Sylvanna Devlin

The prologue to my first completed work

I published it. But I’m better now so I pulled it to rip apart and try again.

It’s going well.

Well…

It would be if you had just left me alone to write:

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Prologue

Year: 82 Anno Imperitor Niccoli. Eighty-two years after the greatest disaster of manikind. Blackwatch Industries.

Like all great tyranny’s the empire formed on the back of hope, riding the dreams of a better future before all of humanity was trapped within its suffocating grasp. Climate change, disease, war, famine and greed had broken the fabric of society and only one man emerged victorious.

His start was humble, his small company nothing more than an avenue for coperate consumption, gobbling up smaller organizations under his umbrella. But when their research led them to restore the atmosphere the tide turned in his favour.

Chemical nanotechology refroze the icebergs. Genetic research restored the crops and livestock. And electronic farms supplied the energy. Nothing went to waste. Storms whipped turbines into power generators. Even light reflected from snow was harnessed to produce clean, low emission fuel.

The heat from remaing exaust was in turn used to capture precious carbon monoxide, and slowly the mars prisons were beginning to look like a reality.

The deadly plague that had ripped through the earth was quarenteed and controled, until all sufferrs finally died of illenss. Only a handful of untreatable diseases remained as a danger. The new dawn had emerged. With a price.

NIccoli rose above the others as the savior of life on earth, charming and egocentric he lured the remaining populace into a new vision of mankind, one united under his monarchy. A tight leash was promised, and in return Niccoli would ride the stars, expand earths reach and usher in a brighter dawn. The apex of earths children could begin. But the wake of progress was nothing short of cultural devesation.

Countries were obliterated, religious ideology all but exterminated, familys forced to move and split up and commerce brought under his grip. Any resistence was dealt with in deadly secret. The dark undercurrent that protected society’s illusions began and the blackwatch was formed, a covert group taking the company name to disguise their abhorrent activites. But all beneath a shiny exterior surface.

With the wealth of the world under his domain Niccoli pushed forward with the search for impossible space travel and better living – intent on burning his name as the greatest man in history. Hypercities were built at his order, destroying thousands of years of history without a thought. Why waste time on the past when the future was so promising.

As the first tower broke ground the twist of galactic physics suceeded. Faster than light technology. A journy that should take years could now be completed in weeks. With an unsatiable hunger for greatness, Niccoli seiezed upon the oppertunity to expand, soon claiming the mysterious aleins he knicknamed the Ionians.

They adapted to their new leaders, in theory, appearing to welcome more advanced technology into a society that had yet to invent the internet. On earth the victory was the glory of humans, but on Iona the wars of the clans constantly nudged at the facade of peace.

In some circles it is suggested it would have been better to stablize the second planet first. But Niccoli turned his attention to Urax and thier unique scientists. A move that cost more in lives than any other war in the histroy of man. Superior resources dwindled as the cagey Urakoi dodged every attempt to crack down on power. Even as an uneasy treaty formed, Urakoi rebals rose to counter the new, unpopular leader.

At home doubts began to emerge about the sancity of their actions. Citizens questioned if the loss of liberties had been worth the illusion of galatic paradise. And as more and more money poured into certain defeat, morale plumeted. By the time Niccoli’s reign was finally passed to his son the empire’s golden age was already fading.

Just twenty years later the third emporer claimed the throne as the elite were struggling to stay in control. His weak presence doing nothing to curb the corruption and greed that had wormed its way back into society.

Kyros in particular could no let go of their glory. There was still one more planet to plunder. So long as the Nathan could be convinced, war with the Lacoi would surely bring fast victory and shore up the dying empire. It seemed so simple…