WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE While centuries had passed, since the space-ship, from Earth, had escaped Earth's destruction, when another planet collided, with the home-world, the colonists had made a point of remembering the tragic voyage, which lead mankind, to this, new, world. During the first, few, centuries, since the ship had landed, everyone, on the planet, had made a yearly pilgrimage, to the ice covered mountains, and the landing site, whose freezing temperatures prevented the ships deterioration. In time, the colonists descendants had re-created technology, which was vast improvements over what the war-like Earth had, prior to the ships launch. It had taken a peaceful civilization only 275 years to develop the technology, which lifted the ship, from the ice, and carried it toward its current "home". Now, for centuries, the craft sat, upright, in the center, of a government center. A permanent reminder of what a race could achieve, when pushed to its limits. To the younger generations, of this, new, world, the "antique" ship seemed more of a "relic", or "toy", from a long ago era. This, despite the fact that, in the new school system, children were taught the frightening reasons why the ship had been built. Teachers were taught to say "Earth was desperate. Since we had NO interstellar travel, at the time, the ship had to be designed, and built, completely by "trail-and-error". Had that ship NOT been built, NONE of US would be alive, to remember our home-world. In the modern day, however, Earth was as much a "fairy tale" as Atlantis had, once, been. Some, of the younger generation, even spoke of the thought that the government had built the "display", as a way, of frightening children into obedience. This, despite the fact that thousands of books had been carried, to this world, by the space-ship. Since this world was so young, and beautiful, the colonists had decided, long ago, NOT to follow in Earths foot-steps. This planet would remain as "virgin" as possible. While temporary villages had been erected, to provide shelter, for the travelers, the groups leaders had decided, upon the un-loading, that, if man-kind were to disturb this planet, they would limit themselves, as much as possible, to the sub-surface. Result, over the next century, massive tunnels would be dug out of the ground, with supplies, machines, and so on, being kept far from the placid surface. By the time the space-ship was moved, from the mountain, to the government center, 90% of industry was located below the surface, with massive "scrubbers", to prevent the machines from fouling the planets air. While the colonists idea's seemed "idyllic", one problem, did, eventually, emerge. Since the central governent center was, by unanimous vote, to be seperated from the "learning campus", the problem was that, while the government had grown, more than expected, the education center, also, experienced un-expected growth. While the campus was DESIGNED, to be LIMITED to twenty acres, it seems that the need, for a larger population, meant that MORE room was needed, for education. While Earth had sent its finest MINDS, to this, new, world, the problem was that the project directors had forgotten one, important, element. It was the BLUE-collar workers. The carpenters, electricians, plumbers, concrete layers, and other, trades-people, who built both Earth, and the ship, and its launch pad. Without the blue collar workers, there would have been NO ship. No colony. As a result, of having left all of the trades-people back on Earth, it was left to the scientists, and computer experts, to "get their hands dirty", building the new settlement. Planting crops, and building shelters, was FAR more IMPORTANT, than computer algorhythms, and cross-pollenization ratios. In fact, for the first century, on this, new, world, the "brains" biggest challenges, were building power plants, and water treatment. Trash removal, and clothes laundering, were much more important than software development. While, in theory, the arrival, of children, SHOULD have "eased" the colonies burdens, what the scientists had not accounted for was the fact that, when infants are born, they are, basically, use-LESS. Until a child is old enough to walk, and talk (as well as feed themselves), they were just as "worthless" as the space-ship was. Progress, on constructing the colony, had not improved, until the first 100 children were old enough to begin working. As this number grew to 1,000, work proceeded, more according to schedule, yet it was not until the number, of children, reached 5,000, that the official time-table, set by EARTH, for colony completion, was met. By the time the learning center was completed, the children numbered 10,000. This is when the decision was made that older children would be schooled, between planting, and harvest, seasons, while only the youngest would be schooled, year round. The colony needed a labor-force, bad enough that they had no choice except to "draft" the children. This, ofcourse, did not go oover, soo well, wiith the new,, blue-collar, labor force. A labor force which, regullarly, reminded the scientists that, had it NOT been, for the blue-collarr, that man would have died out, on EEarth. Times had, slowly, improved, over the past century, mostly due to the fact that the Chemistry department, finally, came up with the formula, for high octane moon-shine. Now farmers could tend fields, with-OUT needing a massive work-force. The machines, brought, from Earth, would be put into service. As for the REASON why the space-ship was transported down, from the mountain, to the government center, this had been done, to prove that science, still, existed. The Astronomy department argued that, if the ship could be brought, to the public, then it WAS possible to build more ships. Maybe visit more planets. (The colonists did wonder what Earth would have thought, about the fact that, after five hundred years, the colonists had, yet, to decide on a NAME, for their world.) While Earth science had given the planet a very technical name, the colonists had considered this a questionable practice. After all, the scientists, from Earth, were NOT here, now. While the colonists were, ALL, in agreement, that their planet deserved a name, the problem is that, after centuries, of debate, there remained no "majority", on which name to use. In fact, once the space-ship was moved, and the scientists began work, on a more modern version, one question, still, remained. The question of how, once the scientiists designed the ship, WHO would build the ship. A ship which could be used more than once. Sure, the original relic had been built, in a time, of great crisis, using what tech was available, however, here, on this planet, a place where there was no war, tech had outpaced Earth, by centuries. Even millenia. The scientists PROVED this to be true, when they launched the first, re-usable, shuttle, into orbit, then followed this with a platform, which they hoped to use, to launch other ships. Still, the blue-collar felt that their "contribution", to the colony was beiing, largely, over-looked. It seemed, to the blue-collar, thatt thew scientists, and the computter programmers, wanted ALL of the "glory" for themselves. The colonies, other, concern was "Are we tempting fate, as Earth had? How far is too FAR? Would the divine send another astral body, hurtling, at the colony, if they tempted the stars?" Then, there was the problem, of the planets orbit. While Earth had just ASSUMED that the new planet would "slip into" Earths orbit, once the Earth was destroyed, it was only as the first observatories were built, on the new planet, that the problem was discovered. Sure, it was accepted that Earth had not had decades to observe the new planet. Earth had just "hoped for the best". The problem, which no one was willing to verify, until the fifth observatory, to be completed, was finished, and began observing th sky, was the fact that this, new, planet had, not-quite, slipped into Earths regular orbit. It was not until the fifth observatory submitted identical results, that the colonists accepted the results. The new planet was not following Earths exact path, around the solar system. In fact, given enough time, the planet COULD, in theory, be released, from orbit, and continue its "voyage", through the universe. WHAT would happen, to mankind, at that point? With nearly 1,000 years, of technological development, and a more-or-less united citizenship, at its command, the central government had, basically, repeated what Earth had done, centuries before. This time, however, the colonists had the advantage, of the equivalent of 25th century Earth technology, for making its decisions. Add in the fact that, while this planet was nowhere near "over-populated", as Earth had been, there were those who wanted to start new lives, on OTHER planets. While the governing scientists had considered the quandary of "How could we have been so WRONG, about this planet?", their staffs were first to remind the leaders "In the final days, of Earth, decisions were made, in a rush. Remember that this planet was on a destructive, colission course, with Earth. Earth had only a few years, to consider evacuation." The scientists had admitted such was true. The ship had been rushed into production, with less than a decade, for completion. This time, mankind had the ability to, conservatively, estimate atleast 5,000 years, to abandon the planet. (A liberal estimate would be 10,000 years.) The problem, which the colony faced, was the fact that, even as technology advanced, and work was made less burden-some, the problem was that the blue-collar felt that its section, of the population, was being ignored (just as they had been, on Earth). After all, it WAS the blue-collar workers, who ASSEMBLED thee ship. It was the blue-collar, who built the original, launch, pad. Without the blue-collar... About the only, easy, decision, which the colonists faced, was a unanimous vote, that the original, Earth, ship would be carried, to the next home-world. That is, IF a compromise could be reached, with the blue-collar work-force. The crux, of the problem, was that, while the white-collar felt that THOUGHT was more important than action, the blue-collar felt that it was the builders, who were more important. After all, it would be the blue-collar, who would BUILD any new ships. When science thought it could be arrogant enough to tell the blue-collar that, without "intelligence", mankind would not survive, this is when a disagreement would evolve into nothing short of all-out war. While the world, of the white collar, controlled information flow, across the planet, it was the blue-collar, who kept things running. It was the blue collar, who kept supplies flowing. It was the blue-collar, not the computer programmers, who built the systems, and the buildings, where white collar met. Since there was no "code red" urgency, this time, the planets inhabitants were in no rush, to make "final preparations." For most colonists, life went on. Tradesmen continued building, while farmers continued harvesting crops. The space-ship program worked, for ten YEARS, to develop the kind of ships, which would travel, back-and-forth, to other planets. These ships would carry colonists, rations, and equipment. In perfect world conditions, colonists could wait, until their world passed close to each, new, planet, then make a short trip, from planet to planet. Only one problem. Un-like science fiction, which proposed that man could survive, as a mass travelled away from the sun, the fact was that it was the suns energy, which made Earth a habitable place. If a planet raced away from the sun, the surface would freeze, in record time, from the cold, of outer space. Anyone, caught, on the surface, of such a planet, would be frozen, in no time. Fortunately, this, new, planet was not hurtling away, from the sun. It was just on an Eratic course, around the sun. The problem science would have, with the population, of this planet, was that the white-collar wanted ALL of the credit, for saving humanity, again. The input, of the blue-collar, was NOT to be considered "important". While, ofcourse, there were no planets, nearby, since Warp Drive had been discovered, in science FACT, ships, and probes, could reach more distant locations, in far less time. The problem was that, while white collar was working on equasions, and fuel-ratios, the blue-collar began reverting to the old ways, of Earth. Since white collar would not acknowledge the contributions, of blue collar, blue collar began terminating deliveries, of food, fuel, and supplies. When white collar replied "We need those supplies", blue collar had said "Go get it, yourself." It was only at this point, when white collar realized that blue collar controlled the crops, utiliities, and so on. No amount, of computer-programming, could replace strong, HUMAN, backs. While the white collar attempted to steal supplies, they found themselves, physically, beaten back, by the blue collar. When the white collar tried to PAY some blue collar, for supplies, the blue collar took the credits, yet gave nothing, in return. When white collar proclaimed "We made a deal!" Blue collar woulld say "You want supplies. We want credit, for our labors." Whiile the central government scientists, and computer programmers, stood in open opposition, to this, a few, wise, scientists, began working WITH some more cooperative blue-collars, with moving colonial information archives off-world. As the debate, over WHO was most responsible for mankinds survival, so far, turned from civil discourse, and into all-out combat, still, the question remained un-answered. WHO was most responsible, for mankind sending a ship, to this planet, to begin with? WAS it the scientists, and computer programmers, who drew the plots, and the plans? Was it the blue-collar MUSCLE, which had lifted beams, carried supplies, loaded fuel, and so on? Now, mankind was on a new collission course. The worlds of blue, and white, collar, were on a new collission course. Which was more important, to mankind? White collar scientistts, and computer programmers, or blue-collar people, who planted crops, built shelters, and provided transportation? The collission course came to a "head", when science began reverting to primitive, hand-to-hand combat. Soon, white-collar was fashioning weapons, with which to kill the blue collar, while the blue collar were ready to use the age-old practice, of brute-force. While the last, of human knowledge, and the ancient relic, were transported, to the new world, man-kind did not wait for the planet to change course, and head for the sun. Once the scientists became hungry enough, brute-force would all but destroy ALL that mankind had built, on this planet. The capital would be guttted, as the white collar tried to remain warm, through the coming winter, even as the blue-collar would ransack the learning center, for space, to store crops, and supplies. The scientists just found it so hard to believe that the very 45th century technology, which they had strived to create, would be reduced to camp-fires, once fuel supplies had been stopped, and reserve fuel was depleted. All the scientists could do was watch, as the blue-collar re-routed the power supply, to power only their own settlements. When white-collar did a final inventory, of their supplies, to find out if they could outlast the blue-collars (and proclaim victory), the inevitable fact was that the white collar only controlled 1% of the food, and NONE of the fuel supply. The white collar, and the computer-programmers, had become so reliant, on the blue-collar, over the centuries, for supplies, that no one thought that such a day would come. Now that it had, the white-collar had no idea HOW to deal with the most basic tenents of life. Centuries, of achievements, would fall to dust, all because neither the scientists, nor the computer programmers, would allow the blue-collar its share of credit, in building, and maintaining, civilization. Mankind would destroy itself over the arrogance of thinking that one group was more important than another. After centuries of effort, including a desperate flight, between planets, yet PRIDE would kill mankind. The arrogance, and pride, of thinking that scientists, and computer-programmers, were more important, to mankind, than farmers, builders, and maintenance people. All of the effort, gone to waste, as the few, remaining, humans, would revert to the age of sod huts, public camp-fires, and wearing hides. Centuries, of effort, yet all that was left would be a "marker", showing that man had tried. Failed, but tried. Would any, future, races, fare any better?