Information |
Tribal Data |
• Life span: 300 years.
• Height: 6'8".
• Body Type: Lean.
• Eyes: Blue.
• Hair: White, long.
• Heart: On the right.
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Recent Ancestors |
Oma |
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As leader, she dedicated her life to creating a suitable environment for existence on Gaia.
She and her team worked to benefit the settling and greening of the planet, and as a hobby, also experimented with gene therapy.
Their bodies were not suited to life on the new planet. They adapted as best they could, shielded themselves whenever possible, and began a back-water project to recreate themselves as life forms suited to existence on Gaia. The Twelve
Tribes are the result of their labours.
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Vela |
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A pilot who managed to land Oma's craft in one piece.
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Idym |
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Led the team that created the modern Last, and the first creation was named Eve.
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Taris |
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The First Officer who crash landed the third spacecraft. He never tried to contact the other Ancestors, nor them he. Much of his existence was spent in suspended animation, as he waited for Gaia to become habitable.
One day he noticed hominina similar to himself, and visited many. He became enamoured with the Second, and when the Ice Age threatened their existence, he determined to keep them safe, and transferred them to his homelands:
The Island.
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Taris' Legacy |
Believing he was the only survivor of their race, Taris began writing for posterity, the history and knowledge of The Ancestors. These can be found as stubs in the four caves he created, and in depth along the walls of The Corridor
of Knowledge.
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The Twelve Tribes |
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The Ancestors |
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Introduction
The Ancestors are homo sapien atavus, the suffix atavus means 'ancestor' in Latin, with a compound meaning of 'wise person ancestor'.
The Ancestors are not native to planet Earth, or Gaia as they named it, but arrived on the planet around 1, 500, 000 years ago. They were few, threatened with immanent extinction; but for Oma and the other survivors, they would have undoubtedly
died out.
Pre-history
Although revealed through artifacts and lore, the Ancestors' themselves are not discovered until the end of Book Three; The Wrath of Gaia.
Buried deep in a mountain, Jack and Kay discover the Ancestors pre-history, written on panels which line the Corridor of Knowledge. Their other companion, n'Gnung, finds a miniature star map, showing the Southern Cross and the associated
star system; the Ancestors came from: Proxima Alpha.
The Alpha Centauri system is the closest to Gaia, and is a complex system involving three stars. The largest Alpha A, and Alpha B, orbit each other. The third star, Alpha Proxima orbits both central stars at a distance, and in a different
plane. The Corridor of Knowledge shows this as a normal star, similar to, if slightly larger than, our sun. The Ancestors fled the cosmic implosion of their sun; Alpha Proxima is now a red dwarf.
Some went to other planets within the greater system, others may have voyaged farther afield. What we do know so far, is that some came to the nearest solar system, and settled on the planet Rhea.
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Proxima Alpha did not naturally turn into a red dwarf; it was made into one by the Aleutian-Hallion Alliance, like the Ogres, are despotic overlords of sections
of the Milky Way Galaxy. They had determined to exterminate the Ancestors, the original homo sapiens. Meeting fiercer than expected resistance, the Alliance small forces thought to expedite their conquest, and so targeted the sun with
advanced weaponry, and departed for another part of the galaxy.
More information and full history of the Ancestors is planned to be written during 2016, and generated as the Fourth Book in the double trilogy is written. This will include history as revealed by Poh. Oma
will tell us about life on Rhea and Mars; but will the Mars colony be re-established?
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History in Our Solar System
Millions of years ago, as our solar system continued to evolve and settle. The cooler, outer planets settled first, and the Ancestors made their home on Rhea, today represented by the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. They named
the planet Rhea in honour of their home planet, Centaurea.
Coincidentally, one of the largest planetary pieces was the southern polar region, which was ejected outwards into space. Due to planetary alignment, this was captured by Saturn, and became the third moon, today bearing the same name.
The Ancestors prospered for generations, expanding as nearby planets became hospitable. Then one day, an old threat returned to haunt them, still determined to destroy all of their kind. The Aleutian-Hallion Alliance (see sidebar)
spacecraft carriers obliterated the planet, rendering it a collection of rocks and space debris.
The destruction complete, enemy forces departed, unaware that small colonies clung to life on Mars. Conditions on Mars were harsh, the mining colonies, plus a scattering of scientists, lived mainly underground, and hid as soon as
the enemy were spotted.
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The Martian colonies endured, and at times sought a better environment, but drones showed the only viable planet, Gaia, to be formative and still hostile to life. Later, other drones found the planet settling, but
compromised by terrifying creatures, the dinosaurs.
In time their eyes began to focus once more on the stars; a meteor was headed directly for Mars, and all life was once more under threat. They managed to break the meteor into smaller parts, which still crashed into the colony. In desperation,
ancient spacecraft that were museum pieces, were partially repaired, and scrambled by the scientists.
Of the many craft that fled Mars, only three made it into space and planetary orbit. One landed intact, Captained by Oma. Another was mortally damaged on entry, compromised by radiation and the planet's magnetic field. A third craft also survived
entry, making an emergency landing on the Island, and separating into two parts to preserve life and reduce contamination.
The only survivor of the third craft, Taris, became the mythological Ancestor for the people of the Second.
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Story
In Book Three, The Wrath of Gaia, we finally meet the Ancestors face to face. Oma and her crew have been held in stasis for millennia by the Great Ogre, and kept alive via cloning and mind-mapping. Their bodies regularly harvested for
DNA, and all they want to do is escape, whether through rescue or death. Their bodies endure in a stasis pod; their are minds trapped within.
Jack releases them, if tentatively at first, bringing Oma back to life, followed in turn by Vela and the rest of the crew. The trilogy finishes as initial trust is gained, and the Ancestors help them to fly both spaceships.
The scene is now set for the arrival of cousins of the Ancestors, led by Poh, as they head for Gaia. They are escaping the same foe, and struggle to remain undetected.
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Technology
The Ancestors use a synthetic black rock with pinpoints of starlight in it. This can change shape at their will. Jack noted this material when he first entered the cave near his camp. They interact with the systems they use both physically,
via speech, and mentally. Similarly in communication, they can speak aloud, or use telepathy. They use crystals as storage media and systems control.
Most of their other advanced technology, is based upon particle emission and quark manipulation. The Boson Drive, which can propel travellers at speeds approaching that of light, is detailed on the Technology
Page, as are the workings of Infinity Thrusters, and Transporters.
With ingenuity, they used the spacecraft's shield technology, and adapted it for use with transporter circles, thus allowing them the freedom to roam, without being afflicted by the Sun's rays, or Gaia's magnetism. Due to dangerous
mammals and environment, they created hand weapons, personal shields, and return bracelets.
They normally communicate telepathically, a gift they also gave the Twelfth and Eleventh. Jack and Ælkræleinnoire eventually work out how to mentally communicate with the spacecraft's control, but the effort sees
them in a coma for 18 months and almost kills them both. However, from this experience they gain the memory of the Ancestors, and the ability to use their language.
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Social Structure
The Ancestors have high ethical standards,
and treat their daily morality with great respect.
They naturally embrace the Seven Virtues, although
these are unknown to them, having been developed
by the Last in their far recent history.
Their aim is social inclusion, all working for the entire community, and sharing the feast. Crime is virtually unknown to them, although peccadilloes do occur, especially when due to Fate, people do wrong for the right reasons.
Their moral code was handed this down to their creations. The full Laws are given on the Characters page, but include: Choosing good over evil, complete monogamy, and classical Prudence. They are both highly intelligent and intellectual, applying
philosophical thought and ideals to their daily lives.
One result of this, is that they live in an extremely stable and secure society. One problem, already alluded to in Book Three, but highlighted in Book Four, is that this strict social structure limits their perception of what is, and what
is not possible. For instance, their innately pacifistic nature, led them to great difficulties when faced with the threat of their creations the Ogres, and earlier, the Aleutian-Hallion Alliance. They were unprepared, and unable to conceive
of fighting back, at least, until it was too late.
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Snippets |
Origin |
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The Ancestors, developed on Centaurea, a planet orbiting Proxima Alpha, the smallest Sun of the three star Alpha Centauri system.
They fled their star before it became a red dwarf, some heading for our solar system.
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The Centaureans |
| It is not until the near the very end of Book Three, that we learn the Ancestors call themselves The Centaureans.
This is a reference to their homeworld in the Alpha Centauri solar system, and also to their language.
In an oblique reference to the Bible, it can be revealed here, the Centaurean word for language is, "babbel." They bestowed each Tribe with a different language, although the Centaureans themselves can speak them
all.
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Freighter |
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Image of the spacecraft Taris crash landed on the Island, and virtually identical to those ships captained by Oma and Obsidian.
This ugly duckling is a workhorse that is functional, like a six-wheel tipper truck.
It was used to ferry minerals and ore from Mars to Rhea, the planet which is now the asteroid belt. Fitted with a Boson Drive, it was also capable of reaching Proxima Alpha - a journey of just over twenty years.
The guns are not offensive, but used to clear space debris. The two under wing pods are for transporting hazardous materials.
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Focus of the Trilogy |
| Ræm and Idym name their first child, Eve Ning. This in part parallels the focus of Book Three, which challenges accepted wisdom, religious beliefs, Darwinism, and Catastrophe Theory. Idym was the creator of the original Eve.
When asked about the name, Ræm said, "We called her 'evening' because she was born at the end of the day."
Why, "The end of the day?"
This would tend to imply, the development of the Ancestors and their progeny homo sapien is completed.
And, what will the new day bring forth?
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Mind Mapping |
This process was developed from transporter technology; the basis of much of the Ancestors' technology.
It is like taking a photograph, or creating a design diagram of a person's higher brain functions, and mainly the thoughts and memories contained within the cerebral cortex. It does not include perceptions
of spirit or soul.
Recording of lower brain functions, like the hippocampi are much less precise, and in homo sapien, imprecise to the degree that a clone with mind mapping, is never quite the same; like monozygotic twins.
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