The World According to CHAD

(Complete History Archive Database) & A Prelude to Boo !ne" #orever Tomorro$ o% The Boo o% Tomorro$s By Ale&ander 'lysses Thor Copyright ()*+ Ale&ander 'lysses Thor Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this book is free, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied, and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage friends to download their own copy. Thank you for your support. 1 May th !1"#, $ednesday, "%## am The man stood waiting outside a museum. &e was no ordinary man. 'or was it just any museum. The man was important. (nly he didn)t know it yet. Then again, he did not know much about himself, either. &e knew his name, Michael Angel, but not a whole lot beyond that simple fact. Twenty-one-years-old, fi*e-foot-ten, one-hundred-se*enty-pounds, dressed in a reser*ed fashion, wearing a powder-blue pullo*er, fitted grey slacks, black leather shoes, and while not e+actly handsome,nor ugly for that matter,he had a *ery congenial and rela+ed manner, with a gold-tone comple+ion, light-brown hair, and a face sans of facial hair or e*en the hint of a fi*e o)clock shadow. &is dark brown eyes hid a deep, intense cra*ing for knowledge. The thirst of which dro*e his *ery being. It fueled his ambiguous nature, moti*ating him to seek out his purpose in life. $hy he is here, li*ing in a world he felt he did not fit. As with his reason for being here today, waiting for someone he ne*er met. Michael didn)t mind waiting, especially since this was one of his fa*orite places. It wasn)t just any museum. To him, it represented e*erything worthwhile in the world,truth, beauty, knowledge,a guiding-light illuminating the dark tunnel through the past, which surprised him when she chose the meeting place. The statue he stood ne+t to, with a strange sense of pride, represented that guiding-light showing mankind how to rise from the ashes of yesterday)s fires. -*eryone had their heroes in life, that special someone who inspired them to be a better person because of what they ha*e accomplished. And for many, that man was the .rophet $arrior. 'obody knew where he came from. (r his real name, for that matter. /ust that he came out of the wasteland armed with only a sword and the 0ook of Tomorrows,one of the last books written before the fall. 'o one knew anything about him, e+cept that he knew. &e knew how to lead the country out of chaos and disorder by shining that guiding-light on the awesome power of the written word, found in the pages of the 0ook of Tomorrows, and taught at the end of a sword. The life-si1e monument memoriali1ing the sad occasion of his death, one hundred years ago at the start of the 'ew America he help rebuild, stood as a symbol to the peace and ci*ili1ation the epitaph declared.

In 2o*ing Memory of T&- .3(.&-T $A33I(3 $ho came out of the darkness To show us the light of a 'ew 4ay 0orn in !#5#,4ied May th !#"# 6inder of the 0ook of Tomorrows 7 Author of the 'ew 8onstitution for a 'ew America, established May 9th !#"# The statue was a magnificent work of art, e+:uisitely sculpted out of white marble stone. 0estowing such a remarkable likeness, it embodied an actual presence of being. ;et on a threefoot pedestal, engra*ed with the epitaph, the si+-foot statue rose in form and structure to re*eal the man. &is timeworn ;tetson co*ered most of his long, scraggily hair, e+cept that which flowed out underneath in curled marble stone. A hea*y beard shifted focus to the finely chiseled facial features where his penetrating ga1e was still noticeable in the stone-car*ed eyes. The long leather coat, which along with his legendary sword and hat people came to identify him by, co*ered his entire body right down to his boots. The co*eted 0ook of Tomorrows,its title etched on the co*er, minus The Author)s name,was in his right hand held tight to his chest, while his left rested on the hilt of his mighty sword with its powerful blade pointing down, standing sentinel. Twenty schoolchildren on a fieldtrip walked past Michael. -scorted by their teacher, a si+tyyear-old woman so dedicated to shaping young minds she elected to continue teaching long after becoming eligible for occupational retirement. &er looks by no means re*ealed her real age. ;he could easily pass for a woman in her early forties or younger. ;till able to turn a head or two walking down the street. ;he could e*en feel a discerning ga1e coming from the man standing ne+t to the .rophet $arrior monument as the children flocked by the statue with their eyes all ama1ed. <It certainly is a lo*ely day for a fieldtrip, Miss 2aurence,= a 4utch-boy-blonde, ten-yearold boy declared with childlike innocence beaming from his dark blue eyes. &e, like all his classmates, would be starting high school ne+t year and could earn a full college education by eighteen or training for any :ualified skilled trade, pro*iding a clear-cut path for e*ery child)s future. <2ike so many things today, we are truly indebted to the .rophet $arrior for showing us the way to a better li*ing. -*en though he left us much too soon, if not for him, we would ne*er ha*e had the opportunity to achie*e the technology to sa*e our planet,= Miss 2aurence replied then flashed Michael a :uick smile. <>ou mean things like the ;hiteflowers that help restore the o1one layer, by reducing greenhouse gasses and rebuilding the atmosphere, so we can ha*e beautiful days like today,= a dark haired girl with bright ha1el eyes di*ulged a perceptional knowledge of how things worked. <That is a *ery good e+ample, ;ally.= <0ut they don)t smell so good,= another schoolgirl added. All the kids giggled as Michael pinched his nose closed while shaking his head in a mock gesture of pungent odor. 0efore mo*ing her little troop forward, Michael e+changed smiles with Miss 2aurence as he watched her escort her charges up the walkway leading to the museum entrance. The children followed two by two, boys and girls holding hands, and while not wearing

school uniforms, their clothes were reser*ed, simple fashions with nothing outlandish or meant to call attention to the wearer. 2ooking up from the children, Michael took in the splendor of the architectural design of the 'ew America Museum of $orld &istory, Art, and ;cience. ;erenely nestled on top of a highrising, barren hillside, the museum had become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the nation)s new capital,the 4istrict of 8olorado. Three inter-layered, photo*oltaic domes, constructed from gallium arsenide semi-conductor wafer panels, with self-generating power cells, con*erted the radiant solar energy into electricity. The en*ironmentally superior technology generated and stored enough energy to operate the entire facility !?@A, without any mo*ing parts or harmful pollutants, and also had a high structural integrity. It was a reliable, independent power source used in the construction of businesses, residences, and all means of transportation, where applicable. A large blue banner strewn o*er the museum entrance signified the centennial tribute of the once again thri*ing country. .rinted in solari1ed neon lettering, it simply read% In 8elebration of 'ew America)s 1st 8entennial !#"#-!1"# 6ore*er Bnited Together In -*erlasting .eace As Miss 2aurence led the children into the museum, Michael reflected back on his reason for being there, wondering if someone might ha*e made a mistake with his ;0. notification. Bnsure of his own place in the world, he did not know if he was capable of taking on the awesome responsibility e+pected of him. The ;elected 0reeding .rogram C;0.D was an added amendment to the 'ew 8onstitution, instituted on ;eptember 15th !#"1. The first Euardian Administrator 8ain proposed the amendment, and The 8ommittee of Twel*e -+perts ratified it as supreme law of the land. $hen first starting o*er there was an attempt made to hold some traditional ways in place. The people were already facing a rapidly changing country,with re-aligning the still *iable ;tates into 6i*e Territories of .ro*idence, disa*owing the authority of e*ery conflicting belief system Cwhether based on religious or political ideologiesD to *oid them of all power, and to ensure it, the elimination of wealth and currency by allocating a barter system for the mutual fair e+change of goods and ser*ices. Thus it was deemed necessary for the people to retain the free will to choose their own lifestyles as long as the nation)s citi1ens endea*ored to act responsibly in matters of procreation and their se+uality, pro*iding of course, they did not jeopardi1e or restrict anyone else)s pursuit of happiness. 0ut after just one year of a drastic rise in se+ually related crimes Crape, spousal abuse, hate crimes against homose+ualsD, along with unplanned pregnancies fueling the fear of a population growing too fast, combined with a moral indignation that could lead to greater *iolence, the line between rights and pri*ileges blurred to the point where hard choices and harsh measures had to be implemented. In accordance with the ;0. method of procreation, selected subjects were between ages twenty to thirty-fi*e, and matched through a 8omputer 8ompatibility .rogram C88.D, designed to find couples suited to each other physically, intellectually, and most importantly, fertilely. They did not force the arrangement on potential parents. A happy family en*ironment was an essential ingredient to ensure the mother@father dynamic considered necessary to raise children properly. Matched couples deciding to stay together would mo*e into a new home in a suburban

community center reser*ed for ;0. families and could ha*e a ci*il wedding ceremony, if they wanted, while unselected men and women li*ed separately in townhouses or condos. (ut of a familial sense of tradition, most ;0. couples used their own namesake for their infants first and last name. The new parents then raised their child from birth to age fourteen. After which, the child mo*ed on from parental guidance and primary education to a higher learning of his or her choice. -ach couple could ha*e two children, if they wanted, which included twins. Afterwards the man would usually get a *oluntary *asectomy. (nce their offspring journeyed out into the world, the couple could elect to stay together or separate to seek their own path while still maintaining a relationship with their son and@or daughter. All other forms of se+ual intercourse Cwhether heterose+ual or homose+ualD and procreation outside of the ;0. system were outlawed and se*erely punished in the form of banishment. $hile there was some resistance at first, the citi1ens of 'ew America had little choice in the end, only able to form a few underground splinter groups with a 4a*id and Eoliath comple+,e+cept 4a*id didn)t ha*e his slingshot this time around. Thomas /efferson once said, F A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have. A statement ne*er so clearly understood as in its current application. Michael still had her ;0. image floating around in his mind as he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to focus his thoughts more clearly. ;he was certainly *ery attracti*e in a way most appealing to him, which was something the ;0. usually got right. 0ut that wasn)t what concerned him. &e knew he would ha*e to make adjustments in his work schedule, luckily, he could do most of his job from home, and his ne+t e+pedition to 'ew >ork 8ity would take place long before any new arri*al to his would-be family could come along. Then of course, there was always the chance of rejection by either party. .art of him thought it would be better for both of them if she found him unacceptable. That way neither of them would feel any repercussions from the decision. $hile (wen did not suffer any loss of position in his field as a sports commentator, Michael felt it could affect his ability to go on digs, and as for her, he thought e*en the folks at the ;elected 0reeding .rogram should reali1e it would take a *ery special person to put up with him. &e did not belie*e himself to be the ideal candidate for a husband or a father. 2etting out a dejected sigh, he opened his eyes. <Michael Angel.= <-*e Adams.= The *ision transplanted from his thoughts into his mind now stood directly in front of him. -*e)s ;0. notification image could not ha*e prepared Michael for how this ali*e and radiant beauty would affect him. &er sunlight-blonde hair seemed to glisten in the bright morning light shining behind her, while blue, soulful eyes beamed out from a cheerfully rosy countenance. ;urprised by the twenty year olds) abrupt presence, Michael took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing with the formalities of the occasion. <It is a real pleasure to meet you,= Michael said holding out his hand. <I am *ery pleased to meet you, too,= -*e replied taking his outstretched hand as she leaned forward and ga*e him a :uick, friendly hug. ;eparating, Michael noted how light and bouncy on her feet she was, wearing a floral print sundress, cut-off just below the knee. Eirlish in appearance, projecting a bright outlook on life, she kept a deep, subtle intellect to herself. <&ow was your trip o*erG= Michael asked. <I could ha*e sworn I arri*ed here before you, and I didn)t see you on the early shuttle.=

<I dro*e o*er from the 8apital 0uilding, where I had to attend the final training seminar early this morning for my position at the 'ew 8alifornia 6oreign Affairs (ffice in Alpha 8ity.= <Alpha 8ity is only ten miles from where I li*e.= <Euess we won)t ha*e to worry about a long distance courtship,= -*e said with a girlish giggle, then added. <I meanH..I don)t want to be presumptuous or anything. At least I can offer you a ride back home.= <>ou)re *ery kind, thank you. I don)t like to take things for granted either. I was hoping we could take some time to get to know each other before making any final decisions.= <That is a *ery thoughtful and practical approach to our purposeful rende1*ous,= -*e agreed, adding with a motion of her hand toward the museum. <$hich I trust is to your liking. I know it)s a ways to tra*el to meet someone, but I thought you would feel more rela+ed in a familiar en*ironment.= <(h, this is just great. I try to get back here whene*er I get the chance. It)s been one of my fa*orite places since the first time I came here as a grade-schooler, just like the ones taking the tour today.= <If you)d like, we can join them. 6rom what I read in your profile you can teach them a thing or two, yourself.= <'ow you sound like my roommate, /acob. &e is also under the impression I know more than I really do. I)*e just always had a strange fascination with history. It seems like a good place to look for answers.= <0ecause that)s where the answers to some of life)s most important :uestions remain. I truly belie*e your work has real *alue in helping preser*e what most people want to forget. -*eryone seems content to be li*ing in a Btopian ha1e, which there is nothing wrong with being happy, the world is a much better place than it has e*er been, but we still need to remember the tragic cost it took to get here.= <I)m so relie*ed to hear you feel that way, too. I don)t know many people who understand it like you do,= Michael said as a calm feeling replaced the ner*ous butterflies he felt fluttering in his stomach. <;hall we, then,= -*e said holding out her hand to Michael. Taking her hand, Michael smiled as he felt the force of life pulsating through her flesh gi*ing him a positi*e energy aura of pure joy. 6eelings he had ne*er known before swept through his body causing him to laugh at an amusing memory as they started up the pathway to the museum entrance. <$hat is so funnyG= <'othing, it)s silly. A line I remembered from an old mo*ie is all.= <$hatG Tell me.= <2ouie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.= -*e)s smiled wider than she had since laying eyes on Michael. ;he s:uee1ed his hand tighter as they approached the museum entrance. <I think you might be right. $ho)s 2ouieG= The interior design of the museum was e*en more impressi*e than its e+terior. The tripledome structure split into three sections, offering an e+pansi*ely wide space for e*ery e+hibit featured and educational program a*ailable. The middle dome ser*ed as the entrance and held a 2earning 8enter, complete with a computer guided history tour. The other two sections were dedicated to opposite perspecti*es of world history with the right dome displaying modern technology, science, and art, while the left dome was an e+hibition of sur*i*ing ancient artifacts,

which included e*erything from dinosaur bones, famous artworks, mechanical mar*els of the past, and much, much more. ;till holding hands, Michael and -*e entered the museum stepping into the lobby portion of the middle dome where a triangle-shaped directory set, pointing inward. The back of the triangle designated the location of the 2earning 8enter, just inside the entrance, with the sides of the triangle pointing the way to the other e+hibits. Another large banner hung o*er their heads, also heralding the upcoming 8entennial. They detoured off into the 2earning 8enter, which was comprised of two sections. The first was an academic aptitude testing area that granted the children a way to plan a proper course of action for achie*ing their future goals in life. It ga*e them the responsibility of selecting the subjects they wanted to study. A smaller banner indicated today was 8areer 4ay. The schoolchildren were just finishing choosing their career goal paths. The system allowed the children to seek out the profession or *ocation they were best :ualified for and to a*oid the ones they weren)t. It helped them to make informed decisions by e+amining their strengths and weaknesses, while pro*iding guidance for the educational needs of e*ery child. <$ow, this brings back memories,= Michael said. <Me, too. My indecisi*e mind always frustrated my teachers. I could ne*er settle on a specific goal. They used to say I wanted to know e*erything about nothing in particular. $hile also telling me, learning as much as you can about anything and e*erything is not a bad thing, but it will lea*e you unfocused. 2east that is what they belie*ed. Me, I)m not so sure.= <I guess that e+plains why you took all those psychology and philosophy courses, plus you)re fluent in fi*e languages, when most people can)t be bothered to learn a second. I can see why some might :uestion your moti*ations, but not me. ;ometimes I think people can)t see beyond the nose on their face. I)m glad you)re not one of those worker-bee drones, refusing to think for themsel*es, always do whate*er their told.= <I belie*e we all ha*e a purpose in life, and we)re all meant to do something with our li*es. ;omething that not only ser*es the self, but a greater good as well, which is the only way you will find true happiness.= <I take it that)s what led you to the 6oreign Affairs (ffice.= <&elping integrate foreign e+change students to our culture, while preparing teachers tra*eling abroad to others, has been a real uplifting and inspirational e+perience for me. I feel like I am playing a part in re-educating the world.= -*e said. Michael understood the sense of pride she took in her work, much in the same way he felt about his contributions to society, compelling him to tell her how simpatico he felt they were. <$hile I)m sure you must get plenty of obligatory and sincere compliments about how beautiful you are,= Michael stated frankly as -*e shyly blushed, knowing the truth in his words, she was beautiful, there was no denying it, but sometimes she wished she was just a*erage soH<I ha*e to admit, I am really in awe of your mind.=...people would desire her for herHwait, what did he just sayHmind. <>ou see the world in a different way than most people do. >ou don)t want to settle for a life full of complacent conformity. $e)re a lot alike in that way. Maybe there)s something to this ;0. system, after all. I ne*er thought I would meet someone who sees things like I do.= $ith a burst of emotion stirred up inside her by his words, -*e embraced Michael, wrapping her arms around his neck as she ga*e him a :uick, passionate kiss on the lips. Taken slightly aback by -*e)s une+pected show of affection, Michael looked blank-faced at her for a moment. ;ensing her building embarrassment, he responded in kind and kissed her back for a longer

duration and just as passionate. -*en though it lasted only a couple of seconds more, to both of them, it felt like a moment locked in time, fore*er suspended in blissful joy. After separating from their strong embrace, a chorus of giggles greeted Michael and -*e, coming up from the schoolchildren staring at them. 'ow both of them felt embarrassed by their in*oluntary display of affection. Michael looked at Miss 2aurence, whose forced smile seemed to indicate a clarifying response had better be forthcoming, to which Michael replied, <;0..= <Aren)t new beginnings wonderful, children,= Miss 2aurence said as her smile became more genuine. <.erhaps when you come of age you will all be worthy of the chosen honor.= A museum tour guide came o*er from another section of the -ducation 8enter to lead the way to the ne+t e+hibit. ;he was a si+teen-year-old college student doing an internship at the museum, a position ser*ing more as a hostess due to the almost fully automated function of the facility. &er uniform harkened back to a retro look of a 'ineteen ;i+ties airline stewardess, complete with a nametag reading% /A'-T. <I hope e*eryone was able to make an informed decision on the path to furthering your educations. I remember how in*aluable 8areer 4ay pro*ed to be for me,= /anet said to the children before guiding them onward. <'ow if you will just step this way, I)m sure the ne+t stop on our journey will be a memory you)ll carry with you for the rest of your li*es.= As the schoolchildren headed o*er to the ne+t stop on the tour, -*e reached down and took hold of Michael)s hand once more. <$ant to tag alongG= <;ure, why not.= Tour guide /anet led e*eryone o*er to a large platform stage, where she stopped in front of four huge letters mounted on the wall, embossed in a golden glow, and spelling out 8-&-A-4. Bshering them forward with a guiding arm, the spectators made their way up the three steps of the platform stage as /anet pressed a small red button located on top of what looked like a microphone on a stand, but was really a start button. (nce freed from her appointed duty she left to go on break. ! The stage came ali*e with the lights of the uni*erse projected on the walls, floor, and ceiling as gala+ies and stars engulfed e*eryone on stage, making them feel weightless as if floating in space. 6or the children, it must ha*e felt akin to when fantasy and reality mi+ed into one the first time early !#th century theater patrons saw that iconic locomoti*e engine come barreling straight at them from up on the big screen. 2ooking around at the schoolchildren)s awestruck faces, Michael leaned o*er and whispered into -*e)s ear. <I feel like a kid again.= <Me, too,= -*e replied, s:uee1ing his hand tighter. A single star reflecting high up on the ceiling instantly got much brighter than the rest. The illuminated star beamed out in a resplendent, radiating light shining down on the capti*ated audience. 'e+t, a deep, loud *oice echoed out all around them. <.repare to ha*e your minds enlightened by the wonderful world according to 8&A4.= $ith the bla1ing *elocity of a streaking comet, the brightest star came crashing down to the stage, where it imploded into a sparkling, white glitter before taking shape and form as an animated, 5-4imensional old man. 2ooking like a cross between Albert -instein and the Monopoly Man, the four-foot cartoon caricature stood in the welcoming stance of a circus ringmaster, with his two short arms outstretched, top hat in hand, and coattails streaming behind.

4espite his bushy, white mustache and frosty, spiked hair, the animated man e+uded a *eritable presence of life. <Eood morning, schoolchildren, Miss 2aurence, and I see we ha*e some old friends joining us on this lo*ely day with Michael and -*e. Elad you could come back for a *isit,= the animated old man)s *oice sprang out at a friendly, peppy *olume as he marched back and forth making his introductory presentation. Michael and -*e refle+i*ely wa*ed hello at the mention of their names, then giggled at themsel*es for doing so. <And I am 8&A4,a 8omplete &istory Archi*es 4atabase. That is who and what I am, children. 0ecause you see, right up here in this little noodle,= 8&A4 e+plained pointing to his animated head before continuing with his boastful march. <I hold the most comprehensi*e, the most abundant, the most accurateHwell, let me just say it,the complete recorded knowledge of history since the beginning of time. And today, children, we are going to e+plore the origins of our e+istence to learn how the greatest mystery of life, is life itself. $e will begin with an indepth look at the creation of life to see how it e*ol*ed into us, and then, we will take a look at what we did with this gift, building great cities and ci*ili1ations, before we destroyed it all from the arrogant belief we were superior to e*ery other li*ing creature, including some of our own kind.= 8&A4 paused for a moment to let his audience take in his words of wisdom, which had a prideful e+uberance to them. <'ow no one knows what came first in what I like to call the chicken or the egg scenario, or more to our topic of discussion,did Eod create the uni*erse and e*erything in it, or did man create god to gi*e a di*ine purpose to his e+istenceG There is no way to know for sure, until you die that is, but then you cannot tell anybody about it. ;o what I can tell you are the things we are ninety-nine percent certain of, but may ne*er be able to pro*e. (nce, it was a widely held belief Eod created the whole shebang in si+ days, rested on the se*enth, and the earth was only as old as the 0ible said it was,about si+ thousand years or so, depending on which *ersion you read. (f course, no one e*er said how long a day was. 8ould it ha*e been a billion yearsG $e do not know. 'o one does, which is where the contro*ersy of infle+ibly closed minds began, right at the start of time itself, arguing a day was only twenty-four hours, no more, no less.= At the end of 8&A4); remarks, the stars all blinked out of e+istence and pitch black darkness engulfed e*eryone on the stage, bringing about a chorus of <oohs= and <aahs= from the children. The darkness lasted for nearly a minute before a distant, emerging white star let there be light once more. <The most accepted scientific e+planation for the se:uence of e*ents leading to the creation of the cosmos supports the concept that the uni*erse has been continuingly e+panding from an e+tremely hot, dense state for close to thirteen billion years.= 8&A4 continued while pointing up to the glowing, white light. <$hat created this initial hot, dense state or its origin,could it be a form of intelligent design or what we refer to as Eod crafting the beginning of all things,may ne*er be known. $hat we can clarify through scientific method is the e*olution of the uni*erse from that point on in what has come to be known as The 0ig 0ang Theory.= As if on cue, the distant star e+ploded. <In the earliest phases of the 0ig 0ang, the Bni*erse was e+panding and cooling with a rapid progression and contained an incredibly high energy density, combined with e+treme

temperatures, and immense pressures. About a microsecond into the e+pansion, a 0ang within the 0ang caused a cosmic inflation in which the Bni*erse grew e+ponentially.= 8&A4 e+plained as wa*es of e+panding space mo*ed across the cosmos away from the initial e+plosion, followed instantly by a second e+plosion carrying newly forming gala+ies past the astonished obser*ers, who could feel phantom fluctuations in the air rushing by them. <Afterwards, the uni*erse was made up of elementary particles of a :uark-gluon plasma, matter and antimatter,but with temperatures so high the random particles were constantly being created and destroyed in collisions. Then an unknown reaction occurred, called baryogenesis, resulting in a *ery small e+cess of matter o*er antimatter. As the uni*erse continued to grow in si1e and fall in temperature, the :uarks and gluons combined to form baryons of protons and neutrons, but none of their antiparticles remained. The same process happened with electrons and positrons, after which photons dominated the uni*erse. A few minutes into the e+pansion, the temperature was about at a billion Iel*in when neutrons combined with protons to form the uni*erse)s deuterium and helium nuclei in a process called 0ig 0ang nucleosynthesis. About 5A",### years later, the electrons and nuclei combined into atoms of mostly hydrogen, and the lefto*er radiation continued throughout space as cosmic Microwa*e 0ackground 3adiation, which has helped scientists to pinpoint when the uni*erse began. 4ense regions of matter were gra*itationally attracted to nearby matter and o*er a long period of time grew e*en denser, forming gas clouds, stars, gala+ies, and other astronomical structures obser*able today.= $ith his words *isuali1ed in 5-4 images floating around the fascinated onlookers, 8&A4 offered some clarifying statements on the differences of opinions that impeded the process in attaining scientific knowledge of our creation. <The 0ig 0ang Theory was first proposed in 1"!A by Eeorges 2emaitre, a 0elgian physicist and 3oman 8atholic priest, who called it hypothesis of the prime*al atom, and it wasn)t widely accepted for many years,mostly due to conflicting opinions, religious implications, and the lack of ad*ances in telescope technology. And while we do not ha*e time to e+plore the important research done by the many brilliant minds of their day, or else we would be here until you all graduated, please feel free to access our database for a complete history of time to learn how depending on when you li*ed if you would ha*e been persecuted for your pursuit of scientific knowledge. <After the 0ig 0ang, a large rotating cloud of interstellar dust and gas composed of hydrogen and helium, called a solar nebular, formed our solar system.= (nce again brought to life, 8&A4); words were in miraculous detail. <Appro+imately nine billion years later, the solar nebular started to contract,more than likely induced by shock wa*es generated from an e+ploding superno*a,impelling it into an accelerated, rotating momentum that caused it to flatten into a proto-planetary disk. Most of the mass in the middle concentrated and heated up and mi+ed in with collisions of large debris to create proto-planets orbiting the center of the nebular. Through an increase in its rotational speed and the force of gra*ity, the solar nebula)s center created a tremendous :uantity of kinetic energy, causing a nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium, which contracted and ignited a T Tauri star,our sun. As gra*ity drew in matter and condensed around the new star, the proto-planets separated into rings, including the third rock from the sunJ -arth. ;hortly after the formation of its initial crust, another proto-planet struck proto-earth, ejecting part of earth)s mantle into space to form the moon. After the impact, the planet was thrown off its a+is, producing the tilt responsible for the earth)s four seasons,uni:ue to our planet.= <Isn)t it ama1ingG= Michael whispered to -*e.

<It looks so real,= -*e replied. $atching the sun, earth, and moon form, they stood alongside the ama1ed schoolchildren with their bright, shiny faces reflecting the wonderment in their eyes. <In o*er its ?. billion year history, the earth has gone through many e+treme geological and biological changes, and mankind has only come to dominate it for the past ten thousand years or so. Bsing this geologic time scale, you can see the many different stages in the earth)s de*elopment.= The earth)s surface transformed into the geological scale with a detailed timeline diagraming the planet)s progression from creation to present, broken down into a system of chronological measurements known as eons, eras, and periods. <4uring the &adean, earth)s first eon, the surface underwent an intense period of meteor showers, called the 2ate &ea*y 0ombardment. It began o*er four billion years ago and lasted until the end of the eon, two hundred thousand years later.= The earth transformed back to its early state to illustrate the meteorite showers pul*eri1ing the surface. <At the start of the Archean eon, 5.K billion years ago, like a baby in a womb, the earth was co*ered with oceans, partly from degassing *olcanoes, but mostly from impacting comets containing ice. The impacts enriched the earth with carbon dio+ide, nitrogen, methane, ammonia, and water. As the planet cooled, rain clouds formed and created oceans. .rimordial life began to e*ol*e in the early Archean eon when molecules gained the ability to copy themsel*es, forming replicator cells, called prokaryotes. Through the process of photosynthesis, which con*erts carbon dio+ide into organic compounds using energy from sunlight, the cells were able to increase their metabolism and obtain more sustenance from the same food source. <In the .rotero1oic eon, remnants of early continental crust, known as cratons, grew into continents of large land masses. 3eleased into air o*ertime, o+ygen, a waste product of photosynthesis, enriched the upper atmosphere to form the o1one layer, which freed lifeforms from the water and allowed them to coloni1e the surface of the ocean and e*entually land. .re*iously, ultra*iolet radiation would destroy all life not protected by water, and without the o1one layer, the de*elopment of more comple+ lifeforms, like prokaryotes into eukaryotes and multi-cellular forms, might ne*er ha*e happened. Around !.5 billion years ago, the earth suffered the first of many *ast ice ages so se*ere they created snowball earths fro1en o*er from both poles to the e:uator. This was more than likely a result of increased o+ygen in the atmosphere causing a decrease in methane, a strong greenhouse gas weakened by the high o+ygen concentration.= The earth morphed into a giant ice ball, capti*ating the schoolchildren in awe as they absorbed the *aluable knowledge like sponges soaking up water. Michael and -*e followed along reminiscent of a couple watching their fa*orite old mo*ie. <Throughout earth)s history, continental drifts related to plate tectonics helped cause the formation and break-up of many supercontinents. 3odinia, the first supercontinent, formed about a billion years ago. Around the same time, the first multi-cellular plants formed when single cell lifeforms merged and became dependent on each other to sur*i*e. It is belie*ed within another hundred million years the first animals e*ol*ed from the same process and probably resembled something similar to today)s sponges. There were two more snowball earths during this time, along with intense *olcanic acti*ity that resulted in the breaking up of the supercontinent. 3odinia broke up a hundred million years later with most of the continental mass uniting around the ;outh .ole by the end of the eon.

<Most of the time life e*ol*ed slowly, howe*er, e*ery once in a while there were une+pected dispersions of new species or mass e+tinctions. These bursts of e*olution were usually the aftermath of dramatic shifts in the en*ironment from meteor impacts, climate change, or other natural disasters. The start of the .aleo1oic era, fi*e-hundred-forty-two million years ago, was such a time as the 8ambrian e+plosion witnessed the appearance of many new species unprecedented in its time before or since. The de*elopment of hard body parts,shells, skeletons, or e+oskeletons in arthropod animals akin to Mollusks,made fossil preser*ation possible and them easier to identify than their ancestors.= <$hat is the difference between eons and erasG= the dark hair girl who mentioned the ;hiteflowers back at the .rophet $arrior monument asked. <A *ery good :uestion, ;ally, one few ask. As a matter of fact, last time someone asked that particular :uestion he was your age. .erhaps you would be kind enough to edify our little band of knowledge seekers, Michael.= 6eeling a bit embarrassed by the sudden attention, Michael found his *oice and presented his wisdom on the subject. <-ons are at least half a billion years or more, and there are four of them. -ras are se*eral hundred million years each, and there are twel*e in total.= <Lery good, Michael, I can tell you ha*e been keeping up with your studies. 0ecause you see, children, during our time together, I can only gi*e you scientific conclusions of the most accepted e*idence a*ailable. (f course, there will always be differences of opinion on how to interpret the data. This is why you must always remember to think for yoursel*es, do your own research, check the facts, and e*en draw new conclusion from impro*ed data not a*ailable in the past. Ereat minds are born e*ery day, and it is up to you to seek your own destiny and to make a difference.= 8&A4 offered them an e:ually important lesson as the one they were already learning before continuing with the tour. <The earliest *ertebrate animals appeared during the 8ambrian period with the first fish e*ol*ing about fi*e-hundred-thirty million years ago. $hen the first animals migrated to land, is not e+actly clear. -*idence suggests arthropods, in*ertebrate animals with segmented body parts and jointed appendages, coloni1ed land some eighty million years later. $ith the o1one layer acting as a protecti*e shield, organisms making it to land were more likely to sur*i*e by de*eloping the ability to adapt to their new en*ironment. In between the 8ambrian and the succeeding (rdo*ician period, a mass e+tinction took place that wiped out many of the new lifeforms. 0ut o*er the ne+t one-hundred-fifty million years, more di*erse species arose that were better suited to their surroundings. The first four-legged animals, called tetrapods, e*ol*ed from fish, probably through a process of limbs forming from fins. 8onsidered to be the origin of amphibians, it allowed them to breach the surface and breathe air. They e*entually conformed to terrestrial life, only returning to the water to lay eggs, but o*ertime de*eloped an amniotic egg, laid on land. $hen plants obtained the ability to generate seeds, they spread out across the land, turning the earth into a tropical swamp inhabited by enormous insects and early reptiles. .angaea, the last supercontinent, also formed during this period. <At the end of the .aleo1oic era two-hundred-fifty million years ago, the most se*ere e+tinction e*ent took place as *olcanic eruptions persisted for o*er a million years, wiping out ninety-fi*e percent of all lifeforms.= 8&A4 paused a moment to note the children)s astonished faces. <I can see by the looks in your innocent, young eyes it is difficult to understand how life could ha*e e*er sur*i*ed on our *olatile planet. Trust me, life will always find a way. It

perse*eres under the most traumatic circumstances and sometimes-e*en flourishes as the dinosaurs did. <4uring the Meso1oic era, dinosaurs split off from their archosaurian ancestors in the Triassic period, e*entually becoming the dominant terrestrial *ertebrates for the ne+t onehundred-si+ty million years. .rimiti*e dinosaurs were small bipedal predators that continued to e*ol*e after two more e+tinction e*ents, which also spared pterosaurs Cflying dinosaursD crocodylomorphs, turtles, and some small shrew-like mammals restricted by si1e and niches. After the second e+tinction e*ent in the early /urassic period two-hundred million years ago, dinosaurs e*ol*ed into di*erse and *aried groups, and as the supercontinent .angaea started to break up, it spread them out worldwide. <4inosaurs would soon be present on e*ery continent, comprised of many different terrestrial habitats, called faunas. Although known for the large si1e of some species, most dinosaurs were human si1e or smaller. They could be herbi*ores or carni*ores. ;ome were bipedal and some :uadrupedal, while others could switch between body postures.= As 8&A4 described the distinctions of species, a ca*alcade of computer-generated prehistoric beasts Csome big, some smallD paraded across the stage in front of the awestruck audience. <&erbi*orous sauropods, like the popular 0rontosaurus and 0rachiosaurus, were gigantic e*en by dinosaurs) standards.= Two of the massi*e creatures strolled by, dwarfing the ama1ed onlookers. <;ome dinosaurs,the Triceratops, .rotoceratops, and ;tegosaurus,de*eloped elaborate skeleton modifications with horns, crests, and or bony armor used to attack or defend against predators.= All of which followed the sauropods. <A*ian dinosaurs, like the pterodactyls, became the dominating flying *ertebrates.= Two of the winged species soared o*er the stage. <6ossil records indicate birds e*ol*ed from dinosaurs around one-hundred-fifty million years ago, and most paleontologists regard them as their only ancestors li*ing today. <And of course, the fa*orite of many dinosaur enthusiasts since the disco*ery of their fossili1ed remains, the king of the carni*orous predators, the Tyrannosaurus,more commonly known as the T. 3e+,became the most recogni1able of the monstrous creatures due to the fierce nature of the beast.= A loud roar echoed out, shortly followed by a second as two of the large predators made their way across stage. <4inosaurs get their namesake from the Ereek words deinos saurs, which roughly translates to Fterrible li1ard), a term coined by paleontologist 3ichard (wen in 1K?!. 6or many years, people thought dinosaurs were dumb, sluggish, coldblooded animals. 0ut after further re*iew, it became the consensus of scientific opinion they were acti*e, intelligent creatures, e+hibiting beha*ior of social interaction, possibly tra*eling in herds for protection from predator packhunters, like the *elociraptor. Also, the disco*ery of ancient nesting grounds indicates care of young after gi*ing birth, along with new e*idence showing some might ha*e been warm-blooded and thri*ed in cooler climates. <In the 8retaceous period, flowering angiosperm plants became a major part of the ecological system replacing pre*iously dominating gymnosperm plants. This metamorphosis in plant life caused a great uphea*al in the dietary needs of most herbi*ores unable to adapt to the new food source. Their failure to di*ersify doomed them to e+tinction,like the ;tegosaurus, which appears to ha*e died off around then. -*en if they managed sur*i*e the new conditions, their efforts would ha*e been in *ain as the rest of their brethren soon followed them.

<The death knell for the dinosaurs e+ploded with the same sudden fury in which life began with the 8retaceous-Tertiary e+tinction e*ent wiping out their species si+ty-fi*e million years ago. A general consensus was reached that an impact e*ent from a meteorite, appro+imately si+ miles wide, struck the earth somewhere near the >ucatan .eninsula in Me+ico. And while the meteor impact is belie*ed to be the primary cause, other factors may ha*e contributed, like se*ere climate change and failure to adapt to the new plant life that was already putting a strain on the dinosaurs) harmony with nature.= As 8&A4 finished his sentence, a comet bla1ed across the stage trailing the path of the dinosaurs in a fiery ball of flames and crashed into the animated hori1on they were heading. <Afterwards, life on the planet would ha*e been e+tremely difficult as *ast amounts of particle matter and *apor ejected into the air blocked out the sun and pre*ented photosynthesis. $hate*er caused their e+tinction Ce+cept for the birdsD, the only other sur*i*ors were *aried species of li1ards, snakes, crocodilians, and some small mammals,who)s time to dominate was on the new hori1on.= (nce again, the stage faded into darkness as the startled spectators felt the blackness creeping in all around them. ;ignaling the dawn of a new day, a rising sun appeared on the hori1on bringing life back to the battered planet. <At the start of the 8eno1oic era, life on earth was marked by great changes in the climate, flora, and fauna as the continents continued to drift toward their current position. The planet appeared much different than today. ;till connected to Ereenland, -urope was in the process of separating from 'orth America,joined to Asia by a land bridge. The continental mo*ement continued to play ha*oc on the en*ironment creating warmer temperatures worldwide and gi*ing rise to thick tropical jungles Cincluding the first rain forestD, along with ice-free .olar 3egions. $ithout any dinosaurs to gra1e upon the land, the flora grew denser as modern plant species like 8acti and .alm trees appeared. The flowering florae co-e*ol*ed with the insects pollinating the plants as they fed on them. 0irds also e*ol*ed considerably during this time changing to roughly modern species, like perching birdsJ cranes, hawks, pelicans, herons, owls, ducks, pigeons, loons, and woodpeckers, including some large, carni*orous, flightless birds,long since e+tinct. -*en though reptiles were more widely distributed o*er the globe with the climate gi*ing way to warmer seas and producing an abundance of marine life, this period is most notable for being the time when mammals e*ol*ed from relati*ely small creatures into a larger group of di*erse animals dominating the land.= As 8&A4 described what was happening, the stage di*ided into two sections. The wall in front of them turned into a map of the world illustrating the continental mo*ement, while the floor, ceiling, and the open space around them transformed into the changing landscape showing the continuing e*olution of life on the planet. <$hen mammals first appeared in the Triassic period, they were small rodent-type creatures li*ing in insect-rich underbrush or high-up in the trees. These sur*i*ors of the mass e+tinction, considered primiti*e, archaic mammals, had not yet de*eloped speciali1ed teeth or limbs and also had a low ratio of brain to body mass. Around fifty-fi*e million years ago, the first modern mammals e*ol*ed, howe*er, dwarf forms still reigned. The most successful and di*erse group were placental mammals, whose members included hoofed animals of *arious species Cconsisting of both carni*ores and herbi*oresD and long thin-legged primates with feet and hands capable of griping things in addition to the growth of differentiated teeth for chewing. $oodlands spanned from pole to pole, including polar forests with palm trees as far north as Alaska, gi*ing way to numerous habitats capable of supporting the new faunas. Then a cooling

period began o*er the ne+t twenty million years bringing about the -arth)s seasonal changes. It marked a transitional time from the archaic world of tropical forests to a more modern ecosystem, culminating with a major e+tinction e*ent around thirty-fi*e million years ago, called the Erand 8oupure or Ereat 0reak. Most likely caused by one or more meteor impacts, it coincided with an abrupt climate change after ;outh America broke off from Antarctica, allowing the Antarctic 8ircumpolar current to flow freely, rapidly cooling the continent. Tropical and sub-tropical forests died off as seasonal woodlands, open plains, desert regions, and the e+pansion of grasslands took their place. The turno*ers in flora made it possible for animals to grow larger than earlier groups, including horses, camels, rhinoceroses, along with more modern marine fauna like whales and sharks.= 8&A4); words continued to be recreated as the ama1ed *iewers watched the floor transform from tropical forests to deserts, open plains, and *ast seasonal woodlands, corresponding with the e*olution of life on land and at sea and in the air. -arly primates, horses and other hoofed animals, along with the new marine life, morphed into more e*ol*ed states. <(*er the ne+t thirty million years, 0rown algae, called kelp, pro*ided a fresh food source for marine fauna supporting new sea life from otters, to sea lions, to seals, to early dolphins, plus a *ariety of fish. $ith the continents still drifting toward their present positions, mountain building took place creating wondrous ranges like the Andes and Alps. The continental drift also formed a land bridge linking 'orth America to ;outh America, called the Isthmus of .anama, making possible a great land migration of formerly isolated species. Mammals became more identifiable by regions they came to dominate with the appearance of dogs, raccoons, bea*er, deer, pigs, bears, elephants, cows, hyenas, antelopes, giraffes, kangaroos, and now e+tinct sabertoothed cats, wooly mammoths, and mastodons. The creation of the Isthmus of .anama also led to e+treme changes in the climate. $ith the warm e:uatorial ocean currents being cutoff, the e+tremely cold arctic and Antarctic waters lowered the temperature of the Atlantic (cean, signaling the beginning of repeated glacial cycles known as Ice Ages. It is belie*ed as much as thirty percent of the earth)s surface was co*ered in ice with the glacial effect being global.= The map of the world displayed the connecting link between 'orth America and ;outh America forming as the stage ga*e way to migrating prehistoric beasts making their way o*er a fro1en landscape. The room temperature actually dropped to a chilly degree, allowing the spectators a tangible perception. <4uring this time, there were about a hundred species of apes li*ing all o*er the globe *arying in si1es, diet, and anatomy. Molecular e*idence indicates around si+ million years ago humans branched off from their last common ancestor, the chimpan1ee,to whom their 4'A is ninety-eight percent identical. The first recogni1able hominid genus, &omo habilis, appeared about two million years ago in Africa. Many species of the genus &omo e*ol*ed that are now e+tinct, e+cept for one. The first humans to walk upright and gain the ability to control fire was &omo erectus, who e*ol*ed around eight-hundred-thousand years ago, and migrated throughout much of the world gi*ing rise to many different *ariations of prehistoric man. 'eanderthals were the first humans to show signs of spirituality by burying their dead with tools, food, and other artifacts around four hundred thousand years ago. &omo sapiens e*ol*ed in Africa about twohundred-thousand years later and began migrating out between se*enty and fifty thousand years ago, e*entually replacing other e+isting hominids in -urope and Asia.= A *i*id 5-4 recreation of the standard scale of the e*olution of man appeared, showing the earliest homo genus, &ablis, all the way to and ending with &omo sapiens.

<The 2atin translation for &omo sapiens essentially means Fhuman intelligence), which is only appropriate considering the great steps forward they took o*er their predecessors. An e+pansion of the skull accommodated for a larger brain si1e, leading to the de*elopment of elaborate stone utensil use along with the e*olutionary growth of opposable thumbs, making the crafting and handling of tools possible. Bntil around forty thousand years ago, human technology progressed stepwise with each &omo species starting at a higher le*el than the pre*ious one. At that time, a Ereat 2eap 6orward occurred as modern humans de*eloped sophisticated hunting techni:ues, like trapping animals in pits or dri*ing them off cliffs and then fashioning clothes out of the hides using bones for needles and buttons. (ther e+amples of e+hibiting human beha*ior included early forms of art e+pressed in ca*e paintings, jewelry crafting, and stone figurines, possibly used for spiritual worship. There is also e*idence of organi1ed li*ing spaces, e+ploring less hospitable areas, and engaging in barter and trade. <Bsing mitochondrial 4'A, researchers ha*e concluded that all species of the &omo genus are descended from a single woman in Africa, dubbed mitochondrial -*e.= 8&A4 winked o*er to -*e, who blushed at the mention of her name. Michael s:uee1ed her hand he)d been holding since tour began as he whispered in -*e)s ear. <Euess I ha*e been matched to someone with superior genes. 4o you think my 4'A might be as impressi*eG= 6inding the astute nature of Michael)s statement too hard to suppress, -*e inad*ertently blurted out a silly girlish giggle she meant to keep to herself. <.ardon, me,= she said after reali1ing e*eryone was looking at her. <That)s :uite all right, my dear. 2ife often holds a strange irony that applies to all our li*es.= 8&A4 said as the ancient female of name appeared before them and started mingling among the different genuses of beguiled primiti*e men. <The (ut of Africa theory has been a hotly debated area of paleoanthropology for maintaining the concept that mankind first e*ol*ed in Africa before migrating out into the rest of the world. &owe*er, unless this is your field of study, we can lea*e those :uestions for other scientific minds to ponder. $e will just continue with the most accepted theory, since it is not relati*e to our purpose here today. 0ecause in the end it does not matter where humans e*ol*ed to become the dominate life form on the planet. The main point is we did e*ol*e. $e sur*i*ed. <The ice age ended between twel*e and ten thousand years ago depending on the regions affected by the climate. $ith the continents in place, the rising sea le*els doomed many species that were unable to adapt to their en*ironment to e+tinction. 2arge mammals,mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats,died off worldwide, replaced with coldblooded animals, migratory birds, and smaller, swifter mammals, while 'orth America e+perienced the elimination of nati*e horses and camels. <Along with the prehistoric mega-fauna, all species of hominids became e+tinct during this period, e+cept &omo sapiens, who ha*e pro*en to be the most resilient of sur*i*ors.= Many of the prehistoric beasts faded away with the less fortunate species of humans as modern mammals and &omo sapiens continued to thri*e. <Throughout o*er ninety percent of their history &omo sapiens li*ed in small, nomadic groups of hunter-gathers. They sought sustenance by gathering plants and hunting animals, more than likely li*ing in an egalitarian society. Then with the de*elopment of language, mankind gained the ability to remember more and communicate comple+ information, easing the transition into the Agricultural 3e*olution, which also led to the end of man)s first society.

<In the 6ertile 8rescent of the Middle -ast between K,### and A,### 08, humans began the systematic husbandry of plants and animals, including the domestication of dogs used for either herding or hunting. Agriculture soon spread to neighboring areas and e*en de*eloped independently in other regions as needs dictated, until most humans li*ed as farmers in permanent settlements near life-sustaining bodies of water.= The stage con*erted from campsites and ca*e dwellings to agricultural farming communities with growing crops and gra1ing li*estock. <6ood surpluses allowed communities to e+pand and go*erning classes to form, creating di*isions of labor, which resulted in a dramatic surge of social ine:uality. As landowner)s increased their possessions, a hierarchal society arose to e+ert a firm control o*er those who came to depend on it. Agriculture became the lifeblood of a city, growing out of the earth to become the heart in the center of the surrounding countryside, feeding off of har*ested crops and raised li*estock. 8ities pro*ided trade goods and manufactured products, security for its citi1ens) li*elihood, and protection from hostile forces. $ith more free time to pursue higher knowledge, many people benefited from the opportunity by creating and culti*ating re*olutionary in*entions to help make their li*es easier, instead of applying all ones efforts to a*oid becoming part of the food chain.= 5 <0oys and girls, this concludes the first part of our tour on the origins of life. $e are now going to e+plore how mankind has used this gift for both Eood and -*il. And by analy1ing the fable of 8ain and Abel, we can unco*er two defining moments in history. The 0ible story of the two sons of Adam and -*e represents a key moment in time as the first recorded murder. It also ser*es as an allegorical metaphor for when agriculture replaced the ways of the hunter-gather. 8ain, a crop farmer, killed his brother Abel, a shepherd, when Eod showed fa*or to his brother)s offering o*er his.= The rural setting e*eryone seemed to be occupying disappeared as the stage returned to its normal condition with the e+ception of the world map stretched out across the wall. 8&A4 sauntered o*er to the map in a continued bra*ado of pride, his pie pipered legion of followers falling in line behind him. ;tepping up to the wall, 8&A4 pointed to the map and started to e+plain its features. <$ith the ne+t stop on our journey through time, I am pleased to tell you about one of our more recent updates to the system, or better yet, maybe I should let the designer. Michael, would you be so kindG= Again, Michael felt a bit embarrassed by the une+pected attention. -*e ga*e him an encouraging nod as he released her hand for the first time since the tour began. <It was just an idea I had one day while studying for finals. I thought how helpful it would be to ha*e a country)s entire history a*ailable in an interacti*e database that could be accessed from a map at the touch of a fingertip, kind of like ha*ing your own personal 8&A4.= Michael could ha*e sworn he actually saw the animated man blush. <I)m not telling them anything they don)t already know. The Touch 7 Eo program has been a standard feature on school maps for the past three years. I just thought it up and let the technicians do all the hard work.= <.lease, demonstrate your idea for us, Michael,= 8&A4 said with a prideful smile. <I am sure you remember where our presentation resumes.= <I belie*e we left off in what was once dubbed the cradle of ci*ili1ation. ;o if we go to the map, touch the section of the Middle -ast, formerly known as Ira:, an information directory will

pop up.= Michael e+plained as a window bo+ popped up on the map with a directory listing the four main categories% 1.D A38&-(2(E> 7 E-(2(E> !.D 8ILI2IMATI('; 7 8B2TB3-; 5.D 4AT-; 7 TIM-2I'-; ?.D 6AB'A 7 62(3A <If you touch one of the main categories, you get another list of subjects to choose from. 6or e+ample, I will press 4AT-; 7 TIM-2I'-;, and you get a chronology of e*ery ci*ili1ation, kingdom, empire, monarchy, or dictatorship e*er built in the region. ;tarting around 5 ## 08 in Ancient Mesopotamia with the ;umerian Iings, considered the first ci*ili1ation, to the Akkadian -mpire, which lasted from !5## 08 to !!## 08, or the 0abylonian -mpire between 1A!K 08 to 1 51 08, all the way up to the beginning of the (ttoman -mpire in 1 55 08 and its end in 1"1K A4, which led to the rise of the Iingdom of Ira: in 1"5!, and a good place for 8&A4 to resume today)s lesson.= <Thank you, Michael. That was *ery informati*e.= 8&A4 acknowledged Michael)s helpful participation, who felt inclined to gi*e a short bow after the children started clapping along with their teacher, 8&A4, and -*e. 3eturning to -*e, Michael automatically took hold of her waiting hand. <An oddly appropriate place to continue the tour,= 8&A4 added. <;ince this area of the Middle -ast not only represents where ci*ili1ation began, it is also where it affecti*ely ended. A nuclear wasteland since the end of $orld $ar III, this region of the globe is where mankind de*eloped the technologies that separated modern man from his primiti*e ancestors. $e can trace the origin of writing back to the Agricultural 3e*olution with the list of ;umerian Iings in cuneiform syllabic script. It marked the beginning of recorded history while re*ealing the true power of the written word, which, along with in*entions such as the potter)s wheel and other ad*ances in tool making utensils, ga*e man the ability to dominate the land and his fellow man as well.= An e+ample of the list of ;umerian Iings appeared on the wall of the world map. <;ystems of control were needed to maintain order among the people subjected to the ruling class of landowners. (*er many years, a family)s inherited wealth created nobilities passed down from generation to generation. As landowners grew more powerful, kingdoms arose and fought each other for control of more land, power, and ultimately rule o*er mankind. 0ut powerful monarchies alone were not enough to keep the will of the people faithful to their kings, especially when all power and wealth is fleeting, and it often depended on one)s strength to keep it. <The greatest system of control e*er concei*ed o*er the minds of men rested in his belief in a higher power. &a*ing blind faith in a di*ine presence essentially pro*ided man with a righteous cause to fight, kill, or die for, whether in justly fought battles for sur*i*al or wars de*ised for the greedy manipulations of kingly profits. The tricky part to interpreting the history of mankind is what I refer to as the &uman 6actor. >ou see, when calculating the age of the planet, for instance, there are certain geological measurements applied to the e:uation used to formulate the most accurate data attainable. 0ut when you add in the &uman 6actor history is as much fable as it is fact. ;omeone once said all history is a lie agreed upon, but more often than not, it relies primarily on who is telling the story as to what *ersion may be set forth as true. ;ome countries

and empires ha*e e*en tried to erase all records of their most notorious leaders, until another tarnished ruler came along who needed someone worse to compare himself to by saying, Fat least I am not as bad as that guy). <The lies of history were ne*er more egregiously clear and piously practiced than where religion is concerned. -*idence of early man)s belief in an afterlife dates back to the ;tone Age, but throughout his e+istence who or what he worshipped has *aried with a di*ersity of deities and religious ceremonies. Truth or myth, the lessons we learn from the past do not necessarily rely on the story being accurate or a fabricated fable. The profoundly omnipresent and allegorical lesson established from the belief in myths, either in pagan gods or a single di*inity, can be more significant than the actual facts of the matter. 0lind faith in dogmatic piety guided men)s minds, spawning a morally misguided impetus to condone horrendous crimes against humanity in the name of their god or gods. A prime e+ample of this distortion of historical facts and spiritual beliefs is the biblical story of the 0ook of Moses and the -+odus out of -gypt. <In the (ld Testament, Moses led the Israelites from the bondage of sla*ery after >ahweh, their Fone true Eod), inflicted the Ten .lagues on -gypt, ending with the death of the firstborn male child of e*ery household not protected by the mark of lamb)s blood on their door. After the death of .haraoh 3amesses) II firstborn son, Moses was allowed to lead the Israelites to the .romise 2and the lord *owed would one day be theirs.= 8&A4 e+plained. <According to biblical history, not to be confused with actual history, Moses and his people spent thirty-eight years in the desert. At first, they fled .haraoh)s army after 3amesses decided on a *engeful rebuke for the death of his son. 0ut through purportedly di*ine inter*ention his army was annihilated at the ;ea of 3eeds.= The world map displayed on the wall *anished and was :uickly replaced by a scene from the !#th century film of The Ten Commandments showing 8harlton &eston as Moses parting the 3ed ;ea, shortly followed by walls of water crashing down on the -gyptian army. The film continued to show scenes in synch with 8&A4); words. <After miraculously escaping the .haraoh)s wrath, 4i*ine Inter*ention continued to aid the Israelites on their long journey with the burning bush speaking to Moses on Mt. ;inai, where Eod car*ed out the Ten 8ommandments,his Tablets of 2aw. &owe*er, the lord could be an angry Eod when man doubted &is word, telling Moses he could not to enter the .romise 2and after he :uestioned the lord. 'or were any of the first generation who left -gypt. 0ecause upon reaching 8anaan, they refused to go on after scouts reported there were giants li*ing in their .romise 2and. 0efore his death Moses named his apprentice, /oshua, leader of the people and as a reward for being one of the only original scouts to bring back a positi*e report the 2ord permitted him to enter the .romise 2and. Although, the lord might ha*e neglected to mention the 8anaanites, who were already li*ing in their .romised 2and, did not pray to the same god as the Israelites, and had no plans to lea*e without a fight. <The first battle for control of 8anaan was in /ericho, whereas :uoted from the 0ook of /oshua, they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both men and women, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword .= 'ow there is no historical or archeological proof any of these e*ents e*er took place. &istorians could not e*en agree on when it all happened. 0ut in this case, when or if do not matter. It is the important precedent set by these fables that guided, influenced, and condoned the actions of self-righteous future generations, who thought themsel*es wiser and more ci*ili1ed than their ancestors. ;trongly moti*ated by his greed for power in this world, man has always sought ways to ensure himself an e+alted place in the ne+t one. =

A lost and dejected look seemed to o*erwhelm the animated man as he spoke in a soft, mournful tone. <It saddens me to think words like sla*ery, rape, murder, and especially, genocide e*er had to be in*ented.= Nui11ical ;ally walked up to 8&A4 and attempted to put her hand on his shoulder to console him, but only passed through air. <4on)t be sad, 8&A4. It)s a beautiful world now.= <>ou are a *ery sweet girl, ;ally. $hat you do not understand, it was a beautiful world then, too. $e just took it for granted, something we must fear to ne*er do again.= Miss 2aurence stepped up behind ;ally and praised her student, actually being able to place her hands on the young girl)s shoulders. <;ally is one of our brightest students.= <I am sure she will do many great things with her life.= 8&A4 said before getting back to the history tour, which started to turn into more of a diatribe. <$hereas the first ci*ili1ations de*eloped independently, the countries originating from them C-gypt, .ersia, and EreeceD blossomed into empires controlling large territories and had major influences on the different cultures they spawned.= 8&A4 went o*er to the wall as it transformed back into the map of the world. Bsing the Touch and Eo application, he tapped his animated finger on the country of Ereece, causing the information bo+ to pop up. &e then hit the 8B2TB3- category and another list, though much longer, appeared as 8&A4 began to consolidate historic e*ents. <Ancient Ereece was comprised of se*eral hundred, mostly independent, city states and is considered to be the seminal culture pro*iding the foundations for $estern ci*ili1ation. The long list of contributions the Ereeks ga*e the world were lasting, grand achie*ements that are still the basis for many practices used today. They established the first democracy in Athens, truly put to the test by Iing 2eonidas and his 5## ;partans, who fought to the death in ?K# 08 at the 0attle of Thermopylae to remain free from the reign of Oer+es I, the .ersia king bent on dominating the world. 0ut it was Ancient Ereek art, and not .ersian, that spread out across the land, particularly in form of architecture and sculpture. The teachings of Ereek philosophers, ;ocrates, .lato, and Aristotle, still pro*oke contemplati*e thoughts on modern day philosophy. It was &ippocrates, a Ereek physician called the father of medicine, who made many important disco*eries and was the founder of the &ippocratic ;chool of medicine all doctors swear an oath to uphold. -*en their economy prospered from ha*ing a well-educated society, which deduced the fundamental rules of mathematics, along with the de*elopment of astronomy and basic geometry. Bsing an alphabetic script, a Ereek playwright named Aeschylus fore*er changed the way we write plays with the introduction of interacting characters e+changing dialogue, thereby creating drama. And e*er since, the written word has gi*en men the power to rule the world. 3ight from the start, great works of literature, such as &omer)s Iliad and the (dyssey, inspired dreams of grandeur in historic figures like Ale+ander the Ereat, whose mother deluded his mind with tales of how he was the son of Meus, the mighty Ereek god, which led to his unwa*ering obsession to con:uer the known world.= 8&A4 touched the M>T&(2(E> category in the 8B2TB3- section, and a list of Ereek gods from the Titans to the (lympians appeared. 8&A4 then touched the (2>M.IA' category, but instead of another list, se*eral sparkling lights started glimmering o*er the heads of the surprised onlookers and began taking shape in form of the Ancient Ereek gods from Apollo to Meus.

<Throughout time, all history, especially Ereek, has been strongly mi+ed with religious myths and legendary sagas. $e can literally trace a direct lineage of $estern 8i*ili1ation through the famous mythological fables passed down o*er the centuries, starting with the face that launched a thousand ships during the Trojan $ar, the founding of 3ome with the tale of 3omulus and 3emus, and the rise of -urope from the ashes of a fallen 3ome with the legend of Iing Arthur and his Inights of the 3ound Table in 8amelot.= The ho*ering Ereek gods faded away, replaced by images depicting the Trojan horse used to infiltrate the city, the sacking and burning of Troy, refugees fleeing the lost city, and the death of Achilles with an arrow through his heel. <Many years after the Trojan $ar the legend of 3omulus and 3emus was born. 4escendants of the Trojan prince, Aeneas, who escaped Troy to settle in Italy, 3omulus and 3emus were twin brothers left in the woods to die by their jealous uncle, but were found by a she-wolf, who suckled and cared for them. (nce restored to their regal birthright, the brothers ac:uired many followers and planned on building a grand city, howe*er, a dispute o*er its location left 3emus mysteriously killed. 3omulus named his city 3ome and then proceeded to abduct women from neighboring tribes to populate it. &e created the 3oman legions, established the 3oman senate, settled the ;e*en &ills of 3ome, and waged war for two decades to e+pand 3ome)s territory, until his own suspicious death, possibly at the hands of the ;enate,almost se*en hundred years before /ulius 8aesar.= The images of Troy disappeared, replaced by ancient artworks illustrating the origin story of the famous twins and their 3oman legacy, with the *isual images mo*ing along in coordination with 8&A4); description of e*ents. The scenes re*ealed were from pictures of ancient artifacts, artworks, and ruins, including some !#th century film clips. <6ounded as a kingdom, 3ome was ruled by se*en 3oman kings for almost two- hundredfifty years before turning into a 3epublic in #" 08, which then outlawed tyranny and waged wars for the ne+t fi*e hundred years to continue e+panding their territory. 0y K5 08, 3ome found itself embroiled in the first of three ci*il wars, culminating in the fall of the 3epublic and the rise of the 3oman -mpire. 2ucius 8ornelius ;ulla was a gifted general, who possessed the cunning and courage to make him an ideal ruler. &e ne*er lost a battle and won the first ci*il war. And e*en though he was named dictator after marching his armies on 3ome, he used his authority to enact reforms to restore the balance of power between the nobility and the people, and then stunned the 3oman world by resigning his power and retiring to pri*ate life,which is not to say, he couldn)t be ruthless. $hile in total control of the city, he had all those he percei*ed to be enemies of the state e+ecuted. (ne of his intended targets was a young /ulius 8aesar, who only escaped death with the aid of some of ;ulla)s supporters. In the end, ;ulla was said to regret sparing 8aesar)s life, because he felt the young man dangerously ambitious and warned of a possible tyrant lurking inside him.= A famous bron1e statue of /ulius 8aesar in full military dress appeared on the wall map in a projected image of the infamous dictator. <;ulla)s warning turned out to be :uite prophetic. 8aesar marched his troops on 3ome when ordered to stand trial for treason by the ;enate and his old friend, .ompey Magnus. .ompey feared 8aesar)s con:uest of Eaul left him a powerfully rich and ambitious man. After 8aesar defeated his armies, he pursued .ompey to -gypt, where in an ill-ad*ised effort to appease 8aesar they e+ecuted .ompey on order of .tolemy OIII, the child pharaoh of -gypt. Angered by the pharaoh)s arrogance, 8aesar sided with 8leopatra, the pharaoh)s sister wife, immersed in her own ci*il war with her brother. Lictorious once again, 8aesar left 8leopatra to rule -gypt and

was rumored to ha*e had a son with her, named 8aesarian. Bpon returning to 3ome in ?? 08, the ;enators proclaimed 8aesar dictator for life, shortly before stabbing him to death on the senate floor. &oping to restore the 3epublic, the unforeseen result of their action directly led to the rise of the 3oman -mpire and a third ci*il war. (cta*ian,8aesar)s adopted heir,formed an uneasy alliance with Mark Antony,8aesar)s top general,to hunt down the 0rutus led assassins forced to flee the city from the wrath of an angry mob. After defeating 8aesar)s assassins, the peace between (cta*ian and Antony soured when Antony allied himself with 8leopatra in -gypt. (cta*ian, much like his adopti*e father, was *ictorious in the end. Antony and 8leopatra committed suicide, lea*ing (cta*ian the sole ruler of what would become the 3oman -mpire and him the first -mperor. &e took the adopted name of 8aesar and the title Augustus in !A 08 Cwhich is where the month of August comes from as with /uly being a form of /uliusD. 8onsidered the best of all the 3oman -mperors, Augustus) reign, called .a+ 3omana, was renown as time of 3oman .eace. &e ruled until his death in 1? A4. Bnfortunately, a blood lineage of ruthless tyrants succeeded him, fore*er staining the memory of 3ome with the blood of the innocent.= 6amous paintings and sculptures of historic e*ents and rulers flashed up on the giant wall screen depicting e*erything from the assassination of /ulius 8aesar, the 0attle of Actium, plus se*eral sculptured busts of /ulius 8aesar, 8leopatra, and Mark Antony. <Augustus was succeeded by his stepson, Tiberius, whose early reign of peaceful years enriched the treasury. (*ertime, Tiberius became an increasingly paranoid ruler, who began a series of treason trials and e+ecutions. &e e*entually remo*ed himself to the island of 8apri, where lurid tales abounded about se+ually de*iant beha*ior and brutal cruelty, damaging the emperor)s reputation to the point where the people rejoiced at the news of his death in 5A A4. 6ollowed by his grandnephew, 8aligula 8aesar started out belo*ed by the people for ending Tiberius) paranoid persecutions, but a near fatal illness in all probability left him mentally deranged. 8aligula rapidly turned into one of the most infamous and hated rulers e*er as his brief reign of homicidal terror, e+tra*agant li*ing, and unri*aled debauchery led to his bloody death at the hands of his commander of the guard and ;enatorial conspirators, who once again hoped to restore the 3epublic. The conspirators plot failed as the .raetorian Euard installed 8laudius, the only member of the imperial family left to be emperor, since both Tiberius and 8aligula considered him an idiot weakling and no serious threat. 4espite his disabilities, 8laudius pro*ed to be an able ruler. &e con:uered 0ritain and impro*ed much of the city)s infrastructure. &e was, more than likely, poisoned by his ambitious fourth wife, who had high aspiration for her son, 'ero. $hile his controlling, power-hungry mother might ha*e been instrumental in 'ero becoming -mperor in ? A4, she did not get to enjoy the fruits of her labor for long. 'ero)s intense hatred of his mother led to her *iolent murder fi*e years into his reign. 3egardless of the 3omans passing a law to erase all memory of his e+istence, we still know 'ero was one of history)s most notorious rulers, who sa*agely kicked his pregnant wife to death in a fit of anger.= &istorical depictions of ancient 3oman rulers materiali1ed before the eyes of 8&A4); eager learners. 0usts and statues of some of 3ome)s most infamous -mperors appeared in *arious states of decay or demolition, like a headless statue of 'ero. <According to the Eospels, it was during the reign of 3ome)s first fi*e -mperors when /esus 8hrist of 'a1areth was born and spread the word of Eod, his father, before being crucified for our sins. ;ome of his followers, known as the Twel*e Apostles, continued to spread his message of peace and lo*e through 8hristianity. The apostles held faith in the belief that one day /esus would return to sa*e them from the torments they suffered under the 3omans until 515 A4,

when -mperor 8onstantine ended the persecutions after con*erting to 8hristianity. Almost one hundred years before the fall of 3ome in ?A9 A4, -mperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing 8hristianity as the official religion of 3ome. $hile the once powerful 3oman -mpire crumbled when the city fell sei1e to Eermanic barbarian hordes, 8hristianity grew into the world)s largest religion with the belief in /esus 8hrist as the son of Eod e*entually changing the way we counted time. 6irst de*ised by a monk in ! A4, the 08@A4 C0efore 8hrist 7 After 4eathD system did not become more widely used until A51 A4, when the Lenerable 0ede came up with the method of counting the years 0efore 8hrist. In 1?"!, .ortugal was the last $estern -uropean country to switch o*er. &owe*er, many years later the use of 08- or 0efore 8urrent -ra and 8- for 8urrent -ra was adopted by scientists due to the religious connotations 08@A4 denoted in what had become of more secular world, at least in the logical realm of scientific communities.= 4isplayed across the wall scenes from the life and death of /esus replaced the 3oman -mperors with famous artworks from the past. <Much like the story of Moses leading the great -+odus out of -gypt, there are no historical records to pro*e or dispro*e what happened to /esus of 'a1areth. The belief in the di*inity of 8hrist has been the subject of much debate since the day he was born, something else disputed by scholars and theologians, alike. The great di*ide among belie*ers and non-belie*ers rested in the con*iction that /esus was the son of Eod, which is not e*en the truly miraculous part of his story. As so often happens in matters of monumental importance, the people focused on the messenger, instead of his *isionary message.= 8&A4 appeared to ponder a thought or two before continuing. <Maybe if people belie*ed /esus was just a man, a *ery wise man, but still a man, someone able to grasp hold of the true meaning of life while li*ing in a backward time and such a strange land, his message could ha*e reached the whole nation, without miscommunicating many conflicting belief systems used to justify man)s greedy pursuit of power and glory. 4on)t get me wrong, but if the simple words meant to promote peace and harmony could be con*erted into a complicated parado+ of thoughts to protect the power and wealth men used to gain the world, then they truly lost the meaning of their messiah)s words and their own sal*ation, too. <After the fall of 3ome, the 8atholic 8hurch con*erted into a *ery powerful political player throughout -urope in form of the &oly 3oman -mpire. 6irst becoming *isible after .ope 2eo persuaded Attila the &un not to sack 3ome in ? ! A4, e*en though Attila)s decision to turn back was more likely from the toll disease and famine took on his army. ;oon the great hypocrisy of religious wars spread out across the land. 6ought in the name of Eod to justify con:uests of foreign territories, they arrogantly forced the con:uered pagan tribes to con*ert to 8hristianity by instituting a death penalty for all those who refused. The corruptibility of power is absolute in its nature. (netime persecuted for their beliefs by the 3omans, some 8hristians continued the pattern by oppressing heathen pagans and e*en fellow belie*ers. The 8atholic)s assertions of the .ope)s authority as the leader of the church created a great di*ide among 8hristians who rejected the supremacy and infallibility of the .apacy. This ultimately led to a split from the church with the self-e+iled followers establishing the -astern (rthodo+ 8hurch. The splintering would continue o*er the years into se*eral different denominations.= The stage flooded with light, the world map disappeared, and the room returned to its normal appearance. 8&A4 stood directly in front of his class of knowledge seekers, emitting a serious presence of someone now wanting to solicit information.

<I would like e*eryone to take a minute to ponder a simple :uestion. &ow do you think /esus would feel if he had li*ed to see what became of his churchG= 8&A4 asked. After raising her little hand, ;ally spoke with a maturity beyond her more ad*anced and learned years would e*en suggest. <I do not think he would be *ery happy how his followers s:uandered the beautiful gift of knowledge he ga*e his life for.= <>ou are a *ery percepti*e young lady. I do not think he would be *ery happy, either.= <Is that why The Author of The 0ook of Tomorrows remains unknownG= ;ally asked with another refle+i*e raise of her hand going up almost in unison with her words. <0ecause of the time in which it was written, just before the fall of what we refer to as our (ld 8i*ili1ation, historical records from then are :uite rare. ;o we do not know if The Author)s anonymity was by design or circumstance. Bnfortunately, much like the .rophet $arrior there is a scarce amount of background information about the person we know only as The Author, other than where he was li*ing when he wrote The 0ook of Tomorrows. 0ut since most of (ld 8alifornia is outside the ;afe Mone and a *ery dangerous place to tra*el, I am incapable of correctly answering your important :uery. And for that, I am sorry, my dear.= <That)s okay 8&A4. Maybe we are better off not knowing.= <Maybe we are, ;ally. Maybe we are. 0ut let us not concern oursel*es with things we may ne*er know and get back to the things we do. 2ike the third historical fable connecting our ancestral lineage to the rise of $estern 8i*ili1ation, from Ereece to 3ome to -ngland and the legend of Arthur, Iing of the 0ritons. In a time known as the 4ark Ages, the fall of the 3oman -mpire ga*e way to barbarian in*aders con:uering most of 3ome)s abandoned territories left undefended. 0orn out chaos, the origin of three $estern countries C;pain, 6rance, and -nglandD each rose up like a .hoeni+ from the ashes of a fallen 3ome to become dominating world powers in their own right and time.= $ith a snap of his animated fingers, the lights dimmed once more and the map of the world returned to its wall can*as projecting the grand design for all to gander and surmise. Mo*ing o*er to the map, 8&A4 :uickly tapped out a few commands on the Touch 7 Eo screen menu, highlighting the countries under the current topic of discussion. As 8&A4 pointed out -ngland on the map and started to e+plain the connecting links to the origin story of Iing Arthur, Michael)s thoughts began to wonder from the telling of a familiar tale onto one yet to unfold. Although he could still hear 8&A4 telling how the deeds of Arthur Cthe 3oman-0ritish general who defeated Anglo-;a+on in*aders in the th 8entury, then established the Iingdom of -nglandD were rooted more in legend than fact, Michael)s mind was preoccupied contemplating thoughts about being a good father. It all seemed to hit home when the thought struck him how proud it would make him to ha*e a daughter as bright and full of life as little ;ally. &e practically blocked out 8&A4); continuing history lesson linking legend to literature with Eeoffry of Manmouth)s 1!th 8entury History of the ings of !ritain , and then onto the more magical and popular 1 th 8entury retelling, called "e #orte dArthur by ;ir Thomas Malory, which became the standard for future stories. 0y the time Michael turned his ponderous mind from thoughtful scenarios of a lifetime de*oted to nurturing a child within a lo*ing family en*ironment and back to the tutorial, 8&A4 had co*ered the entire 4ark Ages, during which the blight upon the land was not only brought about by foreign con:uers, but also from great famines and deathly plaguesJ and how countries like ;pain, 6rance, and -ngland sur*i*ed their hostile aggressors to become great nations, not through forceful suppression of their enemies, but rather by religious con*ersion of the pagan tribesJ a system of control that would pro*e not only fruitless but more an impelling rallying call

for Islamic raiders who gained control of ;pain and the cherished &oly 2ands in the Middle -ast at the start of the Kth 8enturyJ which led to the first of nine 8rusades starting in 1#"9 and resulting in o*er two hundred years of bloody massacres, merciless *ictories, brutal defeats with power shifting struggles ultimately ending in abject failure for both military campaigns and in a moral hypocrisy fore*er staining the offending faithsJ but the power struggles did not end in faraway lands as religious abuses, internal conflicts, and territorial disputes still reigned supreme in the homelands as many kingdoms were desperate to stabili1e their nearly bankrupt economies after long costly foreign warsJ and how through the e+ploration for profitable trade routes countries like ;pain would find an influ+ of wealth with the disco*ery of the Americas in the 'ew $orld, helping to make ;pain a dominate power in -urope for the ne+t two centuries. As Michael came out of his self-imposed, contemplati*e trance, he turned his full attention back to 8&A4, who was pontificating on what he calledH<(ne of the strangest twists of fate in -uropean history would ha*e to be the e+treme measures taken by Iing &enry LIII to ensure the legacy of his crown with a male heir. After marrying 8atherine of Argon Chis dead brother)s wifeD, the king of -ngland broke off his alliance with the &oly 8hurch of 3ome when the .ope refused to annul his marriage so he could marry his mistress, Anne 0olen. $hile 8atherine was the belo*ed daughter of Nueen Isabella of ;pain and Anne 0olen was mostly despised by the people as the king)s concubine, both of them fell out of fa*or with the king by committing the same grie*ous sin of gi*ing birth to only daughters, Mary and -li1abeth, respecti*ely,a sin which ultimately cost Anne her head. Although &enry LIII did ha*e a son with his third wife Cwho he let die in childbirthD, it is the morally di*ergent reigns of his two daughters that are remembered the most. 6rom the womb of his good 8atholic wife, 8atherine, came the spawn of fiery retribution who)s short, fearsome reign fore*er branded her 0loody Mary, and as for the supposed demon seed of the king)s concubine, -li1abeth)s time on the throne lasted fi*e years longer than her infamous father)s and was called the Eolden Age with -ngland becoming a dominating world power for centuries to come.= &ans &olbein)s famous painting of the oft-married -nglish king stood out in the middle of two e:ually noted recreations of his :ueen daughters flanking &enry LIII); grandiose stature with telling portraits re*ealing Mary)s harsh demeanor on his left and -li1abeth)s regal presence on his right. ;ally stepped forward with her head tilted back, her eyes shifting from side to side, unable to focus on an image as she seemed to be pondering upon another important :uestion, but instead offered a rather rhetorical obser*ation. <It does not matter, does itG A woman could be just as ruthless a ruler as a man or just as gracious, maybe e*en better, if she can remain true to herself, like Nueen -li1abeth did.= <&ow *ery astute of you, ;ally,= 8&A4 commended her insight before elaborating further. <Throughout history, those who strayed from their true sel*es oftentimes found bad result occurring from their good intentions, and the disco*ery of the Americas was such a time. Although famously credited with the disco*ery Canother historic fable that used to be taught to childrenD, the closest 8hristopher 8olumbus e*er came to 'orth America was &ispaniola,&aiti and the 4ominican 3epublic. The real truth of matter, he was arrested, put on trial, and con*icted for inhumane acts of *iolence against the indigenous people, which e*en included some of the settlers from his term as Eo*ernor. ;entenced to prison, his benefactor, Iing 6erdinand of ;pain, e*entually freed him. 'ot the great disco*erer or hero they used to teach about, but rather another despot ruler corrupted by power and glory.

<After a .apal inter*ention, ;pain and .ortugal pretty much owned the early days of e+ploration when the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1?"? presumptuously di*ided the world between the two countries. In the treaty, ;pain was essential granted the 'orthern &emisphere, which consisted of 'orth America and the 8aribbean Islands, while the ;outhern half of the world went to .ortugal, recei*ing ;outh America, Africa, and Asia. The first -uropeans to set foot in 'orth America were the ;panish 8on:uistadores when .once de 2eon came upon what he initially belie*ed to be an island and named it 2a 6lorida in 1 15. ;pain and .ortugal took full ad*antage of the treaty as they began to e+plore the Americas searching for sil*er and gold, but settled for sla*es when disappointed by their early finds in the island areas. It was not until mo*ing inland they found the wealth so eagerly sought in abundant amounts of gold. 6irst, 8orte1 con:uered the A1tec empire in Me+ico by 1 !1, richly rewarding ;pain, and within ten years, .ortugal)s con:uest of the Inca -mpire in .eru greatly increased their treasury. $hile the nati*e tribes were no match for the foreign in*aders, their demise was greatly influenced by the de*astating effects of -uropean diseases like smallpo+, which the indigenous populations had no immune system to combat such a formidable foe. There were many countries willing to ignore the treaty, e+cept ;pain)s dominance of the oceans inhibited their efforts. It wasn)t until after the -nglish defeated the in*ading ;panish Armada in 1 KK,leading to the decline of ;pain with the inept &absburg regime bankrupting the country,that the seas opened up for -ngland, 6rance, and 4enmark to search for riches in the 'ew $orld. In time, -ngland rose up to become the leading world power, unbeatable at home or abroad. 'e*ertheless, e*en the mighty 0ritish -mpire would find itself on the losing side after the American colonies grew into a strong, independent nation.= The wall screen changed from representations of -nglish monarchs to Italian, ;panish, and .ortuguese e+plorers, showing images of con:uered nati*e empires, illustrating the rise of the 0ritish -mpire with the defeat of the ;panish Armada, and depicting the coloni1ation of the 'ew $orld. Mo*ing along with the continual momentum of the history lesson, the *isual elements transformed in accordance with 8&A4); derisi*e monologue. <4uring the 1Ath century, thirteen American colonies formed from 0ritish, 4utch, and ;wedish settlements, ultimately all falling under -nglish rule. Much like with the early ;panish e+plorers stricken with hardships from disease and star*ation, the settlers depended on the friendly nati*es to sur*i*e before turning against them. The American colonies were uni:ue in the world, di*ergent from -urope where monarchies, aristocrats, and the established church go*erned and ruled. Made up from many different cultures, the colonies were a place where e*eryone had a say in making political decisions. They based their go*ernment on a 3epublican ideology of e:ual rights, and this independent spirit would be the framework for colonial resistance to 0ritish rule of ta+ation without representation. Ironically, thirteen years after the 6rench Indian $ar, when recei*ing 6rance)s 'orth American territories after signing the Treaty of .aris in 1A95, -ngland decided to e+ert more control o*er its thirteen colonies with entirely contrasting results. 0y enacting unjust laws, they incited the colonist to form the Bnited ;tates of America and start the 3e*olutionary $ar with the signing of the 4eclaration of Independence on /uly ?th 1AA9. After suffering through grueling winters, small po+ epidemics, and a superior military power, the colonists finally won their independence and instituted The Bnited ;tates 8onstitution and the 0ill of 3ights, guaranteeing e*eryone what Thomas /efferson called the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. $hich only continued the ironic nature of history after America was torn asunder by its own 8i*il $ar, fought o*er ;tates rights to keep sla*esP=

As 8&A4 finished e+pounding upon the strange twists of fate throughout history, the wall screen paused from flashing images of the 6ounding 6athers) fight for freedom and displayed copies of the 4eclaration of Independence, the 8onstitution, and the 0ill of 3ights. (nce again, ;ally stepped forward and pointed out her thoughtful obser*ations. <There seems to be :uite a few similarities between the ideas put forth in these original documents and our 'ew 8onstitution.= <And you would be correct in saying so, ;ally,= 8&A4 agreed. <$hen the .rophet $arrior wrote the 'ew 8onstitution based on principles learned from The 0ook of Tomorrows, he knew we could not blindly dismiss all the good mankind accomplished o*er the years. Instead, they had to incorporate all the morally good and common sense *alues into our new ci*ili1ation, while lea*ing behind any prejudicially negati*e beliefs once used to breed a nobility of hate that was predominantly responsible for our downfall. The old saying about how you-don)t-want-tothrow-out-the-baby-with-the-bathwater I belie*e will gi*e you a little more perspecti*e on what our recent ancestors were faced with when rebuilding a new world from the shambles of the old. $hile drastic changes had to be implemented to pre*ent a repeat of past mistakes, the .rophet $arrior knew certain truths would always be absolute, which he preser*ed in the foundation of our new society.= 8&A4 e+plained, and then added. <(f course, after the tour, you are more than welcome to *iew our 'ew 8onstitution located right here in our Modern &istory section. Bnfortunately, the original has been lost in the nuclear wasteland that was once our nation)s capital.= Michael)s thoughts started to stray again, only this time his mind wandered towards an early e+it from the tour, and thanks to 8onstitution ;ally, he was just gi*en an ideal e+cuse to lea*e. It wasn)t because he didn)t appreciate American history, just the opposite. It was the most inspirational time in mankind)s growth as a species, creating a place where the indi*idual rights of its citi1ens ser*ed as the strong foundation that built America, but also where it almost ended. At the height of all our accomplishments, the !1st century should ha*e been a time to celebrate our place as a leading nation, instead of being the most shameful time in America history, something that always depressed Michael. 'ot wanting to spoil the mood, Michael was about to lean o*er to tell -*e when he felt her soft breath whisper in his ear. <$hat do you say we go take a look at the 'ew 8onstitutionG Then we can go get something to eat before heading back.= <>ou must be a mind reader. I was about to suggest the same thing.= -*e smiled along with Michael, pleased he also wanted to get going. (nly her reason for lea*ing was different from his. 8&A4 also took notice of the young, would-be couple and offered them an easy out. <(f course, our two guests are free to carry on with their special day. I am sure they ha*e other interests besides history to talk about, and I know I tend to get a little long-winded.= <Though it has been a wonderful trip down memory lane, we really should get heading back,= Michael said with a pleasant smile. <4on)t worry about us missing out on anything. $e will be sure to stop by the Modern &istory ;ection before lea*ing.= -*e said. <>ou would not want to deny yourself the distinct pleasure one gets from *iewing such a monumentally important document,= 8&A4 said. As Michael and -*e e+ited stage left, 8&A4 carried on with his mission to educate the young. <'ow where did we lea*e offG At the beginning of the 1"th century, the Bnited ;tates of America started to e+pand across the land after the 2ouisiana .urchase in 1K#5 allowed settlers

to tra*el west to seek their fortunes, and the Monroe 4octrine in 1K!5 pre*ented foreign powers from claiming American territories, truly making it our country. Arri*ing in unison with that pioneer spirit, the Industrial 3e*olution brought with it substantial public works projects in the *ein of the -rie 8anal and inno*ating in*entions,the cotton gin, the telegraph, and the railroad ,that helped connect and di*ide the nation at the same time. 0ut the prosperity for some Americans came at the high cost of freedom for others. The Indian 3emo*al Act of 1K5# led to the deaths of thousands of 'ati*e Americans along the Trail of Tears, and within thirty years, the African sla*e trade increased by !. million, due to the ;outh)s need for plantation workers. $hile a moral outrage was brewing in the 'orthern ;tates with abolitionist newspapers, the hypocrisy of li*ing in a free country started to boil o*er after a 8onnecticut schoolteacher)s antisla*ery no*el, $ncle Toms Cabin, became the best-selling book since the 0ible. It inspired women to protest the 6ugiti*e ;la*e 2aw that allowed sla*e-owners to reclaim their property anywhere in the country. (nly fi*e weeks after Abraham 2incoln was elected the ;i+teenth .resident, ele*en sla*e states seceded to form the 8onfederate ;tates of America in 1K91, igniting a bloody 8i*il $ar o*er the ne+t four years, nearly tearing the nation apart fore*er.= 0efore continuing, 8&A4 paused to take an imaginary breath as he took a :uick glance at Michael and -*e lea*ing. -*e shot a look back o*er her shoulder and ga*e 8&A4 a sly wink that Michael didn)t notice. ;till too caught up in history to notice, Michael went through the rest of tour in his head. It was like a fa*orite, old book he read o*er and o*er again. The problem was he wished the story had a better ending, knowing the big difference between truth and fiction was that fiction had to make sense. &ow America went from being an economic global power manufacturing and supplying much of the world)s trade goods at the start of the !#th century, to a morally corrupt and bankrupt nation hea*ily responsible for the e*ents leading to the end of the old ci*ili1ation barely a :uarter of the way into the !1st century, just did not make sense. $e were able to get through the early growing pains in our nation)s progression to be a free country. After the defeat of the 8onfederate ;outh ended the 8i*il $ar, the 3econstruction -ra began with the abolishment of sla*ery and the re-admittance of the once rebellious southern states. $ithin the first three decades of the 1"##)s, we went from boom to bust. The disco*ery of oil led to affordable cars and the manufacturing of ine+pensi*e steel to great cities that scraped the sky, while modern mar*els connected the nation through electric lights and a transcontinental railroad. 'e*ertheless, we soon found oursel*es immersed in the human frailty of repeating past mistakes. 2ost in our search for wealth and power, we brought about the Ereat 4epression and our e*entual demise. ;ometimes e*en our good intentions spawned opportunities for wrong to pre*ail as it did with the 1Kth Amendment. -nacted on /anuary 19th 1"1", the Lolstead Act basically ser*ed up organi1ed crime the murderously profitable gift of .rohibition. After we reluctantly got in*ol*ed in the 6irst $orld $ar, which destroyed many of the old -uropean empires and monarchies, our hand was forced the second time around. ;till reco*ering from the stock market crash of 1"!" and the subse:uent years of economic depression, with the only aid coming from go*ernment-sponsored programs in 643); 'ew 4eal, the surprise attack on .earl &arbor woke up the sleeping giant. ;oon after the world felt our mighty roar in the form of de*astating atomic blasts, fore*er reshaping the way we fought wars. Bsing the 3ed ;care of 8ommunism, we found new enemies lurking in dark corners. Thought to be a great threat to our capitalist democracy, we ga*e our enemy a new face with the rise of the ;o*iet Bnion as the only other military superpower. These fears led to a forty-year nuclear standoff and near annihilation during the 8uban Missile 8risis. The 8old $ar did bring about two modern day military

crusades in an attempt to pre*ent the spread of communist rule throughout -ast Asia in the war torn countries of Iorea and Lietnam, with each conflict ending in colossal failure. The assassination of .resident Iennedy and other high profile political leaders brought about the social protests of the ;i+ties and ;e*enties, gi*ing birth to a counterculture crying out for ci*il rights while protesting against forcing the senseless sacrifice of American sons fighting a *ery unpopular military conflict in a faraway land. Michael always thought the real tipping point for the loss of faith in the go*ernment was when two reporters broke the story that brought down a corrupt .resident and all his men with their co*erage of the $atergate break-in. 'othing was the same after that. As the information age was born, some journalists, filmmakers, musicians, and authors attempted to enlighten a disenfranchised public filled with nothing but apathy for a broken system. Bnfortunately, the nation was open to the mechani1ations of corporate power players left unchecked and eager to fill their coffers. The contagious nature of greed spread out in the -ighties infecting the Me Eeneration riding a wa*e of materialistic pursuits all the way into the *alley of silicon in the 'ineties, when technology ad*anced the methods of creating wealth to the point where the bubble finally burst. The !1stcentury turned into the 4isinformation Age as the split between conser*ati*e and liberal agendas led to a stolen election with catastrophic conse:uences. The terror unleashed by fanatical religious 1ealots on ;eptember 11th !##1 influenced our fearinduced response to the *icious, unpro*oked attack and became the catalyst reaction that would lead to the end of our old ci*ili1ation. The sad story of our downfall began with a promise of great hope, which always depressed Michael and the real reason why he did not want to stay for the conclusion of the tour. A small sigh of relief escaped him as he entered the Modern &istory ;ection with -*e at his side unaware of his mental battle to get his mind out of the past. 0ut, it was as if the story took on a life of its own and demanded an ending, e*en a tragic one. And like most tragedies, a *illainous plan came to fruition before collapsing on the pur*eyors heads. (f course, there was always a doomed sympathetic main character,to which a liberal .resident of mi+ed &ispanic-African-American heritage seeking a second term after o*ercoming a political minefield of opposition in restoring the fading respect of our nation to its people and the rest of the world before his assassination, definitely fit the part. ;ince e*ery story needs a *illain, and ruthlessly ambitious political opponents usually made great ones, an e+treme 3ight-$ing, conser*ati*e female Eo*ernor from Montana Cwho managed to capture the public)s attention through a hea*y faQade of a down-home country gal, Fjust trying to help out)D heartily rose to the occasion, setting forth a series of treacherous schemes that ele*ated her into the (*al (ffice. 6raudulently packaged, she pro*ed to be no more than a puppet leader with corporate Eodfathers pulling her strings so they could increase their control o*er oil reser*es in the Middle -ast by blaming them for the pre*ious .resident)s assassination. It wasn)t until a conspiracy implicating the 'ew .resident in the death of the old one that the walls came crumbling down, throwing the world into total chaos. ;oon wars raged all o*er the globe, at home and abroad. And just when we were on the brink of wiping away all signs of our e+istence, something diabolically miraculous happened. A cra1ed en*ironmentalist released a deadly *irus in order to sa*e mankind by killing off half of the world)s population, which also de*astated man)s ability to wage war and in the process preser*ed our remaining natural resources. After releasing his *ideo manifesto on the internet, the en*ironmentalist committed suicide, but refused to say what moti*ated him, or where the idea came from that inspired his desperate act.

It always bothered Michael the last unsol*ed mystery behind mankind)s downfall was not that the insane plan actually worked, but where he really got the idea to do it. A feeling of ha*ing just opened his eyes o*ercame him, along with the reali1ation he ne*er shut them. ;o lost in contemplati*e thought, he did not notice walking past the portraits of famous figures from recent history that lined the walls of the Modern &istory ;ection and was startled to find himself standing in front of the 'ew 8onstitution display. <Is something wrongG= -*e asked after feeling Michael)s faint shudder. <(h, no, just caught up in the past, I guess.= <The world has a way of reminding us of the important things we should ne*er forget.= -*e pointed out. <It)s just a shame we tend to ignore those instinctual memories embedded in our genetic make-up.= <It is nice to ha*e reminders, though.= -*e nodded to the display case. Michael fi+ed his eyes on the new and impro*ed founding document with words of wisdom written by a rouge warrior destined to become a wandering prophet who would one day unearth The 0ook of Tomorrows and sa*e the human race from e+tinction. TH, -,W C!-.T/T'T/!#!0 A -,W A1,0/CA There comes a time when it becomes necessary to dissolve The old ways connecting us to the past And begin a new way of thinking that separates nowledge from !elief, Truth from #yth, The "aws of %ature from &aith in a 'ivine (resence, )o mankind can rise from the ashes To once again assume among the powers of earth and prosper from The inalienable right that everyone is born e*ual and 'eserves the "iberty of "ife, and the (ursuit of Happiness Therefore, a new society, a new beginning, cannot solely be founded on The moral doctrines or structured legislature +f any legal institution, system of belief, or form of government ,esponsible for past atrocities against mankind Through either religious persecution, administrative corruption, The bonds of slavery, or any other form of oppression inflicted on man or woman, At any time throughout our history However, we will not abandon any positive contributions from the past (roven compatible with present day conditions and surroundings, and %o matter what harsh measures we may take to prosper over the land, -e will no longer be beasts that .ust sleep and feed and )hall endeavor as a species to treat each other with The same decency and respect we all deserve,

%ot because we are told to do so, but because it is the right thing to do Thereby, giving us the cause, the will, the strength, and the means To find our purpose forever united together in everlasting peace/ -ith these precepts in heart and mind, we will start anew and rebuild +ur nation on the following% #ive 2ey Principles %or .urvival" 0/ 1*uality for All2 in reserving our right to freedom of speech, a free press, and the right to assemble peaceably, no form of discrimination, racial pre.udice, or harmful protest will be tolerated, granted inherent excuse, or considered acceptable behavior on part of any citi3en living in %ew America/ 4/ %o -ealth5%o Currency2 will be printed or minted, nor will any citi3en accumulate or create any form of legal tender for payment of service, or for barter of trade, or used to amass personal fortunes to hold over others6 and regardless of age and5or any disability preventing someone from taking an active part in society or the work place, the Country shall fairly provide for the needs of each and every citi3en/ 7/ %o Conflicting !elief )ystems2 of religious, political, or personal foundations will be funded by government subsidiaries, be the basis for policy of law, or be recogni3ed as official holidays/ %or will any citi3en be morally bound to any form of religious dogma or spiritual belief, but instead be guided by their own self8conscious morality of inherently knowing right from wrong/ 9/ (opulation Control2 must be maintained through responsible reproductive behavior on part of our citi3ens to provide the necessary time to replenish our depleted natural resources and prevent over populating our food supplies, if not it will be done by government decree and strictly enforced/ . A $niversal language2 must be implemented in order to prevent communication breakdowns among different cultural backgrounds and to also eliminate any suspicious mistrust of foreign words used as coded communications to plot against others, with 1nglish being our countrys language of choice/ <;ay, I think my stomach just reminded me that it must be lunchtime,= Michael said with blushed cheeks after feeling a slight, but audible, grumble coming from his gut. <My car is this way,= -*e said, gi*ing Michael a :uick tug on his slee*e as he started heading back the way they came. 6lanking the 'ew 8onstitution were the portraits of the two founding fathers of 'ew America. -*e stopped Michael in front of the .rophet $arrior)s portrait. Marlon 3osemary, the fastidious museum caretaker, hurried past them alerted to some pressing matter. Michael and -*e noticed what was calling his immediate attention as the caretaker went by the 'ew 8onstitution display and stopped in front of the portrait of Eeneral

8ain. A blinking red light located abo*e the portrait sent out a silent alarm after detecting a foreign substance. Michael and -*e went to see what the commotion was about and saw the gradual appearance of dark lines forming the letters 6 $ 6 across Eeneral 8ain)s portrait, de*eloping like an old .olaroid photo. <I do not understand it,= 8aretaker 3osemary said with his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disgust. <4oesn)t 6$6 stand for 6ree $ill 6ore*erG I)m not really up on these fringe groups.= Michael said. <They are nothing but a bunch of ungrateful punks who think they know better how to keep things in order,= 8aretaker 3osemary said. <0ut what baffles me is how they managed to get away with it without tripping our sensors.= <I guess, where there is a will, there is a way,= -*e said with a light girlish laugh, trying to play down the incident. 0ut Michael)s in:uisiti*e nature got the better of him as he took a closer look at the darkening letters before offering his deduction. <It must be a slow de*eloping, reappearing, in*isible spray of some kind. >our sensor didn)t detect it until it started to appear. 'o telling how long before it was applied.= <$ell, this is all *ery fascinating, but we should get heading back,= -*e said with a slight ner*ous apprehension. <&uh. $hatG (h, yeah,= Michael stuttered through his lost in thought moment. Eetting back to social con*entions, he just reali1ed in order to get a closer look at the graffiti strewn painting he had to let go of -*e)s hand. 'ow feeling the *acant emptiness, he stepped back o*er and retook her open, waiting hand. <;orry for your troubles, Mr. 3osemary. 0ut please let me know if you figure out how it they did it. I would kind of like to know.= <(h, we will get to the bottom of this, I assure you. These punks may think they are pretty smart, but so are we.= 8aretaker 3osemary said with con*iction. <I understand the need for asking :uestions about the way things are, but I just don)t see how *andali1ing public artworks will sol*e anything.= Michael added before lea*ing with -*e. $alking hand in hand towards the e+it, leaning on each other in affectionately close pro+imity, Michael and -*e appeared to be the perfect young couple heading into a bright future filled with lo*ing bliss. <I belie*e at heart the 6$6 has the best intentions behind their cause, but free will at what cost. In the end, it was our selfish need to say or do whate*er we wanted that bred the arrogant belief we were better than other people were just because we li*ed in a free land. $e became prisoners of our own freedom. There needs to be a balance, which is why you and I are here today.= <To restore the balance,= -*e added as they e+ited the museum)s back entrance leading out to the parking lot. 6eeling the late day sunshine on his face, Michael just smiled at the thought for a moment before replying. <Maybe we are. 2et)s not ponder on these philosophical matters for too long and go get some lunch.= <;ounds like a plan to me,= -*e agreed. After the initial ease in which she accomplished the first part of her mission, a growing uncertainty started to creep up in the back of -*e)s mind. 'othing could ha*e prepared her for

the ne+t part. The :uandary of her decision to re*eal to Michael she was really a member of the 6$6, especially selected for him by the rebel group, and she was the one who marked Eeneral 8ain)s portrait on specific orders to gage his reaction. (r the most difficult part, how to tell him about a recently redisco*ered 4'A sample pro*ing he was the only li*ing heir and a direct descendant of the .rophet $arrior. Thus begins this epic ad*enture through the past to unco*er a dark conspiracy that once told could send the country back to the days of chaos and disorder. Moti*ated by dark secrets, strong friendships, and a powerful lo*e story, their hurried flight sets them on a course through history to seek out ancient truths dating back before the founding of 'ew America to pro*e the parado+ of how great e*il can sometimes gi*e birth to a greater good, just as easily as written words meant to sa*e, can also destroy. The 0ook of Tomorrows is a foretelling trilogy spanning o*er 1A years, a suspenseful mystery with cliffhanger endings, heroic sacrifices, and a sly wit. RRR This has been a prelude to The Boo o% Tomorro$s3 Coming soon4 the complete trilogy $ith Boo !ne" #orever Tomorro$ and %ollo$ed shortly by Boo T$o" /4 1essiah and Boo Three" The Prophet Warrior 0est 8reati*e $ishes, Ale+ander Blysses Thor, http%@@www.thebookoftomorrows.com About the Author Ale+ander Blysses Thor de*eloped a lo*e of the written word at a young age, along with a thirst for knowledge so strong, it moti*ated him to seek out the truth and find his place in this world. 0orn and raised in 'orthern 'ew /ersey, growing up in a small town, he became autodidactic from the sheer necessity of his sheltered en*ironment Cwithout the benefit of the yetun-in*ented-internet at the timeD. &e mo*ed to 8alifornia at the turn of the century to chase down his dreams of &ollywood stardom with a diploma from The &ollywood ;criptwriting Institute and a screenplay contract for S!##,###. 6inding himself frustrated with the *agaries of Tinsel Town gamesmanship, Ale+ander went back to his first lo*e of writing no*els and after e+periencing an epiphany of purpose, he finally reali1ed his purpose, why e*erything happened in his life the way it did. &e was born to write this trilogy, knowing the only way to effect real change in this world is through a good story. 8oming soon, other titles by Ale+ander Blysses Thor% 6ore*er Tomorrow% 0ook (ne of The 0ook of Tomorrows I, Messiah% 0ook Two of The 0ook of Tomorrows The .rophet $arrior% 0ook Three of The 0ook of Tomorrows

8onnect with Ale+ander Blysses Thor% mailto%thebookoftomorrowsThotmail.com -mail% send me your feedback http%@@www.thebookoftomorrows.com@inde+.html ;end me feedback on my website% http%@@www.twitter.com@Ale+BlyssesThor follow me on Twitter https%@@www.facebook.com@au.thor." 6acebook% friend me on 6acebook http%@@thebookoftomorrows.blogspot.com@ 0log% make comments on my 0log https%@@www.smashwords.com@profile@*iew@The0ookofTomorrows 3e*iew my work on my ;mashwords author page%