Part 6: Carlos Corazon

Carlos Corazon

High Regent of the Aortic Order

First Contact: 28 January, 2020

Aorta is an oblong shaped planet where a massive smooth crater meets a gigantic mountain. When satellites recorded the rotation from space, some observers noticed that the planet looked as if it were throbbing when the video of was accelerated. Humans would note that it looked very similar to the hearts of animals, but covered in beautiful violet trees that met pinkish oceans and streams. 

The planet Aorta was once one of the most chaotic in the galaxy. Though always roiled in war caused by their own passion, they were also home to many of the galaxy’s greatest works of art and music. A planet unrivaled in its ability to be simultaneously beautiful and terrifying, extraterrestrial thrill seekers found it irresistible and often visited the perilous globe. Other more cautious neighbors did not deny the beauty but knew they would need some way to bring balance to the planet in order to visit. 

Among those seeking to bring balance to the planet was a small sect of Aortians known as the Aortic Order, which still exists today. Chief among this Order is Carlos Corazon, the second ever High Regent of the Aortic Order. Now the equivalent of 715 Earth years old, Carlos has led the order for centuries. He ascended upon reaching adulthood at the age of 10 Earth years. 

The Aortic Order considered itself a non-violent organization branching into as many industries as possible to promote their message of peace and benevolence. Considered the Order’s greatest achievement, Carlos along with fellow scientists and engineers invented an empathic implant that would link groups of people together emotionally. The implants were intended to get the hearts of two opposing sides to beat in unison towards a common goal. The Aortic Order called the implants Pacemakers. 

In time the Pacemakers became household items as the world began to see drastic drops in violent activity and declarations of war. As the implants became commonly used in households, Aorta then saw a significant decrease in acts of domestic violence, suicide, and divorce. Unfortunately, this prosperity did not last forever. 

There were still several groups that did not feel like the Aortians were making enough progress towards an intellectual society. The most dangerous of these groups were the logical extremists, The Knights of Neuron, from the planet Neuron. The Neuronites exploited a security flaw in the Pacemakers, making it so that all Aortians would be simultaneously linked together. The Pacemakers, only meant to link small groups together at a time, were overloaded. 

Millions of Aotrians perished immediately from the shock of the empathic overload. Millions of others were driven violently insane only to die a few years later (if their insanity had sent them to their demise through some act of lunacy). As for the best description for the remaining few, there is much debate concerning what fits. A feeling of bliss empathic bliss washed over them as the overloaded Pacemakers malfunctioned. 

There were very few Aortians who did not get the Pacemaker implants. In the end, this did not seem to matter. The implanted Aortians were overwhelmed with some instinctive need to spread their bliss to any they encountered. Led by the implanted was Carlos Corazon as High Regent as the implanted took the name of The Aortic Order. The Order washed over the other Aortians, not allowing refusal of the implants. With each new implant the Order grew in numbers, and as the numbers grew Carlos and his team of scientists and engineers calibrated the Pacemakers to allow the new members to know the bliss they felt without fear of death. 

Eventually Carlos had perfected the design so the Pacemakers could theoretically withstand a limitless number of implants to link to this new hivemind. When there was no longer a single unimplanted Aortian left, the Aortic Order decided it was time to spread their love and bliss to the stars. They began constructing a fleet of cyber-organic interstellar ships that would beat through space that they called their Heartseekers and designed in a pattern reminiscent of their planet’s unique shape. 

Before spreading their love and bliss, the Order first set its sights on the planet Neuron. As if some thirst for revenge still resided in their souls beneath the hivemind Pacemakers, the Aortic Order did not even bother to assimilate the Neuronites. The planet was swarmed and all inhabitants were ruthlessly annihilated. The Aortian army did not stop until there was no trace of Neuronites. After the Neuronite Genocide, the Aortic Order then truly turned its sights towards the stars. 

With each planet they crossed that had sentient life they forced the inhabitants to be implanted with Pacemakers, making alterations for each different lifeforms needs. After 113 years in space, the Aortic Order finally made its way to a corner of the galaxy. In this corner they encountered a battered fleet of Bunnies, Chicks, and Humans.