by Hylton Smith
Part of the fallout of this failed exercise was an instinctive re-evaluation by the Symbiants of the invitation to join the Progenitors’ struggle. Their pragmatism seriously brought into question the loss of Orva, for the capture of a flying lizard. They were moving toward consensus. Even without the tragedy, the situation on Nexus was moving to one of declining data change. They knew the time was coming.
The Symbiants called a meeting of all species. They acquainted the others with their intention, but pledged that this would only happen when they were all satisfied that the colony had become completely self-sufficient and did not need the Symbiants any longer. Alex 2 reminded them of another option. “When we are gone you still have crystal – from here and a small quantity from Mars. If desired, you may begin a new relationship with other members of the Continuance after we depart.” This was a shock for the Sapients in particular, but had their total respect and yet seemed to be surreal. There was fervent hope that they may change their minds.
As the years passed the Axis and Humanoid populations grew steadily and the worries about predators receded. They had captured a dragon by luring it into an old fashioned trap and then sedating it. Alteration of its immune system to make it more vulnerable to microorganism biology kept the numbers down and their prey flourished. With more prey nearby and fewer to share it, they kept their distance.
Some eleven years after the loss of Orva the time had come to discuss the future. There were not really any areas of deficiency or concern in terms of lifestyle. Probably the most difficult gap to fill would be Pascal 2’s medical expertise. Even though the database was there, his insight and lateral thinking was a phenomenal asset. Those remaining on Nexus would definitely ordain another replication to fill this void, once the current Symbiants had gone. There was no date set, only that of the next visit to the brown dwarf. Whatever happened there would dictate the rest.
That visit did not offer precision in timescale, it outlined the next steps. The first of those actions was to return and bring Olo back with them. He was apparently a necessary link to begin preparation.
Olo had the data in his registry to enable two preliminary tasks. The second was explained first. He had the photonic coding, the virubact modification and the Symbiant architecture. These were all required to make them capable of becoming photon driven entities. This would be achieved by Olo overseeing the others undergoing the replication which Red had done to produce Olo himself. This time there would be a difference. It would be a fusion rather than a straight replication. Olo’s first task however was to ensure the Seaborgium coils and the photon canons were operating correctly. Without this nothing was possible. When these components were set up more explanation would be forthcoming and the upload could be prepared. A canon/coil combination was required for each individual fusion destination.
“Wait,” said Alex 2, “Does this mean that we will have to split up rather than remain together?” The answer was affirmative and the reasoning contrite. They would know why before the process was initiated.
They left Olo to see to the canons and coils, while they returned to update the others. Preparations to leave were initiated and the enormity of their decision was felt by everyone. They were truly facing the unknown, and the wrench of leaving those who they had encouraged and assisted for so long was felt sharply in their proactive mode. It was even more so for the other species. They had to ask the question again – will you never come back? They clung on to a belief that it must be possible.
At the forefront of the individual farewells were Rene, Fernando and Yamamoto. Rene could not have existed without Pascal 2. Fernando had always identified Alex 2 closely with his father since the tertiary replication, and dreaded the loss of that abstract but tangible character. Yamamoto had always considered Red to be his best friend and the respect had been reciprocated. Red had consistently championed him as the most promising of his species, despite his maverick tendency. They embraced one another and before the penultimate ascent Alex 2 had a parting message. “Although we cannot come back you have all the tools to live on as you are, or even consider more changes to your physiology. If you pursue the latter to the point of promise we have now achieved, with your help, we may yet meet again. We constantly hear of what we have done for both Humanoids and Axis, but I can personally say that I would not feel complete in leaving, without having experienced the influence of yourselves and Daniel Carvalho in particular. You have contributed as much as you have received.”
It was an appropriately overcast day as the ascent module rose, to connect with the small craft. They both descended and left the ascent module on the surface. The small craft sped upwards and as Yamamoto held Suki’s hand his grip tightened ever so slightly in a vain attempt to check the tears. It was futile. Nobody had ever seen this depth of emotion from him. He had not experienced it before. He felt distinctly Human rather than Sapient. They were gone – he broke down and wept uncontrollably.
Chapter 38
Olo had assembled and checked out the devices. The upload was waiting. It took some time to complete as the usual deletion phase came first. It could have made them change their mind; they were reminded of this option. It was part of the sequence and it had exactly the opposite effect. Their whole comprehension was turned upside down and inside out. They were apprised of the fact that the Progenitors had been defunct for some four million years. There had been a watershed scenario just over two billion years ago when cosmic geometry produced a dire situation with a major projected shift in the balance of dark matter and dark energy. Although the expansion was still increasing at that time, the projection suggested change that would fuel this to new and serious levels. They realised that this could herald the end of everything and took the only steps open to them. They could not sustain their influence all over the Cosmos and decided to concentrate their resource at the core. There were numerous super-massive black holes there and the Progenitors wanted to preserve the huge gravitational force at the nucleus. They sacrificed most of their number by congregating in this region. When the chain reaction of galaxies being swallowed by black holes began, the Progenitors became part of the containment of energy production at the event horizons. They took energy with them inside the boundary. They were still there. Another such alignment of celestial bodies occurred four million years ago, although this one was on a much smaller scale and in this particular region of the Cosmos. The ascent of Species 0001 resulted in their inheritance of the legacy of the Progenitors. What was left of the Progenitors had to follow the same fate as those in the major event. Species 0001 carried the burden of balance from that time, and the next event was predicted to occur in nine million years from the current time. There was an edit and cut to a visual of Species 0001. They were tiny points of light in a myriad of colours and subtly different hues of those colours. They explained why the Symbiants would need to be fired to different parts of the galaxy as part of their overall strategy. That strategy was hopefully not one which depended on sacrifice of the gravitational army. Being photonic they were to gather at the core of the region under threat, but employ a spherical light shield some distance out from the event horizons of each super massive black hole. As the stellar gravity was sucked in and the consequent ejection of X-rays, Gamma-rays and dark energy commenced, they would move in and align themselves to reflect most of it back to the event horizon where it would be absorbed or annihilated. So Fernando had been on the right track. The question which arose for them was also automatically answered. This next event in nine million years’ time was not an accidental gathering. Species 0001 had taken heed of the Progenitors’ last request. This was to utilise such manipulation of stellar gravity to actually cause the events. They always produced new stars and if they were able to be energy-contained like a controlled explosion, the balance could be gradually restored – gradually meaning over the next several billion years.
The conference of Species 1111 had been designated for them and it was pointed out that the long
-standing philosophy of the Progenitors of seeding the Cosmos with crystal had been vindicated, and it was no coincidence that the name of the Continuance reflected it. It also implied that the other agents employed without interaction meant that the Continuance were the chosen ones. The reason for them having to split up was to reach as many areas of the future conflict zone as possible. They would each devolve into trillions of photon life points before they were despatched. The means of multiplication thereafter would wait – it could be different at each of the various locations and it was complex.
When they had all been sent on their way Olo would regress to crystal. He was the facilitator for another emerging chance, not a bargaining chip.
With the upload complete another farewell was in order, and this one was more of a mixture of sadness and excitement. The longest serving Martian Symbiants were particularly reflective of those days. They had terraformed a predominantly dead planet for Humans. They had interfered with Earth politics to the point of being forcibly recrystallised. Artificial brains and genetic engineering had advanced as a result of their efforts and the development of interstellar propulsion had brought them to the one place where they could have had this opportunity. It had certainly been a change from interacting with early Martian Legionella.
There was the additional implication that they (now Species 1111) would be expected to take on even higher responsibility if things did not go well with the conflict nine million years from now.
Olo busied himself finalising the coordinates for each Symbiant before setting up the fusion stage. This procedure was much more complex than simple replication. It could only be done one at a time because there was a finite point at which the formation of another entity was to be eclipsed by internal re-routing of all three element streams – photonic, Virubact and Symbiant. This could only be achieved with Nexus crystal. Missing the precise crossover point would not harm the subject but would render them unable to take a repeat fusion programme.
This consecutive rather than concurrent process meant that some would be on their way before others. It was slightly disturbing for the first up. Red had to emulate his friend Yamamoto by being the bravest and most irresponsible at the same time.
Red’s fusion began in canon 1 while the others stared at the opaque instrument, and even with their vision capability they only saw him ‘melt’ to colour. Before they had time to discuss it Olo fired the canon. He turned to Pascal 2 and beckoned him forward. The routine was repeated until Alex 2 stepped up as the last to go. He was the very first Martian Symbiant and he could only think of how he had continually struggled to understand the Human and Axis craving of belonging. He was about to find out. Renewal had come to inorganic and organic species in equal measure.