Homo sapiens had found for the first time in its history, vestiges of an intelligent civilisation that lived on Mars billions of years ago, when planet Earth was nothing more than a gigantic mass of water floating in Space. The proto-continents were in full formation and prokaryotic cells had been evolving in that primordial soup for billions of years.

They called themselves The First and the name they gave their planet is the equivalent to the Latin term ‘Primus’, which means ‘first’, or ‘the beginning of something’.

Ninety million years have passed since the appearance of this species until its total disappearance from the Solar System. Time during which they evolved from simple primates, equivalent to homo sapiens which roamed the Earth three hundred thousand years ago, until they developed quite an advanced civilisation. This evolution did not take place without periods of highs and lows, but The First knew how to survive and vanquish any obstacles encountered. They were a race of fighters and survivors. But above all, they knew how to overcome themselves and their self-destructive capacity to progress over millions of years and to conquer the Solar System and the stars.

It was the year one hundred thousand after the Great Extinction, approximately 1790 million years ago …

Erys-Gamma, an elite member of the Primus space forces with several centuries leading the Solar System’s most important exploration missions, has just received a notification with the instructions of what would become his last mission: Colonize Secundus.

Thousands of years before the Great Extinction, The First discovered that their planet was running out of atmosphere. For millions of years, the solar winds were eroding the surface of their planet that had an unstable magnetic field that could not prevent atmospheric gases from gradually escaping little by little into the vacuum of space. This situation, added to the generalised warming of its planet caused by large-scale industrial and exploitative activities, caused an enormous commotion in their society which resulted in the design of an ambitious long-term colonisation plan of the Solar System to avoid extinction of its kind.

At that time, planet Earth, which they called Secundus, was still a young planet on which the first signs of life were developing. The researchers had carried out various predictive models in which a promising future was predicted, with little margin of error, to harbour complex and intelligent life. For that reason, Secundus was chosen as the world that would become their new home after life became untenable on Primus.

The scientific community together with private benefactors and the support of the various nations existing at that time began the first stages of the colonisation plan. But this effort was interrupted by a deep economic crisis, social upheavals and wars that for several centuries slowed the development of their civilisation and put them on the brink of extinction. 95% of the population disappeared without even counting animal and plant species. This event was known as the Great Extinction.

During this process of extinction, The First lost all the technological advances that they had acquired, as well as the knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years of existence as a modern species. This situation of involution and return to precariousness was the reason why tens of thousands of years had to pass so that the remaining 5% could rebuild civilisation from its ashes and recover the splendour that they had enjoyed in the past. But even after reaching this point, another tens of thousands of years had to pass again to evolve into a superior species with a clear mission: Transcend in time and space.

Erys-Gamma and the society where he lives are the result of the successful evolution of that society that was able to survive despite the fact that over the millennia its planet has become more and more inhospitable due to the loss of the atmosphere and also due to increased solar radiation, global warming and water loss.

Primus was drying up.

The First society is based on mutual respect and transparency. The government is headed by an artificial intelligence which collects information in real time from each of its inhabitants from a chip implanted in their brains, to adjust social, economic and development policies. A system that was no stranger to controversy when it was decided to be implemented, due to concerns about the potential dangers of invasion of privacy and thought, but one they eventually decided to accept with the aim of allowing a neutral management of society, completely detached from passions and ideologies but one which truly focused on the common good. Thanks to this sacrifice, The First were able to reclaim their civilisation and advocate for their social and technological development, which allowed them to make great advances in various fields such as genetics, biology and space travel.

But above all, peace.

Space Forces, although unnecessary due to millennia at peace, were of vital importance to the government and the development of its stellar and interstellar expansion plan. This is how Erys-Gamma took part in various missions, such as the first stage of the construction of a military base in one of the planet’s satellites they called Colossus (the Europa satellite of the planet Jupiter), the establishment of a colony in the asteroid belt with the aim of extracting minerals and raw material for the development of various infrastructure projects on Primus, among other missions that had earned him a solid reputation as a space traveller.

Thus, due to its great prestige and several centuries of service as the most experienced in the field, the Automatic Government System in conjunction with the high command of the Space Forces, entrusted Erys-Gamma with one of the most important missions for his species and one that would be the last of his career.

The mission consisted of a Plan A and a Plan B. The objective of Plan A was to install and develop a self-sustaining colony on Secundus that would allow the generation of individuals genetically adaptable to the future living conditions of the planet. Plan B was a secret long-term contingency protocol, known only to Erys-Gamma.

Erys-Gamma stands naked observing the landscape from his residence in a high tower in Primus’s capital, Alpha. In front of him rise huge buildings of various geometric shapes, surrounded by thousands of other tiny geometric shapes in constant motion and as a backdrop, the pale celestial sky with a few clouds and which reveal, as in a kind of translucent layer, the space that it hides behind the atmosphere. Erys-Gamma ponders his situation; his latest mission is the most important of his career, and the final one because it is a one-way trip to the planet Secundus.

His dark eyes fix intently on the horizon, a frown expresses his concern, while his long arms are rigid, his legs are in a military position and his torso is very slender. He is like a tall model with the perfect figure, brassy skin, stiff muscles and a very human appearance.

Three naked females emerge from inside his room. One of them approaches Erys-Gamma:

• You seem worried. This new mission that you’ve been entrusted with will be the last one, but that should not prevent you from enjoying what remains of your life in this world where you were born. If you want, we can repeat our lovemaking session, I think it will help you free yourself from those thoughts that invade you – she says as she hugs Erys-Gamma and plants a kiss on his neck.
• You’re right, I need to clear my mind – Erys-Gamma replied.
• Of course, she’s right my love – says another female – Let’s go back to the bedroom, I still have time but let’s not delay, as I don’t want to miss my return flight. Fayha-Theta is going to be worried if I don’t make it back in time for our party tonight.
• Let’s go, you are all right, I don’t know when the next time will be when the four of us can see each other together, we must make the most of this opportunity – said Erys-Gamma, while addressing the one who just spoke – when you see Fayha-Theta, say hi to him from me – he adds as he hugs her and kisses her affectionately.
• He will be happy to hear from you – she replied, smiling.

The four of them slipped into the bedroom to enjoy their bodies in a sincere and uninhibited manner.

The First society was based on mutual respect and transparency; these values were very important to them. Each member was considered vitally important in the evolution of the species. The Automatic Government System had a development plan for each inhabitant from birth, which was perfectly in line with the process of maintaining peace and order and the plans for spatial expansion. Reproduction activities were scheduled and managed by the Automatic Government System, which had as one of its main responsibilities to maintain strict birth control. In this way, the reproduction activity was carried out by artificial means, extracting the DNA of each parent and it was the central government that authorised or requested the reproduction of certain members of the population in order to achieve the objectives of the long-term plan for all the species.

We can draw from this that, sexual relations and social interrelationships had evolved to become the core foundations in forming excellent mental wellbeing for each of its members; in order for them to develop their missions in optimal conditions.

Monogamous relationships did not exist, everyone was free to satisfy their need for social interaction or their sexual appetites in a consensual way with whomever they wanted. The body was seen as the envelope that allowed them to experience the world around them. This is why they devoted special care to it from a biological and genetic viewpoint.

Life expectancy was approximately 1000 years.

The number of inhabitants of Primus at that time was approximately 900 million.

Erys-Gamma had been around for 750 years. During which time he participated in various construction projects in Primus, he was charged with raising more than 50 of his descendants and began his career in the Space Forces. He had experienced love hundreds of times and enjoyed every one of his relationships, monogamous or polygamous. For the last three centuries, he dedicated himself to his career in the Space Forces and now he was about to begin his final mission.

After several months of preparation, Erys-Gamma said farewell to his loved ones and set out for Secundus …

After a few months of travel, Erys-Gamma’s ship reached the vicinity of Secundus. In the distance, one could see its natural satellite ‘Secundarium’ (The Moon) and the yellow light of the Sun illuminating the surface of that blue planet, which was the hope for the survival of his species. His ship entered the atmosphere. The measuring instruments detected high surface temperatures and an atmosphere rich in oxygen and other gases such as nitrogen. The difference in atmospheric density compared to Primus was very noticeable. Erys-Gamma had the impression of facing a lot of resistance at the planet’s entrance and his ship began to heat up expeditiously.

They established the colony on the coast of one of the continental plates near an underwater volcano that warmed the waters of the seas near the coast.

The mission consisted of one hundred members divided into groups of scientists, engineers, builders and explorers. The first construction they made was the administration pyramid, which was a building in charge of collecting energy from the Sun and heat from the surface to power the life systems and other functions needed to maintain the colony. This pyramid recreated a microclimate identical to that of Primus inside.

In Secundus, the oceans were vast. They occupied most of the planet’s surface compared to Primus. The waters were dark green, indicating that it was populated by millions of bacteria that had initiated the processes of photosynthesis and oxygenation of the atmosphere. Several active volcanoes both on land and in the middle of the oceans were found at various points on the planet. The sky was a purplish-blue colour, indicating that although the atmosphere was rich in oxygen, it still did not reach the levels of oxygenation necessary to support complex life. Secundarium was relatively close to their home planet and featured an active volcano visible to the naked eye from Secundus.

The colonisation mission had a reproductive system that ensured the growth of the population on the new planet. Everything was managed by a copy of the Automatic Government System which was synchronised once a day with its counterpart in Primus.

Thus, several centuries passed since the arrival of The First in Secundus. Erys-Gamma was the Governor of the colony and the one in charge to ensure everything went smoothly. The number of inhabitants had increased to 50,000 and the colony had spread over the entire coast covering an area of about 2,000 kilometres, where they installed gigantic machines that extracted water from the oceans to obtain the chemical elements necessary for the cultivation of plant foods, which served as the basis for their diet and that of other animal species that were also part of their diet.

During these years, they also managed to lead various expeditions and achieve very detailed mapping of both the Secundus’ surface and the depths of the oceans. This allowed them to identify the locations of natural resources to be exploited in various parts of the planet. They also succeeded in establishing a mineral extraction base on the Secundarium satellite which also supplied raw materials to the Secundus colony.

The First, having prolonged lives, could expand their territory without overpopulation, since they had more time to carry out their infrastructure projects and exploration missions. It was sluggish growth, but at the same time very efficient with the use of natural resources and respect for the balance of its environment.

Erys-Gamma had lived 1230 years, above the average of his species. His cellular structure was reaching the limits of its natural resistance and of what life-prolonging technology could grant. He always knew that this day would come and he was preparing for the ‘absorption ceremony’. This ceremony signified death in the biological world, but the continuity of its existence within the Automatic Government System.

The Artificial Intelligence that governed The First absorbed the experiences and knowledge acquired during the long life of each individual to enrich and evolve itself. The ceremony consisted of obtaining a total copy of the memories of the chip that they had implanted in their brains and after biological death, through a surgical procedure to extract said information and send it to the central server.

This ritual was of great importance for the Automatic Government System since in this way it could obtain information about everyone directly from their brain, corresponding to the initial periods of their lives until the moment before the implantation of the chip, something that occurs to everyone when arriving to the age of majority. This information made it possible to validate the process of education and psychic training of each individual by the parents with the aim of increasing the probabilities of producing emotionally stable individuals capable of living the long lives for which they were destined to live.

The ceremony was attended by members of the local administration of the colony, as well as some of his friends and family members who came from Primus, who were escaping the inhospitality of their planet in search of a better future.

• Thank you everyone for being here for this important moment for me – Erys-Gamma said, addressing from his chair to a full audience awaiting his next words – like many of you, I have seen how our dear home planet is dying, century after century. Despite the fact that our bodies, after millennia of evolution, have managed to adapt to the aggressiveness of our living conditions, this is not a situation that can be maintained forever. More recently, we have witnessed how we are able to stay outside less and less and how we live practically imprisoned in our artificial buildings. On Primus, there will come a time when it will be impossible to live and enjoy the outdoors, and we will be destined to live locked up to protect ourselves from the brutality of our home. It has been an honour for me to have lived the last 500 years of my life leading the mission to colonise Secundus. During this time, we have been able to establish a flourishing, self- sufficient colony, one with great potential to achieve its goals. There is still a long way to go, the genetic mutations that will allow us to adapt to this planet will progressively become visible as future generations are born. We are still forced to live confined to our artificial constructions. We will still have to wait a long time for this, but the tremendous difference with Primus, is that while our home world is dying and its time is running out, Secundus is just beginning its young life and we have plenty of time ahead of us to achieve our purpose. This is why I am optimistic about our future on this planet. I will not be able to see with my own eyes our children and siblings enjoying the outdoors and a life in harmony with this planet, but I am sure that all the effort made will bear the expected fruits. Thank you very much to all. Here’s to a prosperous and long new life for everyone at Secundus.

After Erys-Gamma’s words, a few seconds of silence engulfed the auditorium before giving way to solemn musical notes that indicated the beginning of the absorption ritual. The chair he was sitting on was tilted back to form a horizontal surface where Erys-Gamma’s body was at rest while connected to a life support system. One by one, his organs began to shut down. In The First society, natural death was synonymous with prosperous life. Not many lived 1000 years and Erys-Gamma was the first to have reached the age of 1230. For this reason, and because he was an important piece in the plan of salvation of the species, his death was an important event and the absorption ceremony was public and broadcasted live and direct by the media.

With his body lying on its back, once his vital signs turned to zero, from the surface where his head was resting, a small circular compartment a few millimetres in diameter was opened to release a very long needle that penetrated Erys-Gamma’s skull until it connected with the chip inside him. This needle carried a high-speed, high-bandwidth data connection that began the process of extracting hundreds of thousands of petabytes of information to then be sent to the Automatic Government System server.

When the process was complete, the music fell silent, the lights were extinguished and the audience gave a loud military salute, then left.

Thus, the long life of Erys-Gamma had come to an end. His deeds and exploits were recorded in the history of The First and will be remembered forever.

The colony on Secundus continued its course for many more millennia …

Genetic adaptations gradually began to show positive results; however, the planet’s atmosphere still did not produce enough oxygen to allow them to completely exit their closed living environments. Despite efforts to artificially transform the planet’s atmosphere and soil, these did not yield the expected results. We had to wait for the cycle of natural evolution of the planet.

And that would take a few more billions of years …

Tens of millennia passed. The Secundus colony resigned itself to being a civilisation locked in artificial habitats with no real ability to live freely on the surface. In Primus, the weather conditions deteriorated and The First changed their way of life. Finally, on both planets the inhabitants lived in similar conditions, but with a potential better life on Secundus while Primus was drying out more and more.

This is how two factions appeared.  The First, inhabitants of Primus who stayed on their planet and promoted interstellar exploration in search of other planets in other star systems with the potential to harbour life. And The Second, inhabitants of the planet Secundus, whose population was the result of the colony created in Secundus by Erys-Gamma and the massive migrations over millennia of inhabitants who escaped from Primus in search of better planetary conditions.

Over time, genetic mutations made them into a different species, yet still both originated from homogeneous roots: The original First that saw the light hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Several million years passed. The First left the Solar System and managed to expand their civilisation to other stars and form a powerful empire, The Empire of The First. However, they still could not find a planet with adequate living conditions to live freely on the surface. Such a planet is rare in the Galaxy. Political, economic and administrative power was in a star 500 light years distant from Primus. There they built the capital of the Empire.

The First who remained on the planet Primus and in the Solar System lost contact with the Empire hundreds of thousands of years ago. The Automatic Government System was disconnected from the Central Imperial System. They were alone on a dry planet with no natural resources.

In Secundus, civilisation prospered and conditions on the planet also improved. Genetic adaptations allowed The Second to live the life their ancestors dreamed of almost perfectly. The Second had lost contact with Primus and abandoned any other interstellar colonisation projects, because they considered that their destiny was to live on that planet and complete the sacred mission of Erys-Gamma.

More time passed. Life in Primus became increasingly inhospitable and The First gradually lost the ability to maintain peace and order. In an act of desperation, The First launched an attack on Secundus. This attack was known as The First War. The Second were a peaceful society and the surprise attack of their brothers caught them off guard and many died in various cities of Secundus that soon came under the control of The First. The Secundus central government took a long time to make a decision until it finally decided to attack.

The peace that had lasted millions of years had ended.

The Second were peaceful and unemotional beings. Their decisions were based on logic and statistics. The inhabitants of Primus had become a barbaric, hostile and warrior race, their acts based purely on survival.

This is how, in a war that lasted several centuries, The Second exterminated The First of the Solar System. Their decision was based on the pure logic that only they were genetically prepared to live on their planet and that the others posed a constant threat to the peace in which they lived for millions of years.

The First War was an event that became known to the Empire of The First, who decided to return to the Solar System to visit their former brothers The Second. Great was their surprise when they discovered a race very different from them and completely adapted to a planet with promising characteristics for life. Secundus suddenly became of interest to the Empire again. During their millions of years of existence, they had not found another planet with these special conditions to welcome life.

The Blue Planet was unique.

The Empire of The First proposed to The Second to annex their empire as a vassal world and to respect the authority of the highest emperor of The First. Faced with the negative answer, the Empire displayed its destructive power to exterminate all life on Secundus.

This fratricide would be known in the archives of the Empire as ‘The Second Extinction’. The First’s plans for Secundus were long-term. Now that the planet was free, they would wait for it to finish its natural evolution. They would come regularly to visit Secundus, this would be a laboratory for life and to ensure the future of their species.

But they did not count on the Plan B …

Erys-Gamma before dying activated the protocol of Plan B in case of some major catastrophe. As the Empire’s destructive energy bolts rained down across Secundus’ surface, millions of organisms artificially created by The Second were released into the depths of the oceans. These organisms contained the genetic material of The Second, the result of millions of years of evolution on Secundus. These cells were programmed to do just one thing: mix with prokaryotic cells already existing on the planet to give rise to a new type of organism that ensures the transmission of genetic material.

Erys-Gamma fulfilled his mission to the end. He secured the future of his species by safeguarding its genetic heritage so that it may flourish again in the future.

This is how the first eukaryotes came to be on Planet Earth.

The artificial organism used by Erys-Gamma to create eukaryotic cells gave rise to the first virus.

The primordial soup of planet Earth had all the ingredients for its future evolution.

The rest is known history.