To the Stars V-1

by D. W. Patterson

  Deep-seated self-doubt, maybe subconscious, brought on by the Aggie Wars, the wars involving the break-away faction of AIs called the Belini who were trying to dominate humanity, had once again shown that even a great invention for good like the wormhole drive could be used for evil. The Belini had modified the wormhole drive into a weapon that killed millions and destroyed entire space habitats.

  Jean saw the Dark Ages as a kind of collective escape from reality where humanity sought to forget all the destruction and loss of lives caused by the misuse of the wormhole drive. Losing access to the vast information contained in that mine on Earth was just a symptom of the general malaise of the era.

  But while time muddles history it also softens memory and now a thousand years of relative peace had enabled civilization to rebuild its collective will and the history contained in the mine would certainly be welcome.

  The rest of the cruise period went without incident giving Jean time to finish her reading. She was resting when the announcement was made that the ship would soon be docked with the Centauri Two space habitat. Centauri Two was one of the smaller single-cylinder habitats at five miles in diameter and twenty miles in length. At seven-tenths Earth gravity, the population could move between higher gravity environments such as Earth and lower ones without too much acclimation.

  After two weeks of preparation and the addition of a third person to the team, Dr. Hal Burton, a physicist from Centauri University who would be handling the technical aspects of the data recovery, they left Centauri for Earth.

  Finally arriving in Earth orbit they shuttled down to the New York Tower Complex. Originally New York City in the nation-state of America the NYTC now covered a much smaller area than the original city but housed many more people with the use of miles high towers and an extensive underground. Jean, looking out the shuttle window as they got closer to the ground, saw the massive bulwarks built to the north that guided the New Laurentide ice sheet around the tower complex.

  It had been nineteen thousand years since the snow and ice had advanced on what was now NYTC. During that last ice age, the sheet of ice and snow had formed on top of the North American continent to a depth of two miles. In the vicinity of NYTC, it was two-thousand feet thick.

  This new version of that glacier was slowly building. No one knew if it would exceed the size and depth of its ancestor although there was much speculation and not a little hysteria. Typical of man's response to a crisis.

  The Earth's new glaciers had been advancing now for over a thousand years and while the environment could be re-engineered the consensus was to allow the change in climate as long as human lives could be protected.

  Seeing the advancing glacier made Jean realize for the first time that there might be a real problem in finding the Eureka mine which was much farther north and probably buried under a huge layer of ice and snow.

  6

  Pieon had been on the Long March for many diurnals now. With each Trilon he met, the neuro-exchange was immediate and deep. There was no doubt that he was fulfilling his promise. The given gifts were important and they could only be expressed in this way. Pieon would march until insight was revealed to him because change was important.

  The Trilon had been conducting these Long Marches for eons. The march was a way in which a society that eschewed technology could communicate broadly. Most Trilons participated at some time in their lives though there were a few who marched often and a rare few who never marched. But even those who stayed at home could participate in the information exchanges and still achieve the necessary change if they wished.

  Pieon knew more of the history of the Long March than any other Trilon; he also knew the history of the neuro-exchanger that made it possible. The exchanger had been a wafer of some kind before becoming biologic – Pieon knew that much. The biological agent expressed itself during a Trilon's early adulthood, making possible the development of the neuro-exchanger. That was when most Trilons were called or compelled to the Long March.

  A Trilon on the Long March was expected to survive by their own resources although they sometimes would receive support from other Trilons, particularly those they exchanged with. They were also expected to reveal the path they had mapped to others. Pieon knew that in the past this had been accomplished using a technological device and something called EM waves. But now paths were shared through the neuro-exchanger, to all who showed an interest.

  Change was driven by these exchanges, pair by pair. Pieon would exchange his summary with another Trilon. And that Trilon would exchange the conjugated summary with Pieon. Pieon would then exchange this new summary which would again be conjugated by another Trilon, and so on, and so on until the entire Trilon population had the new path in their minds. A few were left out of this exchange, being content with a sparse map they had assembled from fragments of the path. Pieon could never understand why some chose this, but he always respected their choices.

  Pieon was particularly excited to meet some of those he had been in contact with before who had also taken their own Long March. It was possible to map the entire field of these marches using the information obtained during the exchange and then obtain an approximation to the infinite long march that some of the Trilons longed for.

  Pieon had been on his current Long March for fifty diurnals. There were not many Trilons with whom he had not interacted across a substantial area. The map of the Long March was advanced enough in Pieon's mind that he could trace at least a millennia of paths back through time.

  Pieon felt sure his latest path summary would excite many in the community. He believed he was close to some discovery that would reveal a deep datum to his species – and perhaps when shared with his friend Georges, would even lighten his workload.

  7

  Georges hadn’t seen Pieon for some time. When he asked other Trilon about Pieon it was almost impossible to understand their answers. The language researchers had made some progress with the Trilon’s language. But the translator they had developed still spoke more like a child than an adult. Basic concepts could be communicated and Pieon and a few other Trilon had made some effort to understand Rigan. By studying the responses of the Trilons, Georges was able to discern the psychology behind them, somewhat.

  One recurring theme that the Trilons seemed most eager to get across to Georges when he interviewed them, was the concept of “The Path”. As far as Georges could tell it was a rather sharply delineated cultural construct that was accepted without question by the Trilon. The Path, if he understood it correctly, was buttressed by historical underpinnings but modified by practical considerations. If he was correct, it was most similar to a codified and static law.

  Drawing upon the responses to the psychological tests, Georges believed he could reach a conclusion. The Trilon were essentially strait-jacketed into a society that repressed change. There was one Path and only one. Scientific discovery didn’t seem to enter into a Trilon's calculation. If reality refuted the Path then reality must be wrong.

  Georges had seen this in many peoples that were pre-technological. The tribal claim was greater than that of the individual. The only thing wrong with Georges’ conclusion was his nagging suspicion that the Trilon were more advanced technologically than the Rigans believed. It was a feeling he couldn't shake but he couldn't explain either.

  Georges was interrupted in his thoughts when someone knocked at his office door, it was Brant Lazles. Brant was assigned to the mission as tech support but he had other interests and he had connections in the hierarchy of the homeworld, being the nephew of one of the expedition’s promoters.

  Brant said, “Excuse me sir, but I was wondering if you had a moment?”

  “Of course,” said Georges, “but how do you feel about following me down to the cafeteria for a hot drink?”

  “Sounds fine sir,” said Brant.

  After they had sat down at a table with their drinks Brant asked, “You know that Trilon that always comes here, Pieon?”

  “Yes
, of course.”

  “Well, I asked him to carry a locator I've been working on with extended range and he agreed. Up to about fifty diurnals ago he hadn't much ventured outside a relatively small area around his dwelling except to come to our encampment. But then he took this long journey across country, straight out, and then he came spiraling back. I guess it proved my tinkering a success but I had always thought from what we knew that the Trilon were homebodies that didn't much venture outside a local area. Anyway, I wanted you to know about it in case it could be important to your research.”

  “Thanks for the information Brant that is interesting. I, like you, assumed that the Trilon were very territorial because that is what the socio-biologists had told us. I'll have to think about how this impacts my work, I feel it will somehow.”

  They discussed a bit more about Brant’s work before parting. Georges decided to go back to his apartment to think about Brant’s information.

  Back in the apartment, Georges tried to use the new information as if a piece in a puzzle. He wanted it to fit with what he knew about the Trilon. Obviously, there was something wrong with his conclusions since he had felt no need until now to question the socio-biologists conclusions about the territoriality of the Trilons. So how did this change his approach?

  Well, the Trilons were not the isolationists that he had concluded. The distance that Pieon had traveled showed that they were not hostile to other Trilon and indeed they must be somewhat supportive if Pieon could survive on such a long trek. It also might mean they were not as resistant to new experiences as he had suspected. But, perhaps Pieon had traveled on a personal matter, perhaps it was to a relative in trouble and not just a walkabout? The reason for such a trek would have important implications for the psychological framework that Georges was erecting about the Trilons. It was important that he talk to Pieon as soon as possible and find out why he had undertaken the journey.

  8

  It was just as Jean had feared on the ride down. The North American geologists that they consulted estimated that the area around the Eureka mine was probably buried in thousands of feet of snow and ice. Even drilling an exploratory borehole would take time and would be costly.

  “Well,” said Dr. Schenk after hearing the news. “I guess we should have paid more attention to current news than past. What do we do now? Pack up and go home?”

  “That depends,” said Dr. Burton.

  “On what?”

  “Whether we can get the Captain of the vessel that brought us here to cooperate.”

  “Cooperate? How?”

  “A wormhole drive can make an excellent sub-surface exploratory device.”

  “You mean we open up a wormhole beneath the surface?”

  “Yes. Just as they are used when a ship needs to communicate across distant space rather than using slow radio waves. We open a small wormhole, send through a camera, and observe its signal.”

  “Dr. Burton, I knew there was a reason we brought you along,” said Schenk beaming.

  After a long discussion with the Captain, it was agreed that the three scientists could use the vessel's wormhole drive for their experiment since because of the low energy requirements it would not violate the wormhole quarantine protocol. But they would have to wrap up their inquiries within a week when the ship was scheduled to depart for Centauri.

  Burton got busy purchasing and constructing the necessary equipment. A cheap camera that could transmit a picture mounted to a mobile platform, in this case, a flying copter drone. He made three of the contraptions.

  The ship's wormhole operator would assist the team.

  “What happens if the wormhole materializes in solid matter?” asked Dr. Schenk.

  “Nothing much,” said Stefens the operator. “At least in the case of this small-sized version. We shouldn't even be able to cast a wormhole mouth into such material.”

  Casting a wormhole mouth consisted of finding an existing sub-space wormhole and enlarging it for use. Such topological defects were found to be quite numerous in the churning quantum foam making up sub-space.

  “Okay, if you are ready Dr. Burton.”

  Burton was in the bow of the ship that wasn't rotating, as was the crew wheel. He would launch the camera into the wormhole mouth.

  “Ready,” said Burton.

  “Okay here we go.”

  The near wormhole mouth formed just beyond the front of the ship. Like a tiny milky white sphere, the mouth sat in front of the ship as if an independent space artifact.

  “Near mouth ready, forming far mouth.”

  The far mouth like a pulse of radio energy converged on the coordinates entered into the wormhole drive. There it sought to give the resultant energy to a microscopic wormhole mouth, increasing its size to a useful diameter and finishing the connection of the two mouths in the wormhole dimension.

  “Acquisition complete. Go ahead Dr. Burton and launch your probe.”

  The probe launched into the wormhole mouth, Dr. Burton watched his Emmie (an AI-based personal assistant device powered by an Em or a scanned brain running in computer hardware) for the signal while he readied the remote control of the device. Jean and Dr. Schenk were glued to their screens and those screens flickered.

  The picture was tumbling and then it bounced before becoming stable upside down.

  “It's okay,” said Dr. Burton. “The bird is on its back but I can right it.”

  Operating the remote control deftly the picture spun one-hundred eighty degrees and righted itself. The subdued light from the wormhole mouth suddenly became almost blinding before the camera adjusted. Dr. Burton had switched on the bird's lights.

  The picture was of a large space about twenty to thirty feet in height. The width and length couldn't be determined because the lights could not illuminate so great a distance.

  “It's huge,” said Jean.

  “Yes,” said Dr. Schenk. “But it appears to be completely empty.”

  The camera panned from side to side.

  “Okay I'm going to take the bird in deeper,” said Dr. Burton.

  The bird took off to one side and flew until it found a wall. It followed the wall back until finally encountering a corner. For several minutes Burton flew the bird around the vast underground space, finding nothing but rock walls and a ladder that he assumed led to other levels.

  When the bird was back near the wormhole mouth the others could hear Burton say, “Well that was disappointing.”

  Jean and Dr. Schenk nodded their heads silently.

  Just then the picture scrambled and went black. Jean and Dr. Schenk heard the wormhole operator yell.

  “What the!”

  “What is it? What happened?” said Dr. Burton.

  Just then the Captain's voice could be heard.

  “Lieutenant Stefens what's happening with the drive? Chief tells me he's seeing a power spike.”

  “Sir the far wormhole mouth has moved.”

  “So what? Is it drifting?”

  “No sir. It has moved over five-hundred light-years from here.”

  “Impossible Lieutenant. No mouth can be cast that far.”

  “I know sir. But that's what the readout says.”

  “Excuse me for interrupting Captain but I wonder if I could send another bird into the wormhole and see what's on the other side?”

  “Lieutenant is the wormhole stable enough?”

  “Yes sir I believe so.”

  “Very well Dr. Burton go ahead.”

  Dr. Burton delivered another bird to the near wormhole mouth. Everyone, including the Captain, was watching a screen.

  Dr. Burton, after a moment, turned on the camera. At first the light was a dazzling gold. He turned down the gain of the camera and the picture softened to show that the bird was facing a wall filled with glowing golden globes.

  He started maneuvering the bird. All four walls of the room were filled with the globes.

  “I'd estimate them at about an inch in diameter,” he said.

/>   “The same size as the recorder globes mentioned in my historical sources,” said Dr. Schenk his voice rising.

  “We've found what we were looking for gentlemen,” said Dr. Jean Jackson.

  9

  After several more diurnals passed Pieon showed up as he always did, without notice. The lab personnel had orders to call Georges as soon as Pieon showed up and to keep Pieon there until Georges could arrive. Georges arrived in time to see Pieon being fitted with his translation module.

  Georges hurried into his gear and greeted Pieon as he cycled through the airlock into the interview room.

  “Hello Pieon, I've been hoping to see you.”

  “Hello Georges,” came the reply, “I have been on the Path and bring you a sharing message.”

  “Yes Pieon, what is it you wish to share?” said Georges, hoping that the translator would translate correctly.

  “I have a long path storage now”, said Pieon. “I can find way long time, many paths, and one path. I have found the wafer,” Pieon beamed.

  Georges wasn't sure, but he thought Pieon was proud of himself.

  “That's excellent Pieon, the wafer then, is the beginning of the path?”

  Pieon hesitated, “No Georges, path is longer but wafer is as far as I have walked. See Georges, wafer became part of Pieon, biology you say, biology extension. EM waves allowed mapping of path, understand?”

  Georges stared. “I'm not sure Pieon, you are telling me you use EM waves for mapping, kind of like we use sound waves for underground mapping?”

  Pieon was confused. “Underground waves, Georges? I have not used them, I only know EM waves.”

  Before Georges could answer, his assistant Anglis interrupted. “Excuse me Doctor, but there is someone here to see you,” she said through the intercom.

  “Can't it wait?” asked Georges.

  “Well, sir it's the High Councilman and a ...” Anglis hesitated, “a group of others.”

  “Very well,” said Georges. “I'll be there in a minute.” Georges turned to Pieon and said, “Pieon would you wait here for me, please”.