This Changes Everything
Page 24
CHAPTER TWELVE
Individuals from the Many Worlds Collective: Their Names and Their Worlds (as Earthers know them) Astronomy, Earth-Style
Some human astronomers in 2012 estimate that there are over one trillion galaxies in the “known” universe with at least 50 billion planets in the Milky Way alone. 500 million planets or planet-like bodies are then predicted to exist in a “habitable zone,” sometimes called “The Goldilocks Zone” (TGZ), meaning, not too far away (from their own suns) and not too close; these planets or moons are temperate with sufficient amounts of appropriate gases and liquids in their usable forms on their surfaces. Other human astronomers estimate that there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe. In any case, they believe there are at least 50,000,000,000,000,000,000 (50 quintillion) potentially habitable planets/moons in the universe. That is a gross underestimation, as we know now. I don't even know the number, but Led says humans don't have a word for a number that high, yet.
This number of habitable orbs, huge as it is, doesn’t even speak to multiple timelines, multiverse existences, across all times. This number also does not refer to locations that support life as defined in subtly or radically different ways from the life Earth supports or from what current scientists are comfortable imagining, especially life that lives beneath the surfaces of any planet or moon or those that take other than the physical forms humans can imagine.
Arthur C. Clarke, physicist and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey writes, in the last century:
The idea that we are the only intelligent creatures in a cosmos of a hundred billion galaxies is so preposterous that there are very few astronomers today who would take it seriously. It is safest to assume, therefore, that they are out there and to consider the manner in which this may impinge upon human society.
Well, you wouldn’t be reading this if you do not know that “they” are not only “out there,” but have been “here” multiple times and are now “here” to stay. Where do "they" live?
The most “likely” candidates for Earth-like life, as of 2012, are:
Gliese 581d
Gj 667 Cc
HD 85512 b
Kepler 22 b
This last one, Kepler 22 b, gets a lot of media attention early in 2012; it is the first time astronomers and other scientists publicly acknowledge that “life” on “other” planets is not only possible, but likely, and they “go out on a limb” to claim that Kepler 22 b is one planet on which they are almost certain life exists.
The next most likely candidates, using most of the criteria that define “habitable” to coincide with what would support Earth-like life, regardless of how simple or complex, number between 1 to 45 more, depending upon how one defines “habitable.” Here are 26 of the candidates and some star systems (with as yet unnamed but likely planets), from the current lists: 16 Cygni Bb; Gliese 581 system, including Gliese 581c, Gliese 581g; Gliese 876 B; the Gliese 667 system; Upsilon Andromedae d; the HD 85512 system; HD 28185 b; HD 69830 d; the 55 Cancri binary star systems, including 55 Cancri f and 55 Cnc C; KOI 326.01; KOI 701.03; KOI 268.01; KOI 1026.01; KOI 854.01; KOI 70.03; KOI 463.01; KOI 1422.02; KOI 947.01; KOI 812.03; KOI 448.02; KOI 1361.01; the Kepler 22 system; 55 Cnc c; HD 69830 d; GJ 581 f; GJ 581 e; GJ 581 c; and, GJ 581 g.
Not very creative with the names, eh?
Because the MWC already knows exactly what Earthers know, believe and can readily accept, the first public delegates from MWC members are selected from the above list of planets. [See a later Chapter for the information on the lottery system by which the delegates are selected.]
Home Planets and Physical Descriptions of the First MWC Delegates
Let me introduce The Band.
I've always wanted to say that, preferably from a stage, like at Woodstock, fronting an awesome rock 'n' roll band like "The Jefferson Airplane." This is my next-best chance, so I'm taking it.
[The crowd goes wild!]
First, Led, their leader. Led sings lead and plays rhythm guitar.... Kidding.
Led is from Gliese 581d, which orbits the star Gliese 581. Gliese 581 is about 20 light-years from Earth, in what some Earthers call “Libra.” In its solar system, Gliese 581d is the fifth from its sun and, like Jupiter (our 5th planet) is very large; it is at least 5.6 times the mass of Earth. Most importantly, Gliese 581d has a stable atmosphere and liquid water on its surface.
Led looks like a very small zeppelin (from which I derive and he agrees on his nickname), about the size and shape of a large, griseous, smooth, beach ball, but ovoid. Led (and his species counterparts) can fly, hover, bounce, wiggle, swim and float, don't need to breathe in the way we conceive of it and take in nourishment constantly from air or water, all very useful on a planet with heavy gravity and lots of water rather than land. Think of flying, ovoid coral and you come closest to what they are.
In October, 2008, some scientists from Bebo (a networking website) send a high-power transmission aimed at Gliese 581d. This transmission is due to arrive in the Gliese 581 system's vicinity by the year 2029. When this message is sent, it is believed that the earliest possible arrival for a response, should there be one, would be in 2049. In August, 2009, 25,880 messages are collected and sent to Gliese 581d from people in 195 Earth countries.
Led explains: “We know we send someone from my planet in 2012 to Earth; specifically, to Clara Branon. So I bring the response, about 37 Earth years early. ‘Hello back to you at Bebo! Thanks for the introduction and welcome!’”
This story makes me laugh. I can only imagine the humans at Bebo are beyond pleased.
Now, the Pair from Gj, Janis—Diana.
Janis—Diana (each chooses her own nickname) are from Gj 667 Cc, which orbits in a system with three stars in what many Earthers call “Scorpius.” Gj 667 Cc is about 22 light-years from Earth. Its mass is about 4 times that of Earth and it orbits the third, dwarf star of the three, taking about 49 Earth years for its “year.” Earth scientists are interested to corroborate with Janis — Diana how much liquid water, greenhouse gases and other familiar elements comprise the surface and atmosphere of Gj 667 Cc.
Janis—Diana “stand” on some leg-like appendages, two for each of them, that support undifferentiated, blob-like, virescent bodies with no significant distinctions along their bodies. These two do have small bumps and dents all across and around their bodies. Janis—Diana can extrude appendages that I would call "arms" when needed but I do not know how many they have I only see one or two in use at one time and they seem to extrude them from no discernable opening in their holoforms. Janis is slightly shorter than Diana, but neither is much above 5 feet tall.
They often move about and appear together; they are required to work and travel together, in pairs. They can walk, hop, jump, run and skip on land and they move like dolphins through the water. They do something that resembles humans dancing which they consider another form of communication on land and in water.
Let's meet Mick!
Mick (also chooses this nickname for himself) is from HD 85512 b, which orbits its star, Gliese 370. Gliese 370 is about 36 light-years from Earth in what many Earthers call “Vela.” It has an estimated average surface temperature of 25°C or 77°F, quite comfortable for humans. Its orbit is about 54 days, about one-seventh of an Earth year. Even though its mass is much greater than Earth’s, with about 40% stronger gravitational pull on the surface, it has a very similar climate to large portions of Earth. Many astronomers consider HD 85512 b to be the most habitable planet for humans, unless Kepler 22 b proves to be.
Once we acquire the technology and are allowed to go off-planet, we discover that Earthers have some trouble adjusting to Gliese 370's gravity and often choose to wear personal airlifters. We finally get our personal Jetpacks Ian Fleming promised us in Thunderball!
Mick is turquoise, with feathery, cilia-like coatings on every part of his body, which is about eight feet tall. The constant movement of Mick’s coating makes him seem as if he’s underwater. His upper-most part is
not round or ovoid, but flat and perpendicular to the rest of him. His top portion is about as thick as an old-style laptop computer and has flashing lights that blink other colors besides turquoise all around its perimeter.
Mick has two lower appendages that are a lot like flamingo legs, thin with two joints, and four mid-level appendages that are somewhat like arms, but each one is different from the other three. Mick moves more like a horse or how I imagine a centaur might move: galloping, walking, trotting, and kind of skipping, making great leaps. His species are very light and compact, more like birds than equines, so the planet's gravity doesn't impact them unduly.
And, last but certainly not least (but isn't he always last?), dear Ringo.
Ringo (also chooses his nickname) is from Kepler 22 b, which orbits Kepler 22, the star most similar to Earth’s sun of all of these planets' suns, in our current knowledge base. Kepler 22 b is about 600 light-years from Earth in what many Earthers call “Cygnus.” Kepler 22 b is about 2 ½ times the size of Earth.
Human astronomers are eager to learn from Ringo exactly which of their many theories about this planet's gravity, mass, climate, average temperature, composition of its surface topography and components of its atmosphere are the most accurate. It is believed by Earthers to have a 290-day “year,” but all else about Kepler 22 b is speculation until Ringo educates us about his home.
Ringo is jacinth and about seven feet, six inches tall, with one upper, head-like part that has a subdivision of four connected pieces. Each one is somewhat triangular. Together, his head pieces form a kind of separated pyramid, connected at the bottom to the rest of his body. At the top the tips seem to meet but the sides are not closed. The “head pyramid” has indentations at various points.
Ringo’s body is more robot-like with a slightly oblong shape that has six retractable appendages and extensions that are available as needed, so usually retracted. He also stands on two leg-like appendages, but he can fly, so they aren’t used much. I don’t know how he flies, exactly, but two of his side/front appendages have some web-like structures, I believe (I haven’t seen these, yet, but they’re listed), which can expand and be used to take flight. Otherwise, these are "stowed," and fold up, like beetles' wings or umbrellas.
All five of The Band can swim, but Janis—Diana are water-philes. Led, of course, moves in and through water the same as he does air.
When I write “water” and “air,” above, I do not necessarily mean that these have the same compositions of these substances as they exist on Earth: their planetary liquids and gases may be comprised of molecular structures or substances that are vastly or slightly different from their Earth counterparts. Not being a biochemist, that’s as far as I can take you. Go the rest of the way, if you’re so inclined, through your own iDs.