And so it came to pass, that mankind did wage war on the rest of the Universe for a billion years
The end (victorious
as it was) was abrupt and as the philosophers had predicted, shocked the social
order of mankind to its roots.
The first 5
years were easy enough for very one
The Soldiers
just pretended that the war was still going on and that they had just a moment
of peace, like if they were on leave.
The Technicians
muttered to them selves that it didn’t mater if there was a war or not the
machines still needed repairs as always.
The Workers were affected even less as nothing
changed for them, they still had their fields to work, mines to dig and cattle
to worry about; there was nought but a faint glimmer of hope in their mind that
maybe the could catch a break if help came from the other castes. Help never
did come.
Ten years
after the end of the war, mankind broke. Older concepts of ruling were brought
to light and the absolute rule of the council was defied; riots broke across
sectors occupied by the Worker caste but those were quickly put out by Soldiers
eager for a fight.
At the end
of the twelfth year the council that ruled longer than any other form of
government anywhere was dismantled and each sector made its own ruling caste.
At the
Fourteenth year the fires of war were rekindled; now mankind faced its oldest
enemy: its own self. Somehow, it felt right. Some were puzzled why the old adversary
didn’t choose this moment to attack. It iss my opinion that he foresaw the
events that were to follow and chose to conserve his strength. After all, any
blow that he would land- no mater how powerful that blow might have been- it
would only reunite his enemies against him as it had so long ago.
Then the hundred
darkest years followed, a war much more savage than anyone could have ever imagined; men fought each other like
beasts, all the experience at the art of war that was gathered over the past,
the one bought with blood of trillions, the very own experience that led to
their victory, was now a weapon that mankind against itself.
At the end
of those years mankind decided to stop the battles, the end was abrupt (once
again) the soldiers simply didn’t go to the battlefield. The technicians didn’t
maintain the machines, the workers didn’t send food to the units.
Any leader
that disagreed with the decision was rejected and driven away. A new council
arouse but its role was loosely defined at best.
The Worker
caste finally had the reprieve it needed and their numbers swelled as never
before. A new war broke out, unlike any other.
Now the
enemy was the land and victory was to shape it. Water fell over her and sweat
and blood but it was not malignly spilled.
Men took pride
at the fruit of their labors and the beauty of their work and art slowly found
a way to resurface.
A new era began
and the world felt a terror for man had made the impossible; he had changed its
nature.
Armies weren’t
trained like before, all the men were taught war in case it was needed but it
was a different kind of war taught by different means. Treaties were signed and
the old adversary became the new friend. It would take aeons for the old wound
to heal but it what else were there to do.
So the last
age began the age of man and his ascension to godhood, as it had been prophesied
trillions year ago by an old man at Alpha Centauri long before the first
airship left Old Earth’s atmosphere “The race of man will be the race of gods
and they will make god of us all”.
