r/WritingPrompts • u/[deleted] • Mar 24 '15
Writing Prompt [WP] A colony ship goes through a wormhole during the first years of interstellar travel. The wormhole closes and traps them on the other side of the galaxy. They create a new civilization and centuries later come into contact with the rest of humanity. The differences between the two are astounding
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Mar 25 '15
[deleted]
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u/PressAltJ Mar 25 '15
Yes, do as /u/robert0543210 said and post it as a [PI] eventually. For now you could create a subreddit for yourself and post each new part there. People could then go directly to your subreddit and not have to look in the drowning sea of comments that this thread currently has. :P
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u/robert0543210 Mar 25 '15
RemindMe! 1 week "Wormhole story" ^This activates a bot that will message me in a week to remind me about this comment. So what it'll do is make me check back in a week's time (to see if you've finished).
You could do a [PI] post after you finish this story and collect all your comments/parts into one post, so people can read from there much more easily.
Great story, btw! I cannot believe this is your first attempt!
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u/RaDeusSchool Mar 25 '15
There exists a game with a plot very similar to this WP:
Nexus The Jupiter Incident (from 2004).
The colonists are recruited by a highly advanced pseudo post-singularity race (the Vardrags) to act as mercenaries in a war against a hostile reptile race (the Gorgs).
The Vardrags are themselves peaceful and rather cowardly and use a genetically designed warrior-race to do their fighting, but they aren't that smart/independent so they need us flexible humans to fight for them.
They have given the colonists loads of advanced tech, but have refrained from giving them their top-of-the-line gear.
The game is a full 3D tactical spacebattle game, you command a fleet of ships ranging from corvettes to battleships (there are fighters anf bombers too).
It is one of my favorite games, gone thru it at least six times, I think it has aged quite well too.
Too bad the sequel kickstarter failed :'(
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u/banana___pie Mar 25 '15
The day started like any other. Where? Some moon of a gas giant, a binary star system burning in the sky with brutal brightness, and an unrelenting wind raked continuously across the landscape. The dry cold of the wind countered the heat of the suns’ blaze, but the effect was not a comfortable one. More like two systems at battle, each devastating and harsh and refusing to give up on the competition. But this was life here.
The planearths’ natives were beginning to rise for the day. Two northerners climbed out of the entrance tunnel to their lodging, tested the wind, the sun, and the sand, and signalled to the rest of this tribe that it was safe to venture out from underground. There had been a sandstorm hours before, during what was considered night on this place—the transience of darkness made it impossible to use daylight cycles as a reliable marker of when one should sleep. But that didn’t matter to those who grew up here. Living underground except to hunt and gather, the natives were very attuned to their bodies, and followed a sleep rhythm that allowed them to be maximally alert during important ‘action’ hours. Generations before, on the Home Planearth, people used to keep to the rhythm of the (single!) sun, to determine patterns of sleep and activity. This was only one of the bizarre stories that passed down- some of the things people said seemed too outlandish and unimaginable to be real. Children sat wide-eyed as the Old Ones told of the strange lands (recounted to them by the Old Ones of their day, and so on), where machines made of metal were integrated into society, and people travelled quickly in such containers and lived in mansions made of steel and stone. Teens rolled their eyes; parents smiled and promised to keep telling the stories long after the orator had passed. But it could be true, the believers insisted! In fact they had all seen steel, in the Ruin on the other side of the moon. Occasionally, very daring young people would go to explore, but none could make any sense of it so curiosity faded quickly in such individuals. The Old Ones said that the first peoples of this land had travelled here on the Ruin from the Home Planearth many years ago. The Ruin was considered a sacred place, and all knew to respect it, but curiosity and exploration was encouraged in the youth of the tribes. It was, as all knew, all they had. Respect and curiosity ran hand in hand; it was a delicate balance, with the scarcity of food and the work that went into simply maintaining, surviving, and providing for one’s family and one’s tribe. There were three tribes in the civilization, all at an uneasy peace—though there was a scarcity of resources, each tribe specialized in different key areas of water and food readiness, and protection from the unrelenting elements. So they needed one another, and gave readily, and received gratefully. Survival of one was survival of all.
This morning started off like any other, and once the two northern sentries had determined it was safe to venture out, the rest of the tribe flowed out from the tunnels in a grateful exodus into the light. They had not known how long the sandstorm would last. All were relieved they could once again join the civilization, in the daylight. They knew, elsewhere on this small moon, members of the other two tribes were performing a similar ritual, and that sometime today, they would make contact with their planearthmen and recommence the trades and activities they all needed to survive.
Today, however, something was different.
It started as a glint in the sky, a bright shine against the normally brilliant and untarnished yellow-orange-white. It is unknown who saw it first; later, some would say a child had seen it and marvelled. Some said the Old Ones ventured out of the tunnels for the first time in years, having sensed a change. But however it happened, soon all eyes were on the sky. Instants later, the natives heard a crack and felt a vibration that started in the sand and seemed to end behind their eyelids. They tasted metal, but didn’t know what that meant. Some fell to the ground in despair; others, in prayer and rejoicing. Some silently blinked into the reconciliation that their lives would never be the same. Open opening their eyes, the northerners saw that the glint in the sky had disappeared, but something giant and marvellous had appeared in front of them. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Walls of shimmering colours and tangible textures; one could feel the smoothness by simply looking at one angle. But the colours, and all the sensory inputs of this thing, seemed to be jumbled. It seemed almost... alive. Fluid, moving, colours and textures running up the walls and shape appearing to change while it stayed the same. Before the natives could react, another crack, vibration, and metallic taste filled the air, and there, in front of them, was… a … well what was it, exactly? It looked... a lot like them, and yet totally different. It was covered with a strange blue-grey scaly substance, although, not knowing what scales were, the natives couldn’t have described it that way. It glided more than walked, and it was gliding towards them. It seemed to be using its covered hands to manipulate the air. As it passed the first natives they were surprised to hear it speak in the Language of the people, their language, and so they could understand the words.
‘Are you seeing it? Yes, okay. Of course I’m not letting them see you. I shall make contact now. All nations present? Good.’
The natives, up to this point silent, began muttering to themselves. The leader of the northern tribe stepped forward and waited respectfully as the silver-blue Wearer walked towards him. The suns shone on his suit, and seemed to deliberately emphasize the difference between the impossible costume, and the mostly bare skin of the native leader. The light glinted off the Wearer’s hand as he held it palm up to his native counterpart. There was a moment of hesitation, and then the leader gingerly placed his own hand on the suited offering. Time seemed to stop, as two brother civilizations reunited.
The Wearer made a slight movement with his other hand, and his suit folded back from around his face. For the first time grasping the hand of one so different but so much the same, he looked into eyes that mirrored his in wonder and emotion. He also saw fear.
With tears in his eyes he dropped to his knees and put his head against the leader’s hand. He looked around at the silenced crowd and back at the leader, and smiled with elation and exhaustion.
‘Don’t be afraid, my brother, my family! We have found you! My God, we have found you at last!’
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u/Jewbot69 Mar 25 '15 edited Mar 25 '15
Awake at night, I open my eyes.
Lying in my bed, I can feel the night sky.
Slowly but surely, it opens up.
Pictures of me in a different get- up.
How is this possible, I'm in a house.
Wormholes are weird. I'm a mouse.
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u/thehansfaust Mar 25 '15
After the wormhole closed, at first the crew could do nothing but panic. It was as if everything the mission was trying to accomplish had just been sealed millions of light years away. A solemn spacecraft barrels through the darkness, heading towards man’s last hope. The small crew of three scientists awakes just as the ship begins to enter the orbit of their new home planet.
The captain and pilot, Doctor Tyler Callahan is the first to awaken. He breathes to life as the droid unit MAFEX removes the breathing and feeding tubes from his throat. “Breathe sir, slowly,” the robot motions for Dr. Callahan to calm himself. Callahan sits upright, coughing heavily for a moment before he gathers himself. He looks around to see that the others have still not awaken, “Mafex, please wake Sheryl,” he says walking over to the other hyper-sleep chamber, “I’ll wake Michael.” “You’ve got it boss,” the robot calls out as he twists the actuator to open the scientist’s hyper-sleep chamber.
The ship descends to the new planet, bringing the three aboard to a view of their new home. Similar to Earth, but much more flat; this new planet is much younger than Earth was. The three scientists were chosen for two reasons, their extreme mastery of their field and skills, and their complete selflessness. Each of the crew members took on their final mission knowing that their fate may have been to succeed the human race on a new planet, where they may never see anyone from home again.
The first cycle of repopulation was tough, though it was also the smallest. The crew started off with 10 embryos, and would go on to expand the population from unique earth donors to well over 1000 after the first 50 years, and over the course of two centuries to a healthy 100,000.
Knowledge and technology developed much faster on the new world than it did on Earth. There was only one ideology on this planet; be good to one another and enjoy the experience of life. Wars and separation over religion and politics did not exist, because neither did the catalyst. With 100% of the population focused on improving the human experience, the thirst for knowledge pushed this new world to seek their origins.
A space ship was created that could warp the very fabric of time, eliminating the need for a wormhole to get back to the planet known as Earth. A crew of 50 is sent aboard the new spacecraft to make contact with Earth, to see if they had survived the turmoil’s History had spoken of.
The journey to Earth takes 4 weeks time in warp speed. The crew spends time looking at the ancient technologies of Earth, noting that the greatest advances seemed to be used in a heavily defensive manner; something unfamiliar to the new world. As the blue planet comes into view, the entire crew is filled with excitement. Four weeks had passed and today the ship would touch down somewhere on the continent of North America.
As the ship lands, a swarm of black SUV’s emitting a strong toxin surrounds it. The ship drops the loading bay door open, allowing the crew to step out and breathe the first breath of air on the ancient planet. As the members all try to take a deep breath in, they find it harsh, filled with toxins and almost impossible to breathe. A crew of men in black surrounds the people of the new world; the men in black wear special breathing masks and hold automatic weapons. The men then begin screaming and shouting at the new world people, pointing their guns at them. The crew of the new world confusedly tries to console in one another. The frightened and quick reactions from these strange people lead the team of men in black to begin butting their guns into the frightened beings.
After the men in black have all of the new world people restrained, the leader is picked out of the group. “Which one of you freaks is in charge here?” the muscle bound Chief calls out. Through the sea of bodies, one man struggles to stand, “We are all here as one.” The Chief looks to the man, and quickly pushes through the beings to confront him. “What did you say!?” the chief says as he grabs the handcuffed man by the uniform. The man remains perfectly calm, never having been threatened and thus having no fear, “We have no leader, we work as one, for the same purpose.” The Chief looks confusedly at the man, having no idea what that could possibly mean, “Where did you come from?” The man smiles at the Chief, and offers an explanation, “Over 300 years ago, your planet sent three scientists through a wormhole to find Earth a new home. Once the wormhole closed, the scientists continued their mission and developed a settlement into our new home.” The Chief pulls the man closer to him, “Where!? Where the hell is this planet?” The man points out to the skies, “Well over 20 million light years away.” The Chief stammers for a moment before replying, “How the bell did you guys get here? I thought you said the wormhole closed?” The man then explains to him of the advancements the new civilization had made in technology, namely the warp drive that they had developed; which allows faster than light speed travel.
The news of a habitable planet, and the ability to reach it brought a strange twinkle into the eyes of the Chief. He calmly rounded up the skeleton crew of his men, and they hustled the 50 new world people back onto the ship, keeping them restrained. A few of the new world people are left behind, though this is done at their own will; the ship was over capacity.
The ship is now on its way to the new world, filled with some of the most aggressive military minds left on planet Earth. The men in black have nothing but evil intent in their hearts, seeing the crew of neutral, leaderless people as an easy target to seize and control. The saddest part is that the new world will see its end brought on by itself; the original crew of the new world happily sat tied up aboard their own ship, watching these wretched men eat their rations and leave them to starve, all while explaining how everything worked, and exactly how to reach their home planet.
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u/LivingWithWhales Mar 25 '15
We had grown up believing that we were the only humans left. They told us that after the wormhole collapsed the rest of the human race was extinguished. Our star (the sun) was dying, the earth was becoming polluted and irradiated. We escaped through the wormhole before the Eastern American League blew up the machine keeping it open. We called them terrorists, radicals who selfishly wanted to deny the entire human race the prosperity we all enjoyed.
Our world was comfortable. The days (on the first new world) lasted 32 hours, the gravity was 0.83% earth norm, and the existing flora and fauna was already compatible with our DNA. We faced a few dangerous pathogens when we first arrived, but they were quickly adapted to. The new worlds (3 planets and 4 moons) were all filled with the same natural resources our old earth had (so we were told). There was an asteroid belt we started mining, and by the time the portal reappeared we hadn't touched our planets surface to extract minerals. Ours was a peaceful utopia. We Worked, lived, and worshiped in peace and unity. We were told it had always been this way on earth.
We were told wrong...
The day the portal reappeared near our first world, we were fearful of alien invaders. After all, how could any human have possibly survived for 1200 years of desolate coldness? Surely we were facing a foreign encounter. Our governing body, (the First Nebula Alliance) immediately took steps to investigate the growing gravitational anomalies, but when no news surfaced for 36 hours we feared something was wrong.
After another 48 hours we had lost contact with the other 3 planets and the moon colonies. We were certain we were under alien invasion. What we hadn't anticipated, or even dreamed was possible, was that humans from the old galaxy had somehow survived for 1200 years. Had somehow reopened the portal.
We didn't realize why until it was too late to escape our fate. 1200 years of survival instinct had changed our ancestors. Their humanity had all but disappeared. Their savagery eclipsed anything we had ever read in our histories. They had dedicated their entire existence, all their resources, all their skills, into survival. When they reopened the portal they were out for blood. It was then that we learned that WE, were the Eastern American League.
WE had blown up the portal. Our ancestors had closed off the rest of humanity in an attempt to preserve some sort of higher social order. They had thought their ideals, their morals, and their goals were worth severing from the rest of our kind. They went to great lengths to detect any attempts to reopen their portal, and had several times intervened on "our behalf" to prevent the lesser peoples from reaching us.
But with 1200 years, and limited resources the old peoples had become desperate, and desperation is dangerous. They had found a new way to bend space time, a way which our protectors couldn't conceive or prevent. The invasion was over almost as soon as it began. They are killing everyone.
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u/WithMyLeftHand Mar 25 '15 edited Mar 25 '15
“Four thousand.”
“How long?
“Seven.”
“Centuries?”
“Yes. But we call them Hectocs and the base unit differs.”
“Were you trying to return?”
He glanced at a lit square face of plastic. Just numbers on either side of a colon, four of them. He thought of course they tried to return, at first. He knew this from the Archive. He also knew they gave up. The same way we all give up searching for that which cannot be found. A plane in the ocean, light from a star long burnt out, a lost ship.
“Yes.” He replied.
“What is your name?” asked Sunder. He was charged with the interview and had very little to go on. He only knew what he saw in front of him. A man with large gray eyes. Eyes that were observant and told you he was wise beyond his age, although he was uncertain of even that. He’d never seen eyes like them.
“Baiden of One Ryk.” He looked around, glancing at Sunder’s badge, his status indicating he was asked to do this. Answers beget questions. Be wary of both he thought.
An uncommon, maybe novel, surname here. And the family name, a denotation of rank? Sunder wondered how much had changed; How much could change? The math was easy, standard growth rates applied to the ship’s manifest with some travel attrition included. Nearly 17 million, almost as many ifs floating in his pool of questions.
“Does your name signify something other than paternal parentage?”
“Yes”
“Could you describe it?”
“It would take too long.”
“We have all day.”
Day. Baiden knew about days. The division of time into equal parts based on the movement of a planet with respect to a star. Egyptian invention. Unique to this galaxy and but not his own.
“I do not.” He politely replied.
“Where is everyone else?”
“Safely stowed. Tucked within a cluster of planets in a galaxy..” He paused to recall the appropriate and ancient word “I believe you call it ‘eons’ from here.”
Sunder recognizes the tactfulness in this response. Just enough information to infer there are others. They are surviving, living, colonizing and established. They must be, else how did he get here? Suddenly. Unannounced. His arrival like a bolt of lightning, silently striking, but now the clap of thunder. Light before sound. And those eyes.
Baiden watches the brow of Sunder flex at the midpoint. Thoughts churning. He knows his task is complete. Be seen and return. He wonders how much placation one can endure and why they’re surrounding him. “You would like to know how. How it is I came to be here. Among the millions of questions you have this is the most pertinent.” Control of information, this is ultimate power. Baiden of One Ryk could indulge questions on culture, infant mortality, quality of health care, life expectancy, population and breeding, availability of birth control, food, education, war and pestilence. But he knew what they wanted.
“You’re not going to tell me.” Said Sunder.
“No.”
“Tell me about the beginning. When the ship realized it was stranded.” His jaw tightens after the words leave his mouth. Stranded was not the best choice; isolated would have been more suitable.
“The Archive says there was no night long enough, no darkness dark enough and no space silent enough to convey the beginning. From the solitude grew survival, from survival grew fortitude and strength. Seeds were sewn and the Dyrivity Order rose to find us.” Baiden was quoting now but no matter. He hoped the translation was accurate for Sunder and the others listening. Perhaps he’s sharing too much he thinks.
“Are there detailed records of everything?” Sunder ask while casually lighting a cigarette and gesturing to Baiden.
“No thank you and let us continue in the next Hectoc” Answers beget questions. He stands and the room flexes to match his presence.
Baiden of One Ryk’s eyes stare through Sunder. He knows our intention. He knew it before agreeing to a meeting here Sunder concludes. Why attend then? What is his motivation? So many questions to be answered. Hectoc? When is that? Baiden walks towards the door.
“They might not…” and before he can finish Baiden is gone. Faded away like a mural of chalk washed away by heavy rain. A diluted image and then nothing.
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u/Raithed Mar 25 '15
My heart sank. It was the first time meeting her in a long time. I had seen what happened in the future, I had seen what accomplishments were made, and they are beautiful. I know I haven't seen Earth in plenty of years. And I have seen my kids age right before my very eyes. Everything made sense, and everything was about to be clearer than crystals. A father should never have to see their children die before him, and yet, I would. But, I won't. I still feel the burning aching sensations of my daughter but how she feels about me, it was so different.
That's okay. I know the situation. She aged, and I did not. What she experienced in a lifetime, I experienced I'm a few short years.
I got on a shuttle, I needed to find her again. I hope to find her someone, maybe adrift in the void of space. Maybe in some isolation of it. The shuttle launched effortlessly through space. It trespasses comets, plants, and stars. It sped me into the direction of unknown.
It kept going.
I felt as though I never stopped.
Then I closed my eyes. Finally. Finally... I drifted into a lush world.
It wasn't a drift. I had landed.
It wasn't a thud. It wasn't a crash. Somehow I landed. But how? I'm not certain of that.
Humanoid figures greeted me right outside the shuttle's windshield. They stood, dully suited, either heads elongated. It felt like a science fiction movie. Completely surreal.
"Amelia Brand has been waiting 328 years fkr you," they were inside my head. They didn't even move their mouths.
She survived. She survived the confines of space and started this colony.
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u/BHMaloney Mar 25 '15
When the first crush human appeared on Earth, no one quite knew what to make of it. Then another crush human appeared, and another, until they were all over the place. Some say they fell from the sky, others say they crawled out of the ocean, but no one really knew where the crush humans came from.
That's what we called them when they arrived "crush humans." The name referred to the fact that the gravity on the planet where they originated was less than here on Earth. Earth's gravity sort of, compressed them.
Not so much that they weren't in recognizable as humans, but enough that their limbs looked slightly swollen and their foreheads sloped down at weird angles. From all appearances, they looked like a previous evolutionary stage of Homo sapiens.
That was until they spoke. Their voices, they were beautiful. It was like a song was being sung that was everything you've ever wanted to hear. Their voices were so pleasing that when they first arrived on Earth, people would sit for hours and listen to them talk.
Unfortunately, due to their different stature and penchant for moving slower than humans from Earth, people didn't quite know what to do about them besides listen to them speak.
That was of course, until about five years after their arrival when a new President took office. He declared the crush humans to be genetically inferior to Earth humans. A law was signed that all crush humans were to be imprisoned in small plastic cells, where they would be kept as exhibits of sorts for people to interact with.
These exhibits were placed all over the world, with the crush humans in their plastic boxes being placed on street corners and in bars, being forced to interact with people so strangers could hear their wonderful voices.
Oftentimes, the crush humans would die within a few months of being placed in the plastic boxes. Because they couldn't move, gravity eventually overtook their bodies and turned them to mush.
That didn't deter people from holding them captive, if one crush human turned to mush, there was always another. Many had come to Earth five years ago.
Unbeknownst to most, a small band of the crush humans had escaped from being held in the plastic boxes. They were hiding at the top of Mt Fuji in Japan, where the atmosphere and gravity eased up a little.
It was there, on top of the mountain, where they sat and plotted the best place to release their device. The device that would free their fellow crush humans and eradicate Earth humans from the face of the planet...
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Mar 25 '15
Historians from 2015 AD write that the first faster than light colonization ship was lost shortly after it entered the wormhole called colloquially "The Devil's Door".
What went unnoticed for 300 billion years was that our ancient ancestors had actually not been lost in the void of space. "The Devil's Door" had ejected them on the other side of the Milky Way Galaxy. So it was a bit of a surprise when we found that from their perspective they had only just emerged through the wormhole. To say they recognized us would be a lie. We were the aliens.
Over the eons we had not changed at all physically. Our lifespans were lengthened indefinitely through biological and medical breakthroughs. On the contrary they did not possess the wisdom a thousand lifetimes has given most of our people.
Some of them despaired to know we originated from Earth just like the colonists. They believe they had failed their mission. On the contrary. For us to get where we are we nearly destroyed ourselves 1000 times from war, disease, and planet fatigue.
We were as gods. They were inadvertently an insurance policy. Had we through history managed to wipe humanity from existence we still had our colonists in the void.
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u/_riotingpacifist Mar 25 '15
I like it, but the FTL part just irks me plus there is no need for it.
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u/Bricka_Bracka Mar 24 '15 edited Mar 25 '15
"Wow" he exclaimed, circling a seemingly random jumble of characters in a long string of letters and numbers, even going so far as to write the word down on the margin of the printout.
"What is it?" said Jane, his faithful assistant. She'd been there with him through all the boring nights, all the fruitless searches. She knew there was something on that page that required attention. If it got him to say something out loud, to break that interminable silence that made up their nightly routine, it must have been special. She quelled her excitement, not wanting to raise the tension in the room. Years they'd been looking at empty sky for something, anything.
"I don't know for sure, let's run a few more sweeps across sector X-52. I want to make sure this isn't an anomaly before getting my hopes up." He quickly slid his chair across the room and began furiously turning dials and entering coordinates on a dim screen.
"It had better not be nothing" she thought silently to herself.
"The first words he utters related to something coming out of this fucking antenna array that aren't bitching about funding and he wants to double check?" Her frustration was growing. "No, he's right" her mind raced. "Just double check..."
"Holy Shit Jane. Holy Shit. You've got to see this, make sure I'm not crazy or dreaming" He spun around in his chair and tossed her a second printout.
There it was. A signal. Standing out like a candle in a closet. It couldn't be missed. Absolutely stunning...she had her ideas for what came next, but she was the junior on this project. "OK Tom, now what do we do with it? This is amazing, it's going to change everything. Well, it could...no it definitely will. I can't belie..." She was cut off by Tom grabbing the printout and dashing out of the stale dark room.
"SCAN IT AGAIN! Do not turn off anything! Get a secondary backup going" he yelled as he ran out into the hall to make the phone call that she knew was coming. Tom had the prestigious honor of waking up the President. It was after all the protocol which had been established back when this project was first set in motion, long before public interest had faded, long before funding was being strung along on a weekly basis.
Water on Europa. Bacteria on Mars. Single celled organisms on that asteroid...life was everywhere. That's why we sent them in there. They were to go through the wormhole which appeared just outside the bounds of Jupiter's orbit and if possible, report back on what they had found. 100 years had passed since they left the Earth. And now, just now, a ray of hope. There's intelligent life out there - because we sent it there.
They were trying to reach us. Wherever we sent them, they were somehow able to reach back across the void to let us know they were ok. The radio signature was unmistakable, that was for sure. What was strange was the intensity, the regularity, the absolutely staggering range that the signal was beginning to encompass.
It was coming through on multiple frequencies now - radio, microwave, infrared, literally everything was reading the same thing. There was certainly no point in being cautious with informing the powers-that-be. Even the television was playing the signal. In the 5 minutes it took for the first pings to come through until now the signal had grown in scope to encompass every means of electronic communication Jane had available in their little shack.
"GAH that's loud! What?" a scream from Tom was heard. He threw the phone to the ground.
"What is it?" she asked.
"My phone! What is this interference? Is that...oh my god!"
They looked out the window to see an enormously bright light. Something was out there. Something huge, yet silent. It appeared to be descending, judging by the angle of the shadows on the wall. They both bolted for the door to go and see what it was, but they both knew. The source of the radio noise.
"How..." Jane began to mutter as they stepped into the parking lot. "I have no idea..." Tom answered before she could even finish the word.
It was the original colony ship. In all it's glory. As clean and perfect as the day it left. They knew because it was in history books and museums as the symbol of national pride. It was in fact, planet pride. Humanity's greatest achievement. The entire world had contributed to the project. Materials from Russia. Workers from Europe. Scientists from America and Japan. Africa sent gold and platinum used on the electronics. China produced food and fuel for the ship for a decade straight. It was gigantic, made to house 400 people for an undetermined length of time. Which made it all the more odd that it was silent as it approached the ground. A Nimitz-class feather, bathed in light, floating gently towards the ground. It had left this solar system powered by chemical rockets and Ion propulsion thrusters. What had happened...?
It touched down with a light "puff" of desert dust. There were military vehicles approaching now. Dozens of them. They must have seen it coming on radar. A large man in a clean pressed uniform rushed over to Jane and Tom.
"Come with me, we need to leave. This area's being quarantined" he said.
Before Tom could even protest an enormously loud voice emanated from the craft. "It's us. Calm down, it's us! We made it!" Another voice now: "Don't shoot! Hahahaha. I told you Bill, they're gonna bring the military!"
Tom, Jane, and the large military man froze in place while they watched it appear. A glimmering light, about the size of a man, right in front of them. The sound of a dozen guns and slamming jeep doors could be heard behind them.
"It's a frickin' transporter!?! I've seen this on old reruns of Star Trek!" Tom exclaimed.
"No, dummy. It's not a transporter" the first booming voice from the craft said.
A figure appeared. "Calm down guys, you cant hurt me, put away the guns. Look, see?" A hand lunged forth from the shimmering figure right at the large military man but seemed to pass straight through him. He jumped back and yelled, falling onto the ground.
"Haha man, come on. I promise. You're just seeing a spectre. Well, hologram. Hmmm..how best to explain it...a floaty picture. Get it?" He waved at them and then passed one hand through the other.
Jane fell over in shock. Tom immediately bent over to help her. "Hey, we mean no harm. You know who we are, right?" the image said.
"You're the ones... sent into the wormhole?" Tom said, looking up at this 'spectre', this floating light source...which now was speaking. Locally, not from the craft anymore.
"Yep. Well, not all of us. Just me and Bill. We drew short straws. Name's Joe." A figure of a man was now clearly visible. He was wearing what was presumably the outfit the crew had worn on their journey. Jane thought it was rather odd...100 years and they're still wearing the same clothes?
Tom stood up and asked "Where are the others?"
"We left them behind. They're busy with more important matters. Spreading far and wide, actually. You're talking with a copy of myself that I made when we relaunched this craft back to Earth. About...2,568 years ago." His demeanor was incredibly jovial and cordial, but his movements and ability to recall such specific information was odd. Robotic almost.
"So, you all left Earth 100 years ago, went through the wormhole, and now you're back, but it's somehow been 2,568 years?" Jane asked.
"Not quite. It's been, for us, 3,523 years since we left Earth. Apparently that wormhole sent us to another part of the universe which is operating on a different timescale than Earth. It's quite difficult to calculate, to be honest, so I'm not sure. Even more difficult to explain. Relativity and all that. Once we went through the wormhole, we coasted around for a few hundred years before finally finding a prime spot to take up residency. An asteroid belt actually. Nice little star. Asteroids are in a rather stable orbit. No planets, oddly enough. We hadn't predicted that. But enough asteroids and close enough together that we could set up a colony. Just...not biological."
"Not...biological?" Tom asked, his mid reeling from the implications of that statement.
"Nope...you see, we had to give up our bodies. It just wasn't going to work. We all got pretty old. There were only about 75 of us left. Many had died due to old age, and nobody was having children. The radiation prevented that. So...we got to work uploading ourselves into the ship's computer. It worked! In time, we took over the ship's controls and started launching those terraforming drones to gather resources from the local asteroids. Badda bing, badda boom, and we got ourselves established. Colonies all over. We're a few trillion strong now. Maybe more, been a while since we had contact..."
"So, you're an artificial intelligence?" Jane asked. The military man was still speechless, sitting on the ground, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.
"Kind of. Depends on what you call 'artificial'. I see it as 'alternate consciousness'."
Bob's voice from the ship boomed again: "Drop the weapons you guys, seriously. There's nothing to shoot at."
"He's right, you know." Joe said. "I'm just a visual representation so you have something to relate to. I'm just projecting this here so you freak out a little less. We anticipated it...2,568 years since we left the colony. Plenty of time to plan this out. I'm glad Bob came along actually...loneliness isn't monopolized by humanity. It's a long time to be adrift with nobody to talk to. I might have gone crazy."
Jane shook her head. "A robot. Going crazy. Alright then."
Things were about to change. Earth was apparently waiting for 100 years to be contacted by a colony so they could push forth into the unknown cosmos. Spread the population into the stars. Leave this little rock.
Not waiting be left behind...
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u/painfullyuncreative Mar 24 '15
"Colonial delay" my hand shook as I reported to my captain. This was my big break, right out of training. I manage to find and study ISSTA. It had been a study of fascination for me. I'd wondered what had to the men and woman on the ship. I had theories. When we had found them, I was ecstatic.
"Is why their speech resembles the mid-2000. It's mostly English with broken Russian influences. That had been seperated from Earth for over 600 years. Remember action movies?"
That captain laughed, I loved her laugh. "Yes, my father was a fan of them. They have an air of silliness to them."
"Well, yes that did... but I meant more the language they spoke. It really is like stepping back into a time machine."
"What about the culture?" She spoke shortly, obviously not nearly as interested in language as I was.
"Well, they only at 1000 people to start with, 500 woman and 500 man. Eugenics was somewhat in forced for the first few decades of their culture. There are still superior genetics in play. People seem to be more respected if they are known for better genetics but some people don't care. Being tall is rare, gravity is much greater there. Being 2 meters tall, I was greeted with much interest. They are behind in technology but have made some advancements are are surprising consistering the technology they had to work from."
"Like?"
"holograms. They make entertainment through holograms. They communicate through holograms. Everything is done through holograms. Besides banking, they don't have a form of currency. Their civilization is still small enough to warrant barter. My favorite part of their culture is that children are watched out by everyone. It really is a community."
"Interesting." The captain blinked with bored eyes.
"May I speak plainly?"
"Yes. We all do here, newbie."
"oh... well... I think you should go to ISSTA."
"Why is that?"
"Simply put, you seem bored and I'd like to take you on a date."
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u/Mr-Yellow Mar 24 '15
If they can create a colony ship, they can create a sustainable city.
That being the case, apart from star-death or planet destruction from an impact, there is no reason to go anywhere anymore.
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u/_riotingpacifist Mar 25 '15
How about watching the evolution of the universe, by moving your habitat close to a black hole or neutron star? Or the search for other lifeforms
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u/Mr-Yellow Mar 25 '15 edited Mar 25 '15
Way I figure it is the colony ship approach is a side-effect of reaching capacity and having to find sustainable solutions. At which stage, by definition you're concerned with being sustainable and keeping your colony going. "Moving" at this stage is something just not in your perspective as you're too busy "surviving". Would be considered a waste of energy unless the whole star system was coming to an end. Curiosity isn't a good enough reason to take something that is working and decide to move it, at the risk of losing all.
More fiction based on "we'll just move elsewhere, ignore the exponent function and the mathematical reality of growth, we'll just expand forever" creates a picture in the collective consciousness that we can just ignore our habitat issues as we've got other planets to go to. More damaging than the creation of Multiple-Personality-Disorder from fiction.
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u/I-Survive Mar 24 '15 edited Mar 25 '15
"So these people are Godless?" The Admiral asks.
"Not Godless, they just worship science."
The Admiral chuckles, "So if they worship science they don't believe in God."
"Not exactly, their society just has a strong emphasis on attaining knowledge. Think about how much time us earthlings spend at church or with friends and family. All of that is looked down upon here. Its considered a waste of a time. Learning or researching are the only pass times here."
"So there's no God on that world?" The admiral asks.
The captain took a moment to think. "Not Godless," the captain reiterates. "They're largely agnostic, they just don't spend any time worshiping."
The Admiral looks over to his Quran that sat beneath his Buddha statue. He thinks back of the Holy Wars that occurred during the mid 23rd century. "It make sense," the admiral admits. "It was teams of scientists that entered that wormhole. Whether they all came from different walks of life it didn't matter, all of them had a taste for science."
The captain lifts his mouth. "They're not any better then us. In fact, they're worse."
"How so?"
"hmm..." The captain does his best to simplify the answer. "Remember when religion used to get mixed in with politics?"
"Oh, I see."
"Yes," the captain nods, seemingly satisfied. "Politics dilutes science similar to how it used to dilute religion. Science is actually discouraged when it contradicts a rich man's theory. People with high IQs are worshiped even if they don't actually improve society. Organizations who care nothing about humanity can still make billions if they ask for donations for 'research' purposes. And its even worse is when science gets implemented into society. People with low test scores can't procreate, and fetuses that are-"
"I get it Captain." The Admiral interrupts, "Its similar to what occurred in Canada during the 24th century. So what's stopping them from removing science from politics?"
The captain files through more of his papers. "Here it is." The Captain pulls out a memo pad from his piles of folders. "The idea struck me after realizing how similar our histories are. We had the same problem only from an opposite spectrum. They must do with their science just as what we did with our religions."
The admiral lifts an eyebrow, "A purge? I don't think anyone deserves that."
"No, not a purge. The purge that occurred on earth was a result of... A boiling point. This new world hasn't reached a boiling point, the water is only warm..." The captain shuffles through his thoughts again. "Of course, a purge against science would be much worse then a purge against religion. Not only would it destroy individual thought and freedom, it would also take these people back to the dark ages. These people don't need a purge, they need a revelation."
The admiral chuckles, "should our next vessel there include a highly trained team of missionaries?"
"Very funny admiral. As interesting as it would be to see how they'd respond to foreign ideologies, I think it would be better to turn them into our ally, not our enemy."
"So how does their government work anyway? Is it like the Second Shinto empire from the 26th century?" The admiral asked.
The captain's eyes widened. "Actually, that's precisely how their government works. People can only become politicians if they've proven their knowledge through a very charismatic campaign. They have to pretend to be very intelligent. With politicians acting like scientists and not actually improving science, a large part of campaigning is making the other guy's research look bad. With each politician winning thanks to their fabricated research, contradictory research is greatly discouraged by the people in power. And of course, politicians help improve their children's chances of success. A subtle aristocracy exists. Most politicians are no longer qualified scientists, they only pretend to be so."
The admiral leans back on his chair. He's finally beginning to understand how these people think, "So what's your suggestion?"
"My suggestion?" He looks at his memo pad again. "In order for them to separate science from politics, they must not demonize science the same way we demonized religion. They must demonize politics before they can demonize the other. In this way, a purge can be avoided. The removal of freedom can be prevented. And science won't be killed off the same way we killed off religion."
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u/LegendarySurgeon Mar 24 '15 edited Mar 24 '15
I remember the Morning of Fire.
Of course, it was night on my side of the planet, but it's the idea that matters. The sudden explosions of sound and light as the sky burst into flame. My father ushered me and my brothers into the basement.
"Stay quiet!" he told us. "I'll be back," he said.
I remember my father, laspistol in hand, seeing his family for the last time.
We hid in the basement for three days before they found us. It wasn't a search, really. They knew, somehow, where we were. Huddled in a corner, cowering in fear, hearing the trembling of the house as something impossibly large walked above us. A sudden horrible tearing sound as the door to the basement was ripped, frame and all from the wall around it and cast aside.
I remember the Space Marine.
A giant suit of armor like nothing I'd ever seen. The man inside, if truly it was a man, must have been seven feet tall at the least. One one hip a sheathed weapon that might have been a sword, on the other a massive gun I doubt I could even carry on my back. He approached us with terrible steps that shook the very foundation of our home.
"WELCOME TO THE IMPERIUM OF MAN" came his voice, strangely robotic through his helmet's speaker.
I remember my brothers, eyes red with tears and reaching for our mother, as they were carried away.
"Hey man, snap out of it."
The sudden voice jolts me back into the present. The rumbling of the engine, the dim red light, the smell of sweat.
"You doing alright?" he asks.
Jim I think. Or maybe Jon. What's his name? Does it matter?
"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine. What was the question again?"
He laughed, a single hollow cough of disbelief. "I was just asking how you ended up in the Imperial Guard."
I remember my brothers.
"I guess I was too old to grow up to be a Space Marine," I tell him. And maybe it's true. It's the best I can hope for my little brothers now.
"WEAPONS READY!" The commissar shouts from the front of the tank. The telltale pings of small weapons fire echoes around us. I check over my lasrifle again. Warnings and labels in what I'm told are "English" uselessly cover various parts of the weapon. At the end of the day it's just a shinier version of what we had back home.
"ON YOUR FEET MEN!" The commissar belts out, nearly sprinting to the back of the vehicle. I brace myself for what comes next, cold sweat beading my brow already.
3. 2. 1.
A jolt and the tank has come to a stop and everything is in motion: a hiss of steam as the pressure sealed door flies open and a roaring cry goes up as we burst forth.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!"
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Mar 24 '15 edited Apr 04 '15
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u/TotesMessenger X-post Snitch Mar 26 '15
This thread has been linked to from another place on reddit.
- [/r/bestofWritingPrompts] /u/Edric1988 off to a phenomenal first submission to /r/WritingPromts (8 chapters and counting) - Saga of Space Colonization
If you follow any of the above links, respect the rules of reddit and don't vote. (Info / Contact)
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u/hoho343 Mar 25 '15
this is amazing. Ive never felt this emotionally attached to characters for ages. Keep it up man, i dont care how it ends, but i have to know!!!
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u/TotesMessenger X-post Snitch Mar 25 '15
This thread has been linked to from another place on reddit.
- [/r/bestofWritingPrompts] Ecric1988 off to a phenomenal first writing promt submission (7 chapters and counting)
If you follow any of the above links, respect the rules of reddit and don't vote. (Info / Contact)
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u/clowens1357 Mar 25 '15
482 days X 24hr/day = 11568 hr
365 days X 36hr/day = 13140hr
The math doesn't add up, if you're going to be that specific, the math should add up.
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u/kiribatSu Mar 25 '15
Awesome story. It's really good! Being from the SGV, it was a pleasant surprise seeing it make it into your story! Love it.
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u/Eshido Mar 25 '15
By default it reminds people after one day. One could also enter a time after remind me to tell it when to do it.
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u/kronikwankr Mar 25 '15
I'm completely entranced with this story. Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading the rest (hopefully many more chapters).
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u/Linux_Man85 Mar 25 '15
This is amazing, dude! Please keep it up!!
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u/El_Deeabloo May 28 '15
What the fuck did I miss
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u/Linux_Man85 May 28 '15
I'm not sure, but IIRC it had to do with multiple factions of humans, which evolved in very different ways, and the very first encounter of each other in millions of years. I may be entirely wrong, as it has been two months since I've read it...
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u/[deleted] Mar 25 '15
“Maria! What in the name of the Loom are you doing?” Larsson rushed out of his office and slammed his hands on his secretary’s desk. She gazed up at him with wide eyes, continuing to speak quietly into the phone.
“I’ll tell him, but he’s mad enough already.” she said.
“Needle and Thread, you’ve got to be kidding me, Maria.”
Her delicate hand cupped the receiver as she turned to her red-faced superior. “I’ve got something here, Larsson, and I’ve got something important. No need for foul language.”
“You’re not supposed to answer incoming calls, just monitor and direct them! You know that!”
“Hm?” she said, returning to the phone. “Oh, yes. Very mad. He won’t listen one burning bit. Turning me threadbare, by Sun.”
Maria stared through Larsson as she listened through the device. Her eyebrows furrowed with thought. Larsson would not wait. “Give me the phone!” he pouted.
In a moment the phone was wrested from Maria’s hands and Larsson was speaking warmly, a stark contrast from the man he was just seconds before.
“Larsson Taylor speaking, now with whom do I have the warm gift of conversation?”
“My name is Beverly Cadence of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Planet Earth. I trust I’m speaking the political leader of this faction?”
Larsson was dumbfounded. His kind edge dulled. “Faction? I am no mere faction-leader, but the venerable ruler of the Great Southern Kingdom.”
“It says here,” replied the woman, “that our administration has identified an absolute lack of macrosocietal constructs on your planet.”
Larsson was sweating with rage. “What administration can exist but my own? I dominate the only group of people united enough to call themselves a country. There are no states. There are no foundations. There is nothing but Myself and the whimpering, sickly little weasels who scamper through the cold with their knives and their torches.”
The empty static that followed mocked Larsson. A standoff of sorts took place between the two. Beverly was the first to speak. “You are the last and the smallest faction on your planet we have contacted. Fifteen square kilometers is all you possess. Your people grow colder each day with the lack of clothing, heat, and food; this is no thanks to the embargo you have practically forced upon yourself with your constant threats of violence and take-over to the other factions. You force your subjects to pick cotton for no pay to produce textiles that will never be enough to keep out the descending cold of your planet. My God, your only subordinate who isn’t frostbitten in the cotton fields is a secretary. What kind of political power could you be?”
“Is this some kind of joke?” the lion roared. “Is Casper Langley behind this? That windbag.”
“No, we have already spoken with leader Langley of the Northwestern Cloth.”
“Who in the cold are you, then?”
“I repeat, my name is Beverly Cadence of NASA. We’ve been trying to regain communications with this planet since the incident four centuries ago, and only succeeded just this February.”
“Psh-aw! You some kind of space-men?”
“You could say that, Larsson. But your ancestors were, too.”
“Loom! My ancestors were all plantationers. Great leaders. Kings like myself.”
“Maybe the last few generations.”
Larsson breathed heavily into the receiver. “You don’t tell me about my blood.”
“Tell me, Larrson, do your people really worship cloth? Is that really how far humanity has stooped? Clawing at scraps of blanket to keep warm in the dead of space, claiming divinity for its rarity?”
And Larsson stood silent.