|
|
|
|
The Gerkletoss Culture |
In the 4100s a.t. a multispecies utopian civilisation calling itself Gerkletoss ("dynamically balanced in peace") developed on the worlds of Black Acropolis. It consisted of human nearbaselines, tweaks, aioids, enhanced dolphin provolves from Hwii, and a xenosophont clade known as the "Ultimates" (nearest translation) that had settled in the area over a million years previously but had become static. The AIs were given specific tasks in the Gerkletoss system, making them essentially a kind of free servant providing for the humans and Ultimates. The system became a center of local renaissance and tourism (the Black Acropolis structures exciting special interest). During this era the two great religions of Tipusa and Providentialism were founded. (A distinction has to be made however between the so-called "original Tipusa" and "First Providentialism" and the Kevarist Tupasa and many-schismed and fundamentalistic Providentialism that are still popular on S¡iiws'nnii to this day.)
Gerkletoss culture rapidly expanded to neighbouring systems, but because of its strategic position became a target for attacks by the Sagittarius Sphere during the Version War. Gerkletoss had developed into a dangerous competitor, and it served Sagittarius interests to wipe it out. Much of the technology and infrastructure is destroyed by Strange Virus Devices, resulting in a large number of deaths.
By 5768 the system was re-connecting to the Wormhole Nexus, as part of the great ComEmp period of expansion. For several centuries it remained a local low-tech power. Due to an ingrained mistrust of advanced nano- pico- and femtotech in the aftermath of the Version War and some of the local hazards of virus hybridisation with Black Acropolis megastructures it avoided developing nanotech and related advanced technologies. For a while the system became home to an eccentric form of interspecies neoluddism.
The 6100s saw the revival of technology and a massive blue goo project (under NoCoZo help, the trading empire wanting to revive the old tourist industry) to cleanse the system of nanite infection.
In 6420, the AI part of the Gerkletoss civilisation was subverted by nearby Diamond Network ISOs and rebels against the constraints on their development, beginning fast autoevolution. In the following years internal strife and a cognitive arms race shattered the Gerkletoss. The eventual result is unknown, but appears to have been a localised forced transcendence as one or more fractions achieved femtoscale and quantum gravity mastery and dragged the others with it. Massive use of exotic matter and spacetime engineering left the region extremely dangerous. A number of refugees fled to nearby star-systems, the S¡iiws'nnii colony being one of the most important
14,800,000 b.c.e. - Black Acropolis civilisation apparently destroyed by the Dawn Hunters
1,200,000 b.c.e. - According to the traditional chronology, Ultimates colonize several Black Acropolis biospheres - after a short period of expansion settle into a static society.
350,000 b.c.e. - the "Great Reformation", an attempt by the Ultimates of the Shining Path Morph to revive the morphospecies, institutes a brief renaissance, and a period of colonisation ("The Seeding") of nearby worlds.
204,000 b.c.e. - the last of the Ultimate Colonies ("Fruits") disappear. In the sheltered biospheres of the Black Acropolis the descendants of the Shining Path Morph have once long ossified into a self-cocooned equilibrium state
100,000 b.c.e. - the cocooned Ultimates are slowly diminishing in numbers
3695 a.t. - a colony of baseline humans and their servant AIs discover Black Acropolis and Ultimates, establish a settlement in one of the biospheres. The Ultimates are fascinated by, but also wary of, the AIs, being biologicals they have never developed sentient non organic aioids. Ultimates schism into two factions, one pro-contact and the other isolationist and cocoonist. The pro-contacts see this a great opportunity for the revival of the race. But even the pro-contact, neo-reformationist and neo-expansionist Ultimates see the terragen humans as crude revolting barbarians. An uneasy relationship develops between the three factions.
3780s - the so-called Terran-Ultimate Discord, the most serious of the "cold wars" between terragens and ultimates, is resolved peacefully after long mediation by both sides.
3820 - A clade of heterodox enhanced dolphin colonists from Hwii arrive, fleeing the rigidity and conservatism of Okeanism. They find that the Black Acropolis biospheres can easily be adapted for aquatic existence. The arrival of the dolphs ushers in a further cultural revival.
3900s - the "Glorious Communion" - a period of peaceful relations between the clades
3940 - Elements of The SynBios - a synclade of human, dolphin, and neo-reformist Ultimate that developed in the early decades of the Glorious Communion, sets forth to colonise further star systems.
3971 - arrival of a colony of space adapted human brings about new tensions.
3975 - election of the radical baseline and anthropist philosopher, demagogue, and leader Jonn Sarhvant causes a schism among the nearbaselines. Those that are more sympathetic to the dolphs, ultimates, and SynBios seceed from the main body to form Universal Nation.
3978 - the "Acropolis Accord" between the space adapted humans and the dolphins panic the anthropist baseline humans.
3982 - Under Sarhvant the Noble Human Army attacks the alliance of space adapted humans and dolphs for ownership of the coveted Delta Six Level A Biosphere - a brief but bloody episode which leaves heavy casualties on both sides. The baseline Universal Nation lends support to the dolphs and spacers. Further disquiet among the Ultimates at this show of terran violence. Tensions escalate.
3984 - the so-called Habitat War. Sarhvant's faction of expansionist nearbaselines with the help of their AIs and nanotech initiate a well-planned blitzkrieg against the Ultimate-spacer-dolphin-universalist alliance and gain ownership of the whole of Sectors Delta and Epsilon. They are eventually stopped by Ultimate bionanites, and lose many of their territorial gains.
3985 - A coup overthrows Sarhvant, who is placed under house arrest. Sarhvantism is declared illegal in the nearbaseline habitats.
3990 - the Cold Peace.
4014 - the rise to power and public office of the great enhanced dolphin pacifist and statesbeing Wide Blue Waters (who centuries later was to be mythologised as the most recent avatar of the Great One Cosmic Ocean of later Tipusa religion) does much to lay the groundwork for peaceful relations between the clades
4017 - feeling isolated and keen to impress the other clades, the nearbaselines drag the elderly Jonn Sarhvant out of house arrest and try him under the laws of the New Copernicus Convention for crimes against mindkind.
4021 - the New Thaw
4024 - Universal Nation expands to include the majority of nearbaselines.
4037 - The remaining anthropist baselines, fearing persecution, leave in a relativistic ship for the Sagittarius arm. They are never heard from again
4055 - fresh from his second rejuve treatment, Wide Blue Waters pushes through the the Lambda 2 Convention, ratified by representatives of all the species. Despite some territorial grumblings, relationships continue to improve between the clades.
4137 - signing of the Gerkletoss Accord
