Prometheus
In the beginning, there was Man.
At first, all was well, and humanity was one with nature. But then things changed. Balance was broken. The gods were defied. Man began to war amongst himself for the spoils of that which his creators had granted. Resources that were finite were all but gone and those which were renewable were no longer accessible. So in the end, all that was left was for the gods to step in.
The heavens opened.
"Hey, did you hear about that cyclone in the southern Atlantic?"
"Yeah. Makes you long for the days when that was practically a meteorological impossibility."
"Meh. There's far more ocean these days than there were once. You'll get used to it."
And thus Man was punished by the gods, the spark of electrical fire dimming without the resources to sustain it, not to mention the wrath of the heavens. Fire's spark was nearly extinguished, as was the spark of human life-appropriate in a sense, as the faint candles of so many 'lesser species' had already been snuffed out.
"In light of the declining situation on Earth, the United Nations has agreed unilaterally to endorse the Resource Development Administration's space program in order to search for new and alternate energy sources. We believe that-…"
But Man was not finished. Because there was one who could defy the gods. One who would side with humanity and defy the will of Zeus. One who would bring fire back to Earth, whether it be from the planets or moons, the sun or stars. The one named Prometheus.
"The RDA is proud to announce the completion of the ISV Prometheus, the largest interstellar vessel ever built. In light of the discovery of unobtanium in the Alpha Centauri System, we intend to ensure that the standard of living that is required for civilization is maintained."
And thus Prometheus left the Earth, seeking to bring light back to humanity. He did not know what it would cost him, what awaited him on the world of Pandora. Humanity, the proverbial Epimethus would not accept gifts from the gods or the natural world. They had found a new world to call their own. A world blessed with beauty and more importantly, the resources on which their lifestyle could be sustained.
"Preparing to send survey team planetside. ETA twenty-five minutes."
And thus Pandora awaited. A shining beacon of hope to all mankind…
"Entering the atmosphere in three…two…one…
And thus Pandora's Box was opened.
The disease of humanity had reached it.
A/N
Yes, I'm writing for a movie that's not even released yet and butcher Greek mythology in the process. Still, it's a James Cameron film with obvious references to the mythology I mentioned, so I guess I have an excuse.