Arks are the giant spacecraft that were built to transport the Votans for the exodus from their dying star system. The Arks exploded in the cataclysmic Arkfall event of 2030.[1]
Construction[]
The Arks were constructed between 3362 BC and 3001 BC. Each Ark contains an Ark Brain, which guides the Ark in the absence of a Votan pilot. Arks contain life support technology to freeze Votans in a state of suspended animation. They carried millions of alien immigrants along with DNA samples of every species of flora and fauna found on the Votan homeworlds. Their propulsion system is powered by Gulanite.
Departure and Arrival[]
The Arks departed the Votanis System in 3001 BC, nine months before it was destroyed. At that time, the human population was barely in the millions and had only just discovered writing, so the Votans believed the planet uninhabited. The arks were first detected by Human scientists in 2000 and entered Earth's orbit in 2013. To the chagrin of some Votans and the irritation of others, they discovered that humans had built a reasonably sophisticated civilization across the planet and now numbered in the billions. In the years following the Arks' arrival, more and more Votans awoke and began the tedious process of negotiating with the human governments for colonization rights. The arks would remain the home of those Votans not sent on diplomatic missions below for the next seventeen years.
Destruction[]
In 2030, almost all of the Arks exploded in orbit and millions of Votans, the majority of those alive, died in the destruction. The exact cause is still hotly debated. Votan leaders blame a human attack, while Humans claim it was a Votan superweapon malfunctioning.[2] Those who had been awakened over the course of the preceding 17 years mostly survived, as did a handful of those still in stasis, at least initially. The remains of the Arks are still in orbit as of 2046, with parts of them occasionally raining down in an Arkfall.
