THE JOURNEY

A Space & Time Story

CHAPTER I

It all started about 300 years ago,on planet Earth.

In the year 2065 AD,when the first rocket was launched,one of the world's major cities is reduced to ashes in an instant. And with a single gunshot,it marked the beginning of World War III. Before the war started,the world already suffered greatly. Poverty,hunger,economic downturn,deadly diseases,contamination,natural disasters. These factors,among other things,have pushed mankind to the brink of despair. This all comes to a head when a bomb set by terrorists explodes at the World Republic Federation's building in New York City. In response to this dastardly act of terror,the Federation declared war against its enemies around the world. Weapons of mass destruction were launched,one after the other,by both factions of the war without hesitation or remorse,razing the lands on Earth. The fighting has gone on for so long that overtime the people forgot the cause,knowing only the meaningless cycle of hostility and tragedy.

The declining situation lead the population to believe that the end of the world was at hand. Seven years after the start of the war,in 2072 AD,both factions immediately declared a ceasefire after realizing the critical situation. But while the conflict finally came to a halt,its effects remained. Most of the Earth's population were killed during the war,many of the cities were damaged beyond repair,and the natural environment was deteriorating at an alarming rate,rendering the lands uninhabitable. The surviving population was quickly forced to live in underground cities and the remaining countries banded together to form the Greater United Nations.

Mankind was slowly but steadily recovering from the effects of the war,but they were slowly forgetting how the sky looked like,and some even forgot how it was life outside. They were living a sad and confined existence under the earth.

Life underground remained uneventful until 2103 AD,where a group of scientists discovered a cache of technology hidden deep beneath the surface of the planet. Everyone worked around the clock to understand and adapt this new found technology. It was discovered that it belonged to an extinct alien race who would later call them the Prometheans. The scientist team,led by Collins,started working on a way to use the Prometheans' “legacy” to help the human race. Thus,the Universal Science and Technology Research Administration was established. Its mission was to locate a new home planet in the far reaches of space. The entire world was indeed looking at the skies again,after living in seclusion for many years.

In 2106 AD,the first tests for interstellar travel began. After months of trial and error, finally perfected his warp drive experiments. Soon,interstellar travel was born,and the USTRA secretly put in motion its Planetary Search Force (PSF) project. Two years later,they have sent the first human expedition in outer space to find a suitable planet for the relocation of humanity,a new world to call home. The Moonbase was built on the sureface of the Earth's moon,months prior. It would serve as a control center for the PSF and as a temporary home for humanity. Soon after,the PSF finally found a suitable world to colonize in the Alpha Centauri star system. Needless to say,everyone rushed to that planet and colonized it. They terraformed it and it was renamed Teranova. Excitement has spread throughout the people,it was a day that everyone will remember for years to come. By 2113,humanity has practically colinized much of the Solar system.

As they traversed the Milky Way,they have encountered a number of extraterrestrial species. Together they have formed what is known nowadays as the Pangalactic Alliance. Among the countless races within the Alliance are.....

The Kamajors are a muscular,proud race of soldiers,native to the planet Leubra. They share many physical traits similar to that of the long-extinct bear,sich as fur,but they have four long claws in each hand and they have a remarkable sense of smell,making them capable guardians in perilous situations. They are relatively large in size,about 8 or 10 feet tall,but some (not all) can run for miles. Most Kamajors are reserved,they keep to themselves and don't speak much,but they're otherwise polite and caring to others,especially their own kin. When two of them are in hand-to-hand combat,the defeated opponent bows to the victor as a sign of respect. They also do manual labor,such as carrying heavy objects and aiding in the construction of buildings.

The Atlarians are easily the most powerful and respected sentient beings in the known galaxy. Other than their purple eyes,they have no appreciable differences ,external or otherwise,from Humans. The one reason behind their highly revered status among the people is that they were the first race after the Prometheans to achieve interstellar flight,and to have discovered and inhabited the artificial planet of Solis centuries later. Atlarians have generally long lifespans,usually living for hundreds of years,and they tend to have a 'long view' uncommon in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation,they are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. In 2105,the Atlarians extended a hand of salvation to Earth,granting its people vital technological know-how just as they were in danger of extinction. First contact between these two races was described as shaky at best,with even communication of great difficulty,but eventually the hardships were overcome and a blossoming friendship was formed.

The Symilins are a warm blooded,bi-pedal race of amphibians with a generally hyperactive metabolism. Symilins are noted for their high speed metabolism,which allows them to function on just 2 to 3 hours of sleep a day. They think fast,talk fast,and act fast. To them,other species seem sluggish and dull-witted,particularly the Kamajors and the Atlarians,to which they believe them to be a “stuck-up race of smart-asses”. They excel at invention,preferring to use cutting-edge technology rather than settling for anything less. For example,their Defender starship defenses put emphasis on high performance over reliability even though the slightest malfunction could cost lives. Their heads are vaguely shaped like those of the extinct parasaurolophus,and their eyes are a tad smaller than those of Humans. Their skin varies in color,but is mostly a shade of blue or grey. However,this doesn't apply to all Syphilins,as some (mostly teenagers) are brightly colored,ranging from light red to green. Unfortunately,their metabolic speed leaves them with a rather short life span;Symilins over the age of 50 are especially a rarity.

The Featherfolk are a race of humanoid beings descended from birds. They are human in look,but have two distinct features:great angelical wings,and the ability to fly. Many of them can be found on their home planet Tophan,but can also be found on some other planets,usually in small villages. Their process of evolution has split the humerus bone in two,allowing them to possess both wings and arms. The body of a Featherfolk is extremely light,allowing to use their wings to fly for short periods of time,depending on their size of the wings and the strength of their bodies;it takes months,even years, for some ofthem to be able to fly. To those ignorant of their existence,the Featherfolk can be easily mistaken with actual angels of Human lore. Today,the Featherfolk is considered an endangered species,with approximately 135,000 in existence throughout the galaxy.

Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture,the Clausians are the most recent race to join the Alliance. An all-male race,Clausians typically stand over six feet tall,have three proportionally thick fingers,and an opposable thumb on each hand–each tipped with talons-and a set of mandibles around their mouths. Their most distinguishing feature is their metallic carapace,which is a direct result of their evolution. Clausian features are avian,making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors. Originally from the planet Extil,they are best known for their military role,specifically their contributions of soldiers ans starships to the Fleet. They are also respected for their 'public ethic' but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races.

The Haram are an unusual species resembling Earth's jellyfishes and are the onle of the few non-bipedal Alliance races. A Haram 'stands' slightly taller than an average Human,though most of theit height is in their long tentacles whoch have three fingers at the base. However,the invertebrate, water-native Haram can't support their own weight in normal gravity. Their limbs can grip tightly,but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. There is no discernable difference between male and female Haram. Despite evolving in water,they also appear to breathe air,or use technological means to enable this. They communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence-which other species need machine assistance to translate-and speak with scrupulous precision and excessive politeness. Due to the presence of Promethean ruins on their homeworld of Jalphi,many Haram worship them,calling them the “Enlighteners”. Haram myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language.

These are only a few species encountered along the way. It is a complete mystery just how many alien races are out there,whether there are 7 or 700 different races in the galaxy.

Eventually,Earth was rebuilt and became inhabitable again. Now a technological wonder housing the ever-expansive Alliance,the wondrous buildings that adorn most of the cities on the planet showcase mankind's capability to survive any hardships that fate has set upon them. Major cities,such as New York,Paris,and Tokyo,are still active after all these years,and in some cases,historic landmarks have been either preserved or replicated. However,even in this day and age,the scars of war were still there. Oceans are all but gone,and even wildlife in nature are considered to be rare,often replicated through robotic or holographic means. Robotics are used to stimulate the planet's natural environment to such an extent that inhabitants opt to vacation on resort planets. Earth has basically become one big city.

The Atlarians have established Solis as one of the centers of the galactic community,while the human race established the newly rebuilt Earth as the center of the human community,and to house the Alliance Fleet. And thus,the Council was formed. To date,there are over 7 races that joined the Council. Suffice to say,not every race decided to join them,either for personal or other reasons.

Earth also houses one branch of the galaxy's single most powerful media conglomerate,Dionysus Corp. Owned by Dohmar Balkogg,who is also its current CEO,Dionysus controls an incalculable number of smaller companies spanning all sides of the mass media like radio and television,movies,health care,transportation,weapons manufacturing,only to name a few. Dionysus also manufactures a number of consumer products such as medicine,breakfast cereals,bottled water,shoes,and more. Its CEO,Dohmar Balnogh,is hailed as an incredibly friendly,charismatic,and powerful man,despite the fact that his Volmusan race is not among the Alliance Council. Born on planet Garlinga,Balnogh also frequently appears in the Harris Magazine's 1000 Wealthiest People list,and is frequently working on a way to induct his fellow Volmusans into the Council,despite its troubled history with the Atlarians. Dionysus' origins and history are actually shrouded in much mystery,rumored to have had its humble beginnings on Earth.

Even though we have gone through many hardships,lived a confined life on our home planet,finally traversed into space,met numerous people,have traveled most of the Milky Way,and accomplished more than we could have ever imagined,there are still many mysteries surrounding the universe and its fate,our role in it,and our ultimate fate,as well as those of the other alien races. Where are we actually headed? Is there really an end to this universe? When all is said and done,we are all left with more questions than answers. We do not know whether if it's all going down a predetermined path or standing in front of a crossroad with millions of potentials. One can only hope that some omnipotent being,or the slow and steady passing of time,can tell us what happens next. For now,we can only sit and listen. This work represents only one fragment of our history and culture. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thank You.

Thank you for reading the Holobook “Memory and Humanity : A Brief History of the Milky Way” by Richard Alvarado.

On behalf of Publisher's Arthouse,we wish you a very nice day.