[FONT=EurostileLT !important]“There being no law of Nature nor positive law of God that determines which is the right heir in all cases that may arise, the right of succession, and consequently of bearing rule, could not have been certainly determined.” John Lock 1689 – Treaties of Government
[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important] Throughout the eons of human consciousness it has been our nature to assume that we alone are heir to the Galaxy and even to time itself, with such arrogant questions as, “When I cease to exist, will everything cease to exist with me?”, that have arisen since the first philosopher looked into the reflective pond – a question which has gained a renewed popularity with the invention of cyberneticly enhanced gaming. But, as John Lock, and others before and after have theorized; we are not the heir, but simply the ‘mad wrangler’ attempting to tame the unbreakable ‘steer’ of space and time. And yet, we succeeded. Boldly, with that instinctual battle cry “We Are Destined”, humanity rode the waves of the Mediterranean towards assured death and found other humans, they broke the cold crust of the Arctic in a pursuit of mysteries, climbed the clouds towards that all consuming dark for scientific research, and further to the outer reaches of our solar system until we mastered our own and reached confidently for more. At the outbreak of the thargoid wars, when the first of humanity met itself in another creature, an immediate casualty was felled on our end. This first murder was our unquestioned belief in galactic dominance; because, though many theorized and spoke with feverous determination towards their point, no human could know for certain whether or not the species was destined for eternal greatness, or whether it was simply another inhabitant in an unknowable stream of events. We found out, in those brutal wars, how similar the thargoid belief was to our own – how even across the dimensional limits of our space and time they felt as we do, that they were destined for more and we were a threat to that conceived future. Now, as with the thargoid events, we are faced with the mirror of our own doubts in our future as a species. But are we prepared for the next meeting?
[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important] The simple answer is no, as no species is prepared for the shock of first contact (or, as it may be, second contact), and no preparation can in fact be fomented to compensate for the vast differences entailed in such a smashing together of multiple cultures and philosophies so alien to one another. The staggering complexity of our differences inevitably force a conflict in all the three forms we as humans can comprehend: spiritual, mental, and physical. Will the arrival of whatever is to come send us into a frenzy or enchant us? What event will mediate such an encounter, or will we have no choice, leaving the mediation of our future in the strangling grip of fate? At the forming of this treatise we have the liberty to contemplate; to shuffle our feet and look with wonder at these strange devices of obviously intelligent design. And, when the question finally comes searching for it’s answer, what will we say: that, knowing the doorbell was ringing, we were simply too infatuated with the melody to prepare a doormat?[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important]
Though we cannot in short time or with feasible means join together the strongly opposed governments and factions of our "bubble", we can instead focus on the scientific and civil community of these separate powers and ask that all knowledge of any alien origin be presented to the neutral Cannonn institute for study. But that alone will not be nearly enough. To study is not enough. We are a species of manifest destiny, who excel in the realm of the unknown, but we are not alone; destiny is not a human invention, and it works ambivalently for any being bold enough to grasp for it.
Dr. Nerevar - 3302, July 22, Alexandria City, New Carthage - Carthage System[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important] Throughout the eons of human consciousness it has been our nature to assume that we alone are heir to the Galaxy and even to time itself, with such arrogant questions as, “When I cease to exist, will everything cease to exist with me?”, that have arisen since the first philosopher looked into the reflective pond – a question which has gained a renewed popularity with the invention of cyberneticly enhanced gaming. But, as John Lock, and others before and after have theorized; we are not the heir, but simply the ‘mad wrangler’ attempting to tame the unbreakable ‘steer’ of space and time. And yet, we succeeded. Boldly, with that instinctual battle cry “We Are Destined”, humanity rode the waves of the Mediterranean towards assured death and found other humans, they broke the cold crust of the Arctic in a pursuit of mysteries, climbed the clouds towards that all consuming dark for scientific research, and further to the outer reaches of our solar system until we mastered our own and reached confidently for more. At the outbreak of the thargoid wars, when the first of humanity met itself in another creature, an immediate casualty was felled on our end. This first murder was our unquestioned belief in galactic dominance; because, though many theorized and spoke with feverous determination towards their point, no human could know for certain whether or not the species was destined for eternal greatness, or whether it was simply another inhabitant in an unknowable stream of events. We found out, in those brutal wars, how similar the thargoid belief was to our own – how even across the dimensional limits of our space and time they felt as we do, that they were destined for more and we were a threat to that conceived future. Now, as with the thargoid events, we are faced with the mirror of our own doubts in our future as a species. But are we prepared for the next meeting?
[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important] The simple answer is no, as no species is prepared for the shock of first contact (or, as it may be, second contact), and no preparation can in fact be fomented to compensate for the vast differences entailed in such a smashing together of multiple cultures and philosophies so alien to one another. The staggering complexity of our differences inevitably force a conflict in all the three forms we as humans can comprehend: spiritual, mental, and physical. Will the arrival of whatever is to come send us into a frenzy or enchant us? What event will mediate such an encounter, or will we have no choice, leaving the mediation of our future in the strangling grip of fate? At the forming of this treatise we have the liberty to contemplate; to shuffle our feet and look with wonder at these strange devices of obviously intelligent design. And, when the question finally comes searching for it’s answer, what will we say: that, knowing the doorbell was ringing, we were simply too infatuated with the melody to prepare a doormat?[/FONT]
[FONT=EurostileLT !important]
Though we cannot in short time or with feasible means join together the strongly opposed governments and factions of our "bubble", we can instead focus on the scientific and civil community of these separate powers and ask that all knowledge of any alien origin be presented to the neutral Cannonn institute for study. But that alone will not be nearly enough. To study is not enough. We are a species of manifest destiny, who excel in the realm of the unknown, but we are not alone; destiny is not a human invention, and it works ambivalently for any being bold enough to grasp for it.
Dr. Nerevar - 3302, July 22, Alexandria City, New Carthage - Carthage System[/FONT]