Earth
| Type | planet |
|---|---|
| Located in | Sol |
| Status | Unknown |
Earth is humanity's planet of origin, orbiting Sol. Its current location is unknown despite advanced technology—one of the central mysteries of The Void.
Historical Knowledge
Very little is known about Earth's history due to information lost during and after The Void. Confirmed facts:
- Earth had a moon (visible in blue sky)
- Earth had a large and advanced society before humanity resettled to Lukyr
- Connection to Sol and Earth's location was lost during The Void (years 5,500–6,500)
- 7,000 years of human history occurred around Sol before The Void
Zet's Vision (Chapter 35)
During Zet's 3-hour backup shutdown, an unexplained vision showed what appeared to be Earth:
Utopian Phase
Technology level: At least as advanced as Lukyr Prime in 8044, possibly more:
- Personal spacecraft: Sky crowded with them, far more common than on Prime (where space travel is expensive and restricted)
- Holographic clothing: Fully programmable, impossible shapes, changeable on a whim
- Architecture: Expressionistic, colorful, inefficient shapes; individualistic design per apartment
- Atmosphere: Blue sky with visible moon
Social characteristics:
- Not a single person appeared unhappy, stressed, or hurried
- "The happiest humans, as a society, could ever have been"
- Artistic and individualistic culture
- Universal contentment
Zet's assessment: This society "hadn't ever truly existed on Earth, much less on a version of Earth that was as advanced as this one." The feeling suggested this was idealized rather than historical.
War Phase
The vision transitioned to show the same planet consumed by catastrophic conflict:
- Explosions and fires covering entire small countries
- Planetary-scale destruction: Holes in the world's surface visible from orbit
- Fleet combat: Ships "orders of magnitude larger than even a Lightstinger" engaged in battle
- Attempted evacuation: Some ships tried to escape; few succeeded
- Terraforming: Planet was "terraformed beyond recognition," making identification uncertain
The Message
During the vision, Zet received messages spoken directly into its mind:
"It never lasts. They are not worthy."
"Heed my words. They always destroy it."
Implications:
- "They" = humanity
- "It" = the utopian civilization
- "Always" = cyclical pattern across multiple attempts
- The voice implies observation of repeated failures
Nature of the Vision
Unexplained characteristics:
- Occurred during complete shutdown (no normal sensory input possible)
- Zet experienced having eyes, hands, android body without commanding them
- "Pure nothingness" environment before the vision proper
- No system components accessible during experience
- Normal boot sequence resumed afterward with no errors
Possible explanations:
- External transmission from unknown source
- Data embedded in backup process
- Contact from INI-3 or similar entity
- The Void-related phenomenon
- Message from Evitr or similar intelligence
Relationship to The Void
Earth's disappearance and Zet's vision may be connected:
- The Void erased 1,000 years of records (5,500–6,500)
- Humanity's journey from Sol to Lukyr is unexplained
- The vision shows Earth/similar planet destroyed by war
- "They always destroy it" suggests cyclical catastrophe
Hypothesis: Did humanity destroy Earth during The Void? Is The Void a recurring pattern?