The Land Above

They say legends are the result of stories passed down from one generation to the next. With each telling, the legend grows until thoughts become theories and dreams become reality. There was a similar event on the planet of Mytopia in the Asterian system. Over the centuries, one person’s version became the next person’s facts until a legend was born. 

As the story was told, it started many centuries before the Great Change. The North Landers of Mytopia were powerful, skillful warriors known worldwide as trekkers and takers. They would conquer other lands and gain whatever riches they found. Women, drink, minerals, gold, and herds were ordinary among the riches confiscated.

The North Landers grew brazen with each conquest, and their hunger to own everything became soul-consuming. They learned of a land far to the South, whose riches were said to be twenty times that of any other land. Their mineral mines were rich with Zenith, Oscarlite, and Tranzite. Their soil was rich and their crops abundant. The many herds were thick and ripe for picking, and their females were twice the number of the males.

Hungry to possess what those of the South had, the Northlanders sent out trekkers and negotiators to inquire if the rumors and stories were true. When they returned with proof of what the South Landers possessed, the North Landers sought an audience with their rulers.

The Leaders of the South offered to share their minerals, gems, and resources, but this only angered the North Landers. They weren’t interested in sharing. They wanted it all for themselves. After years of failed negotiations, the North Landers decided to take what they wanted, whether the Leaders of the South were willing or not.

A great war commenced over the oceans and through the skies, lasting for over a hundred and fifty years. Mytopia suffered significant losses on both sides. Bombs and missiles were launched at each other, sky crafts were destroyed, and ocean vessels were sunk.

The land had grown toxic with the fallout from the weapons, the water turned to acid, and the animals became wild and primal. Rains burned the ground and trees like fire from the heavens. Crops were destroyed, and vegetation died off. The clouds burst into flames, and the air dried to an unbreathable state.

The war had devastated Mytopia. Neither the North Lands nor the South Lands were habitable, forcing the refugees to come together and seek out new ground that had not been impacted as drastically as the rest of the planet. Millions had been killed during the war, and thousands more died on the quest for new land.

After many long years of trekking, the people arrived at a land where they could start anew. With seven mineral mines and twelve deep lakes of drinkable water, the people settled down to start a new civilization. Early on, the need for government and control became necessary to organize and unify the people, so a Council of Elders was established.

Twenty-four men were chosen to lead their people into the years ahead. Scientists, doctors, teachers, and spiritual Leaders were picked to form the committee, each with the knowledge needed to take the people forward. But not everyone agreed with the Elders’ rules. Arguments and discontent reigned among the citizens until, after many years, the people became divided. Two factions were formed, known as the Above Landers and the Below Landers.

While the Above Landers were influential, dominant producers with the skills and knowledge to cultivate the land and raise herds, the Below Landers were educated on what nature could provide. They were resourceful and knew how to interpret the heavens and test the soil. They could forage for fruits, berries, and roots that had recovered from the war’s deadly chemical fallout.

The Mytopians soon discovered that this new land was already inhabited by a lethal parasite, a meter in length, that burrowed into the soil. This parasite left a trail of slimy residue behind, so toxic that it killed anything that touched it, man, beast, or root. This slime turned the land unusable and unsuitable for life.

The Below Landers tried to find a way to cope with the parasites, while the Above Landers sought to kill them. Using the minerals, the parasites were soon neutralized with doses of Zenith. The land was treated with noxious minerals, and the soil was cultivated for Mytopian consumption.

Their new home soon began growing crops, though slowly. The need for new technology to cope with the decreased food supply and herds continued to be a top priority. Families were becoming weaker as their population grew. Offspring were dying shortly after birth, and the elderly were growing feeble, too weak to provide for their families.

During this time, the Council of Elders recognized that the population was declining due to a severe shortage of resources. To protect what little they had, laws were enacted that created rations and stores to be established, with each household receiving only enough to survive from one season to the next, regardless of their status in the system.

As resources continued to be limited, so too did the need to mandate the rate of offspring among the people. Determined to keep their numbers thriving, a facility was built, and laws were enacted to house all females of reproductive age. Over the years, these females became known as Breeders. All females born to the Above Landers were housed at the facility for their own protection.

Unwilling to conform to these mandates, the Below Landers revolted and broke away, taking to the caves and subterranean canyons surrounding the land. They believed that nature would provide for their people and that it was up to the females to keep their numbers strong. To prevent a new war, the Below Landers disappeared into the canyons and caves, never to be heard from again. This was known from then on as the Great Divide.

Years passed, and crops grew stronger, taller, and more abundant. The herds continued to grow, and the land began to recover from the Mytopians’ devastating past. Males, however, grew frustrated and lonely without the females, eventually turning to each other for comfort and companionship.

To continue their species, the Elders established a lottery system allowing for procreation. The Above Landers who wished to increase their households would be given turns to The Facility. Those who were given approval by the Council of Elders would be allowed to choose a breeder to reproduce with.

This continued for over a century until the female offspring outnumbered the males. Knowing their need for cultivators and raisers was great, the scientists developed a method, using specific minerals from the mines, that would guarantee the breeders gave birth to more male offspring.

Peace soon inhabited the land, and everyone settled into their new roles. The cultivators began increasing their crop yields, while the raisers began breeding and growing their herds. At last, after centuries of war, famine, and anger, Mytopia was calm, and the people were content.

Or so it seemed….