The sun cast its warm light over the monumental yet airy structures of Atlantis. The city shone in a unique beauty, in which the splendor of its buildings harmoniously combined with the lush greenery of extensive parks. Everywhere in this impressive metropolis, the gentle splashing of artificial watercourses could be heard, accompanied by the melodious chirping of synthetic birds. The highly developed technology of the Atlanteans was so elegantly integrated into their environment that it remained almost invisible to the untrained observer.
For a century now, the unstoppable geological instability that would one day doom Atlantis had been an open and intensely discussed topic within Atlantean society. The impending catastrophe was not a bogeyman lurking in the shadows, but rather an occasion for collective reflection and the search for a saving solution.
The Atlanteans' answer to this existential threat were the Arks - gigantic spaceships whose original conception was aimed at a long journey to distant stars as so-called generation ships. These ships were masterpieces of engineering, completely self-sufficient and designed for self-sufficiency over many centuries. They had advanced hydroponic and aeroponic systems for food production, closed circuits for the reprocessing of water and air, as well as powerful energy sources that enabled independent operation for hundreds of years. From the very beginning, the population of Atlantis was involved in the planning and development of these impressive ships. This took place in an atmosphere of complete transparency and a lively, public exchange of ideas and opinions.
The groundbreaking invention of the FTL drive opened up a completely new and exciting perspective for the Atlanteans: the possibility of reaching a habitable planet in the infinite expanses of the Milky Way in a relatively short time. This news was received throughout the population with a deep mixture of hope and awe.
Deeply rooted in their ethical principles, which categorically excluded any interference in the development of less advanced civilizations, a resettlement on the planet Earth was never an option for the Atlanteans. This principle of non-interference was an inviolable pillar of their culture and self-image.
Thus, the plan matured in the clever minds of Atlantis to equip the developed Arks with the revolutionary FTL drives and to set off for a new home in a distant solar system. To avoid any unintentional contact with human civilization, the giant spaceships were secretly positioned behind the moon. There, in the silent vastness of space, they should wait for the day of their final departure. The entire population of Atlantis was comprehensively informed about these complex plans, participated in detailed simulations and mentally prepared for life in a completely new world.
As the relentless forces of nature increasingly undermined Atlantis, the earthquakes became more violent and the floods rose, the Atlantean government was forced to act. The evacuation of the population to the safety of the Arks positioned behind the moon was initiated. Thanks to the original conception of the ships as completely self-sufficient and self-sufficient units, the move itself did not pose an immediate threat to the survival of the passengers. They were independent of external resources for long periods of time.
After the evacuation of most of the Atlanteans had been successfully completed and the Arks were safely in orbit behind the moon, the engineers continued their work on the revolutionary FTL drives. In an effort to make the technology operational as quickly as possible, they continued to conduct intensive tests. During one of these critical test runs on board the Ark Noah, the devastating accident then occurred: an FTL drive exploded with immense force and not only tore a huge, gaping hole in the protective hull of the spaceship, but also claimed the lives of several unfortunate passengers and seriously injured many more.
The repair of the heavily damaged Ark Noah and the construction of a new FTL drive proved to be immense tasks that would take years. The logistical challenge of distributing the survivors of the Ark Noah to the remaining three Arks was mastered by the strong sense of community of the Atlanteans. The resources were recalculated jointly and rationed fairly.
In this difficult situation, the Atlantean government saw itself forced to take a drastic step. In order to alleviate the overpopulation on the Arks and ensure the survival of all, it was reluctantly decided to send a small part of the Atlantean population back to Earth. This was done under the strictest secrecy and with the most modern camouflage technology. Those who took this difficult path did so in full awareness of their responsibility for the well-being of the collective in space.
But the Atlanteans who remained behind also took on an important and honorable task in addition to the burden of isolation. They saw themselves as guardians of the Atlantean heritage on the planet of their ancestors. Secretly and carefully, they salvaged artifacts, knowledge and cultural treasures from the depths of the ocean and built hidden archives.
Meanwhile, the best scientists and engineers on board the remaining Arks worked tirelessly on restoring their interstellar travel capabilities. In these two years of exile behind the moon, they achieved another scientific breakthrough of immense importance: the development of a technology for direct communication over light-years with the help of quantum entanglement.
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After two years of hard work, the Ark Noah was repaired and the FTL drives were mature enough for departure. The Ark Luna had retreated unnoticed into the depths of the Oort Cloud, from where it observed the Earth and at the same time formed a silent base for the guardians. Thanks to the new quantum communication technology, the three departing Arks and the Ark Luna could communicate with each other in real time.
Now nothing stood in the way of the departure to the stars. The destination was set in the systems, and the FTL drives were charging up. On board the Ark Japhet, there was a cheerful excitement, a busy hustle and bustle on the bridge. Then, in a moment that seemed to distort space-time itself, the ships were no longer there - a brief, unreal flash of light, and they were immersed in the depths of hyperspace. The journey in FTL was planned for about two weeks. The destination was an Earth-like planet in orbit of a gas giant. But during the entire time of the jump, no contact could be established with the Ark Japhet. It was dismissed as a malfunction of the new communication technology.
After the two weeks of travel, only two Arks arrived. Instead of the expected signal from the Ark Japhet, the Ark Noah and the Ark Adonaj only received the empty ether waves of the unknown solar system. The joy about the successful FTL journey was overshadowed by a deep and gnawing uncertainty.
Then the ship sensors noticed fluctuations in the transition to the hyperspace level. Rifts opened up, from which debris shot out. No one said it out loud, but everyone knew that it had to be parts of the Ark that had not arrived. After what felt like an eternity, the captain of the Ark Noah gave the order to examine the debris.
The giant ships cautiously approached the drifting debris. Searchlights slowly scanned the shattered remains, while the sensors feverishly searched for further anomalies or even survivors. The atmosphere on board the Ark Noah and the Ark Adonaj was filled with an oppressive mixture of grief and tense anticipation.
The examination of the debris confirmed the terrible certainty: it was undoubtedly remains of the Ark Japhet. The destruction must have been immense, the fragments testified to an immense explosion or a catastrophic structural integrity. There were no signs of survivors.
The news of the loss of the Ark Japhet and its crew spread like a shock on board the two remaining ships. The hope for a joint arrival had been brutally destroyed. There was deep silence in the common rooms, interrupted only by the quiet sobbing of individuals. The burden of loss weighed heavily on the shoulders of the survivors.
However, after the initial shock, the resilience of the Atlantean civilization came to light. The commanders convened crisis meetings to analyze the situation and discuss the next steps. The original mission, to find a new home planet, now stood under a completely new sign. The dangers of interstellar FTL travel had been tragically demonstrated.
Despite the heavy loss, the Atlanteans were determined to honor the memory of the Ark Japhet by continuing their mission. They had to find a safe haven, not only for themselves, but also in memory of those who had not survived the journey. The exploration of the Earth-like planet in orbit of the gas giant was now approached with even greater caution and determination. The search for a new home had become an even more urgent necessity, a legacy for the lost Ark Japhet.
Back to the Ark Japhet before the start from the Earth system. There was a special kind of tension on the bridge - a mixture of excited anticipation and the solemn awareness of a historic moment. The crew members went about their tasks with concentrated precision. Captain Lyra stood on the command bridge, her eyes fixed on the main display, which showed the progress of the countdown sequence. Next to her, the chief navigator Kael monitored the final fine adjustments of the course that would lead them to their distant destination. There was hardly any verbal communication, but the non-verbal was all the stronger, an expression of deep trust and shared determination.
"3......2.....1.....Jump!" The Ark Japhet was seized by the unimaginable forces of the FTL drive. The familiar reality gave way to a surreal environment of absolute blackness, interspersed with faint glimmers in indigo and other colors. After about two hours in hyperspace, civilians near the hull, where the new communication system was located, noticed strange vibrations.
Night mode was initiated, the lights dimmed, it became quiet. Only a skeleton crew remained vigilant. But then, late at night, an extremely loud screeching as if metal was bending, followed by a violent blow and repeated blows along the hull to the stern. An alarm woke the entire ship.
Confusion reigned. According to the noises, something must have happened to the hull. They tried to reach the other Arks, but there were problems with the communication setup. The communication attempts failed, and then the ship unexpectedly jumped back into normal space - a safety measure of the ship.
The Ark was still fully functional. Arriving in normal space, a drone was immediately sent out to inspect the hull. It was found that the entire communication system was missing and parts of the navigation had also been torn away. Hence the emergency jump - nothing worked blindly.