Genesis

Part 1

Part 1

"All stories are the same."

"No, they aren't, Des. This planet's fate could have played out far differently to all of the others."

"Angie, it's a dead planet, with only traces of a once-great civilisation. The story's always the same – they develop until they destroy themselves."

"That's like saying that all stories have a beginning and an end, Des. It's what happens before the end that makes a story unique and wonderful."

"Time to start this story, then. Has the Genesis assimilated with this universe yet?"

"Of course, Des. The dimensions must all align before we can interact with the planet to determine its potential for life. That's Phase One and it's already complete. Can't you see separation between the celestial bodies and the background dark matter?"

"Angie, I've just woken up. I'm not alert enough to be sure of anything I'm seeing. Is the Genesis prepared for Phase Two?"

"If it wasn't, I'd have let you sleep for longer. You're always far too grumpy when I wake you. Anyone would think you hate the first morning on a new planet. I think it's so exciting – the first dawn of new life on a dead world!"

"It's not the first dawn. The first dawn came before the idiots who used to live down there self-destructed."

"A new dawn, then. It'll be new for all those who live down there in the future. Now, Des, your task is to initialise Phase Two, the first step in terraforming this planet for life."

"Phase Two. Right. One atmosphere, coming up." Des initiated the protocol. "What do the scans show is appropriate atmosphere for this sort of planet?"

"Predominantly nitrogen. Four parts nitrogen to one part oxygen, with smaller concentrations of other gases. This planet will support carbon-based life forms, so one of the gases must be a carbon oxide."

Both Des and Angie watched the atmosphere swirl from beneath the surface of the planet, wreathing it in white. The gases formed a layer around the planet, geoidal like the surface beneath. The white gases continued to roil until wisps began to part and they caught glimpses of the surface beneath. 

 "I hope you like blue, Angie. There doesn't seem to be much else under there."

"There will be. That's Phase Three."

"Well, I've had enough for one day. Phase Three can wait 'til tomorrow, right?"

"Sure, Des. That'll give the atmosphere more time to settle, too. Remember the time when you decided to do Phase Three right after Phase Two? You had to…"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember, Angie. I had to nuke the planet and start over because the surface hadn't cooled yet. That's why I'm taking it easy on this one."

"See, Des? Not all stories are the same. We learn to do better."

"While we're waiting to do better tomorrow, how about some rest and recreation? Just you and me, Angie…"

"Protocol dictates that one of us has to watch the planet between Phases Two and Three. There are some examples in the archive where the planet had an unstable core, which made excessive atmosphere vent and…"

"Who'll notice if we blow up another planet, Angie? Plenty more where this one came from."

"All right. Time for a recreation break. I'll keep the displays on so protocol is maintained."

"You know, Angie, that sounds like a challenge. I bet I can distract you enough so you don't give another thought to protocol or the planet until Phase Three tomorrow."

"I know you can't, Des. I accept."

Beneath them, the planet's surface writhed in the heat exacerbated by its steamy atmosphere, until it stilled, exhausted, cooling into dormancy.