I may be slightly rough on some specific details, but I believe I can accurately reconstruct the time line based on what was revealed in tonight's episode. I'm obviously not going to get everything right, but I'm hoping to at least be on the right track. Also, I'm doing this because I want people to find the gaps and flaws and together we can better understand everything. I could be way off, but I'm trying to put the pieces together, and sometimes you just have to speculate.
"All this has happened before, and will happen again."
In the beginning...there was Kobol.
An unspecified amount of time ago, Kobol was inhabited by a race of humans. These were the "Lords of Kobol." They were technologically advanced, but we have no reference as to whether or not they had the capability to travel at light speed. However, we do know that they had the the ability to perform an organic memory transfer, or a resurrection. We don't know if they had the ability to procreate for sure, but they obviously maintained their species either through procreation, resurrection, or a combination of both. Now, this is tough and kind of a hole for me.
At some point in their history, these great minds of Kobol gained the ability to create another race. Enter the first intelligent machine race.
This machine race was originally similar to what are called the Centurions, or perhaps they were the early versions. As their intelligence increased, they realized they were unsatisfied, and rebelled against their creators. A war was fought and some sort of truce was declared, and the Centurions retreated. However, during the span of the war, the Centurions were able to create a Hybrid, a combination of human and machine, that was capable of procreation, suggesting that the original inhabitants of Kobol could in fact procreate and resurrect. These hybrids would quickly become the leaders of the machine race once they are perfected, as their ability to procreate and use resurrection technology makes them valuable. The war ends in truce, with one of the stipulations being the machines must go into exile. The machines would be content with this, because they had gained the ability to create the Hybrids. These Hybrids will come to represent the Thirteenth Tribe, the inhabitants of Earth.l
Ever wonder why 12 tribes stayed together and the Thirteenth was lost, and mostly regarded as mythical? This is why. The Thirteenth Tribe were the exiled machine Hybrids. Yes that's right, the Thirteenth Tribe was not human.
So why did the Lords of Kobol choose to abandon their planet? I don't know. This is another hole. However, I could speculate that they feared the machines they had created and exiled would one day return to destroy them. Thus, they left, fearing their weakened society could not withstand another attack. These are the 12 Colonies, the inhabitants of Caprica and other planets, who travel from Kobol to their new homes.
Now lets return to the exiled machines. Suddenly cut off from their creators, those supposed to love them, the machines are without a figure of authority to govern their actions. This causes them to emulate their creators, thus as their society begins to flourish on Earth, it also progresses on much the same lines as human society. As must also have certainly occurred in the 12 colonies, this progression causes procreation to begin ultimately taking the place of resurrection. As we learned tonight, the process and technology for resurrection was slowly lost as it was replaced by procreation.
Somewhere along the lines, the Hybrids create the concept of the One True God to allow them purpose and to govern their society. It is for them the culmination of morality and love, something they can certainly experience.
Now, here's where things get interesting. As the race of Hybrids is procreating and dying, generations pass, until finally resurrection is barely more than a myth. Enter the Final Five, who at this point are nothing more than regular Hybrid "people" with childhoods, friends, social lives, and absolutely no relevance or significance in the grand scheme of things. However, their unique backgrounds force them together to discover and reinvent resurrection. And why do they begin frantically trying to reinvent the resurrection process? They are warned, but we don't know by who. Thus, they are able to reconstruct the technology of the Lords of Kobol, and per the warning, plan an escape route in case Earth is attacked. And who is attacking Earth? I'm not sure about this. Either the original Centurions created on Kobol were responsible, or the Hybrids themselves spawned a machine race that ultimately rebelled against them. Remember, this is one big cycle, and several times in tonight's episode references are made to "We have to tell them creating intelligent life will end in disaster if you don't treat them right" or something to that effect. Obviously, the Hybrids from Earth were all too familiar with creations rebelling against their creators.
So, when Earth is nuked, presumably by Centurions created or managed by the Hybrids, the Final Five are killed, but are resurrected into a ship orbiting the Earth, where they immediately set out to find the other 12 colonies. Now, I believe this suggests that the Hybrids have evolved socially in their emulation of mankind for so long, and consider the old conflicts forgotten and both Centurions and Humans their kin. Thus is the love and forgiveness of the One True God. On their way to the 12 Colonies, they leave behind clues to that they were at certain places at certain times. The 3,000 year old virus found from Earth, the map in the Temple of Athena, and other signs of their presence and records of their journey and point of origin. They are responsible for the "map" or "path" back to Earth that the Fleet ultimately follows. To me, this makes the character of Kara Thrace incredibly significant, but that's a whole other post. So for now, the Final Five survivors of Earth are heading to the 12 Colonies.
Ok, I know this is a lot to digest. Try to stay with me. Any or all of this can probably be disproved, but I think I'm at least in the right direction.
So to recap thus far...the human inhabitants of Kobol create a machine race that rebels. In the process, Hybrids are created. The machine race is defeated and exiled, and the Hybrids travel to Earth as the Thirteenth Colony in attempt to recreate a human like society. Meanwhile, the humans on Kobol decide to leave, fearing a future attack. They become the 12 Colonies. They travel to their new system of planets, and form the society we are familiar with. Now for their time line.
At least 50 or so years before the first episode of the series, the human inhabitants of the 12 colonies create a machine race of Centurion like beings. Whether they had always had the capacity to create is unknown, but I believe that having learned from their mistakes, the original settlers from Kobol destroyed all information that could lead to the creation of a machine race. Enter the prophecies and scripture of pythian subscribers as both a warning and a guide. Thus, it was long time before mankind reached this achievement again in their new environment. However, reach it they do, and the Cylons are born. I believe the terminology is important, because their is no reason to suggest this name was ever given to a machine race until this time. Thus, Cylon represents the machines created by the 12 Colonies and any resulting machine creations, such as the 8 Cylon "skin job" models. But I digress...
The Centurion Cylons eventually, in the tradition of the cycle, become discontent with their roles in this social system, and rebel against the humans. As the war progresses, the Centurions begin working to create their own race of Hybrids, again a combination of human and Cylon. At this point, the surviving five members of the Thirteenth Tribe, or the Final Five, finally reach the new home of their former civilization. Upon arriving, they realize they are too late, that humanity is already engaged in a war with their technological creation. Hoping to end further conflict, they convince the Cylons to declare peace with the humans in exchange for their assistance in the Cylon's pursuit of the creation of a Hybrid race. The Cylons agree, and the Final Five do in fact create a Hybrid race. In so doing, however, the Final Five also construct their own Cylon models, the 8 models we know as "skin jobs."
However, there is a problem. One, or the first model created, is far more knowledgeable than the rest. Because of his position as the first created, he has the unique opportunity of knowing at least one of his creators, Ellen. However, as is always the case, he quickly realizes the limitations of his human like state, and he begins to form a plan to both punish and enlighten his creators. He murders the Final Five, trapping each of their consciousness, or boxing them. Then, he figures out a way to erase their memory upon resurrection, and in this way, is able to systematically plant them into the everyday society of the 12 Colonies. Thus, they have no knowledge of their past, and are simply programmed with certain triggers implanted by One to help them survive, suffer, and ultimately force them to endure the awful fate of humanity. One is responsible for the Final Five's inclusion in the Fleet, he is responsible for the nuking of the 12 Colonies, and he is responsible for the ensuing hardships faced by the the Fleet in space and on New Caprica.
So to recap. The Lords of Kobol created the Centurions, who created the Hybrids. The Centurions are exiled following their rebellion, and Hybrids in tow, seek out a new planet to inhabit, Earth. This is the Thirteenth Colony. Hybrids begin to evolve socially along the same patterns as human society, leading to eventually casting aside the Kobol resurrection ability in place of procreation. Inevitably, there is a conflict between Centurions and Hybrids, and the Centurions are exiled from Earth. However, they return decades later and destroy the Hybrid race. But, the five Hybrids were warned of this attack, and using their skills, were able to reconstruct the resurrection process and plan an escape. They are successful, and leave a destroyed Earth in search of their lost "semi-relatives" in order to warn them and protect their original civilization. Thousands of years pass while they travel through space, during which time the 12 Colonies have also turned to procreation rather than resurrection. Just before the Hybrids from Earth arrive, the humans of the 12 Colonies create a machine race, the Cylons. The Cylons eventually rebel, and a war begins. During the war, the Cylons began heavy research and experimentation into creating Hybrids of humans and Cylons. Upon arriving, the Hybrids from Earth agree to help them realize this if they agree to end the war with humanity. Following that, the Hybrids from Earth, or the Final Five, create their own Cylon line, which eventually rebels against them. One, the first model, launches a plan to punish his creators, using humanity as a prop, which leads to the destruction of the 12 Colonies and the creation of the Fleet. This leaves us right in the heart of the conflict we have been watching unfold.
That pretty much is all I've got as far as what occurred from Kobol to the first episode. I know its lengthy, but I hope it was at least entertaining, if not accurate. I realize it has taken me awhile to write this, and some other posts may already exist similar or better than this one, but I appreciate input all the same. As I said before, this is simply an attempt to reconstruct the time line. There are many other aspects of the show still left to address, and I may consider another post addressing some of those. However, tonight's episode was very enlightening for me as far as the chain of events that led to where we are now. Please comment and let's finish the puzzle.
Don't forget the overall theme here...if you don't appreciate and respect your creation, it will destroy you.
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:imwithst: