The System: Conjecture Fact and Fiction

By David Aucott

The planet Venurius is dying and to preserve the purity of their bloodline the inhabitants must find a new world. But where? There is one perfect host planet and its colonisation by the Venurians’ changes the course of its history.
Tainting pure Venurian blood by interbreeding with the indigenous people is frowned upon, but inevitable, and when trouble breaks out because of it, the consequences affect the host planet and entire planetary system.
The Venurians leave their mark on the subjugated planet in many ways, leading to some of the greatest stories ever told, shrouded in myth and legend, being passed down through the millennia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melrose Books
• Release date: Jan 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781911280941

Book preview

Chapter 1

To call it the beginning would be misleading, although it was certainly a trigger to a very different future; more so than anyone could have imagined.

In excess of twelve thousand years have passed since that fateful day when, in a modest lecture theatre on a small planet, an event was about to unfold. An event which, by itself, did little to indicate impending dramas. Happenings, the repercussions of which were tremendous.

Some two hundred officials in the assembly had received no warning of what to expect from an agenda simply headed, ‘Planetary Progression, an appraisal’. After a few minutes introduction by the chairman, the first speaker was a tall, fair-skinned young man who spoke of recent medical advances; the second – an older man – discussed developments in weaponry. The third speaker was introduced as a professor in geophysics, subject space, and the cosmos.

A tall man with greying hair, he began, My friends, I shall not hold back and pull any punches. I intend to call it as it was, regarding our Martian venture. Let us say the attempt to land an interplanetary rocket on what is, after all, an asteroid, was a bad idea. Nobody, I think, now disputes that. Putting down on the Martian satellite Phobos, as if it were a moon launch site, was a deluded concept. Yes, fuel was wanted to prime directional on the satellite and that appeared as the solution. It would have worked, too, if the fuel load had not been too great. Vertical touchdowns are always hazardous, but we had our best pilot, especially trained for this; a senior with many Mars’ sorties to his name. That final jarring drop of just two meters fractured the auxiliary fuel tank and left the ship awash with fuel. Fortunately the whole thing did not blow, but the project had to be decommissioned from that moment.

Was that the point we abandoned the colonising of Mars, minister? A tall, grey-bearded man spoke.

Well yes, almost to the day. We retrieved our men from Phobos with another rocket ship and a series of lander pods visiting. But that disaster, on top of problems with water, air and fuel, were enough to convince us to cut our losses and return to Venurius to reassess things.

Why bother, Professor?

Why bother? Good question, sit back and enjoy our achievements? Well that is an option, although a limited one, I’m afraid.

Limited? Why is that, sir?

We are limited by the very recent realisation of a fresh problem. Perhaps it would be truer to say an old problem that has got much larger – and that is global warming!

Minister, surely we have known the hazards of that for many years, so why has it suddenly become larger?

You are well entitled to ask that question and expect a straight answer. The answer is that while watching the effects of technology and industry generally on the atmosphere, we did not consider sufficiently nature’s contribution to things such as solar output, volcanism, orbital variations, etc.

The room appeared to gasp its disapproval, and in an instant the tension from the assembly appeared to double. After all that we have achieved, how did we not see this coming? This strident intervention by the president was electric. His normal suave composure was disappearing rapidly. Rising from his chair, flushed face and moist brow, he was on his feet and pacing the rostrum.

So what are the latest predictions, sir? he continued.

The professor, still front stage and well aware of the commotion he had caused, replied, The assessments from our best men are that to continue with our existing lifestyle, our mode of living, the planet has just three millennium to go.

Tell me then, sir, who is responsible for environment?

Several departments – farming, coastal, rivers and waterways, and also…

Yes, alright, alright, thank you, I get the picture, each department looking after a small area and no-one presiding overall?

No department of environment, that is true, sir.

"Well then, from what I have just learned regarding climate change and its implications, to say I am greatly dismayed is an understatement. But then, on the face of this somewhat abrupt information, I must blame myself; my focus was faulty. And so, to rescue and remedy what we can of the situation, what I would like to happen is as follows.

"First, within seven days a department of the environment to be formed, headed by a top scientist. Any temperature variations during the last six months regarding oceans and air to be logged. Also increases in carbon dioxide, water vapour and methane, with graphs illustrating differences.

"Those reports returned to my vice president within ten days, and secondly, if feasible, a major discussion and debate from Government