Another Idea for a Science Fiction Short Story
by
Curtis Eickerman
The human race began on the 5th planet of the solar system. It arose
many millions of years ago and also reached a highly advanced state many millions
of years ago. However, as the output of the sun changed for some not
quite understood reason it became necessary to begin a migration to the 4th
planet (Mars). This migration took place over a period of several centuries
until the 5th planet was both deserted and locked in a perpetual ice age.
There was always the hope that civilization might return there but this was
not to be. As the solar system moved through a more densely populated
portion of the galactic arm it became obvious to all concerned there was
an extreme danger of impacts with galactic debris. At the same time
the output of the sun was continuing its gradual reduction in output.
It was concluded that the fusion furnace which powers the sun had actually
extinguished and the sun was actually radiating energy due to gravitational
collapse rather than from fusion. This was established due to the continuing
measurement of insufficient neutrino flux to correlate with a fusion powered
star. It was determined that fusion would reestablish within a few
thousand years but at a still lower output than was presently being produced.
Ultimately there was only one option, to migrate once more. The process
of migrating to the 3rd planet was undertaken even though it was known that
to process would again take centuries to complete. At the same time
the increase in galactic debris was already becoming apparent. Meteor
showers were much more commonplace than every before and were increasing each
year.
Migration to earth continued in spite of the difficulties. Part of
the difficulties were interestingly enough the discovery of quite a few indigenous
lifeforms on the 3rd planet. This had not been the case in the earlier
migration and it raised some interesting moral and ethical questions.
The most important question was whether the hominid life forms could and would
develop true intelligence and self awareness if left to themselves.
It was also clear that with migration to Earth that the normal course of evolution
for the hominids would be severely altered and could result in the extinction
of the hominid lifeforms.
What was not understood at the time was that the hominid lifeforms of earth
themselves were not indigenous to the planet. It wasn’t until DNA testing
revealed a close similarity to the DNA of the fifth planet people that some
began to suspect that there was a little more to earth than met the eye.
How could these hominids have evolved independently with such closely matching
DNA sequences. Were the sequences inevitable in evolution, or was there
some other answer. A group of fifth planet sientists set out to try
and find a resolution to this problem and what they find shook the foundations
of what they had all come to believe.
While humanity rose to such a high level of achievement on the fifth planet
and eventually migrated to the fourth planet there was apparently another
branch of human evolution taking place from a transplanted group of humans
that had been transported to earth while the 5th planet people were still
a non-space faring race. The 3rd planet humans were evolving much more
slowly. But the overwhelming question became, who transported these
people to earth?
© 2003, Curtis Eickerman, All Rights Reserved.
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