The extinction of any wider humanity had been on the cards. It was every planet for itself, and most of them greedy to take in offcomers fleeing the Architects, because few colonies had boasted a large population. In those places, pre-war whims, jokes and idle pastimes amongst the controlling few had been laid down as ironbound tradition for the benefit of the newcomers fleeing ruin. It was how those already in place had maintained their station amongst the swelling populace of refugees. This is how we do things.
