by Adrian Glass
To the right of where the Professor's desk sits, is a blackboard with some calculations, above the board is a framed picture of a man. Jansky looks up at the photographic portrait.
“Enrico Fermi,” she says, as the young student returns with a tray, carrying a pot of tea and two small ceramic cups. He places the tray down in-front of the Professor.
“Thank you...” Tori nods as the student leaves closing the door behind him. “...Russian Caravan tea, very nice, this is imported from Odessa.” He pours the tea into the small cup, Jansky leans over as Tori passes her the teacup.
“Thank you,” she says sitting down.
The Professor also looks up at the frame portrait “Fermi...All those years ago.”
“Referring to the Fermi Paradox?”
“Yes, knocked away poor old Drakes equation for an abundance of intelligent life, replaced with the lack of, in the universe. Even though Fermi hypothesized the paradox first. I've read your papers...”
“Now I'm nervous,” Jansky replies sipping from the teacup.
“No, they are good, the attempt at reconciling the Entropy dilemma.” He also sips from the tea.
Jansky smiles in a appreciative manner sitting back into her chair, she looks up at Fermi's picture once again.
“Don't worry, no bugs in here.” He says aware of Jansky's uneasiness that the room maybe bugged. That her conversation with Professor will be listened by the military.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes...It feels like a new Cold War, but, it is different this time. No Communist threat. Just two sides, that may go to war over resources...”
“Isn't that what most wars are fought over?” She asks.
“Not always, ideology, expansion of theocratic belief systems, control over human resources...The Middle East has over a hundred years left of oil and gas, yet the turmoil there is driven by religious power plays. They could, begin to create a new alternative to fossil and carbon energy...But alas they prefer conflict. There is no direct threat to them, except themselves. As far as Empire building and expansion, yes the Chinese could appear to be in that category, except China is no Empire. Rather a fractured and corrupt governmental system following Communism as a political base, the problem is, when the cracks appear in their system of control, to sustain, they may attempt to create a war. It's consumption is an insatiable drive, once again they have enough energy, mostly gas reserves to last a hundred years. They don't need the trade routes of the South China Sea, the oil and gas reserves could be shared for all of Asia...” Tori sips from the tea again. “...China is looking to distract it's populous with a conflict. Extraordinary dangerous situation. Of course the West has no real excuses either, still reliant on an antiquated energy source.”
Jansky nods in an agreeing manner. “The Chinese now have nukes on the South China Sea Islands they artificially built.”
“Yes and Russia have nukes in Crimea aimed at Western Europe. Three megaton warhead, tactical nukes, enough to destroy most of Los Angles and irradiate all of California.”
Aware of the current geopolitical concerns, Jansky shifts the discussion back to the reason she is meeting this eminent Professor. “They have a name now...”
“I know, Dark Emission Voids.”
“An appropriate title?”
“Suitable for now, I have even written the abbreviation, DEV into the recent calculations...” The Professor leans back, looking up at the clear blue sky from his window. “...What is your opinion on wormholes, as a theory?”
“As a theory, from Einstein's relativity, it seems possibly. Of late we can merge quantum physics with Einstein's relativity to explain gravity within a wormhole,” Jansky replies as Tori looks back towards where she is sitting.
“Do you believe they exist?”
“In physical cosmology...Unknown.”
“Thus the Fermi Paradox comes into play. We, as scientists theorize a possibility, the physics and maths calculate that Einstein's...” Professor Tori gets up from his desk walking towards the blackboard. “... Field equation, here...” The Professor writes a calculation across the blackboard.
“The base equation for General Relativity,” Jansky says understanding the core equation of Einstein's Tensor.
“...Yes, then later, we have the Einstein-Rosen bridge equation...” The Professor then writes across the board the metric calculation for Wormholes existing in Space and time. “...Theory wise, a tightly defined hypotheses, going back into Special Relativity it holds a precise measurement for the possibility of traveling through two points in the Universe within Space-time. A later hypothesis, with it's calculation, calls for, speculatively, an exotic matter to open and expand a wormhole for interstellar travel...” The Professor draws a crude three dimensional embedded image of an opening within the fabric of space and time.
“Are these DEVs manifested wormholes?” Jansky asks.
Tori walks over to his desk, taking his spectacles off, he looks down at the teacup, the dark amber fluid, with it's absence of reflected light. He then looks at Jansky.
“No, they are not Wormholes...Einstein's hypothesis of a short cut through Space and time, updated recently with quantum physics with a new equation that allows a type of quantum gravity, in my opinion is a futile attempt at reconciling quantum physics with relativity...The Wormhole theory is wrong as much as it's perspective within Space and time, what we know, what we can calculate and what is unknown...Simply does not allow for this occurrence. If, artificially, an advanced civilization has created wormholes as a transit system. We would see this here now in this Galaxy, the Milky-Way, pertaining to Drake's Equation of an abundance of ancient alien life. The artificial discrepancies of warped Space-time would be observable. Of course this is not the case. I tell you this Dr Jansky, only because I know that your colleagues, the physicists back in America maybe about to assume in a rudimentary sense that these are wormholes...But I must reiterate, they are not wormholes.” He then draws another three dimensional image in an embedded form, this time it's more of a cone shape, with a closed end, as opposed to the wormhole diagram that has two openings. “This is what we now know, in respect, as I mentioned that has been appropriately titled Dark Emission Voids...my equations and the military computer that I have used for these calculations, very advanced, the outcome was this shape, with it's dark spatial configuration, possibly a new form of evolved matter, that sits within the spherical of Space-time.”
Jansky stands looking at the equations and the two hand-drawn embedded diagrams, aware of the Wormhole image, as she has seen the theorized concept many times, it is the Dark Emission Void that is striking, a funnel like cone that structurally in it's entirety looks alien.
“It is extraterrestrial?” She turns looking at Professor Tori.
“Possibly,” he replies.
“How do we know it's trajectory, the positioning and calculation from an astrological measurement, as we believe it maybe static.”
“It's not static, it's moving in our direction...”
“Towards our Solar System?”
“Yes, it's position is within the Fornax constellation, it's origins, this is speculation, if...” The Professor sits back down at his desk. “...it is of extraterrestrial intelligence. I believe it's come from a part of Space known as the Fornax Void. You are aware that the Void has grown?”
Looking out from Tori's small office window, an area loaned to him from the Rome University's department of physics. The bright day of a prolonged European summer suddenly darkens, as a single cloud covers the Sun. Symbolically Professor Tori office darkens as Jansky sits back down.
“Yes, we have noted that the Void has expanded. I have to report back to my colleagues in America, also...they asked if you could return with me. I know you are with the military...”
“I can leave, like I said earlier, there main concern is the Cold War...” He points to the blackboard. “...I have briefed them about what they have discovered with their telescopes and sensors
. They, from my findings, believe the Dark Emission Void is a threat.”
“And yet, it feels that maybe it's not something to fear,” Jansky replies exhaling not too sure how to analyze the information that Tori has revealed to her regarding the DEVs.
“That is not what they feel, the abnormality is there, what I have explained to you, but the fear remains. Their computers, no matter how advanced, do not see what I know. When I say potential threat, it does not necessarily mean that this object is the actual threat, more so it could become an instigation or an activation of panicked actions within the geopolitical tensions here on Earth.”
Jansky looks at the Professor. “I have to ask you again. Do you think it is extraterrestrial?” Her question is direct rather than an open premise.
The Professor turns and looks at the photographic portrait of Enrico Fermi. “He made no assumption, just an observation. It was simple in it's realization. If we are a young planet in an ancient Universe. Where are all the advanced civilizations?”
The cloud that had covered the sun as passed by, the small office brightens.
“So to be honest with you, I don’t know what we are seeing, it could be something almost incomprehensible for us to understand. The calculations are only it's metrics, what we know about astrophysics. The purpose of it's existence is speculative at best...However, it must be pointed out, the high Neutron and Neutrino spikes…” Tori points to the DEV image drawn on the blackboard. “...is it's drive, as opposed to combustion, a human-centric reality of pushing against gravity with rocket propulsion. This, from more detailed equations appears to draw energy from star induced photons, utilizing energized matter into it's core.”
“Like an abyss...” Jansky pauses thinking about Tori's skepticism that it could be an Extraterrestrial Wormhole. “...Black Holes are the ultimate destructive force in the Universe...” She exhales closing her eyes briefly. “...Could an advanced alien civilization have weaponized a Black Hole?”
“I'll leave that assumption with you Dr Jansky?” Professor Tori says smiling.
“I fly out tomorrow, back to America,” Jansky replies
“To answer your earlier question whether I am going back to America. The answer is no, from here in Italy, I will be returning to my home in Georgia.”
Jansky stands. “I understand, it's just we need assistance on this...I know you are focused on your work with the military.”
“My work is finished with them, I was here to create an equation with it's formulas that could explain the dynamics of this abnormality, it is up to you Dr Jansky to fill in the other parts of the equation...I am convinced you will be able to achieve that,” Professor Tori also stands reaching out with his hand to shake Jansky's, she obliges with a smile.
“It usually ends up as a simply realization,” Jansky says shaking his hand.
“After complexity comes simplicity, that is correct...” Tori replies. “...but we still have a paradox,” he points to Fermi's image again.”
“It's an ancient Xeno-Artifact, not exclusively a dark emission void or a weapon...It's mass is comparable to a hyper-giant star. An entity that may hold it's own terrestrial system,” Jansky replies looking at the Professor.
“If you were my student I would have been disappointed that you started and ended a theory with a guess, all the while suggesting that you should show me the equations and formulations. In an empiric mindset a surmise holds little worth, no matter how close or accurate that you might be with the answer. We always require testable proofs.”
Jansky nods in a respectful manner. “Thank you again Ivane for seeing me, it is very much appreciated.”
“My pleasure, please take care,” he replies looking at Jansky, aware that after all the information that he has disclosed to her, she will be able to understand what these Dark Emission Voids once were. A deciphering of equations, that will reveal, in a simple perspective of an historic event which occurred within an synchronous Universe millions of years ago.
She leaves Professor Tori's office.
***
North Pacific. One thousand, three hundred and fifty seven nautical miles from Tokyo, Japan. B-52H 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron based in Anderson Air Force Base Guam on route to Eielson AFB in Alaska.
“Alright radio silence, switching completely to CONECT systems. EWO officer please check and confirm,” Captain Frank Ravas says as he and his co-pilot Wilson Hansen, begin to move the large bomber right along the flight path that will take the B-52H and it's crew on a North West route parallel to the East, as they fly by North Korea, China and the disputed Russian Kuril Islands also claimed by Japan. Staying within the designated mission to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.
“Radio silence confirmed, all Combat Network Communications are set, ALR monitoring of the Eastern side. It's all clear.”
“Thank you...in two hours we check for mission parameters updated via SATCOM. All I ask, is that we all keep our eyes peeled for encrypted messages coming through that...” Captain Ravas points metaphorically at the readouts in-front of him within the darkened cockpit, illuminated only by the communication and recently upgraded flight systems. “...if this doesn't pick it up. We'll have to go old school style.” Referring to the Tactical Data Links.
“Roger that,” Douglas Cornell the Electronic Warfare Officer replies, sitting below in a compartment area near the main cockpit.
“Ok, we are taking it up to cruise altitude at forty five thousand feet.” Captain Ravas and his co-pilot Hansen begin to ascend the huge plane, a Stratofortress long-Range bomber that since it's development in the mid nineteen sixties has been the stalwart warplane of the American air force - a Cold War relic, yet reliable in it's purpose to deliver death from the skies. Within it's grim irony after forty years of being a strategic killing machine against American threats. The multiple armed B-52H, with conventional and thermonuclear weaponry, is now being used once again as symbolic power play of a new Cold War against China.
“Leveling out at thirty nine thousand feet,” Hansen says looking at the digital altimeter, as the Stratofortress moves up into the middle stratosphere.
“Now at forty thousand, cruise at this altitude until we veer South West in zero two hundred hours,” Captain Ravas looks at his copilot Hansen.
The Electronic Warfare officer moves up into the main cockpit sitting down where the navigator would normally sit. “My brother in law wants to take me hunting.”
“Shooting?” Captain Ravas replies as he looks over various gauges that regulate and maintain fuel consumption, which also includes cabin pressurization. He then sets the autopilot.
“No, bow hunting...Deer,” Cornell replies.
“You gonna do it?” Hansen asks turning around facing the EW officer.
“Nah, not my thing, guy is all into that hunt-what-you-eat crap.”
Captain Ravas chuckles. “What's his employment?”
“Real Estate agent.”
Both Captain Ravas and his co-pilot laugh.
“Let me guess, he's advocate for all these game hunters.”
“He is”
“I hunted and killed a deer many years ago, not with a bow, with a rifle...You know how much eatable meat is on a deer?”
“Less than cow...” The EW officer replies.
“Vastly less, looking at fifty percent on the carcass, depending on it's age, a lot less on a younger steer. Also to cut away the venison meat, you gotta field dress, then chop into the deer there and then...And no guarantee it's gonna taste good. Deer Hunters are mostly trophy hunters, like most of these weekend warriors. All this kill what you eat rhetoric...It's bullshit.”
“You still hunt?” Cornell asks.
“Not anymore, wife hates it...The kill...” Captain Ravas looks at the left engine fuel gauges, seeing that the indication reading is within the correct ranges. He turns and faces his Electronic Warfare officer. “...it's blood lust.”
“I did some survival training with a SEAL unit a few months ba
ck...We caught wild pigs, birds,” Hansen says whilst checking over instrument readouts.
Captain Ravas looks at his copilot. “That's what you’d kill to eat if you had too, not a deer and definitely not a bear. Just day job city boys...Trying to be heroes.”
Suddenly the Core Component Jammer chimes. Cornell looks down at the console cockpit. “We got a CCJ!”
“At forty thousand feet?” Hansen replies looking at the CCJ indicator .
“Alright everyone back to your positions.” Captain Ravas orders as he and his copilot resume control of the huge bomber. Cornell quickly makes his way back down to the Electronic Warfare officer's battle station area below the main cockpit of the B-52H, sitting down he checks over the monitors.
“ALR systems have also lit up!”
“Threat analysis,” Captain Ravas asks referring to the digital warning receiver system that can detect radar emissions in the 2GHz to 18GHz bands, at the same time it can also simultaneously identify up to sixteen radar signals that may have locked onto the Stratofortress,
“On a three hundred sixty degree range, we have...” Cornell checks the radar readouts. “...Sporadic points of radar detection and we’re jamming the Eastern side. Also we have a communication break with CONECT.”
“EOS and RTOS reports please.” The Captain requests, as he and his co-pilot begin to descend the B-52H to a lower altitude above thirty thousand feet.
“We may need to come in a bit lower for any detection...” Cornell looks over two read out screens that are the Electro-Optics Sensor and Real Time Optics Sensors. Both systems will be able to detect Neutrons, X-rays and Gamma Rays from a thermonuclear explosion. “...we're not picking up any readings. Sir, we have a encrypted DAMA message coming through on one of the secure bandwidths...” Cornell checks the message as it is being received. “...it's from the USS Momsen, thirty nautical miles West of our position.”
“Read it out,” Captain Ravas orders as he had his co-pilot check the altitude and flight speed, slowing down the massive bomber in preparation for a counter attacks.