July 20, 2469, exactly 500 years after the first landing on Luna, Earth's moon, humanity takes its first great step to the stars! The great expeditionary generation ship Terra Nova departs from Earth orbit for Kepler-10 with 20000 passengers in cryostasis and an additional 20,000 embryos in cryostasis awaiting implantation. Waiting for them is the planet KOI-72e, the fifth planet of Kepler-10, confirmed by the latest observations to have a breathable atmosphere, abundant water, habitable land masses, and moderate, Earth-like temperatures. The journey is long, but advanced AI and robotics technology, fusion-powered graviton drives, and the most advanced construction techniques, medical technologies, and over 500 years of experience of space operations in the Solar System will ensure success!
Earth Common Era
The Common Era of Earth, otherwise known as Anno Domini or AD.
Common Era
1 and beyond
Earth Common Era
-
2469 AD
20 Masakot
Departure
Expedition -
3272 AD
29 Masajoy 14:00
Arrival
Technological achievementSYSTEM LOG ENTRY
Reference: e9d53f68-7b63-4378-8cde-6e0c756499ba
Time Stamp: 32720929T1427.968987Z
Entered by: Terra Nova Flight Supervisor AI
After decelerating for 401.26 years, expeditionary generation ship Terra Nova has penetrated the heliopause of star Kepler-10. Observed time of entry to the solar system of Kepler-10 varied from predicted time of entry by 19.2461 minutes. Current velocity 526000 km/hour. SYSTEM LOG ENTRY
Reference: 8597abfe-90b3-4a42-8a46-ec9ded2aa854
Time Stamp: 32720929T1427.99867Z
Entered by: Terra Nova Flight Supervisor AI
Expedition Supervisor AI notified of entry to Kepler-10 solar system. SYSTEM LOG ENTRY
Reference: 304bdf33-451b-4dbe-9a13-daca50b4fd8a
Time Stamp: 32720929T1428.15446Z
Entered by: Expedition Supervisor AI
Expedition Notification of entry to Kepler-10 solar system by Flight Supervisor AI acknowledged, and variance from predicted time of entry noted. Flight Supervisor AI instructed to continue deceleration per mission plan, maintain course for planet Kepler-10e. SYSTEM LOG ENTRY
Reference: 8597abfe-90b3-4a42-8a46-ec9ded2aa854
Time Stamp: 32720929T1428.214255Z
Entered by: Terra Nova Flight Supervisor AI
Expedition Supervisor AI instruction to continue deceleration per mission plan and maintain course for planet Kepler-10e acknowledged. Expeditionary generation ship Terra Nova predicted to enter orbit of planet Kepler-10e in 23.17631 years. Variance from optimal course to planet of -X 0.00021 degrees, +Y 0.00000667 degrees, -Z 0.000000001 noted. Engine Monitor AI reports all thrusters and main engines nominal. Engaging thrusters to correct course variance. SYSTEM LOG ENTRY
Reference: 304bdf33-451b-4dbe-9a13-daca50b4fd8a
Time Stamp: 32720929T1428.30046Z
Entered by: Expedition Supervisor AI
Preparations for landing on planet Kepler-10e begin. Notifying Backup Cryostasis Supervisor AI to begin preparations for awakening. -
3272 AD
7 Masatun
Awakening
Life, MilestoneEXPEDITION LOG ENTRY
Reference: 6e422ff7-7b04-4332-9bfb-5e613e06fc9d
Time Stamp: 32721007T1827.10344Z
Entered By: Expedition Commander Nils J. Ericsson
It is hard to believe that I have been awakened after over 800 years in cryostasis. What a remarkable achievement for humanity! The coin given to me by King Haakan is still in my pocket, which brings me some longing for my home on the fjords - a home which is no doubt long gone now. I have expressed my profound gratitude to the AIs that have managed the expedition during our long sleep, but of course, they are only carrying out the mission as they have been instructed. Nevertheless, they have kept us safe and the ship functioning correctly during the eighty-plus decades of the expedition; without their unfailing watchfulness and ability to maintain the integrity and functioning of the ship's engines, life support, and instrumentation this expedition would have no possibility of success. I have instructed the Expedition Supervisor AI to send a tight-beam transmission to Earth to inform them of our arrival in the Kepler-10 solar system. There have been some setbacks. The Expedition Supervisor AI informs me that no transmissions have been received from Earth for 227 years. The AI said that prior transmissions indicated political turmoil and a global-scale war. Current conditions on Earth are unknown. The Primary Cryostasis Supervisor AI has malfunctioned, so the Expedition Supervisor AI deactivated it. The Backup Cryostasis Supervisor AI has assumed responsibility for all awakenings. The Instrumentation Supervisor AI has reported that the primary radio telescope antenna has been destroyed, probably by a particle striking it, as it extends beyond the ship's magnetic shielding. Fortunately, it is not critical at this point in the mission. The last to be awakened will be the Ten Thousand mothers and fathers. The mothers will begin giving birth approximately six months after the landing on Derkomai. Their babies will be the first born on Derkomai and will be trained from childhood to colonize our new home planet. I look forward to human company; although, the squalling of babies will probably become tiresome rather soon! -
3293 AD
25 /12 06:003293 AD
25 /12 07:00
Orbit
Technological achievementEXPEDITION LOG ENTRY
Reference: 35e69998-9ba6-45ed-9e58-4a629c87d1b8
Time Stamp: 32931225T0631.83821Z
Entered By: Expedition Commander Nils J. Ericsson
Christmas morning. I wonder if Christmas is still celebrated on Earth. At the time we departed Earth, only a few that celebrated the holiday remained. Will Christmas be celebrated on our new home world? I hope so. We live in an age of technological marvels, but there is still need for faith; perhaps now more than ever. The Thousand members of Terra Nova flight crew were awakened ninety days ago. The Medical Supervisor AI has confirmed that all are healthy, and they have been working with the AI's and robotics to prepare and check the landing ships. The landing ship captains and their crews have been simulating the landing procedures and going over emergency procedures. Of course, the Landing Ship Supervisor AIs will do all of the real work of landing the ships. Their decision-making and reactions to events are far faster than is possible for any human. The Flight Supervisor AI says that we will enter orbit around Derkomai in a little under six days. We will pass within the orbit of the major moon in 5 1/2 days. The Ten Thousand mothers and fathers were awakened thirty days ago and will board the landers in five days. The AIs and robotics will check all systems. The robotics have been checked by the Terra Nova flight crew. Construction machinery has been loaded. The supplies have been stored. Final preparations for landing are underway and proceeding as planned. We have chosen January 1, 3294 to be the day of our landing. It seems fitting that we start our new lives, on a new planet, on New Year's Day. Of course, we will need to start a new calendar for our new home, but it makes sense that the first day there is also the first day of the New Year on our new calendar. -
3294 AD
1 Masayat 01:003294 AD
1 Masayat 02:00
The Fall
Disaster / DestructionOn the First Day of Year One of the Common Reckoning, humanity fell from the sky, cast down and scattered over the world by the Dragons. Few survived. Stripped of our powers and wisdom, the greatest of us died, and our servants were destroyed, leaving only the young and some few of their caretakers. In the first days, many more perished. But we persisted, we survived, we remain, and we grow. One day, we will regain our powers, and we will return to the stars.
The World of Derkomai © 2019 by Peter R. Nelson is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. All rights reserved.
All characters and locations presented are fictional and any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental and unintentional.