Evolution

[Dano]

Old-school Dano, for no other reason than because I'm awake and bored.

After a thousand years of exploring the outer limits of what they new of space, looking for new homes (which they found), resources (which they found), and other life forms (which they didn't find, yet), the people of Gaia (as they had renamed the planet of their origins) settled into stagnation. They had simply tired of being assertive. Colonies were abandoned, first the military bases (which they didn't need, yet), then the new homes Gaians had made for themselves on distant worlds, and finally, the scientific outposts (since they had learned nothing new in nearly a millennium). Slowly but surely, humanity returned to the solar system of it's birth, Sol. Birth rates went down. Eventually, the birth rates declined to less than 1000 new babies born each year, throughout the total of humanity. Partnered with the fact that most people lived to be nearly 200 years old, a great age of wisdom and contentment was entered. People lived longer, had more time to think (what with machines doing almost all work), and to ruminate.

And to dream.

One such dreamer was a man named Stephen al-Shabbaz. Like all Gaians, any cultural differences that used to separate people had been bred out of him generations ago. Like all Gaians, he was a shade of neutral tan, neither dark nor light. Like all Gaians, he had no way of untangling his cultural origin anymore, since there had been so much cross-pollination. Like most Gaians, he was content to simply be a Gaian. Unlike most Gaians, Stephen al-Shabbaz was not content with living in the Sol system. He had grown up many light years away, on a scientific outpost orbiting the second planet of the Vegan solar system. The reason humanity had been so interested in the planet was because it was an almost perfect copy of Gaia, planetarily speaking. It had vast areas of water, continents composed of roughly the same materials as Gaia, and a breathable atmosphere. They had stayed off of it, not settling it, however.

The reason was because that life already existed. Plants and some animal life (equivalent to Gaia just before the dawn of man), which they watched intently, not wanting to interfere, lest they foul up evolution. However, since evolution takes millions and millions of years, Gaia had lost interest in this planet, and abandoned the outpost.

Stephen al-Shabbaz wanted to watch this planet. It became an obsession for him. He gained permission to return to the outpost, alone, to watch the planet. After his arrival, he set up shop, watching the evolution. He had all the materials he needed, including methods to create food and fresh water, as well as entertainment and education materials. He wasn't going to get bored any time soon. He arrived on the station at the age of 56. 110 years later, Stephen al-Shabbaz had seen very little, but had learned very much about this planet, which he named Terra, in homage to his home, Gaia.

His obsession to witness the evolution of life on Terra consumed him, especially since he had, at the most, only 30 years of life left in him. He descended into madness and despair. One day, while in the throes of a depression he likely wouldn't have escaped from, he had a moment of clarity. He got up, cleared his mind, and started working. 2 years later, he (with the help of the station's robotic operating room) transplanted his brain and spinal cord into an artificial housing, an android that had formerly been used as a handyman, and said goodbye to life as a human.

As an android, he was able to survive much longer, perhaps another 1500-2000 years if he was lucky, but he knew that wouldn't be enough. He contacted Gaia, and severed all contact with the planet of his birth (which, to be honest, had forgotten about him anyway). Then, Stephen al-Shabbaz, scientist, evolutionary, and android, placed himself in suspended animation, programing the computer to awaken him in 1,000 years. He would then awaken, observe Terra for one year, cataloguing any changes, observing how life had advanced, and then return to his sleep for another cycle.

Amazingly, this plan worked. Stephen al-Shabbaz repeated this cycle nearly 5,000 times. Each time, he awoke, observe, catalogue, and reflect. Every 1000 cycles, he replaced his android body with a new one that had been constructed while he slept. He was, essentially, immortal. He had live almost 5 million years. During one of his hibernations, a particular species of amphibian attained the intelligence level of Cro-Magnon man on Gaia. Tribes were forming, speech was being developed, the window was opening. When he awakened, he observed all of this eagerly, hungrily, ecstatic in this new turn of events. After a few days, he attempted to call Gaia, in order to report his findings.

He was disappointed, although not surprised that he received no answer. Humanity had died out long ago. Quietly, peacefully. It had simply tired of being so assertive. Populations dwindled as the death rate far surpassed the birth rate. Colonies on the other planets orbiting Sol were abandoned as Gaians returned to the planet of their birth. People became less and less concerned with the external, and focused instead on the internal, finding the peace humanity had longed for since the Dawn of Man. The final 1,643 people left on Gaia all gathered together in what had once been the ancient city of Jerusalem, then the ancient city of Divinity (so named after religious leaders had realized that all religions were in fact, one), then the city of Haven (so named by the Gaian people when the massive return to the home world had begun). There they gathered in an amphitheater, sat in a circle, joined hands, and quietly passed on.

Stephen al-Shabbaz pondered this turn of events, which had happened barely 100,000 years into his 5 million years of hibernation. His sanity crumbled, and megalomania emerged. He decided that he was, in fact, God. It was his responsibility to guide and nurture the people of Terra through whatever paths they traveled down. He resolved to never again enter hibernation, only to replace the android body that housed his mind. He would be the watcher of these people. Their protector. Their God. A kind, benevolent God. He settled in for the show.

more soon

[dwim]

Wow... this is the most wildest imagination I had ever heard of... This bypass all and any sci fi crap that Hollywood churns out in the movies...

*waiting for the more*

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I try to be humble but this guy threw my greatness in my face! I'm trying to deny my greatness!

"Everything belongs to me because I am poor." - Jack Kerouac Visions of Cody

[NecroFlash]

you posted that before, eh? i just ran across it the other day, getting rid of useless papers in my room...

but yeah, i still like it as much as i did the first time around...

and yes, i do still have the first print-out...

[Branflakes]

Damn! That's good!

*waits for more*

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Branflakes, the ninja lesbian milk getter tease.
The one called "brain" and "brainflakes" and....
Officially declared "cute". Declares the bunny and Ersby and Wiloe "cute".
"One thing I've never been is straight, dear girl." Katchoo, SiP
"If ever you need naughty good things, just let me know..."-Starkyld
I'm tired of the silent majority. Silence equals death.
Life is what you make it.

Chatter Box

[Coke Cans]

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"Sometimes ..... we don't die.... we just never really live. "- Me