The Story of Space Odyssey
THE VANISHED SPIRE
LOCATION
Outerspace
YEAR
2020
PROGRAM
Digital Paintings & a Short Story
COLLABORATOR
Shangzhao Yuang
All drawings are drawn on the computer and an iPad Pro.
References to International organizations and commercial products in the fictitious.
Social phenomena and distance units, etc. are estimated based on reality.
The creation of the images for this project originated from a series of dreams that were repeated for a period of time while sleeping and then decided to record them. After a short period of organization and research, I decided to write a narrative and link the images together to form a short story.
Advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, rocket technology, and autonomous spacecraft hold the potential for a prosperous and liberating human future. However, there is a concern that these advancements may have unintended consequences, potentially hindering societal development.
This project explores the future of extraterrestrial space based on recent technological advancements, depicting the possibility of these advancements leading to the downfall of the human race. By examining the darker side, critical thinking is stimulated. Questions arise regarding the path of technological development, effective leadership, societal functioning, and the participation of ordinary individuals in shaping society. While humans have sought liberation, the consequences of liberating productive forces remain uncertain.
The project's images incorporate the "records" of an artificial intelligence recording device, which re-computes the records in memory until it eventually runs out of energy. From 2050 to 2400, as outer space exploration accelerates, society embarks on a dangerous path leading to its demise. The acceleration of scientific and technological progress surpasses imagination. Without a serious re-evaluation of historical development, the flood of technological revolution and its side effects, as already witnessed in the predestined apocalypse, may engulf our homeland.
Advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, rocket technology, and autonomous spacecraft hold the potential for a prosperous and liberating human future. However, there is a concern that these advancements may have unintended consequences, potentially hindering societal development.
This project explores the future of extraterrestrial space based on recent technological advancements, depicting the possibility of these advancements leading to the downfall of the human race. By examining the darker side, critical thinking is stimulated. Questions arise regarding the path of technological development, effective leadership, societal functioning, and the participation of ordinary individuals in shaping society. While humans have sought liberation, the consequences of liberating productive forces remain uncertain.
The project's images incorporate the "records" of an artificial intelligence recording device, which re-computes the records in memory until it eventually runs out of energy. From 2050 to 2400, as outer space exploration accelerates, society embarks on a dangerous path leading to its demise. The acceleration of scientific and technological progress surpasses imagination. Without a serious re-evaluation of historical development, the flood of technological revolution and its side effects, as already witnessed in the predestined apocalypse, may engulf our homeland.
Command Prompt : C:\WINDOWS\system32\CMD.exe
Microsoft Windows [Version 95.0.91209.0634]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Edward>reboot_
C:\Users\Edward>dir
Volume in driver C is Windows
Volume Serial Number is A3X6-NX20
Directory of C:\Users\Edward
The night sky was as silent as always. Perhaps there were no more lights rising gradually from the direction of the city as used to be. The starlight seemed pale and dim compared to the past. But for those marginal inhabitants of Earth, it didn’t matter. After all, the night sky has never belonged to them…
[ORIGINS]
08/05/2050 02 : 11 PM
ORIGINS.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type ORIGINS.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type ORIGINS.txt
Once upon a time, it was an age of evolution in which the blooming press was on par with the Age of Discovery, it was named the Age of Exploration II. However, that dazzling era has already vanished along with the spire of Babel tower which was trapped in the thick fog.
In the middle of the 21st century, with the raid increase of the number of aerospace enterprises entering the market, the rapid iteration of space flight technology has led to a continuous decline in costs. Companies shifted their sights from Mars to other planets, but the disorderly launches have led to frequent accidents. The persistently unresolved economic and trade conflicts and the emergence of global democracy have gradually evolved into a means of competing for resources and territories between nations. Therefore, the elites realized that in order to repair the gap that the social market has long broken, a stimulus in demand is essential. And to break that impasse, one thing has to be done...
‘Space industry of the world, unite!’
[LEAP FORWARD]
12/03/2066 04 : 23 PM
LEAP FORWARD.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type LEAP FORWARD.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type LEAP FORWARD.txt
2066, the competition turned into a dialogue. [Space Development Plan 2070] was issued by the Resolution of W.E.S.O. (World Extraterrestrial Space Organization). The goal was to establish a continuous ‘Outer Port’ and form a continuous external route, turning explorations and resource extractions into a space relay station centred on Earth. However, for the public, ever since the language and geographical barriers were broken by mankind, modern civilization and technology combination has become tower of Babel towards God, whereas the Earth is the land of Shinar of the universe. The Outer Port was supervised by W.E.S.O., outsourcing was authorized to enterprises of various countries to jointly build different areas, such as control areas, scientific research areas and port areas, etc.
[DEVELOPMENT]
06/12/2111 11 : 45 PM
DEVELOPMENT.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type DEVELOPMENT.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type DEVELOPMENT.txt
With excitement, the Columbians went on journeys to the universe that we seemingly already knew. After reaching the scheduled orbit, the technical team were, without a stop, remote controlling construction robots to enter the surfaces of nearby planets for construction. In the 22nd century, uninhabited cities and space ports sprang up all over the solar system. Although they were not cities inhabited by humans, these machines, which were endowed with task programs, had their own mission: to libertate the burdens on the shoulders of humanity. The Earth’s old traditional exploitation methods were gradually replaced by power cells that were brought back from space by the boatload. In order to further costs control, enterprises with fully automated production lines were packaged and moved to the Outer Port. Relying on the policy of collecting high taxes from enterprises, the government earned a large amount of finance to implement generous amount of welfare benefits and everyone received unconditional basic income.
[GLORIOUS RETIREMENT]
12/09/2203 11 : 45 PM
GLORIOUS RETIREMENT.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type GLORIOUS RETIREMENT.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type GLORIOUS RETIREMENT.txt
With the arrival of the 23rd century, the planned 12 Outer Ports were all successfully deployed. The fully automated system was also finally completed after decades of debugging and monitoring. It was estimated that the system can safely operate on its own for 640 years based on the forecast of future social demands done by enterprises. Meanwhile, the No.1 Outer Port has achieved the ability of automating the production of Outer Ports. The ‘12’ will be the base of the Babel Tower and will remain within the heliopause. The production of Galaxy1 and Galaxy2 has been completed and can be extended to the Milky Way Galaxy when needed... Shortly after, the enterprises announced that all staff will be ‘gloriously retired’ in echelon formation, people welcomed the return of the heroes one after another.
[MANNA]
27/08/2310 02 : 14 AM
MANNA.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type MANNA.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type MANNA.txt
This is the era of proletariat freedom for all. Some people even say this is the era of science realized socialism.
The city in the 23rd century was full of entertainment. Government welfare departments and trades became the very cores, the society became immersed in the vigor of financial markets and entertainment consumption, an atmosphere of excitement and melancholy was everywhere. People turned from consumption to satisfy simple materialistic desires along with the constantly rising stock market to seeking squandering that leads to mental satisfaction. A steady stream of white cargo ships carrying various resources descended from the sky, much like the God’s Manna. For a long time, the society presented itself as a utopian home like a paradise on earth.
[DECAY]
14/02/2321 09 : 56 PM
DECAY.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type DECAY.txt
C:\Users\Edward>type DECAY.txt
For nearly a century, development machines were constantly manufactured automatically, accompanied by the accelerating rate of consumption, resource acquisition had stagnated. It was the first bear market since the first cargo ship landed on Earth. People mobilized to appeal for the launch of the original plan, in which Galaxy1 will reach its position at 10AU within a decade, followed by Galaxy2. The production lines on No.1 Outer Port will also be restarted and extended into outer space.
Then a large amount of money was again, poured into the financial market, it surpassed the previous record, and everyone continued living in the vigor of desires…
September 11, 2307. At 22:50 UTC, Venus will occult Uranus. Meanwhile, officials said Galaxy1 will arrive at its designated position in 103 minutes. Everyone held their breaths while their eyes were fixed on the screen, waiting for the images sent back by the No.1 Outer Port. It was dark and empty. However, after over two hours of waiting, it didn’t send back any signals. After a long time has passed, the committee of the W.E.S.O. responded that the signal was lost due to the attenuation caused by the events of the day. However, no one believed that. After all, there hasn’t been a complete signal interruption in the nearly 200 years since No.1 Outer Port arrived at its designated position at 120AU. The government investigated in the darkness, but no signals at all. Just like the fate of ‘Voyager 1’, it vanished into the vast universe... A voice from the crowd shouted: ‘Babel has fallen!’ Then silence followed, gradually, the crowd disappeared at some point.
The next day, Thursday. The stock market continued falling, everyone seemed weird and every step they took were especially cautious. People fearfully thought it was God’s wrath. Although some scholars claimed that at the heliopause, the solar wind may be stopped when it encounters the interstellar medium, there was a substance which had never been discovered would interrupt Galaxy1’s signal, or even cause its disappearance. But the truth didn't matter to people, after all, the result was already right in front of them...
As time passed, the Galaxy2 and 3 suffered the same fate. With the high cost of basic development, the number of returning ships from where the orbit of the original Outer Port reached became fewer. However, the remaining researchers could no longer form a strong team to reiterate the original setting for further development. No one could remember how long it lasted, market bubbles formed one after another and triggered massive bankruptcies. The indulgent generation could not accept the government’s cuts in welfare and materialistic depravation forced them back to work. Besides, enterprises were also unable to restart their manufacture industries on their own. Governments of various countries were to closing one after another, the whole society fell into anarchy, famine and war broke out in various places, corpses were all over the streets, causing epidemics to spread and mass human deaths…
[RESET]
01/01/2400 06 : 15 AM
C:\Users\Edward>type RESET.txt
Ever since the existence of the Code of Hammurabi, 13 has been a missing number. Over past ten thousand years, human civilization has experienced disasters, bloodsheds, revolutions and progress, and has been constantly freeing themselves from ignorance. Today, the twelve Outer Ports finally stopped working. As they were running out of energy, drifted further and further away into the vast universe, eventually disappearing in the endless darkness.
C:\Users\Edward>shutdown -r
With the first rays of sunlight of the 25th century rising from the horizon over the city, it shined all the way onto the marginal inhabitants of earth whom knew nothing about that era. They climbed down from the treetops, one of them picked up a piece of debris that had fallen from somewhere. He paused, looked at the sky and took a deep breath, then walked away. Perhaps he was just thinking, ‘What a nice day’.