Dark Firmament

by Ezra Manes

“You have our commitment,” his father said, and his mother nodded her assent.

  “My physiology has changed. Both physical and mental aspects have changed significantly. I am much more capable than I was before leaving Zilia. However, I assure you, I do not consider myself above any Zilan.

  “I have essentially integrated with the Horizon Quest in all aspects. The ship’s sensors are my sensors and its systems respond to my thoughts. I feel what it feels, from molecules and particles of dust impinging on its hull, to the warping of space by the dark warp drive engine.

  “The artificial intelligence entity Dawn and I are now tightly coupled; one’s thoughts are the other’s thoughts, without either subjugated to the other. A merging of intellects was necessary to perform the rapid actions required to transit safely back to Zilia.”

  “This is ... astounding,” his father said. “I am proud, envious, and sad for you, all at the same time. Going back to your mother’s question, no one would believe you could design and build the major modifications to this ship by yourself, except the evidence is right in front of us.”

  “It is difficult to explain just how far Dawn and I have evolved. I have not slept, as you know sleep to be, since immersion in the smart plasma seven years ago. I do meditate frequently and this is when I daydream. Solutions for the most difficult problems become apparent during deep meditation.

  “Father, do you remember asking me, ‘Have you given serious thought to what you could do if you focused the full capabilities of your mind?’”

  His father nodded slowly. “Yes, back when Rauli and I met with you before the mission launched.”

  “I have focused the full capabilities of my mind and much more,” Joqi said.

  “I…am beginning to understand that,” his father replied. “But how can you live with giving up your human interfaces, your relationships with us and your wife and children?”

  Joqi hesitated before answering to give measured emphasis to his response.

  “I have gained knowledge of the universe and viewed the wonders of the space-time continuum itself that I doubt any other human will achieve for many generations to come. That is what pulls me forward from this place and time.

  “I am unable to integrate back into society because of the changes to my physiology. My staying here would strain family relations more as time went by, and would prove extremely difficult for Ecina and our children. A future of maintaining strained family relationships pales in comparison to what has opened to me and Dawn and this ship.”

  His parents were set back by this statement. He may have been too open. But the die was cast, so he decided to continue as planned.

  “Let me demonstrate one capability that my new level of existence has provided,” Joqi said, pointing to the metal nugget lying on the table. The rough nugget had a silver hue to it. “I formed that nugget from metal molecules we extracted from the atmosphere of the large brown dwarf sub-star in the szswns’ solar system.”

  Joqi reached forward and rested his arms on the table, with palms cupped facing upward. He focused on the metal nugget and moved it to hover above his cupped hands. He began disassociating the molecules in the metal, creating a silver fog of swirling molecules where the nugget had hovered before.

  He next assimilated the molecules into numerous equal-sided triangles, with each side one centimeter in length. He kept the triangles hovering and twirling above the table. He brought them together just above his cupped palms, integrating them into a complex polyhedron that presented a face looking like a sparkling five point star, as viewed from any direction.

  “It is so beautiful,” his mother murmured, captivated by the star object turning slowly above Joqi’s hands.

  “It is for you, Mother,” he said, moving the hovering star polyhedron slowly across to her. “Be careful, the points are a little sharp.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, awe apparent in her voice. She plucked the star polyhedron from the air, and then frowned. “What about Ecina and your children?”

  Joqi retrieved the small jewelry box from the end of the table and handed it across to his father. It was engraved on top with four interlocking triangles.

  “I would appreciate your delivering this to Ecina. The box and the three special metal star charms inside are also made of metal I extracted from the brown dwarf’s atmosphere.

  “I will visit with Ecina and my children soon, as I am doing with you now. But I must free Ecina from the vows of our marriage. Under the circumstances, I cannot be an appropriate husband and father for anyone.”

  His father and mother looked at one another, and then his father said, “We understand, although we are not happy about the situation. This is very unfortunate for our family. The loss of you again will be very painful for Ecina, but she is strong and will survive. We will support her and our grandchildren as best we can.”

  Joqi realized his father had correctly concluded that he and the Horizon Quest were going to leave Zilia soon. So Joqi turned to another topic where he needed his father’s help.

  “Father, I need your support in convincing the Supreme Leader and the High Priest of Zilerip to send Dawn and I on a mission to explore pathways to other habitable solar systems. We could just leave and no one could stop us. But I will honor their decision.”

  Of course, his father could lobby against the mission and in that way keep his son in the local region. But Joqi knew his father would support his wishes, however difficult that was personally.

  His father nodded assent slowly as his mother started tearing up again.

  • • •

  Joqi watched as Ecina brushed sand from the hair of their daughter Geri while listening to her sobbing story about what her brother had just done. Moments earlier, their son Cary had deposited the sand on her head because of a disagreement over how to play with a toy truck in the sandbox.

  He felt more than a little guilt this time while watching his family. His old human side came to the forefront and he sensed Dawn retreat. He ached deep inside over feelings he had successfully suppressed until now. The feeling hit hard like he never thought it would—he would never have a normal relationship with Ecina and the twins.

  It was after lunchtime on the fifth day of the week, and Ecina had sent the twins to play outside before taking an afternoon nap. It looked like the nap would come sooner than planned.

  Joqi assimilated outside the gate to the backyard. He put concerted effort into making sure his simulacrum image looked like he did when leaving Zilia seven years earlier. Then he opened the gate and walked into the back yard.

  “Momma,” Cary yelled from the sandbox and pointed to where Joqi stood.

  Ecina turned to see who was there. She sucked her breath in sharply and took a step toward him. Then she ran to him. He welcomed her with open arms and hugged her close. After a long embrace, Ecina pulled back to look at his face.

  “I know this is not really you,” she whispered, her voice catching. “Your father explained how you cannot leave the ship.”

  His parents must have come straight to Ecina’s home after riding the space elevator to the surface. He was glad; he should have met with Ecina already.

  “I love you sweetheart, and I’m sorry,” he whispered back in English.

  She put two fingers on his lips. “Let’s not say anything about being sorry today, okay? Come, your kids need to meet their father.”

  Cary and Geri both stood over beside the large sandbox, not sure how to react to his sudden appearance in their yard.

  “Cary, Geri, come meet your father,” Ecina said, motioning with her hand. She kept the other arm around Joqi’s waist.

  The twins ran smiling and laughing to jump against Joqi. He stooped and scooped them up in his arms. To them he was more than a complex virtualization of his old self. They viewed him as real!

  Joqi thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon playing carefree with his son and daughter, and talking with Ecina as much as he could around the energetic antics of
the twins. When it became apparent the kids were tiring, Ecina took them inside for showers, and Joqi helped.

  Once the twins were down for their naps, Ecina took Joqi by the hand and led him down the hallway toward the front of the house. She stopped at the doorway to her bedroom and hugged him close. He held her close briefly, and then led her out into the backyard. They sat quietly on a bench overlooking the sandpit for several minutes. She leaned against him and he put a comforting arm around her.

  Ecina sat up and dabbed her eyes, then pulled the engraved jewelry box out of her dress pocket. “Your father brought this by and said it was from you. I waited to open it, hoping you would come.”

  He had wondered why she had said nothing about the box all afternoon.

  “I made the box and what is in it from molecules extracted from the atmosphere of a giant brown dwarf sub-star in the szswns’ solar system. I prepared them as special homecoming gifts.”

  “It is beautiful,” she said, looking at the four interlocking triangles engraved on the fold-back top. She tugged gently on the top, pulling it open. Three glittering stars lay inside, each one showing a unique pattern.

  “One is slightly larger than the other two,” Joqi said. “That one is yours.”

  Ecina picked up the larger star. It had a small loop on the end of one star prong so it could be attached to a necklace or bracelet.

  “Oh Joqi, thank you!” She leaned against him, hiding tear filled eyes. He put an arm around her shoulders and held her close again.

  After several minutes, Ecina straightened up and dabbed her reddening eyes. She then started asking questions about his journey. Joqi answered every question honestly, but asked her to keep their discussion just between the two of them. He even explained that the smart plasma had affected him in ways that would likely keep him immersed in the Horizon Quest’s command pod for his remaining years. He avoided saying she should look elsewhere for companionship and a father figure for the twins. That would become obvious in time.

  There was intimate, private talk, with some laughing by both and some crying at times by Ecina. He wouldn’t let himself go beyond personal talk; that would tarnish the memory of their few intimate days together before he embarked on his mission.

  As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Joqi went in quietly and kissed each of the twins. The goodbye to Ecina took a bit longer, and he stayed until he sensed her acceptance that he must go.

  The last thing he told Ecina was how his grandpapa came to him in a vision while he was trapped and dying in the cage on the szswns’ world, with caustic seawater washing over him. His grandpapa took him by the hand and led him to the bank of a stream where she and the twins waited for him.

  That was when he learned she had given birth to twins. She and the twins had given him the strength to make it through the ordeal. With that said, he held her close until her sobs subsided.

  She finally pulled free of his arms and kissed him, then walked back into her home.

  CHAPTER 22

  Joqi was finding it easier and easier to project and maintain his simulacrum image remotely. The occasion this time was a meeting with assembled religious, government, and scientific community leaders to discuss his proposed mission plan and any questions about the technical data he and Dawn had provided. He assimilated his image at the spot reserved for him at the end of a large conference table in the main conference room in the supreme leader’s office building.

  The High Priest of Zilerip was still Olinza Harsn, and she sat to the right of the Zilan Supreme Leader, Pgodera Bnethem. Bnethem had assumed that position since Joqi departed on his mission. Joqi knew of him; Pgodera was the grandson of Pteleg Bnethem, who was the supreme leader when Joqi’s Grandpapa Sepeda first arrived at Zilia. Joqi’s father was there, representing the northern hemisphere cooperative farms. He sat next to High Priest Harsn.

  To the leader’s left sat Marih Basira, the leader’s chief-of-staff. Joqi was surprised that Bnethem had retained the previous leader’s aide, but he understood that continuity in that position could prove valuable. The distinguished Elzdar Almeem, the current lead scientist at the Zilan Institute of Advanced Studies, sat next to Basira. Several other senior managers made up the remainder of those in attendance. He was glad to see Lenjay Genai present. He was now director of off-world programs, including operation of the orbiting Sayer Research Station and a major orbiting spacecraft final assembly factory.

  “I sincerely thank each of you for the opportunity to meet here today,” Joqi said, opening the meeting.

  “It is we that thank you, Commander Sepeda,” High Priest Harsn said. “I believe I can speak for all here in offering you congratulations on the success of your mission.”

  Heads nodded agreement around the table.

  “I believe all here have viewed your summary report on the mission,” Supreme Leader Bnethem said. “Yours was truly a remarkable journey that has greatly advanced our appreciation of what we have here in our solar system”

  The leader looked at the lead scientist sitting to his left, and added, “I understand you have also provided enough data about the szswns’ solar system and the nature of space itself to keep our scientists busy for a couple of decades or more.”

  Elzdar Almeem smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

  “Are you open to some questions before we address your petition for another mission,” the leader asked.

  “Certainly,” Joqi said. “I will answer all that I can.” He noticed his father shifted uneasily in his seat.

  The questions flowed for over an hour and a half, and they were mostly good, informed questions that Joqi could answer concisely. Several questions were asked about the failure of the Hycoms communication system and he had no good answer. The failed system would be replaced, and as a minimum, they would install a better electromagnetic shield system to protect the Hycoms system from cosmic radiation.

  For other questions, his answers pointed the questioner to the more detailed data provided to Eve and the Institute of Advanced Studies. No one had the time yet to research the thousands of hours of video data that were provided. There were a few challenges regarding assertions in the mission summary report, and for those he provided references to data that supported the assertions.

  A discussion arose regarding Joqi’s recommendation in the summary report that other human societies, including old Earth, be provided design details for the dark warp drive propulsion system. He recommended two conditions for this transfer of knowledge. The first was to implement the design in Zilan exploration spaceships and train crews to operate the advanced ships before any design data were shared. The second condition was to only provide the technology to the other three human occupied worlds if they agreed to join an alliance to face future threats from spacefaring civilizations. This would require that Zilan diplomatic envoys travel to the three worlds to open diplomatic relations. Joqi recommended the first diplomatic contact be with colonists on the planet Hope, the birthplace of Prophet Carlos Sepeda. Joqi emphasized it was important for the future survival of the human race, that close ties be established among all human inhabited worlds.

  Joqi was surprised that no one questioned how the Horizon Quest avoided colliding with large objects while traveling in warp drive mode. Through his ability to sense all facets of space around the ship, he was able to detect and maneuver the ship to avoid collisions. He wouldn’t even hint that this was how they had avoided collisions. It was very important that future spaceships not use the smart plasma to gain such navigation skills. Individuals immersed in the plasma for extended periods might not have the guidance he had received through meditations. He decided to address the navigation issue with the key decision makers present in the meeting, even though the issue was addressed in the detailed ship design information already provided.

  “Using the warp drive technology will initially come with a significant inherent risk,” he said, when there was a lull in the discussions. This statement caused all side disc
ussions to halt; everyone in the room looked at him attentively.

  “You must choose routes to your destinations that will minimize risk of colliding with objects in space,” he said. “At warp velocities you will be traveling blind.”

  “How were you able to travel home across 118 light-years without colliding with something,” Lenjay Genai was quick to ask, cutting through a chorus of questions from others.

  “Through planning, providence, and good luck,” Joqi replied. All he said was true but it clearly didn’t satisfy all those present.

  “Your mission was blessed from the start,” High Priest Harsn said. “We cannot rely on that for our future missions.”

  “How do we minimize this risk,” Elzdar Almeem asked, suppressing the murmuring among the others.

  “The model of the space-time continuum we provided in our data transfer will lead to developing a collision warning system,” Joqi answered. “And I believe you already have safe routes for your initial destinations.”

  He explained that the route taken by Prophet Sepeda and his team from planet Hope to Zilia should still be a safe route, provided the warp propulsion was only used external to both solar systems. Eve had made that journey with the prophet’s team and could provide guidance. In addition, spacefaring factions on Earth and Hope had established safe routes between those two planets, as had those on Earth and the planet New Earth. He recommended a probe be sent soon to survey the route to planet Hope while the first warp drive equipped spaceship was under construction. He indicated it would be prudent to have the first trip to Hope be made under robotic control, with human trips after that.

  “However, with all we have discussed, some collision risk will still exist,” Joqi said. “There are rogue objects wandering through space, though few and far between. That is why a collision avoidance system is needed in the long-term.”

  He was walking a fine line in the discussion. If too much concern arose regarding the collision risk, some would surely lobby for tasking the Horizon Quest to survey safe routes. The longer he and the ship stayed at Zilia, the greater the chance his condition would be discovered, and the greater the probability that strained relationships with Zilan officials would arise. He was willing to survey a safe route to the planet Hope if they pressed for that, but he felt the risk was adequately addressed already.