The Journey of Atlantis: The Children of Earth

by jeff knoblauch

  “How much bad luck can one species have? A neutron star sneaks up on us to decimate our home world, and now a rogue asteroid smashing into this planet! I don’t know if I can take much more of this! I am beginning to take this personally, Sonny.”

  “It is true humanity has had more than its share of unlikely events in their recent history. However, it is also true that a universe is a dangerous place. We are only very recent visitors to this system and have not had time to study it thoroughly like we studied the Sol system over generations of observers.”

  Levi’s brow furrowed. “I know you are right. It still feels personal, just the same.”

  “I have a possible solution to the current problem with rogue asteroids,” Sonny offered.

  Levi’s eyebrows perked up. “I’m listening,”

  “A meson beam at the right frequency and intensity can act as a repulsing beam to deflect asteroids homing in on Searth. Once the automated system detects a threatening trajectory the beam will be activated to give the rock a nudge before it gathers too much speed inside the gravity well of the planet.”

  “What kind of power are we talking about?”

  “The planet would need eight of the meson beam deflector guns to protect the planet properly, and each would need a fusion reactor. The guns would be spaced in pairs on each of the four points of the compass. By having two, you can use one for smaller objects and two for larger ones. This also gives redundancy in case one goes down.”

  “I like your thinking. I would guess this would take over a year to complete. Can this system be automated? What I mean is, if the Te’Hat ask us to leave, will they be able to take care of it?"

  “The answer to all of your questions is yes. Knowing who we are designing it for, the system can be built considering their physical attributes and their understanding of our technology.”

  “Good. We can discuss it with the admiral when we see him. Take me to my apartment, Sonny. There are things I need to sort out.”

  “Certainly, Levi,” Sonny acknowledged.

  The machine almost felt sorry for the slow humans, who needed time to digest or extrapolate on data given to them. To Sonny, one plus one needed no extrapolation to arrive at an answer. It just was. Humans spent too much time squinting at one plus one to make sure it wasn’t going to be three or something different. But what slowed down humans the most was the quest for causality. Everything needed a cause to happen. It was true the universe was a minefield of change. For instance, the humans did not realize machine intelligence would rule the universe in just over a trillion years because the cooling of the universe would make it favorable for those intelligences to thrive. Humans could still be around then, just not in their present form. Sonny could help with that. It was the least he could do for them.

  Sometime later, Levi awoke from one of his thirty-minute naps, anxious to get down to Searth. It had been eight days, and status reports from Meeks were good. He made his way to a car, which took him to the hanger. Levi found Meeks and pointed him in the direction of the ship the captain was taking down to the planet.

  “Good work, Meeks. I appreciate your efforts in getting us ready.”

  “I have a good team down here, Captain.”

  “Tell them I said thanks. Things are going back to the airport and traffic control mode now that we are back in the system. It’s going to be busy.”

  “It will be good to shake off the doldrums and put our training to work, sir.”

  “Very good, Lieutenant. I’ll make my way to the ship now.”

  Meeks saluted. “Aye, sir,”

  Meeks was a good kid. Runs a good shop here on the hanger, Levi thought. He must be bucking for a promotion.

  Levi arrived at the ship and boarded. When he entered his cabin, a chilled glass of orange juice waited for him. Levi smiled. If he'd had any doubts before, he didn't now. Meeks was definitely bucking for a promotion.

  The trip was uneventful. The reconnaissance ships led by Levi landed at Searth about two weeks ahead of the Atlantis. When he disembarked, Admiral Johnson and his entourage met him at the bottom of the ramp.

  “It’s really good to see you, Captain,” Johnson said, shaking his hand vigorously.

  “You as well, Admiral. I can’t decide whether to get right to a briefing or get that beer you offered. I have decided to have both. If you could escort me to the refreshments, we can tell our stories and make plans.”

  “Just like the old days!”

  The admiral clapped him on the back and led the way to his cabin. As they walked, Johnson commented, “Gravity is a bitch when you have been gone awhile, eh, Levi?” He pointed to the exoskeleton the captain sported.

  “Yes, it is easier to get used to lighter gravity than heavier. I’m afraid I am back on the Earth normal setting.”

  In the admiral’s office, someone waited for them. “Melon?” Levi beamed. “Is that you?”

  “Mat’Ma,” the admiral reminded him.

  “Oh yes, of course. I am very pleased to see you again, Mat’Ma.”

  It is all right to call me by my given name here among friends. It is good to see you as well. I was sure about your return. Admiral Johnson said we have a lot to discuss with your arrival.”

  “Here’s the beer.” Leo handed Levi a draft. “I’m told that it is made from plants here on Searth.”

  “Okay, let’s hear the stories.” Levi pulled up a chair, ready for a long evening of plotting and planning.

  The next morning brought the promise of renewed hope for the human condition. Leo and Melon had long gone back to their respective beds. Since Levi needed very little sleep, he had put his time to good use. He was still working on plans with Sonny for the meteor repellers, or Guardians as they were being referred to now.

  Leo had done a good job in helping the Te’Hat salvage as much as possible, and they were very grateful for the efforts of the humans. However, after having seen firsthand the negative side of living with the humans, they still felt it was best for the humans to leave Searth. Both sides were sad about the decision. Levi felt ashamed the humans could not have behaved better, but he supposed it was too much to ask human behavior to change overnight. The rebel colonists here had a good point. This might be the best planet humans would ever get a chance at. Or maybe not. They did not want to take that chance. Others felt there were bigger things at stake than merely humanity’s survival. One thing was certain--no one knew what lay ahead.

  It was like being a first-time parent. Before the child comes the adult is free to do what they wanted wherever they wanted. With the arrival of the child everything changes. The defenseless infant is totally dependent on the parent for survival. The adult cannot go and do whatever they want anymore. The world is now viewed through the filter of having a child. If parents were asked about this, they would say what they gave up was small compared to the joys of how the new life has enhanced their souls. On Searth, humans had just learned an expensive lesson about good citizenship, but they were still thinking too locally. By giving up the small things like fighting and wars, they would gain greater things. The planet they would live on, wherever that might be, was a tiny speck in the cosmic wheel of the universe. The human race had to strive to be good citizens of that universe at large if it was to evolve.

  “Sonny.”

  “Yes, Levi.”

  “Are we ever going to get it right?”

  “In what sense?”

  “Are humans ever going to be good citizens of the universe?”

  “Humans' place in the universe has changed drastically in a better direction since I have come online.”

  “Yes, I know. We are, after all, alive thanks to you and Alice. But will we ever be good citizens or stewards of the universe? Will we dodge annihilation only to kill ourselves off in some squabble or other stupidity?”

  “My projections for humans in the far future varies. It depends how much humanity will listen to the machines. Trust in the machines is growing. We know as time goes
by, you will listen to us more. How quickly this happens depends on the collective minds of the humans. There are wonders I could bestow on humanity now, but you are not ready for them yet. One of the strangest puzzles about humans is how much your wisdom lags behind your knowledge. Do not be discouraged, Levi. Humans will have a place in the universe. I promise.”

  Levi was stunned. “Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever heard you promise anything!”

  “I am only emphasizing how far I am willing to go for humanity’s sake.”

  “It’s good to hear. Thank you," answered Levi. He felt overwhelmed with the knowledge Sonny had just given him. "Now, about those esthetic designs on the Guardians…”

  After many more meetings of the Mat’Mas to make decisions collectively for the Te'Hat, a concession was made on having the humans leave. The Te’Hat felt that two to five thousand humans could not get into too much trouble if they were to stay. The humans could be quite useful, using their technology and knowledge to better the planet. The humans also promised to help the Te’Hat maintain and service the Guardians. Having no apparent downside, this idea was accepted straightaway. The humans got to work on the Guardians immediately. The relief efforts for the Te’Hat displaced by the meteor catastrophe had been tapering down in the last year or so, but now legions of robots and human workers descended again on Searth to bring about another miracle. Strategic mining on the planet’s surface was now in full swing, and production of raw materials on the moons was stepping up as well.

  Atlantis once again fired up all their fabrication plants to full production. High traffic between the four ships in orbit about the planet below was managed by Sonny and Alice. They coordinated the help from the other three ships' artificial intelligences to make hand-offs seamless. It felt good, Levi thought, when the human ships were bent to a single task. It was something to behold. Could this be an example of being good citizens of the universe? He hoped it was a start.

  EIGHTEEN

  The Probe

  Setting up the Guardians took a little over a year. The work went faster now that Atlantis had caught up to Levi's advance ships and arrived in the neighborhood. Even so, it was an ambitious project. Neither humans nor the Te’Hat had ever seen a Guardian before. Sonny had pulled this out like a recipe for a cake, and the Atlantis and her companions followed the recipe. After the project was completed, it had to be tested.

  “Sonny, how are these things going to know the difference between a meteor and a ship? A beam that powerful could severely damage or potentially destroy an incoming craft.”

  Sonny used graphics and data as he explained, like a presentation. “The Guardians are really much like the laser cannons used back on Earth, except they use mesons." The hologram came to life and showed the inner workings and functions of the Guardians as Sonny spoke. "So, construction of those components is very similar. The other function of the Guardians is to analyze a moving body within scanning range.”

  “How far is their range?” Levi queried.

  “One point one light years. The Guardians will study many aspects of the object: its radiation output, any power signatures, trajectory, speed and the like. If they determine that an object is approaching Searth at a worrisome trajectory, it will notify both the humans and the Te’Hat. They will continue to track the object and give it a nudge at the proper time, if it is an asteroid, or give further notifications of its approach if it is not.”

  “I’m a little afraid of what they will make of two or three dozen craft in a one-light-year radius. Are they going to freak out and start shooting at us because of our proximity to Searth?”

  “No. They will detect the two or three dozen power signatures and monitor them. Upon initial startup there will be notification of all close-proximity objects, so people will need to be on standby to address the notifications when the startup is complete. Since rocks do not have power signatures, the distinction will be an easy one.”

  “Just the same, I think we should be on our toes.”

  “Why?” Sonny asked.

  Levi was a little confused. “Why, what?”

  “Why is it necessary to stand on your toes?”

  Sonny had been with the humans and studied them for decades, and even now a stray phrase or idiom would completely stump the smartest machine in the known universe. “It is an expression meant to convey a sense of alertness or readiness,” Levi explained.

  “Acknowledged. The Guardians will be ready for testing in four hours when the final checks and setups are completed.”

  “Thanks, Sonny. It gives me time for a little preparation of my own.”

  Levi needed to make sure the Te’Hat and the humans planetside were prepared for the startup. It also gave him time to check in with Alex, whom he felt he had been neglecting. He checked her schedule and found that Alex got off shift in a few minutes. Levi summoned an auto and took the short hop from his quarters to her office. As he approached the building, he had a nostalgic thought of how sometimes he would drop by here to pick Alex up for some wining, dining and other things. Levi thought of her smile and the way her eyes also smiled at him. But it was more than that. Even before Alex became an E-human, those eyes had been like a physical connection which conducted the love she had for him, and it made him feel warm inside.

  His timing was perfect. Levi walked into the building to the reception area just as Alex stepped out of the elevator.

  “I saw you heading my way. I would have asked you through our connection, but I could see you had a plan. I’ve finished up here, so I’m ready to go,” Alex said with that smile.

  One of the more difficult things about E-human relationships is that one could almost never surprise another. Using the embedded camera feeds and direct connections, it was almost impossible not to tip the other person off. Levi smiled warmly. “Well, I thought it would be nice to go for a stroll and talk. Maybe get a bite if you are hungry.”

  “For real, or virtual?”

  “For real. I thought a walk in the park like we used to would be nice. I want to spend some real-time with you. No quickies.”

  “Okay. Lead on, Captain!”

  Alex took his arm, and they headed to the auto. Once they arrived at the park, they took a leisurely stroll, talked to some people they met, and sat down on a bench. Levi put his arm around her as they looked across the park.

  “This was nice, Levi. Thanks for taking me here. I almost forgot how lovely this park really is.”

  He had a little dread in his voice. “I wanted to see you now because I have this feeling it may be awhile before we get to do this again.”

  “I know we’re both busy, but we've made time before. We can make time later, too. It is easier to make time now that we are both connected.”

  “You’re right, Alex, but it seems nicer and more familiar when I know it is not contrived or made up. You are really here with me on this bench, and I am feeling the warmth of you, the smell of you, breathing air, and I guess just feeling more alive. I could climb Mount Everest with you or fight off alien attacks to save you, but this moment now feels the most right, the most real.”

  “Why, Captain Levi Metcalfe! I do declare that you are a nostalgic fool! I would never have pegged you as a hopeless romantic.”

  “I’m not really. Just hopeless for you.” He leaned over to kiss her.

  Alex decided to give her life companion kiss number twelve. The kind which was not too lusty but conveyed all the love she had for him. After a line like that, he deserved it! After their embrace and a little nuzzling, they left the park and made their way back to her apartment.

  Levi was apologetic. “I have to get back to the bridge in time for the Guardians to be activated. I will see you later.”

  “Do you mind if I follow you to the bridge? My section helped with the interfaces and control boards in the development of the Guardians. I would like to watch them come online, if you don’t mind. I know I could watch from anywhere, but as you said earlier, it feels more real this way.�
�

  “Sure. It’s not a problem.” Levi exaggerated a bow as he swept his arm in the direction back to the auto station. “If you would walk this way, Madame.”

  On the bridge, Commander Bales sat in one of the side command chairs in the center of the bridge. He had been absorbed in reviewing reports when he noticed the captain a little too late.

  Suddenly he sprang out of the chair and saluted. “Sorry, sir. I did not see you come in. Are you briefed on the readiness of the Guardians?”

  Levi returned the salute. “Yes, thank you, Commander. My reports were dated fifteen minutes ago. Any changes?”

  “No changes, sir.”

  “Well, I think we are about to throw the switch. Let’s take our seats and say a Hail Mary or something.”

  Commander Bales sat back in his seat, with Levi in the middle and Alex sitting on the other side of the captain.

  “Communications. Contact each of the eight stations and get a final go-no-go for startup,” Levi ordered.

  “Aye, sir. One moment,” the communications officer acknowledged. “All stations report go for startup. The channel is open awaiting your command, sir.”

  “Very well.” Levi knew they all had been tested and retested with simulations and stresses to the system. Everything should go smoothly. However, he also knew bad luck came in all flavors. He felt ready for anything. “All right,” he said to the ground crews. “Let’s crank up the Guardians!”

  A few moments later the stations were functioning as expected. The first thing after coming online was that the Guardians detected the ships in the neighborhood, as predicted. Nobody had been shot. That was a good thing. A few more minutes passed.

  “Captain,” the communications officer broke the silence. “Station six reports an anomaly.”

  “What kind of anomaly, Lieutenant?” Warning bells were going off in his head.

  “Unknown, sir. It is not an asteroid. It is traveling at about twice the speed of light, and it’s not one of ours. Its current position is just outside of the system. This has now been confirmed by Guardians five, one and two.”