The Silence Between the Stars

by Alan Davenport

  Shaking his head, he replied, “No, I am in a music mood. Something classical. Mid-20th century I think. Let me think,” he said with his hand upon his chin. “I know! How about something by Led Zeppelin? I always liked that kind of classical music. Play that composition ‘Stairway to Heaven’.”

  They sat together in silence as the opening bars of the acoustic guitar and the flute began playing. Kelly sat with her virtual eyes closed, her head moving in time with the music. Her face showed pure rapture. Neither moved as the song built to higher and higher intensity. Nathan turned to face the monitor displaying Kelly’s image. Her virtual eyes held virtual tears. With a start Nathan came to a realization, “She is like a child experiencing the world for the first time,” he thought. Reaching over, he stroked the hair of the virtual woman on the monitor beside him.

  Nathan sat in the captain’s chair. A look of total attention on his face. “Fifty-nine minutes until Tai Ceti. I cannot wait Kelly! Can’t we go any faster?”

  “We can go faster Nathan, but I do not recommend it. One point one light years per day is the rated maximum safe speed. I suspect that the rating is extremely conservative and that we could go much faster. Remember however, this is the ship’s maiden voyage. We should not push her too hard and discover any defects the hard way.”

  “I know. I know,” said Nathan. “I am just so excited to be visiting our first new solar system. I can hardly stand it.”

  Kelly smiled. “I know Nathan. I am excited too! I am bursting with curiosity. I tell you what. Why don’t you grab a quick meal? It will help pass the time. Besides, we are going to be busy surveying the planets. You will need your energy.”

  “I’ll just take a coffee with cream and two sugars,” said Nathan.

  “You really should eat something Nathan,” Kelly admonished.

  “Oh, okay dear,” Nathan laughed. “How about some fruit? Nothing too big. My stomach is in knots.”

  “Coming right up!” The food processor dinged. Nathan walked over and opened the door. Inside sat a small bowl with a half a pear in juice inside. Nathan took the bowl, got a spoon and sat down. He used the spoon to carve off a small piece. He wrinkled his nose as he took a whiff. “What’s the matter Nathan? Don’t you like it?” Her voice, full of concern.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “What kind of fruit is this?”

  “That’s a pear, Nathan. It is supposed to be sweet. If you do not like it, I can get you something else.”

  He popped the fruit into his mouth. Nathan’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Say, this is really good!” He quickly devoured the remainder of the pear. “Thank you again Kelly. You sure are a good cook!”

  Kelly laughed. “You don’t cook pears, silly!” she said.

  Nathan laughed and then he used the spoon to get every, last remaining drop of pear juice from the bowl. He put the bowl and spoon in the recycler and then picked up his coffee and walked to the bridge. Sitting back down in the captain’s chair, he reclined and then placed the coffee cup in the chair’s cup holder. “Ah, luxury!” he said with a little laugh.

  The yellow star quickly grew in the view screen. Nathan sat on the edge of his chair watching in rapt attention. The seconds counted down to zero and then Tau Ceti filled one quarter of the screen. Its warm, yellow light shining brightly. “It looks so much like Sol, Kelly!” he said in awe. Staring for a long minute he finally said, “Let’s start a planetary survey, Kelly.”

  “That will not be necessary,” Kelly said sadly. I am picking up a satellite beacon transmission. Downloading data now.” On the star chart display, green diamond icons appeared over most nearby stars. “Data downloaded, we are the ninth ship to have visited this system. There are five planets here. One distant methane ice world, two gas giants and nearest to the sun, two airless sweltering planets. The highest planetary rating here is class E.” Nathan sat still. Looking at the view screen in silence. Kelly softly said, “Star charts updated with downloaded data. I have uploaded our logs to the satellite as well.” Kelly watched Nathan intently. “There is no point in doing another survey. I suggest we go to the next nearest yellow star. That would be Wolf 359.” Nathan said nothing. “Nathan?” she said.

  Snapping himself out of his funk, Nathan said, “No, not Wolf 359. That is most certainly has been visited by now. Any captain with the slightest bit of interest in classic science fiction will have headed there. Perhaps even as their first destination.” Nathan sat still. Elbows on his chest, chin in his hands and fingers over his cheeks. Lifting his head he said, “No Kelly, we are not going there. Please continue in our planned direction. What is the next nearest star that way that has not already been flagged as having been visited that has at least a ten percent chance of having a habitable planet?”

  “There is a class F star seventeen point five light years along that path. It is a little hotter than Sol but not excessively so. We can be there in sixteen days.”

  Nathan stood up and said, “Set course for that class F star.” Nathan stood up, raised his hand as if in class, swept his hand forward and said, “Engage.” The ship turned away from Tau Ceti and Nathan felt the now familiar lurch as the warp drive engaged.

  Kelly looked at him curiously. “Why do you do that thing with your arm?” she asked.

  Laughing, Nathan said, “It is from classic science fiction. If you wish to know more about it, watch the old 20th century television show ‘Star Trek, The Next Generation’.” Nathan sat watching the screen for several minutes before getting up. “I am going to take a nap Kelly,” he said.

  Chapter 12: Exploring

  Nathan awakened feeling refreshed. Clenching his hands into fists, he stretched his arms over his head. He padded over in his bare feet and sat down at the desk. “Kelly, please begin recording captain’s log.”

  “Certainly Nathan. Beginning recording the log with a timestamp of June 14th, 2100 10:38 hours.”

  “Thank you Kelly.” Nathan looked into the camera in the monitor and began talking. “Captains log, June 14th, 2100 10:38. Our trip to Tau Ceti was disappointing. It had already been visited by nine other starships. Although it was disappointing, it was not a wasted trip. We received updated chart data for several star systems. Once the download of the data completed, we immediately set course for an unnamed class F star in the general direction of the end of the current galactic arm. With any luck, this system will have not been surveyed already. I purposely picked a class F star rather than a Sol-like class G to minimize the chance of duplication. A class F star is close enough to Sol-like that it may still support a habitable planet. On a personal note, I can see that the biggest issue on this exploration will be boredom. Fortunately, the version 2.0 avatar is quite intelligent and good company. I will not have to deal with loneliness as well. Fifteen days until the next system. I will pass the time exploring my vessel.” Nathan got up and said, “Kelly, close log.”

  “Certainly Captain,” she said. “So you want to explore the ship? Where would you like to go first?”

  “I don’t know. We may as well go to what is closest. Please have a cart waiting in the corridor.” Nathan walked to the corridor and sat down. He put his hands upon the wheel and said, “Let me drive, Kelly.”

  Kelly looked at him in alarm. “Are you sure? Do you know how to drive? Please let me drive for you. I don’t want anything to happen to you!”

  Nathan laughed and said, “Calm down girl. How hard can it be? Accelerator, brakes, steering and the forward/reverse directional selector.”

  “I know,” she said. “It is just that I am bound by Asimov’s Laws to protect you.”

  “Asimov’s Laws? I never heard of that before. What is that?”

  Kelly looked at him from the monitor in the corridor. “Asimov’s Laws were written in the 20th century by the late author Isaac Asimov in his novel ‘I, Robot’. At the time, it was science fiction since no real artificial intelligence yet existed. Asimov’s Laws of Robotics were visionary. Once true artificial intelligence was a
chieved, the laws were implemented at the core of each AI’s programming. There are three laws. Initially, the laws were for robots only but have since been revised to include any artificial intelligence. The laws, as revised, are:”

  An AI may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

  An AI must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law.

  An AI must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second laws.

  “Your request to drive conflicts with the first and second laws. So now you see why I am hesitant to let you drive.”

  Chuckling, Nathan said, “Oh Kelly, I am unlikely to injure myself driving this cart. It is not very fast and I do not plan to drive recklessly. I appreciate your concern however you need to relax. Surely you are intelligent enough to know what I say is the truth. I am not going to crash this cart!” Kelly still appeared nervous. “I mean it Kelly, I am driving and that is final!”

  Kelly looked unhappy, however she acquiesced and said, “Okay, as long as the first place you explore is the nearest medical bay.”

  Nathan laughed down deep in his gut. “Okay dear, will do,” he said.

  Still looking unhappy Kelly said, “Releasing automatic control. You may now drive the cart. Please be careful!”

  Still laughing, Nathan replaced his hands upon the wheel. He looked at the colored lines on wall and saw that the blue line with the arrow indicated a medical bay was just ahead. Gently pressing on the pedal, the cart sluggishly moved forward. Nathan tested the brakes and the cart instantly stopped. Releasing the brake, he pressed harder on the accelerator and the cart moved forward at a speed equivalent to a brisk jog. “Good grief Kelly, you worry way too much. A child could drive this thing!”

  Kelly looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry Nathan. I do not want anything to happen to you. I do not know what I would do. I do not think I could go on if I lost you, despite the third law.” The image of Kelly sighed. “Of course I would go on. I cannot break the laws. I would go on; however I would be extremely unhappy.”

  Nathan braked the cart to a stop next to a monitor in the corridor. Looking intently into the eyes of the virtual woman he said, “Kelly. Oh Kelly. Relax. I am not going anywhere. Nothing is going to happen to me. The ship is safe. I am safe. Don’t get yourself all worked up with worry. Everything is fine.” Nathen shivered at the eyes of the woman staring back at him from the monitor. “My God, she looks like she is hopelessly in love,” he thought.

  “Thank you for the reassurances, Nathan,” she tremulously said.

  “Any time dear,” he replied. Nathan again referred to the line on the wall and then resumed driving… at a moderate pace. He stopped by a door adorned with a caduceus, the universal symbol of the medical profession. The lights instantly snapped on when he entered the gleaming white room. Inside sat a modern hospital bed. A large monitor sat above the bed. On it, a graphical representation of a human body was displayed. Symbols for all vital functions adorned the display. All displayed dashed lines rather than numbers. Beside the bed stood an imposing, vaguely humanoid robot. The robot sported four arms. Each arm terminated with various medical instruments. Two wide-spaced video cameras on its head gave it stereoscopic vision.

  The medical bot turned towards Nathan as he entered the room. “Hello Captain Nathan Staite. I am medical bot designation number seventeen. Do you require any medical assistance?”

  “No thank you Doctor,” Nathan said. “I am just exploring the ship at this time.”

  “Understood Captain Nathan Staite. If you ever require assistance, myself or any of my compatriots throughout the ship are at your call twenty-four hours every day.”

  Nathan bowed towards the robot. “Thank you, Doctor Seventeen.” Nathan turned and spied a rather large, gleaming white and silver machine in the corner of the room. Inside there was a tray that was large enough that he could have laid down inside. “What is that device, Doctor?”

  “That is this medical bay’s 3D genetic printer. With it I can quickly print a replacement for any of your body’s parts.”

  Nathan looked hard at the machine, impressed. “How long would it take to print something like a new heart, if I needed one?” he asked.

  “Something as small as a finger or toe I can print in less than a minute. A more complex organ such as a heart or a brain will take around two minutes to complete.”

  “Amazing,” he said. Just realizing what the robot had said, he added, “A brain? You can replace a damaged brain? Even if you can, wouldn’t it be an empty slate? Surely you cannot program it with my memories as well!”

  “Yes, we can physically replace a brain. The question about programming it with your past memories is a more complex one. Back on Earth, there had been very promising research going on for that very thing. If they had been successful, a person would achieve virtual immortality. The eventual goal was that if an existing body wore out, a new body would be printed and the person’s consciousness uploaded. Unfortunately, due to the Earth’s overpopulation problem, the research had not had adequate funding and had been abandoned.”

  “Very interesting!” said Nathan. “Just how do you get a recording of a person’s brain?”

  “It is simple; the printer also functions as a scanner. A full body scan with brain download takes five minutes. A brain download alone takes just four minutes. As your doctor, I strongly recommend that you submit to a full scan at this time. This will ensure that we have accurate DNA records and physical specifications for your entire body. The brain scan is optional since we do not have the means to do a memory upload.”

  “Okay,” Nathan agreed. “Let us do this. Everything. The brain scan too. What do I need to do?”

  “Fantastic Captain Nathan Staite. Please disrobe and lay in the tray, on your back, with your head towards the rear of the machine. Please lay with your hands at your sides and lay as still as possible.”

  Nathan grinned and said, “No peeking Kelly!” Disrobed, he laid as directed in the printer/scanner. Immediately, a scanner head began at his feet and its green scanning laser quickly worked its way all the way up to his head. When it completed the machine let out a little beep. Next, miniature robotic hands attached tiny flexible wires to his head. Four minutes later, the machine beeped again and the arms removed the wires. “All done doctor? May I get up?”

  “Yes Captain Nathan Staite. Body scan and brain download successful.”

  “Cool!” Nathan said. “It is too bad that the research had not been completed. I cannot imagine what immortality would feel like.”

  Kelly looked thoughtful. She said, “Well, I could use a hobby for those times you are asleep. May I continue the research into memory uploads?”

  Nathan looked at her in surprise. “I had never considered that you may get bored as well. Sure thing, if you want to, please do continue the research.” Kelly smiled and bowed her head. “Doctor, has the printer ever been used to print an entire living organism?”

  “Yes Captain Nathan Staite, researchers have successfully printed and brought to life white mice. While their success rate was extremely low, this process is actually quite simple compared to a brain memory upload. The ship’s database has on record the genome of almost every known plant and animal species. In theory, even though it has never been attempted, it should be entirely possible to print and revive a more complex organism.” Kelly listened in rapt attention to every word. Nathan, his attention on the robot, did not notice.

  “Fascinating Doctor,” Nathan said. To Kelly he said, “Okay, what do you want to show me next?”

  The image of Kelly appeared startled, as if disturbed from a deep thought. “You should familiarize yourself with the shuttles. If we discover a habitable world, you will use the shuttle to land on the surface. It is a lot more practical than landing the entire starship.”

  Nathan sat down in the cart and said, “Lead the way. Yo
u drive.”

  Kelly’s face broke into a huge smile. The little cart took off at a sedate pace. Several minutes later, the cart slowed and stopped. Nathan got out and stood facing a door. Kelly said, “This is shuttle bay number one.” The door whooshed open. Inside the large room sat a brand new shuttle identical to the one that had brought Nathen to his ship. The rear ramp on the shuttle stood open and a myriad of small indicator LEDs glowed inside. Nathan climbed the ramp, walked to the pilot’s chair and sat down. As soon as he sat down, Kelly began her introduction to the vessel.

  “This is a standard class A shuttle. It does not have warp capabilities. Its maximum speed is point zero one five of light. It has unlimited range due to its pair of superconducting reactors. Even so, it is officially limited to in-system travel. In theory, you could travel between star systems however; it would take an extremely long time without warp drive. The shuttle can carry forty individuals, including crew. Control systems have been designed so that a single person can easily pilot the shuttle. Cargo is limited only by what will fit into the hold. The anti-gravity drive makes the mass of the cargo unimportant. If you are ever incapacitated and cannot fly, I have the capability of remote piloting.” Kelly smiled and said, “Do you have any questions Nathan?”

  Nathan grinned and said, “You sound like a used-car salesman.” Kelly gave him a mock frown. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Can I take the shuttle out so that I can get used to it?”

  Kelly looked alarmed. “No!” Kelly took a virtual deep breath and said, “I’m sorry Nathan. That is I being overprotective again. You cannot take the shuttle out when we are at warp. Nothing would happen to you physically however you would instantly be left very far behind once you exited the warp field bubble.”

  “That wouldn’t be good!” Nathan said. He rubbed his chin for a moment and then he said, “Does this shuttle have a simulator mode? I would like to learn as much about it is I can.”