Two expeditions had been sent out almost one hundred years apart with the First Dark Ages intervening. One hundred carefully chosen colonists plus the crews of the two wormhole driven fusion ships disappeared, never to be heard of again and no one ever found a clue as to their outcomes.
Jean hoped to be the first to unravel the mysteries. She had the appropriate background with degrees in History, Anthropology and Physics.
Her space habitat, Muir 3, circled the solar analog star HD 147515 which was known locally as Scorpius Midloth or just Midloth. Midloth was forty-two light-years from Earth. Muir 3, a twin cylindrical design, was over fifty kilometers long and ten kilometers in diameter. Pairing cylinders with a rigid end scaffolding between and spinning in opposite directions had the advantage of shedding the moment of inertia and easing the station keeping effort.
Jean had an office at Midloth University where she was a young tenured professor of thirty-five years. Unusually young for tenure but in return the university did get a professor that could teach in three departments.
Jean knew a little about the expeditions. That the first had a problem with its AI before losing contact. The expedition had reported that the AI onboard had gone rogue resulting in the death of several crew members. Just how many deaths were unknown but some had estimated that it must have been at least half those aboard.
The other expedition had an even more bizarre experience. Something happened during wormhole boost placing most of the crew and colonists into a form of suspended animation. When the remaining crew tried to initiate wormhole transport back to base they were never heard from again.
Two fusion ships and over two hundred souls had disappeared without a trace. Efforts to find out what had happened were interrupted each time by a general disintegration of society. So-called Dark Ages by historians. The similarities between the two missions and their outcomes, at least the known outcomes was intriguing.
The problem with the pursuit of the stories for either expedition was that the official sources of information had been lost over the intervening years. Either as a result of the breakdown in society and its record keepers or a failure to update the technology those records were kept on.
Jean was always amazed at how fragile was advanced technology.
A conference was being held at Jean's university. She had delivered a talk and was wandering around the conference center when she saw a non-scheduled speaker. The sign beside the door was handwritten so it must have been a last-minute addition. “Professor Albert Schenk, Centauri University, Historic Preservation”.
Jean was suitably curious and opened the door. The conference room was small and the number of attendees was also small. Jean figured no more than half a dozen people including the speaker. She took a seat at the back.
“... the case of the recorder globes on Earth is particularly interesting,” said the speaker. “Dr. Whitney Howe and Dr. Murray Cole discovered in a mine on Earth the famous recorder globes. These globes were about two centimeters in diameter and Dr. Howe counted about seven thousand rooms filled with hundreds of these globes arranged around the walls of the room. A physicist named Dr. Jefferson working with Dr. Howe estimated that the installation contained trillions of terabytes of information. More data than on the whole Earth at the time. But remember that was over a thousand years ago.”
Unfortunately, after a few more details, the speaker said nothing more about the globes as he moved on to a new topic. Jean waited until the talk was over and approached the professor.
“Professor Schenk,” she said. “I'm Dr. Jean Jackson of Midloth University here in the habitat.”
“Happy to meet you Dr. Jackson. What can I do for you?”
“I'm interested in the recorder globes you spoke about. I was wondering if you had any more information than you have shared already?”
“Yes, the recorder globes are a fascinating subject but I'm afraid not much more is known than I described in my talk. There was an effort at the time to decode the information in the spheres but how much they decoded or what happened to the decoded information we don't know.
“We do know that five hundred years later the globes were finally decoded by scientists of that time. They had hoped to find some science or technology that would allow them to recover the contents of the baby universes that had been created by the Belini. You remember that name?”
“Yes Dr. Schenk I remember. The Belini was the name of the breakaway faction of AIs that attacked humanity with globes similar to the recorder globes but much larger. The large globes somehow could carve a section of spacetime out of this universe and send it into a baby universe.”
“Exactly, a universe cut off from our own. Essentially any star system that found itself in a baby universe was marooned. It is still something that even today our science can't match.”
“What about the decoded information. What did they discover?”
“We're not sure, the information disappeared in the confusion and disorder of the Second Dark Ages. But we do know that it had no information about science or technology. It did however contain a great deal of information about human history and culture.”
“Really? And there is no way of finding out what they discovered?”
“Not that I know of. Now Dr. Howe I must be going.”
“Just one thing. Is the original installation of those globes still in existence?”
“As far as I know. It became a protected site of the United Solar System. But I don't know if it survived the chaos of the dark ages. Why?”
“I would like to decode that information again. With the advancements we've made in quantum computers and cyber techniques it should be a lot easier this time than the first time.”
“You would go to Earth to do this?”
“If I can get the grant.”
“Do you need an assistant?”
3
Trilons were native to the planet Trila. On average they were shorter than the Rigans by about a foot. Otherwise, they were similar, being bipedal with bilateral body symmetry. Their facial features seemed childish to the Rigans and this impression was further enforced by their almost bald head. They were unassuming and always deferential to the Rigans. Some Rigans found them precious but most found them irritating.
The Trilon deaths around Rigan construction sites were being investigated by the scientists with some assistance from the Trilons themselves. Pieon was one such Trilon and he was worried. Not only about the deaths but about Georges, his Rigan friend. Georges didn't seem to be enjoying his job anymore.
No doubt it was the heavy responsibility that someone doing such work has to shoulder, thought Pieon.
Pieon had been the one Trilon that seemed to take Georges and the other Rigans seriously. All the other Trilons just seemed amused or passed on to their daily routines without much notice of the visitors. Georges was head of psychological research for the new Rigan Department of Off-World Development and its contractor, WorldDev Corp. He had the look of a leader but didn't have the drive to dominate. He was of average height for a Rigan but looked taller because of his thin carriage. He spoke softly when he spoke at all.
And he had been very protective of the Trilons since his research had begun. In fact, through his friendship with Pieon, many Trilons had been spared a more hostile interview regime, though none seemed to be particularly thankful to Georges. Georges was mostly confused by the Trilons and Pieon was mostly worried about Georges.
The higher-ups in the Rigan bureaucracy were confused also, if not worried. The Trilons didn't seem to pose a threat to the Rigan's plans, but how could they be sure when there didn't seem to be any central seat of Trilon government to influence or intimidate?
Frazes Ferdanda was the head of the Rigan council on Trila. He wasn't much taller than a Trilon but walked as if he were, with long strides that caused him to seem always off balance as he rocked from side to side while walking. Some thought him particularly comical and imitations were common among his s
ubordinates.
After several days of consultation with other members of his council, Ferdanda decided to call Georges in for an early morning meeting. Georges received the summons just in time to ruin a night’s sleep.
The next morning Georges felt himself drifting and having difficulty following the presentation by the council's second in charge. He snapped back when the Head Councilman spoke up.
"Thank you Hazles, and these deaths that we've been seeing, I don't understand them. The Trilon don't seem to have any capacity to recognize danger when it is upon them. Everyone says they are quite intelligent, yet they don't even seem to be able to take care of themselves in situations that would present an obvious danger to a Rigan.”
“What do you think, Georges, do you think the Trilons have the capacity to work with us and to work around our machinery? Or do they have the capacity for the kind of subterfuge that council member Hazles talks about?"
Georges knew the HC was speaking to him but he hadn't any idea what Hazles had been talking about. He knew he would have to improvise.
Georges shrugged unconsciously and said, "As best as I can determine the Trilon are a very ancient race. Probably more ancient than the Rigan race. It is true that we do not yet know how the Trilon organize their society, but they seem to be very territorial. The socio-biologists haven't found one of them outside five or so laticks of their domicile. They also seem to use a sixth sense, so to speak, which allows them to organize when necessary. Otherwise, we believe they go their individual ways and avoid others including their own kind. It may be that the accidents are a result of some resentment for having their territorial rights violated. But we need further study to be sure.”
"Isn't one of them a friend of yours Georges?" asked the HC.
"Well, I don't know," said Georges shrugging. "Pieon has been helpful in interviews and what I do understand about his species I've mostly learned from him. But I'm not sure he understands concepts of friendship the way we understand it."
"Well, whatever," said Second Council Hazles. "Can he help us organize them or not?"
Head Council Ferdanda spoke up, "Yes, Georges, can Pieon help us get the others to work with us or not? You've spent way too much time studying and not enough time persuading, I fear."
"Persuasion is a tool I can use on a Rigan," said Georges, "because I understand Rigan psychology, but Trilon psychology I'm afraid is still something of a mystery. I need to run more tests on a wider sample of subjects before ..."
Hazles abruptly interrupted, "Look, Georges, we don't have time for you to run further tests we need to start showing progress now. Me, the council, all of us are under pressure from back home, and before my head rolls yours will!"
"Now gentlemen," said Ferdanda, "we are all under pressure. The fact is pressure or not, we have a job to do. Georges I'm afraid your tactics will have to become a bit more inventive even if that means discomforting some of the Trilon, do you understand?"
"Yes, High Councilman Ferdanda, I understand," said Georges quietly.
4
Georges dwelling was a small three-room apartment in the newly built housing complex. Upon entering Georges collapsed into his chair. He had never been subjected to such pressure in all his time as a researcher.
I wish I had never heard of Trilons. What I expected to be my biggest contribution to science may become my last will and testament. I really like the little fellows, I don't want to pressure them, as the HC insists.
Georges sighed as he got up.
I guess I better get lunch and make an appearance at the lab before anyone gets too suspicious.
The lab was far from complete just a temporary inflatable that consisted of a couple of large rooms and several office spaces. The housing for the council members and their families came first. Most of Georges’ research consisted of administering psychological tests. Aptitude, social, emotional and other tests that could be adapted by him and given to the Trilons.
Georges entered the lab airlock and took off his re-breather and heavy coat before entering the small reception room. The Trilon entered the lab through a second external airlock that although redundant was required by regulations. In that airlock and the room, the environment was kept comfortable for a Trilon, a somewhat colder and rarefied breathing mixture than the Rigans were comfortable with. Researchers could either don a re-breather and appropriate clothes and cycle through the interior room's airlock to interact with the Trilon physically or they could communicate over an audio link and observe from behind glass. One of the interview rooms had a silvered one-way mirror through which researchers could watch.
Georges greeted his immediate subordinate, Anglis Sergino. “Well, Anglis, what do you have for me today?”
“Sir, I have some results from yesterday’s aptitude retests.”
“These were conducted after a suitable period passed so as not to be influenced by the previous tests, I presume?”
“Yes, sir, if you will remember it’s been at least ninety diurnals since the first tests.”
“Very good,” said Georges. “And the results?”
“The results are a bit confusing, sir. Each subject’s score correlates no better than point seven with his previous score. And the scores of the whole group are tightly bunched around that value.”
“Really,” said Georges. “And what do you make of it Anglis?”
“Well sir, it’s definitely unexpected, and the correlation between tests is almost nonexistent. We know that the test-retest reliability of this particular aptitude test is quite high for most Rigans, so I think that maybe the Trilon aren’t taking the test as serious this time, or maybe their uniqueness makes the test inappropriate for use.”
“Probably a lessening of interest, Anglis, I’ve noticed it myself. As if they’ve dismissed the importance of what we are trying to do here. We’ve missed something crucial about the way they think, their culture and their society I believe. Thank you Anglis, I’ll take your report with me.”
Georges continued to his office down one of the halls. Sitting down behind his desk and opening the report Georges found that throughout the battery of tests the scores were unfailingly not reproducible upon retesting. Sometimes the re-scores were “worse” as with the aptitude test and sometimes “better”.
Georges knew the tests to be valid and reliable, at least when given to Rigans. So even though he had agreed with Anglis that it was a lessening of interest by the Trilon he really feared it was either that the tests couldn’t be applied in this environment, Trilon and Rigan were just too different, and that meant he was in deep trouble.
Or the Trilon had completely changed personalities by the time they were tested again.
The last thought was completely alien to Georges, and far more exciting. He knew to keep his job, and maybe his head, he would have to devise a way to find out which was correct. Georges leaned back, shrugged and sighed.
5
The journey from Midloth to Earth would take a wormhole jump from Midloth to the Centauri System and from there to Earth. The wormhole drive invented almost a thousand years before had opened up the family of local stars to humanity. But it hadn't opened up the galaxy.
The limited jump distance of the drive, forty light-years, could of course be extended by multiple jumps but the further and further a ship jumped the longer and longer the recharging of the drive's power reservoir would take. The recharging could take a month around a sun-like star but much longer around the more common brown or red dwarfs. The recharging placed a limit on practical commercial ventures and cultural exchange. As a result, the society of humanity was restricted in its extent to a sphere of approximately two to three wormhole jumps or about one hundred light-years. No one had yet found a better transport system.
As with most wormhole jumps after watching the wormhole mouth form like a milky bubble in space the jump was over before one could remark.
Jean in the seat beside Dr. Schenk said, “It still surprises me how anti-cli
matic the actual jump itself.”
“I agree,” said Dr. Schenk. “I can't help but get a little excited but always for nothing.”
The rest of the journey into the Centauri System would take some time under fusion power as the wormhole drive was not used within systems for safety reasons. They both felt the fusion engines kick as they began to accelerate the giant ship towards Centauri.
Dr. Schenk adjusted his seat to rest, they were traveling economy class and had no assigned rooms. They would sleep and eat in the common areas. As Dr. Schenk drifted off Jean reviewed her research on the discovery of the memory globes.
The globes had been discovered in what was in the twenty-first century the subarctic north of Canada. A region at the time that was dominated by evergreens and exposed rock. The find was made by Canadian geologists in the forests northeast of Redcliffe, Canada at a tiny mining village called Eureka which had since been abandoned. Two hundred miles below the Arctic Circle, Eureka was still below the tree line but the ground was rapidly becoming more rock than trees.
It was there that Whitney Howe and others made the discovery of the recorder globes. It was over five hundred years later before the information in the globes was fully decoded. But it took less than two decades for the information to be lost in what historians called the Second Dark Ages, a breakdown in human society that had begun on the Earth in the First Dark Ages and spread to its space settlements over a period of a hundred years.
If the First Dark Ages was about physical deprivations and displacement, the Second Dark Ages was about spiritual displacement in the sense that the pioneering settlements like those in the Centauri System started to question their purpose.
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