Forge of Creation

Landfall

To consider Earth the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field sown with seed, only one grain will grow -the Greek scholar Metodorus in the 4th Century BCE.

CA. 166,230 B.C.E. Arrival of the Gods

Enki awoke with a start, his heart racing. The Archon’s early warning sirens pierced the air. “They had arrived – their centuries-long journey across the stars was nearing its end.”

As the alarms started to get annoying, Enki realized that the Archon was nearing the braking point in its trajectory. “The long journey is nearly over” he thought, clearing sleep from his head. “Soon, I will stand on the soil of our new home”.

Out the window, Enki glimpsed the massive solar sails unfurling. Spanning nearly the width of the planet they approached, the metallic sheets began angling to catch rays of sunlight, slowing the Archon for orbital entry.

The great and powerful voidship Archon, named for the great Creator’s servants, would soon unfurl its sails to begin braking. These sails would expand to the size of a small planet designed to catch the star’s wind and to slow the Archon down.

The voidship would soon lose inertial gravity, leaving the crew weightless for a short time, as the inertia would flip and the gravity would return, except it would be 180′ off. Enki sat up in his bunk and glanced at the clingplant in the corner, just beginning to show light along the tips of it’s leaves. There would be much work to do, stowing loose belongings and transferring storage containers to what is now the ceiling, but would soon become the floor. It was time now to begin those activities.

He pulled a clean cloak from the bin and put it on, then called up the cronometer display on his desk to plan his day’s activities. The clingplant in the corner, sensing motion in the room, began to brighten to light up his activities. Gradually, the light from its leaves filled the room to working intensity.

Soon the adventure would begin for Enki. To start at the end of his journey from Anuk, which was the home of the third-wave colony they had left so long ago. All Enki experienced was the trip. He was born on the voidship during the first acceleration of the voyage and therefore could only see from his light projector what it was like on a planet’s surface… Any planet.

Enki had learned much during his life on the Archon. His mother and father did not let him become idle for more than a few days at a time. He had knowledge of all existing Empire colonies, their history and technology, survival and battle strategies, and bits of information about other races and non-colonized star systems. Making use of his knowledge was difficult during the uneventful journey that had taken all of his lifetime, and Enki was eager to put it to use.

In the distant past, the Annunaki were too numerous and adventurous to stay on their birth planet Kaida. The call of exploration and growth had taken hold nearly three eons ago, leaving thousands of colonies spread about the habitable zone of the galaxy. This particular voyage marks the beginning of the fourth wave of colonization.

Enki had learned that thousands of years ago, Kaida was destroyed as its primary sun went supernova and left a black hole. However, the disaster had been expected so there was plenty of warning before the explosion. Everyone had been evacuated to various nearby colonies. Enki’s parents were part of that evacuation.

“Enki, please meet me in the cargo bay… Respond.” Blared the ship’s audio communicator.

“I will arrive soon, Father.” Enki answered, excited that there would be something much more interesting than study to do. He stowed all the loose items in his room and left his cabin. The trip to the cargo bay should be particularly enjoyable this time, he thought as he went to the access tube, and started climbing down the ladder leading to the cargo bay at the rear of the ship to help with the mass transfer activities. As he started climbing, he thought he could feel himself become lighter.

By the time he reached the cargo bay door a short time later, his weight had decreased to about half that of normal, and he started to take the ladder ten rungs at a time, enjoying this newfound freedom and wondering if it would hurt to jump the last hundred feet. Then he realized that his mass had not decreased, and such a jump would surely break his legs unless he waited for the inertial gravity to decrease to under ten percent acceleration.

Upon reaching the perfect moment, he kicked off from the ladder and slowly dropped to the floor, landing in a perfect three-point cat-stance. “I could really enjoy this. Too bad it will only last for such a short time.” Enki thought to himself, smiling.

He reached down and opened the cargo bay door on the floor, and stepped through, then climbed the last span of ladders to the floor of the cargo bay. many of the colonists had gathered here, and were busily removing fasteners which were holding the cargo containers to the floor while they waited for the hiss of the ion engines to stop.

Enki reached the bridge where his brother Enlil manned the controls, his brow furrowed in concentration. Their father, Anu, stood behind surveying. He placed a strong hand on Enki’s shoulder.

“My sons, no matter what we find on Aleph, remember that the true mark of a leader is to bring out the best in his people.”

Enlil grunted in annoyance. “If you ask me, the mark of a leader is strength to dominate one’s domain.”

Anu sighed. “Enki, how would you lead?”

“Father,” said Enki. “I will lead by example, and with love”.

Enki knew many of the colonists aboard the Archon. Of the nearly 3000 aboard, most were millenia old, though still young by Annunaki standards. the social caste of each crew member could be easily identified by their clothing and grooming styles. The Workers in tight-fitting breeches and shaved heads. The Judges in their flowing robes, long hair, and some with full beards. The Warriors in their uniforms of traditional gold and black, having short-cropped hair and beards, some having cybernetic implants to enhance their strength, sight, or hearing. Lastly, the Igigi, who were inventors and engineers, dressed in various discordant bright colors, none quite like the other.

Warriors constantly monitor the area for signs of conflict and prod the Igigi into producing more effective and efficient ways to repel the enemy. If there is no Zshal threat they generally keep the peace and follow the will of the royal family.

The Judges caste does the planning and leading of the colony, the Worker caste builds and obtains materials, and the Igigi caste supports all other missions by researching, creating, and operating new technology.

Enki’s mother Antu and his father Anu were both 24,300 years old. Elderly by Annunaki standards. They had not wanted to go on this journey, except that having been evacuated from Kaida had left them without a home star system and it was their family duty to participate in colonization.

It would be doubtful if either of them would live another millenium. Their genetic structure was starting to drift again, and the medical equipment necessary for a genetic re-sequencing was not available on this colonist ship. However, they knew and accepted the risk that this new colony would take nearly that long to create the technology base for such an instrument.

By that time, it would likely be too late to repair their original genetic code, and they would die. This was really not such a terrible proposition after having lived this long. They would spend their last days preparing Enki for leadership such that would make the Annunaki empire proud, record a lifetime of knowledge into Me stones, and spend their last years as lords of this new colony.

Nearly all of the cargo had been released by the time the ion engines shut down completely. The enduring hiss that Enki had heard all his life suddenly went silent, which left him with a strange feeling of loss. I may not sleep this night, he thought.

The activity began again in earnest. Groups of five to a container, pushing off lightly from the floor, then floating slowly across the room, coming to rest on the opposite floor, and fastening the container into place. Each container and its new location was checked off a list and the data etched into a Me stone for later retrieval.

Enki tried to help without getting in the way as he saw containers, marked in detail, that would come into use when the Archon made landfall on a new planet. Food, tools, equipment, weapons, and fuel were moved from the aft floor to the forward floor and strapped down.

One container contained genetic equipment and samples enough to terraform a planet or re-create the environment of any of the 3,200 colonies, including Kaida. It was the hope of Anu and Antu to find a planet suitable to transplant its life, so that the Kaida eco-system could live on.

As he worked to move supplies and equipment to the forward floor, Enki considered his new life with excitement. Remote sensing verified the livability of their new home system. Three planets exist within the life-band of this stable yellow sun. The one furthest from Solaris seemed a good choice for their home base and it had been agreed in Council to name it Aleph and establish a city there called Olympus. This planet resembles Kaida in a number of key ways:

First, it has a thick Nitrogen-Oxygen atmosphere with moderate amounts of Helium that would make the sky appear light indigo, similar to that of Kaida.

Second, two moons floated in the sky, one very large moon with a rich atmosphere, but nearly covered in liquid water and another moon much smaller, and blanketed with pockmarks and cracks, which demonstrated a reasonable defense against debris, such as comets, asteroids, and meteorites.

Third, Aleph is smaller than Kaida by only ten percent. Therefore, gravity is similar enough to easily adapt the genetics of the flora and fauna to the new planet.

There were only a few minor problems to be addressed. The tidal forces beneath the crust have not yet subsided to complete stability, so volcanism remains quite active on nearly a third of the planet’s surface. Another large overlapping area is ocean, containing most of the planet’s photosynthesis while the remaining surface is divided between ice caps and barren rock, leaving but a small habitable range in which to establish a Kaidan ecosystem.

Life-forming this planet would be a challenge that would take many millenia. Fortunately, one moon and two other planets in the system were full of life and could be siphoned to Aleph in the event of problems.

What kind of life would they find? His training provided only a simulation of what they could find here. Would there be separate evolving beings like the Annunaki, or would the most intelligient life be a collaborative hive mind like the marauding Zshal?

“Enki! You will overshoot the bindings.” Antu interrupted his thoughts. “Please focus your attention to the task at hand”

“Sorr-y Mother.” Enki stammered as he shifted his weight to compensate for the misguided trajectory of the shipping container.

“He will learn the wisdom of focus very soon mother. I too, weary of Worker activities. Soon we can be challenged at our new home. This will teach focus even to my brother.” Enlil smiled pointedly at him as he completed the fastening of a crate, then pushed off the floor to obtain another load.

“The Zshal,” thought Enki with a sick feeling. Those bloodthirsty, grey-skinned, insect-like horde of demons that travel throughout the galaxy searching for intelligience to enslave and consume, fueling their appetite for dominion and causing all life to fall before their psionic onslaught.

Great philosophical minds say that the Zshal were created by the Archons soon after the birth of the galaxy to bring adversity and chaos to bear on the process of intelligient progression. Their evil is indestructible, yet they are limited in numbers to ensure that virtue may never be overwhelmed.

Enki shuddered at the thought of the Zshal arriving before this colony had a chance to gain a foothold here. He secured the container he had just moved and went for another.

These demons had been beaten back in most colonized systems, but being indestructible by nature, once their physical body is destroyed, their spirits have the power to rematerialize the structure of their bodies out of common matter over a few centuries.

One way to stop their plunder is to imprison them, as happened During the Nebula Wars. Small groups of them had been successfully imprisoned inside black hole singularities, but this was difficult to accomplish. The only alternative is to turn them aside with an energy field tuned to remove their molecular cohesion. This scatters their molecules far and wide, effectively stopping their attack for a short time.

Fortunately for everyone, the Zshal hive mind has no concept of revenge, they accept their “undead” status as completely as they expect their victims to accept domination. So when defeated, they just wander off to a new star system and start anew.

The Warrior caste’s primary mission is to contain the Zshal threat in whatever manner is most likely to ensure the protection of the colonists.

The load transfer task was completed in a relatively short time and everyone floated back to their rooms to move their personal belongings in the same manner as they had the cargo bay. When all the contents of the voidship had been thus secured, the word was given to deploy the sail.

Enki watched the sail unfurl at the rear of the voidship from the light projector at his desk. Gravity gradually returned to the Archon allowing the Annunaki to walk the decks again. Most everyone had enjoyed the brief new feeling of floating free, but they also knew it was not good for their health. Accidents were more numerous during the transition and their bodies were made for gravity and would start deteriorating in a matter of days. With the new direction and greater strength of gravity, some had trouble finding balance at first, but within days everyone on the ship became familiar with the new spacial orientation.

Enki wished he could be allowed to take a Vimana out and scout ahead of the ship but he knew that once he left the docking bay, there would be nothing to slow his approach to Solaris. There was no braking mechanism on a Vimana like the solar sail of the Archon so he would be doomed to pass by the system at the same approximate speed as when they arrived in the system.

At least he would be in top form when they finally arrived. He would have to be content with the Vimana simulator on the computer of his light projector.

Maybe his father would let him pilot on the first survey mission from orbit around Aleph.

The days passed quickly as Enki trained while waiting for the journey to end. He became an expert Vimana pilot thanks to the Me interface on his light projector. Each of his ancestors who had been pilots, had left their experience on Me stones for the training of those who came after. Sometimes the impressions were so well-preserved that it felt to Enki like their very thoughts were inside of his mind, nudging and tempering his reactions as he became familiar with the controls of each class of Vimana.

Strangely, despite that fact that some of those who had recorded the stones had been gone for nearly a million years, he found that he had come to know them as family members and as examples with which to hone his attitudes and preferences as an individual. He felt sure he was there when his grandfather fought the Zshal during the Nebula Wars. He could feel his own hand sweating on the trigger as he picked those demons off one by one, and the relief that came when there were no more to bar his way and proceeded to answer the colonist’s distress beacon.

Unfortunately, he also felt the pangs of remorse and pity as he (his grandfather) landed at the spaceport to find that most of the colonists had been left mindless vegetables from the psychic onslaught of the hive mind before he had arrived.

Enki was shaking with rage as his hand reached around the desk to turn off the simulation. “I will remember, Grandfather” he spoke aloud. Then for some hours afterward, he sat staring at the deck until he could no longer sit upright. His bunk promised some relief, but betrayed him that night with more nightmares of battle.

The next morning was well underway according to his sleep cycle when he was awakened by the insistent musical notes of his cabin chime. Someone was at the door. Was it time to enter orbit already?

He tried to voice the word “Open” but it was only a squeak, so he dragged himself out of his bunk and fumbled for a tunic. The chime again…

“Alright then” Enki finally said as he made it to the door and passed his hand across the sensor “What is so important this morning?”

The cabin door opened and Antu entered. “You sleep late Enki” she said trying to hide a trace of disdain in her voice. ” We will soon begin an orbit around our new home, would you like to be on the first survey mission?”

“Yes I would” said Enki enthusiastically. “I have been pilot training on the simulator. May I pilot the shuttle?”
“We should leave those tasks to the Igigi, at least until the colony is established. How far did you progress in the training session?” Antu asked, cautiously.

“I passed the level 12 standard, then I found a Me in the library that came from Grandfather. He was brave and strong.” Enki’s voice trailed off in thought upon remembering the experience.

Antu’s expression changed to compassion as she remembered her own training with the memory Me. “He was that indeed. Did you get to the end?”

“Yes, mother. There can be no doubt of our history when we have such effective means to remember. My life stretches before and the Me stones are placed in my hand to allow the greatness of our family to increase. I am grateful.”

“Not as grateful as I, little brother!” Enlil had appeared without notice, as was his tactic. “I will bring our family to great heights of power and technology just as surely as I stand. You need not bother since you will probably only be a mote in my path.” A sneer crossed his face as he finished speaking and then disappeared out the door as though all necessary things had been spoken.

Enki’s expression changed from confidence to surprise, then to anger as he twitched recognition of the appearance of his only brother who was, it seemed too predictable, even in his attempted unpredictability, to grasp the basic concepts of honor or humility. Enki was convinced that it would make him unfit to rule anything, but his father and mother refused to comment whenever there was a dispute between them, according to Annunaki custom.

He turned to Antu, who’s expression remained unchanged, and then to his preparation for the day. “You need not defend me against him.” he said, “The Archons will see whom I serve, while he serves only one. I will be ready in short. Thank you, mother for the visit, I will see you on the survey deck.”

He was grateful when his door slid closed as his mother left the room.

The survey deck was crowded when Enki arrived. There really was no best gathering place on the ship, but the survey deck was a particularly poor choice. But this was where the first mission of their new home would begin, so everyone arrived to add their own energy to it’s success.

As he entered the vimana, he found his father and brother already strapped in, while a small survey crew of 5 Igigi busily made preparations to get underway.

Enki strapped into the shuttle beside Enlil and Anu.

Though Enki hadn’t seen for himself, he knew that the Archon was already in a circular orbit around Aleph, in preparation to become an orbital station that provides support during the terraforming process, protection from danger, and a means of escape should the colonizing plan fail.

If a major failure should happen, the Archon would be entirely on its own to fend for itself. Though quantum communications could immediately alert the nearest colonies, it could be years before help would arrive. Even in the event of attack by the Zshal, it would be up to the crew and colonists to overcome or die.

Even the Archons themselves would likely ignore a distress call unless in their wisdom, they deemed it part of this solar system’s master plan. If it happened, intervention would be an instantaneous flurry of activity that would be hardly noticed, the time frame compressed to microseconds, leaving everyone involved, wondering if it had all been a dream. If anything had happened at all. The Archons were adept at manipulating time and space, but were uninterested in explaining or refuting anything to mere Annunaki. And it is said that they jealously guard their secrets of technology lest a child-race become too powerful and disrupt the balance of existence.

Peering out the viewport, Enki gasped – Aleph shone like an emerald and sapphire orb. Swaths of emerald forest peaked out between shimmering oceans. As they entered orbit, the Archon passed into the planet’s shadow. For a few moments, only the stars illuminated the void. Then dawn burst over the horizon in a flash of gold.

The vimana passed through the gravitic shell around the Archon to the open space beyond and aimed for the horizon of Aleph. Then after a time, the illumination increased inside the cabin as energy was transferred to the hull of the vimana in return for deceleration, while the atmosphere dragged at their harnesses like an eager raptor straining at its thongs.

The entry was violent but short-lived as the vimana broke through the lower stratosphere and cooled, panting its way toward the surface of the planet. As they descended, Aleph’s alien features materialized: active volcanoes trailing smoke, violently purple storm clouds, and then the base site – a narrow plain bordered by black sand beaches. Danger and opportunity, darkness and light, all entwined.

Erupting volcanoes spewed soot and stone in the distance as the orbital maps overlaid the navigation console with maps and data concerning the location of habitable zones on Aleph. The sky out the viewport lightened to an azure-purple hue.

Enki looked over at his father who was smiling. Then he pointed to a busy spot on the navigation console and asked, “Is this where we are going?”

Anu nodded, still looking at the sky as if in a trance. Then he looked down and reinforced his answer. “My son, this is the spot where we will begin again.”

Within minutes, the smoking volcano moved over on the light projector to be replaced by the image of a green mountain range, bordered by the sea and reaching into the sky. It loomed larger as they approached and Enki could hear someone in front draw a heavy breath.

“Mount Olympus is the name of our new home.” said Anu, “and It shall be made great as the hills of Kaida.”

The pilot made a course correction and aimed for a flat spot near the water. Closer examination revealed a plain of grassy plants punctuated by larger shrubs and bordered by a narrow beach of black sand.

An Igigi named Zu spoke up tentatively, to avoid disturbing the moment. “Lord Anu. We recommend landing here first. It is important to obtain samples and to bring them back for analysis. It is also important to stay inside the vimana until we know everything about the life patterns of this planet, lest we poison ourselves unwittingly.”

Enki expected a glaring rebuke from his father, but instead he closed his eyes and said, “That is wise. We have so much to risk. Let us not overextend our grasp to reach for our desires.”

The shuttle craft settled onto the black sandy beach, its descent engines stirring up spirals of obsidian dust. For long moments, those aboard sat in anticipative silence. Then the rear hatch unsealed with a rush of equalizing air.

Anu stepped down the ramp, his boots leaving the first imprints in this soil. He planted the crimson banner of the Annunaki, snapped briskly in the sea breeze. Next came Antu, followed by Enlil and Enki. Each colonist paused to touch hands to earth before joining the assembled tribe.

Zu and the Igigi were already bustling about, analyzing samples and conferring in low tones. Enki strained but could only make out a few words – “chlorine…complex proteins…possible compatible…”. Zu noticed the leaders waiting expectantly and crossed over to them, datapad in hand blinking rapidly with incoming results.

“Well?” demanded Enlil impatiently. “Are we destined to wear environment suits forever on this rock or can we dispense with the bubbles?”

Zu raised a single eyebrow before responding. “Atmospheric toxicity is within adaptive range for most flora and fauna strains. The genetic samples should thrive with some targeted resequencing. As for going without protection…” He gestured toward the shoreline.

As one the colonists followed his gaze. The swirling violet waters appeared to retreat briefly…then rushed back, depositing an array of unfamiliar crustaceans and bivalves at the feet of the nearest Annunaki. For a long beat, the creatures seemed as studiously to examine these offworld bipeds as they were scrutinized in turn…Then swiftly retreated with the next wave back into the depths.

A smile slowly creased one edge of Zu’s mouth. “I would say the LOCAL ecosystem finds us moderately intriguing as well.”

A cheer went up from the Annunaki, the joyous sounds echoing off the flank of distant Olympus. Anu raised his hands and waited for the furor to quiet.

“My friends, my family – we stand at the cusp of a new era for our people. Beyond the bounds of stars we once held, through the endless night we have traveled, sustained by the hope of a new dawn. May the promise of this world Aleph lift up our race to unsurpassed greatness. I name our first stand Olympus!”

The cries redoubled as all rejoiced in their quest complete. None marked the moment more than Enki. As others moved to begin construction of the first settlement, his eyes tracked the twin moons tracing luminescent paths across unfamiliar constellations. In his heart he sensed this ground called to him above all others – here the true seeds of Annunaki destiny would take root. He knew that someday, responsibility for nurturing that future should fall to him alone. And in that moment, nothing could have filled Enki more with purpose and peace.