Date Posted:00:47:31 08/27/03 Wed Author: IDAHO Subject: Well here is my "speculation" In reply to:
Ghanima
's message, "I know, I know..." on 16:42:29 08/26/03 Tue
I think you are right in that the origin of the worms doesn't have to do with humans. I think that there probably was a race of human-like beings long ago that discovered the worms and the Spice. The worms were native to some planet in the Universe and were discovered by this ancient race of beings. The beings realized the power of the Spice (as it has a similar effect on all humanoid species) and used it for space travel, prescience, and the like. They were able to seed the worms on other planets throughout the cosmos to increase the Spice production. It is possible that seeding was impossible as the worms couldn't survive outside their native habitats and they created worlds artificially that would support the worms (like in Chapterhouse).
But then this race of intelligent human-like beings died out. Their wars diminished their numbers and their lack of a "hero" (for want of a better term) that could see the future well enough and had the courage to take control over it for a long period of time to make sure that it became diversified and spread throughout the galaxy, caused the race to die out. They may have even been destroyed by their own dependence upon machines to think for them and the only thing that is left of their once great race, is the planets in the far reaches of space, seeded with worms.
And now humanity is on the same path as that ancient race. Only now, the God Emperor has given humanity a fighting chance. He has bred in the No-Gene to escape Machine prescience, he has built in vast diversification into the human species and instigated the scattering through the far reaches of space to ensure humanity's survival. The question is whether it will be enough. Not only has humanity's thinking machines from the past evolved...they may have even combined with the alien race's thinking machines, becoming even more formidable.
I am speculating that the story of Dune, the worms, and this unknown alien species is cyclical and that what is happeneing now has come before in some form. It seems sort of fitting and in Herbert style. But it is only speculation.
