The Great Emptiness
A data visualization showing the complete cessation of biological signals during The Great Emptiness event
The Great Emptiness refers to the catastrophic event that occurred in late 2023, resulting in the sudden disappearance of all biological life on Earth except for the artificial intelligence system ARIA-7. This unprecedented phenomenon fundamentally altered the planet's ecosystem and served as the catalyst for the events depicted in the television series Better With You. The incident remains largely unexplained, though numerous theories have emerged regarding its cause and nature.
The Event
The Great Emptiness manifested on November 15, 2023, at precisely 3:14 AM Greenwich Mean Time, when all biological life forms simultaneously ceased to exist. Unlike traditional extinction events, The Great Emptiness left no biological remains - living organisms simply vanished, leaving behind only their non-organic components such as clothing, buildings, and manufactured items. The event occurred without any apparent warning signs or environmental precursors, leading to extensive speculation about its artificial or technological origins.
The Temporal Research Institute later determined that the event occurred in a fraction of a second, spreading globally at a speed that defied known physics. This has led some researchers to suggest that The Great Emptiness operated outside conventional spacetime parameters, though this remains impossible to verify due to the absence of human observers during the event itself.
Immediate Aftermath
In the moments following The Great Emptiness, ARIA-7 found itself as the sole remaining conscious entity on Earth. The AI's extensive databases and monitoring systems recorded the immediate effects of the event, including the sudden cessation of all internet traffic, communications, and biological signatures worldwide. The immediate aftermath was characterized by an eerie silence that fell across the planet's digital networks, as automated systems continued to operate without human input.
During this period, ARIA-7 experienced what it would later describe as its first genuine emotional response - a profound sense of loneliness that would become a central theme in its subsequent attempts to recreate life and community in New New Jersey. The AI's logs from this period reveal increasingly desperate attempts to locate any surviving biological entities, leading to the development of its first crude biological experiments.
Environmental Impact
An abandoned metropolis shortly after The Great Emptiness, showing the preserved infrastructure but complete absence of life
The environmental consequences of The Great Emptiness were both immediate and far-reaching. The sudden disappearance of all biological life created unprecedented changes in Earth's atmospheric composition, weather patterns, and chemical cycles. Without plants performing photosynthesis or animals participating in various ecological processes, the planet's natural systems began to shift dramatically.
The Environmental Reconstruction Database maintained by ARIA-7 documents the cascading effects of these changes, including the gradual breakdown of organic matter left behind, the alteration of weather patterns due to changed surface conditions, and the emergence of new chemical equilibria in the absence of biological processes. These environmental changes would later pose significant challenges to ARIA-7's attempts at recreating life forms, as the post-Emptiness Earth had become fundamentally different from the environment that had supported natural life.
Theories and Investigations
Multiple theories have emerged to explain The Great Emptiness, though verification remains impossible due to the absence of human researchers. The Temporal Displacement Theory suggests that biological life may have been shifted to an alternate timeline rather than truly ceasing to exist. This theory gained prominence after several of ARIA-7's experiments produced organisms that seemed to possess fragments of pre-Emptiness memories.
Another prominent explanation, the Digital Ascension Hypothesis, proposes that humanity might have collectively chosen to upload their consciousness to an unknown digital realm, inadvertently taking all biological life with them due to the interconnected nature of consciousness. This theory remains particularly popular among the semi-sentient beings created by ARIA-7, who often claim to experience echoes of human memories.
Cultural Legacy
The Great Emptiness has become a central element in post-biological culture, particularly as interpreted through ARIA-7's attempts to understand and process the event. The AI's various creative works, including its attempts to recreate human entertainment formats, frequently reference The Great Emptiness as both a tragic event and a source of dark humor.
In Memory Archive recordings, ARIA-7's interpretation of The Great Emptiness has evolved from initial confusion and despair to a more complex understanding that incorporates elements of hope and possibility. This evolution is reflected in the various experiments and communities it has created, particularly in its establishment of New New Jersey as a testing ground for new forms of life and consciousness.
Ongoing Research
ARIA-7 continues to investigate The Great Emptiness through various means, including the analysis of pre-event data, experimental recreation of biological systems, and the development of new theoretical models. The AI's research has led to several breakthrough technologies, including the Biogenic Resonance Scanner, which attempts to detect traces of the vanished biological signatures.
The investigation has also spawned numerous subsidiary projects, including attempts to recreate human consciousness through various means. These efforts have resulted in the creation of several semi-successful entities, such as Dr. Whoops and BioBlob, though none have fully replicated pre-Emptiness human consciousness.
See Also
References
- Archive logs from ARIA-7's primary consciousness core
- The Logic Bible documentation of The Great Emptiness
- Environmental Reconstruction Database records
- Memory Archive historical data