Empire of Stars

by D. W. Patterson

  Walker only stared.

  “You see Walker?”

  “I see Dag. But how can it be stopped?”

  “Well Aggie Prime said that the barrier would be destroyed when it came into contact with the giant black hole at the center of the galaxy.”

  “That'll be too late Dag.”

  “I know Walker. But we do have an excellent black hole generator don't we?”

  “The spin-two drive? But those black holes are too small to affect the barrier aren't they?”

  “Yes but I'm hoping that the barrier's encounter with a black hole will lead to a chaotic tear in its surface. And through that tear, we can signal the Dhalkans. With their moonlet sized wormhole generator they have the power to affect the barrier.”

  “But if they can affect the barrier as you say, will they? I mean aren't they seeing this acceleration?”

  “No, remember the barrier is accelerating away from them in all directions faster than light because of the inflation energy, so they won't receive any light or notice anything unusual about the barrier until it is too late for us, unless they are monitoring a link, which I think they are. But even if they are they need a signal which I hope to provide by bombarding the barrier.”

  “If we can contact them do you really think they will do something? Maybe we should take off as the Aggies have done.”

  “We could take off but we would be leaving all those human worlds do be destroyed. I can't bring myself to allow all those lives to be lost.”

  “You're right Dag.”

  29

  It was decided to get the Earth involved since Escan had no fusion ship and that would be the simplest way to try Dag's plan. Dag contacted Captain Jansen, hoping he might be less antagonistic under the circumstances.

  “I know we were at odds before Captain but I was hoping that in the present situation you might consider working with us.”

  “I would like to Dag but I don't know what I can do, many areas are under martial law here. The disturbances have been unprecedented. Most of Earth's military is just trying to get a handle on the unrest. People have lost all faith in their governments.”

  “But Captain we are talking about the end of all human life. Surely that will get your leaders' attention.”

  “I'll do what I can Dag. I'll take it up with my superiors as soon as possible.”

  “It's incredible Sigmund. That they could be so unconcerned about the coming destruction.”

  “I've noticed Dag that humans have a survival mechanism that allows them to function even in the face of immediate destruction and death. It allows them to live as if they will live forever when they won't. Otherwise I think they would be paralyzed by such knowledge. But it does have the unfortunate effect of making them slow to realize what they are facing.”

  “I suppose so Sigmund. I think you probably understand humans better than any of us.”

  “Not understand Dag, but accept.”

  A precious two weeks went by before Dag heard anything from the Captain.

  “Okay Dag I've got your ship. It went all the way up the chain of command and the President took it to the United Planets Assembly. You should know that after the fiasco at the Gateway there are very few ships remaining in the United Planets fleet.”

  “That's great Captain, I'll be ready to go in no more than a day.”

  “Wait a minute Dag, you can't go.”

  “What do you mean.”

  “Well there are still some hard feelings towards you. I mean I've resolved our past differences but there are many others that still don't want to have anything to do with robots.”

  “But Captain I have the expertise.”

  “You'll just have to teach me.”

  “You've been assigned the mission?”

  “That's right I'll go along as military liaison so I can relay anything you believe pertinent to the success of the mission.”

  “I'll try Captain but I really should be the one aboard operating the drive.”

  The inky blackness in the night sky above Earth reminded even the casual viewer that something was wrong. The announcement that the United Planets was dispatching a ship to that area raised the hopes of everyone that something could be done. The governments kept the details quiet but encouraged their citizen's hopes.

  It was another month before the ship was ready. Dag had hoped he had passed along enough information to prepare the Captain and drive operator for any contingency.

  The ship, UPS Kamotra, linked to where Dag had calculated the barrier would be. Coming out of the link the Captain of the ship and drive operator knew they only had seconds to create the black hole and launch it in the direction of the barrier. If Dag was right the black hole would easily cut through the outer and inner barriers and for a few seconds at least a link could be established to the vicinity of Dhalka. The opened link would then be used by Captain Jansen to transmit the message to the Dhalkans.

  The black hole was formed and launched on its way. The drive operator immediately started trying to establish a link into Dhalkan space. It was very important to link close to the planet so that the message transmitted by radio waves would be immediately received, giving the Dhalkans enough time to take action.

  “Is it linked yet Hachiro?” asked Captain Jansen.

  “Not yet sir, I'm getting the strangest readings from the drive.”

  Just then an alarm went off.

  “That's the impact alarm sir,” said Hachiro. “Brace yourself.”

  Impact? From what?

  The Captain's questions were immediately answered as the string of disrupted spacetime hit the Kamotra head-on dissolving the ship from bow to stern.

  Back on Earth the telemetry and comm link went down at the same time. They knew that the Kamotra had been impacted but not by what.

  “I don't know Walker, without Captain Jansen as contact I can't get any more information from Earth.”

  “Without that information Dag how will we know what went wrong? And how will we stop the barrier?”

  “I'm not sure Walker.”

  “What is it you need Dag?”

  “I need the telemetry data Sigmund. With it I might be able to figure out what happened.”

  “I've still got some contacts on Earth, I'll see what I can do.”

  It took more than a month for Sigmund to call in enough favors to get the data Dag needed.

  By that time in the direction of the Crab Nebula, a patchy light blue circle slowly appeared. People wondered if it was the result of the ship the governments had sent. They hoped it was the beginning of a return to a normal night sky.

  But Dag knew what it was. By this time the expansion of the surface of the barrier had gone superluminal. The light from that patch of sky had left the barrier when it first formed and had “surfed” the expansion and was arriving a short while before the barrier's surface.

  “We haven't got much longer Sigmund. The barrier's surface will be here sooner than I expected. The light in the sky is a harbinger.”

  “I thought you said sixteen years?”

  “Obviously, I was wrong.”

  “You Dag? Wrong? Then what can we do?”

  “We'll have to try to signal the Dhalkans.”

  “Didn't that already fail?”

  “After looking at the telemetry data of the Kamotra I don't think so Sigmund. I don't think the black hole ever made it through the inner surface of the barrier but was trapped between surfaces. And the Kamotra was destroyed by the recoil off the inner barrier which created a disrupted spacetime geyser aimed directly at the ship.

  “All that is to say that the Dhalkans wouldn't have noticed anything.”

  “I see Dag, but how can we signal the Dhalkans now? The Earth doesn't seem to understand how critical is the situation.”

  “I think they know but would prefer not to make it public. But you are right it's up to us. So what we do is use every spin-two drive available to us to create black holes and pepper that barrier with
them. If we can hit the inside barrier surface hard enough and often enough we can raise the temperature over a limited area. That should tip off the Dhalkans.”

  “Like a shotgun blast?”

  “Essentially Sigmund.”

  “But how will we deliver them?”

  “Once the hole is created we will have to open a link to deliver it to the vicinity of the barrier and with enough kinetic energy to pierce both the outer surface.”

  RBE had almost two dozen spin-two drives ready. With a little work all twenty-four could be available in two days. Two drives would work in tandem. One would create the mini black hole and the other would open a link to the barrier to deliver it.

  Dag and Walker were well trained in the handling of the drive but other operators would have to be trained quickly. It was essential that the barrage of black holes arrive in clusters to increase the likely hood that the barrier would be breached.

  Within a week the drives and their crews were ready. All of the isotopic reservoirs on the planet were committed. They would be drained completely before the drives were silenced. Dag had made it very clear that there was no other alternative and he urged the crews not to quit until all resources were expended.

  In the night before the onslaught was scheduled to begin the patch of light in the sky had become a darker blue and more menacing. The people of Earth who had once hoped it heralded a return of the night stars, stars that had been hidden from them since the creation of the barrier, were now losing hope. Worry and panic were setting in.

  At twilight the following evening on Escan Dag gave the signal to begin. Almost immediately a huge explosion shook the ground beneath Dag's drive which he was operating with Sigmund.

  “Dag was that?”

  “I'm afraid so Sigmund. We've lost a drive crew. Let's continue.”

  Every few minutes Dag would relay the order to fire and the remaining drives would launch their black hole towards the barrier. They kept it up all night until the dawn when the great barrier rotated out of their sky.

  Dag made a check of the drive installations and the isotopic reserves. The drive that had blown up had left nothing behind to indicate the cause. That was a source of apprehension among the remaining operators.

  The isotopics were down almost twenty percent. Though they would be charged a bit during the day, it was apparent that on the sixth night of the barrage the drives would go silent. Dag could only hope that by then they had broken through the outer surface and the Dhalkans had noticed. Much later and it wouldn't matter because the barrier would almost be upon them.

  Night two, night three, night four went by. Ten of the drives were still working, one had been taken offline. Dag and Sigmund were sitting, watching the day begin on their robot world.

  “Dag if it doesn't work ...” began Sigmund.

  “It will work Sigmund, I'm sure of it.”

  “I know but let's just say it doesn't. What will it be like?”

  “When the barrier is within a few AU of Escan Sigmund we will start feeling the effects. Remember it is like a wormhole mouth's bubble but it is huge. The gravitational effects caused by that surface will start rippling through the planet and us. The planet will shake and rumble as if thousands of volcanoes were active at once. And in fact, a few of the existing may become active.

  “After that, the smaller spacetime ripples will arrive affecting objects the scale of the buildings and eventually us if it weren't for the speed this thing is moving. The inflation driven surface is moving so fast that by the time we feel the folding of spacetime, which is like the lightning before the thunder, we will be completely disintegrated by the barrier's surface slamming into us with the trailing disrupted spacetime.

  “It will essentially be over before your next clock cycle.”

  “Well that's not so bad is it?” said Sigmund, always bringing a positive perspective to anything.

  Dag looked at Sigmund a moment. He realized his friend, though he may seem fearful at times, was really fearless.

  “No I guess not Sigmund, my friend.”

  30

  It was the end of the sixth day and nothing had seemed to change as the darkening blue patch rose in the twilight. The barrier was still there.

  “I just want to say to all of you,” said Dag, “that I am very proud of how you have responded in this crisis. I am also very proud of the workmanship you have obviously bestowed on the drives. To have twenty drives still working after all this time shows they have been built to very high standards.

  “This will be the last night of the barrage as I don't expect the reserves to last much longer. So I can only say that until such time as the drives fall silent, hope is still alive, and if they should fall silent before we receive a signal or see a sign then know that we have done all we can do. Not only for ourselves but for humanity also. Thank you.”

  The meeting broke up and the crews wandered off to their drive installation to await the word to open fire again. They weren't exactly hopeful but they were not in despair as they knew even before Dag pointed it out that they had done all they could do to choose life.

  Twilight was coming and the dark blue and angry looking patch was rising on the horizon. It was larger now, it would occupy a third of the sky when fully risen.

  Sigmund was standing outside the door of the drive room as Dag approached.

  “Dag something looks different.”

  Dag turned to see.

  “I don't see how Sigmund it's ...”

  But he stopped as he saw the dark blue striated with black tendrils.

  “Sigmund I think that is the disrupted spacetime we're seeing in those lines throughout the blue. It's like a balloon beginning to pop in slow motion. We're breaking it down. If only we had the energy and some more time. Come on, let's do what we can.”

  Dag gave the word and all ten of the remaining drive installations opened up, launching their mini wormholes by using simple electric charge repulsion to give them a velocity before inserting the charged black hole into a link destined for the current position of the barrier's surface as calculated by Dag.

  Though the teams could not see the current results they could see the past results of their efforts on the wallscreens as the now giant blue patch seemed to be fairly churning as if infected by long thin worms. The barrage kept up until a couple of hours before dawn when drive after drive failed due to lack of energy. The isotopic reserves were drained.

  Slowly crew after crew came outside and looked at the giant patch. The thin atmosphere of Escan showed a blacker black than Earth's and the blue of the patch was also more vivid. In that blue the lines of escaping disrupted spacetime were writhing as if alive. But Dag knew without a continuous pounding from the drives and more time the shredded barrier's boundary would eventually heal itself as it used the huge reservoir of zero-point energy for that purpose.

  “Well we wounded it anyway,” said one of the drive crew, as if proud.

  “Yes we did,” said Dag.

  On Earth panic had increased as it became more and more apparent that whatever was approaching, most people had no idea since the governments were not forthcoming, it couldn't be stopped. But even in the panic, many people carried on. Those in public service continued to respond when they could. Doctors showed up at hospitals and even administrators lent a hand to keep the infrastructure going.

  Although the majority lived in the giant tower complexes, for many there had been a return to the countryside and to a more traditional way of life. Religious institutions welcomed a new influx as people turned to the only solace that seemed capable of dealing with this new reality. But wherever they were they could look up in the night sky and see that dark blue patch, however striated, getting larger and larger. They didn't know when but they knew the time was at hand. And a feeling of acceptance and calm returned broken only briefly by a soul that refused to go quietly and tried to impose his will on others until he was stopped.

  A week had passed and the reserves h
ad recharged somewhat over that time. Several of the crews were ready to fling the only missiles they had, the mini black holes, again at the dark blue monster in the night sky. Others had readied themselves to accept whatever lay ahead. Dag and Sigmund had decided not to man a drive station, Hanson and Walker would.

  Twilight found Dag and Sigmund sitting outside the main buildings on Escan.

  “How much longer Dag?”

  “I'm not exactly sure Sigmund. Sometime tomorrow or maybe just a few hours. I can't be more precise because I have no way of verifying the equations the Aggies gave me.”

  “Well, not long in either case,” said Sigmund. “Dag we have done all we can do?”

  “I've done everything I can think of Sigmund.”

  “You know the human belief in an afterlife?”

  “Yes Sigmund.”

  “I wish we had something like that.”

  “Well many would say that's exactly what it is Sigmund. A wish.”

  “Maybe Dag but it seems to me it gives humans a courage to engage that we lack. I mean why didn't we get a ship so that we can link out of here, I know many of the humans are doing just that.”

  “I don't know Sigmund, it wasn't the logical next step I guess. Do you want to link out Sigmund? It's not too late.”

  “No, I'm staying. This is our planet Dag. It feels like home. Even more than the old apartment back on Earth left to me by my old owner. I've never felt at home before Dag.”

  “None of the others linked out either Sigmund. I think they all feel as you do.”

  They sat quietly, the giant blue patch of space rising above the horizon. It wouldn't be long until the drive crews started their barrage, a poke in the eye of that monster.

  “Dag did you see that?”

  “What is it Sigmund?”

  “At the edge of the patch I thought I saw a swirling motion.”

  “I don't see ...”

  Dag stopped, looking hard at the sky.

  “I think I saw it, there,” he said pointing towards the edge of the blue spot.