GALSIM

Forecast/GALSIM (typically abbreviated to GALSIM) is one of Union’s off-book bureaus, responsible for overseeing the Oracle Chorus installation on Mars’s Mare Boreum. The entire bureau is contained to this facility, which is staffed by a city’s worth of personnel. At the heart of the Oracle Chorus installation is a deliberative body that guides Union’s grand strategy and growth in pursuit of its mission to ensure humanity’s long-term survival: the Five Voices. The Voices are five sovereignclass bicameral minds, unique NHPs held in a metafold blinkspace pocket beneath the surface of Mars: Command, Muse, Impetus, Burden, and Watcher.
Together, the Five Voices act in concert – as a congress, in teams, and as individuals – to run iterative, near-perfect forecasts of the galaxy at intervals with the intention of advising Union in the management of galactic affairs.
In many ways, GALSIM is more akin to a monastic order than a branch of government. Its esoteric mission necessitates a certain dogmatic approach. Owing to the absolute necessity of keeping GALSIM a deeply buried secret, the staff and personnel of the Oracle Chorus facility generally serve for life; upon retiring their service, they live at a nearby satellite campus. Even retired personnel often assist with interpretation when requested, instruct new staff, and work on divergent or anomalous iteratives.
Advancement through the ranks at GALSIM – and recruitment of new staff – is based on favor and affinity with the Five Voices; empathic connection with one or more of the Voices dictates assignment, translation priority, and iterative liberty.
The existence of GALSIM, along with that of its various subordinate bodies, is top secret: classified to all except for approved members of CentComm and the directors of the USB, UAD, UN, and Union Intelligence Bureau (UIB), and their immediate staff. As a result of the need for secrecy, GALSIM’s facilities are kept decidedly low-tech to prevent external hacking and network invasion attempts – not that its existence is known by potentially hostile or interested parties.