The Fall of Earth and Rise of Mankind
The Discovery of Hope
It was the year 2817 AD, mankind had just came out of a war that had been waged for over two hundred years. It had been a war for freedom, and in the end that freedom had been gained, but at an unrepairable cost that would in the end doom mankind's only home, Earth. The war caused such damage to the Earth's ecosystem and atmosphere that within two months of the war's end the air had become deadly to breath without a special respirator. Within a month of that mankind's population, at the end of war reaching a total of around thirty billion, had been reduced to a mere fifteen and dropping with each passing week. It was a time of darkness, their freedom had come at the cost of their impending doom and the new commanding powers of the United Nations sought to save mankind from this doom.
The world's scientists worked day in and day out, stopping only when forced these great minds search for a way to save their race, and to all the only true answer was to leave their shattered home and head out into the black void beyond. Space was to be their savior yet their single flame of hope was so small, dwindling with every passing moment that it seemed to not even exist to the world. Every now and then a new break through was made that was believed would lead them to this goal, but with each breakthrough came a failure and man's hopes disappeared. That is until the scientist Edward Hogsburn discovered something, an unknown structure of some sort buried deep in the ice of Antarctica. It was a structure the likes of which the human race had never experienced, in his test of a new type of seismic graphing he believed would make asteroid based colonies a reality he stumbled upon something that seemed to be nearly as large as the continent of Australia.
Within a week work was under way to free this structure from beneath the ice and discover what this supposedly alien creation would hold within. What they uncovered was unlike anything they had ever expected to fine, beneath the ice was a ship, a ship so massive it could hold the entirety of mankind's remnants. What scientists found astounded them, the computers aboard the ship all contained the same message in every dialect to exist since man's beginning and the message read "This is our hope's remnant. We may not remain, but we can save another from a fate worse then ours."
This ship was the answer to mankind's prayers, it was their hope, and the remnants of hope for some other being. With this mankind would be saved, for the time being for who knows how long mankind can keep from killing itself, with this their salvation was at hand. This Hope's Remnant would save them ...
Hope's Journey and the Path of Mankind
Within a year of finding Hope's Remnant mankind had finally learned to control the gift from some now believed to be extinct race. A curious device on board which the computer's database identified to be a Warp Drive would enable them to travel great distances yet those same databases failed to say how. Since its founding man had worked nonstop in preparation, parts of the ship had been torn apart and re-purposed to act as massive hydroponics systems to feed its future inhabitants, and others were re-purposed with human tech to act as weapons for even now mankind was cautious of enemies.
With the collapse of Earth's atmosphere a mere month away man finally left its home behind, the giant engines of the Hope's Remnant kicked into action and massive plumes of flame and plasma melted half of Antarctica plunging the world into the depths of the ocean as Hope reached for the stars. Now speeding through space in a marvel man never thought they would see they expected no other surprises, but a long journey ahead. In this expectation they were wrong for man had yet to explore the entirety of the solar system and when they came upon the once planet Pluto they were shocked to discover what it truly was.
Neither a planet nor a planetoid the thing man once thought was a worthless ball of ice on the outskirts of the solar system turned out to be a massive machine. Its massive glass walkways shattered and filled with ice, its once likely gleaming towers covered by rock and ice alike. As the Hope's Remnant drew close to this marvelous machine a brilliant white light began to emit from the machine, and its long dead machinery stirred into action as rings began to spin into motion shattering centuries of gathered debris in its wake.
Faster and faster the rings spun, and brighter the light grew as man watched mystified by what they saw before them. When the speed of the rings were so great the light within was fully hidden by the spinning of the rings arcs of light shot out spiking across the hull of Hope and some yelled in horror thinking there end was near. But as the arcs of light ran across the hull the ship was enveloped by a barrier of this strange light, and with a sudden lurch the ship shot forward and a tear appeared in space before the ship. Beyond beauty awaited, bright colored lights danced across the void, and auroras shined brightly lighting what man came to call the 'highway of the stars'.
The last sight of man saw of Sol System was this warpgate collapsing in on itself, the rings squealed to a halt and the white light within began to collapse in on itself turning a black even darker then the void of space as it began to tear itself apart. Many cried that day for they came to realize that the chances of ever seeing their once home was non-existent, this supposed path back home was dying before their eyes and there was nothing that could be done ...
From there it was many dark days staring out into the 'highway of the stars', for a long time it seemed their journey would through this new place would never end and many began to lose help. Just as some began to think they would be trapped in this now depressingly empty bright void, the white light that had accompanied them for so long began to fade and a similar tear in space appeared before them. Just like before it seemed to come from nowhere but what was beyond was the dark depth of real space, but shining in the distance was a massive star, a heartening symbol for man.
The Hope's Remnant came to a stop above a world lush with forests, flora, and fauna, a world almost like Earth but all knew that it was not. As preparations began to leave the ship for the planet some people found yet another message on the computer databases of the ship, 'This is just one of many planets our hope will take you to so that your kind can finally flourish among the stars after so long.' With that the governing powers decided to trust the ancient beings who had left them this ship, it had after all saved them in their greatest time of need. Sending only a small fraction to the planet, a small enough group to begin spreading the tendrils of mankind, Hope burst to life once more.
With that the same process began here that began at Earth, but this time the warpgate did not collapse as the Pluto warpgate had, bringing yet another shred of sadness to man as they began to long for what they had lost. With that man's long journey through the stars began, their path to discover the wonders of the Bright Void had begun ...
Hope's Catch
As time passed Hope's journey through space continued and in its wake numerous worlds were colonized by the remnants of mankind. But as this journey continued months, and years began to pass, the beauty of Hope began to fade as the numerous battles and its journey began to take its toll. Mankind had not the technology to keep it as their friends had left it, a race now known to the humans as the Ancients, and so as time passed Hope began to fall apart after so many years of struggling through the Bright Void.
After nearly a decade of traveling through space, Hope had stopped above a planet once more, but as the engines came to a halt a message was heard throughout the ship. Hope's AI which had so far secluded itself from mankind spoke to them, it spoke of a great enemy that drew closer to them as it spoke. A vile being that had been the downfall of the Ancients, it spoke of Hope's true purpose, it was a ship meant to hold this threat at bay so that mankind and all the other races could survive to see a brighter future.
It said that man would be needed to fight this mysterious danger, but that those that went to fight against this enemy would not return. Even the Hope's Remnant was not a match for what they would face, of the five hundred thousand on board two hundred thousand stayed aboard the Hope to fight this great foe and with that the empire that would be come known as United Mankind was set to flourish as they watched Hope disappear into the 'highway of the stars' for the last time ...
Hope's Final Words
Hope last journey through the 'highway of the stars' took months as it braved that bright void, one last time tearing that gash out into the dull endless black oceans of space as it reached its destination. What those who stayed found was an asteroid belt following its lonely orbit around a solitary star, the jumpgate that allowed them to travel to this path shocked mankind. Unlike the others this gate held none of the rings of its brethren, nor did a faint white light seem to fade in and out of existence in its midst.
What they found was something far different, where the rings of the gate should have been there was only the rocky surface of an asteroid the size of what they once though to be Pluto. The bits of the stations they could see bulged as if layers upon layers of that gleaming unknown white metal had been built into the rock as, it was a long guardian looking out into the emptiness of space as if sadly awaiting its death.
It was here that the Hope's AI spoke again, but this time it delivered its message as if saddened at what must happen. It revealed to mankind what little they knew of the 'highway of the stars', something once called the bright void by the Ancients. It revealed that throughout their numerous journeys through the bright void the Hope had been battered, and slowly begun to be torn apart by the power it endured, never again would the Hope's Remnant pass through the bright void. Never again would the Hope return to guard mankind, it had not been made for war, nor for travel.
Hope had been the last colony ship of the Ancients, who in their last moments sent the it, the last of their ships, to ensure the survival of mankind but they also gave it one final task. To fight the great evil that approached, and to die holding them back. This was broadcast to all the standing colonies of mankind, and video feed showed four hundred thousand humans being off loaded onto the station to watch their Hope depart.
All of mankind wept as they watch their guardian disappear into the blackness carrying one hundred thousand of its sons to a war they would die fighting, a war they would lose ...
The Founding of Clockworks
Hope's departure was a shock to those who had been forced to stay behind, they had came to fight a war but had been left behind when the most crucial part went on without them. As the weeks passed though those who were left set to work for they knew their job was just as important, they set to work with the tools the station held and those they had brought with them. From the station the Ancient's had left the people expanded, tunnels were dug, and massive rooms were built deep within the asteroid, and most important of all was the discovery of ships aboard the station. Around twelve frigates lay silent inside the depths of the station, all far from similar to the Ancient's ship and all of them seemingly falling apart in their hangars.
The people of mankind came to understand why this place was important, the Swarm was a powerful foe yes, but they held no true intelligence as the computers on the ship proved. No the Swarm was led by a pure desire to devour, and wreak havoc to any living thing, they had beat the Ancient's because the Ancients had been to confident, to proud of their power to see the true strength of the Swarm. And the full strength of the Swarm would come to this mass of rocks spinning around a lone star, here would be the last battle between the Hivemind and Hope. With that in mind those at the station worked hard, using what small supplies they had to build, and gather, and prepare. Like good oiled clockwork they churned, and as the place expanded the people wanted to name it, they wanted to give the place that would be Hope's graveyard a fitting name.
With that the Clockworks was born, a fortress of mankind known by none, not even the future empire of mankind itself ...
Rise of a United Mankind
Those colonies of mankind founded by Hope grew in time, it was a struggle to surpass what they had once been from the low perch they had fallen to. The rise of the UM was not a swift thing as its leaders and head scholars would lead you to believe, no it was a time spanning decades steeped in struggle, civil war, famine, and the never ending battle for survival. From the colonies Hope founded twenty survived and managed to make to carve its way into space, and the grew like wildfire across that pitch black void. For a time there was peace for none of these colonies had yet to meet, and the alien races saw humanity as something to weak to bother with yet this sadly could not last.
When these colonies met at first the people rejoiced, they had found their brothers and sisters who had been scattered through space cut-off from one another. This was a great moment for the future of mankind for mere moments in the grand scheme of history. Within decades of meeting one another governments cut their own claims throughout the empire mankind had finally made, effectively segregating great swathes of these human worlds from one another. And as always these seperate governments plotted, acted, and schemed to gain more power among mankind, wars started.
These wars where at first mere border skirmishes, fights between seperatist groups that were fueled by foreign governments. Yet those fights grew until the entirety of mankind's empire in the black void of space waged a war, worlds burned as rebellions were started, entire fleets lay in burning wrecks as the fleets of mankind fought one another for supremacy over the entire human race.
By the time the smoke cleared millions had died, but mankind finally had a united government. They called themselves United Mankind and for the first time since Hope brought them from the ruin that was Earth mankind finally was unified under a single goal, the prosper of all humans. It was not long after this government was founded that the Galactic Council reached out to this empire of man and offered them a chance to join in on a Council of Races and Nations that controlled the entirety of occupied space, a space so immense and diverse that mankidn was awestruck for decades after this First Contact, the so called 'True Rise of Mankind' as the government of United Mankind called it.
With that mankind had surpassed everything that their long lost ancestors on the ruins of Earth would have ever though possible. They had conquered the stars, encountered alien races, and yet they still remained even if a small power in such a universe filled with nations far superior. Only time would tell the tale of mankind yet it was finally a start to their tale in the histories.
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Topic: The Bright Void - Universe Building Thread (Read 5104 times)