Exploration
Exploration
"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying." - Arthur C. ClarkeExploration is the cornerstone of human evolution. For all of their history, recorded or lost, they have looked beyond. In their beginning, they looked out of their caves to the outside and from there they looked past their borders, to the hills, forests, and mountains that surrounded them and saw them as barriers to traverse. Eventually, the seas and oceans created more barriers, but undeterred, humans saw this as yet another obstacle to overcome. They looked ever towards the horizon. But upon looking out to the horizon, the view was different for all involved. Some looked in wonder, where others looked in fear. Some looked to the thrill of discovery where others were consumed by greed and the desire to exploit. This invariably led to conflict as individuals and countries alike laid claim to that which was not theirs. Despite this, or because of it, humanity marched ever forward, its lust to find and claim barely contained. With the entirety of the world claimed (a matter of when, not if), humanity strained and clawed against itself, until the Higginson-Meiers Elements were discovered. There have been many singular moments in history that propelled and hastened humanities evolution and technology forward: the Renaissance, the computer and the splitting of the atom, space travel, and many, many others. This moment eclipsed the others, and in their haste to claim and understand, this discovery almost ended humanities brief history. Rising from the ashes as likened to a phoenix, the Terran Ascendency rose and united the survivors. Together, humanity pulled itself up and began to rebuild, but with all things they still looked beyond. The Ascendency looked not at the horizon, but beyond it. With its first infant steps, humanity had previously touched the stars, but now it sought to leave the cradle and live among them. With the new elements, not only were they able to reclaim their own world, humans spread beyond their atmosphere and created the first colonies in the Sol System. Like the oceans before, the ships of the Terran Ascendency stretched forth to the Moon, Mars, and many other celestial bodies that share the Sun of their beloved cradle world, Earth. With most of their solar system conquered, the Ascendency once again looked beyond. The Higginson-Meiers elements were powerful; however, even these could not make travel outside the solar system feasible. Although the human lifespan had increased dramatically, it would still take near 80 years to reach the edges of Alpha Centauri, and it wasn't until the advent of the Tunnel Drive that travel became feasible. Armed with yet another way to break through the barriers that surrounded them, the Vanguard Project began. The guiding principle: discovery. To look beyond the horizon of the system with wonder and thrill, rather than fear and greed. A large flotilla of ships, military and civilian to explore and settle the far reaches beyond their home system and to find out if humanity was alone in the galaxy. Initially, humanity made many mistakes as it joined the galactic community. Although the mainstay of it's mission, the humans who joined the Vanguard Project was woefully unprepared for what waited beyond their home system. What the humans did not realize as they set out, was that they already lived among the stars, not separate from them. In their hubris, they did what they had done for constant generations before them: they laid claim to that which was not theirs and in so doing, created conflict. The Vanguard Project would later be seen as the last great failing of the Terran Ascendency. But not all of the Vanguard fleets failed in their mission as not all of the Venaguard fleets followed their orders. The 1st Vanguard fleet started its mission the same as the other fleets, but secretly, it also sought the truth. Chasing rumor and speculation, Vice Admiral Alexis Walsh sought to learn the truth of the Ascendency. Often she quote a phrase from an ancient Earth poem as she chased this dream, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Often she would say this and would not allow anything to get in her way for the truth that she sought, unknowing what that truth may be. In so doing, the fleet learned more than even she had bargained for. They would eventually return home, armed with the truth... But what they did with that truth...remains to be seen.
If written as a novel...yes leave as is. If written for a game the last three paragraphs would have to be removed and the fourth to the last paragraph would have to end with: The members of the first Vanguard fleet, under the leadership of Vice Admiral Alyssa Schall would go among the stars searching for the truth. But what they did with that truth...remains to be seen.
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