Cause and Effect

Imagine the pillars of creation, home to an countless array of stars whose gaseous formations resemble literal pillars. It earned its name for its appearance and being the cradle of countless stars. What if I told you that this is the home to some of the most intelligent civilizations in the universe, the people of Goratt? In their first millennium, they had achieved the kind of civilization we call Type 1. But what if the pillars of creation were to be destroyed today? Information travels at something we call the speed of causality, which is equal to the speed of light in a vacuum. So if there were any creature or civilization capable of destroying all those pillars in the blink of an eye, we would only know about it after almost seven thousand years. — The one saying this was Dr. Sergio Fraga, a slim man with bronzed skin, whose graying beard only didn't stand out more than his dark circles. He had a displeased expression as he spoke, quite grumpy, although those who knew him would know that was just his way. Like Murphy, Dr. Fraga also came from "another Earth."

This might be the best time to explain what these "Earths" are. In the last century, Earth's people developed efficient technologies and methods to begin populating Mars and Venus (Mars first than Venus), tackling the distinct problems of both. While on Venus, days are extremely long, and cities had to be built in the clouds, the people there developed subtle changes in height, a heavily bronzed skin tone, and deep dark circles. Mars had artificial domes and relied on genetic experiments to create people capable of surviving in those conditions. And with these differences, a strong cultural division grew between these peoples. Earth's leaders then decided to call all these planets "Earths" to create a greater sense of unity, and since then, projects have been underway to create bonds between the three Earths.

In these conditions, CERS was born, this research center brought together scientists from both "Earths" for their studies. Today's announcement had great external pressure to exist and had certainly been heavily criticized from the beginning.

– Humanity is limited, we have always known that. The farther we look, the more we realize our insignificance in the vastness of things. The speed of light is small for the vastness of the universe, and as our thirst for knowledge grows, it becomes too small to keep up with our evolution. It was thinking about this that the concept of warp engines was formed. – With each pause, his eyes briefly scanned the audience for looks of approval or denial, a tension almost palpable. Meanwhile, on the other side of the facility, the pair continued going through the old records of "Mars." It was a long corridor, containing only one door at its end. – Do you really think there's anything relevant coming from here? – Murphy let her eyes wander around the environment, as if recalling the existence of this area. Clancy moved ahead, already familiar with what was there. – There was a researcher on Mars who had some hypotheses about this; he thought there was more than "just" Earth, something older. I don't think anyone ever stopped to see the astronomical section of Mars, or rather, "Earth II." – His comment ended with him putting his hand on the doorknob and turning it; finally, they could glimpse it. A large, dusty room with only two columns of cabinets, whose drawers were filled with dead files, many of them had already begun to decompose due to poor conservation. – What a... damp and stuffy environment. – Although Murphy was visibly uncomfortable, he seemed to feel that environment as pleasant, and the orchids forming around the clusters made that clear. – Well, since you're so cozy, you can start on the right, and I'll see what's left here on the left. – Said and done, the two began their search.

In the CERS courtyard, a strange figure arrived, wearing a long white coat that reached down to the feet, pale skin, with a peculiar set of greenish hair. His eyes were morbid, and his lips thin. He practically dragged himself through the premises while higher up in the sky, some lightning arcs could be seen snaking from the presentation area to the heavens. Athena was operational. – If space can expand faster than light, then we can, in theory, use it to surpass this physical barrier we know as the speed of causality. – Fraga commented, pausing afterward, as all the following sounds were muffled by Athena's engines. In everyone's view, the region around the ship distorted; light began to exhibit strange properties, colors and intensities of light varied in everyone's sight, those closer felt a cold wind, as if the heat from the light were being drawn into Athena. It began to rise slowly, then, suddenly, its sound became muffled and faint; something like a bubble was forming around the ship. – This is a unique step in the history of space exploration, certainly. – The tangled flowers in Clancy's hair exuded a sweet fragrance, mixing with the stuffy air in the room. Daisies bloomed, and, upon observing the discovery on the map, a crown of thorns replaced the orchids. Silence settled in the room, in the crowd, and in the vastness of space. Through the windows, sinuous lightning danced in the sky. And then, in unison, as if the universe waited, all eyes turned to the next stage of the journey.