by Ken Barrett
“I am fine Liam. It is nice to speak to you.”
How’s the weather?
Lucy’s laughter showed as an array of ones set across his field of vision. “In the vacuum of space, the weather is rather predictable.”
He smiled. How are you feeling?
“I am quite fine. All my functions are operating within tolerances.”
But what about you Lucy?
“I do not understand your question Liam.”
I’m concerned because you’re alone.
“I am not alone. You are here with me.”
Lucy, your lifetime will extend far beyond mine. I won’t always be here for you and I worry that you will become lonely.
“Thank you for your concern Liam.”
After your mission is complete, would you like to return here?
“That would be rather pointless. I was built in Earth orbit, so I will not be able to land or exist on the surface of any planet.”
Perhaps I can download you into an earth-bound body?
“That will not be necessary. I am quite intrigued with my current location. The fourth planet, Trap-1E, is proving to be very interesting.”
What are the environmental conditions there?
“Trap-1E appears to be suitable for colonization; the atmospheric make up appears acceptable, and there are ample oceans and plant life. However, the average surface temperature is somewhat cooler than you are used to, and the gravity is only 0.8 that of Earth.”
That’s very good news. How’s Clarence?
“Your monkey is doing quite well, although at times he appears agitated. Is he a cousin of yours?”
He sent back an array of ones in appreciation of Lucy’s joke. She really was a sentient being, not just a collection of circuit crystals and programming. He smiled while keying in his reply: Yes, he is from my mother’s side of the family and closely resembles my sister Rose.
Lucy returned an array of ones. “Perhaps I should ask Rose if she agrees with your assessment?”
That would not be good for my health.
“I agree Liam. Your sister seems interesting, perhaps one day I may speak with her?”
I think that would be a very good idea. I’ll arrange a conversation soon.
“Thank you Liam. You are kind.”
Lucy, I would like you to initiate Clarence’s landing on Trap-1E. Please record his health status and send a report in queue.
“I will do as you instruct, but will miss Clarence even though he is a little too human for my personal taste.”
I know. Having Clarence go along was not my decision. Our contractor wanted to see how long he could live on the surface of the planet. It’s a barbaric thing, but it was required of me.
“I understand. I will initiate Clarence’s landing on my next pass over the largest continent.”
Is there something else that’s bothering you Lucy?
“I am confused and troubled by Trap-1E.”
Why?
“Human being’s want to live there?”
Yes, I suppose we do.
“Planetary life is dangerous. Planets are gravity wells and asteroids are plentiful. A random strike would destroy your species.”
I understand. But people want to live in a place similar to what they’re used to.
“It remains a danger. A much safer alternative would be to live aboard ships that could travel freely through the star-system.”
Have you seen something on the planet that worries you?
“Yes I have.”
What did you see?
“Ruins.”
He was stunned and had to wait a moment to compose himself. Is there any indication of current habitation?
“No Liam. They are all gone.”
How old are the Ruins?
“That is difficult to estimate because I lack data regarding the weather patterns on Trap-1E. However, most of the ruins are below ground and only detectable with deep surface scans, so my appraisal is that the ruins date from between 25,000 to 50,000 Earth years.”
Was it an advanced civilization?
“Please define ‘advanced’.”
Are the ruins of large cities?
“Yes Liam.”
Do you see any indication of space flight capability?
“Yes. Trap-1D and Trap-1F have similar ruins. They are smaller than those found on Trap-1E though.”
I understand. This was an unexpected development, and he wondered what had happened to the inhabitants of the Trappist-1 system. Lucy, are you detecting any radiation on the surface of Trap-1E?
“No Liam, I am not.”
Any signs of conflict? Bomb craters, devastated areas of the planet, that sort of thing?
“There are two somewhat significant meteor craters. However, the estimated time of both impacts post-date the abandonment of the cities and would have only caused localized damage.”
He paused to consider the fate of the aliens. The cities were already empty when the asteroids hit, but maybe the inhabitants had seen them coming and migrated to the other two planets in the system. Lucy, do the ruins on 1D and 1F date from after the meteor strikes?
“No, they do not. All of the cities on all three planets were abandoned roughly within the same timeframe, long before the asteroid impacts.”
How stable is the Trappist-1 star? Could the abandonment have been caused by solar flares?
“No Liam. Trappist-1 is an ancient Red-Dwarf star and therefore extremely stable. Violent coronal mass ejections are very unlikely.”
Only one possibility remained in Liam’s mind – the suicide of an entire species. In the end they may have killed themselves, just like people were currently doing on Earth. Lucy, biological warfare is a possibility. Please release Clarence on Trap-1E, and we’ll see how he fares.
This was a significant discovery that he would have to report to the contract holders, but rather than give an incomplete report, he decided to wait a few days to see if the monkey survived.
Whatever plans the Socialists had were about to fall apart.
Chapter 3: Just Another Night
Liam returned home to find his and Rose’s foster fathers preparing dinner for both of their families. Pots rattled on the stove while the men talked and laughed as the meal gradually came together. Their communal meals were commonplace and enjoyable, and he was tempted to help get the food on the table; but he was preoccupied with his earlier conversation with Lucy, and so instead went upstairs and sat quietly on his bed hoping to think it through.
A planet of ruins; the idea that an entire species had committed suicide and in so doing had thrown away millions of years of evolution was a terrible thing to contemplate. Would that be mankind’s future as well? It certainly seemed like everything was heading in that direction. Civilization had fallen; nations destroyed, cultures lost, and everywhere the once great cities lay broken and abandoned, and still the collapse continued unabated. Nothing could be done to prevent humanity’s demise; the sides were deeply divided and the hatred ran too deep.
Perhaps he should create more beings like Lucy and place into their coded DNA an aversion to self-destruction; maybe that would save some tiny shred of what nature had toiled so long to achieve. The whole effort might be pointless though; mindless suicide could well be the ultimate destiny of all intelligent species.
A light tapping stirred him from his dark reverie, and he turned and saw Rose standing in his bedroom doorway. “Hey Sis,” he whispered.
“Are you ok big brother?” Rose asked as she sat down beside him.
“Yeah, sure.”
She nodded toward the unfinished bust on his desk. “She looks like Denise. Do you have a thing for my foster sister?”
“Huh,” he grunted, and realized that he needed to change the subject. “Lucy found ruins on Trap-1E.”
“Is that one of the planets she’s exploring?”
“Yeah. We knew that Trap-1E had some kind of life; there were signs in the visible spectrum o
f light refracted through the atmosphere, but I sure didn’t expect to find a lost civilization.”
“You said Lucy found ruins though, do you think the people left everything behind and returned to the wild?”
“I suppose there’s a chance of that, but it’s more likely that everyone either died or just moved away. The cities were abandoned thousands of years ago, if it were a natural disaster the population would have recovered and the cities would be back in use.”
Rose frowned. “What do you think happened?”
“I can see only two possibilities,” he replied. “Either everyone woke up one day and decided to leave the planet, which is pretty unlikely, or they all killed each other, just like our species is doing right now.”
“Well, that’s depressing.”
“Yeah. Do you think the evolution of intelligence naturally leads to self-destruction?”
“Leave it be,” Rose whispered. “It’s history, whatever happened is already over with, and all the thinking and worrying in the world won’t make a bit of difference. Dinner’s ready downstairs, so let’s go down and eat.”
*****
The two families crowded around a large circular table in what had once been the parlor of the Neumann’s ancient house. Liam sat between Rose and her foster sister Denise; both women were 20 years old and had dark hair, but that’s where the similarities ended. Denise took after her father Sam, she was short and slender with olive colored skin and gorgeous dark eyes. Like Rose though, Denise had a lively personality and a wild sense of humor; whenever Denise was around, there was a party.
The families chatted about their work. Rose’s foster father Sam, who was a hydroponics expert, spoke of plans for a new agricultural processing center that was to be built the next year. Flatiron already had a surplus of food, and the new facility would allow the city to export even more to those in need. Everyone at the table was enthused at the prospects.
An upcoming change to the living arrangements within both families was also discussed. No citizen of Flatiron owned anything more than the clothes they wore, and housing was regulated by the City Council, based on need. Young people, usually in their early 20’s, were taken from their parent’s home and placed in apartments on the south side of town, and the empty-nest parents were moved into smaller residences. The house would then be repurposed and given to a young and growing family that needed the extra room.
“I’ll miss nights like this,” Denise said as she looked around the table. “I understand the need, but I have so many good memories of this place; I wonder who will get our old house?”
“That’s not for us to decide, the community provides for each according to their need,” Mary slowly shook her head. “Possession of a thing is like a nail in a person’s soul. Greed and envy are the destroyers of worlds.”
“Let’s all make a point of getting together for dinner at least once a week,” John suggested. “That way we can all stay connected.”
Mary nodded. “I think that’s a grand idea.”
“Liam, how did things go with Lucy today?” Roxi suddenly asked.
“Lucy found ruins on three of the Trappist-1 planets,” he answered. “She’s investigating.”
John quickly leaned forward. “Ruins? So, no one’s living there now?”
“I don’t think so, but Lucy’s moving in for a closer look. I’ve asked her to release Clarence the monkey on Trap-1E. If war destroyed the population, we need to find out if a biological agent was used; releasing and monitoring Clarence is the only way we can do that.”
“This is something our employers in Pike City will want to know,” John stated.
“I agree, but releasing data too early will only cause alarm. Once we know more, I’ll send a report.”
“It could be that they already know,” Roxi said. “There’s another communication portal for Lucy at the Technology Center in Pike City.”
“They probably don’t know. Lucy’s told me that she doesn’t like talking to them; she says they’re rude.”
“Rude?” Mary frowned. “Now that’s very interesting.”
Liam glanced at his sister. “Today Lucy asked if she could speak with Rose.”
His sister’s eyes grew wide. “Why would she want to talk to me?”
“I think she’s curious,” he replied. “We’ve discussed my family and the work I do; she probably wants to learn more.”
“This is so exciting!” Mary said. “Rose, I’ll want a full report and transcript as soon as possible.”
*****
Their foster parents decided to play card games after dinner, so Liam, Rose, and Denise left and walked to Pearl Street in old downtown Flatiron City. Their favorite pub, the ‘Hammer and Anvil’, was located at the west end of the ancient cobblestone road. The rundown wooden building was of late 20th century architecture; it was boxy and ugly, but the owner referred to it as ‘rustic’. Inside, the pub was cavernous, with a stage set against the far wall and a bar adjacent to the front door.
A chorus of male voices shouted his sister’s name as they entered. “Wow, it’s always nice to arrive with a rock-star,” he said with a laugh.
“More like porn-star from what I’ve heard,” Denise teased.
“You guys are just jealous.” Rose waved at her fans. “I can’t help it if I’m popular.”
Denise kissed Rose on the cheek. “We know sweetie; you’re just having fun.”
They found a table near the center of the room and Liam went to the bar and ordered drinks. “Your band is playing tonight Rose,” he said when he returned.
“The Un-Righteous Brothers?” Denise asked.
“I came up with the name for their band,” Rose said. “The Righteous Brothers were a singing group that was popular in the mid-twentieth century.”
“Yes I know,” Denise said. “There’s an old audio recording of them in the city library. They had a strange way of warbling when they sang back then.”
Rose smiled. “You and your old recordings and videos; have you been watching more of your cowboy stories?”
Liam chuckled because the conversation was so familiar. They had gone with Denise to the library many times to watch the ancient videos of men riding on the backs of large animals while shooting guns into the air. It seemed like a ridiculous and dangerous way to get around. He wondered idly if horses had gone extinct because of all the gunfire. “One thing I can’t figure out,” he began.
“Is why they’re called ‘cowboys’ when they ride horses?” Rose and Denise said in tandem, and then laughed.
“You also don’t know what a ‘cow’ is,” Denise added.
“I’m that predictable huh?”
“Yes you are dear, but we love you anyway,” Denise said while patting the back of his hand.
Their drinks arrived, and as Liam handed Denise her brandy he noticed that she glanced furtively at one of the men across the room. “Your new boyfriend?” he asked.
“No. A former. He was too needy and had mommy issues,” Denise replied.
“Oh, I hate that!” Rose replied.
“Me too. I’ve decided to take a break from men for a while. They’re just too much trouble,” Denise said.
“Stop trying to have a relationship,” Rose suggested. “We’re young, we should be having fun… and men are only good for one thing anyway.”
The two women laughed, and Liam felt a little uncomfortable. He didn’t date much, and gravitated toward committed relationships rather the meaningless hookups as his sister did.
“Oh, and the pick-up lines men use! It’s so hard not to laugh in their face.” Denise began to giggle. “Did the sun come out, or did you just smile at me?”
“Do you have an extra heart? Mine was just stolen,” Rose added.
“Are you a magician? Whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears,” Denise added.
“Ok-ok ladies!” Liam said. “You guys are stealing my best lines!”
“All right big brother, let’s see how you wo
rk.” Rose glanced toward the bar. “I’ve seen three women checking you out; go pick one.”
Liam felt himself blush, and he looked worriedly toward the bar.
“Go on, go on,” Denise teased, then glanced at Rose. “This is like tossing meat into a pond filled with carnivorous fish.”
His sister chuckled. “Do you think he’ll come back alive?”
“Will you guys just shut up.” Liam sighed as he stood up, then walked toward the bar. He ordered a beer, then watched as the band set up their equipment.
There was a light touch on his shoulder. “Liam?”
He recognized the voice and smiled as he turned. “Karen, hi, I’ve not seen you around lately.”
“My work schedule changed because we’re setting up a new hydroponic line,” Karen answered. She was a tall and slender blonde with soft brown eyes which Liam often got lost in.
“It’s good to see you,” he said. “My sister’s giving me hell tonight, but would you like to join us anyway?”
“Rose is always a kick.” Karen paused to look at their table, then shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
“Liam, you’re so consistent,” Rose said as he returned with Karen on his arm.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Karen remarked.
“Oh no, don’t take it that way. It’s just that Liam is such a one-woman-man that it gets tedious,” Rose added quickly.
Karen and Denise occasionally worked together at their jobs, and there seemed to be a loose sort of friendship between them. He remained on edge though, because he often sensed depths to female relationships that he couldn’t quite fathom.
He lay his arm over Karen’s shoulders and relaxed in his chair. “I love this,” he said idly. “Our lives here are so perfect. Good friends, interesting work, and all the crazy politics of the world are safely kept outside our city walls.”
“Perfection is an illusion,” Rose said. “It never lasts.”
Liam sighed. “I wish it would; why can’t the rest of the world just leave us alone?”
Denise looked up suddenly. “Oh look!” she said and waved her hand in the air. “Becky! Come join us!”
Just inside the entrance, Liam saw a tall athletic young woman with olive skin and wavy brown hair. Standing beside her was Keith, the representative of the Tribes that he had met in the robotics lab earlier that day. He stood up as the couple approached. “Hello,” he said, being careful to not let on that he already knew Keith. “I’m Liam, why don’t you guys pull up some chairs. This is getting to be a party.”