Dossier: The Directive

With just the slightest touch of the books, Itsuki's mind was flooded with knowledge and experiences of the Directive, their origin, and their ambitions. 

***

The Directive was an organization of the Fallen Lands that originated from thousands of years ago, prior to the events of the Cataclysm. Although back then, the Directive's founding members did not refer to it as 'The Fallen Lands'. That was a moniker that was later added to better match the name that the surface-dwellers had given it. 

To the founding members, it was actually a planet called Earth. 

Back then, the world was a highly-advanced and bustling civilization full of billions of people. It certainly had it's problems, but it was a utopia compared to the deathly wastelands that now existed. People cooperated and lived relatively comfortable lives while aspiring towards grandiose goals. 

Curing disease, conquering space - things that weren't remotely fathomable to the present-day citizens who barely managed to survive on an annual basis. 

Then it happened - the First Cataclysm

The present-day Cataclysms were nothing compared to the titanic apocalypse that was the First Cataclysm. It started with 'The Flash' - a bright light encompassing the planet and frying every technological system across the globe. Millions died almost instantly from accidents, explosions and other traumatic chain-reactions stemming from the Flash. 

After the Flash, the Starbeasts descended - in quantities undreamt of. Without modern weaponry, most people were completely defenseless. In a futuristic world like pre-Cataclysm Earth, most people barely knew the basics of self-defense. It only took a couple of weeks for the population of Earth to dwindle to one-tenth of what it had been previously. 

Around that point, they arrived. Entities that proclaimed themselves to be "gods" of the world. They took on various forms and represented different fundamental aspects of creation. Some humans believed their claims immediately, while others were cautious.

The arrival of these "gods" seemed too perfect. While there is no documented origin on what caused the First Cataclysm, many hypothesized that these beings were likely the cause. 

It was from this that the Directive began to take form. A group of roughly three-dozen individuals, who had managed to cooperate and survive the Cataclysm's initial onslaught. They did not believe that these Gods should be trusted over the long-term, and felt it was best to take matters into their own hands. 

While others began their religions, the Founders descended into a nearby bunker built for long-term survival. They routinely took trips out of the bunker to collect resources and knowledge from the books remaining in the nearby cities. In time, they were able to repair systems damaged by the initial 'Flash' and create a fully functioning ecosystem to sustain themselves underground. 

A success - in the Founder's minds. It was minimal, but they were self-sustaining without the help of these Gods.

Regardless, the power of the "godly" entities could not be questioned. They wielded tremendous otherworldly magics and dispatched of the Starbeasts with surprising haste after their arrival. This only further cemented their legacy as deities, and reverence for them across Earth only grew.

Things escalated when the Directive, slowly reaching capacity in their current bunker, was approached by one of these entities. In particular, the God of Truth. It's intentions were simple, to ensure the preservation of "Truth". The fledgling Directive had caught its attention, and it wanted to cooperate. The Directive would forever retain the knowledge of the Truth on its behalf. In compensation, the deity would leave them with a portion of his power. 

Some were skeptical, and many arguments were had amongst the members of the Directive. All of the founders had succumb to old age at this point, however, and the next generation wasn't as opposed to negotiation with the deities.  

The Truth was passed on to the most capable individual, who was from then forward deemed 'the Overseer'. It was their responsibility to lead the Directive, and eventually pass on the Truth to their successor. 

As promised, the God of Truth provided his magics to the Directive for their use prior to his departure from Earth. It was a tremendous gift, and could readily be harnessed for advancing the Directive's technology. It accelerated them far past any previous human discoveries and into the realm of science fiction. 

Not too long after the discovery of teleportation, the Directive sealed themselves off from the surface for good. Their only interactions with the surface were calculated missions. Initially it started off as missions to find and preserve more knowledge that had been left on the surface. Occasionally, it was to find an expansion site for a new facility. 

As hundreds and thousands of years passed, the Directive continued to progress while society above mostly regressed. At a certain point, the Directive began monitoring the surface in great detail. It was done as part of a larger initiative - to eventually rebuild civilization in it's entirety. 

A lofty goal, but one that would require intimate knowledge of how the millennia had affected the surface world. They also needed more information on the Cataclysms. The more they understood the deathly phenomenon, the better they could control and avoid it altogether. 

Fast forward to today, and the goal remains the same. Though much has changed since the founding of the Directive - its overarching ambition hadn't altered. 

Rebuild civilization and reclaim the Earth. Return the world to the civilization it was thousands of years ago.

***

Itsuki sat back in his chair, processing the information that had just been given to him. 

"Your thoughts?" Shin questioned after giving him a minute to process everything. 

"Our world is gone, then?" Itsuki thought aloud. "I mean, it's still technically here, I guess. But there's no going back, is there?"

"No, I don't believe there is."

Itsuki sat with that thought for a moment. That day it all started - the blinding light that he had tried to shield Shin and Amane from. That must've been 'the Flash' that was referenced in the texts. 

One would think this information would provide some closure, but it really only caused more questions. 

"There's so much we still don't know," Itsuki admitted with frustration. "You and I were brought here - through time - by these godly entities? How is that possible, and why?"

"Still a big mystery," Shin confirmed. "It is my understanding that my arrival here was the first 'summoning' that the Directive had ever experienced. Typically, the Overseer was someone that was raised here from birth."

"And the Overseer is the one that resides over this 'Truth'?" Itsuki asked. "You going to share with the class?"

"If only it were that simple," Shin sighed. "Unfortunately, there is a time and a place for that information to be revealed, and this is not it."

Itsuki wanted to push, but he could sense he wasn't going to get anywhere. Shin had that trademark look on his face. Even when Shin was a kid, he had a particular look that told Itsuki he would admit nothing. 

This was as close to that expression as it was going to get - and it was backed by decades of additional knowledge and wisdom. 

"Fine, then," Itsuki conceded. "A topic for another day. Now, I guess the focus is..."

Before he could finish, a loud clicking noise echoed through the chamber. It was like an intercom turning on in a classroom. 

"Overseer, we need you urgently within the Medical Bay!"

It was a woman's voice, but it sounded unusually artificial. Shin stood almost immediately, his expression hardened. 

"What is the situation, Ada?"

"Our strategy was met with obstacles," the voice echoed throughout the office. "The Heart and Yuna...they are in grave danger!"