by A. I. Zlato
He had absolutely no trust in this stranger, especially in his second artificial skin. He felt like hanging around a sort of spy for the Machine. There was no objective reason to think that, just his instinct, which was warning him about a near danger, imminent disaster.
He had asked Mossa about it, asking him first indirectly, then directly. He wanted the hybrid to clarify his intentions, the goals he pursued, the connections his electronic circuits could create with the Machine. The young man had taken refuge in a stubborn silence, refusing to Egeon any form of dialogue on these issues. Galatea reassured her husband, saying that Mossa had no interest in contacting the Machine, that he seemed happy with them ... What did she know, really? She, too, was a believer. Although she denied it, Egeon suspected that, if she did not believe it, at least she hoped that Mossa was the Messiah heralded in legends.
She wanted to believe that the hybrid was feeling comfortable in the community. Was that really the case? Egeon’s distrust grew day by day. Mossa had stated, what Egeon understood perfectly, that he wanted to go back home. What if the Machine could help? After all, It usually would make a request for additional Space whenever it was necessary. It was not absurd to think that the Machine had the means to contact other Spaces. It would then be normal that Mossa contact It ... And if he did, he could share with the latter, in exchange for Its help, all information about the shuttle project he would have learned here.
All the same, it was better that Mossa not leave Egeon, so the latter could monitor him, too. Hoping that such an approach would be enough ...
Egeon went that morning to a general meeting. He loved to gather the community, so that department heads would briefly explain all the progress their respective teams had made, for everyone to know the overall status of the project. He knew, from experience, that these gatherings re-motivated those who needed it, made work more meaningful to those who were shortly lost in the details, and reinforced cohesion of their group. Unfortunately, in recent times, such meetings always ended up steering towards the topic 'prophet', at the expense of the vessel construction.
Egeon promised himself that this would not happen today because he knew that Galatea had good news to announce. He hoped that what she had to say would boost the energy of the community, and would get it out of its religious slump.
With Mossa following him, he reached the shore. Already, hundreds of people were gathered, waiting for his coming, and especially that of the hybrid. It had become a habit. People greeted Egeon, and respectfully bowed to Mossa. This one did not answer, draped in his arrogance, which everyone took for an expression of his Prophet status.
Egeon began to imagine how to make him trip, so he would lie with full length on the rocks of the shore, so that everyone could see his status of mere human.
That was pure meanness, Egeon knew. Of course, he would not do it, lest he incur the wrath of the believers, but the idea amused him for a moment.
Within minutes, the whole community gathered, and department heads, Galatea, Teo and Alea stood next to him. Egeon made his usual introduction, greeting the congregation and briefly announcing the agenda. He pretended that he had not noticed that only a minority of those present looked on, while others were staring at Mossa. He stood a little apart, motionless, staring into space, indifferent to what was happening around him. The only visible movement was the flow of energy that undulated on his artificial skin.
Egeon gave the floor to Galatea, who took her place on the ultraF node. Her voice immediately amplified, bringing in the whole assembly.
She announced that she and her team had made their choice in the rocky planets that orbited the star Alpha Centauri. She explained that it was the second planet in the system, twice as large as the one on which they all lived now. ‘Hope,’ as her team had baptised it, had two continents, surrounded by a liquid ocean, probably water. Temperatures were colder there than they were here, but were temperate, thanks to a protective atmosphere made up of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. Hope was a promise for their descendants. Galatea did not elaborate on astronomical observations or on calculations that enabled them to determine the best planet.
She put simply, via the ultraF, the image of the star, pointing to the small point that corresponded to their future planet. The assembly marvelled at the image, captivated. Even Mossa came out of his immobility and turned his head towards the image. Their dream was becoming reality; the future was before their eyes. Galatea then replied to many enthusiastic questions. Egeon saw with pleasure all the people he knew so well, regain their normal behaviour, and passion for the project.
Galatea flashed the most detailed images she had managed to get on the planet. A huge orange sphere blue, dotted with clouds, under which one could guess without seeing the really rocky ground. Thanks to her and her team, the community knew they would not only leave but also reach their destination. Egeon, like the others, contemplated their goal. Hope ... what an appropriate name!
Then came Teo’s turn. Egeon hoped that, for once, he would be slightly positive and would not spend ten minutes explaining all construction problems. He saw his friend getting ready to speak when Mossa intervened. He did not position himself on the ultraF node, and yet his voice carried far, probably amplified, at his request, by his electronic parasites.
« I admire what you have managed to achieve, with the little technology you have at your disposal. Your training program Shuttle Generations is absolutely brilliant, and the methods for determining the destination planet are impressive. However, regarding the construction of the shuttle, I think I can improve a lot of what you have done.”
The congregation swallowed his words.
“How dare you criticize decades of work, you who just arrived?” Teo said, adding in a whisper, “you, electronic-bizarre thing!”, but loud enough to be heard by a few.
“How dare you talk like that about the Prophet? He is the Link and the Break; he will guide us!” Someone, next to him, said.
Murmurs of assent pervaded the assembly, even without hearing Teo. Given that he was a nonbeliever, what he had said was necessarily irreverent.
“Is this a prophet? Open your eyes! He does not even know how he got here! He repeated for days to those who would listen that he wanted to go home! And now, he says that, finally, he will help us build the shuttle? What is his true motive? How would he be better than generations of people like us?” Teo added.
“He is our Guide! He came to help us! You are a unbeliever; the Prophet will punish us if you continue your stupidity!”
“Calm down, calm down”, Egeon intervened. “I understand that Teo is annoyed; it is never easy to hear a stranger say that your work can be done better. Whether Mossa is the prophet of our legends, or not, the work here is relevant to all of you. You are all free to believe what you want, but you must respect the beliefs of others. We cannot afford to waste time arguing on concepts that, anyway, nobody can prove, whether he or she believes, or not ... it is all about beliefs. Let Mossa explain his point of view, and, as usual, we will decide together what to do.”
Teo scowled, and the crowd fell silent. Egeon had managed to temporarily establish a status quo.
“As I said, I am impressed by what you have accomplished so far”, said the hybrid. “From your ancestors to you, every generation has shown immense talent, ingenuity, intelligence. Regarding the construction of the shuttle, I just wanted to say that it was possible to incorporate more complex, more advanced electronic circuits that would notably lighten the structure of some redundancies, and make the trajectory more reliable.”
“You want to turn my beautiful shuttle into a small transportable Machine?” Teo hissed.
“No. What makes the Machine ...a Machine, it is the countless programs It contains. The Machine is not just the sum of these components, It is more than that. For the shuttle, I mean adding calculator equipment only.”
“And how do you know that? Have you contacted the Machine? Have you exchanged information with It?
How can you be so sure?” Teo queried, echoing Egeon’s own concerns.
“In Space O., there is also a Machine”, said Mossa.
“And how can you be sure that our own, uhh! ... well, in short, that our Machine is the same as yours?”
“I know, that's all.”
“That is exactly what I am saying! You contacted the Machine! Did you say anything about our presence? What did you tell It about us?”
Under the effect of these words, the assembly felt a shiver of anxiety. It was unthinkable that the Prophet had betrayed them. Unless…
“I did not contact the Machine of this Space. All you do is attack me, to shift the conversation away. My point was simply to say that it was possible to add calculators to the shuttle, to make it more efficient.”
“In case you missed it, we want to leave this planet in order to build another life on new foundations ... if we take away even just a tiny part of what constitutes the Machine ... Our new world will be an extension thereof!”
“But what are you talking about, Teo! This is an unexpected opportunity that awaits us! We hope to improve the shuttle, and, who knows, to finish faster ... You ought to rejoice!” Someone said.
“You are so blind? He gives us in one hand, and taking it back with the other! He offers gadgets to lull our vigilance and make us carry spare parts of a Machine, which our descendants will restore, naively!”
“Teo, I understand your concerns, but before declining flatly what Mossa is offering us, I suggest you spend time with him, and study his improvement proposals. You alone will be judge on what changes to incorporate; you are and you remain the sole decision-maker”, said Egeon.
He could not afford to say publicly that his friend was wrong, especially as Teo’s concerns also resonated in him.
Teo muttered under his breath. He already had enough to do, juggling technical problems and motivating idle teams. He would now have to listen to a greenhorn explain in a condescending air how to improve his craft.
“I would not go against your decision, Egeon. Nevertheless, I find Mossa’s relationship with the Machine unclear. His insistence to integrate new intelligent components does not please me. Why not improve the ultraF network? If we think deeply, the network could very well provide the services that Mossa wants to achieve with mini-Machines.”
“Teo, all options must be considered. Mossa will stay with you, and will have no autonomy. You will remain the only judge”, Egeon said to his friend.
He nodded, and gestured favourably, telling Egeon he understood him. He knew that he could thus better monitor the hybrid, if he had him permanently around. He could spy on each of the hybrid’s actions, and perhaps discover his true intentions. As always, Egeon and he were allies. It was agreed; he would accept the presence of Mossa around him.
Egeon analysed the meeting and saw that there were mixed feelings. Several people, who agreed Mossa was the Messiah, had questions about him. The fear of the Machine, of what It could do to them, the possibility that the hybrid came in contact with the Machine … all these questions had affected them. The majority, however, remained blissfully before the hybrid, convinced that he would help them. Egeon mentally noted the names of people who seemed ready to change sides.
At the mention of this idea, he sighed. He would never have thought possible that the community could be divided into two factions. It was his duty to maintain a semblance of cohesion. For the project, because nothing else mattered. He turned to Galatea. He saw, by her attitude, that she shared in part his concerns vis-à-vis the hybrid, and would, as always, be on the same team as he was.
Alea stepped forward, in turn, to present the progress of the training program, and was also overshadowed by Mossa.
“I admire your work; your training program for Shuttle Generations is impressive. The translator concept is ingenious, to ensure content accessibility over time. However, I think this concept can be significantly improved.”
Egeon boiled against the impertinence and the condescendence of this teenager. Teo scrutinised Alea’s reaction; she was among those criticising his attitude a few minutes earlier. With a little luck, he could offload Mossa onto Alea, which would be good news, really. Galatea caught his smirk and gave him a nudge in the ribs. Teo, surprised, composed a neutral face.
“I'd be happy to hear your suggestions about our translator program”, said Alea.
“To ensure that each generation understands your message, you would need a single translator for the duration of the trip. This translator would be the link between the latest generation of the Space H., and the first of Hope. This would ensure that your skills, your knowledge, but your dreams are well transmitted to the end.”
“How come we never thought about that earlier?” Teo queried, sarcastically.
“Of course, that would be ideal, Mossa, but we do not know how to extend the life of a human by hundreds of years. In addition, I do not think that's desirable”, replied Alea, as good diplomat.
“Let me guess”, continued Teo. “You are speaking of yourself, I imagine? Is now the moment you tell us that your circuits allow you to live one thousand years? "
“My circuits, as you say, increase the capacity of my brain. They may not affect the life of my carnal envelope. I was not talking about myself, no. I am not part of your Space; I have developed more knowledge than yours ... I will not be a translator because I will modify the message, even for the first generation.”
“In other words, you're too good for us ... some say, you must be our Guide ... and you are refusing to guide us. We will have to choose another Messiah ...” quipped Teo.
“You should make a decision. When I propose to guide you, you put on me fallacious intentions, and you do not want my help. When I do not want to play the role of translator, you accuse me of not wanting to guide you.”
Teo had nothing to say, aware that Mossa had placed him in front of one of his contradictions.
“Mossa,” Alea said, “I understand that you don’t want to be our main translator, because you have the same life expectancy as we do. However, as you suggested this concept, maybe you have an idea on how to implement it?”
“I was thinking about Kandrons.”
Alea, Egeon, Teo, Galatea opened up their eyes, stunned. Even Teo found nothing to answer; the idea was so ... unthinkable. The assembly was also bewildered. The word 'Kandron' was whispered and spread a moment. Mossa continued.
“Kandrons live for centuries and are a part of this Space. They establish strong bonds with humans, and are able to understand you. They will be able to translate content, for all shuttle generations.”
“You forget that they are interested only in humans of the City ... The City where It is located ...again, the Machine! After all that, you would still say that you are not in touch with that Machine? “Teo queried.
“Kandrons are not under the Machine’s control. They live in the City, but do not bear chips, and they are free to fly away from the Tower.”
“You're right Mossa, Kandrons live ... apart. But precisely, what makes you think they will be good translators?” Alea asked, determined to exploiting the idea to the end.
“Think about Eutrope. Through it, I learned your language and acquired the basics of your culture.”
“Yes, but you have your second skin”, Alea replied.
“It helped me learn very quickly; that is true. But without a good teacher, that second skin would have been irrelevant.”
“I accept your reasoning; they might be good translators, but what would guarantee that they would follow our instructions? After all, they are a different species.”
“Shuttle Generations will be further away from you than Kandrons will be. They will live and die in a confined space without knowing what land is, what non-recycled air is, what it means to have a sun rising and setting each day. The very concept of day / night will be artificial. Kandrons, by contrast, would have lived here, would have known you.”
Egeon and Alea stared
at each other, saddened by what the hybrid had just said. Yet he was right. This was the reason for the translator program, ensuring that messages continue to be transmitted despite the inevitable distance. It was just hard to hear, expressed aloud, this implacable fact. It was hard to imagine that Kandrons, those mysterious creatures, beautiful but inaccessible, could become, over time, closer to them than their own offspring.
“Maybe you are right, but ... what do they have to gain? Why do they want to leave the planet?” Teo queried, still edgy.
“Eutrope suggested the idea. Kandrons wish to leave. By studying your Shuttle Generations training program, I imagined these creatures in the role of translators. Each species wins.”
“Wait a minute. All Kandrons want to embark?” Teo asked, taken aback.
“That's the idea, yes”, said Mossa.
“But ... that approach would enlarge the shuttle considerably! It's ...” continued Teo.
Egeon decided to cut short Teo’s recriminations, however justified they might be. It was necessary, as for the construction project, to pretend agreeing with Mossa’s view, so they could better monitor him.
“Mossa,” saidEgeon, “I appreciate your concern for us, and I am sure your suggestion deserves interest from Alea and her team. However, try to understand our questions. We never had to deal with Kandrons before Eutrope appeared; more, it came, and continues to come, only to see you. We do not know much about them, and we do not know their motives. We cannot make the decision to enlarge the shuttle, adding weight to take them along, without knowing their purpose.”
“I did not think about asking Eutrope its motives; its thoughts seemed so clear and to the benefits to your Shuttle Generations program so obvious...”
“Listen, Mossa, I will have a meeting with team leaders, to discuss your proposals. Before that, could you explain to Teo and Alea, in their respective fields, your ideas and suggestions? We must think carefully before deciding.”