James Hogan: Mission to Minerva

25 million years ago

The evolution of a species, the Giants, results in the emergence of intelligence on Minerva. Rise of the civilization of the Giants. Later the CO2 content of Minerva's air begins to rise thanks to plate tectonics. The Giants set out to normalize the situation. In order to achieve this the crew of the starship Shapieron performs experiments on the star Iscaris. The experiments go wrong, Iscaris goes nova, and the fleeing Giants suffer a relativistic time shift on board the malfunctioning Shapieron which throws them 25 million years into the future. Learning about the failure at Iscaris, the Minervan Giants import animals (proto-humans among them) and plants from Earth to Minerva and successfully isolate their gene which is responsible for their CO2 tolerance. They plan to insert this gene into their own genome, but finally give up the plan, fearing its consequences. As they find no other solution to the CO2 problem, the Giants move to planet Thurien orbiting Giants' Star. During the evacuation one of their starships crashes on Ganymede. Terran life conquers Minerva, reaching a new ecologic equilibrium. The Thurien giants observe the changes on Minerva via relays left on the planet.

Appr. 4 million years ago

Rise of Australopithecines on Earth.

Appr. 2.5 million years ago

Homo habilis evolves on Earth.

Appr. 2 million years ago

Homo ergaster appears on Earth.

Appr. 1.6 million years ago

Appearance of Homo erectus on Earth.

Appr. 150,000 years ago

Homo neanderthalensis evolves on Earth.

Date unknown

The evolution of hominids with altered gene set leads to Homo sapiens on Minerva.

Date unknown

Along with the rise of human civilization an ice age begins on Minerva threatening to destroy civilization. Mankind starts to develop space travel to flee the planet.

Appr. 50,200 years ago [Note: later reduced to 50,020. See p. 274]

Imares Broghuilio and his generals appear from the future with five starships. They land on Minerva unnoticed and soon unite the peoples of the continent Lambia in a military regime. Lambians start to arm against the other continent, Cerios, with the aim that only Lambians should escape the ice age. The states of Cerios are forced to arm themselves.

50,000 years ago

The race for space leads to total nuclear warfare between Cerios and Lambia at the dawn of space travel. The war involves the surface of Minerva's moon, too, where Cerians built a base. The nuclear catastrophe shatters Minerva to pieces: a major fragment becomes the planet Pluto, the rest scatter to form the Asteroid Belt. Upon their request, Thuriens observing the war transport the moon's Cerian survivors to Earth and leave them to their fate. Lambian survivors are settled on planet Jevlen in Thurien's neighborhood and are slowly integrated into Thurien society. The moon, freed of Minerva's gravitic grip, is later arrested by Earth's gravity well and Minerva's onetime moon becomes Earth's Moon. The Moon arriving to Earth orbit causes upheavals and floods on Earth, almost wiping out the Cerian survivors, throwing them back into barbarism. In a race to stay alive they soon wipe out the Neanderthals who until now ruled the Earth. Homo sapiens spreads on Earth and starts his second ascension toward civilization.

Date unknown

On Jevlen the Thuriens set up JEVEX, a supercomputer modelled after their VISAR. Later, Jevlenese secretly transport JEVEX to planet Uttan and set out to extend it so that it should reach and eventually top VISAR's performance. Unbeknownst to the designers, a universe later named Entoverse evolves in the growing JEVEX. Its intelligent inhabitants, the Ents, sometimes manage to transfer to the world outside JEVEX by invading Jevlenese minds. Such obsessed Jevlenese (the so-called ayatollahs) sometimes create religious-mystic cults around themselves. The existence of Entoverse remains unknown.

Date unknown

Upon their request, Jevlenese are trusted by the Thuriens to conduct the observation of Earth. Driven by vengeance, Jevlenese leaders spread religions and superstitious beliefs on Earth via agents in order to hinder the development of civilization.

1831

A newly obsessed ayatollah, Sykha founds the Spiral of Awakening cult.

Nineteenth century

Seeing that Earth's civilization grows in spite of their meddling, Jevlenese help develop certain areas of science to provoke arming and global, self-destroying wars on Earth.

1914

Beginning of World War I on Earth.

1939

Beginning of World War II which, according to Jevlenese plans, should lead to nuclear disaster. Earth, however, avoids nuclear warfare.

After 1945

Thanks to the Jevlenese agents, Earth begins a nuclear arms race after World War II, which threatens the existence of its civilization for a few decades. In the meantime, unbeknownst to the Thuriens, Jevlenese leaders also start to arm.

1979

Birth of Joseph B. Shannon.

1992

Birth of Victor Hunt.

1999

Birth of Lyn Garland. Birth of Duncan Watt.

2002

Birth of Hans Baumer.

2015

As cold war slowly dissolves on Earth in spite of Jevlenese machinations, Jevlenese agents help demilitarize Earth. In the meantime, Jevlen keeps on arming itself in secret. The ultimate goal of the Jevlenese leaders is the isolation of Thurien, destruction of Earth, and rule over the Galaxy. Jevlenese keep on reporting to Thurien about a militarized Earth on the brink of World War III.

2027

Mankind begins to conquer space again, and finds the traces of Homo sapiens' earlier presence on the Moon.

2028

Exploring the mystery of the people named the Lunarians, mankind realizes the onetime existence of Minerva. Expedition Jupiter 4 discovers the Giants' starship on Ganymede. They name the race the Ganymeans.

2029

Based on Ganymean and Lunar findings, humanity reconstructs the story of the Lunarians and the Ganymeans, discovers that the Moon was once Minerva's moon, and finally realizes that Earthmen are the descendants of the Lunarians originating on Minerva.

2030

The time-shifted crew of the Shapieron contacts the Earth people. Using references found on the Moon, the Shapieron departs to find Giants' Star, supposed destination of the Ganymean exodus. Earthmen realize that their intelligence is a byproduct of the unsuccessful experiments of the Giants. Jevlenese observers fail to report the appearance of the Shapieron to Thurien. Earth broadcasts a radio message to Giants' Star, from which Thuriens learn about the Shapieron.

2031

Unbeknownst to Jevlen, the Thuriens contact Earth. After realizing that Earth is peaceful, together they drive the Jevlenese leadership into a corner. JEVEX is switched off. Imares Broghuilio and his generals escape from Jevlen, and accidentally fall 50,200 years into the past. Jevlen, liberated from its vengeful leaders, sets out on a peaceful course. At the same time, chaos devours its JEVEX-dependent society in the absence of JEVEX. Thanks to JEVEX's being turned off, life dramatically worsens in the Entoverse, and many Ents try to escape their universe. The sudden appearance of several new ayatollahs and their cults make chaos worse on Jevlen. One ayatollah, Eubeleus, travels to Uttan and tries to switch JEVEX on so that Ents can invade Jevlenese minds in great numbers. Earthmen and the Giants realize the existence of the Entoverse, and prevent the Ent invasion. JEVEX is isolated on Uttan to preserve the Entoverse.