Gregory Benford: Across the Sea of Suns

2095 Heavy human losses in taking of orbital Watcher ships. Annihilation of Watcher fleet. No mechanical technology captured due to suicide protocols among Watchers.

2097 Second unsuspected generation of Swarmers emerges.

2108 First in-flight message received from Walmsley expedition: “We’re still here. Are you there?”

2111 Final clearing of Earth’s oceans.

2128 Robot vessels from Pocks arrive at Earth carrying mechanical technology. Immediate use by recovering human industries.

2175 Second mechanical-directed invasion of Earth, using targeted cometary nuclei from Oort cloud. Rebuilding of human civilization.

2302 Third mechanical-directed invasion of Earth. The Aquila Gambit begins successive novas in near-Earth stars. Beginning of Ferret Time.

2368 First mechanical attempt to make Sun go nova. Failure melts poles of Earth.

2383 Second nova attempt. Continents severely damaged.

2427 Fourth mechanical-directed invasion of Earth. Rebuilding of human civilization.

2593 Fifth mechanical-directed invasion of Earth. Diplomatic ploy thwarted.

2763 Fifty-seventh Walmsley message received: “Are you there?”

3264 First expedition launched toward Galactic Center from Earth.

4455 First appearance of fourth chimpanzee species; clear divergence from host, Homo sapiens, the third species.

FLIGHT OF HUMAN FLEET TO GALACTIC CENTER “THE BIG JUMP”

29,079 Formation of added geometries to Wedge spacetime around the central black hole. Old One manipulation of local Galactic Center space-time, apparently in anticipation of further mechanical-Natural violence. Mechanical forms carry out first incursions into Old One structures.

29,694 Walmsley group arrives at Galactic Center in Watcher craft.

29,703 First human entry into Wedge. Some communication with Old Ones.

29,741 Arrival of Earth fleet expedition at Galactic Center.

29,744 Meeting of Earth expedition and Walmsley group.

30,020- The “Great Times” of human development.

34,567 Unsuccessful search for Galactic Library. Successive conflicts with mechanicals. Development of higher layers of mechanical “sheet intelligences.” Philosophical conflicts within mechanical civilizations. Formation of mechanical artistic philosophy.

34,567–35,812 Chandelier Age. Humans protected themselves against rising mechanical incursions. Particiption of earlier humans from the Walmsley expedition. Some collaboration with Cyber organic/mechanical forms. Discovery of Galactic Library in the Wedge.

35,812–37,483 The “Hunker Down.” Exodus from the Chandeliers to many planets within 80 light-years of Absolute Center. Includes High Arcology Era, Late Arcology Era, and High Citadel Age as human societies contract under Darwinnowing effects of mechanical competition.

37,518 Fall of Family Bishop Citadel on Snowglade, termed the “Calamity.”

37,524 Escape of Family Bishop from Snowglade in ancient human vessel. Clandestine oversight of this band by Mantis level mechanicals.

37,529 Surviving bishops reach nearest star, encounter Cybers. Defeat local mechanicals. Adopt some human refugees.

37,530 Bishops leave, escorted by Cybers and cosmic string.

37,536 Bishops reach Absolute Center, enter Wedge.

37,538– Temporal sequences become stocastically ordered. Release of Trigger Codes into mechanical minds. Death of most mechanical forms. Intervention of Highers to rectify damage done by excessive mechanical expansion.

Preservation of several human varieties. Archiving of early forms in several deeply embedded representations.

Beginning of cooperation between Higher mechanically-based forms and organic (“Natural”) forms. Decision to address the larger problems of all lifeforms by Syntony, in collaboration with aspects of lower forms.

Beginning of mature phase of self-organized forms.

OF PREAMBLE. LATER EVENTS CANNOT BE THUS REPRESENTED.