Dark Firmament

by Ezra Manes

  “I agree,” Dawn said. “At our current acceleration, we will arrive several hours before the specified time. We will need to adjust our acceleration as we get closer.”

  Joqi was lost in thought for a short time as he considered the importance of the extra line of intersection on the map his grandpapa gave him. Until now he had assumed the reference vector from Zilia’s outer moon to the intersection point was provided to ensure the point was accurately determined. But there was another possible explanation.

  “Another point we should address,” he said reflectively, “is the vector of our path to the point including our intersection angle”

  Dawn waited for him to continue.

  “What if the fourth vector, the dashed one from our outer moon to the intersection point was meant to denote our line of approach to the point?”

  This idea caused Dawn to pause before answering. “I can think of no rationale for this.”

  “Nor can I,” he replied. “However, that approach vector is as good as any, if we can still adjust our trajectory to fit that vector.”

  Dawn remained quiet. From the calculations and trajectory curves appearing above the virtual control console, Joqi knew she was calculating the exact position of the approach vector based on where all the reference points, the outer moon included, would be positioned at the specified intersection time. Then Dawn replaced the calculations and trajectory curves with a 3-D visualization of the outer moon reference vector and the required Horizon Quest’s trajectory to intersect with the reference vector.

  “Thanks, Dawn. I understand we need to adjust our course quickly.”

  “I am doing so now, Commander.”

  He smiled at her abrupt reference to his command position aboard the Horizon Quest. He had learned how to control all the spaceship systems, including the propulsion systems. He had learned just as quickly that Dawn was much more adept than he was at controlling the flight of the Horizon Quest. He routinely deferred to her in navigation and spaceship control matters.

  They needed to place all sensors in an optimal collection configuration as they approached the intersection point, but he would take care of that. He would also make sure all sensor data and internal ship systems data were recorded as they approached and passed through the intersection point.

  Joqi quietly pondered another curious detail about the information his grandpapa had provided—the timing of their arrival at the intersection point. The specified time coincided exactly with the peak of the next Holy Seven-Year Two-Moon Eclipse as viewed from the Temple of Zilerip. This holiest of the primary two-moon eclipses occurred when the outer moon was closest to Zilia in its seven year elliptical orbit around the planet. This “Holy Seven-Year” eclipse peaked at the time of the vernal equinox on the planet, the first day of spring.

  So, what surprise will the first day of spring bring on Zilia this year, he mused.

  • • •

  There was nothing at the intersection point they could see, absolutely nothing. They were going to cross it at precisely the time and vector angle specified in Prophet Sepeda’s drawing. Joqi made sure they were streaming sensor data back to Zilia via Hycoms links. This included video focused on the intersection point as they approached it.

  Joqi saw a shimmering mirror slit pop into existence an instant before the Horizon Quest reached the intersection point. Before he could assimilate anything else, the spaceship’s pointed nose intersected the point, and the ship passed through the mirrored slit.

  Joqi felt disoriented instantly, like his thoughts, his physical being, were disassociating from reality. His mind sensed a vast, dark nothingness, and then a confusing flow of images and data pressed in. Smeared, bright spirals and other illuminated images were visible in all directions, spread across a background of undulating black fabric. In addition, the ship sensors presented a wide range of electromagnet data, most of which was nonsensical. This in turn started slipping away, and he grasped for something to anchor himself to, something that would focus his thoughts and maintain the sanity he felt fading away like daylight rushing into darkness. He could sense a vast, dark firmament. Time meant nothing.

  He focused on that special, personal place established in his mind when he went into deep meditation. It was the place his brother Rauli had taught him to go, a place where immersion in the smart plasma became a distant thought. He sat cross-legged on a floating velvet cushion in a sea of undulating blackness. Small pinpricks of light emerged randomly in the distance; the stars were calling to him.

  One of the bright pinpricks coalesced into a sparkling light that drew nearer. The light morphed into the image of a fluttering butterfly; no, it looked more like an angel. The angel in turn transformed to someone familiar. It was Ecina!

  Ecina was dancing to an unheard song, like a little girl pirouetting to her own pretend music. By shear will power, Joqi closed the distance between them, and saw that she was wearing the same provocative outfit she wore on their last night together. The outfit shifted to a thin, long white gown that was just opaque enough to tease him with her semi-nudity. She stopped dancing and reached for him, her eyes shining with excitement. He laughed and ran to hold her, to pull her close. She felt different from before, and he pulled away; she was much larger around her waist. Their child!

  Joqi pulled her close again and sensed her healthiness and her happiness at their forthcoming parenthood. They laughed and played and talked and loved. He was unconcerned about where he was or what might be going on elsewhere. He just wanted to live in this dream as long as he could.

  Ecina pulled away and began dancing again, the thin gown highlighting her beauty and sensuality. She twirled and stepped to a tune only she could hear as she receded into shifting shadows. She dissolved rapidly and he sensed other data pressing for attention.

  • • •

  The Horizon Quest’s sensors provided coherent data streams stimulating Joqi’s interest. At first he was confused by the influx of raw data. He quickly regained focus and viewed a strange, panoramic, star studded firmament stretching in all directions. One star shined much brighter than all the others.

  They must be near another solar system. Or were they? For all he knew they were still in some weird dimension accessed through the mirror slit at the intersection point. The thought that they had transitioned quickly to a distant solar system was mind boggling.

  Dawn?

  Yes, Joaquin, I am here.

  That was a relief, to say the least. Dawn explained that she remembered the Horizon Quest thrusting into the intersection point, but in the next instant in her recollection, they entered the current region of space. Sensors that were set to start recording before crossing the intersection point showed incoherent noise from the time they crossed the point until they appeared in their current location.

  Why could he sense things during the transition and Dawn was unable to? Had he seen and held Ecina during the transition? Or was it a waking dream as the Quest entered the current region of space? As fascinating as the transition anomaly was, he had to stop this introspection and join Dawn in assessing their situation.

  Dawn pointed out their high velocity when crossing the intersection point was probably a critical factor in making the transition safely; the shimmering slit that opened in space-time was likely open for only a fraction of a second. There was no telling what would have happened if the Horizon Quest had not made it completely through the slit before it closed.

  Sensor recordings started the instant they transitioned into the current region of space. This pinpointed the location and time of their arrival. Dawn verified that all sensor data recording was ongoing. She had already determined they were in the outer reaches of a solar system located some seventeen light-years from the star Eta Sagittarii, which was positioned on toward the center of the Sagittarius constellation. This meant they were about 118 light-years from Zilia. The local star shined brighter than the Zilan star Arzét. Its luminosity was about twenty percent more than that
of Arzét.

  Dawn’s attempts to establish a Hycoms communication link with Zilia had failed, but she would keep trying so they could provide a status report and consult with those back home. Diagnostics on the Hycoms system showed no problems. Those back home were surely worried about the Horizon Quest disappearing.

  The star field view was like nothing Joqi had ever seen or imagined. It took him several minutes to adjust to this view of the Milky Way galaxy, a view from a perspective never seen before by humans or their interstellar probes. To help resolve this perspective in his mind, he needed a reference point, the spot through which they came into this region of space.

  A tracking spot came up on a virtual display, annotated with the Horizon Quest’s velocity vector. It was scary how he only had to think something to have Dawn act on it. To say they were becoming close was a gross understatement.

  Dawn added another reference point in the virtual display, showing the local star’s position with respect to their current location. She then added two more points relatively close to their location, annotated as large outer planets orbiting the local star. These large planets could explain the scarcity of asteroids in the outer regions of the solar system; over time they had pulled most of the orbiting objects in, adding to their mass. However, several small objects were detected in toward the nearest planet. They could be asteroids or small moons. In addition, there was a thin band of asteroids located out past their point of entry at the outer edge of the solar system.

  We need more information fast, Joqi projected. We are fairly screaming into this solar system at a high relativistic velocity. Do we continue, or do we try to go into braking orbits around one or more of the large outer planets?

  That is your call, Joaquin. I will continue to collect data about this system to help you make that decision.

  This statement gave Joqi pause; a circumspect response from Dawn was unusual.

  His intuition was telling him this solar system must be their destination. They didn’t have enough fuel to make it to another star system, nor did they have guidance information to another intersection point, a transition point. Whatever higher power guided their actions to arrive in this solar system was providing no further guidance!

  Joqi initiated a full electromagnetic spectrum scan of the solar system, focusing on the area within forty-five degrees out from the local star. He was rewarded immediately with multiple signal detections coming from the inner region of the system. This solar system was occupied!

  This solar system is our destination, Joqi conveyed. He was sure of it. I am shutting down our propulsion engines to conserve fuel while we assess our situation.

  I agree, Dawn replied. My location calculations and initial assessment of the EM signals indicates we are entering the home solar system of the crustacean-like alien creatures detected by Earth long ago.

  Joqi shivered at the memory of his dreams in which the miniature Clacs swarmed to eat him alive. He shook this off and accessed data taken from Earth archives about the Clac solar system. He projected this solar system layout in a virtual display alongside the solar system display Dawn was assimilating based on direct observations.

  Earth’s model showed the Clac star as being close to the same class as the sun in Earth’s solar system, but a billion and a half years older and having a luminosity about fifteen percent more than Earth’s sun. Earth’s estimate of luminosity was low by about five percent. The aging Clac star was entering the transition stage toward eventually becoming a red giant star. More important for life in the Clac solar system, the local star’s luminosity was nearing the tipping point of heating the inner planets to a level that would terminate all life on those planets.

  Earth’s model accounted for only one large outer object, a class L brown dwarf star. The model showed this massive object had grown to almost the mass necessary to jumpstart a fusion reaction in its core, just short of becoming a bright star. Zilan astronomers and scientists preferred calling such massive brown dwarfs as sub-stars to clearly differentiate them from active stars, which had nuclear fusion reactions ongoing in their cores. Brown dwarfs did not have fusion reactions ongoing, although they did radiate significant energy, mostly in infrared rays.

  Joqi closed the display of Earth’s model and concentrated on the actual solar system layout in Dawn’s display, which now showed seven planets orbiting the local star, including the brown dwarf sub-star, which was the sixth large body out from the star. Dawn’s model also showed a large object orbiting the brown dwarf, a large moon or planet.

  The model showed the fourth planet out from the star was the only one in the habitable zone, that is, in the zone where temperatures on the planet supported formation of liquid water. This must be the Clac home world.

  The large outermost planet and the brown dwarf appeared to orbit in sync around the local star. The brown dwarf was a smaller class T instead of the larger class L brown dwarf shown in Earth’s model. It was likely that Earth detected the two outer objects as one huge object since the two were in synced orbits. The brown dwarf looked dark red with a deep blue halo around its rim. It had the appearance of a very old brown dwarf sub-star.

  Joqi looked at the fourth planet through a high resolution telescopic sensor. The planet was well to the left and below the star in its orbit, and looked like a perfectly smooth dull pearl. There were two moons near the planet; one very large one and a small one farther out than the large one.

  He focused the telescopic sensor to magnify the planet’s image. High, pearly clouds hid the surface from view. But here and there he could make out dark spots in the clouds, which were surely the tops of very high mountains. He recalled his vision at his grandpapa’s deathbed of standing on a high mountain looking down on pearly white clouds and watching a very bright sun set at the horizon. This planet was where his grandpapa wanted him to go!

  He turned his attention to the pressing issue of their next course of action. They were traveling too fast to go into orbit around the mid-region planets in this solar system, unless they first braked significantly using the Horizon Quest’s engines. And traveling through half the solar system at a very high velocity to enter a braking orbit around the central star made him uneasy. They would consume most of their fuel reserve slowing down on the way to the star. And what would the Clacs make of it?

  No, it would be best to use the Horizon Quest’s engines and braking orbits around the large outer planet, and then the brown dwarf, to slow to a reasonable velocity for the inward journey to the Clac planet. Closer assessment of the sub-star revealed it had a thick atmosphere that extended inward toward its core. They would fly through the atmosphere of the outermost planet, and then move inward to a braking orbit in the massive brown dwarf’s atmosphere.

  Joqi smiled as he sensed the Horizon Quest flipping end-over-end to point its engines toward the outer planet. A trajectory to intercept the planet was highlighted on the solar system display. The spaceship’s engines roared to life, starting the deceleration sequence. As usual, Dawn was following his thoughts and conclusions.

  Dawn fine-tuned the braking trajectory and displayed the results. They would enter a partial orbit through the atmosphere of the nearby large planet to brake and vector the Horizon Quest to intercept the brown dwarf sub-star. They would make several braking orbits around the brown dwarf, dipping just inside its atmosphere, then slingshot the spaceship into a trajectory to intercept the Clac planet. This would conserve fuel for use in navigating into orbit around the Clac planet. It would also conserve enough fuel to navigate around the solar system as necessary.

  I am proceeding with your plan, Dawn conveyed, just to make sure Joqi understood her actions. I have calculated the trajectory to intersect with the closest planet. I will fine tune our trajectory as we get closer to the planet where I can better analyze using its atmosphere for braking.

  Once Dawn had the Horizon Quest in the proper trajectory toward the large outer planet, Joqi engaged her again in discussing the natur
e of the anomaly they passed through to get to the Clac solar system. The anomaly was nothing like he thought a wormhole would be, considering all the scientific speculation he was aware of on the nature of potential wormholes. They went over again all the recorded information from crossing the intersection point to finding themselves in the Clac solar system.

  Joqi concluded they had either transitioned through a very short wormhole or through some kind of dimensional window between their entry and exit points. They had no firm data supporting either hypothesis. And with their Hycoms system inoperable, they had no way to consult with the scientists back on Zilia.

  Dawn was following his ruminations. Did you know your Grandfather had a problem with the Hycoms system on his ship, the New Horizon, when attempting to communicate messages to Earth about the Third Moon Rising miracle?

  No, Joqi replied. What is the relevance of that to our Hycoms problem?

  The failure caused Commander Sepeda to make decisions on his own regarding the significance of the event, which set him on the path to becoming Prophet Sepeda.

  I’m no Prophet in the making, Joqi conveyed. But the Hycoms failure certainly means we are on our own in addressing forces encountered in this solar system.

  • • •

  They had just entered a braking orbit around the brown dwarf, when Dawn indicated a distress signal was intercepted, apparently from a Clac spaceship. The Clac vessel was on the opposite side of the brown dwarf from the Horizon Quest’s approach path, which blocked them from receiving the signal earlier.

  Joqi didn’t question Dawn’s assessment that it was a distress signal; she had more than enough data in the pilfered Earth files to decipher the Clac spaceship’s emergency transmission. He got busy assessing the information Dawn was presenting in virtual displays.

  The Clac spaceship was in orbit around the large planet they had detected earlier orbiting the enormous brown dwarf. Dawn’s data showed the planet had a very thin atmosphere. A full spectrum scan of the ship revealed it was emitting no coherent radiation other than the omnidirectional distress signal. Clearly its propulsion system had been shut down for some time; otherwise they should see some level of infrared radiation. Either that or it had an ion, plasma, or other exotic propulsion system that gave off no radiation signature.