Tales From The Triple Suns (Chapter Thirteen)

Shortly before the close of the twenty-second century, mankind was forced to find alternate living spaces.  Overpopulation and pollution had dissipated most of the Earth’s resources, and nature seemed to conspire against expanding anywhere on the planet.  Solar areas were developed around the Earth’s atmosphere where massive organic gardens tried to thrive.  Growth times were slow, so various methods became needed to ‘force grow’ enough food for the population.  It was a failure unparalleled to any, and threatened the very fabric of the human race.1

Space had to found elsewhere.  It took resources that no one could really spare to send scouting crews further then they had ever been in search of habitable planets.  Ships were lost, people on Earth died, and all had about given up when one planet was spotted on the further edges of the neighbouring galaxy.  Why no one had known of this before was a mystery, but scout ships landed and tested the soil, air and water.  It was a planet similar to Earth in geological makeup, and gave great hope to the masses.2

Then, another planet was discovered in the same quadrant…then another…then another.  Some tended to look upon this as the work of some ‘evil cosmic force’ that wanted to lure human kind for it’s own purpose.  Others believed them, and fell into the myth web they were weaving.  On the day the scout ships returned, some believed that this was a sign that would lead the ‘evil cosmic force’ to Earth, and to their destruction.  Millions took their own lives in the belief that this would save their souls.3

Rattled, World Leaders hesitated on sending more scouting ships and test groups of agricultural specialists to the planets.  Scientists, astronomers and various normal people theorized that the sudden appearance of these planets was not the work of some malevolent force, but a fluke of cosmic nature.  Until one hundred years previous, there had been five stars burning in the quadrant, each large enough to qualify as a sun.  The amount of glare from these five hid the planets from Earth’s prying eyes.  Over the years, two stars had died, revealing the planetary system for all to see.  The light from the suns still reached Earth, and still hid the planets from astrological sensors and telescopes.  When old pictures were looked at from the long destroyed “Hubble Telescope”, the area showed as a bright static light.4

Whether this theory was correct or not, it satisfied the politicians, who immediately signed a World Exploration Agreement.  Large amounts of money, expertise and time were spent by all and two years later, settlers left for the unknown.5

The people of Earth welcomed the food stuffs that were now becoming available, but used it as an excuse to further pollute their own planet.  Rivers became blocked, oceans a sea of oil, and the lands unsuitable for vegetation.  Almost overnight, a mass exodus started for these new planets.  6

An unfounded regulation was hammered out among the leaders, and Earth was abandoned so it could naturally regenerate itself.  Cities were left standing, and the animals that remained soon took over as Mother Nature held her sick child close to administer healing.7

No one was to remain behind, and those that did not go willingly were taken by force.  Many died as a result, approximately ten million in all.  The rest arrived in the new system after a year of travel, and immediately started setting up an exact replica of Old Earth on one of the now discovered one hundred seventy planets that spanned across three quadrants.8

Not wanting to repeat the disaster that befell Old Earth, the authorities quickly laid down strict laws regarding pollutants and industry.  Certain planets were designated as agricultural zones, scientific study zones, and do not touch zones.  People that had settled on any of these planets, and did not fit into certain guidelines were moved to another planet.  Everyone was moved from the DNT planets…and no hint was given as to what they were used for.  Conspiracy theories abounded, and people, forgetting that a short year ago they were near extinction, demanded to know.9

Divisions started to develop, with planets siding with some against others.  Small military disagreements happened, causing space travel technology to advance rapidly.  Wars broke out between certain sectors, and continued sporadically for over three hundred years until an unexpected major offensive was launched by a coalition of ten planets.  The recipients of this unforeseen attack were quickly subdued and added to the coalition.  Fifty of the remaining habitable planets acted quickly, and entered into an alliance with each other.  Others slowly joined, while some wanted specific terms that would benefit them.10

The newly formed Alliance Of Planets stood against the rogue coalition, and slowly defeated them time after time over a fifty year period.  Some planets joined the coalition, while more joined the Alliance.  Suddenly, the leaders of both sides met and hammered out a treaty.  Most of the coalition did not want to abide by the rules, so a Tactical Assault Command was developed within the Armed Forces, whose specific job was to see that the Treaties were observed.  This highly specialized team was used frequently during the first years following the treaties, and were utilized often in the years that followed.11

Meanwhile, Old Earth had been given a chance to heal, and after all tests showed that the waters were pristine, and the land fertile again, it was immediately classified a DNT zone.  Over the next twenty years, the governments slowly opened certain areas of Old Earth for study, but these abided by strict rules and population.  Other DNT zones were slowly opened in the quadrants, first as scientific zones, then after a twenty year period, as agricultural zones.  Limits were set on population imports, structural development and land allocation.  No one wanted to over-exert the planet’s resources in the same way their ancestors had done to Old Earth.   In this case, history was not to repeat itself.12