Earth
What Happened
Tin foil hats
For starters, we don't know what forced us from our home. The information is missing from the archives, with evidence indicating it was not only intentionally removed, but those responsible didn't even bother to cover their tracks. We know it was the earthborn, and they couldn't care less whether we know or not.
Some believe we destroyed the planet's environment, along with that of a few colonies in the origin system. Others believe an external force was involved, perhaps an extinction event arrived early on old blue. Maybe someone wanted the earth more than we did, and if they couldn't have it, no one would. Maybe we discovered some horrible truth that made leaving the system a viable option.
There are some who believe theology may grant the answers we seek. Maybe we fell victim to a cruel and angry god, indifferent to our suffering. In the end, it doesn't really matter. The records have been purged, and the earthborn are tight-lipped. I fear we may never know what truly happened.
Fact and fiction
I've spent so long speaking about what we don't know perhaps I should reveal some of the things we do. We know that the earth died quickly. We know it's nestled in a distant system far away from Safeharbor. We know that humans were just beginning to master spaceflight at the time, and we know the majority of those who left were carefully chosen, sequestered aboard arks that were never designed to leave the system. We may have left in a hurry, but it takes time to make a list of those who left.
We know there wasn't an invasion, or at least we feel it's safe to assume. No species capable of it would have been sloppy enough to let so many humans get away. We also know there wasn't a war among ourselves. Humanity was capable of many feats in the art of war, but war is not what consumed us. The records state we were in an unprecedented time of peace. Of course, the records were tampered with before. Perhaps we know nothing at all.
The Origin Exiles speak rather curious tales about the fall of earth. The evidence supports their account. There were many factors that led to our downfall, but a single event sealed our fate. This event was their doing, though the event changes depending on who you ask. "We broke into heaven," they say. They refuse to shed light on what the phrase means. Every human knows it. Whether it references a physical place or is meant to be figurative. The best theory I can muster is this: It seems we ventured where humanity was simply not meant to go.
Borrowed time
The only way the two can share a secret is if one of the two are dead. This adage appears to be flawed. The earthborn are an entire generation, all privy to the truth, yet none can bear to speak it. What cruelty, what unbearable experience could so efficiently haunt one's memory?
Those who want to know, Wayfarers and myself included, urge our elders to regrow a spine as soon as it is convenient. They aren't as young as they once were. The earthborn are slowly fading behind that thick black curtain we call death. If they all die, it would take finding earth to learn the truth, and that assumes theirs an earth left to find.
We know it hurts. We see their faces every time we ask about it. They are deeply scarred by the earth's passing. Their faces soften, their eyes glaze over, and some linger in a depression for weeks. It got to a point where we just stopped asking. We accepted their lies to spare them from their demons.
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Ok. Let's dig into the conflicting bits of the opening to start. Firstly, while I liked the whole mentioning of the separation of humanity from their culture, I feel like you should mention something about how it brought humanity together as they faced the unknown of the expansive universe. Secondly, you call 6 generations 300 years. If I recall correctly, humanity has extended their lifespan which would, in general, suggest that generations would expand a bit more into, maybe, 600 years instead? Not sure on that, but something to consider. What are earthborn again? I know I should know, but it's either those from the generation first born on earth or those still being born on earth. The latter of which makes little sense. I like the repetition of the "maybe this happened." Also, the whole idea of theology within this world is super mindboggling to me. For humanity to have been thrust into the unknown, realizing their insignificance within the universe, one would expect any remaining semblance of religion to be crashing and burning at this point. I guess humans will always cling to an explanation, however ridiculous it may be. I'd be curious to see the state of religion within your world as, considering the current focus on earth, religion would have suffered following the experiences that humanity faced within the wider universe. "To regrow a spine as soon as it's convenient" Seriously, I love the Archivist. There's so much sass, these articles have to be so fun to write. I'm so curious what happened to the earth and the fact you've made it clear you're never going to even tell your audience is killing me. So, I guess congratulations? Anway, this was a super interesting article. I'd love to know a bit more about the earthborn, especially what state they are in considering the fact none speak of the earth anymore. For that to have happened would suggest that the previous events were enough to scar even the most courageous of humans.
So. Uhh. I read this before the surrounding quotes. Those add a nice touch to the article, especially the last one. However, I'm still seething about the fact I'm probably never going to know what happened. The odd theory that comes to mind is humanity, though in a time of unprecedented peace, was in pursuit of a weapon so great that no war would even survive. Possibly even a biological weapon. And, instead of controlling it, they "broke into heaven" unleashing the destruction that destroyed the earth.
So its kind of strange. A generations is a VERY bad way of measuring time. Usually, Generations are defined by the years it takes for children to be born and grow up to have kids of their own. from what i gather it's 20-40 years. I then took extended lifespan into account and kept the figure at 40-50, which accounts for sociological stuff too, In sociology, researchers look at generations a bit differently. According to the dictionary, this term refers to “a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously.” Think millenials, and baby boomers. Since there is an extended lifespan, contemporary time periods will change as well. I also dont want to make humans other than the exiles TOOOO long lived. so i figured 300 would work. Not sure how it works in practice. May change eventually. Course, the figure can always be wrong... ;] I'll change it to "earth born humans," which is all it means XD Ohhhhh, i really need to do that article. Religion is definitely in a weird place for humanity. When your interacting with a race that believes their ships to be literal and figurative gods, religion can be murky. Many of the old world religions have either died out, or evolved into new forms. I have many ideas for this and that article will be coming soon! absolutely. The archivist is SO FUN. I love being able to play around with his narration. I'll do an article on the earthborn for sure. To be honest, I really don't know if I'll ever truly reveal it in full. The mystery is so critical to the setting, yet i want there to be an element of closure. it may not be fully revealed but details will trickle through that allow one to make their own decision, with that little layer of doubt lingering behind it. I've even toyed with the idea that its possible earthborn simply can't speak of the earth, no matter how hard they want to or try. I've even pondered finding a way for ALL of these theories to be true. Who knows... That is a good theory, for sure. It could have been a weapon, or some other kind of tech, that did the earth in. I can't say either way, though. XD
Spotted a typo upon rereading: "and that assumes theirs an earth left to find." should be "there's an earth" Also. I've rediscovered my theory comments and I think that they shall be of use in the discovery of how humanity Broke into Heaven. (Also, I think I'm going to twist your prompt a little bit as, since it's basically fanfiction, I'm going to make it a more active retelling than just theorizing. What an interesting way to get community engagement.)
Oooooo doooo itttttt! That's exciting. That's perfectly fine!