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today.

n astronomer once said, There are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on every beach on the planet Earth . By extrapolation, and with an average of about three planetary bodies for most stars -- a liberal

estimate, he would admit that would mean there were about twelve thousand billion planets in the Milky Way alone. For Doctor Chu Ka Sheng, only one was on his mind When the Outerra entered the system, it was apparent something was wrong. The lack of radio signals was the first tip-off. Though it shouldnt have been unexpected, considering the Outerra hadnt been able to contact Earth for more than seventy percent of her journey, it was still a shocking discovery. Even more shocking, however, was the second tip-off: the absence of lights on the night side of the planet. It had filled Doctor Chu with dread, a sinking feeling he could only compare with the death of his father. thousand years ago. Somewhere around here two millennia ago this area would have been filled with a throng of people going about their daily lives, not daring to envision that the proud city of Taiwan would one day be nothing more than a tropical jungle. No one would have guessed that the Golden Age of Mankind would have vanished forever. As his eyes gazed across the tangled, twisted jungle around him, he sighed, his right hand absently touching a small container in his coat pocket. So much had been lost. Even the wonders of the world were decayed ruins, some completely vanished in an unknown catastrophe. No one was left to tell the tale, and no record of it would ever be found. My house was here, he thought, and tentatively reached out his hand where a doorknob might have been. He took a step forward, but stopped, shaking his head. No, he whispered, fingering the container in his coat pocket absently again. Memories will come later. We have a more important job ahead of us. Did you say something, Doctor? a voice startled him from behind. It was the young face of Marvin, his assistant. Doctor Chu smiled gently at him, and Of course, relatively speaking, that was more than two

shook his head. No, son. Just thinking out loud. What do you think happened? the man asked, sweeping his arms around him in a futile gesture. I mean, theres nothing left! Doesnt matter, kiddo, Doctor Chu replied. Not yet, anyway. Perhaps in time we will discover some preserved records somewhere, or clues in what few ruins remain. Perhaps. So what do we do now? The Outerra Initiative continues, Chu said with a shrug. We were meant to colonize worlds, and all of our previous endeavors seem to have failed. The Moon, Mars, Titan. Eridani and Tau Ceti. But all of those worlds were alien worlds. This one is home, and its always been home. Humanity evolved here, and it is here that were best suited for survival. So we colonize this world. After all, that was more or less the Initiatives purpose and goal, wasnt it? To save humanity? Though no one could have predicted this outcome, in a manner of speaking weve fulfilled that mandate by surviving whatever catastrophe this world has suffered. Now we build our civilization again, and find out just what went wrong . Re-colonize the Earth, Marvin said in disbelief. Thats just wrong, somehow. Chu glanced up at the darkening sky, and saw the bright, shiny metallic surface of the crippled Outerra in orbit. Yes, it is wrong, he sighed a moment later. I guess this isnt the Earth anymore, not really, and its time to stop thinking about it as suc h. The Earth was something in our past, two thousand years removed. We are its legacy, and this anteworld is all that is left. Anteworld? Doctor Chu smiled. Guess we need to rebuild some schools to teach you young people some proper lexicon. He held up his hand as the assistant started to protest. Sorry, no offense meant. Lets just say we have a lot of work ahead of us. If you say so, Doctor, the young man replied, looking dubious. Doctor Chu watched the young man return to the encampment near the shuttle, neatly tucked into the clearing. When he was out of earshot, Chu whispered, Well make the Initiative a success, Amanda. Thats a promise. His hand went back to his coat pocket and removed a small Plexiglas cylinder, inspecting it gravely. It stored a small bone sample hed managed to uncover a few

hours ago just a few kilometers away, in what was left of a collapsed office building, one of the few surviving ruins on the entire planet. A similar container was in his makeshift lab near the shuttle, undergoing more testing, but he already suspected what the outcome would be. Yes, Marvin, the older man thought, this is very wrong. You just dont realize how wrong. THE STORY OF THE OUTERRA WILL CONTINUE
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