My name is Tom Jacob and I am a scientist. For decades, Earth has suffered due to our greed. A third of the world is scarred with the demented brilliance of the human race. We call it the Atomic Deluge, and in less then a century, we will be wiped out of existance.
But hope remains because of a discovery I made. On the opposite side of the sun, in a precise rotation with Earth, I have found another world. This planet is identical to ours in composition, but larger in size. But most importantly, it has the capability to support life. This Super Earth has become our goal. Our salvation. Our Eden.
Six vessels have been constructed for travel to Eden, their cargo filled with tools to study this planet. I have been placed in charge of the last one. Five have departed for Eden, but all contact has been lost. Since then, I have been instructed to direct the vessel to Eden. However, my cargo is unlike the rest. Instead of tools for study, I am forced to carry the instruments of destruction and travel to an unknown planet with naught more then a hostile mind.
I did not know that my discovery would lead to a worse fate then the one humanity has already suffered. I wish I could take it back but it is hard to imagine such, since it was my hand that consciously pulled the trigger.
Jacob's Ladder
This is a story about the future. In this future, Earth faces the danger of extinction. The world is a nuclear wasteland during a time called the Atomic Deluge. Three-quarters of the surface is scarred with the touch of humanity's weaponry. On the brink of self annihilation, a discovery is made. On the opposite side of the sun, there is a planet identical to Earth. Larger, and more resources, this Super Earth's revolution is on par with Earth and has remained hidden from humanity's eyes until now. The Earthen Combine, which is the ruling directorate of the world made up of multiple countries immediately begins to build six space research vessels to journey to this world, now popularly dubbed Eden by the remaining population.
During the building of these vessels, codenamed LADDER (Logistically Advanced Data Dispersal Expeditionary Reconnaissance), six scientists are chosen to lead six different teams. Each vessel is able to carry at least thirty scientists. As the vessels near completion, the last one suffers setbacks and becomes indefinitely terminated. The sixth chosen scientist, Jacob and his team are left behind as the other five LADDERs fly out to space and head towards Eden. Due to the sun's radiation, communication becomes impossible and all contact disappears. After a period of time, an emergency beacon is detected, calling for reinforcements. As the funding for the sixth LADDER re-activates, the team led by Jacob is cut to only ten men, while the rest of the slots are covered by military soldiers.
With the sixth LADDER launched, the journey to Eden is filled with a tension between the scientists and the soldiers, who are under personal orders with no obligations to Jacob.
Eventually the sixth LADDER lands and becomes base of operations while the team searches for the other five vessels. Survivors are soon found as are modern-looking ruins that resemble the Mayans. The survivors explain that Eden is more then just a world. It is a planetary weapon system, built by a race called the Anakim. Quickly, the military attempts to take over and find the key to the system but the scientists revolt and force the soldiers to return to Earth by means of one of the LADDERs. As Jacob and the rest realize that they will be deemed criminals, they start to settle on this new planet, while finding some way to defend themselves against Earth's military who's coming is now inevitable.
Some time later, Jacob and his team are forced to fight against invading soldiers, as well as other settlers who are arriving on smaller LADDERs, called ARKs (Advanced Rheologic Kinesis). Some settlers and soldiers take the side of Jacob while others keep their affiliation with the Earthen Combine. Jacob soon realizes that Eden is just a satelite weapon system and that there are others, another being Earth. Realizing that Earth has the potential to destroy Eden, he must make the decision on whether to use Eden's power to save his new home, while destroying his old one or risk losing everything to the greed of humanity.
------
Commentary:
~ I've always wanted to make an attempt at a Science Fiction, whether a short story or just a quick summary. My first actual idea for a futuristic story was 'The Search for Project Nova', a story about a 'Fallout' like world where most of the continents were buried under water and there was little land, thus the main route of travel (and warfare) was through submarines.
As far as this story, I've always had a fascination for Science Fiction anomalies like Dyson Spheres and Ringworlds. The Halo franchise had a great effect on me storywise and I enjoyed the concept- even though it was not original, it still materialized into an imaginable world. So the idea of artificial planets, ancient mysteries, and apocalyptic settings would fit well together, I think. I always enjoyed the speculations in regards to where the Mayans went so what if they expanded beyond our world and perhaps were simply advanced beings?
I've also used a lot of religious connotations in regards to the other race as well as their culture. The entire idea of 'Jacob's Ladder' came from its religious overture- a ladder into heaven, witnessed by Jacob. Expanding that idea, I decided to symbolically use things such as Ladders and Arks, advanced transports to 'Eden'.
This is the story where Avachron and Parachron make their debut. To simplify explanations, Avachron is Eden, which is the proclaimed new world for humanity. Parachron is the old earth, doomed to be destroyed by the same hands. Avachron is the Alpha, while Parachron is the Omega. Or is it the other way around? Thats something to think about.
Theres a catch. Theres something in the middle. Venus. With the exact same composition as Earth and Eden, Venus would have been inhabitable if it was farther from the sun. It will be revealed that Venus is actually called Orochron and was once inhabited before being destroyed somehow. Orochron is also a conjunction between the Alpha and the Omega, to signify the 'Beginning, Middle, and End." It is a significant addition to the two worlds, acting as a mediator- but to what end...?
