“Circinus is home to several planetary nebulae, open and globular star clusters, and a beautiful view of the Circinus Galaxy. This galaxy demonstrated fascinating life-giving potential with Supernova SN1996cr and is located a nearby 13 million light-years away.
“Finally, in Corvus, NGC-4027, a barred spiral galaxy which is part of the NGC-4038 Galaxy Group, located about 83 million light-years away, and the two-galaxy grouping of NGC-4038 and NGC-4039, also known as the Antennae Galaxies, which are relatively 45 million light-years away, are all associated together. We will investigate their evolution, and observe, explore, and colonize them. Signs that life may exist there already, as is evidenced by a supernova, SN2004GT, and SN2007sr, in those regions currently being tracked by our panel of experts using both modern and legacy systems.
“We will have plenty of opportunities to be involved, so please feel free to visit our Zone-09 Matrix in the Virtual Universe. Thank you, all!”
Ariela stepped down, and as she passed by Scarlett and Christian heading toward her seat next to Luís, she gave each of them a heartfelt and respectful hug.
Chapter 70: IMC Zone-10
General Scarlett Hart and Lt General Christian Coriolis, of IMC Zone-10, approached the podium together. It was obvious they had bonded quite well and in so many ways. There was a feeling of electricity in the air between them and it was inspiring to see. Both Scarlett and Christian were neuroscience majors, with a host of other PhDs to their credit, and together they had worked with Joanne and improved the Correctional and Entertainment Matrices. Christian was a close friend to Stafford and Jeremiah since their off-time pursuits happened to be chef competitions between the three, with the benefactors being anyone who happened to be in whatever shared space they were in at the time. Scarlett enjoyed Christian’ cooking, especially in-between breaks from high-intensity spacecraft scenario simulations. They had perfected those as well. The simulations were designed to put every crewmember in a situation to where they would be calling the shots and working to preserve the mission while preserving benevolent lives. The Virtual Universe and Real World dry-run and live-run training exercises were designed to ensure that in any given conceivable scenario, they would make choices that were ethical, preserved the ability to continue on a mission, while adapting capabilities to more easily confront and overcome each of these challenges, should they occur in real life.
Scarlett’s work with Yonn Forall and Anastasia Renae and their teams, integrating the internal Environmental Systems with the Drive, Navigation, and Shielding Systems was phenomenal. Everything from the personally programmable living quarters to the jungles, forests, surf waves, and beaches, to work centers, the command crew deck, and defensive systems had been something that she, her team, and the other two teams had put together impressively. Their attention to quality and detail, as well as artistry, sophistication, and utility, gave comfort and optimization to the entire crew and the mission itself. The AIs loved them since their systems were designed so well.
Scarlett, in her Space Force Uniform, designed to fit in the most appealing of ways, complemented every aspect of her persona, while engendering both respect and the desire for compliance within any crewmember. Both men and women were attracted to her but respected her wishes in such a way to where they would go to the furthest reaches of the Universe with her. Her blonde hair, her blue eyes, light freckles, her hairstyle, the trim and embroidery in her uniform contrasted well and added to her dynamic personality.
Both Scarlett and Christian had chosen a range of colors as their hair, iris, and trim accents. Royal blues, cherry reds, and golden yellows, in both dark and light variations, were woven and scattered ever so well. Every spacecraft seemed to take on the color scheme of their associated commanders, while individual crewmembers were left to their own individuality and devices, tied into the reflections of their minds, mixed with a balance of collaborative harmony.
Christian’ dark hair and blue eyes went well with his and Scarlett’s color scheme, and his very healthy musculature fit his uniform quite well too. He kept his hair clean-cut on the sides and back, but wavy, shiny, loose, and parted at the crown on one side. Every woman on-board IMC Zone-10 wanted to participate in colonization of many planets with him, but they controlled themselves and focused on their missions.
All-in-all, this crew was quite a good team.
“I’ve worked with Christian for nearly two decades, and I will say, I am grateful to have him by my side and guiding our crew as we traverse the Cosmos. We will engage in many interesting and enjoyable journeys, and each one, no matter the repetition that may be apparent from afar, every single location will have its own uniqueness and eccentricities, hence the necessity for observation and exploration before colonization. Christian?”
General Hart stepped aside, turned to Lt General Coriolis, smiled, and made her way to her seat. The audience caught to the depth of involvement in all that had caused the realization of Eliza’s dream to come true. She was an excellent leader who bred excellent leaders, and during the Golden Age every single person involved in the observation, exploration, colonization, and preservation of the Universe was a leader with a library of stories gladly shared. Christian earned that same respect from the audience as he stepped up and began. He was a man of great stature in so many different ways. Aside from his involvement with his friends and the IMC, he had worked often in the pre-Golden Age days to rescue families from the corruption and toxicity that had been part of the system, if still in place, would have caused the doom of human civilization within one hundred years. Instead, as an economist, brilliant mind, investor, and inventor, he fashioned and perfected ideas shared by James Cooper. As a result, he brought untold innovation and motivation to any work environment, to include that of the IMC Zone-10 crew. All who knew him loved him, and they were honored to serve with him.
“General Scarlett Hart and I, as well as every crewmember of IMC Zone-10 are honored to be a part of this maiden voyage into the immense and far reaches of the Cosmos. We have done a lot to prepare for this day, and indeed, this day has finally come. As we navigate together for our initial missions, beginning at eight hundred hours, Eastern Standard Time, you’ll find very intriguing realities that impact us in a big way throughout each of our zones. I will share with you brief details of some areas of interest within several regions of our vast zone.
“We will explore the regions within our zone with the President and the IMC, at a time of the President’s choosing, whether that is before or after we set up our Regional Operation Posts just outside our Galactic Halo. As General Tsu said, ‘We will adapt.’ We are currently going to journey together for each of our initial missions until measures for autonomy are in place, and our crew is honored to amend our plans as necessary. That said, we will, in this order, set up the observation posts for Crux, Libra, Lupus, Musca, Norma, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, and Triangulum Australe, all of which are within Southern Quadrant 3. Despite the quadrant designation, we will essentially be exploring the Regions that are toward our Laniakea Supercluster, or southeast of our Galactic Center. Strangely enough, we will have Regions both above and below the Galactic Disc, as well as through it, between 210 and 30 Degrees Galactic Longitude.
“In Crux, we will explore Alpha, Beta, Epsilon, and Gamma Crucis, between eighty-eight and three-hundred-fifty light-years away. In Libra, we are most interested in HD-140283, or the Methuselah Star, which is considered the oldest star in the known Universe. This star is thought to be 14.46 billion years old and is about 190.1 light-years away. In this region, we are also interested in NGC-5792, about eighty-three-million light-years away, and NGC-5885, about ninety-two-million light-years away, both of which are barred spiral galaxies. NGC-5890, an unbarred lenticular galaxy, about ninety-eight-million light-years away, is another galaxy of interest. Of course, there are other sectors that pique our interest too.
“In Lupus, there are a number of star systems, nebulae, and other anomalies of interest.
&nbs
p; “Musca has several nebulae, specifically the Hourglass Nebula, which is about 8 thousand light-years away. Understanding each object in space gives us a more vast comprehension of the various stages of that which seems to naturally breed a foundation for life. Although our primary objective is to preserve life, understanding Nature’s loops and ways with complete complexity will help us to curb chaos and destruction in favor of developing and appreciating the beauty all around that will add to the enjoyment of the ages.
“Norma is where our journeys become very interesting. All told, the number of galaxies in this region, known as the Norma Cluster, are in the tens of thousands. This region is located about 221.1 million light-years from Earth and belongs to a much greater construct that we share, known as the Laniakea Filament. While many superclusters of galaxies share our Filament, the intriguing aspect about the Coma Cluster is what is known as the Great Attractor. We will build our Headquarters within clear view of this anomaly and jump in, out, and around it before we hover too close. There will be plenty of baryonic material available on the far side of the nearest galaxies in that region to develop a pristine tech city that coincides with the mission and is far enough away to prevent any negative effects. It could be that what is going on will take billions of years, but we will do all that we can to preserve life. Our science teams will collaborate.
“Gazing into the constellation of Ophiuchus, you’ll find yourself looking just to the east of Sagittarius, the center of our Galaxy, and above the northern plane of our Galactic Disc. With this view, you’ll notice a lot of unique and beautiful star systems within our galaxy, and while using our legacy systems to peer further, you’ll see an Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy (ULIRG) poring through the stars of the Milky Way about 400 million light-years away. You’ll also see many more galaxies of interest within that region, nearby and beyond this ULIRG. What is unique for us about this particular galaxy, is that it is actually two galaxies becoming one. Because of the intensity of effect that these two supergiant major black holes will have on our understanding of the Cosmos and astrobiology itself, we will most certainly explore and observe this region to gain more insight. This pare of galaxies is identified as NGC-6240, and we have renamed it, the Firefly Galaxy. More details, such as position as viewed from Earth and toward our Galactic Disc, north or south polarity from the Galaxy’s plane, and which latitude and longitude, will be provided within our zonal matrix, for each region of space within the Virtual Universe.
“Scorpius is just to the southeast of Sagittarius, and thus we are viewing just to the right and below the Galactic Disc. Using solely our legacy systems, we have not seen beyond the plethora of stars, clusters, novae, and objects within our Milky Way at this time. However, this is just north of the Norma Cluster, and the galaxies there may be influenced by the Great Attractor. Given that knowledge, it will be a very intriguing location to study from the vantage point that lies beyond the Zone of Avoidance, or the center of our Galaxy.
“The Triangulum-Australe Region of our Zone has quite the view, to the south of our Galactic Disc. Looking at the display behind me, we are peering just below the Norma Cluster. ESO-137-001 happens to be a barred spiral galaxy that is part of this cluster, or Abell-3627, is located at its southern portion, relative to Earth, about 220 million light-years away. Finally, ESO-69-6 is a pair of galaxies that collided in such a way, that speed, velocity, and current measurements suggest a violent partial merger. They will most likely gravitational attract and collide again in several billion years until they completely merge. This will be a beautiful location to study since many of the star systems will likely not be impacted due to their distance from each other. There will be hugely affected regions, however. This location is about 600 million light-years away.
“There is much to discover, to learn, to explore, so we will be keeping you up-to-date as we receive information. Our matrix crews have developed an amazing site, that will let you explore what we have explored, but in the Virtual Universe. There, you will have access to every detail of information you’ll need for planning and volunteer work, should you become a volunteer in our zone. We look forward to working with each and every one of you.
“Thank you.”
Chapter 71: IMC Zone-11
Christian went to his seat by Scarlett, and passed by General Yonn Forall, gave him a fist bump and a military hug, and then Lt General Katya Brighten smiled and gave him a hug. Yonn and Katya had been working with Scarlett and Christian for a while since many of their galactic interests shared some of the same superclusters of galaxies. Yonn had worked many years ago with Amber Blythe to help Erin Carter, and now Erin, as current head of Pathway, and vice commander of the entire contingency, had proven that their efforts were well worth every moment spent. With so much done and appreciation for individual and collaborated efforts abounding, there were good feelings and thoughts shared between each crewmember and crew, no matter the Zone. Just like each of the crews before, IMC Zone-11 was as ready as ever.
Yonn made his way with Katya up to the pulpit, and together, their blonde hair, blue eyes, and nicely-styled hair complemented each other. Yonn had a clean-cut, shaven appearance, and Katya’s hair was fashioned ever-so-exquisitely in an up-do, with falling spiral curls in all the right places that suggested Red Carpet professionalism and style. They shared their accent colors, which were what many would call galaxy dye, of colors of pink, purple, and blue, done just right. Not too much, but just the way that would make any artist proud, since every aspect of their look radiated their power, their sophistication, their gentle demeanor, and so much more. These colors were prominent throughout their hair, irises, trim, and embroidery. Both fit their uniforms quite well, he with his masculine musculature, and she with her smooth yet pronounced curves in all the right places that suggested the most heart-striking essence of femininity. Both looked phenomenal in a way that only the most mature of minds would appreciate more fully, and no matter the mind, all were inspired by their presence to be their best version of themselves.
“I’m proud to be here before you today,” said Yonn. “With 6522 Galaxies of interest in just one Region of our Zone, I assure you, we will have plenty to keep us busy. Every time I see my crew and every time I see those who have helped us to get to where we are today, I am filled with a debt of gratitude. Many years ago, following my first doctorate, I began studies on many of the diseases that affect children. As time went by, a particularly brutal affliction begged my attention. There were many children who inspired me, who despite their struggle and with all of their hearts and minds loved life and those around them and dreamed great big dreams, who are no longer with us, but each child we lost hit home to me all the more the beauty of life and the sorrow for lost potential if we don’t at least embrace the need to understand each disease and overcome it. Hutchison-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, otherwise known as Progeria, had its brutal effect in such a way that it caused children to age eleven times faster than the average human. Many of these children looked toward myself and my colleagues with hope in their eyes, knowing that it was through care, intense study, and dedication to the sciences that we might possibly be able to help them to live a life that was at least normal, just like everyone else.
“Working with General Amber Blythe and with many others from our various crews, and aligned with the insights and wisdom of Eliza, Yesha, James, and Pathway we developed a cure. Now each of these children has been gifted a life where they can realize their fullest of potential. Many have done so much more than they would have had we let Nature take its course.
“I look to you, Erin, General Erin Carter, President and President of Pathway, and, I thank God and the Stars for you and all that you do for every single living being that exists within our small circle of influence. Because of you, Eliza, Yesha, James, Amber, and Pathway, our reach, or our circle of influence has grown exponentially and will now grow even more as we expand throughout our known Universe, and perhaps one day beyond that. There are so many mo
re of you to thank, so please know that I do not take your contributions for granted. I love each of you, my crew, the people who work closest to me, and those whose work goes unnoticed from afar.
“Please listen to my equally gifted and phenomenally intelligent and supportive coworker as she shares with you the various aspects of our preliminary plans for IMC Zone-11.
“Thank you.”
With that, Yonn sat down, after smiling and nodding to Katya Brighten. She looked out at the audience and emotionally attached to every heart that was watching. There was a lot that had been done by her to support and innovate toward the fulfillment of the mission they were on. As time would go by, the masses of humanity and Earth-based creatures scattered throughout the Universe would know and understand her contributions as well. Both had been neuroscientists, and while they had learned so much more and had compounded upon their talents, their abilities, and their strengths exponentially, she was the perfect person to work with her crew and with General Forall. He was gifted, he loved life, and he was driven by vision and passion. She was likewise yet had an extra dash of compassion which melded the crew of IMC Zone-11 into one fine-tuned, caring, innovative, and dedicated collaboration of minds. Even their spacecraft AI loved the way she expressed herself and her genuine intentions.
Further than Before- Pathway to the Stars Page 111