Origin of Worlds - Part 3 (Thirtieth Entry)

Since I seem to find significance in my decennial blog posts, here I am with the third (and final?) segment of "Origin of Worlds". This has been in my drafts since November 2009. Why did I choose to finish it now? That is an excellent question. Maybe, just maybe, it will be answered by the end of this article...

Origin of Worlds - Part 1

Origin of Worlds - Part 2

In old movies and TV shows, one of my favorite film "cliches" was the classic "troubled writer" or "paper crumpler" scene. This scene would typically involve someone hunched over a desk with a pen or a typewriter. He'll write a few lines, get frustrated, crumple up his sheet of paper, throw it behind him, and then start on a fresh sheet. He'll do this over and over again until he either runs out of paper or patience, or until a "eureka!" epiphany (eurephany).

My numerous bags of scrunched, crumpled (scrumpled) papers prove that I can very easily relate to those troubled writers. Half-used papers of incomplete paragraphs of various random topics are stuffed around my typewriter (and provide it with a sufficient amount of hobo-grade insulation). I have many journals and notebooks with sporadic scribbled sentences scattered across their pages. Almost exactly fifty percent of my blog entries have been derived from one of these scrumpled papers in one way or another.

For as long as I've had my typewriter, I've only used it to write these snippets. I have never used it to write any sort of longer piece like a complete short story or a chapter of my book. Only snippets. Seemingly randomly assorted bits of information. I don't really do this on purpose; it's just a pattern I've become accustomed to. The rhythm of clicks and thuds from the pattering of keys and typebars onto ribbon spool onto paper is like a metronome for thought. It's easy for me to continuously type to this without stopping. Once my brain juices are flowing with enough current, I switch over to my laptop and write in my book, taking advantage of the creative momentum I've mustered...

Typewriters are superior word processors, really. But I'm lazy and pampered to the perks of using a computer. When I'm on my laptop, I constantly switch between whatever I'm writing in one of my books and the Worlds Wiki to check for accuracy in facts/change facts to my liking...

Worlds, as a whole, is in an interesting place as of now. Nothing is safe from a complete revamp, it seems. I have been considering to completely rewrite STU for quite a while, and Josh's Terra Eversio storyline is constantly being reformed...

As the origin of Worlds has already been summarized in past entries, I am finding it hard to tie in what I've written so far with what I'm yet to write here. There is a correlation between my current typewriter dependence and the past origins of my fictional universe, but I can't seem to locate it. Hmm... Perhaps I am much like Frandere this way. I seem to have lost my point. But if I'm really like Frandere, I'll find it again before too long.

I don't know how far my book has strayed from the plot of the original STU, but I know that the gap between the two continues to grow. This is to be expected as I'm trying to tie my own storyline into Terra Eversio as best I can, and so changes to the mythology are rather a given...

I have decided to completely rewrite (or "reboot") my book to procure steadier consistency and maximum coherency in plot. There are many reasons why I've chosen to do this, but it's mainly because I'm a perfectionist who dislikes the inconsistent quality of the pacing of my primary written work. Also, I used too many commas. Once my reboot is underway, I might post the old version of my book on this blog for all to read.

I hope the STU rewrite will hit a better, steadier (bettier) stride that will not lose its focus during two-year-long droughts of hopeless wandering... But I am confident. I will be sure to update everyone with the progress of my book once the first couple chapters have more or less been completely transcribed. See, when I first started writing the original story, I had little idea where it would lead. I had thought about completely rewriting the book in whole or in part many times in the past, and I always thought it was an inevitability, but I never wanted to abolish 4, 5 or 6 years worth of work just over simple feelings of inadequacy of frustration. Now that I have a solid plan for what the first book will be, I can finally say with assurance that a rewrite can and will improve every aspect of the story...

I haven't let many people read my original chapters as I've always been conscious of the possibility that they would become obsolete. This one book could be considered my life's hobby, and I've purposefully kept it from particular friends/critics whose opinions I respect and/or fear more than anyone else's. This isn't to say that I've only shared my book with people I don't care about. I've just been rather stingy, for lack of a better word. Now, though, anyone who asks to read my original story may, within a reasonable amount of time, do so. Because this time around I can tell them to specifically search for every flaw in detail, scenario, pacing, et cetera. And with their feedback I can refine my rewrite into something... more...

The end of the Mactchan Wars led right into the formation of the United Alliance. Terra Eversio happened about 1033 years later. These particular details are relatively new to the Worlds lore. My original idea was that the Mactchan Wars happened thousands of years ago and that in modern day, it was regarded as a legend (comparable to The Odyssey's Troy). Eventually, as Josh continued to elaborate on the significance of Terra Eversio, I kept wanting to elaborate on the significance of my story. But it happened so long ago that it didn't really affect any modern storyline directly...

So I then decided to revise my story. I guessed it would take place about 1200 years before the destruction of Earth. To fit it into a timeline, I had to try to create one; I decided to use the concept of intergalactic "eras", or dynasties, that don't last for any preset amount of time. Each era ended with an important event that affected two or more galactic civilizations. The Mactchan Wars ended the 18th era. Then the 19th era lasted 800 years. Terra Eversio happened on 20.234. It's an imprecise way to measure time, but that's precisely why I like it.

Anyway, to get back to the matter at hand... Well, I guess I wasn't really focusing on any particular topic. I chose to post this entry now because I'm trying to catch up on my many drafts that I never seem to finish. So I decided to put "due dates" on all of my major unpublished blog posts. We'll see how it works out...

I hope that through this series of posts you've come to gain a basic, if uneven understanding of how Worlds came to be and where it's heading now. In the future, this article may be heavily re-edited. We'll see.

Upcoming:
64,508
Infallible Excuse
¡¡Frandere!! (Two)

Again... We'll see...

Sixty-Four Thousand, Five Hundred Nine (Entry Number 20)

"To relegate our species to a simple number and govern us based on it is exactly as insulting as calling us inferior."

"You need to get it into your head. You are inferior to them."

"To them? What about you?"

"I do not have an opinion either way. I admit I do pity your race, but that doesn't mean I think you should be given extra privileges."

"Extra privileges?" How tiresome. Exasperating. I need sleep. This has been going on endlessly for three days, and I've hardly rested. That is mostly because I'm currently living among aliens who only need to sleep twice a week. Remai was especially tiresome. He was merely a scientist, but he was the only person who would actually look at me when I talked to him.

"The factions in this Alliance have populations in the tens of billions. You came from a country that believed in representational government. Guess what? We also believe in that. You're vastly outnumbered, and you'll be 'inferior' because of it."

My head hurt. I was tired of having the same argument over and over. Hey, Remai, what about those Quadarians? They don't number in the billions, but they seem have an equivalent seat in UA conferences. But I knew what he would say. "Sure, once Humans can prove themselves to be as invaluable as the Quadarians, then maybe things would be different." I told him about when I saw a Quadarian. It was chilling, to say the least. The way it looked. The way it walked. How it moved. When it spoke. Everything about it was just... alien. He can call me prejudice if he wants. I don't care, for I'm only human, and it's only natural.

"Humans are supposed to go to sleep every day, aren't they?" Remai had a smile. It was strange, the way he smiled. So friendly, yet somehow fierce. It was almost human-like, but not quite.

"Yes." I couldn't help yawning. He had reminded me that I was tired.

"I can't imagine what it must be like to live for only eighty years and spend half of that time sleeping."

"We can dream, though. You don't have dreams."

He waved a hand in the air. "I don't understand the appeal of dreams. Why the Hirah want to study your REM cycles, it goes over my head. I prefer doing over imagining..."

After a few more minutes of uninteresting conversation, I said goodbye to Remai (he didn't understand the appeal of goodbyes, either) and walked to my dorm. As I was assigned to a different room almost every day, it was still hard to call this ship my "home". The debates over what planet becomes the new Human Homeworld will take years, from what it looks like, so since we've now been refugees for almost a month, some here have actually started to notice us. Wow, we get our own rooms now? Human civilians can sleep in beds now? Thank you, Great Alliance! You're the best!

Of course, I didn't hold any real grudges against the aliens. Others might be upset that the Alliance didn't try harder to save more of us. Billions died over a political argument, they would say. Some wished they had more time to preserve Earth's culture. Some may be cynical, but I'm not. How can I be? They saved our species from extinction. And they tried to save more of us, but there were too many factors weighed against them. They came a long way from home and there was no way they could have known the time on our countdown clock.

My head rested on my pillow on my bed in my room in my dorm hall. This room only contained a bed, my suitcase and a window. But I loved the view. All of my previous rooms were "aisle seats" and the only time I could look at the constellations was when I went to the mess hall. Now, with my own private window, I'd occasionally spot a lone star or a nebula in the blackness of outer space and then I'd ask the handy computer what I was looking at. "Dokei 559, Human Name: IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula," it once told me when I asked about a beautiful red cloud that was lightyears away. A lot of times, though, a star had no human name, and so it gave me the option to assign it one. I always declined. I didn't feel qualified for that. Besides, there is only one name I'm considering to use, and it must be saved for an incredibly unique star.

I didn't use a blanket. I wore my pajamas, but it was warm enough in here to sleep naked. Not that that was allowed, of course. Someone must have found out about our operating temperatures and started to worry that the humans could freeze, so they kept the heaters running constantly. It was like a retirement home in here. I guess that's fitting...


A voice on the intercom awoke me from a groggy haze. "Ms. Mariano?"

"Uhh... Yeah?"

"You're needed in the laboratory."

Those words made me nervous. I'm not any scientist, so being "needed" in a lab makes me think about what they could possibly need me for. Regardless, I got dressed and headed down the hall. I passed the washrooms and considered a shower. No, I'm "needed". I better be urgent.

Remai greeted me at the lab entrance. "You kept us waiting." Good morning to you too.

"Relax, Remaius." An unfamiliar voice came from inside. "She only kept you waiting."

Remai led the way into the large, round room that had sophisticated equipment and fancy monitors all over the walls. I had been in this room once when I first got here, but I then had to leave the room in handcuffs.

"Hello, Elizabeth." The source of the voice was now visible from behind a holographic projector. He was a Nae Taraxian, as most of the scientists on this vessel seemed to be. But he was a lot older than Remai. He had authority. Three more people in white coats stood behind him on a platform, observing. Two were Hirah, one was... Human? "Welcome aboard the Aurora." His welcome was about two weeks too late, but I guess I should be polite.

"Hello..."

"My name is Terrus. I would appreciate your cooperation in the following experiment." Wow, he gets right down to business. "Don't worry, you won't be harmed. We'll need you to sit in that chair over there and be very still while we scan your EM activity. Can you do that for us?"

"Uhh..."

"We believe you might have important data stored inside your brain. There is post-traumatic stress affecting your memory, so you probably don't remember that."

"Data?"

"First, we only wish to determine whether your unique EM signature matches the one we've been searching for. It's a simple scan."

"Umm... Terrus, is it? Why do you look familiar?"

Terrus let out a single laugh. No one else did. "You have spent a lot of time with Remaius, so I'm sure you've seen my brother's face in pictures. He died honorably above Earth. His name was Tex."

"Oh. Right." That name was very familiar. "Sorry, then." There was a short silence. The other human in the room coughed. "Shall we get to it?" I was afraid to waste this guy's time.

"There's an attitude I admire in humans. No questions. You just get it done." He brought me over to the chair and strapped me in.

"Well, actually, I have plenty of questions..." Remai gave me a look. Right, I'll shut up.

There was a humming sound coming from something above me, but I couldn't move my head to look at it. Besides, I was told not to try to move. Terrus was at a panel directly in front of me; Remai stood behind him at a secondary panel. Terrus hit a few switches, and then the humming sound was accompanied by a clicking sound. The two Hirah on the platform were leaning on the railing, watching with excitement. The human seemed to be biting his fingernails. The clicking noise was getting louder and louder. My scalp was starting to feel tingly. Terrus turned around and looked at Remai, who nodded and said something I couldn't hear. All of a sudden, the human was yelling something and running for the staircase, but one of the Hirah grabbed his arm. The clicking noise grew louder. It became piercingly high-pitched. The tingly feeling spread to my neck, shoulders, arms, fingers. Then everything went black. I didn't notice that I was shaking violently...

"...Peter!"

"Get out of here!"

"What are you doing?! Peter!!!"

"It's the only way..."


It took a while for me to realize I was awake, for my eyes had opened but I still could only see black. There was no light in this room.

"Don't try to get up."

The strange voice startled me, but I found that I couldn't move my legs. He sounded close, whoever he was. I tried to speak, but a hand covered my mouth.

"They can't know you're in here," he whispered. His other hand was on my leg. I didn't like this so far. But I slowly nodded.

"What happened?" I spoke softly, weakly, but I could probably scream if I tried to.

"They're looking for you."

"What? Who?"

"Terrus' men."

"What?" It took a slow second for me to process that. "Are you kidding me?"

"Shh. Wait." He apparently heard something I didn't and tensed up. Then he relaxed.

"Why are you grabbing my leg?"

"Hmm? You can feel your legs?"

"Yes. It's quite... uncomfortable."

"Oh, that's good. You're recovering quickly." He let go of me. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I'm still learning human behavior. Is it because I'm male that I made you uncomfortable?" He was very calm.

"Umm..." I found that "awkward" was not quite the right word that described this moment.

"If I was female, would that be more comfortable? I could be female if you wanted, but it would take some time. I prefer being male, though."

Changeable sex? Or... Shapeshifting? From what I'd learned of the Alliance races, I did not recall any with that particular ability. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Ess. Like the letter S."

"Okay, S. What's, umm... Your species? If you don't mind me asking..."

"Just consider me Mactchan." His accent pronounced "Mactchan" gracefully.

"Oh." I had read about the Mactchan, but hadn't met any. They were supposedly very human-esque in appearance, especially the sub-race called Quirillians. Humans preferred Mactchan food. The chefs in the mess hall were still trying to figure out Earth-cuisine, so many people avoided an unnecessary risk to their health and commonly ordered Quirillian or Qua menu items. My current favorite was Garala soup. But that's all irrelevant. In the texts I read, all of the Mactchan races had anatomical descriptions of both male and female sexes. I don't remember anything about asexual reproduction. But maybe I didn't read enough. "What are you, Quirillian? Acadian?" I was trying to guess based on his voice alone.

"You've done some research." He laughed softly, seemingly amused. He paused for a moment, then: "I'm a Myan, I guess you'd say." Huh. I read about Myans, too. They weren't part of the Alliance. There was some sort of banishment or whatever. If he's Myan, is he even allowed to be on this ship?

"Myan?" I persisted. "Are you a crewmember? A civilian? A stowaway?" Why couldn't I let it go? He can kill me, remember?

"I'm guessing you're suspicious." Well sir, I could very possibly be your hostage option.

"Oh, well... No. Of course not. You're only holding me in a dark room. I'm only slightly paralyzed." I wondered for a second if he understood my sarcastic inflection. Most aliens didn't.

"Well, you can relax. I'm not going to hurt you. And if you stay quiet, you'll make it out of here alive." He didn't mean to phrase it quite like that. Still, I gulped. "Sorry, I don't mean it that way. I know you have no idea what's going on, but I need you to trust me."

"Okay..." I was quiet for a while. I tried to listen to what he was listening to, but all I could hear was my own subtle breathing. He was as still and as quiet as a statue. I felt the blanket underneath me and only now realized I was lying on the floor and not on a bed.

"Hey..." I thought of my next words. I wished I could see him. Something was giving me the impression that this wasn't a very large room. Where was I? And what does Terrus want with me? "...You say Terrus is looking for me. That machine... What did he do to me?"

"He was trying to rip something out of your head. He could have killed you."

"Did you... save me?" He didn't respond. Things seemed to make more sense now. "What about Remai? Was that what he wanted all along? The data in my head?"

"I don't know how long he knew you had it, but he takes orders from Terrus," he said assuredly. Perfect. I thought I had a friend here. Oh well, I guess. Would you like to be my new friend, Mr. S? But then I remembered the observers in the room:

"Who was the other human in the lab? He was yelling something at Terrus just before I blacked out."

"That would have been Dr. McAden. He was there to ensure you were treated fairly. He obviously failed. I doubt he's alive now."

I couldn't believe this. "He's dead?!"

"Probably. Terrus isn't a very good person."

"What the hell... What the heck is going on?"

"I'll have time to tell you later. Somebody's coming." I didn't hear him move, but suddenly the room lit up as the door was slowly cracked open. "Stay here and don't make a sound," he whispered. I realized I was in a supply closet. Cleaning supplies. I didn't see Mr. S's face as he crouched by the door, but he had brown hair and was wearing a gray-blue uniform. He was a janitor. And he had no tail. Don't Myans have tails?

He slipped out the door and I was alone. All was silent. And it was dark again.

---

This multi-part excerpt is brought to you in part by Sumodudesalad's twentieth blog entry!

What I've written of this story is in sporadic chunks. Part of it is in a notebook, part of it was on my laptop, and part of it is on typed paper. What you will see on this blog is a filler between two of my major chunks, both of which I have lost due to hard drive failure. Hopefully, this is will still be entertaining and easy enough to understand. Part two will come soonish.

TerraEversio was a game-changing event. Before the Gian War, the Alliance was in a state of prosperity and peace. They didn't fear that some unknown civilization could seriously threaten their power. Then after being helpless to defend Earth, the Alliance fully realized they had many weaknesses. Most of Earth's survivors lived aboard Alliance vessels for up to two years before they were moved to Tellura. Some who didn't help colonize Earth II remained space-bound and were able to observe and take part in Alliance affairs. As for the few who neither colonized nor stayed aboard Alliance starships...

Well... Nobody really knows what happened to them.

Future Impact

The Quirillian council could not decide. Just about every faction had a different opinion. Sure, if they had their own way, they'd say "go", but those old days of Quirillian totalitarianism are supposed to be long gone. They have to set a good example here...

Acadians seemed to occupy all the tallest chairs. I wondered if that was due to the high respect they received for being the establishers of Mactcha's unified government, or if that was simply because they're shorter than everyone else. They had no higher authority, though. It must have just been a symbol of respect. Otherwise, the Acadians could overrule the whole project...

Gavan had only four representatives in the room. This system wasn't based on population; most Jovians just hate politics. They were on the side of Quirillia, as they always are...

The Qua had an interesting way of showing themselves. Since there are over 60 tribes on Quaxlar, there were over 60 chieftains present - more than half of the company. They knew that the number of representatives made no difference, but they must have felt that having an overwhelming unification of one opinion would help sway the vote their way. Quaxlar and Aquadex pretty much agreed against the project...

The minor powers, which included Chinoff and Gaffi, as well as other moons, were more or less swing-voters. Combined, they had not the ability to overrule any one of the major powers. But in the instance of a tie, they could make the difference. Unfortunately, they were just as divided as the others...

The oft-unmentioned Mactchan in the room, the lone Myan, was only an observer. Mya no longer had a say in Oican affairs. Their millenia-long isolation was still in effect...

Two Quadarians were present. They had an equal vote in everything, but for the past year have been undecided. They didn't really prefer this style of government, as it was still new to them, and they typically sat out of universal affairs. This time, however, they were very interested in the matter at hand. And with the four other powers so divided, the Quadarian vote mattered most...

The Hilian Emperor could make no official vote, but his opinion was highly respected. He made it clear that his people opposed the project...

Taraxia, on the other hand, as all for the project. Like the Hirah, they could not make a vote, but they had the right to speak...

This year-long debate was history in the making. Enough evidence supported the likelihood of a successful terraformation, but no one could predict the long-term effects the new planet could have on its neighbors. Many believed in Mactcha's ability to adapt. Many others believed it was best not to press their luck. If the project is a go and is successful, it would result in a breakthrough advancement in Gemini technology and practically every field of natural science, Mactcha would have a tenth planet, Quirillia's ugly debris field would be cleared, overpopulation problems would be solved and the need for more industrial and military zones would be satisfied. If the project is declined, the stability of Mactcha and the lives of 19 billion people wouldn't be risked.

I sat in the back row of the balcony in the gargantuan courtroom, out of sight from anyone important. The tension of the impending decision grew tighter each day, as the final ruling was mandated to the end of the week. As this year-long debate was coming to a close, once-calm arguments became inflamed and hidden hostilities reared their ugly-yet-entertaining heads. The Acadians were usually known to keep order; in most other cases they maintained a neutral status. This time, they were far from neutral. Aquadex was passionately unified against anything that could disrupt the harmony of the entire solar system. They found the whole idea selfish and unnecessary. I saw their reasoning. They weren't wrong. No one really was. But for the first time since the unification of Mactcha over 2,000 years ago, Aquadex was going to lose a major argument.

Because Gemini Project Alpha 9 is going to happen. It has to happen. XR Industries, as much as I hate its name, needs to become a prominent weapons manufacturer. And Oiqua needs the military power. Only when a civilization is a threat can it truly be respected by its neighbors. This will balance the Alliance. As centuries pass, the necessary breakthroughs will be made. Earth will eventually be discovered. And it can be saved.

As I sat and observed, I remembered the current date. It was seventy years ago when she passed.

He was absolutely right when he said I would always be alone. How could I ever love anyone else?

Origin of Worlds - Part 2

- Who needs another introduction? Let's try direct continuation.

By age 10 I was actively involved in two "games" that had become very important to me. The core storyline was building up to what I now consider as the "climax" - The Gian War* - while my storyline, Save the Universe, had now split into two separate campaigns which I would alternate between weekly. (Those I would later name "The Battle of Quirillva" and "Project Danerus") STU was almost a second life of mine. I had picked up two more regular members as Caleb left the game: Paval Neimeyer and Aaron Wham. I had by now created a full, living universe. The game was deep with recurring characters, (NPCs, I guess) their character arcs, subplots, plot-twists, and inside references. Looking back on it now, I'm surprised that I managed to do all of this. But that's another story for another time...

I eventually left public school and therefore the recess game STU, but not before reuniting the main players for the epic showdown with Xzhar and an actual conclusion to my long, ridiculously drawn-out story. (That final battle is still very fresh in my mind and I plan on recreating it as best I can in one of my eventual books) "Xzhar is really dead this time, guys," I told them, and they seemed satisfied enough.

When Josh was about 14 or so, he tried to start writing novels about the primary Terra Eversio saga, but never made it very far past a few prologues. But through his bursts of writing, we established firm finalities that began to set in stone what Worlds was. Names of characters and planets as well as a real timeline of events were beginning to settle with more permanency than whatever had been established before. (Which was a lot, but nothing was definite) Our universe continued to grow, now at a quicker rate than ever. (Although sometimes, it shrank, as we'd occasionally forget things) As he continued to try write things and, more commonly, take breaks from writing things, I eventually thought to myself, "I can't let STU die."

So when I got my shiny PDA at the age of 12, I started to mess around with the handwriting recognition on Pocket Word. I found it was really fun to write with, and soon I was writing a series of short stories called "The World Ends Now". But that has nothing to do with Worlds, so... after a few months of putting STU off, I just sat myself down, summoned the old recess game memories from my mind, remembered the characters, and proceeded to change their names, but that's, again, another story for another time...

It took me about one year to write the first two chapters, and almost two more to write the next two. This slowness only slightly bothered me, for I still had all the information in my head, and had quite a bit written down on paper. During a year-long lapse from any major work on my book, Alex Ashley, (or Alex Clayton in my mind, bad habits) who was an old friend of Josh's, returned to Washington for a little while, and apparently brought with him "connections" to a major media studio. With this, he and Josh saw an opportunity to write a pilot for a Worlds TV show. (a story for another time) Do you know how much we wrote?

If I had to make an estimate: about one half of one page.

A TV pilot is still a plausible idea in our heads, but I think that we've come to a silent realization that none of us really had a clear understanding of what Terra Eversio is. Or, was. Or, whatever. With all the establishments that we have written down or recorded in some sort of form, it still does not compare to what we haven't. So, in order to try to remedy this, Josh created the Worlds Divided Wiki, which made it a lot easier for us to stay coordinated and connected with all our loads and loads of [potential] lore...

I don't really have much more to say on this topic right now, and I'm tired of it and want to move on, so I guess this concludes (for now) the "Origin of Worlds".

Pfft. Took me long enough.

*Oh, I forgot about this footnote. Yeah, I consider The Gian War as the climax, instead of the destruction of Earth. Although, when you think about it, in an ongoing universe like this, there really isn't ever one "climax", now is there?

Origin of Worlds - Part 1

Before I start to confuse any who'll read this blog with random insights and stories that might seem to have no connection to each other, I decided to prologue a smidgen here and liberate what I have never put in writing before: How Worlds came to be. It's kind of a jumble, though. Not so very high-caliber journalism here...

Once upon a time there was a little three-year-old boy with an abundance of imagination and a lack of available imaginative friends. To that boy, this wasn't at all a problem, for he simply created a world in which he'd have friends and adventures any time he wanted. (my parents didn't worry about this because it's actually very common in young children) The boy, myself, had an older brother who soon "joined in". My brother, however, had slightly different interests than I did. While I had one imaginary comrade that was an elephant, one that was a vacuum, (whom I so obliviously named "Suck-Up") and one that was made entirely out of wood, (but would light himself on fire to scare away bad guys) Josh's characters were, I guess, more realistic. (Although the Hirah, one of his first official species, originally had spider-man-esque powers.)

Josh and I would team up on many occasions to fight against a common enemy. Names like "Quirillian", (had not yet seen Star Wars) "Mya"(didn't know a lick about ancient civilizations), and "Xzhar" popped up in this stage as we slowly developed a basic storyline. Those names, which I had come up with, (and even spelled!) weren't really used in "The Game", as it was called, but I still held on to them for future use. We were at a very early stage in the development of our growing epic universe, and later on we'd realize with age how preposterous some of our ideas are, and we'd reform and change them.

When Kindergarten came I found real live friends who weren't girls and didn't live in another county. It was there I met Braydon Newiadomski, the only other Jehovah's Witness in my grade. We had dinosaurs in common, so of course he became my best friend. Another kid, Caleb Chase, also became a fast friend. Recess was now an opportunity to Save the Universe, and I soon found myself having to translate what made so much sense in my head to other people. Thankfully, even at age 6, they somehow understood concepts such as atmospheric pressure and radiation poisoning as well as I did, which alleviated what could have been confusing scenarios to a point where I only had to explain what I was talking about on rare occasions. Otherwise, I'd just say where we were, what our mission was, and who we were fighting and we'd basically be all set to go.

Now I was playing two games. At home, Josh and I, (and eventually Mac and Zach Comstock) continued to flesh out what I've always felt is the "core" storyline - what would later be titled Terra Eversio. At school, however, I had a created a relatively isolated storyline that involved completely different species, locations, and government.

This post is taking too long to write, so I decided to go ahead and split it into two or three parts. In the next part I will explain how my game became my book, and where Worlds, as a whole, is heading now...