The end? I reviewed the present.
A black hole.
The timeline cross had been holding off the inevitable. Releasing the constraints meant the end of the star system. But, where were we now?
I returned to the Center and sensed the outside of the ship. One moment we had been inside the star, surrounded by bacteria, the ship beginning to shake, the gravity increasing again, and the next we were in deep space, not far from the event horizon of a black hole, but thankfully at the same relative gravitational pull. The last thing I wanted was to have saved an entire civilization’s future but ended the lives of all my crew mates.
I reintegrated, and created the necessary human level sound waves for communication.
"AI, can we flash jump to Frequency Zero?"
"Negative. Too much gravity. Further reversing needed before structural integrity can be retained on flash jump."
I could sense the Stellar Flash settling into the new gravity field, adjusting to it, and reactivating the reverse drive.
"How long before we're sufficiently away from the gravity well before we can shift back to the human's star system?"
"Estimate one Earth hour. However, due to time dilation, this may result in several years passing within the human Solar System. Suggest calculating return course to similar space/time coordinates to original designated projected end time of the mission."
"Agreed."
I looked about the Center at my fallen comrades. They would need medical help. Ironically, they wouldn't remember anything of this mission, and neither would the civilization outside.
But there was now one more thing I had to do in this new timeline. I now knew the exact wavelengths to communicate with the newly evolved mushbugs, and I sent the message.
Chapter 21
First Contact
The glowing butterfly-like form floated in the center of the ship. Captain Hogart gasped as he tried to hold onto his control panel, forgetting his dislocated right arm. He gingerly put it to his side and held with his left. He was not going to miss this, no matter how much pain he was in.
"Greetings," he said, his nanite suit antennae flicking to communicate.
"You know our ancient language!" said the glowing being, flitting about the Center. Hogart couldn't turn to follow without grimacing, so waited until the alien was in front of him again before speaking. He wished he had eyes in the back of his head like Greg, and really didn't know how he could have survived without them before now.
"We visited you in the far past and met one of your Queens," said Hogart, realizing he didn't need the antennae anymore. He let it disappear back into his suit, feeling some level of relief as the weight disappeared.
"You have the ability to time travel?"
"In a fashion. The technology isn’t used so much now after we realized that there was no real past, due to infinite probable pasts and futures. Changing our past does not affect our present. Except for within the event horizon of a black hole, where all things are possible."
"Understood. Your EM piece you refer to as Torus contacted us. You have a First Contact proposal?"
"We are an exploratory mission with a goal to meet other alien races and offer them equal membership in the Interdimensional Coalition. The organization spans many universes, and we have trillions of alien races in the charter. We believe that interacting with other races will benefit multiple realities, and would like to offer you equal membership, too. You would have complete and unbridled access to all information about the multiverse, and your contribution would help other races lower on the evolutionary expansion frequency to advance and reach the pinnacle of achievement that you have."
The alien suddenly expanded and disappeared, and then reappeared again. "I have been in discussion with the other pieces of myself. We have spent many days of your time deliberating, deciding why we should or should not, exploring the consequences, coming to an agreement. We have decided that, no matter what result is likely or the many possible futures that may or may not contain challenges result, that it would be a fantastic experience for our race. We would like to join."
"That's great!"
As though pausing for effect, the alien then said, "On one condition."
Hogart had been smiling up until this point. Now he braced himself. The mushbugs were now at the pinnacle of the evolutionary tree in this frequency. They were almost ready to shift to Frequency Three. There wasn't much the human race, still at Frequency Zero, could offer. There really wasn't much many of the alien races on the ship could offer either. What could an alien race this advanced possibly want?
Hogart looked at the other crew members around him. It was up to him. He would offer himself if he had to.
"We are incredibly happy you have decided to join us as an equal," said Hogart. "I am not sure what else we could offer but please let us know your condition and we will do whatever we can to help."
The being floated and spun gently. Then, for just a moment, it gave a slight twitching movement. Perhaps it was laughing. It said "It is a simple condition. One that you might even find amusing."
Hogart smiled at this. "And what is that?"
"After you have returned to your frequency and finalized our membership and made your reports, we request that you please stop calling us mushbugs."
Hogart almost laughed.
Amy reached out a tentacle of goo and slapped Puppy on the side of one of his legs.
Puppy put one leg up in the air and said "Sorry, my bad."
Hogart grinned. "Your wish is our command. What would you like us to call you?"
"From your records we have found something a lot more in tune with our humor. You can call us the Unpronounceables."
"Of course, whatever you prefer. We are very pleased to meet you Unpronounceables. We look forward to interacting with you again soon. Now we must return to give the good news to the I.C."
"We look forward to our new eternity," said the being, and it faded away.
“So, how many alien races called Unpronounceable do we now have as members?” asked Amy.
“I believe the number is unpronounceable,” said Puppy.
Hogart leant forward onto his stand and groaned. "I'm glad that's over. AI, please flash back to Frequency Zero, and get us all some medical treatment."
"Confirmed."
Outside, in space, the interdimensional space ship the Stellar Flash, now further away from the black hole, began to glow. Flickers of lightning flashed across its surface. One moment it was there, the next it was gone.
Postlude
Hogart stared out the viewing window at the north pole of Saturn, the slightly brown and yellow hexagon shaped vortex churning slowly. Hogart now knew what it really was - the only bleed-through in this frequency representing billions of years of mushbug evolution.
He clicked on his mind view system and checked the time, then walked up the corridor and straight into Heartness’ office.
"Ah, Captain Hogart, please take a seat."
Hogart looked around the room, then at the brown-skinned man with a white toothbrush moustache sitting in Heartness' seat. "I'm sorry, I was here to speak with Admiral Heartness."
The man indicated the seat opposite him. "She'll be along later. Please take a seat, Captain Hogart. My name is Doctor John Patel. Both I and Doctor Hiro Watanabe have been chosen to fill in for the Admiral whenever she is away. I trust you have fully recovered from your injuries?"
“The doctors on this station worked wonders for everyone on the ship. We’ll be ready for our next mission tomorrow morning.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Hogart took the seat and peered at Patel. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
"Oh, I don't think so. Though, I'm what you would call one of the last slashies. Years ago I took an upgrade and now have the skills, knowledge, wisdom and degrees for about a thousand different jobs. I can basically work anywhere. Perhaps you've seen me online in one of my other roles."
; "With that kind of knowledge, you could be an admiral!"
"Actually, you could say my position is equal to an admiral, but along a different hierarchical line, so to speak."
Hogart's mouth opened, then closed again. Then he whispered in surprise. "Secret services!"
The man raised a finger to his mustached lips. "I need to ask you a few questions."
Hogart had always had some respect for the secret services. He could even remember playing a secret services agent when he was a child in the holographic playgrounds. There was a certain mystique about them.
"I'm very pleased with some of the decisions you made regarding your recent trip into Frequency One," Patel continued. "I even had the good fortune to see a proto-unpronounceable up close, thanks to you sending the creature back to us."
Then Patel leant forward conspiratorially. "How did you disable the personal flashband? They're supposed to be isomorphic. They can't operate without being in contact with the owner. For security, you and only you should be able to use it. How did the mushbug use it?"
Hogart blanched. Was he in trouble? Would this mean that he would disappear?
"Well, sir. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Returning to Frequency Zero has the side-effect of most of us forgetting whatever happened. And I understand from the records that we somehow created a time paradox, so chances are whatever we can't remember never really happened anyway."
"Oh, come on, Hogart. It doesn't matter whether you remember doing it. The fact that you had the knowledge already means you can surmise you did something there based on what you know here."
Hogart gripped the sides of his chair. He WAS in trouble. This guy might be the good cop. He didn't want to meet the bad cop. He also didn't want to risk his new command.
"Off the record?" A thin film of sweat began to appear across Hogart’s back neck.
"Oh, we're all friends here," said Patel, but his smile did not quite reach his eyes.
Hogart shivered. The best thing to do was tell the truth.
"The flashbands are isomorphic in that they are tuned to our frequency. It makes it easier to quickly calculate the current location algorithm and impose a new one. But the biodata is in one section, and the flash relocation system is in another. They can't work together. One must feed the other."
Hogart let a wry grin play over his face. "This is all theory, of course. I don't remember if I actually put this into practice."
"Go on. I can already see where this is heading."
"So, by setting the time of one side of the wrist band to be a minute or two out of synch with the other, it would seem like I'm still attached to it for a minute when I'm not. I could then simply give it to someone else and it would still work, for about a minute."
Doctor John Patel leaned back into the chair and steepled his fingers. He nodded approvingly. "Ingenious! So, not yet illegal, not something that can be developed into a weapon, not something that would risk the life of the user, and something that could still be used as a last defense. I'm impressed."
Hogart started to relax. Perhaps he wasn't in trouble after all. "It's a backup plan I've always thought about, since I played secret agent at school."
Patel smiled, and this time his smile did reach his eyes. "And that's something else I've been wondering about. Everything about your history says you could have joined the services, but you didn't. Thwarting an android takeover on Mars, preventing a sabotaged comet mining system from exploding remotely, even pretending to be a consort to one of the royals on Epsilon Iridani while you investigated a murder plot. It seems to me you're wasted on first contact missions."
Hogart raised an eyebrow. "These happened in my twenties, when I was part of a team of young and fearless university graduates wanting to impress the I.C."
"Even so, you led these teams and they survived. It's one of the reasons you got this position. What was the real reason you didn't follow through?"
Hogart looked downcast. "I had a severe reaction to the mind view system, Doctor. Not all of us can get the implant. It works now, but I'm wearing a patch that stops my immune system from rejecting it. If I lose the patch it'll begin the rejection process and there's a risk of death. I decided that my Achilles heel would not be good for the services."
Patel gave a slight nod, respecting Hogart's decision. "You're an honorable man, Hogart. I like that." Then he pulled out a box and slid it across the table at him. "It's a rejuvenation course. Changes your DNA. Cancels any rejection your body might have for the mind view system permanently. You'll never have to worry about the patch again."
Hogart picked the box up and looked at it reverently. "You're sure?" He opened it and saw a collection of gold capsules. "But, why?"
Patel stood up and walked over to Hogart. "Captain, the services have always had an eye on you. In a short time, we're going to need you. Be ready."
With that, he left, and moments later Heartness entered. By then, Hogart had already slipped the box of tablets into his pocket.
"Ah, Hogart!" She took her seat, then felt it and sniffed the air. "Warm seat, spicy food. Patel was just here?"
"Yes, wanted to ask me more about the mushbugs."
Heartness looked at him quizzically. "About the flashband, I assume."
Hogart nodded.
"Oh well. I'm sure it'll turn up in a report somewhere."
Just then there was a knock on the outside of the door. Heartness gave Hogart a sly wink. “I’ve found a solution to one of your problems.” Then she called out. "Josie, come in. I'd like you to meet Captain Hogart."
Hogart stood up and put out his hand. Josie was a green-hued humanoid, with no hair and not much clothing, either. Where veins might have been in a human, she had brown, bark-like marks. Hogart could not believe how attractive she was for an alien.
Then he started. Those bone structures in her face and neck. She had to be human.
"Josie is one of the new humans," said Heartness. "DNA manipulation to include chloroplasts, and to be able to photosynthesize. She doesn't need to eat, though she'll probably need a lot of water."
Hogart nodded.
"Very pleased to meet you Captain Hogart," said Josie, putting a smooth, leaf-like hand in his. "I'm sure we'll enjoy working together."
Hogart looked at Heartness. He’d been distracted by these two women, playing his weaknesses. If they had to have this special meeting, to introduce the new girl, and Josie was going to work with him, that meant a new crew member in the Center. “But…”
"Well, after reading that the AI couldn't escape the mushbug because it had to have coordinates, and you didn't have any for it, I knew that you couldn't have a pilot of the month. You can’t do all the jobs at once you know." She indicated Josie. "This is why I've called you here today. Captain Hogart, Josie is your new pilot."
“But Earth didn’t want a regular pilot merged with the consciousness of the ship. They wanted to find a way around it.”
“Captain, Earth government wanted to find a way around getting an alien pilot, for security reasons. Josie is human. Probably more human than most!”
Hogart still wasn’t convinced. “I’m not convinced.”
“You don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Oh, it was niceties then override control. He wasn’t having it. “Give me more time to think about this.”
“It’s not up for discussion.” Heartness was starting to look annoyed.
“It is. If a potential crew member fails a basic test set by the captain, the captain can request further study.”
“True but..” began Heartness, but Hogart ignored her protest.
“Josie, a quick test, if I may.”
“Yes, Captain Hogart,” said Josie, completely unfazed by the situation. She even looked like she was pleased it was happening. Did she get some delight from making Heartness a bit flustered? Perhaps they had a history, Hogart thought.
“Alright, Josie. Question 1. The ship is in space when a large cloud of mushbugs are hea
ding to land on it, and glue themselves to it. How do you get out of it?”
Without missing a beat Josie said “As the mushbug cloud would probably be in formation, with the aliens flat and pointing forward, you should turn the ship on its side, set a path towards them, and activate the left, now bottom, EM thrusters. The ship would break through the cloud and they wouldn’t be able to turn sideways to catch it, or stick fast enough!”
“Right, sounds like that could work.” Hogart thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. “Alright. Question 2. You’re stuck inside a massive cloud of bacteria, but the AI tells you that you can’t flashjump in that environment. How do you get out?”
Josie grinned. “Easy! You make a bubble environment by expanding the forcefield around you as you spin the ship at high speed, then activate the jump before the old environment tries to restore itself. Flash jump drives can operate in mid-flight.”
Hogart looked at her in surprise. “That’s a great idea!”
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Have I passed your test?”
“Oh, yes, flying colors. Welcome aboard. I hope you can come up with ideas like that when we’re facing unexpected situations in the future.” Hogart smiled at this. He was actually pretty impressed. Heartness had come through for them again.
He turned back to Heartness. “Alright Admiral. You win. Josie is welcome to join us when she’s acclimatized.”
Heartness sighed. “Finally! Glad I didn’t need to pull rank. Oh, and Josie has been here a few days, and has already been briefed on tomorrow’s mission.”
"Well," he said after a moment, turning to Josie. "Of course. You'll be a great addition to the team. Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir. I have spent hundreds of hours using the Stellar Flash simulator on Earth. And the systems say my frequency is perfect for the Stellar Flash consciousness. I'm sure I can take her anywhere in the universe."
Stellar Flash Page 16