The government determined that the scientists were to blame.  They failed to detect the coming crisis and their failure led to the temporary evacuations, relocations, and the riots that consumed our homeland and killed millions of our fellow countrymen.  Their failure left us with the daunting task of rebuilding and reconstructing.  The government told the people that this could not be allowed to happen again, that the scientists, the owners of the most sacred public trust, could not be allowed to once again fail to detect and to prevent such an obvious disaster.  The government would act as the people’s Protector and take the necessary steps to stop the past from repeating itself.
            And, indeed, as we settled back in and completed Reconstruction, the government implemented a program that monitored the research of the scientists.  Research programs were limited to certain relevant fields which would clearly benefit the people and would enable the government to function as a Protector.  The first and most important area was defense.  The government made clear that without a strong, robust defense, the people would be unprotected and subject to another series of riots like those that consumed our planet once before.  Indeed, without defense, the government could not take up its role as Protector.
            After defense, the second area of research was communications technology.  Had the government had proper communications tools, it argued, planning and coordination would have been greatly improved and the planetary disaster could have been more effectively dealt with.  To truly become Protector, a strong defense would have to be supplemented with communications.  But those two would not be enough, argued the government.  Research into deep space travel capability would also be necessary.  Were a disaster of epic scale to hit our planet once again, something that the government assured the people was not possible, prompt evacuation would be necessary if reconstruction was impractical.  Deep space travel became a much applauded contingency plan of the government.  The government guaranteed that, in accordance with its role as Protector, enough ships would be built to prevent overcrowding and to ensure that no one would be left behind to suffer a slow and painful death while others made a successful evacuation.
            All other areas of scientific research were determined to be unnecessary and were outlawed.  The government made it abundantly clear that the three key areas of research, defense, communications, and deep space travel, were the key to revitalizing the population.  All other attempts at “scientific” research were little more than distractions and impediments to revitalization.  Indeed, such diversions from that which served the populace were nothing more than heretical attempts to destroy the people who struggled to survive and to turn back the clock on the progress of Reconstruction.  And, as Protector, the government guaranteed that it would not let this happen. 
            But not everyone agreed with the government.  The “heretics”, as they proudly called themselves in an attempt to spit in the government’s collective face, argued that research into our planet’s climate was more important than all three areas of the government’s research combined.  Further, programs designed to help restore the climate were the only way to protect the fragile future that Reconstruction offered.  The “heretics” made forceful arguments that a bold restructuring of the economy and of society was necessary in order to truly prevent the past from becoming the future.
            The government disagreed.  It argued that nothing like what had happened in the past would ever happen again.  The scientists specifically, and the people in general, had learned from their mistakes, and, with proper monitoring of the scientists from the government functioning as Protector, there would never be an opportunity for the past to return.  There would be no more Reconstructions, there would be only progress.
            The “heretics”, though, were not convinced and refused to buckle under the government’s pressure.  The “heretics” waged misinformation campaigns, in the words of the government, which pointed out flaws in the new programs.  They argued that the current defense, communications, and deep space travel programs utilized the same resources that caused the climate disaster and Reconstruction and that another disaster was certain; it would just be a matter of time.  The “heretics” continued to push for more climate monitoring and for other controls over industrial manufacturing, concluding that this would be the only way to avoid another disaster.  They argued that the reason the government refused to do this was because it was working for the business leaders and the elites, not the people and the planet.  The government steadfastly denied the charges leveled against it and imposed domestic order programs to keep unity among the people.  Despite the programs, the “heretics” marched in the street, disrupted the government’s research projects, and just plain continued to fight.

            The days of the “heretics” ended quite some time ago, in what was, for all intents and purposes, truly another era.  Eventually, the “heretics” recognized their mistakes and acknowledged that the government had been correct the entire time and was truly the people’s Protector.  After that acknowledgement, the “heretics” issued a statement of reconciliation and began a Unification program, working with the government to unite the dissident elements of society in order to further bolster defense, communications, and deep space technology.
            Not all of the “heretics” agreed with Unification, though, and many resisted it.  Those who resisted were viewed as conspirators working against Reconstruction to overthrow the government.  The government, acting as our Protector, worked with some of the former “heretics” and brought the rebellious ones to justice.  The government located each and every one of those who resisted Unification and brought them all to trial.  Death was the punishment imposed.  Execution was the only just punishment, the government argued.  The “heretics” hurt the people, hindered Reconstruction, and interfered with the people’s opportunity to move beyond the crises of the past.  The government fought and defeated the rebellious “heretics”.  From then on, there was no question as to whether the government was guarding our best interests or merely looking out for itself.  No longer could anyone doubt our government, for it was our Protector.
            The government, though, was not satisfied with merely silencing the Heretics, as they were officially called during the trials. (1)    The government instituted mandatory information sessions to make sure that each and every person was fully aware of what the Heretics attempted to do.  The Heretics, had the government not intervened and acted as Protector, would have wrecked planetary Reconstruction, which would have resulted in mass starvation and, perhaps, the extinction of our people.  The government promised that it would not ever allow that to happen and, in order to protect the people, implemented several additional domestic order programs designed to maintain stability and create a path for progress.  All public demonstrations were outlawed, as were any meetings not approved by the government.  Scientific research was further monitored and restricted, and students of all ages were to be taught only from an officially sanctioned curriculum.  The government could not be questioned, challenged, or disputed.  The government did this to protect the people, and the people willingly acquiesced to be protected.   

Despite Unification, stories, folk tales, and legends of the Heretics run through our culture.  Tales of Heretics capturing deep space ships, weapons, and communication devices are told in secret by parents to children late at night in basements, around campfires, and in other places of isolation.  Rumors of Heretics taking to the skies and colonizing planets far away from our home world persist.  Wild speculation of the return of the Heretics to have a final battle with our Protector-Government remains, it will not die, it will not go away.  Even as our people have colonized other planets, moons, and asteroids in our solar system, the legend of the Heretics stays with us.  No matter how far our people spread beyond our home plant, the Protector-Government cannot wipe the legends away.  The Heretics remain.
            I myself have been told the stories of the Heretics by my father and he was told of the Heretics by his father.  I, too, have kept the stories of the Heretics alive by telling them to my own children.  Late at night, huddled in a basement lit only by candles, my family and I sit in a circle and recount the tales of the Heretics and pray for their return.  We pray that they will come back, overthrow the Protector-Government, and cleanse the planet so that we may finally have a chance to begin again.