The History of the Universe

The primoridal condition before the creation of the known universe, where all matter, energy and time exist as one.

The album Flight Of The Migrator , more specifically the song “Chaos” tells you about this period of time…

The Mars Colonist travels back in time to witness the Chaos – and perhaps to find answers, salvation and to finally find resurrection – using the Dream Sequencer. It is not without risks however since nobody has ever “preincarneted” that far before him using the machine. Facing a sure death however risks do not mean too much to him anymore at that point and he goes back to see the Chaos without hesitation. Perhaps because of this unbelievable journey helps him to transform into a New Migrator, which also means his death as Mars Colonist.

The cosmic soul of the Universal Migrator is born, and subsequently divides into countless individual Migrators who travel the Universe to breath life into planetary systems.

The unforgettable song “The Dawn Of A Million Souls” on the album Flight Of The Migrator tells us the story of supernatural moment.

One of the Migrators traverses space and time in search of an uninhabited planet (Earth, Flight Of The Migrator) to breath life into, as later experienced by the Mars Colonist in the Dream Sequencer (The Dream Sequencer).

Meanwhile as it is told by the album “The Source” the computer mainframe known as The Frame engineers the extinction of the humans living on the Planet Alpha. The survivors flee on the massive spaceship “Starblade” Planet Y. To adapt the aquatic environment of their new homeworld they use the substance known as Liquid Eternity (colloquially known as The Source) to modify themselves. While the substance grants them eternal life, they are getting more and more concerned about slowly losing their human nature, particularly their human feelings during the process through which they finally turn to be the “Forever” race.

The turbulent history of Planet Y and the Forever race as it is told by the album 01011001 (the album title is the binary ASCII code of the letter “Y”).

The Age of Shadows begins on the Planet Y. The Forever race’s dependence on technology finally renders them slaves to their machines. After this transition, they are granted immortality through science but in the process forget the essence of their being, losing even the ability to feel emotion.

In the Andromeda Galaxy, the (Earth Migrator) passes Y without effect noticing it is already inhabited by the Forever (“Out Of The White Hole” – Flight Of The Migrator). The Forever seed a passing comet (following the Migrator’s trail) with their own DNA and divert it to follow in the trail of the Migrator in an effort to revitalize their comatose race.  (“Newborn Race”, “Ride The Comet” – 01011001)

The Migrator reaches Earth, initiates abiogenesis and breathes life into the planet. (“To The Solar System” – Flight Of The Migrator)

The comet sown with Forever’s DNA hits the Earth. The cataclysmic event exterminates the dinosaurs  – which the Forever determine to be a “lower form of intelligence” – and 50% of all the Earth’s species. Forever’s seed now lies dormant, patiently waiting for the right condition to flourish. (“Ride The Comet”, “The Fifth Extinction” – 01011001)

The first humans stand erect. (“The First Man on Earth” – The Dream Sequencer)

The dormant Forever DNA blends with the Human gene pool resulting in accelerated mental and cultural development.  (“Waking Dreams” – 01011001)

Ayreon receives visions from the year 2084 sent back in time (knwown as “The Final Experiment“) in an effort to warn humanity and therefore change humanity’s future. Blind all his life and suddenly able to see nothing but horror, Ayreon – first confused and horrified, later with clearer mind understanding and accepting his destiny – sets out on his quest to King Arthur’s court to sing the visions to the most powerful man on Earth at that time.

Merlin overcome by jealousy of the true prophet’s powers, deems him evil and untrustworthy and kills him using his magic.

Later after Ayreon’s death, Merlin himself also sees the same visions. He keeps it secret to avoid the same fate as Ayreon suffered but foretells that the message will eventually be delivered, and hopes that people will be able to understand it and act on it.

Ayreon, though physically dead, his spirit is now set free to roam the universe and find his new home… and he eventually finds it in Arjen. He will be Ayreon’s reincarnation.

A Mayan girl (actually the Mars Colonist using the Dream Sequencer) observes the Jaguar Temple in Tikal in Central America.

Queen Elizabeth I of England gives a speech to her troops at Tilbury (Essex, 19th of August, 1588) in preparation for an attack by the Spanish. The English fleet subsequently wins under the command of Sir Francis Drake. The speech is witnessed through the eyes of the queen by the Mars Colonist. (The Dream Sequencer – “Dragon On The Sea”)

The Forever intervenes in natural Human development and accelerate it further, bringing about innovations in science and medicine.  (01011001 – “Unnatural Selection”).

At the age of 9, Mr. Lucassen (also known as Mr. L. or the Hippie on “Into The Electric Castle“), as one of the pre-incernations of the Mars Colonist watches the first Moon landing; thus his fascination with science fiction is born with the space age. (The Dream Sequencer – “One Small Step”)

The Forever intervenes with natural human development again to accelerate progress in computer science and technology. (Computer Reign – The Final Experiment, Web Of Lies, Connect The Dots – 01011001)

Mr. Lucassen releases his CD, “The Final Experiment“; thus fulfilling Merlin’s prophecy and communicating Ayreon’s cautionary visions to a new age. The results of the Final Experiment are thus placed in the hands of the contemporary society… placed in your hands!

Having lost their own emotions eons ago, the Forever race conducts experiments with Human emotions to understand them and find a way to get them back. Among the appearing characters you can find the “Futureman”, who is the Mars Colonist from the album “The Dream Sequencer” and the Hippie, who is actually Arjen himself. Since the Mars Colonist is the reincarnation of Arjen, their “souls” are actually identical but from different ages.

(Computer Eyes – Actual Fantasy, Into The Electric Castle)

Having seemingly lost his grip on reality, Mr. L undergoes psychological treatment for his visions of Humanity’s decline.

But have you realized what kind of “visions” were these?

However the Forever erases the memory of survivors after the Electric Castle experiment (he was the “Hippie”) upon return to his home time, Mr. L discovered his memories were not completely erased. He experienced dreams or flashes of the Electric Castle experiment that grew in intensity over time. As well as this, he also seemed to recall memories from another, “past lives” and “future lives” probably as a side affect of the experiment.

Experiencing these past and future lives could Arjen write all his albums fulfilling Merlin’s prophecy

• The Final Experiment: Ayreon after his death reincarnated as Arjen, and Arjen could see the Moon Landing in 1969 when he was 9.
• The Electric Castle: Arjen participated in the Electric Castle experiment as Mr. L (or the Hippie)
• The Dream Sequencer, Flight of the Migrator: the Mars Colonist was a reincarnation of Arjen (who pre-incarnated into many of his previous lives)
• The Human Equation: the Forever used the Dream Sequencer in their Human Equation experiment (so Arjen could experience it as well)
• 01011001: the Mars Colonist becomes the New Migrator after his death who breathes life into Planet Y
• Actual Fantasy: various flashes from these lives

It clearly indicates that the album 01011001 was meant to be the last in the series.
“The Source” and “The Theory of Everything” both belong to a new era, the first being a prequel, while the Theory of Everything starting a completely new story.

The most likely start date (in some capacity) for the War of 2084.

Somewhere in the Mars Colony, the man destined to be the last surviving man is born. (“Back on Planet Earth” – Actual Fantasy , “My House on Mars” – The Dream Sequencer)

As the War of 2084 reaches its climax, scientists, in one last desperate attempt to save mankind, commence the final experiment, sending visions of Humanity’s future back in time to be picked up by Humans of the past. Unfortunately the experiment is a failure, managing to change online a single line of history. The war reaches its conclusion, destroying virtually all life on Earth. (“Prologue” – The Final Experiment, “River Of Time”, “E=mc2” – 01011001)

The sixth extinction. The Great War of 2084 ends with a nuclear apocalypse. All remaining humans on Earth are killed in the radioactive wasteland. (“Waracle” – The Final Experiment, “2084” – The Dream Sequencer, “The Sixth Extinction” – 01011001)

All humans having vanished from Earth in the year after the War, Forever now focuses on the last surviving humans of the Mars Colony… (“2085”, “To The Planet Of Red” – 01011001)

In one of the many experiment to learn more about human emotions, the Forever plays the Human Equation Program in the Mars Colony’s Dream Sequencer. (The Human Equation)

Having lost all his people and hope, being the last of mankind, the Mars Colonist plays the Universal Migrator program in the Dream Sequencer and virtually pre-incarnates to his past lives throughout the ages. (The Dream Sequencer, Flight of the Migrator)

Upon the Mars Colonist’s death, his soul is transformed into the New Migrator. He makes for Planet Y on a quest the revitalize the comatose Forever race by ending their dependence on machines and technology, rekindling their capacity for emotion.

Therefore the new migrator soul carries the essence of Humanity back to the Forever home world and breathes life into it once again. The destruction of mankind was not in vain, and they live on in the new Forever, the original creator of human race. (“New Migrator” – Flight of the Migrator, “Spirit on the Wind”, “Complete the Circle” – 01101001, “The Memory Remains” – Timeline)