Providence

Prologue

When humanity spread among the stars, one of the last planets they colonised was a small planet orbiting a dead star. The planet was almost impossible to find, being as dark as the surrounding black void. Its surface was constantly blasted with intense radiation, making the whole planet uninhabitable. The only place safe from the radiation was a small valley, only a few square kilometres large, surrounded by tall mountains and cliffs, located at the north pole. Looking for a hiding place to escape the horrible galactic war, our ancestors settled the small land. They called this planet "Tartaros".

In the valley, they built a giant dome. A brass city was erected in the centre of this dome, surrounded by lush farmland. Generations passed, and the city lived in peace, sustaining itself with farming, safe from the war waging in the surrounding galaxy.

Hundreds of years later, our peaceful existence ended. A warship landed on Tartaros, harbouring twenty soldiers. Their military technology vastly outperformed ours, and their immense genetic and medical advances made them ageless and practically immortal. We were swiftly defeated, despite our efforts and superior numbers. After their victory, the soldiers systematically murdered everyone they deemed either too old, not useful, or not beautiful enough. They burned all our crops and salted the earth so nothing would ever grow. Then they showed us their most advanced technology: the biomass duplicator.

As a small and mass-producible device, it provided a near-infinite amount of food, clothing, medicine, and other plant-based supplies. In exchange for letting us use these devices, they requested only one simple thing: our unwavering and unconditional loyalty. They forced us to teach our kids to be grateful for their generosity. We had no choice. We had to obey, or starve.

Decades passed, and we quickly forgot their atrocities. The soldiers -we call them "angels" now- are worshipped by the new generation of people as gods.