The Colonist during his final days inside the dream sequencer.
The Colonist was a human from Mars who lived during the late 21st and early 22nd centuries. Born and raised on the Martian colony, he was probably the last Human alive in the universe, in 2112. (The Dream Sequencer, Into the Electric Castle, The Sixth Extinction: "Spirit on the Wind")
Early Life[]
Born in 2082, the Colonist was a child of the first settlers on Mars. Growing up on this desolate planet, he did not experience a typical childhood. His father left for Earth when he was young to fight the Final War and as a result, perished in the nuclear apocalypse. He also harboured a certain bitterness toward his mother for allowing him to be raised on a planet with no friends of his own age and only computers to keep him entertained. (My House on Mars).
As the war came to its cataclysmic conclusion in 2084 the Colonist watched as Earth destroyed itself.[1]
The Last Man[]
Gradually, as supplies ran out, the colony's population dwindled until finally by 2112 only the Colonist was left. All too aware of his fate, in order to make his passing somewhat more bearable, he used the colony's dream sequencer, a device which allows the user to experience their past lives and those of their ancestors. (The Dream Sequencer) The Forever turned their attention to him, realising his significance as the last man alive and their last chance at reviving their race. (The Sixth Extinction: "Spirit on the Wind")
During his journey he discovered he was the reincarnation of many important Humans including Ayreon, Queen Elizabeth I, Frans B. Cocq and even the first Human to exist. (Carried by the Wind, Dragon on the Sea, The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq, The First Man on Earth)
Eventually he pre-incarnated so far back that he experienced the life of a Universal Migrator as it roamed the universe breathing life onto young worlds, including Earth. (Flight of the Migrator)
The New Migrator[]
See also: Universal Migrator.
As the Colonist neared the end of his life, still inside the sequencer, his soul separated from his body and took its place in the universe as the new migrator. (The New Migrator)
The Forever urged him to fly through the stars to their home planet and free them from their emotionally numb state. (The Sixth Extinction: "Complete the Circle"). The Colonist migrator breathed life back onto Planet Y, bringing an end to the Age of Shadows and giving the short life of the Human race new meaning, by granting another species a second chance. (Epilogue: The Memory Remains)
Notes[]
- The Colonist and Futureman are heavily implied to be the same character in the CD booklet for the Universal Migrator, Parts 1 & 2 Special Edition album.
- Like many characters, he is portrayed in photographs by Arjen Anthony Lucassen. In Into the Electric Castle he is voiced by Edward Reekers and by various vocalists in the Universal Migrator albums.