2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel

by Speiser, Zvi

  He had enjoyed dropping that bomb and the ensuing chaos in the conference room, but mostly the lively discussion that had followed, and the way three distinct camps had formed. Ramona, devout in her faith and lacking any doubts, had joyfully embraced all the revelations. They provided further proof of her belief system, and this time, it was even scientific proof, the kind no scientist could refute. She passionately defended the existence of God, and could not understand how it could be denied. The fact that she’d been married for decades now to an astronomer who, based on the expression on his face, did not share her opinion had no effect whatsoever on her.

  At the other extreme were the two astronomers. They believed there was no place for a god in the universe. The universe didn’t need such an entity; it got along just fine without one. No, they had no proof of this assumption. True, the discoveries were troubling and could not be explained at present, but they were certain that over time, an explanation would be found, just as it had for many phenomena attributed to the divine until science managed to explain them.

  Melissa and Rick joined them, both using a similar line of reasoning: there was too much evil and randomness to assume the existence of God.

  That left Dr. Lester, who hesitated and deliberated, and Lise, the frightened PhD candidate, who was too shaken up to even debate the question.

  Only once the attendees’ eyes turned back to him was he required to state his position. Oddly, although he had been the one to pose the question, he had never paused to think about his own stance on the matter.

  Will recalled his conversation with Professor Sheffy and the professor’s unrestrained laughter when Will asked him whether he thought that God was the reason the stars were not exploding. Obviously, the Jewish professor did not believe that a deity of any kind was performing miracles and protecting the denizens of Earth. No, he had no idea what Professor Rosen’s beliefs were, and he hadn’t bothered to find out. People’s various ideas regarding faith did not trouble him.

  Briefly, Will wondered whether he should have told Professor Sheffy about the planned meeting at NASA, about the other two discoveries and about the way his own findings fit in with the others. No, it was better not to tell him; he did not want anyone else to break the news. He couldn’t compel Professor Sheffy to maintain confidentiality, and definitely couldn’t ask this of Professor Rosen, when they had published their discovery with no hesitation. However, nothing would have made him happier than doing what they had done and making the entire story public.

  The eyes staring at him were relentless. Everyone wanted to know his stance on the matter at hand. He still clearly remembered his own words. “I grew up in a free-thinking home,” he said. “The topic of God never came up. I’ve never dedicated much thought to His existence or lack thereof. This is the first time I’ve confronted this subject, and since I’m not a theologian or a scientist, I have no choice but to join Dr. Lester and Lise, who are on the fence.”

  Chapter 37

  San Francisco, Orlando

  Friday, November 28, 2036

  Excited and holding a bouquet of white orchids, Will stood at the gate of an American Airlines flight arriving at the renovated terminal at San Francisco International Airport early on Friday morning. For a week now, he had been totally immersed in an investigative story. He and Melissa had decided to extend the weekend in order to spend some time together. Her flight had landed and, in a few minutes, he would be able to embrace her. Life had never been better.

  After a long, stubborn courtship, Melissa had succumbed to his pursuit. Her condition was a fully committed relationship, rather than an open one. “You can’t swim in the ocean without getting wet,” she had said, and they dove headlong into a wonderful romantic relationship.

  He was looking ahead expectantly to the four joyful days awaiting them when he noticed her among the people streaming through the gate. Melissa hadn’t been to San Francisco for many years, and was happy to spend some time in the charming city.

  Both their assistants beeped nearly simultaneously.

  “Dr. Almog from NASA asks when’s the earliest time I can attend a very urgent meeting with him,” she said.

  “I’ll check what my message was,” he responded, asking the assistant to read it out loud. “Hey, he asked me the same thing. Reply on behalf of both of us that you just arrived in San Francisco for a long weekend with me.”

  “The message from Dr. Almog says, ‘Don’t leave the airport. First-class tickets for the first available flights to Orlando, Florida, will be waiting for you,’” she told him. “What should we do? I wonder what happened. What’s so urgent?”

  “Check in with Detective Rick and maybe with Dr. Lester too, to see if they’ve also been summoned. Maybe they know what’s happening.”

  Their replies arrived within minutes. Yes, they had been called to the meeting as well, and had no idea what was going on.

  The two senior military officers waiting for them at the exit gate at Orlando International Airport asked them courteously yet firmly to join them, and didn’t bother to answer Melissa when she asked where they were heading. In fact, they didn’t say a word during the ride, not even among themselves.

  Melissa and Will had often been to NASA facilities as visitors, surrounded by numerous guests striding from attraction to attraction. This time, everything looked different. They did not see a living soul until they arrived at a nondescript office building and were led to a small conference room. Apparently, the attendees had been waiting only for them, since as soon as they sat in their assigned seats, a man in uniform showing no visible rank stood up. Will had time to recognize everyone who had been present at the last meeting in NASA’s offices in Chicago. He knew everyone around him other than the man about to open the meeting.

  “My name is Robert Fulton, and I’m the administrator heading NASA. I thank you all for showing up immediately under such short notice. I’m sure you all had plans for the weekend that had to be canceled, but I’m certain you’ll understand the necessity once you hear what I have to say,” he said, dimming the lights in the room.

  “About two years ago, the Chinese first sent a spacecraft to the asteroid belt, just as we and the Europeans had done years earlier. Of course, it was reported with a note of emphatic cheering and pride, typical of the Chinese. This didn’t evoke much interest in the scientific community, which was busy tracking the final stage in the installation of the STA. However, a short time after the vessel reached the asteroid belt, the Chinese sent two more robotic spacecraft to the asteroid that the first vessel had reached. This time, the spacecraft utilized plasma engines, which significantly shorten flight times.

  “This immediately aroused our suspicion, especially in light of the fact that the Chinese hadn’t announced the launches the way they usually did. In addition, intelligence sources reported unusual scientific activity among the higher echelons in the hierarchy of the Chinese regime. Senior academics were often seen entering and exiting government buildings. As if that weren’t enough, several days ago, the Chinese launched their heaviest spacecraft, originally intended to host piloted flights to Mars, also equipped with a plasma engine, but didn’t publicize that launch, either. This vessel left the Earth’s orbit on the way to its unknown destination, probably the same asteroid. We have every reason to believe it’s piloted, although it has never been tested in such an extended flight bearing human passengers. Something is definitely brewing there. The Chinese are under pressure and rushing full speed ahead.

  “A persistent rumor also hints at a groundbreaking scientific discovery that the Chinese intend to reveal as proof of their technological and scientific superiority. To remind you, they’re currently the only nation capable of launching spacecraft utilizing efficient plasma engines.

  “And here’s where politics comes into it. Emily White was elected as president largely due to the fact that she was the first African–American woma
n candidate. However now, as she’s facing re-election, her popularity rates are quite dismal.

  “A major Chinese accomplishment would cause China to supplant the United States’ status as the scientific frontrunner in space research, for the first time since the space race commenced. Naturally, such an international defeat is inconceivable, and would further erode President White’s status internally, as well. Therefore, as part of her attempts to seek any possible means of promoting her image with the public, Emily was presented with a summary of your findings, as well as their implied conclusion. She was very taken with the whole idea, and has therefore decided to address a speech to all residents of Earth in which she will present the topic in the clearest, most unequivocal way.

  “We have all the material on the two astronomic discoveries. We need the material on the biological discovery from Dr. Lester as soon as possible.”

  “Luckily, we have everything,” Tom replied. “It was blind luck that brought us to this discovery, and Lise, my graduate student, had to invest a lot of effort in fully recreating it. She’ll send you everything immediately after the meeting. I understand that everything should be laid out so that any scientist can recreate the process in their lab?”

  “That’s exactly right,” Robert replied. “We thought it would be appropriate to let you know about the president’s speech, scheduled for tomorrow morning, and the publication of the results. Naturally, Mr. Thorne and his newspaper will receive exclusive rights to interview the president after her speech.”

  “Wow.” Will exhaled softly.

  Chapter 38

  The President’s Speech

  Washington, DC, Saturday, November 29, 2036

  A conservative estimate reported that over a billion people had watched or at least listened to the speech made by the president of the United States, which was broadcast live and simultaneously translated into every language on a variety of global media. The teasers for the speech had promised a dramatic announcement for humanity, and the utter secrecy maintained by everyone involved only ignited media speculation. Various experts delved eagerly into the dramatic promise, and in the absence of sources or leaks, developed a plethora of wild theories—from scientific conspiracies proving that the universe was actually virtual, and everything that appeared to take place in it wasn’t real but was rather a software illusion on a global-wide scale, to a documented encounter with aliens who had landed in the White House and were about to relay their message to the human race.

  The speech commenced on Saturday, at precisely ten a.m. Eastern Time, and was broadcast on all television networks and radio stations. The day and time had been carefully chosen to coincide with waking hours for most of the residents of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

  “My fellow residents of Earth, this is the first time an American president has addressed a unifying message to all people on the planet, wherever they may be. This planet has always been our home. All of us have grown and emerged into an endless, ongoing struggle between nations and groups clinging to different religions and faiths.

  “Throughout the history of human culture, we have experienced battles, wars, lives lost, indescribable devastation, and immense resources dedicated to wars and destruction instead of to human well-being. All this was largely caused by differences of opinion between the acolytes of different religions. Brainwashed believers have tortured members of other religions to death in the name of God, crushing the skulls of women and children and destroying everything in their path while singing hymns of glory to this or that deity.

  “Blind faith has propelled mothers to send their sons on suicide missions, in which thousands of innocents were murdered, so long as along the way, they elevated the name of the current god, a god of war and destruction, bloodthirsty and hungry for death, constantly insatiable. And in return, this god would reward the believers who sacrifice themselves on his behalf with an eternal life of luxury in some abstract site, also known as “paradise in the world to come,” the world to which they would ascend and in which they would enjoy every sort of pleasure.

  “The need to believe in a higher power is apparently rooted in human DNA. Every group of people, throughout the thousands of years of our development, and even in the most isolated, desolate places, has developed faith in some sort of supreme power. This began with a belief in inanimate objects and holy animals, progressing to demons and ghosts, and culminating in abstract gods who ruled the entire world, and their emissaries on Earth, the prophets and angels, as well as their contemporary representatives—rabbis in Judaism, imams in Islam, and priests in Christianity.

  “The existence of a higher power has provided answers for every inexplicable phenomenon. God moves the sun that rises in the east and sinks in the west every day. God’s will directs the rainfall. The hunter succeeds at his task, and the field yields crops based on His instructions. Therefore, He must be appeased with offerings, and the greater the value of the offering and the sacrifice it entails, the more God will be appeased, distributing his bounty to his children. The ultimate offering: human sacrifices, even babies.

  “In contrast, advances in science have provided more grounded explanations for many natural phenomena. Scientists who act relentlessly to discover the mysteries of the universe and the laws of physics according to which it operates have often incurred the wrath of the believers. During the Middle Ages, scientists and research pioneers were burned at the stake. Even today, in certain places, many people of faith scoff at science. They prefer to believe that God is the one setting natural phenomena in motion, thus further glorifying His power, instead of accepting more down-to-earth explanations.

  “The believers have an especially hard time accepting the diminutive nature of our world compared to the size of the universe as portrayed by scientists, as well as, on the other end of the spectrum, the theory of evolution, which indicates that human superiority over beasts comes down to merely a few genes, and that humans and chimpanzees share over 98 percent of their DNA.

  “Up to this point, every scientific discovery has diminished God’s realm of control. Well, dear listeners, recently there’s been an upset, one that will enhance the believers’ faith and change the worldview of many of the skeptics. And, amazingly, this upset was the work of scientists. I won’t bore you with the scientific details; those who are interested will be able to see them online shortly. Scientists have recently discovered two occurrences in space, one in our own solar system and the other significantly further away, but still within our Milky Way galaxy.

  “In the occurrence closer to us, a senior astronomer discovered a giant asteroid, of the kind that occasionally passes by in space around us, and which, according to all the calculations, was supposed to hit Earth with such a powerful impact that humanity would have regressed back to the Stone Age, and might have been entirely destroyed. The astronomer discovered that the asteroid was diverted from its path by an unknown element, to join thousands of objects orbiting around the sun between Mars and Jupiter. As stated, no scientific explanation has been found for this occurrence.

  “Meanwhile, two astronomers from the United States and Israel have discovered four stars hundreds of light-years from Earth that should have exploded a long time ago, with an intensity that would have destroyed all life on Earth. Many similar stars at a great distance have been observed by scientists exploding precisely according to the existing theory’s predictions, thus confirming it and the expected timing of the explosions that are indicated. Scientists have no explanation for the fact that the nearby stars with the potential to destroy humanity did not explode, although they’ve long since surpassed the explosion threshold. Something, or someone, is preventing them from doing so. Something, or someone, is watching over us, the people of Earth.

  “A few more words in conclusion. At the beginning of my speech, I mentioned three discoveries. Well, the third is arriving from somewhere completely different, fr
om the place nearest to us, practically inside us. In a lab researching human DNA, scientists discovered a DNA segment that, after a specific process is activated, displays symmetrical three-dimensional structures that depict mathematical equations from the world of computers. To state it simply, many years ago, something or someone hid a message to humanity in our human DNA, a message that has been waiting for us all this time, until the scientific development that led to its discovery. It’s important to note that this DNA segment is present in all the human races, in members of all religions.

  “People, residents of Earth. God is proving to us in an unequivocal way how much He takes care of us and watches over us humans, of all religions equally, in order to put an end to the deliberation. He has even allowed us to glimpse His signature, which He left in each and every one of us. Leaders and scientists of all religions are invited to receive instructions to examine the DNA and present the proof to their people.

  “In conclusion:

  “WE ALL HAVE ONE GOD. WE MUST NOT FIGHT ONE ANOTHER!

  “GOD, PROTECT ALL HUMAN BEINGS.”

  ***

  After recuperating from his shock, the producer for CBS turned the broadcast over to his reporter at the giant Manhattan Plaza Health Club building in New York City, where a large audience had convened that morning to watch the speech. The attendees’ applause and expressions of joy and excitement spread to viewers and listeners throughout the United States, further fanning their enthusiasm. Following CBS’s lead, television networks throughout the world began to broadcast from the sites where excited people were beginning to converge in clubs and public squares, hugging and applauding.