Deep Well

Our saga begins in a city named Santarem, in the South American Continent of Earth, the planet of origin of humanity. Was the year 300 be, year 2501 ac. The period referred to as “Baby Steps Time” had been going on for little less than 4 centuries. During this time humanity expanded from the birth planet and human population born outside Earth passed the population living up there. However, at the year we are talking about humanity had not yet reached the borders of Solar System.

The head of space exploration was located in Santarem, the largest city on Earth, and was up there that computers checked the strange conflicting data about a distant system in the Galaxy that didn’t seemed to follow the rules usually applied to celestial bodies.

Orbits where way of the expected, the total mass of the system changed without plausible reason. And was impossible to determine the composition of anything in the region since the readings didn’t presented any consistency. An ambitious plan was made to investigate the matter, but at the time this system was impossibly far away and beyond the reach of humanity.

When the expansion of humanity beyond the Solar System started, in the “year 0” of Expansion Age, those plans made 300 years before came back into debate. The Universal Restriction Law had been passed in the Consensus of Alexandria only 25 years before, in the year 25 be. That’s the law that limited the top age of humans in 300 years, making illegal and unethical to genetically manipulate humans, or use any other expedient, to make life exceed this limit. Since the UR was so recent many scientists who had participated in the debates 300 years later where still alive and active in the community.

Curiosity was a powerful driven **** in the Expansion, but still the Mysterious System was too far away, and there was more viable projects demanding precedence. Only 400 years later, after several branches of the Human Tree had started growing in other directions, was that the mission to Mysterious System left the Shipyards at the external border of Solar System.

Like all missions of that sort it would left people in the way. On every viable system colonies would grow in asteroids, on planets, in and on satellites. New shipyards would be build, and new space-ships. To eventually send their own Expanding Missions in different directions. Thanks to the Consensus of Alexandria the unity of human race was guaranteed by a registered code, with a wild range of accepted variation. Any mutation beyond that range could be corrected by CRISPR, or registered as non-human. According to the convenience of each local population.

Non-humans could have the same rights of humans inside their territories, or could be legal property without any right. The decision was kept local. The Consensus only protected the unity and universal rights of humans.

Had to be that way. Each Colonizing Fleet left the Solar System with hundreds of billions of vessels, sometimes dozens of trillions. The vessels had crews of a few thousand but each one was intended to be the home for at least 5 billion human beings. Populations would grow, generation after generation, and billions of colonists would be left behind at each opportunity. Often voluntaries, sometimes convicted criminals.

With those numbers, thousands of years between each system, no one expected a common govern could emerge. Or common morality could be maintained, beyond a very limited list of arbitrary core stones. Our specie would grow in numbers, a operational definition of what “human” means was essential to make sure that human descendants would never find themselves strangers to each other.

That was the logic of Exploration. Possibly still is, but we have no way to know.

We know the branch of Human Tree that came in that direction was straight and strong. The Colonizing Fleet was larger than any other, with hundreds of trillions of ships, and more coming from every colony left in the way. As soon as they managed to have a shipyard fully functional.

They worried a lot in the final days, about the risk of conflict between the people who wanted to stablish their colonies in this unique stelar system. There was no possible way to accommodate all demands. As many times happens in life, this problem solved itself. As we all know. In the most unfortunate way.

First problems with radio communication started when the vanguard of the fleet approached the vicinities of Mystery System.

They became more serious, but nothing to seriously concern the captains. When two thirds of the fleet had already entered the system every vessel was taken by surprise by the waving forms drinking the light between the ships, coming from everywhere, and from no where in specific. The debates about what they could be took one quarter of day. Then the matter transited to a radically different tone.

Most ships broke, open like eggs by the dark talons of those shape-shifting shadows.

We cannot know if any ship in the range of radio distortion escaped or not. We can’t be sure about what was seemed by those in the nearest systems, if anything. We do know that only a very small percentage of ships had the luck to escape. And those where the ones that entered the system deeper and by some reason decided to seek refuge in the planets and moons with atmosphere.

Many must have realized that was only way to survive but where too far away from any safe heaven to escape. Turns out that those powerful shadows but and disappear into nothing when the Light of Sil (our star) touches them. Sadly it only happened in the atmosphere of moons and planets.

Humanity found a way to endure. During the following centuries almost all survivors encountered their extinction. For one mistake or other, for bad luck or damages suffered during the first scape. Some survived, in two planets and one moon. Isolated from each other, without means of communication. Trapped, without means of escape. And still, despite all that those colonies persevered.

And they still resist the harsh conditions of our system.

We have no way to know how humanity is beyond the limits of our system. If the Age of Expansion continues or has ended to give space to something else. They have no way to reach us, we cannot send any message to them.

Whatever the case may be, this is our home. One thousand years after the arrival of humans in this system we have learned something about the unique laws that rule this part of the galaxy. Very little, to be fair, but something. We made deals with native intelligences that existed in this place long before life start on Earth. We did what needed to be done, to carve ourself a home in the bones of ghosts and shadows.

Earthling wisdom says that any tale can start at any point, beginning are immaterial, since all events that transpired before the present are responsible to bring us to where we are. Place us in this exact moment. With the specific problems we must deal with. If you believe in the Earthlings them perhaps our saga do not start in a city named Santarem, in the South American Continent of Earth, during the year 300 Before Expansion. Same Earthling year know by traditionalists and Christians as 2501 after Christ. If beginnings are immaterial them, perhaps, our saga starts today.

With mage, vampires, and Mecha-Lords playing their essential rule in protect humanity against the shadows. In every human nation on Gerunda, and on most other colonies. Whit their services being paid with blood sacrifices daily, one way or another. Except for the mages, who prefer to be paid in money ratter than blood. However, even them do need vampire blood for most their spells, and vampire blood takes human blood to be produced.

Are we still the same humanity that arrived in this system? Well, for most part, as far as the consensus is concerned, I can answer “yes” to that question. Not that many of us care about keep the unity of human specie now that we are isolated from the rest of galaxy.

ABOUT **** AND TAXES

When was the last time you heard about someone reaching 160 years? A regular human, I mean. Neither Mecha-lord nor vampiric thrall.

I just told you that on Earth, 25 years before the Expansion Age even start properly, the Consensus of Alexandria stablished that no human would be allowed to live more than 300 Earthling years. Those are our “standard years” still now. No one forbids the impossible, therefore states to reason that Earthlings had technology to extend their lives beyond 300 years. In fact, until the Consensus most people living in Solar System had theoretically endless youth. After the consensus those who had been treated did not reverted this process. They could no longer legally correct defects and imperfections with genetic therapies but by the time we lost contact with the rest of humanity some individuals born in the early days of Baby Steps age where still alive and well.

So, how is that we cannot came even close of 300 years? Not with normal science.

There is no single answer for that question. One element that may influence the aging process is tension. The laws of this system, that are unlike the ones everywhere else, may be putting an immense additional stress in our organisms. Most humans die long before they can grow white hair, attacked by monsters. Diseases are common. And every nation must expend so much resources in keeping vampires, mechas and finance mages in their researches of techno-magic that little can be expend in education. Keep the High Level AIs working, in their powerful computers, is expensive. Keep data from **** overtime is expensive.

The intellectual disciplines needed to keep our knowledge of regular science, and produce more of it, are not easily learned. Takes decades of study to understand the basic, and learn to apply it. Even in the best circumstances hardly one in 12 individuals was able to understand the mathematical basis for space-navigation, genetic engineering or any other crucial field. With the need to focus our efforts in such specific problems, there is not enough scientists and engineers to keep the computers running properly and preserve all the knowledge in them.

Besides, if you really want to live for as long as you can, and you also have the necessary resources to buy the satisfaction of that whim, you have a better option than CRISPR and cybernetic. Drink vampire blood changes you in a thrall. It slaves you to some part of vampire community, in some extent, but means that you not only will not age but also will have supernatural vigour and possibly a few additional bonus. You need a new sip of their blood every 15 days or so. More or less every 30 standard, legal, days. Still, that last way longer than 300 years, if you keep taking your medicine.

Anyway, you may choose to place more weight in one element or in another. Or you can believe the factor responsible isn’t in the list I gave you. Beyond controversy is the fact that we are unlearning our science and losing aspects of our technology. Slowly but surely.

All advances that happened in science during my father’s life time happened in techno-magic, and that is not normal science. We are replacing universal solutions, that can be replicated indefinitely, by ghost solutions that only work with assistance of mages. And we are doing it because we don’t have the time to teach new generations the basic tools of scientific reasoning. When my son reach the age I have now, things will be worse than they are.

That is not just our country. All Gerunda is moving in the same direction. And as far as we can tell situation is not different in the rest of the system.

A TOOL FOR EACH JOB

Our country was named Amaterasu in honour to the first ship to reach Gerunda. It is the name of a Sun Godless from Earthling Japanese culture and is proper that it came to be the name of our nation for many reasons. One is that we are the first nation to be founded on the ground of Gerunda, after 3 Generations living in heliopolis in the sky. Another is that we are in the very place where Amaterasu felt with its precious cargo of 3 billion survivors.

Another reason why is fair for our nation to have that name, is that we are ruled by the lineage born from the last captain of Amaterasu. Originally it was an absolute monarchic power, tempered only by the necessity of accommodate vampires and mecha-lords. Now it is somewhat closer to a feudal system. With 3 of our Provinces being ruled by elected leaders in lifetime mandates, other 6 ruled by noble hereditary houses theoretically by royal delegation.

The most important reason why the name Amaterasu is by right ours is that the first Mecha build on this planet was made by the hearth engine of Amaterasu and it is in our capital city, Austin. It belongs to the royal family, and is certainly one of the three most powerful Mechas in Gerunda.

According to tradition Sunblade cannot join the king, or queen. And its pilot cannot inherit the throne. The throne can be occupied by a Mecha pilot, but not by the pilot of Sunblade. That has to be from the royal family, goes without saying, but not the sovereign himself.

Not two Mechas are the same. Unlike normal science techno-magic does not allow predictable results or industrial lines of production. Most Mechas are somewhere around 400 meters in high, and about as large, or little less large than that. The hearth stone of our national pride has 573 meters in hight, it is a giant among Mechas, and its power more than matches the size. Our country has another 22 Mechas, closer to the average size you would expect, all of them tested in thousands of combats between shadows so large that they made them look like small children fighting war elephants. Nevertheless they won those battles and **** the monsters away or destroyed them.

Some other nations on Gerunda can boast to have more Mechas, but none has that many in the finest level of power.

Now we are disputing the leadership in another area. Since the beginning of the interactions between mages and Elder Vampires there was the desire of make smaller Mechas. Many fighting armours and weapons have been created, but to call them “Mechas” would be a stretch too much the true. Their power and resistance was never close to proportional to those of Mechas, they are poor excuses, even the best ones. Useful enough inside places too small for a Mecha to go, and for fight enemies too small for a Mecha to fight properly.

Only now a noble family of Mecha-Lords has managed to make something that seems worthy of the term Mecha, in a much smaller scale. Daigoro-Mechas are around 10 meters high, and they mostly look like small Mechas. The Owlen Family, rulers of Hunters Province, has managed to build at least 3 of them. No one knows where they found the necessary materials, since you need rare substances found only inside spaceship engines to even try to make something that resistant.

They must have found forgotten deposits of those substances, somewhere. The smaller size is a huge advantage in terms of use of resources, of course. Most the Mecha is made from this rare material impossible to replicate, and vampire blood.

They are using vampires, of course. To make a Mecha, of any size, you must sacrifice a vampire. The vampire’s mind mixes with the computers and only descendants of the human lineage of that vampire can pilot the Giant Robot. No one goes into detail about the negotiations between the Mecha-Lord families and the King vampire. However, you need a King Vampire (someone transformed in vampire directly by a non-human Elder Vampire) in order to change humans into vampires, therefore some deal must be made.

One must assume the noble members of those families are voluntaries in this deal of being transformed into vampires just to be sacrificed and mixed into a giant machine. They would not, of course, do that to a member of their own families without consent of this person. One must assume.

In any case, the Daigoro-Mechas are destinate to shift the balance of power in our nation. And in our entire planet. If they really are as powerful as they seem to be.

There is still a large gap between the Daigoro and the normal Mechas. I suppose it will be closed, one step at the time. The shadows too large to one Mecha to handle, and too powerful, seldom approach the planets. They seem to feed in lesser shadows instead. When they do attack us, we have large scale tragedies, with millions of deaths. The only way to scare those monsters away is to explode the magical equivalent to fusion bombs inside the monsters, what usually costs the sacrifice of at least one Mecha beyond those attacked by the gargantuan monster in its descend on a large city.

In most parts the weapons to fight the larger and most powerful things that are too small for Mechas are cannons of techno-magic, with ammunition made from vampire blood, spells, and the most powerful non-nuclear explosives we can manage to produce in large quantities. Those things are too massive to be carried by any land vehicles. They are placed on towers, and inside walls. We do use those weapons to help the Mechas, and is likely that we will keep using them in addition to the daigoros.

I suspect that those things too small for a daigoro to fight are the preferential targets of tanks, and vampires. The vampires who specialize themselves in fight heavy enemies can change their shape and size and became something closer to a shadow than to their usual human appearance. Some of them get to be almost as large as a daigoro.

To develop such powers they must consume the “blood” of shadows. And in the end of that path there is madness and destruction. Perhaps some will manage to find a ideal balance and keep the immense power accumulated without reach the point when their mind would be lost. Most never manage to achieve that balance. However, humanity would be extinct without the vampires who choose to take that risk.

Size is a good indication of power, for shadows. Not precise indication, and sometimes it leads us to wrong assumptions. Sometimes a shadow is way more, or less, powerful than what se size would suggest. Those are dangerous exceptions, that reaffirm the rule.

Unfortunately the other dangerous things in this world cannot be as easily mensurated as shadows can. Not even in general.

Dangerous criminals, gangsters obsessed by power and money, terrorists ready to kill millions and risk all humanity for the sake of their religions or ideologies. In a world with mindless monsters so constantly threatening us all you would expect those human monsters would take a brake and understand the necessity for cooperation!

Vampires kill humans in their hunts daily. Not one human for vampire every night. They hunt once a week, once a month if they don’t have to use their powers. Most those hunts do no harm, and the victims usually don’t even remember what happened. However, all vampires sometimes will kill someone, without intention, it is inevitable. Law, of course, don’t punishes them for that. Unless some reason is present to believe that the kill was intentional. In wish case human authorities write a complain and is up to the vampires to judge the suspect of transgression.

That’s law, moral and necessity. Some humans do not accept that, and search for personal vengeance.

Vampire criminals are dangerous, mage criminals too. Worse than all those are the Mecha-Lords when they decide to abandon the rules of civility and cooperation for survival.

One way or another, vampires and mages have their own social structures. They keep vigilance over each other. Among Mecha-lords there are no authorities above the head of each family. They “serve” the country only as far as the interpretation of the Head Lord goes, and if one pilot manages to escape with his mecha they seldom try to follow him beyond the limits of their nation. Because each Mecha is needed to protect the city where it is based.

Aside that, there are still the commoners who choose a criminal live. Those who are good for nothing else. Those who are not sane enough to even see any difference that would allow them to choose from.

Human authorities, hunting human criminals, only work during day light. Vampire authorities, hunting vampires, send thralls into day light too. However, their main focus is the night. The undefined hours of transition between light and darkness end up as holly hours for all sorts of criminals and dangerous outcasts.

Legal and illegal business mix well in those hours, and no one know how much of it enters the mix. I suppose few people would like to know the recipe for that mix in their own cities.

Our national flag has the Protector Godless of our nation and Royal House represented in Yellow. The black represents the treats our nation must face, in particular, of course, the shadows of the night. In orange we have the eight founder houses of Mecha-Lords. Finally, the red is, as you could imagine for our Vampire Kings. Two of them are from Mecha-Lords families.

Every time I explain this flag for a new class at least one child asks me “what about the mages?” And I have to answer something. I always try to make up something funny to say.

True is that no one thought about them when they draw that flag.

The nation was their doing, in a sense they draw that flag. In more than one sense, actually. However, no one considered mages a group of society back them. They where in the mix of all colours except by the black.

Still today most people do not think about the mages as an independent **** in society. Same way most people do not consider the AIs inside our computers an element of society.

I am afraid to think why, but suspect that both AIs and mages prefer things that way.