New Eden
Page 40
“Why is it so dark?” Joshua asked. “There’s plenty of sunlight here.”
“I don’t know,” Rachael replied, shaking her head. “It’s very strange.” She crouched and reached out to touch the sand but felt an obstacle. “Hmm. There’s some type of barrier here.”
Joshua touched the barrier, which was solid and smooth and had a texture similar to glass. “It must be made out of some material that has a refraction index for light similar to that of the atmosphere. I can barely see it, although it seems to have thickness.” He ran his hands up, down, left, and right across the wall. “There are no openings in it.” He dug a small hole at the edge of the grass. “It extends below the surface. The petrins might as well have put up a no trespassing sign.”
“The desert reminds me of a Martian landscape,” Rachael said. “The barrier must go high into the air since the arachnids couldn’t fly over it.”
“I wonder what it’s for?” Joshua asked.
Rachael thought for a while and peered at the dim stars overhead, then behind her towards the mountains and blue sky. “Josh, I don’t think it’s a wall. It’s a dome.”
“What do you mean?”
“I believe the petrins are terraforming this world, and we’ve been living inside an enormous dome, the environment of which they’ve been controlling. They’re obviously not finished yet.”
Joshua considered what Rachael had said. “You may be right. Maybe there’s no atmosphere outside the barrier to scatter the sunlight, which is why the sky is so dark.”
“A dome encompassing an entire continent,” Rachael said pensively. She stared at the desert for a while, her hands placed high on the walls of the dome. “I think we should head back,” she finally said. “It’s probably going to get dark soon, and I’d like to sleep in our home tonight.”
They mounted the arachnids and flew for several hours before reaching their house a few minutes after the sun had set. During the flight, Rachael said almost nothing, and upon arriving at their home, she sat on the couch and fell silent. When Joshua sat next to her, he saw tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Rachael?” Joshua asked, wrapping his arm around her tightly.
Rachael looked directly at Joshua before responding. “Josh, it’s just another zoo.”
“I’m not following.”
“This place—New Eden. It’s just another zoo, one meant for humans.”
Joshua shook his head, leaned forward, clasped his hands, and braced his arms against his knees. “I don’t feel that way at all. It’s a paradise, a place specifically designed for humans in the face of insurmountable odds on Earth.”
“Oh, it’s definitely a paradise alright,” Rachael conceded, “but that doesn’t make it desirable. Sure, people can live and thrive here with shelter and food provided for free, but they won’t be truly free. They’ll always be under the watchful eyes of the collective, unable to do what they want.”
Joshua was visibly upset. “But that’s exactly what Seth told me this place is for. New Eden is a planet where humans can thrive, and precisely because of the oversight of the collective, they won’t be in danger of making mistakes that could lead to human extinction.”
Rachael frowned, unconvinced. “But maybe humans are happier making mistakes and learning from them. It is, after all, what we’ve been doing for thousands of years. The irony is that struggle—hard work and even failure—is wired into our DNA, but the petrins, for all their skill at bioengineering, don’t understand that. Although this is a wonderful place, humanity isn’t meant to live in a bubble. I don’t think mankind would ultimately be happy here. Some people would no doubt enjoy luxurious captivity, but most will resist it after a few months or years. I myself don’t want to be harvested like some crop. It’s insulting, Josh.”
Joshua was growing angrier by the minute. “I love this place. These past three days have been some of the happiest of my life. I couldn’t disagree with you more.” He folded his arms defensively and leaned back against the cushion.
Rachael maintained her composure despite Joshua’s displeasure. “Do you truly love this place—could you achieve your potential as a scientist here—or would you love it just because you’d be able to spend time with me?”
Joshua hesitated for a moment before answering. “Both.”
“You don’t seem very sure of yourself,” she said. “If we allow Seth to do what he proposes and relocate our species to New Eden, I think we would be doing humanity a grave disservice.”
Joshua couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Rachael, after all, had been given her life back. She seemed ungrateful and was also reducing humanity’s dilemma, one with no solution according to Seth, into a philosophical issue.
“That may be your opinion, and I guess I can see where you’re coming from,” Joshua stated in a begrudging tone of voice, “but at this moment I don’t think we have much of a choice. As you recall, there’s already petrin DNA growing on Earth, and humanity is going to be wiped out by a virus. There isn’t much we can do at this point. We’re at Seth’s mercy. We need a cure for the virus, something he’s been very evasive about. We have to proceed on the assumption that there’s no cure, and if that’s the case, billions will die unless they’re able to come here.”
Rachael sat quietly, looking down at her hands. “That may be factually true, but . . .” She paused and searched for her words. “Yes, much of humanity may be killed by the virus, but I’m sure at least a small number of individuals will survive. Maybe they can be the seeds for a new generation of humans. If we want humanity to be free, sacrifices will have to be made.”
“Sacrifices? You’re talking about the deaths of billions of people!”
“I know, Josh, but we can’t just think of short-term consequences. What we do will affect humanity for thousands of years. I, for one, believe that we shouldn’t sacrifice our free will just for the sake of one generation.” She looked into Joshua’s eyes and stroked his cheek. “I love you, but I can’t live in a zoo or consent to the petrins stifling mankind’s ability to grow and exercise free will. Thriving and being happy are not the same things as the right to evolve and advance—to carve out our own destiny. The petrins would take that away, but it’s what makes us who we are.”
Joshua sat still and pondered Rachael’s words. They made sense to the scientist in him, but his heart was pulling him in a different direction. “Even if you’re right, I really don’t see much that we can do given the current situation.”
“There isn’t something we can do.” Rachael looked down and grasped Joshua’s hand. “But there’s something you can do,” she said quietly.
“What?”
Brushing away tears, Rachael stared back into Joshua’s eyes and said nothing.
“What?” Joshua asked again.
“You can break the sphere in Seth.”
Tears now also filled Joshua’s eyes. “Break the sphere? Why? That’s pure insanity, as well as suicide for humanity.”
“Josh, if there’s one thing we’ve learned, information is everything, especially for the petrins. The information flow through the sphere is what would allow petrins to develop Earth as a new node for themselves. Breaking the sphere would instantly stop the information flow, and they wouldn’t be able to carry out their plan.”
“No, Rachael!” Joshua yelled. “That sphere is the only thing keeping you alive. Without it, you couldn’t exist.”
“I know,” Rachael replied, her tone subdued. “But what is the sacrifice of one human, or even billions, if we can save the destiny of all humanity.”
“Rachael, you can’t ask me to do this. It would be akin to murdering you. I simply won’t do it. I can’t lose you a second time.”
Rachael put her arms around Joshua’s shoulders. “Josh, it isn’t murder. It’s sacrifice. This isn’t about me or you. It’s much bigger than that. You must break the sphere. It’s the only way out. Think about it objectively, without emotion. Think about it as a scientist. You
know I’m right.”
“I can’t believe this. You’re the religious one here. Are you willing to go against the wishes of our creators?”
Rachael was resolute. “They’re not my creator—not the creator I believe in. They may have had a hand in how humans ended up on Earth, but they didn’t create the universe. No matter how advanced they are, they’re not God even though they’ve assumed the role of supervising all life in the universe.”
“No.” Joshua was grasping at straws to find a solution. The prospect of losing Rachael permanently was killing him inside. “How about if I just disconnect the sphere without breaking it. That would stop the information flow.”
“But it wouldn’t be permanent. Think of all of those 103ers. Seth and the petrins are practically a religion to them. They would demand that the sphere be reattached so that they could speak with Seth. Any mention of the sphere being reconnected would cause huge divisions in humanity that would lead to severe unrest. Josh, you have to break the sphere. You’re the only one who possess the knowledge of how to capture spookyons created by the Big Bang, so if you break the sphere, the connection with the petrins would be cut permanently. It’s the only way to ensure that Earth will remain under human control. You know in your heart it’s the right choice.” She placed the palm of her hand on his chest.
“What do you know of my heart?” Joshua asked angrily, brushing away her hand. “You didn’t have to endure the loss I felt over the past few months.”
“Believe me, I know your heart, Josh, and I know that in the end you would be willing to sacrifice it for the good of humanity.”
“I can’t.” Joshua sobbed as he lay his head in Rachael’s lap.
36
Sacrifice and Empathy
The next morning, Joshua and Rachael lay quietly on their bed, the sun still low in the sky. Rachael faced sideways, her arms wrapped around Joshua, who lay on his back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Their eyes were red from lack of sleep and a night of tears and frustration. They had argued and cried for hours, each holding to their philosophical view on what should be done regarding the petrins’ plan for humanity.
“Seth will be back soon,” Rachael said, breaking the silence.
“I know. Don’t remind me.” Joshua’s voice betrayed exasperation and futility.
“Josh, I’m tired of arguing. I’ve made it clear how I feel and what I think you should do, but in the end, I can’t force you to do anything. You’re going to have to make a decision for the entire planet, not just for you and me.”
Joshua sighed heavily. “One that’s almost impossible to make. You’re asking too much of me.”
“Josh, my love, don’t worry about me. Just know that I love you no matter what you decide.”
“I understand,” he said, his voice softening as he turned to Rachael. “I love you more than you can know.”
He gave her a kiss on the forehead and resumed staring at the ceiling.
A few minutes later, Seth’s voice was heard in the minds of Joshua and Rachael. It had been three days to the second since Seth had brought Joshua to New Eden.
“Josh, can you hear me?” Seth asked.
“Yes,” Joshua replied, his voice emotionless.
“I hope you enjoyed your time on New Eden.”
“Seth, it was truly paradise for me,” he said, taking a deep breath to regain his composure. “Thanks.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Rachael, did you enjoy it too?”
“Very much, Seth. I want to thank you for allowing me to have this lovely experience.”
“You’re welcome Rachael. Josh, I’m going to take you back to Earth now. Are you ready to go?”
Joshua turned to his love, whose smile reminded him of their first day together. “Goodbye, Rachael.” He smiled weakly as he touched his fingers to his lips and then to hers.
“Goodbye, Joshua.” She kissed him tenderly one final time.
“I’m ready,” Joshua said, his hands by his side, his body still.
Joshua’s senses went dark. He retained his thought processes, but his five senses were now absent. A short time later, he opened his eyes and saw that he was back in the lab, Seth hovering over him like a surgeon over a patient.
“Please lie still,” Seth instructed. “I’m removing the biograins from your cranium.”
Joshua felt a tingling sensation in his scalp as the biograins exited his skull and flowed into the beaker that Seth had held three days earlier.
“You can sit up now,” Seth said, a smile on his robotic face. “But take it easy. Your body has been in a supine condition for seventy-two hours.”
Joshua sat up slowly. Every joint in his body was sore, and he spent several minutes stretching as he tried to work out the stiffness. The pain in his hip had returned, and he slowly stood and continued stretching until he was able to take a few tentative steps across the floor of the lab.
“I feel like I’m the android,” Joshua said, wincing as he took small, mechanical steps.
“Josh, I hope you found New Eden to be a satisfying and stimulating environment. The collective put a lot of resources into creating it. As I told you, we can make adjustments or additions if you found anything missing or not to your liking.”
“You did a wonderful job, Seth. It was an amazing place that I enjoyed thoroughly. Rachael and I marveled at your technology, not to mention your foresight in anticipating our every need. It was utterly remarkable.”
“If I may ask, what was your favorite part?”
“Rachael,” Joshua said, shooting Seth a serious sideways look as he continued his arduous walk.
“I understand,” Seth replied. “I know that you may have more questions for me, but I can tell that your body is weak. Please go home and get some rest, and we can talk more in the morning. I want to discuss the best way for you to present New Eden to the rest of humanity.”
“Okay.” His voice remained flat. Why did Seth need to have such a serious discussion so soon? The petrins had waited billions of years for humanity to evolve. Would a few extra days make a difference? He was emotionally drained.
Seth walked towards the elevator as Joshua, now somewhat limber, followed. They passed the tank with the young petrins, and Joshua noticed that they had grown much larger than when he had last seen them. Seth had already begun work to make Earth the newest node for petrin civilization—the latest outpost for the spread of life through the universe.
Joshua, despite a certain predisposition in his thinking before leaving New Eden, had not made his final decision until now. Looking into the tank, he was now certain of the course he must pursue for the good of Earth. He therefore steeled himself for the task ahead. With Seth in front of him, Joshua raised his wrist and eyed his Apple watch. The battery read four percent. He activated the watch’s emergency shutdown procedure for Seth, which immediately halted Seth in his tracks. The android stood motionless, both feet on the ground like a broken attraction at Disneyworld.
Joshua advanced and lifted the back of Seth’s shirt carefully and deliberately, placing his thumb on the thumbprint reader in order to gain access to the pressure vessel containing the Bowman sphere. The compartment opened, revealing the sphere that glowed its usual green color. He then extracted the sphere from the vessel, thus extinguishing its glow.
He stared in wonder at the sphere, which had allowed humans to talk to an alien and visit a distant planet without a spacecraft or propulsion—a sphere that could change the life of Rachael and billions on Earth. Overcome with emotion, he held the glass vessel in trembling hands as tears ran down his cheeks. As he gazed at the sphere, he thought of the day when it had almost shattered in the very spot he was standing, only to be saved by the always-alert Rachael. How differently things would have turned out if the sphere had broken that day, he thought. Mankind would have continued its evolutionary trek, albeit one that Seth predicted would quickly become a dead end due to extinction caused by the virus or other societal factors.
His breathing slowed as he focused his concentration on the sphere and let it slip from his hands. “Goodbye, Rachael. Goodbye, Seth.” The sphere hit the ground loudly and smashed into thousands of pieces. The spookyon within was lost for good as it mixed with the molecules of the atmosphere.
Joshua dropped to his knees among the shards of glass and cried uncontrollably, his hands covering his face. He thought of the billions of people infected with the virus and their inevitable death and wondered if humanity would be able to survive after a majority of the population had been decimated. He also pictured Rachael, her now-lifeless body lying on a bed in New Eden. She had made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure free will for humanity. Until the very end, she had shown her trademark tenacity and individuality, adhering to her values and beliefs. Joshua had argued with her, but he knew—in his heart, as she’d said—that her view of humanity’s future was the only one she could ever entertain. It was who she’d been. More importantly, it was the woman he’d loved so deeply. And she’d been right.
As Joshua wiped the tears from his eyes, he heard a hissing noise behind him. Startled, he turned his head quickly to see steam rising from the tank containing embryonic petrins. Joshua got up from the floor and peered into the tank. The petrin embryos had dissolved and were nothing more than green, gelatinous puddles at the bottom of the tank. Creatures that modeled their lives around information and membership in a collective, Joshua reasoned, apparently couldn’t survive without a connection to that same collective.