The Plague
The Plague (Otherwise referred to as the Virus) was a deadly disease which affected primates, and the cause of ancient human mass extinction. Originating among ancestral great apes, it would re-emerge in the early 21st century. Highly infectious and fatal, the disease spread among virtually all humans and proved incurable. Ancient humanity was driven to extinction by the 2030s, only returning through the Extended Lifespan project in mechanical form as new humans centuries later.
Origins
According to one medical journal[1], the Plague originated among "the ancestors of the modern great apes more than one hundred thousand years ago." Assuming this refers only to their ancestors, this may put the disease's origins further back some millions of years ago, when hominids would begin to evolve. Regardless, while burning itself out among these ancient peoples, some remnant of the Plague would survive, frozen in Earth's permafrost.
Saint Eadwald
Around 890 CE, the Apocrypha of Saint Eadwald, an apocalyptic religious text, would be marked down, detailing a vision from the esoteric St. Eadwald. In his description, St. Eadwald describes a plague, "unleashed from the Throne of God in the time of the Nephilim; in that age the plagues were buried in the Pit, there to remain until the End of Days, which was surely now come."[2] Further along, the archangel Uriel ascribes the plague to have come "not from the hand of Elohim," but from humanity:
"Look upon the wages of sin. And shall He send forth the deluge once more, to cleanse the land of this evil? Shall He end all that slithers and all that crawls, and the birds of the sky and the fishes of the sea, to end that which you uncovered in your folly?"[2]
The description seems eerily prescient of both the prehistoric origins of the Plague and its return over a millennium after its writing as a result of human activity. Whether this vision is a genuine foretelling of the Plague or a strange coincidence, however, is unknown.
Re-Emergence and Extinction
Return and spread
In the early 21st century, as climate change caused the melting of permafrost in parts of the world, the disease would re-emerge, proving deadly. Initially, the disease spread among other hominids, rapidly causing the orangutan to go extinct.[1] Not long after, the Plague would spread to humans. Before long, either due to discovering the virus too late or failing to mobilize effectively against it, virtually all humans on Earth would be infected, with no cure able to be be found or processed before humans would succumb to it.
The exact timeframe for the Plague's arrival up to the extinction of humanity is not known. By the extent of dates on terminal documents, it can be assumed that it occurred some time after September 2032[3]. Works up to "27th June 203f" [sic] are included in the archive[4], indicating that, assuming such works were taken up to the very end, that the disease killed humanity before the end of the decade.
Reactions and Action
As the inevitable extinction of humanity became apparent, people took different reactions. Some retreated into a survivalist mentality, with IAN member Bob Rakovsky mocking those who were collecting guns as if they thought they could shoot the disease[5]. More extreme and crazed views denied the Plague's existence, one online user claiming it to be "a LIE told by the CHILDREN OF BEZELBUB [sic] (SCIENCE)".[6]
Others took the situation more calmly, or attempted to humor others in spite of the situation. One person made a popular song titled "Got It", commenting, "Gotta laugh about this stuff! Laughter is the best medicine, LOL."[7] People indulged in food[8] or partying[9], enjoying what they could. Some went out to spend time with their loved ones, say goodbye, or reconcile[10][11][12][13][14], while still others ruminated and reflected on the meaning of this event, over God[15], immortality[16], or what life all meant in the end[17].
IAN and Extended Lifespan
In reaction to the situation, the Institute for Applied Noematics, or IAN, would establish the Extended Lifespan (EL) project. Originally put together as a hydroelectric-powered supercomputer with immense durability[18], IAN members Alexandra Drennan and Arkady Chernyshevsky would transform the project into one of preserving human knowledge and existence[19][20]. Through EL two projects would be helmed under different systems: EL-0, headed by Alex, which would attempt to "recreate humanity" through a Simulation, and EL-1, headed by Arkady, which would host the Archives, storing much of existing human knowledge and material.
Working with remaining governments and organizations on the project, and in spite of some protest on the potential consequences of EL-0's project[21], IAN began the project, working around the clock and against their occasionally limited resources or while sacrificing personal happiness.
Last Days
The final days of many ancient humans were spent either with others or in preparation of what would come, such as preparing and releasing pets ahead of their incapacitation[22]. Many, at least among IAN, noted an atmosphere of calm and determination, even with impending death and their potential sacrifice of their final days[23][24]. As time progressed, infrastructure began to fail, as roads, transit, and the internet struggled to be maintained[10][13].
Towards the very end, many IAN scientists continued to work in the face of mounting grief from the loss of other members and friends[25][26]. Arkady and Alex would, at some points, consider if they should still continue to try and draw some enjoyment from their last days or with despair at the inevitable gaps or flaws in their projects that wouldn't be fixed before the Plague would claim them[27][28]. Regardless, the Extended Lifespan would be finished to a workable extent. The Plague would fully claim IAN, and the rest of humanity, soon after.
Aftermath
Following the extinction of humanity, nature would begin to reclaim much of the planet, with former pets or livestock becoming feral or undomesticated in the thousands of years after. Human presence would not return until the Child finally completed the Simulation, and transcended into Talos, becoming the first "new human". This being, consisting of the child alongside the accumulative knowledge and experience of numerous other programs, would call herself Athena. From there, she would begin to create more new humans, establishing the first community with New Jerusalem.
Notes
- No name has been given to the disease either officially or unofficially in the games or outside of it. All references to the disease have only referred to it as a "plague," "virus," "sickness," etc.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Orangutan.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apocrypha1.doc
- ↑ The latest document with a legible date provided is Book of osiris.wiki, whose source date says it was extracted "2032/09/04".
- ↑ Interacting with Milton for the first time, when asked "How old are the library archives?," he responds "resource publishing dates range from [1st July 1995 - 27th June 203f]"
- ↑ ARGH solutions.eml
- ↑ TRUTH.html
- ↑ Got it lyrics.html
- ↑ Weight loss722.html
- ↑ Party on dudes.eml
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hope.eml
- ↑ Family.html
- ↑ The web.html
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Post437.html
- ↑ Post437 comments.html
- ↑ Faith.eml
- ↑ Immortality.html
- ↑ Chatlog 9787.txt
- ↑ EL.html
- ↑ Archive IMPORTANT.eml
- ↑ Talos.eml
- ↑ Against survival.eml
- ↑ Pets.html
- ↑ ARGH solutions.eml
- ↑ Lastdays.eml
- ↑ Arkady journal99.txt
- ↑ Alexandra's audio logs#Time Capsule 19
- ↑ Arkady journal108.txt
- ↑ Alexandra's audio logs#Time Capsule 21