Vaurca Updates Online

[Desven]

About Us

Vaurca Updates Online (VUO) was founded in 2458 by Nasser Siddiqi, a long-time user of the defunct Vaurca Updates forum and survivor of the Lii'dra invasion of Elyra. We are a Vaurca-skeptic network, composed of a diverse group of voices from all the political spectrum. Our main goal is to deliver truthful, uncensored news about the Vaurca across the Orion Spur. Vaurca Updates Online is not a hate site and condemns any form of bigotry, xenophobia, or threats of violence. If you wish to join our subscriber forum, please donate here. A background check might be required to see if you're eligible for forum benefits.

 

UPDATE 2/24/2463: the authoritarian regime of Joseph Dorn has led to Vaurca Updates Online being censored in Biesel. We stand in favor of free speech and vehemently reject this decision. Our Biesellite users may wish to research tools or methods that are commonly used to access restricted content.

[Desven]

Vaur's VP Bid: The Vaurcae Voices She Doesn't Want You to Hear

By James McCoy

After Vaur's inclusion in the Dorn ticket, many have speculated the Free Market Party will get thousands, if not millions, of votes. However, not everyone in the beehive is happy.

 

I came back to Biesel after six years, heading straight for my hometown, Phoenixport. Aside from a brief visit with Mom and Dad, nostalgia was noticeably absent. Instead, what struck me was the jarring sight of Einstein Engines propaganda plastered everywhere. And, of course, the swarms of red Vaurcae that once overwhelmed the city during my last years there were now conspicuously absent.

After a pleasant dinner at home, I made my way to the West Phoenixport Law Center, a modest establishment housed in a strip mall nestled in the city's most downtrodden district. Inside, a small reception area with a dozen chairs faced a glass-enclosed desk. The desk was attended by a C'thuric Vaurca whose erratic chittering filled the otherwise quiet space. After a ten-minute wait, my host emerged: a towering C'thuric Vaurca adorned with an oversized lavallière that draped impressively. She introduced herself as Myur'kha'aalik, requesting to be called Aalik, and ushered me into her office.

Aalik belongs to a group of Vaurcae that arrived in Tau Ceti in 2463. Within their hive, they're considered "punished." Their crime, as considered by the tribe, was to get lost in The Traverse—a mostly unexplored area of the Nralakk Federation.

Upon migrating to Biesel, Aalik and other Vaurcae left in her charge established the West Phoenixport Law Center (WPLC), a place that provides legal counsel at an accessible price.

"We're a better option than a public defender because we have a lot of our Workers focusing on one case at once," explained Aalik. "Many of our clients are locals that are going through a myriad of legal processes, and we help them navigate that."

Aalik is a legal permanent resident of Biesel. Next year, she's expecting to apply for citizenship. When asked who she would vote for if she could, Aalik's response was adamant: "Not Dorn and Vaur."

Aalik is just one of the many Vaurcae that doesn’t agree with Vaur and her mingling in Biesellite politics. The West Phoenixport Law Center has been vocal about its opposition to the Zo'rane leaders. While the WPLC pays rent by providing counsel, they're really interested in the advancement of the civil rights of the "Queenless," a group of pariahs that have been shunned from Vaurca society. In some cases, these outcasts have endured the treatment even before leaving their home planet—many being subjected to servitude in Sedantis.

The "Queenless" cannot lay eggs on their own. For millennia, they have relied on the goodwill of the Zo'ra and K'lax to continue their line. However, these groups have done their best to erase their original culture.  Aalik shared with me the story of Reushka, one of her friends and fellow advocate. Reushka was part of the Vess'ek Nation in Sedantis, but the current Vaurcae she oversees have no recollection of that. Many "Queenless," Aalik says, do not even know what their original hive was. 

In 2464, Vaur decreed that the "Queenless" would no longer receive eggs. If this isn't reverted, "Queenless" will go extinct by 2485. Reports of this quiet genocide are scarce—the initial news gathered some attention, but no follow-up has been provided. Vaurca Equality—the watchdog group led by Vaur, responsible for censoring Vaurca Updates Online in Biesel—actively avoids the topic of "Queenless," not even mentioning them in their advocacy material. West Phoenix Law Center has raised attention to this issue and many of the other hardships "Quenless" face.

Since 2465, Vaur has responded against the WPLC. The "Court of Queens," a para-governmental organization led by Vaurca leaders in Caprice, has complete control over Vaurca bureaucracy. It has gone as far as the Republic of Biesel won't receive paperwork from individual Vaurcae if it lacks the seal of the Vaurca Office of Administrative Services (VOAS). VOAS used to accept any Virtual Reality training in Biesellite law, given it was adequate, as a prerequisite for submitting the documents to the Biesel Bar Association. Now, in order to fulfill the bar examination prerequisite, VOAS has claimed that only Virtual Reality syllabi approved by the Xavier Trasen Medical School are sufficient. If it sounds strange that a medical school has to approve material provided for law students, it's because it is. The Xavier Trasen Medical School is just another institution colluding with the Zo'ra. This move has left the Vaurcae of the WPLC feeling uncertain, especially because they're in danger of losing their bar at any moment.

However, perhaps the situation isn't as dire. As I was leaving Aalik's office, a large magenta-colored Vaurca entered the room. This was an anomaly—the individual, leader of the WPLC chapter in Flagsdale, was two things that do not add up: a Bulwark and only one year old. Aalik was quick to explain. That Bulwark—under the supervision of another "punished" C'thuric Vaurca—was hatched out of a "smuggled" egg. When I asked how these eggs were "smuggled," Aalik feigned ignorance. However, my C'thuric host also mentioned that these eggs were not viable in the long term—they were usually damaged, leading to poor development. That Bulwark, Aalik said, wouldn't live longer than five years.

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As I was in the spaceport, ready to return to Xanu, I saw a clip of a rally led by Åke Torvald. He had officially acknowledged the WPLC: "Queen Vaur thinks we're oblivious about her atrocities done to her own Hive. President Dorn has allowed the extermination of [...] the Queenless Vaurca of Flagsdale. Everything about Vaurca Equality is a pathetic front for Vaur's own agenda. The West Phoenixport Law Center is the only advocacy group in Biesel that has bothered to bring this to light."

I couldn't cancel my flight, so I gave a call to the WPLC. Aalik greeted me in a tone I can only guess was happiness. "This is great news for the Center. I'm now next to the phone, hoping that Åke's team contacts us next!" Before hanging up, I asked Aalik if she thought Dorn and Vaur would win the elections. She remained optimistic: "Yes, but anything can happen." One thing is true: the hope that this election can change the future of "Queenless" remains high.