left behind on Minerva after genetic experimentation evolve into the Minervans–modern humans. Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago: An ice age begins on Minerva, threatening to destroy the new human civilization. Humanity begins a space program in an attempt to escape the planet and migrate to Earth. This leads to conflict and an arms race between the inhabitants of Minerva's two continents, democratic Cerios and autocratic Lambia, over control of the program. 50,020-50,000 years ago: The Jevlenese Imares Broghuilio and his generals appear via a time loop from the future in a fleet of five starships. Cerian president Harzin and Lambian king Perasmon declare the end of the arms race and the demilitarization of the two continents. Prince Freskel-Gar Engred is secretly aided by the Jevlenese in his plan to assassinate Perasmon and Harzin, and ascends the throne of Lambia. Under his rule, military development is restarted with contributions from Jevlenese technology. Broghuilio removes Freskel-Gar and installs himself as dictator, renaming himself Zargon. In turn, he too is replaced by Xerasky. 50,000 years ago: After years of hostilities, total nuclear warfare finally breaks out between Cerios and Lambia on Minerva and at the Cerian base on Minerva's moon. The Thuriens intervene but are too late: Minerva is shattered, forming Pluto and the asteroid belt while its moon is captured by Earth—which originally had no moon—becoming the planet's familiar satellite. The Cerian survivors ask to be transported down onto Earth but the gravitational stresses of the Moon being captured by Earth throw their civilization back to the stone age and, to survive, they are forced to wipe out the native Neanderthals before attempting to rebuild. The Lambian survivors are resettled on the planet of Jevlen, near Thurien, in an attempt to reintegrate them into society. They set up the supercomputer of JEVEX to run their affairs, modelled after the Thurien computer VISAR. C. 50,000 years to the 19th century: The Jevlenese move JEVEX to the planet of Uttan so that their researchers can increase its power without the knowledge of the Thuriens. Unknown to both parties, a pocket universe forms within JEVEX, the Entoverse. Some of its sapient inhabitants ("Ents") who go by the title of ayatollahs devise the ability to pass over to the original universe by taking over the minds of the Jevlenese. The Thuriens begin to trust the Jevlenese and contract them with the task of observing human