Blackout World Chapter 1

Blackout World Chapter 1

D-112 and I were in the rear transport unit. L-97 was up ahead. We had been separated to discourage “friendship” and “bonds.” We were between Systems when it happened. All the lights went out, we started to slow, and we fell. Our transport units dropped 3.5 to the Elevation Strip. We hit it with a crash, and the squeal of metal ripping apart. We flipped once and landed on our side, but did not stop. We skidded 2 and rolled over again. When we finally stopped, everyone was dazed. There were safety features on the unit, but they could only stop serious injury when the unit was going 3/A.
No one was injured badly enough to need immediate medial care, but everyone wanted to know what happened. Most of the passengers were still in the First Life Stage, it being a trip for those in the Learning Cycle. However, there were still a 3 Seconds along with us to ensure our safety. They were the first to come out of the daze, and Q-10 contacted our Base System. Or tried to. All of the seconds and some of the Firsts were attempting to make contact with anyone, when I went to find D-112. I knew he was somewhere ahead of me when we started, but I had no idea what had happened to him during the crash.
I searched the seats ahead of me, but could not find him. I then looked in the back, but he wasn’t there either. I had no idea what had happened to him. Then I saw the gaping hole in the wall and roof of the transport unit. I went over and examined it. There appeared to be some sort of redish, brownish liquid on the edge. I decided that it did not matter and crept out the tear.
I felt something when I was crawling through the hole. I had felt It before, once. I looked at my palm, and saw the same liquid that was on the rim of the improvised exit. At first I thought I had simply gotten some of it from the hole, but I saw more of the liquid running out of my hand. I would have time to think about that later. I had to find D-112 and then L-97. I saw the other unit about 5 away.
I sprinted over to the transportation unit. I found D-112 opening the door to the unit. He was trying to find L-97. He had reacted better then me, so I was mentally kicking myself for not trying to find either of them immediately.
By the time I got there, D (D-112) was already inside, and I could see that everyone had faired better than in my unit. I got in and began to help look for L (L-97). We finally found him, but we still had no idea where we were or why we were there. Malfunction of on of the units was conceivable, but highly unlikely. Having two go down and lose all systems was unheard of.
We got outside where there were no people to distract us and began to think. “Alright, guys. Do we know anything about where we are?” D asked.
“We were somewhere between the main NE System and the main SE System when we lost power,” L said, “So that puts us roughly in the middle of nowhere.”
“Not quite, L,” D replied. “There are some minor Systems around here. In fact, we passed the Reserve about 2C ago. Someone has to go there.”
“OK, guys,” I interrupted, “This is interesting, but we still do not know where we are. Any better ideas?”
“I believe we should wait for more information. The Seconds are probably figuring this out already,” D pointed out.
“As much as I dislike agreeing with D’s meticulous calculations and figurings, he’s right.” L grudgingly admitted.
“Ok, then, is there anything we can figure out?” I asked.
“We could start with what happened.”
“Sure,” D replied. “There are so many more facts for that.”
“What are they?” I asked the obvious question.
“Well, both the units went down, and they both lost full power.” L provided.
“OK, good. Do you have anything else?”
“The radios were down also when I saw them last. They are on a separate Grid than the lights.”
“Good. Any more?”
L had something else to contribute. “No one showed up, even in a general sweep.”
“True, and there is the fact that the elevation strips are all out,” D stated, “Which makes this a very disturbing situation.”
“Could the Main Grid have gone down?” I tentatively asked.
“I think it did.”
“How, and what can we do?” L asked the obvious. We all sat around thinking for a while.
Suddenly, a thought hit me. “I know how to help!"
"How?" they asked in unison.
"We can get the grid back up!"
"Yeah, right," L replied scoffingly.
"I know where the Grid Center is, and D is one of the best programmers."
"Where is it, and how do you know?" D asked.
"Well, its just a thought but--"
"Where?" they chorused.

Blackout World Prelude

This world was once a world of ice and primitive beings. No technology existed, although the historians of the Dawning Age insisted that the stones and sticks our ancestors used were Technology. We are now in the Recovery Age, Directly after the Great Fall. I will tell you about my roll in the Great Fall and the Reactivation, but I must first explain the history of this planet.

Long ago (all of our files are vague; the Great Fall wreaked havoc with our data) the first ancestors of humans became. These were believed to be singled celled organisms. These evolved into higher, multicellular creatures, and grew closer to the highest life forms known. Eventually, the first humans evolved, but in a time of ice and cold. They still needed to become more intelligent to take their roles as leaders of the planet, but the humans were finally on earth.
It was a short period of time (compared with the evolution of the human) until the first computers were designed. We no longer have any of the first computers, but we still have some of the “Windows Vista” model relics. I have personally seen one of these, and it is almost hysterical to think of it being state of the art.

There have been eight ages; the First Age, the Age of Entry, the Dawning Age, the Age of Struggle, the Age of Growth, the Age of Prosperity, the Age of perfection, and the Recovery Age. We are now in the Recovery Age. During the Age of Struggle, humans prospered, but could not control their prosperity. Nearly losing their Technology in the Great Disaster, they did lose their fuel and environment. During the Age of Growth, the greatly decreased population struggled to regain their place as masters of the world from a war-torn, polluted, ravaged, barren world. By the Age of Prosperity, the world was once again as it should have been, but the humans had learned no lessons from the Great Disaster, the humans continued to take control of the planet and gather wealth. In the beginning of the Age of Perfection, humans were taking everything for granted, from food to automated travel to instant gratification for their slightest whims. Towards the end of the Age of Perfection, we were relying solely on Technology, and had forgotten how to do the most menial of tasks.

Our story starts in the last year of the Age of Perfection; the last week, in fact. D-112, L-97, and I (B-07) were on an inter-System trip, to aid our learning cycle. We were not children, yet we were still in the learning cycle, which may have been why we were able to accomplish the task required of us at all. You see, we were still “underdeveloped,” so we were not relying on Technology. This cannot be the entire explanation, though, for no one had questioned the Systems or Technologies for generations.
We were out of the enclosed Systems, though, and that is what mattered. I gave you the history of our planet, and now I have given you our own history. I do this to save trouble in telling the story, yet there will doubtless be errors I will have to correct. Our story starts now, in fact on the day of the Great Fall.



--Let the lessons be learned
--Alnar, Chronicler of Disaster
--Dedicated to preventing the destruction of humans by their own hands