What do you build and what do you destroy? If you alone, destroy or build something it makes little difference. If communities destroy or build, big things happen.
Observing planets and communities, I have seen planets destroyed and planets prosper. Your life and world is dependent on what you do.
There was one planet that was very similar to yours. Large populous, caring only for their own ideals and prosperity, not for their planet. Their planet was a lot smaller than yours. Every little thing they discovered, they misused for their own needs. Due to the planet size, every impact drastically changed the course of the planet.
The ecosystem was completely different but everything had a purpose. The fauna supported each other, utilizing the cycle of life, they only killed when they needed to eat. The plant life had dark green stems, pink leaves with purple poisonous needles. These plants had bright colored fruit which had to be fought for, to be gathered.
There was little plant life that had no dangers, which sprouted healthy fruit. They were easy to replant but difficult to sustain without proper knowledge and supervision.
The herbivorous animals had evolved, having hard shells on their backs, preventing the needles from penetrating them. The carnivores had two extra limbs, with sharp claws, slicing through the plant life and penetrating the flesh and shells of the helpless omnivores.
The planet inhabitants lived on their primal instincts, despising advancements they were not familiar with. Hunting the creatures and plant life, they used spears, bows and shields. These tools were crafted from the remains of that which they hunted. Shields from the omnivores, arrows from the poisonous needles and the scythes from the sharp claws.
“I know what you are thinking… They used advancements to craft these weapons. I am only writing what I am seeing. I see who you are. Wink-wink.”
There were outliers born from families who showed inclinations of seeking advancements for the colony. Those outliers were monitored to prevent them from straying onto the path of discovery. If they showed any indication of following that route, they would get executed.
There was one outlier, Rehaisha. She was an intellectual with a masculine build.
She was skilled in survival. At a young age all the inhabitants were trained to survive by hunting, studying the fauna, preparing food and medicine. She mastered all the skills required and became better after every hunt.
She never liked feeling trapped and wanted to live a life of freedom. She made preparations to escape. She didn’t want to do it alone, having anyone of the colony find out what she planned would mean a swift death.
She had a few hundred cycles before becoming of age. Before that, she devised a plan to not leave alone but to leave with someone.
When she came of age she purposefully seeked a partner to bore a child. She seeked someone who would not care if she were to die. Someone who only wanted it for pleasure.
For someone to disappear from a colony was not unheard of. There were days where citizens would not return, found slain by the fauna. No one would go looking for a citizen as it would be dangerous. Frankly death was inevitable.
A few planet cycles later she was with child. It was now or never. She planned to escape during a hunting expedition.
She had stored tools and resources on the outskirts of the hunting zone. When the time was right she fled towards her stash. As she got to the stash she made sure no one followed before uncovering it. On her person she had food for 4 cycles. She had to journey 30 cycles, ensuring she was at a safe distance, before feeling secure.
She had it quite tough the first few cycles. Having to fend off the creatures and the plant life. It became harder on her having to travel with daily rationed food, as new life grew within her. She gathered food when possible, mended bruises when dire and looked for nightly shelter when exhausted. Some days she wanted to return to the colony for safety but who knows what they would have done to her.
The newborn's time drew closer with every cycle.
“It didn't get easier, let me tell you that.”
A few cycles to go, she needed shelter to safeguard herself and the newborn. She stumbled upon a cliff face where there was a cave entrance. She knew this was going to be her only option.
Unsure of what it was used for or if there were any dangers. Entering the cave with weapons at the ready, she slowly crept forward without making a sound. There were a few critters hiding inside but scattered by the sight of her. Due to the critters she knew there were no larger creatures inside.
There was no even ground within the cave, sharp rocks scattered across the surface and damp areas from water dripping from the roof. The cave was a hindrance to giving birth. For the birth to be successful and safe she began gathering fuel for a fire, readied a place for the baby and a softish spot to lay down on to give birth.
Enduring a challenging journey, she welcomed new life into the world, a boy. She named him Ranir, signifying intellectual warrior.
During his growth she taught him the survival techniques she was taught. She allowed him to explore his imagination, to grow and discover. His youth was a bit difficult to handle as there were many dangers lurking around.
Darkness kept her awake and light raised her awareness.
She cultivated in front of the cave with seeds that she took from the colony. She built defenses scattered with poisonous spikes around the farm.
Times were tough at first. When Ranir grew old enough to help, their lives became much easier.
Ranir was a strong fearless warrior. He made use of his skills developing weaponry and tools enhancing their everyday lives.
He built better defenses, faster irrigation systems to water the plants and cooked succulent dishes restoring vitality. He set traps baiting and snaring all the tiny critters squirreling around. He went out to hunt and train his tracking when he was not cultivating the land. Making sure that if he leaves, his mother would be safe from any harm.
On a hunting and gathering trip, Ranir stalked his prey. Suddenly the ground shook, leaves were falling, a deafening crack pulsated in the distance. He immediately raced back to the cave while the leaves fluttered to the ground and the dusty air filled his sense of smell.
Standing in front of the cave a few boulders laid on the cultivated land and a part of the cave entrance was blocked. There was a small gap which he was able to pass through. Rushing deeper into the cave looking for his mother, he found her crushed under rocks that fell from the ceiling. He was too late.
Hardened by death, a tear formed in his eye, he no longer needs to worry for her as she has finally been set free. He saw that she was pointing to something. He moved into the direction where she pointed at. The cave walls parted, leading into a deeper part of the cave.
The cave grew larger and wider the deeper he went in. It was dark, filled with sharp stalagmites and stalactites. Creaking sounds bounced across the walls, water droplets plinked onto the rocks echoing melodic crashes.
In the distance there were rays falling from a hole in the roof onto a shiny structure.
The structure had a weird shape to it. It was colored in black with a cyan tint. There were square shaped objects that were clear like water but hard like rock. The structure looked like a rock with long cylinders on both ends.
Moving closer he looked through the clear square objects and saw a corpse laying inside. The corpse was clothed in a suit with hexagonal shapes all over and had strange handheld objects hanging from its side. Upon closer inspection he saw a shiny blinking item next to the body. He reached for the item.
The corpse grabbed his arm and stared Ranir, straight in the eyes. Ranir felt a strange heat sensation rushing from where he was held to his mind. Within an instant the corpse released and disintegrated, leaving the suit, items and the ship intact.
Ranir became enlightened with boundless information. He learned from the corpse that this ship landed here a cycles ago but had no knowledge or resources to leave the planet. The being tried to survive on this planet but it was not suitable for their kind. The being used the time to meditate and preserve its body and mind. If someone came to find him they could show them what happened.
Ranir, with his new given knowledge, studied what the being preserved. There were tools on the ship for mining, building, research and handheld weapons which fired projectiles of energy.
He began using these tools to his advantage to study the fauna, mine for minerals and build a factory. The factory he built was on a small scale but it assisted him in preparing more tools and weaponry. He got overwhelmed by greed and wanted to advance even more. He could not do it alone and devised a plan to get more inhabitants involved. Even though they would be against it, he needed to enlighten them for his purpose.
Together Beings Build
Together Beings Destroy
Part 2
Ranir built a grave for his mother, a place he could visit to never forget where he came from. The tombstone was carved from the boulder which fell on her. The sculpture depicted her standing on a cliff, with wind blowing through her hair as she searched the sky for possibilities. It portrayed a life of freedom beyond this time, planet, and space.
His strategy was not going to be easy but every small step made a difference. First preparing space for agriculture, he cultivated a vast area of land in preparation for a farm. He crafted tools and transportation for trapping and hauling. He released the harmless wildlife onto the farmland which he caught. With enough research, Ranir genetically transformed the plantlife, producing more fruits and vegetables for sustainability and removing any harmful effects.
This process allowed him to take what he learned, evolving the negative effects from the plants, causing longer lasting and even more fatal poisons that were released by the plants. Empowering their growth speeds and seed dispersal methods, the plants would overgrow, transform and destroy the ecosystem of the colony. When his mother trained him she referenced the colony a few times and where they were located.
He had multiple ways to prevent the evolutionary destructive plant life, called attrition. Preparing antigrowth methods that would only attack the genes of his attrition plants. Ranir moved closer and closer to start a one sided war of coercion. He created a plant that would bear the fruits, containing the antidote for the attrition.
He traveled to the location where his mother came from and surveyed the colony. They only moved out during the day, always returning before the light took its rest till the next cycle. They cleared out the radius around the colony in segments. They divided each segment like the points on a compass. Every cycle they would move to the next cardinal, intercardinal and secondary intercardinal directions. Covering a new area preventing overhunting and overharvesting.
He tracked the hunters and observed the distance they would travel to hunt the species and gather fruits. A few cycles later Ranir had significant data on the distance they would travel. The day came where he set his plan in motion. He traveled during the night and planted the seeds a half cycle away from the furthest points the colony would travel.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
It would take 20 cycles for the plants to reach full maturity before the seeds could be effectively transported to the areas around it. On the 21st cycle, a purple, poisonous wall was created all around the border of the colony radius. The creatures inside the border were unable to move past the purple wall and those on the outside were too afraid to pass.
The attrition began. Cycle in, and cycle out, the radius grew smaller and smaller for the colony to hunt. The hunters became desperate as food became rationed and more citizens struggled with the incurable poison. The colony was struggling to stay afloat and had no way to keep the citizens healthy and supported. They stuck to their laws for not advancing and finding solutions for the problem.
As the radius became smaller for the colony, Ranir kept the wall under control, preventing it from growing larger on the outer side of the wall. During this time he planted a few seeds of the plants which sprouted the fruit carrying the antidote. Knowing which segment of the compass the colony would move to next, Ranir placed the fruits of the plants on their scouting path.
The colony learned that the fruit was safe to eat and that it cured the citizens who were poisoned. Showing the hunters what the fruit looked like, they were dispatched to gather more insights. The hunters were able to see through some areas of the walls, able to make out what the plants' features were. Unable to miss it, the plant had green stems with bright white leaves and the fruit had a shimmering cyan color. Almost intentional as the rest of the plant life looked nothing like it.
“The desperate will try everything they don’t know to save those close to them.” the observer remarked.
With the seed planted, no pun intended, Ranir kept a close eye on the movements of desperate hunters beyond the wall looking for the antidotes.
Salir was the first to attempt to breach the wall seeking to grab the antidote. Waiting on the other side Ranir sat next to the plant. Salir broke through with scarred limbs, flesh torn apart from the poison and swollen eyes. With his partial blindness he saw a figure next to the plant, being so desperate he rushed for the plant not caring if the figure would kill him.
Salir reached out with a few final breaths towards the antidote but the distance was further than his eyes anticipated.
“I am surprised and thankful that you never gave up. I am Ranir and I will give you two options. Join me and set your loved ones free or die without seeing your loved ones again.”
Without a second thought Salir replied with broken breathing, “I will do anything, just save me and my family.”
Ranir moved closer and injected him with an antidote that cured all his wounds and repaired his skin within an instant. The fruit was nowhere near as powerful as the injection and made Salir become immune to the poison.
“Now that you are free from death, I have a job for you. I will explain everything to you but before we start, I did what I had to do to set you and your colony free from death. Those who want to join me are welcome but you will not tell them that I exist, yet. Your only job for now is to spread the news that there is a cure beyond the wall and spy on the colony for me. If you are ready I will start”
Still in recovery Salir nodded his head in deceitful approval and thankfulness. Confused and filled with anger, Salir attacked Ranir. Ranir knew something like this would happen and defended every attack that was launched at him. Waiting for an opening Ranir lunged forward, grabbed Salir by the face and slammed him into the ground. While kneeled to the side of Salir, he sent a warm surge of energy through his hand and enlightened Salir the same way he was enlightened. He enlightened him on better fighting techniques, research, building and farming. Ranir added more info on what he wanted for the colony and what Salir’s current purpose would be. Preparing him for the development of a new home and recruitment for more citizens.
The Darkness loomed on the horizon as Salir came to his senses.
“I understand now, thank you for enlightening me. My family will be making their way to our new home. I will escort them to the wall before the next cycle ends. I am your eyes and your ears”
Ranir only enlightened Salir with what was necessary for the coercion to succeed. He would only set those free who he could trust and wanted in his chain of command. Salir returned to the colony preparing his family to cross the wall. He spread the news to only a handful of citizens, with little families, that were capable hunters and gatherers.
The next cycle Salir transported his 2 daughters, 2 sons and wife to meet Ranir. When they crossed the wall Ranir waited for them. The 2 sons were masculine and looked like strong fighters. The daughters were beauties any being would fall for but would lose a fight to the death. Salir’s wife, Samara was younger than Salir but you could see she raised her children to be good warriors.
Ranir approached the family, curing them from the poison and enlightening them. Salir returned to the colony with news that they needed to wait 40 cycles before attempting to seek the antidote.
Ranir kept watch over the family. When they all woke up he escorted them to their new homes. With the knowledge and protection of Ranir it took 19 cycles to get to the new destination. Upon arrival he gave them instruction to rest a cycle and do the jobs they wanted to do. Mine, farm, research or build. There were no restrictions on what they could do. They understood the ins and outs on what Ranir had planned and wanted to achieve.
Ranir left and trusted them to their own devices. Knowing they would pursue the need to advance, which was caged deep within like a flower seeking the sunlight in the darkness.
Returning to the outer wall 39 cycles passed. He noticed a few bodies of the citizens who attempted to find the antidote. They might have been capable but these people were probably those who the colony dispatched in search of the antidotes.
The next cycle dawned and Salir brought 4 capable warriors through the wall. Ridan, Karuw, Idrana and Fadruw.
Going through the process Ranir added a portion of knowledge on how the antidote worked and what was needed to keep the wall from expanding. With Salir recruiting strong citizens, Ranir trusted him and showed him how he could enlighten others. Giving command over to Salir on enlightening the citizens who were capable, Ranir had more time preparing for what came next.
Thrashing sounds came from the direction of the wall. A large arrow rushed towards Ranir’s head. In the nick of time Ranir stepped to the side, as the arrow whizzed past his head into a rock, the tip shattered into pieces ricocheting off into the distance. The others rushed towards the direction the arrow came from.
“Stop. Don’t chase. This was bound to happen. Reduce the thickness of the wall and enlighten those who seek freedom. We will wait for the colony’s next move.”
This was going to be an easy fight for one and utter defeat for the other.
Ranir left the frontline to Salir and his party. The tiny factory he built needed an upgrade since the colony was expected to grow at a rapid rate. He turned his attention to crafting weapons and armor for his new recruits and those who would join during the war.
Salir’s family was a huge help in developing the larger factory. They built it from the ground up within 10 cycles. The tools used were almost game-like, with a click, the building would construct itself, provided there were enough materials. The machinery within the factory transported, smelted and forged without any manual labor involved. The automation of the machines was assisted by conveyor belts, moving the raw materials to be smelted.The only job that was needed was to make sure that the machine's durability and performance was up to standard.
A total of 3 citizens were needed to manage the factory. Across the factory floor there were sensors monitoring the machinery. If the machine's condition became worn out or needed to be re-calibrated, a warning, including details on location and necessary component replacements, would be dispatched to factory workers.
Ranir planned to enlarge the factory as more recruits joined, but till then, they made due with what they had. As the factory readied the materials, he sketched blueprints of the weapons and armor which was on his person. Though not as strong as his personal gear, they still provided sufficient protection against potential assassinations or betrayals from within. Special armor was crafted for the initial recruits, including Salir, his family, Idrana, Ridan, Karuw, and Fadruw, signifying their rank.
With the completion of the special armors, Ranir allocated military rank. The Enlighteners were commanded by Salir, Historians by Fadruw, Attrition by Ridan, Imperiums by Samara, Surgeons by Karuw, Herders by Salir’s daughters Teriana and Liriara, and Attainers by Salir’s sons Grizian and Yilari.
Each rank was equally important to accomplish and grow the colony. The Enlighteners were the most agile with strength to overpower in order to enlighten. The Historians focused on the research of the planets, the fauna, minerals, habitats and anything that could be developed into resources. Attrition did what attrition does, controlling the rates of those who stand against them, like assassins. Imperiums were the frontline, overpowering with strength, tactics and military prowess.
Surgeons tended to the colony's health, utilizing fauna in experiments to advance their medical practices, guided by research from the Historians. The Herders took care of the factories and farmlands, growing and herding the animals, producing tools, weapons, armor and building the infrastructure. Lastly the Attainers gathered materials and resources for the colony. The Herders and Attainers were responsible for the newcomers, showing them the ropes on how the colony operated.
The colony was named Rehaisha after his mother. All those who became part of the colony became Rehaishans.
Ranir moved to the frontline transporting the new armor and weapons to the leaders. Little happened in the 60 cycles that had passed. The colony suffered losses as the Rehaishans manipulated the wall to do their bidding. There was no way out for the colony members and only the Rehaishans could come and go as they pleased.
With Ranir’s arrival he distributed the armor and weapons to Salir, Idrana, Fadruw and Karuw. He was informed by Salir that only a few citizens tried to cross the wall but were killed by their own colony. They attempted to recruit a few members but were killed in the process of enlightenment. It seemed the colony used the wall to trap their own people and manipulated them into saying that the fruit did not cure but deceived their citizens from their truth and laws.
Ranirs expectation on growing Rehaisha became harder to realize by the wall alone. His strategy had to change as he needed to get more citizens. The current strategy ended up killing those on the inside and he didn’t want to lose any capable citizens for his cause.
He decided it was time for a demonstration. They crossed the wall and traveled to the outer walls of the colony and awaited the audience of the colony leaders. In the time of waiting they were fired upon endlessly with arrows descending from the sky like rainfall. Unharmed, they moved the cluster of broken arrows to the side. If they wanted war it will be fought on the Rehaishan terms.
Ranir recalled a conversation with Salir and the others that the leaders of the Primitives would not eat from the same stockpile as the citizens and hunters. With this knowledge he decided to weaken the citizens and keep the leaders healthy. They moved away from the walls and scouted the area around the Primitives colony looking for creatures that were still alive.
“They went from calling them the colony to Primitives… Ranir sometimes made odd choices. I sat here shrugging at why as well. So confusing but let's continue.”
They poisoned the creatures with a small dose that would go unnoticed by the Primitives. The effect of the dose would not be harmful to the creatures but when they are hunted and killed the poison would activate. When the animals would get slaughtered and eaten by the citizens it would linger in their system slowly weakening them. Ranir wanted no more deaths as every recruit is vital for him.
The effects of the poison would take a minimum of 13 cycles before it would start weakening the whole colony. They waited for 18 cycles to pass before returning to infiltrate the Primitives.
The cycle came where they moved back to the Primitive colony to seek another audience with the leaders. The walls of the colony seemed empty and none of the hunters were there to ward them away. Ranir and the team infiltrated the walls. The streets of the colony were empty, a few homes crumbled into rubble and the city reeked of death. They were unable to find anyone alive on the outskirts of the city. Moving deeper to the center it became more lively. Lively in the sense that weakened citizens were crawling on the floor begging for answers from the leaders.
As the leaders saw Ranir they ran into their city center to hide. Ranir ordered the team to enlighten, heal and tend to the remaining citizens in need.
“If they fight back, knock them out and have the others return to the Rehaishan colony.”
He continued into the city center in search of the leaders.
Their leaders’ hiding skills were pretty bad. Rin could have taught them a thing or two but he is on a different planet.
Ranir found them in an instant.
“You should have given up. Why forbid advancing into the unknown? Why not seek what is out there?”
“You came here to kill and take what you want. We respected our planet by not destroying it and taking for granted what we had. We did forbid the unknown to not only protect the planet but our citizens. What is out there does not matter as much to what is in you.”
“That is the viewpoint of someone who is scared of what they do not know. You fear advancement & growth so you stay in your little world, thinking you are saving those around you. I will teach your citizens the real way of living.”
“If you came here to kill us you are more than welcome. Just like we were overpowered, so too a day will come when the same will happen to you. When the time comes HE might show himself. When he does, run like the dog you are.”
“I will be the ruler of all. Rehaisha will rise and conquer that which is out there. I fear nothing.”
Ranir drew a blade from his waist and struck down the leaders of the Primitives.
Exiting the city center Ranir was greeted with a sight of citizens. They kneeled before him in honor of saving their lives. He hailed them to raise their heads and follow him to their new home. Ranir led the way to where Rehaisha would start its journey.
Salir and the others stayed behind, killing off the wall and clearing the spread of the seeds. Ranir had no plans to stay on this planet and wanted to explore what is out there. Preparing the Rehaishan colony for what came next they divided all the citizens into their perspective ranks. Ranir ordered for more factories to be constructed. The Historians got to work gathering information on what was on and below the surface of the planet. They needed to find materials for building ships to leave the orbit. The Rehaishans were lucky to have a ship that could be used as a reference to build their ascension into the unknown. The plan was to have enough ships to sustain the colony and have their livestock travel with them wherever they went.
For that they needed mountains of resources but this tiny planet was not sufficient enough. With the locations acquired on where to start, the Historians gave the information and locations to the Attainers to go out and gather minerals and resources. The Surgeons used the information they received from the Historians to advance the lifespan of the food and adapt the creatures to produce more offspring.
The Herders were sent to the locations where the Attainers built their mines, building factories to increase efficiency for producing the final products. The more factories that were built, the faster the planet deteriorated, which in turn forced the Rehaishans to work faster, enhancing the cycle of destruction. Killing most of the fauna around the planet, they pushed through creating methods to protect themselves to achieve the goal of leaving the planet. How they left it did not matter.
The factories ended up producing toxic elements, more toxic than the poisons of the plant life. These elements caused rainfall to become acidic to the plants and the animals. The atmosphere got destroyed and the temperatures changed drastically. The planet turned from green with hints of purple luscious life to dark overcast clouds and scorched black purple gravel.
As the world grew more and more barren, the Rehaishan colony departure drew closer and closer. They had everything they owned protected with fields of energy keeping out all the harmful aftermarket effects that would even kill them. The ships became their main focus and decided to gather everything and anything they could harvest from the planet, storing it for research while they traveled through space.
They had a huge fleet constructed. Every rank had their own capital ship. Crafted to assist every rank to their needs. The Herders as an example had a Carrier but it was different from the conventional method. It carried the farmlands which housed the creatures and plant life they farmed with, ensuring the provisioning of food.
As time went by the research and advancements produced faster results causing the colony to grow rapidly. The citizens were able to keep up with the changes. Some had difficulties but thanks to the enlightening skill most information and experiences can be transferred. With this they could learn almost instantaneously from one another.
Countless cycles passed and the cycle of interstellar travel was at hand. Before launch Ranir had a few words to say before they set off.
“I have come from nothing. We have come from nothing. We gained knowledge and understanding together. My goal was to save the people and leave this place for something better. We have achieved the former and are moving towards the latter. What stands between us and our goal will be a hindrance. We will conquer every hindrance and become the strongest to ever exist. Always expanding. Infinite possibilities, build infinite probabilities. If we follow this motto nothing will ever be unknown to us. If the calculations are accurate you could predict outcomes. We are finally set free and will never stop advancing. My mother gave me this chance and as Rehaishans we will not let it go to waste. For Infinite Possibilities…”
“Build Infinite Probabilities.” The colony cheered.
They readied the fleet and set out for their next endeavor.
As they left I looked back from their perspective to what they are leaving behind. The ships ascended into the skies, large areas in the crust of the planet looked like abyssal tunnels. Creatures crippled, limping on the verge of extinction, plants reaching for any possible light but there were none. Acid burning far more powerfully than the poisons of the plants. The only water left on the planet was that which fell from the skies.
Together they built their future and together they destroyed what once could be called life.