Journey to Emergence
The voyage into a new Galaxy, to endless new stars, entering Humanity into a new age
It was one of the greatest expeditions Humanity had ever, or would ever, see. A journey like no other. Venturing across not just the emptyness of space, but across Galaxies. Passing untold numbers of stars, planets, nebulae, and every other exotic feature of space, five grand fleets, travelling just mere weeks apart, set upon a voyage that would change everything. Many things for the better, but just as many for the worse. Venturing from the lost lost Homeworld of humankind, it was a voyage now known as the Journey to Emergence, and few events since have ever been remotely as impactful.
Everything about the journey itself has long since been shrouded in mystery. Legions of historians and scholars have ensured the survival of tens of thousands of audio communications, but such recordings tell only a fragmented tale. They tell stories of unity, strength, and bravado, but so too of fear and anxiety of what they might find. Stories of conflict and resolution are all too common among the audio logs, as old rivalries and friendships were reignited, or broken completely.
Through these recordings, modern humanity has pieced together key pieces of the journey, never all of it, but most. We know of Thomas Weaving, the expedition's leader, and his exploits during the voyage, as well as the adventurers of his young children, Will and Ellie aboard those grand vessels of exploration. We know of the backdoor politics, of plans to betray the expedition. We know how they felt, seeing star after star pass them by. And we know what happened, when they finally reached their destination, the Star of Emergence, the first steps for humanity into the Galaxy of Astraesto.
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Thomas Weaving, The First Man
Thomas Weaving is well known as the leader of the expedition, yet from what we have uncovered, it is clear that he was not the first. Indeed, at least two individuals seemed to have control of the Fleet, though their fates are unclear. Did they give up power? Or was it taken?
There are few individuals more connected with the voyage than its leader, the Chief Explorer, Thomas Weaving. A man who garnered the nickname 'The First Man' for his service in the colonisation of Astraesto, and the subsequent formation of the New Terran Republic. Audio logs depict a man unafraid of the unknown, eager, perhaps too eager, to escape what was known to Humanity into the unexplored, and potentially, the unexplained. While to some, he has become a hero to admire, his role to be aspired towards, to others, Thomas Weaving is the lie of a man with all too many secrets to hide.
These secrets range from the plausible to the absurd. Some claim Weaving orchestrated a mutiny, attaching suspicion to the supposed disappearance of two individuals who appeared to be acting in a commanding role, seemingly before Weaving took control of the Fleet. Others decry his acts during the voyage, supposed acts of bribery, blackmail, and fraud, though he was never stupid enough to outright admit to it in any discovered recording. Most see these theories as a way to discredit the man most instrumental to early Human exploration of the Galaxy. A figure who has all but become synonymous with discovery and exploration, and the inspiration for untold millions.
The Children of Emergence
Alongside a dedicated crew, and colonists selected to fit key roles, came their families, including a large number of children. These children ranged in age, from infants to teenagers, and have directly led historians to debate if the ships involved in the expedition were not merely hyper-advanced FTL capable vessels, but generational ships. The use of such a ship could potentially increase the suspected distance of the Homeland by an unimaginable measure, and expunge Thomas Weaving of mutiny allegations, with control over the Fleet merely being passed down through the years, rather than taken by force.
From the audio logs recovered from the expedition, it is made clear that there was very little for most children to do. They would spend most of their time playing with one another, often distracting crew members with their games, which often spanned across an entire ship. More than a few audio logs are filled to the brim with complaints, with several crew members clearly becoming common contributors.
While most of the children themselves are absent from the audio logs, only being seen through the communication of their parents, family, and other crew members, the twin children of Thomas Weaving, Will and Ellie, are vastly overrepresented. Indeed, despite their young age, believed between 7 and 10, the two children seemed to think of themselves as historians and vividly recounted numerous events. The result is dozens of stories, some that historians consider gospel as they are told, others, elaborate mischaracterisations of very real events. The two children appeared to be quite the adventurers and were no doubt responsible for many of the crew member complaints raised against the children of the fleet.
Despite their age, Will and Ellie are often regarded as folk heroes of the entire Journey and are affectionately remembered as the Children of Emergence.
A Step into Politics
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Journey among historians are the political machinations that seemingly underpinned it. A long list of names, names that would later hold power in the New Terran Republic, dominate any discussion. Acts in the shadows, outside of the knowledge of Thomas Weaving, or in some cases with it.
Without all parts of the story, any attempt to rationalise or understand even half the actions individuals undertook as a part of the expedition is impossible. Their acts remain a mystery to all. Forgotten plans, failed plans, and uncertainty are all that remain for us to find. Relics of a war fought in shadow.
He will lead us to ruin, you can't possibly trust him!I trust him more than I trust Zillo, that's for sure.When this expedition fails, you'll only have yourself to blame.Uh huh, just don't come running to me when Zillo's plan goes to shit.
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An Arrival into the Future
The ending of one adventure leads so quickly to the next. These next steps will ricochet across all time, forever, until the day comes that Humanity is no more. This Galaxy will be conquered, it will be tamed. Its stars harnessed, its planets steel husks. There will be those who fight against such a future, as they well should. But the advancement of progress cannot be stopped by any individual. In arriving into this future I can see only the past. Perhaps it is best to forget our old home and all the pain we caused it. But will my ancestors follow through with the same mistakes my forebears made? Should they know what we did? Did we even deserve to survive? Will they use this Galaxy to begin something new, something better than what came before, or only to permeate past mistakes? I don't know. I know only that we have given a chance to them. To be better than us, or to be worse. I hope for the former, but I must expect the latter.
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Article created in response to the "Look into the Stars Challenge" by Blue Fairy 74
Great story that is told in this article. May I ask about how many ships were in each of the five fleets and how much personal / colonist were abord the ships?
Thanks! I've intentionally kept the numbers vague (at least for now), though I will say the First Fleet (probably the smallest) had around 5,000 people, mostly colonists. Each fleet was equipped with a large number of human embryos as well, which allowed them to rapidly grow their population after the colony was settled and began to thrive.
I see like the Covernant in the ALIEN franchise - Good Idea.
Due to the Audio Logs retrieved from that time I guess, there were no hyper-sleep-chambers yet, am I right?
Yeah, no sleep chambers. I feel that cheapens the mammoth Journey these people had to embark on to reach this new place. Also allows for new questions, like why they felt they had to undertake such a voyage at all.