Shikasta

But meanwhile the armaments piled up, up, up...

The war began in error. A mechanism went wrong, and major cities were blasted into death-giving dusts. That something of this kind was bound to happen had been plentifully forecast by technicians of all countries... but the Shammat influences were too strong.

In a short time, nearly the whole of the northern hemisphere was in ruins. Very different, these, from the ruins of the second war, cities which were rapidly rebuilt. No, these ruins were uninhabitable, the earth around them poisoned.

Weapons that had been kept secret now filled the skies, and the dying survivors, staggering and weeping and vomiting in their ruins, lifted their eyes to watch titanic battles being fought, and with their last breaths muttered of "Gods" and "Devils" and "Angels" and "Hell."

Underground were shelters, sealed against radiation, poisons, chemical influences, deadly sound impulses, death rays. They had been built for the ruling classes. In these a few did survive.

In remote areas, islands, places sheltered by chance, a few people survived.

The populations of all the southern continents and islands were also affected by pestilence, by radiations, by soil and water and contamination, and were much reduced.

Within a couple of decades, of the billions upon billions of Shikasta perhaps 1 percent remained. The substance-of-we-feeling, previously shared among these multitudes, was now enough to sustain, and keep them all sweet, and whole, and healthy.

The inhabitants of Shikasta, restored to themselves, looked about, could not believe what they saw - and wondered why they had been mad.

Report by Emissaries TAUFIQ, NASAR, and RAWSTI, MEMBERS of the SPECIAL INVESTIGATORY COMMISSION into the STATE of SHIKASTA, PENULTIMATE TIME.

SUMMARY.

[This was the first mission sent to the planet from Canopus since Johor's visit at the Time of the Catastrophe.]

1 We have thoroughly surveyed the northern hemisphere, and have had meetings with the representatives of Sirius, both those stationed here, and visiting. We have also encountered Shammat's agents, without their knowledge.

2 We confirm reports by our visiting and indigenous agents that there is an unexpected development. All over the northern hemisphere are a race of "little people," which is how they are referred to everywhere. Blood, tissue, and bone tests suggested Sirian origin, and Sirian representatives confirmed they originated from experiments by Sirius as far back as the epoch of Johor's visit at the Time of the Malalignment. A great part of the northern hemisphere has been covered by ice. This process has locked up more of the Shikastan waters, and water levels have sunk, and dry land has appeared where none was, making bridges between landmasses and islands, facilitating the movement of these "little people" everywhere. Sirius confirms their extensive presence on the two major southern continents and the smaller southern continent. These "little people" can be no more than a span in height, and at their tallest are not more than four spans. They are of various types, ranging from squat, heavy, and physically very powerful to slight, exquisite, and beautiful even by Canopean standards. The former extreme tends to dwell underground in caves, caverns, and subterranean places of all kinds, sometimes very far beneath ground, to the extent they may seldom or never see the surface at all. They are skilled in mining, smelting, surveying. They produce and use iron, copper, bronze, gold, silver. The more delicate types live in and with vegetation, understanding the uses of plants, or are adapted to water and its properties, or are creatures of fire. All shun the larger inhabitants of Shikasta to the point that in some parts they are already the stuff of myth and legend. But in some places a link has been established and maintained, even to the extent of exchange of information and commodities. These races have in our opinion little or no evolutionary potential. They dwindle in size and numbers and most have already transferred themselves - not to Zone Six, where they are not at home, but to Zones One and Two.

3 Because of the pressures of the polar ice masses so far south, there have been extensive movements of the two stocks we are interested in. The Giants, established mainly in the mountainous and plateau areas of the main landmass, spread out towards the east, and emigrated to the Isolated Northern Continent in large numbers, over the new ice bridges. There they flourish. They are now two-thirds of their former height. They live about two thousand years. Their life-spans and their stature both lessen fast.

The Natives, who were settled farther south and farther north than the Giants, have crowded in on areas the Giants left empty or sparsely settled and have also emigrated southwards everywhere, even to the extent of establishing themselves over the northern areas of Southern Continent I. They, too, are losing height, and are two-thirds of what they were in Johor's time. They live about eight hundred years. As with the Giants, their life-span and stature dwindle rapidly.

4 There is now mating between these two races, which produces a physically improved type, sturdy, healthy, but above all adaptable, able to withstand extremes of climate, to sustain themselves on any diet and to fit themselves rapidly to sudden and drastic changes. For instance, they are living adequately on the very edges of the ice cap. Their mentalities are not better than either the Giant or the Native stocks, but are ingenious and - again - very adaptable, within the limits, of course, imposed by the limited ingestion of SOWF by the planet.

The new hybrid lives among or near the Natives, but the Giants are less amenable. There is always, and increasingly, disharmony on personal and intergroup levels, but this does not yet show signs of developing into war, nor is war something considered inevitable or desirable. On the contrary, enough of the substance of Johor's "Rules" remains to make all species uneasy when they fall into bellicosity, even briefly; and antagonisms remain local and short-term affairs.

These three species - for the Cross should now be considered as a new species - breed and develop animals of all kinds, for food, for transport, and for use in agriculture. The use of metals is little understood, even though rumours of the skills of the "little people" suggest all kinds of experiments and attempts. We have inspired individuals in every part of Shikasta to search out the "little people" and learn from them what they can, particularly in the realm of metals.

5 The "Laws of Canopus," as described by Johor, have to a certain extent stabilised themselves not only in the various ethical structures, but even genetically. Transgressions cause discomfort, and have to be compensated for, in sometimes unfortunate and nonproductive ways. But we have to report that, as was expected, these Laws rapidly diminish in effect. Not least because of the efforts of Shammat, whose agents are energetically at work. The psychological malaise caused by "transgressions" provide fruitful ground for Shammat's needs. For instance, they have successfully established human sacrifice as a means of "pleasing the Gods." This practice is everywhere on the increase. Shammat encourages in every place and in every way the falling away of Shikastans into animalism. As this does not differ from what we already know of Puttiora and Shammat elsewhere, there is no need to enlarge.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:

a A boost of Canopean genes to the new Cross. This in our opinion has the greatest evolutionary potential, showing a tendency towards frequent and varied mutation.

b More frequent visits from our representatives. We know that Shammat's theft of SOWF ca