The Eriduan Time Machine

The astronauts were welcomed not by a warm embrace, but by gales of icy wind and an overabundance of sand. Awoken from their slumber and deprived of a calm, contemplative landing, they descended into the desert region at an alarming rate. Disorientated, their transport vessel soon crash landed, the impact causing a sizeable trail of destruction across the middle east landscapes. Emerging like sculptured figures from the ornately decorated ship, the spacemen embarked upon their quest--directly in the face of the recently encountered adversity. As the stunned inhabitants shook awake from their commotion, the team of spacemen confidently introduced themselves as ambassadors of a better future. Guided by their superior intellect and moral compass, they unveiled plans for altering the recent past and achieving a profoundly equitable new order. And so began the assembly of Mission Earth. The spaceship quickly found a charming home on the outskirts of a riverside temple. As early dawn broke, a steady hum of activity filled the atmosphere. A building collective was established and plans were promptly put in place to become members of the principal society in this region. SECOND ACT

While their superiors were out and about issuing mandatory edicts and arranging meetings, it quickly became apparent that minor matters of foreign policy and trade agreements were rising to the surface as seldom unforeseen threats against the cause. On the other hand, a few steadfast allies managed to emerge, unmoved by their diplomatic plausibilities or by their somewhat untraditional rhetoric. On most occasions, the gruelling work was painstakingly bumbling and it seemed that progress was impossible. Knowing an alternative method needed to be pursued, the astronauts made a daring decision-- why not harness the genetic engineering capabilities the spacemen had priveligges to, engineer humanoid beings? Primitive Workers were synthesised from the finest DNA strands and Homo sapiens were formed-- swift, agile, delicate and yet remarkably responsive to their promoters-- these species provided the perfect addition for the formation of an entire civilization and all that emerges with it.

Having found an effective alternative to foreign diplomacy, the team toiled endlessly to build the level of civilization they required. Architectural wonders were erected, society was attuned to their strong, moralistic guidelines, infrastructure was sound and the social norms were brought into focus by newly implanted religious codes and communal etiquette. Eridu flourished. Nevertheless, a lingering darkness had set upon the spacemen. Rumbling war drums initiated a growing front as regions had sent their forces to combat the untraditional tyrants hovering over the sacred temple. The breaking point arrived much faster than expected and in a spectacular fashion; nuclear weapons were used in a foolish attempt to rival the establishment. Thankfully, the spacemen deployed a defensive field to protect the most important installations in the temple. The explosion was disastrous, wiping out much of the settlement, reducing them to a state of PTSD. Whereas Eridu had flourished with a vibrant atmosphere of fulfillment and success, mournful ashes dominated for years upon years.

In the several centuries that followed, the Mars way course was re-opened as with the rebuild gathered pace. Mining operations grew in strength, replacing the earlier destruction. The spacemen had adjusted to regional politics, relearning the art of diplomacy. The system of beliefs that unified the inhabitants-- the united spiritual sovereignty of Eridu-- had to be defended by any means necessary. This fight, seemingly a never-ending cycle, was soon accepted by two forces, old and new. Ancient hominids became earnest allies, seasoned diplomats in their own right. Finally, after several major skirmishes and no short amount of casualties, Eridu was the victor. Once again, missionary progress was awe-inspiring and regional stability had seemed wholeheartedly attained. Having achieved advanced warfare, diplomacy, and environmentally friendly mining, the spacemen established a system of checks-and-balances to ensure similar battles in the future would be promptly averted. Sovereign governance would continue to protect this crucial doctrine while mankind flourished and prospered under the grant of civilization gifted by the astronauts.