Singularity

Prologue

Man, a most resilient and flexible creature. Adaptable to so many forms of stimulus, whether physical or mental. Being able to overcome extremes of nature and other adversities by applying the power of his mind, or in some cases physical strength. Through cunning and ingenuity, man can invent, create, protect, escape, and even destroy. It is this adaptability, this flexibility that makes him so strong. In fact, what makes him so very weak.

One needs only to study man's history on this planet to learn the extent of man's capabilities, and potential. If one was to research the brief history of man, one could not help but to notice the tremendous flexibility and capacity to overcome adversity and achieve. You will see man's drive to explore and create, and his innate ability to solve the most complex of problems. His drive to compete, to acquire, to mass lands and property to signify wealth.

This drive to acquire and compete created a new breed of man, a new world. This world would become one of tribes and wars. Of conquerors and of the conquered. A world that bred leaders, and a world in which wars and fighting became a practiced and learned art. A world of schools, and higher forms of learning.

This world advanced man ever more rapidly, giving way to the creation of laws, and movement towards established centralized governments, and away from the tribal feuding. Trade between nations was established, and the era of emissaries and politics was born. Of this was born borders and nations. Routes of trade, lanes of shipping. More to protect, more laws to make, more alliances to be established.

The ability of man to ally and create nations, work to create and protect, and to help his fellow man, proved to be one of his greatest strengths. It also proved to be one of his greatest weaknesses. You see man was also averse to difference. With borders and nations came secrets, and lies. With differences in people and culture came hate and destruction.

Established nations and governments chose to oppress and drive out those cultures and peoples differed from those holding seats of power. Genocide occurred on a large scale in many places throughout history. This prevented man from fully cooperating on a global scale, and working as one in sharing all things, especially knowledge and discovery.

This aversion to sharing is easily traceable to man's desire to compete. To have or create that which gives him the edge, the power, over other men. To hold this knowledge, the invention, the skills, and keep it from others. All in an effort to place himself, or his particular people in a position of power. To protect and hold knowledge that could better humanity for the sole selfish purpose of retaining or gaining power and authority over others.

Suppose for a moment that man was not solely the stockholder of these traits. The drive and desire to compete. To conquer and acquire. To make war and hold lands and properties. The drive to invent and discover, and to practice and study war.

Suppose for a moment that man had for many years collected many different bits of knowledge on this supposition, and yet kept it close, thereby preventing pieces of a larger puzzle to be assembled. Nations hiding discoveries made over the periods of years, in earlier times completely misunderstood, and yet recorded all the same.

It could be that this weakness of man, this fear of that which is different could be his undoing. This selfishness, the proclivity for secrecy and subterfuge could cause his demise. It is said that knowledge is power, so one could deduce that shared and combined knowledge is a formidable thing. Even more formidable it would seem, is man's tendency to hide things from each other.

Those learned among men, those who devote their lives to study, to science, to history, have realized the need to share. They have long since realized the futility of neglecting to share new ideas and technologies. Discovering that by sharing information, knowledge, and technologies, advancements that benefit all of man progress that much faster.

Thusly, these scholars formed unified world bodies, in an attempt to unite and equally represent all people. In turn these world bodies formed councils and committees to investigate and resolve various crisis around the world. These bodies, wrought with politics and personal agendas, rarely affected real change and sharing.

Instead these bodies often created animosity towards this party or that. This gave way to more councils, committees and, in order to investigate and assuage bitterness brought about by the findings of the previous committees. It became a never-ending cycle of committees and meetings, councils and resolutions. A tremendous lumbering Bureaucracy, largely impotent. A system driven by good intentions, and the agendas of those in power.

Even while like-minded nations formed treaties, shared trade, and conducted joint and cooperative military exercises, these same nations kept great secrets from each other. These nations shared such things as intelligence, and security information. They shared weapons and other technologies. They shared agricultural and medical breakthroughs, and their applications.

In spite of all the treaties, sharing, and years of "friendship," still were kept secret the gravest of security threats. Information that went far beyond influencing the security and prosperity of one nation. Information that nearly all nations maintained and had recorded, but information that was shared with none. Knowledge of contact, of capabilities and the nature of the threat. Knowledge of an impending action against all of man rather than a particular nation.

Each nation holding a small piece of a larger puzzle. Pieces that while apart meant nothing by themselves. Pieces that if brought together might provide a larger understanding, and the capability to help humanity. A means to provide some understanding of what was about to befall man. A way to deal with and survive it.

The more advanced and learned a society becomes, the further from war and destruction they will turn. At least that was the supposition of scientists the world over. And it was wrong… So incredibly flawed a way of thinking as to blind the governments of the world. No one was looking to the skies for anything other than exploration, and the dream of peaceful contact with some advanced civilization.

The contact with an advanced civilization would come indeed. Could man survive it. That would be the question. Could man overcome his own nature to defend against what was in effect his own nature? Could man successfully battle his own will?