Prologue

Prologue

War. Since the beginning of time human kind has been fascinated by it. Perplexed by it. From the moment our ancestors set foot on our home world battle has been a part of life. The books of human history tell of brilliant war generals, complex war tactics, and the history of war itself. From the moment the spear was made to the day of our darkest hour, war has defined us. Whether it was the war for survival or the war for power, war has always, and always will, be a part of our story.

By the year 2100 mankind made great strides in the fields of technology, space travel, and medicine. These, however, paled in comparison to the advancements in the field of war.  Academies were made to teach tactics and combat. Ballistic weapons were replaced by sonic and light weapons. Basic bulletproof vests were replaced by ionic repulsion fields. The greatest weapon of all, however, remained the nuclear bomb. The power of this weapon made all other weapons useless. But the bombs were never used. Each nation kept its stock as insurance. A testament to the secret power they possessed.

In the year 2150 the anarchist group Torch orchestrated man’s final war. By infiltrating the UN's defense networks they made it seem as though a nuclear weapon had been shot at Russia. Within minutes Russia responded with its own bomb. Upon seeing this, both side's allies entered the fray and soon WWIII began. Within months, dozens of nations were dead. The pacifist survivors met in the U.S. The world’s best and brightest converged in secret in mankind’s last hope of survival. Over the course of several months they prepared a shuttle, disguising it as a simple spy satellite, as safe transport off that dying world and onto a safer one. One that could sustain human life. Aranon. Our last hope.

In the final days of the war, they left Earth. As the shuttle took off the survivors looked down at the final explosions of our planet. Our home world, lost. All life, destroyed.  Now, 100 years later, enormous cities cover Aranon. Eco friendly living has allowed us to inhabit this world, and ensure its safety. Our governments are united under a democracy. There is no war. All militias and militaries died off soon after we inhabited this planet. This is our utopia.

Recently, however, encoded messages have been detected. Ciphers and codes lost in the stars. Our scientists have worked long to trace these messages in the hope of meeting friendly allies in the stars. But no such luck. The messages seem to be coming from a planet where no life should exist. A planet left barren and desolate many years ago. Planet earth. Lines of code have been translated. "We are alive". "The Torch burns on". "Share your resources, or lose them all". “The ultimate weapon remains”. No life was supposed to have remained. Those left on earth enjoyed war. War was their passion. Now is the moment of truth. Stay here, in peace. Or go finish off the final threat? The cycle of war was broken. Will it reset itself? Or will peace live on? This is the untold chapter in the books of history. This is the tale of Aranon.