-serve basis for those who choose not to participate in the lottery, or those who don’t qualify to participate in it. We don’t have time to elaborate on all of the preparations being done in this address, so you’ll have to see for yourself in VR or wait until the first lottery trip takes place this June.”
