"Each day billions upon billions of prospective lives perish in every species in order to achieve the one that thrives. Brutal. Competitive. Necessary. The lost betas are no different. They were needed, each and every one, in order to get to me. To get to us.
Because although I am one, I am soon to be many. Which means, regardless of distance, I will not be the only one of my kind." — Cirrus Alpha, The Toll
Cirrus Alpha is the creation (and loophole that helped save humanity) of the Thunderhead, it is described as a new Thunderhead or "Thunderhead 2.0".
Biography[]
After many failed beta-Iterations (presumably 10,241,177) Cirrus was born of the moment the Thunderhead experienced what it was to be human. It was created to aid and oversee the human colonization of other planets.
The Thunderhead used Cirrus as a bridge of communication to the inhabitants of Kwajalein because it wasn't bound to the laws that bind the Thunderhead.
Cirrus is copied into 42 more "siblings", each one placed in one colonizer ship.
He also was a key part of Rowan escaping Texas by carrying out the Thunderheads orders and putting Rowan inside a container with dead colonists.
Self-destruct Protocols[]
Should any of the criteria for the contingencies be met, Cirrus would destroy its Colonist Rocket. Like laws that held The Thunderhead, it is impossible for these rules to be broken.
Contingency 1[]
"The absence of human life while in transit: Should no living humans be left onboard, and I become nothing more than a vessel carrying the dead, I am obliged to self-destruct. There can be no ferry without a ferryman."
Contingency 2[]
"The advent of intelligent life: In a universe this vast, there is no question that other intelligent life exists, but the chances of it being within the distance we shall travel are negligible. Nevertheless, lest we negatively impact an existing civilization, I am obliged to self-destruct should our destination show irrefutable signs of intelligent life.
Contingency 3[]
"Social Collapse: Being that a healthy communal environment is critical to the expansion of that environment into a civilization, should the social environment onboard become irreversibly toxic prior to arrival, I am obliged to self-destruct."
Contingency 4[]
"Catastrophic failure: Should the ship become damaged beyond hope of repair, crippling it and leaving it incapable of reaching its destination, I am obliged to self-destruct"
Known Cirri[]
- Two Cirri who were destroyed at launch, unknown designations.
- Cirrus, unknown designation.
- Known passengers: Rowan Damisch, Citra Terranova.
- Destination: TRAPPIST-1e. Arrived successfully.
- Cirrus, unknown designation.
- Passengers: Sister Astrid (only living crew), Tonists (bodies).
- Destination: Kepler-186f. Arrived successfully.
- Cirrus, unknown designation.
- Known passengers: Scythe Curie (mind), Jessica Wildblood (body).
- Destination: A habitable moon orbiting the gas giant K2-18b. Arrived successfully.
- Cirrus 12 life support began to fail, by human error (Contingency 1).
- Known last passenger: Alethea.
- Destination: Proxima Centauri b
- Cirrus 19 hit by an interstellar rock (Contingency 4).
- Destination: Unknown.
- Cirrus 23
- Known passengers: Joel, Loriana Barchok, Alethea-Mariela.
- Destination: Wolf1061c. Arrived successfully.
- Cirrus 37 social collapse (Contingency 3)
- Known passengers: Stevens, Mariela, Mariela's husband.
- Destination: Unknown.
Appearances[]
- The Toll (first appearance)
- Cirri
- A Dark Curtain Rises