J L Walden

The Alfa Affirmation J L Walden

For 300 years the refugees from Earth have traveled through the galaxy in the Starship Evergreen and are now approaching the planet in the Scorpio 16 system which is to be their new home. Fifeteen generations had been born, lived and died in the two mile long by half mile wide starship. As a individulals, families and a society, they had adapted, modified and evolved to conform to the demands of llfe in a small silver tube traveling through the inhospitible and dangerous environment of deep space. Their culture reflected the necessities of their situation; total recycling of all material was essential; replacement was impossible. Protection of the viablility of the ship was the highest priority; always. Social classes revolved around the importance of ones contribution to the ship. The Military was responsible for directional guidance and propulsion of the ship and their authority was absolute in that regard; the Habitat was governed by an elected Parliament which appointed a Governor. These two divisions of the population has maintained a cordial, but not necessarily agreeable relationship. Now, the Citizens of Evergreen are going to be leaving the highly structured and ordered society, where no one had ever experienced bad weather, actually no type of weather at all; never seen a live animal, bird or fish; had no concept of bugs, insects or germs. They had never seen a sunrise or sunset; never smelled flowers or climbed a tree; never wondered what was just over that hill or around the curve of the river. Come to think of it, what is a hill or river, really; the refugees have only seen pictures. They are excited and worried as they approach the planet they have named 'Alfa.' How much and how fast must they adapt, accept, and tolerate. If they have to evolve, can they, will they; and if they do, will they still be human. And, most of all, can they control their propensity for overconsuption and overbreeding? Can they change, or will they continue as before, and devistate the ecology of this planet as they did on Earth?