Five Million Years On

Five Million Years On

(A post-apocalyptic story of regeneration and hope)

Book 1 of the Waterborn Series

Alastair Batchelor

Published by Alastair Batchelor

At Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Alastair Batchelor

Discover other titles by Alastair Batchelor at

Smashwords. com

A Leaf That Floats Upstream

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/309792

A Leaf on a Quest

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/375125

Call of a Dragon

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402507

The Wave Beneath

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/466463

Blood and Jade

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/560402

Acknowledgements

I wish to extend my appreciation to NASA for the image of a Supernova which appears on the front cover.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – A Last Gift from Humanity

Chapter 2 – Time is Relative

Chapter 3 – From a Tiny Seed

Chapter 4 – A Ten Thousand Year War

Chapter 5 – Civilization Reborn

Chapter 6 – Discovery

Chapter 7 – Knowledge is Addictive

Chapter 8 – A Learning Curve

Chapter 9 – We Are Not Alone

Chapter 10 – In Times of Strife

Chapter 11 – The Chosen

Chapter 12 – A Changing World

Chapter 13 – Small Steps

Chapter 14 – Infinity

Chapter 15 – Between the Stars

Chapter 16 – Welcomes Vary

Chapter 17 – Hostility

Chapter 18 – Water World

Chapter 19 - Mixed Results

Chapter 20 – Diversity

Chapter 21 – Introductions

Chapter 22 – A Test of Diplomacy

Chapter 23 – All is Not Well

Chapter 24 – Swift Reprisals

Chapter 25 – It Just Disappeared

Chapter 26 – Travel Upgrade

Chapter 27 – Message From Earth

Chapter 28 – Fires of Hell Consumed

Chapter 29 – Distant Rumbles

Chapter 30 – Squadron Alert

Chapter 31 – Legacies That Last

Chapter 32 – A New Beginning

Call of a Dragon

Five Million Years on.

Introduction

One and a half million years had passed since The Event. That, which caused the extinction of all life forms on Earth. Something happened, it was in a pool of sediment, not soil and not liquid, a miniscule, electrical spark flashed. Of course there was no-one there to witness that tiny, sputtering, insignificant event, but it was a signal. It shouldn’t have been there at all, in fact there was no way could it have been possible, in spite of this however, it did happen.

But wait! I’m getting ahead of myself, you could not possibly understand what I am talking about, because you weren’t there, no-one was. They were all dead long ago.

Mankind of the 21st Century could not be told; they believed

they were invincible, infallible and infinite. The advances which had been accomplished in science, technology and medicine, were the greatest achievements in the history of man. People were living lives of luxury and to maintain the standard of living they come to expect, the technology of huge consortiums and corporations, with their lumbering machines, uncaring robotic processors and bulk carriers, plundered the Earth of its resources, and as they did so, poured their production wastage and pollution, into the environment. Everything was contaminated, the food chain, the oceans and all the marine life, the rainforests had been systematically destroyed, in the name of progress, animals were just lying down in the fields and dying, the atmosphere became less than breathable and the precious, fresh water supplies disappeared. Those who thought they could survive on desalinated water were wrong, long periods of drinking only desalinated water, had caused serious health problems, not that it mattered anyway, even with water, there was no way anyone could survive.

By the time humanity realized the magnitude of what they had allowed to happen, it was way too late, they were forced to come to terms with the unavoidable consequences of their own selfishness, now it had become obvious to everyone, there was nothing could be done. The oceans were dying, and that alone, signaled the end of all life on Earth. It was not the merciful, instantaneous Armageddon as had been prophesized. No meteor impacted the planet; there were no all-consuming, cleansing fires and no rising of the waters. It was a slow, agonized, degrading ending. Any food still available was contaminated, the only available water which had not turned to sludge, when used for food preparation, or drinking, poisoned those driven to drink it, and the oxygen content in the air was not being renewed. How could it be, all the rain-forests had been cut down to make way for cultivation which wasn’t needed, and the oceans were full of dead and rotting marine creatures and plants. People were overcome where they stood, starving, dehydrated and asphyxiating, they just lay down and after long minutes of flopping and spasmodic kicking as they struggled for just a few more breaths, of the foul air, then died.

Planet Earth was an open air grave for people, animals, plants and marine life. Everywhere was a toxic wasteland of putrefaction. Rotting corpses of all species merged into a common, fetid ooze. United in death and equal at last and there was no-one left to grieve. Eventually, all that remained of a great civilization were piles of degrading plastic and corroding metal. Cities which once pulsed with life, illuminated the skies with a multicolored dome of light, were deserted; the only movement was, as desultory winds stirred trash on the empty streets, even the rats, ants and cockroaches had gone.

Thousands of years passed, but the once proud blue planet had lost its glow of life, no longer did it share its life-giving light with the other planets of the solar system, was it to become just another gray, dusty sphere revolving slowly as it circled the sun. Still the moon orbited the planet, if such were possible, in an enduring a state of trauma, from the desecration it had been forced to witness. Can a lonely, orbiting planetoid weep? Gone were the glistening, restless seas, gone were the great green forests, swaying in the winds and gone were the wondrous creatures that for centuries had inhabited the oceans and lands, of this once beautiful world.

How could it be expected, life could ever bloom and flourish again?

Chapter 1

A Last Gift From Humanity

When the people finally realized the destruction of Earth’s, life supporting environment, had passed the critical stage, and could not be halted or reversed. That now they must accept the end was inevitable and no-one would survive, the planet would be rendered uninhabitable, for thousands of years. Mankind finally, had to acknowledge the responsibility for this suicidal Armageddon was theirs alone, their insatiable greed had come at a horrific cost, their own existence.

There was nothing to which blame could be apportioned, no-one and everyone was at fault, but even this realization was pointless, conscience only had a benefit, while it was still possible to make amends, or effect changes which could influence the end result. That was no longer an option, there had to be something else they could do. In terms of human thought, everything has a beginning and an inevitable end, and every end signals a new beginning. Could there be another new beginning for this failing planet, could a new species rise up? Could the combined spirituality once the essence of mankind’s existence spread its warming glow across these lands?

They had to find a way, to create a link, build a bridge which could transcend time. To this end they brought the world’s leading scientists and engineers together, surely with the combined, acquired knowledge and technological advances humanity had to offer, this civilization could reach across the eons, with a gift to a new species they could never know. All that could be done would be to try and ensure all the advances and gains made in the time up until The Event, would not be lost for eternity. It was a last-ditch, desperate race against their remaining time, to collect records and specimens, then invent and manufacture some means to preserve and protect them, against the ravages of time and the elements. Factors in the future, of which they knew just about nothing, and had no way to evaluate, all they knew and wanted to believe, was perhaps one day, Earth would purge itself of the contaminants which were destroying it and may regenerate. All the knowledge which been attained, the scientific and all the technological advances that had ever been achieved were now pitted against a great unknown.

The challenges were multilayered in their complexity, even if they managed to record all the known information about the evolution and history of humanity, it’s scientific and technological expertise, who, or what would discover it. In the far distant future, how could volumes of information be presented in such a way, it could be understood by an unknown, future species, a species with wholly incomprehensible language and communication skills. It wasn’t known if samples of genetic material could be preserved and reintroduced into the environment at such a time, they would not be instantly destroyed. Such, were but a few of the dilemmas, facing the hastily assembled teams.

Everything that was to be built for this, hands-across-time-project, had to be virtually indestructible and had to as well, provide both an enclosed, totally vacuum sealed, environment, supported by an everlasting power source which would operate the devices, if and when they would be discovered. Computerized components within the time-capsule, for that is what it had to be, required probes, which could continuously monitor and analyze the outside conditions, to determine when, and if the particles and elements of life could be re-introduced into an hospitable environment, presumably by means of ejector tubes. All this in the name of some vague hope they may, sometime in the far distant future, initiate or prompt a natural, creative life force, to kick-start some dormant, forgotten regenerative process. It was all a best-guess scenario, but, isn’t that what science has always been, and mankind, even if a little slow in recognizing his own imminent extinction, was nothing, if not imaginative and ingenious?

Regardless of how information and samples were to be stored, the first and most important item had to be the container. It needed to be constructed of an alloy which did not oxidize, or deteriorate in the climatic extremes to which it would be exposed, it also needed to be insulated to a degree, everything which it contained, was not subjected to radical temperature changes. Since this was to be a self- contained micro-climate zone, it would require some form of a perpetually, renewable power source, which could operate indefinitely, while totally enclosed. It was impossible to even imagine the form, or intelligence level of whatever creature might be the first to happen across the time capsule, so to ensure it was not destroyed by blundering ignorance, entry had to be coded in such a way, only intelligent beings would be able to recognize the significance of the find, and have the ability to deduct and decode the entry formulas. It was envisaged, once the capsules became a reality, a number, as many as possible would be manufactured, and deposited around the planet at what could be assumed to be potentially, strategic locations.

With teams made up of all nationalities, garnered from all the human resources civilization could provide, new materials were invented and discarded and reinvented. New, undreamed of memory storage processes, were developed and loaded with every item of human development data, known to man. With the vast, but miniaturized storage banks, several different types of display devices, which could cater for diverse, variable intelligence levels and communication capabilities, had to be invented and tested under every imaginable condition. Ways had to be provided so information could be presented in a variety of forms, allowing for different levels of interpretation.

The new metal was, ironically, named Alloyinfinitum or AF for short. It passed every test the scientists and engineers could think of, or subject it to, every test that is, other than that of time, and time was something, they did not have. The power source was contrived at about the same time. It was a miniature nuclear reactor which fed on its own recycled waste product and only required a miniscule supplement of additional fuel to ensure its almost endless operation. This was supplemented by solar panels set into the curved upper surface, and these, when, or if the capsule was accessed, would extend to replace the nuclear power. Could these devices continue to supply the requisite power supply, minimal though it was, for one, or several million years, they had to; there were no other means available? Well, no-one on the team that designed it, was going to be able to check that functionality.

The final capsule was a cylinder, about five meters in diameter and twenty meters long. The power source, occupied one end and the rest of the space was devoted to memory banks, display consoles and sample banks, probes and monitors. All together twenty of the capsules were constructed, commissioned then transported to their respective locations. How effective would they be, would they continue function as they were subjected to the rigors of extreme climate changes and the insidious ravages of time? Could all the hopes and dreams of a doomed civilization, be one day passed on to some other life form, born of planet Earth?

All those who had contributed to the design, construction and provision of the time capsules, perished along with seven billion other humans, countless animals, birds and insects, all marine life floated dead on the ocean surface or drifted to the bottom, and soon after, Earth’s mantle of vegetation, withered and decayed. It was complete; Planet Earth was back to what it was, about three and a half million years before. Nothing could survive; it was a suppurating mass of rotting sepsis, the poisonous vapors rising from the ground, continued the already established degrading of the atmosphere. The mighty oceans writhed in their death agonies, as the pollution permeated across their length and breadth. At the end of every day, the sun set in a dull red glow, as the final rays shone through poisonous vapors.

Eventually the only observers left, were the blank eyes of the no longer needed satellites, orbiting an uncaring world, relaying information and pictures no-one would ever see, until one after another, they too, eventually slowed and descended as flaming meteors to a lifeless surface.

Chapter 2

Time is Relative

When there are no clocks, no calendars and no life, there is no concept of time. Well, other than, deep within the time capsules, where atomic powered chronometers, measured time in thousands and multiples of thousands of years, but no-one was looking at those. Now those solitary, lonely cylinders were the only remaining physical evidence, humanity had once occupied, and had exerted its influence over this now stark and barren sphere. Plastics, metals and other artificial materials had degraded, and then had been absorbed into the constantly changing land. Massive concrete, steel and stone structures had been eroded away by the relentless scourge of the elements, blasted by the unfiltered rays of sunlight and dust storms, great cities and even the seemingly, timeless, indestructible pyramids had long since been worn away. It was as if Earth was purging itself of man’s presence, his contamination, ridding itself of a bothersome plague. As a natural consequence, all the decay had also dissipated, it had turned to dust and the winds had eventually spread it around the planet, to be once more absorbed into the rich, but inert earth.

To revert to time, as that measure by which man once lived, about two hundred thousand years had passed. The oceans although they did not support life, still reacted to the gravitational influence of the Moon, volcanoes, the safety vents for the molten magma, kilometers below the surface erupted, as they always had, sending billowing plumes of fire and fumes into the atmosphere, and the grinding, irresistible movements of the tectonic plates, sent violent tremors across the land and foaming tidal surges across vast areas of sea, to crash with merciless force on deserted beaches and rocky cliffs.

What if anything had changed? An observer who had managed to bridge time may have observed visually, the atmosphere appeared to be clearer, but as it was made up primarily of carbon dioxide and methane, it was not as yet breathable for oxygen dependent creatures. Also invisible from ground level, was an equalizing of gasses in the stratosphere; the Ozone layer was healing itself, and the sun’s deadly radiation had abated. With no vegetation to attract rain, the land surface was dry and dusty, although there were areas of damp soil where ocean seepage had been filtered and was trapped in low lying hollows.

Incredibly there was an observer, one almost, but not completely oblivious to the passing of time and, reacting only to stimulus from its probes, the time capsules had survived, now activated by changes happening around them, began to fulfill their purpose. Operating on pre-programed information, the on-board computers determined it was now appropriate to re-introduce some pre-fertilized plant species. Capsules, in locations where possibly fertile and viable conditions had developed, extended tubes, which then injected the revived seeds together with their individual propagating mixes, into rich receptive soils. A short time later, only days, a few green shoots appeared, timidly pushing up through the surface soil.

Combined, the total area of green sown by the several capsules located in suitable areas, amounted to about fifteen square meters. Fifteen