Dark Firmament

by Ezra Manes

  Joqi agreed that it was curious. He had, in fact, researched this when going through advanced studies on Zilia. He refrained from telling Cssyza the third planet, Hope, now had resident humans as well. He also withheld information on the other human colonized world, New Earth.

  Discovery of other advanced life-forms threw the szswns’ leadership into a state of confusion and conflict, and shortly after that, the general population as well. They had long believed they were the only sentient beings in the universe. This reaction was similar to what the Zilans went through when first contacted by humans of Earth descent—those of the diplomatic team led by Joqi’s grandfather, Carlos Sepeda.

  After much turmoil and several changes in leadership, the decision was made to send generation ships to two solar systems that were reachable within the average lifetime of a szswn. Those selected for the emigration were expected to procreate another generation of szswns once at their destination. The goal was to have enough adults survive the journey to seed colonies in the two solar systems. It was coincidental, or so Cssyza claimed, that the two solar systems were in the general direction of Earth.

  A szswn generation ship’s maximum velocity was still at low relativistic speeds. But a szswn lived on average about three times as long as a human did. Travel to the nearest habitable planet took 132 szswn years, and the next habitable planet beyond that took an additional eighty-seven years, well within the lifespan of a szswn.

  Joqi was duly impressed at the szswns’ long term commitment to this project. But then, survival of the species was at stake. He told Cssyza how impressed he was with their effort to colonize other planets, and this elicited no noticeable change in the szswn’s demeanor.

  Cssyza turned to summarizing current conditions on its home world. The atmosphere was very acrid and uncomfortable for even a szswn to breathe. Most stayed in underground or enclosed structures where airborne pollutants were filtered out. The szswns still came out to celebrate major events from their past, and to perform certain functions that were best accomplished in the open.

  The surface temperature was warm to hot, heated by the brightening local star. The szswns were experiencing a “hothouse” effect of sorts as suspended particles in the atmosphere from active volcanoes absorbed radiation.

  The planet was half again as large as Zilia, and through back and forth discussion with Cssyza, Joqi estimated he would weigh approximately forty percent more on the planet’s surface than he did on Zilia. Walking on the planet would be manageable for him for short distances, but he would tire very quickly. It would be best for him to go to the surface inside an exoskeleton robot if he had to go there.

  The szswns’ planet orbited its sun closer and faster than Joqi’s home world of Zilia did around its sun. A hundred cycles, or years, on the planet was approximately eighty-two years on Zilia. The planet had a sizeable moon in close orbit around it. This resulted in very high, rapidly changing tides in large bodies of water. A smaller outer moon had little tidal effects.

  A greater concern than the higher gravity on the planet was the low oxygen level in the air, even though atmospheric pressure was considerably higher than on Zilia. This, coupled with the very acrid nature of the air, meant Joqi needed to stay in his spacesuit on the surface and only take it off if an emergency situation dictated he do so.

  Joqi asked Cssyza why the szswns were interested in the brown dwarf sub-star. Cssyza indicated that was something it would have to wait to answer.

  He discovered there was one topic that was apparently taboo when talking to a szswn. Cssyza became unresponsive for several days when Joqi broached the topic of gender relationships in the szswn species. All attempts at communication went unanswered by Cssyza for several sleep periods, which prompted Joqi to suit up for another trip to check on the alien.

  He sent a message to Cssyza indicating he was coming over because he was concerned about the szswn’s health. There was no response from Cssyza, which caused Joqi to head over with some urgency.

  He rode an exoskeleton robot like he had the first time, and had no trouble entering the szswn vessel through the airlock chamber. To his surprise, he found Cssyza waiting for him in the passageway outside the chamber.

  “You must go back to your ship,” Cssyza said emphatically.

  “When you stopped communicating, I concluded something was wrong,” Joqi replied.

  Cssyza stared stoically at Joqi without replying. Joqi stood silently, staring unwaveringly at the szswn’s four eyes. After several minutes, the szswn began shuffling its feet nervously.

  “You affect me,” Cssyza finally said. “Something I not explain.”

  “I mean you no harm, no ill will,” Joqi said.

  “I know,” it said. “I feel…closeness with you after our many talks.”

  “And I with you,” Joqi replied.

  Cssyza stopped shuffling its feet and seemed to have reached an important decision, if Joqi was indeed reading its expressions correctly.

  “You are here so must make most of it,” Cssyza said. “My leaders have requested communication with you and me in same compartment.”

  Joqi smiled. Perhaps the leaders needed direct assurance that Cssyza had indeed encountered a human.

  “That is okay with me. It is about time I introduced myself.”

  Cssyza turned and headed toward the ship’s command center and Joqi followed. Once there, the szswn explained how the meeting would be conducted. The szswns used two dimensional displays for video communications; 3-D visualization used too much signal bandwidth and provided little additional content over 2-D communication. Besides, 3-D visualization systems had many more components that could fail.

  Cssyza counseled Joqi next on how to interact with the szswn leaders. First, he should show deference to the leaders. They were prone to react strongly, and negatively, when confronted. Second, he must refrain from asking to meet with the leaders; he should wait for an invitation. Third, when asked what he was doing in this region of space, he should indicate he was on an exploratory mission to the brown dwarf and was surprised to discover a szswn vessel in distress there. And fourth, he must go through the session in person, outside his spacesuit.

  Well I’ll be a saszu’s uncle, Joqi thought. Dawn, are you following this?

  Yes, and I recommend you do as Cssyza says. It is clearly trying to protect you and get you a meeting with its leaders, as you want.

  Yes, come to think of it, he did want a meeting. He realized that was what coming here was all about. He didn’t know what he would say or do in the meeting, but the szswns emigration to planets located toward Earth had the makings of a serious future threat to humankind.

  I’ll have difficulty breathing in this acrid environment, Joqi conveyed.

  There are nose filters in your utility pack that will filter the air, Dawn replied. Breathe through your nose as much as possible. Breathe through your mouth only as required to communicate. From what Cssyza says, you should remain silent most of the time. Get back in your spacesuit as soon as you can. The environment there has a lower level of oxygen than you are accustomed to.

  There was no need to answer Dawn; he agreed with her assessment.

  “I will do as you say,” Joqi said to Cssyza. “I need to wear my translator on my waist belt if I am to fully embrace the Clac language.”

  “That is acceptable,” Cssyza said. “That will impress.”

  Joqi got out of his spacesuit as gracefully as he could, and retrieved the nose filters from the utility pack. They fit perfectly when he pushed one into each nostril. He should have known Dawn would provide what he needed for this eventuality.

  “I am ready,” he said. Then he had another thought. “What if they don’t invite me to come meet them?”

  “They will,” Cssyza replied, with what Joqi thought was a humorous tone. “It is not every cycle that a human enters our solar system and rescues one of our valuable spaceships.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The large display screen
showed two szswns perched atop an illuminated, raised circular platform in an otherwise darkened chamber. One was much larger than the other. The smaller szswn was positioned back a little from the large one. Joqi thought he saw some movement in the shadows around the platform, but he wasn’t sure.

  Apparently there was an established protocol for addressing the leaders. Cssyza made introductions, always addressing the large szswn while postured with its frontend lower than its backend. Kneeling, that was what it looked like to Joqi. To show his deference, as Cssyza suggested, Joqi squatted with one knee on the floor and his hands on the other knee. He bowed his head awaiting a cue that he should rise and address the two szswns. It was a bit galling to do this, considering he felt no real deference to the szswns, plus he and Dawn had rescued Cssyza and its ship.

  Cssyza summarized the circumstances of its spaceship being hit by an asteroid while surveying the large planet orbiting the huge brown dwarf. The szswn next explained how the human and its spaceship had rescued the damaged ship. Cssyza wrapped up the summary by explaining the human, Joaquin, had made good progress in learning the szswn language.

  Joqi waited patiently for Cssyza to complete the obligatory introductory report. No doubt the leaders already knew much more about him than he did about them.

  “Rise, human,” the large szswn finally said. Cssyza had addressed the leader as “Honored Pazrs, Exalted Szswn Leader”.

  Joqi rose slowly, keeping his head slightly lowered. He could see the large szswn clearly from this posture.

  “Why did you come to our solar system,” the leader asked.

  “Exalted Leader, I came to study the massive brown dwarf planet,” Joqi answered, as Cssyza instructed. Apparently the szswns classified the massive object as a planet.

  The leader and the smaller szswn reared up slightly at the sight of Joqi shuffling his feet and gesturing with his arms to mimic the szswn language dance. All was quiet for several seconds, and then the leader assumed its previous dominating posture.

  “Why do you wish to study the large planet,” the leader asked.

  “To complete our understanding of the nature of matter,” Joqi replied

  “That would be useful to us all,” the leader said coldly.

  The smaller szswn reached over and touched the large leader on a hind leg. The two conversed too quietly for Joqi to understand them.

  “How did you get here,” the leader asked bluntly.

  Uh oh, Cssyza provided no guidance on how to answer this. Joqi decided to tell the truth, but not the whole story.

  “In my advanced spaceship,” he said, trying his best to avoid sounding condescending. “Such is the nature of our technology.”

  The small szswn on the platform started shuffling its legs nervously and Cssyza did likewise. The large leader remained calm, staring intently at Joqi.

  “There is much we need to know about you and your ship,” the leader said. “Humbled Cssyza will provide instructions for your journey here.”

  The communications link was unceremoniously terminated. In spite of the leader’s controlled posture, Joqi sensed that it was very worried about what his arrival might mean for the future of its species.

  Joqi turned to address Cssyza, who was still nervously shuffling its legs.

  “What have you conveyed to your leaders,” he asked, in as conciliatory a tone as he could convey in the szswn language.

  “All that I have learned about you and your ship,” Cssyza replied, calming down somewhat.

  “I expected as much,” Joqi said. But the short exchange with the arrogant leader aggravated him nonetheless. “Did you explain the self-aware nature of my spaceship?”

  “Yes, and it caused great concern among our leaders and our scientists.”

  “What did your leader mean by calling you humbled Cssyza?”

  Cssyza looked around the command center, its four eyes seeming to drink in every detail. Then it focused all eyes on Joqi.

  “I no longer command,” Cssyza finally said. No other explanation was offered; none was needed.

  Joqi gritted his teeth, not liking any part of the leader’s attitude or decisions. It was time to stand tall.

  “Convey to your leaders that my spaceship will self-destruct before allowing any szswn to board it. Any vessels in close proximity will also be destroyed.”

  • • •

  Dawn estimated the flight to the szswns’ planet while pushing the damaged ship would take about thirty Zilan weeks. They still maintained Zilan time aboard the Horizon Quest. They could make it to the planet a lot faster if uncoupled from the szswn spaceship. Joqi made it clear to Cssyza they could push the damaged ship into a trajectory where it would reach the home world safely at a later time. Cssyza could join him in the Horizon Quest, and they could then accelerate quickly to get the szswn home. Cssyza understood, but still refused to leave its ship.

  “I am responsible for this,” Cssyza said, sweeping a foreleg in an arc pointing at all in the command center.

  Joqi recognized the gesture meant the entire spaceship. He understood its reluctance to leave its ship; he would have a hard time abandoning the Horizon Quest in a similar situation.

  “Okay, Commander,” he said, trying to lighten the mood Cssyza was retreating into. They were getting to know each other very well and had reached a basic level of trust of each other.

  Joqi recognized a change in Cssyza after the communication with its leaders, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. It was like Cssyza had accepted the situation as something that was inevitable, something that was orchestrated by an authority much higher than it was.

  But even as their mutual trust solidified, Cssyza still insisted their continuing dialog be conducted via communication channels. As before, Joqi didn’t push for in-person meetings. He was satisfied to stay in his plasma filled command pod for most of the journey to the szswn’s home world.

  He did follow Dawn’s advice and meditated frequently. During those meditations, he isolated himself as much as possible from thoughts about existence in the smart plasma environment.

  After a few weeks, Joqi decided to isolate himself physically from the smart plasma for short periods of time. He needed to prepare for direct interface with the szswn representatives and leaders. Cssyza said he would likely need to meet with the leaders on the planet’s surface. The leaders had yet to share with Cssyza how they planned to interface with the human and his unique spaceship.

  Joqi’s first attempts to stay out of the command pod made it very clear that he was bound in intricate ways to the plasma; it was now an integral part of his existence. With no overriding reason for being out of the plasma, it was all he could do to stay out for an hour or two. It helped to engage Dawn in discussions about unsolved theoretical physics issues regarding undetectable matter and energy in the universe, which had long intrigued him. The discussions and insights were nowhere near as crisp and understandable as when discussed while he was immersed in the plasma.

  • • •

  Joqi rode an exoskeleton robot up the side of the szswn ship to the access airlock. It would take them another seven weeks to reach the szswn’s home world, and Cssyza had asked for a meeting with him. It was about time; his patience was wearing thin waiting to learn what the szswn leaders had in mind for their arrival.

  “Welcome Joqi,” Cssyza said. It turned its back on Joqi. “Look at the results of your kind care in our first meeting.”

  There were string-like scars where the metal beam had cut into the szswn’s back.

  Cssyza turned to face him again. “I am fully recovered from the wound.”

  “I am glad,” Joqi said.

  He didn’t know what a smiling szswn would look like, but he sensed Cssyza was feeling good and glad to see him. He sensed something else as well, an aura of contentment perhaps, as it looked at him.

  “My leaders have a plan,” Cssyza said. “I hope you will agree with it.”

  Cssyza explained how the szswns wo
uld interact when the two ships approached their home world. Several ships would intercept and escort the two connected ships into orbit. Once in orbit, they wanted Joqi to transfer to the damaged survey ship and stay in the command center with Cssyza. The human ship was to disconnect from the damaged scout ship and move far enough away to enable another ship to attach alongside the damaged ship. Joqi and Cssyza would then transfer to a szswn shuttle for transit to the planet’s surface to meet the leaders.

  Dawn, the plan is okay with me in general, Joqi conveyed. Do you see any problem with it, other than it lacks details?

  We need to work out orbital plans with the szswns, Dawn replied. And I am very concerned for your safety while on their planet.

  I’ll insist on limiting my time on the surface.

  “I assume we are being monitored,” Joqi said to Cssyza.

  “No, this is a private meeting between you and me,” Cssyza replied.

  Joqi believed the szswn. It was time to introduce Dawn, his “intelligent spaceship”.

  “Actually, it is a meeting among the three of us,” Joqi stated. “My ship is always monitoring my activities and looking out for my wellbeing.”

  “Hello Cssyza,” Dawn said via the wall mounted translator.

  Cssyza stepped back, shuffling its feet slightly. It calmed down and stood quietly for several seconds before responding. It then interacted with Dawn, discussing details of the rescue activity. This interaction convinced Cssyza the ship was indeed self-aware and had its own personality.

  “I understand,” Cssyza finally said. “You two are close. My leaders would not understand. And neither would I, if not in closeness with you.”

  “Tell your leaders I agree with the plan in general,” Joqi said. “Tell them I must be returned unharmed to my ship within two days of landing on your planet’s surface. And I caution against any ship making a close approach to my ship.”