Civilization (I'll Stay Right Here)
By Kachimoochi
Chapter II
Anaximander's fortune was joined by around one billion other human males in 2171, fourteen years following the First Contact War.
In that time, there was a growing consensus of males on the planet Earth who were dissatisfied with their lives in their present society.
It wasn't only the massive cultural shifts and diversity that would follow introduction of Humanity to the galactic stage, Humanity had many things plaguing its existence before the existence of the aliens.
The progenitor of what would be called "The Civilization Revolution" began as the Brotherhood of Human Independence, a society of men who met in secret, with their goal being to increase equality between men and women, as well as supporting men in reclaiming their dignity and respect.
The Brotherhood was a collection of wealthy, male philosophers who would try to use their connections and prestige to inspire men to join their ranks, and their ideologies of freedom and independence.
They weren't concerned with irrelevant attributes such as race or nationality, they saw the truth, the big picture, the puppet strings that controlled the Earth, and what would befall humanity if they failed.
A force on Earth existed, either through spirit or through pure human greed, which demanded the control of Humanity for their purposes. What they were was a mystery. Control, money, religion, ideology, none of it concerned the Brotherhood, they only wished for transparency.
The main weapon the force used against Humanity for their unknown reasons was humiliation and subjugation.
First they started simple and innocuous, by starting revolutions or coups in many countries in the late 20th century, and replacing their governments or rulers with puppets ripe for control.
The force kept their power by subjugating mainly the men of Earth, removing them from their positions of power, in the name of equality or fairness; they demoralized and delegitimized them, until they were seen as more of a liability or parasite.
Many weren't blind to the truth, many men and women campaigned against the force, whatever it's form took hold of, by protesting, education, in few cases, fighting. But none could stop the influence of the force, for it was an enticing spirit that few humans could resist.
Money, power, respect, pleasure, all became realities for those who gave into the force, though many men weren't fortunate enough to be offered such luxuries.
As time would pass, most governments by the end of the 21st century were ruled either entirely by women, or by male puppets of the force. The disrespect and contempt of men grew year after year, until finally men could take no more.
We don't know his name, but there was an elder man who liberated the males of humanity from their sorrow, and offered them a chance to Begin Again, not to start over, but to create them in another world, living by their rules and their rules only.
The man came from a country that didn't exist any longer, he watched powerless as his country; his life was dismantled piece by piece, law by law, reparation by reparation, death by death, and insult by insult.
This man was the leader of the Brotherhood of Independence, one of the wealthiest and intelligent men to ever exist, and yet was rendered helpless against the invisible force that plagued the entire Earth.
When the aliens were discovered, the males of humanity were collectively thrilled, they prayed that the males of the various races possessed a secret to their lasting control, or at least a buffer for their disdain, but as they paid closer attention to their ways of life and their governments, they saw that they were too late, the force had taken them long before.
They noticed a race dominated mainly by males, but was completely catered to the protection and preservation of the female, they noticed a race of mainly independent males who surrounded themselves in the veils of science and mathematics, only for them to rely on ancient mating contracts, finally they were faced with a greater horror than they could imagine.
There existed a race of mono-gendered, feminine based life forms which all but controlled the entirety of the "civilized" galaxy. The race themselves were unsure of their origins, but deduced that they were once a bi-gendered species, only for the males to be absorbed into the female form through evolution, of by decree of their goddess.
The only race which possessed a modicum of interdependence and equality was an avian race. They were a war based species, which required that all males and females serve in their military forces. Most human males in this time were against war, having grown savvy to the shallow reasons for their cause, and disdain for being the only gender allowed in the slaughters.
Truth be told, the advent of new life in the galaxy was hardly the final straw, it was only the realization that there could exist a new life beyond the men's shackles, this sparked an idea in the old man, a final plea to the gods for liberation, the final weapon to use against the force, a beginning for their end, and an end for their beginning.
Two years before the revolution, he secluded himself in his home, never coming in and never coming out. There were none that entered save for one boy. The boy would come day after day for weeks upon weeks, after a year's time he was joined by his two brothers who would do much the same.
Two years later, on the 21st of August, 2171, only the brothers emerged from the house, one possessing a device covering their left hand, and delivering the news that the old man had passed, but had granted them a final blessing.
No one is aware how or by what means that the device was created; only that it was responsible for the events to come.
What is known as fact is that on the twenty-second of August the same year, there was a mass exodus of men from the planet Earth. It seemed as if all the males over the age of 10 were swept away by the sands of time, never to be seen again, as time would tell however, they would. Not all men were taken, a majority of them remained in place, but it was as if all men who were dissatisfied with their existence were connected, and linked arms with one another to form a bridge to another plane of reality.
4 hours after the disappearance, the eldest of the three brothers televised himself on every screen on every media device on every planet for every species.
This is what he said…
"My fellow Humans, and males across the galaxy, it is over, it is all over now. The climax of 30,000 years of existence is at hand, the inception of a new age, the creation of Civilization. I will tell you that all of the missing human males are safe and well, and are indeed happy. What I am about to show you will shatter your perception of reality, and render your knowledge of space and time worthless."
"As you see I possess a black, metallic glove-like device covering my hand, I tell you it isn't a glove, but a key. This is a key to a galaxy, one of an infinite number which I hold in my possession, at least I used to. I didn't create this device, but rather it was gifted to me by a close friend, whose final wish was that I use the technology afforded by this device to liberate the tortured, humiliated souls by which I have surrounded myself".
"Yes this is the truth, the men of whom agree are gone, and will never return unless by their wish, as I have given a copy of this device to each of the billion human males. This device isn't only a key, but a creation kit, a "Deus Ex Machina" device if you will. This device can create anything one's imagination can envision, to which end I have gifted to each man who joined me their own galaxy, a clean slate to Begin Again, not by the laws of their home, but by the laws of their morals, values, and pursuits of happiness".
"LET THERE BE NO CONFUSION. This isn't an act of revenge, spite, or war; this is an act of simple freedom. We do not wish to fight, we just wish to leave. This isn't the last you'll see of us, for now we will always exist, but it will not be by the terms of a galaxy who demands we prove our worth, or by a home world which demands our unquestioned obedience. To my friends I offer a future without war, without death, without hunger, poverty, or any version of suffering, I have offered them the power to make their dreams reality. They shall not answer to you, and they shall not answer to me".
"This is all I wish to say, I wish to admit that I am not naïve, nor am I a hypocrite, I don't have the answer as to how this will end, I do not know what this power is capable of, or how the galaxy will react or suffer from it, but I believe that it is the only way for us to truly be at peace".
"You know…there was once a time where I believed that people who believed the things I am speaking of now were simply intolerant bigots, but I have tasted freedom now, and I shall not surrender it without a fight, and I can guarantee that the men who have joined our new society share the sentiment. What we have left behind…that isn't civilization…now we are civilization…and I speak for all of us…we're staying right here".
With a flicker all media was turned back to its original programming. The humans and aliens were left only shocked and scared. The details that followed the inauguration of Civilization will be left to another time.
Time is now not a commodity for the citizens of Civilization, for even time can be whatever they want to be,