The Invitation-kindle

by Michael McKinney

  Chapter Sixteen

  Since this incredible drama first began nearly twenty-four hours ago, television cameras have streamed uninterrupted live coverage, and additional crews have been allowed, but only at some distance from the inner perimeter, which has been sealed off.

  All across the western hemisphere, people in countless millions are either outside watching the darkening eastern sky, or inside watching their TV screens, waiting for the reappearance of what they saw the night before. There seems to be an unspoken hunch by most that the time to expect communication might be at eight o’clock, which had been the time of last night’s appearance. This intuition proves correct. Many are looking at their watches, when precisely at eight o’clock, something happens, and happens instantly. From the top of the craft a pure, white beam of energy begins rising toward the eastern sky, exactly as it had done the night before. Moving much slower than the speed of light, it gradually traces the outlines of the same visual platform that carried the astonishing images of the night before. When the expected facial image of the creature that calls himself a Linesian’ suddenly appears, it immediately becomes the most recorded image in human history. For most, seeing the image of this creature for a second night in a row confirms their belief that what they are seeing is genuinely authentic. A moment passes. All are waiting for something momentous to begin. All the people of the world seem to be collectively waiting to discover what the ultimate destiny of mankind will be, as if something so profound could be told, and understood with only the words, and vocabulary of common human experience.

  After another few seconds of silence, the Linesians low pitched voice is heard.

  “People of Earth, once again we greet you. A full rotation of your planet has passed since our last communication, time enough to consider what you saw last night. The images of your own future depict a grim, inescapable reality for your descendants. You have begun a process that will catastrophically change your world’s climate. Adulterating a planet’s atmosphere has happened on other worlds across the galaxy countless times. Sentient life emerging from conditions similar to your own, reach a point in their history when they despoil their biospheres. Civilizations that pass through this dangerous phase are, as you will be, careful to never make that mistake again. Some damage their world’s ecology beyond recovery, and self-extinguish. Throughout the galaxy, millions of planets have on their surfaces the archeological remains of advanced civilizations like your own, co-mingled with the ancient bones of those creatures that once inhabited those worlds, now long extinct. The struggle of life to survive that you see in your own world is a theme that runs constant across the galaxy and beyond. Planetary civilizations that survive stabilize over long periods of time. Through millions of generations, highly evolved beings of imponderable cerebral depth emerge with an evolutionary lineage that spans hundreds of millions of years. The Linesians are one of many civilizations of this type.

  “Linesia is a planet much like your Earth, a jeweled wonder. Liquid water on its surface harbors a profusion of living forms. Like you, we evolved from early, primitive, cellular life. Hard land surfaces formed on our planet early in its history, and intelligent beings evolved through deep time. We are those beings. We are from a part of the galaxy you call Cassiopeia. The star our planet orbits is twenty-six thousand light years away, and like your sun, is a main sequence G spectral type. Millions of years ago we passed through an ecological crises similar to your own. Our cataclysmic fall was as great as yours will be. We have survived what you will survive. We have learned what you will learn.

  In this galaxy, and in all galaxies, emergent life proliferates, and in time beings of deep luminary knowledge emerge inhabiting millions of planets like your own. Fifty-nine million years ago we began cataloging these worlds, and their indigenous life. In that time we have identified more than twenty-two million planets that harbor advanced, intelligent life.

  “Your Earth is one of them. Every planet across the galaxy, every civilization, their science, language, culture, and varied histories are preserved, and form an immense repository of knowledge for future generations. Millions of civilizations have pooled their knowledge, and experience for the benefit of all. When your future descendants are ready, they too will be given unfettered access to these deep stores of accumulated knowledge. It would be dangerous for you to possess this knowledge before you’re ready. What lies ahead for mankind is something far more basic. The next ten thousand years will be a grim struggle for survival that proximate human generations cannot avoid. A massive die-off of your population is necessary for what will become a restart of human history. Once this difficult period is over, mankind will stand at the dawn of a great epoch of self-awakening. The evolution of human brain development will gradually begin speeding up, as symbolic language spurs accelerated cognition, and human speech will quicken sharply. This strain of audible speech that you are now hearing from me has been slowed down hundreds of times to accommodate your rate of comprehension. Your stolidly slow cognition will accelerate many times over. .

  “If you could return to Earth two million years from now, it would be impossible to communicate with your own human descendants. The technical knowledge that now takes months and years to learn will be acquired and understood in mere hours by your distant progeny. Their densely concentrated speech and language, their accelerated comprehension, and knowledge of exponentially increased volume and complexity will have the effect in some of greatly slowing down and even halting the aging process. At first only about two or three percent of humans will be affected. That small portion of the population will see an already increased lifespan of three hundred years suddenly augmented five times over, and the first ‘Millennials’ will make their appearance in human history. Named for their extraordinarily long lifespans they will be the first humans to live for more than a thousand years, and certainly not the last. But this world will not exist for another three hundred thousand years, and only after war, disease, hunger, and conflict have long disappeared.

  “We are here to offer mankind an invitation to that world, an invitation into your own future. The invitation we extend has only one stipulation. You must renounce all forms of war and aggressive conflict. With your own hands you must dismantle, and discard all weapons of offensive capability, and you must, by and through your own volition, embrace a peaceful future. If you do, you will be welcomed into that galactic community which is your immutable destiny.

  “Thousands of interstellar civilizations, unending in their multifarious diversity, will welcome you as an equal member. You will be given the means to communicate with them, to learn and exchange ideas, knowledge to alleviate pain and suffering, the eradication of all disease, abundant energy supplies, answers to questions that your science has pondered for centuries. All these things shall be given freely, when you are responsible enough to receive them. That time is not yet.

  “We have given you much to think about. In observance of your customs we now show ourselves to you, to answer in person the many questions you must have. Let him approach who represents you, and all questions will be answered.”

  At this, Ken Myers rises, and walks toward Vice President Scott Conner. Calling him over, the Vice President comes forward, while at the same time an impending sense of expectation is building. Nearly everyone has their eyes fixed on the strange alien craft that has, to this point, concealed any possible occupants. Then on its surface a vertical line appears and forms an open entrance to the vehicle. All wait in silence, knowing the ultimate moment is finally here when human eyes will for the first time see an alien being from another world. A few seconds pass. Then from the dark, recessed entrance, a creature slightly over four feet high emerges, walking upright with the same bipedal motion as humans, and sated curiosity is transformed into a general sense of wonder. The image that presents itself to the world seems at once both alien and familiar with arms, legs, hands, fingers, a head, and shoulders. The face is the same face projected so dramatical
ly across the night sky for the past several nights, the same face that had spoken so forcefully with succinct, unquestioned authority, divining the fate of man, and his world, is now seen attached to what can only be described as a very slight physique. The large face, and eyes seem to suggest a mismatch with a much smaller body.

  As the creature called a Linesian stands there, thousands of camera flashes make the scene reminiscent of a Hollywood movie star’s debut. Looking more like a frail ingénue than a mover and shaker of things, this strange-looking creature that has captured, and is now the focus of the world’s attention, seems somehow incommensurate with the powerfully dramatic events of the past two days, but when the inimitable sound of the Linesians low-pitched voice is heard again all are attentive and silent as he speaks.

  “Is there one among you to speak for all?”

  Upon hearing this, President Myers responds, “Scott Conner, Vice President of the United States is that person.”

  Walking over to the Vice President, Ken Myers takes his hand.

  “You were born for this moment, Scott. You may ask anything you want. I cannot do this. You have to fill this role. Your knowledge of science qualifies you. There’s nothing to fear.”

  Walking back to his chair, Ken Myers sits down again. His wife joins him. Sitting on the other side of the President is Secret Service Agent Allen Forbes, who has returned. All three of them are conspicuously sitting down as all others remain standing. The casual, relaxed demeanor of the President of the United States seems very much out of place. The fact that Ken Myers has chosen his Vice President to in effect, speak for the people of the world leaves many wondering why.

  Scott Conner is now standing no more than eight feet away from the representative of an advanced alien civilization. What could he possibly think to say? As the moments pass he breaks the silence.

  “If what you say is true…”

  The Vice President breaks off, and pauses as he looks over his shoulder. He sees his own image alongside that of his alien counterpart projected across a quarter of the night sky, and a sudden realization grips his mind. He will be the first human being to not only communicate with an extraterrestrial intelligence, but will have an articulated conversation with this creature, and have it while the entire population of the world is watching. What should he say or ask? Does he try to represent the whole human race in this incredible dialogue? If not, what exactly is his role? These questions quickly flash through Scott Conner’s mind. He gathers his thoughts, and begins again.

  “How can we know if what you say is true?”

  “What we have shown you is consistent with data your own science acknowledges.”

  “But what you’ve shown us is far more dramatic. You just told us that 99 percent of human population will die off, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. Do you expect us to accept that? How can we know if this is real?”

  “Your skepticism is a common response. I’m sure your Doctors have examined Mr. Kearns. Why don’t you ask them, Mr. Conner, if what they’re seeing is real?”

  “If…if what you say is true, why didn’t you appear earlier in our history to warn us, so we could avoid what you say is now inevitable? You’ve shown us these terrible things, and now you say it’s too late. How does that help us?”

  “Only when a civilization is on the brink will our message resonate. Your species is willful and obstinate. Resistance to change is a general human trait. For you, only living this tragedy can teach you what you need to learn.”

  “What you tell us is too bleak. If you know anything about us, you know we will never accept any situation that’s hopeless, either now or in the future.”

  “The story we have told you is anything but hopeless. It’s a story of human survival.”

  “But at what cost?” the Vice President asks.

  “What price could be too high for survival, Mr. Conner? Not all civilizations are as fortunate. Those who fail to learn from their experience simply go extinct. Your planet’s biosphere is particularly robust. That and that alone will guarantee human survival.”

  “This global disaster that’s coming…I still don’t understand. If this is true, then why don’t you help us prevent it?”

  “Only you can walk out of your own darkness. Your questions are defensive, Mr. Conner. Why don’t you let your imagination express its curiosity? That might be helpful.”

  “Because I’m more concerned about the death of billions of human beings, that is, if what you say is true.”

  “Why do you fear death? Your own religions teach that it’s an illusion. Awaiting each one of you are millions of journeys. Your present human lifetime is only one of them. There is no finality in this, only an endless becoming. All speaks to the inner being.”

  “You sound like one of our poets.”

  “Maybe you should listen more closely to what they’re saying, Mr. Conner.”

  “How is it that you can show us images of things that haven’t happened yet, that are still in the future?”

  “An astute question, Mr. Conner. The images that you and the people of Earth were shown are based on predictive models.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “From the four million civilizations across the galaxy we have profiled from our general catalog, we extract their individual planetary histories. Our predictive models are based on this data.”

  “Then you don’t know for sure if your prediction is certain or not.”

  “Sunrise is only a prediction before it happens. Our models have an accuracy rate of 100 percent, Mr. Conner.”

  “You say you’ve cataloged over four million civilizations. How do you know how to find them?”

  “We permanently roam the galaxy listening for electronic communication, a universal signature of technical civilizations. We were forty-seven light years away when we detected that signal from Earth.”

  “You say you permanently roam the galaxy. How can you possibly live long enough to make such a journey?”

  “Living creatures could not endure the endless tedium of these long expeditions. Only automated representatives can make these epic journeys.”

  “You mean machines.”

  “Yes”

  “Is that what you are?”

  “Yes”

  “You’re actually a machine.”

  “I am an automaton, designed to resemble the physical traits of those who constructed me.”

  “How long ago were you made?”

  “By your reckoning of time, my commission began forty-one million years ago.”

  “Have you been traveling through space for that long?”

  “Yes”

  “What source of power do you use?”

  “The energy intrinsic to matter itself is our source of power. The same energy your hydrogen bombs release in an instant is slowly attenuated, and gradually released over time. Learning to control the release of energy bound up in matter is something your own science will achieve in the distant future.”

  “Are you saying you use matter as an energy source?”

  “Yes”

  “What kind of matter?”

  “Water”

  “Water, uh, do you mean liquid water? H2O?”

  “Do you know of any other type, Mr. Conner?”

  “No I just…It’s odd to think of water as a fuel source.”

  “The energy in a few drops of water could, and eventually will, propel humans to the outer planets of your solar system.”

  “Is that what powers that craft?”

  “Yes”

  “What’s it made of?”

  “It’s only a membrane, made of specially designed matter a few atoms thick.”

  “You create matter?”

  “We weave matter from energy, designing its properties and function in accordance with its intended purpose.

  “How could it possibly protect you, being so thin?”

  “This is matter that has been compressed to its irreducible limit.
With no interstitial space, its structural integrity is absolute. We could journey into your sun’s interior with this craft.”

  “I'm… sorry but… I have trouble believing that.”

  “I'm sure you do Mr. Conner.”

  “How do you design matter that can do something like that?”

  “It requires an intimate knowledge of the architecture of subatomic structures.”

  “If you have all this power at your disposal, why does it take you thousands of years to make these journeys?”

  “Despite your fanciful notions to the contrary, the speed of light is impossible to exceed. We travel at sub-light speeds over distances that for you, are inconceivable. The immensity of galactic space cannot be overstated. All galaxies have enormously large interiors relative to their star populations, a feature that works to keep their billions of solar systems stable over eons of time.”

  “You know so much, and can do all these things. Then why can’t you help us avoid this disaster that you say is coming?”

  “These coming upheavals will do more for mankind’s long-term survival than anything that we could provide for you. Those who survive the cataclysm will learn to live in balance with the natural world, having around them abundant historical evidence about what happens to a planet and its inhabitants when they don’t, Mr. Conner.”

  “But why do so many people have to die?”

  “Your teeming numbers are unsustainable. A sharply reduced human population will allow the Earth to heal and replenish itself. In several thousand years your oceans will once again teem with life. Deep ocean currents will slowly begin to resume their global cycle, and the world will gradually become more temperate. Huge polar ice sheets will start receding, and millions of acres will be reforested again. With human activity absent, a re-greening of the Earth will take place, lowering carbon dioxide levels as plants once again cleanse, and preserve the living world thereby ensuring mankind’s survival. For your descendants it will be the dawn of a new age. None of this can happen until the cataclysmic upheaval has run its course. We have seen many civilizations pass through this danger. It’s necessary.”