by Philip Elrod
Akiro’s mother was pleased with the changes but explained to her young son that he would be her highest priority and that she would raise him properly. They would cope with financial hardships, but she wasn’t going to take on some low-paying job that would keep her away from him for many hours of the day.
Akiro thought little of it at the time, but in later years, he would be thankful for her decision. Kioshi may not have gone to work for the Americans, but she decided to study them and their ways intently. She came to understand that building bridges with these foreigners would be of utmost importance to her country. They must embrace modern ways and the technology and social changes that came with them.
Akiro was always a curious child. One day, he happened upon an old, unused telescope in the storeroom of his school. He was fascinated by the piece and spent a great deal of his spare time trying to figure out just how it might work. Finally, his teacher, after growing tired of his endless questions, suggested that he take the thing home with him and try to fix it. Thus, began a lifelong love affair between Akiro and the night sky.
****
Akiro finished the last sip of his sake and placed the tiny cup on the table. Darkness enshrouded the mountain, and the stars were already twinkling above. A sudden cold wind from the valley below rattled the tiny bells hanging over the door. As they tinkled and chimed softly, he knew that this was an omen. Could this be the time that he made a major discovery, maybe even a new comet? He breathed deeply, rose, and went into the cabin.
Little did he know that this omen, these tinkling bells, would be the portent of an event that he could never have imagined. He would soon, very soon, be the first human being on Earth to see the Mylean interstellar transporter.
For some reason that he would never understand, he selected an area of the sky for viewing that held little interest for others. Frankly, it was a rather boring area with not much to offer an astronomer.
He loaded his Celestial Guide software into his laptop and confirmed the coordinates. Next, he set the scan segments to one minute per snapshot and the integration to one hour. In other words, his telescope sensor would gather snapshots lasting one minute each for the period of one hour. Afterward, using his software, he would integrate the individual shots into a single image of one hour. This was so much better than a single one-hour shot. If any one of the one-minute snapshots occurred during a slight movement of the telescope, the resulting blurriness could be automatically eliminated during the integration process.
Now, he could relax. He would receive an audible alert if anything new happened between the one-hour scans. Each scan, because it was identified by a unique number, date, and time, allowed him to search and compare information from past databases. His software was perfect for astronomers who watch comets since it enabled them to record a significant section of the sky for the entire night or for several days in a row.
A programmer had developed this software in the USA. The developer, a Texan, had very generously allowed it to be downloaded from his website at no charge, asking only for comments and suggestions for improvement. Akiro was fascinated by the program and became an expert user. In fact, he had communicated with the developer on many occasions and several of his suggestions had been used in updates to the software.
Akiro settled down for the long night ahead. Even with the good omen, he knew that discovering a new comet was far more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. He could only scan a tiny segment of the vast sky, but if there were something that moved out there, he would find it.
His first night’s observations were totally uneventful. Nothing had changed between scans. He wasn’t disappointed—just being at this quiet retreat was more than enough. He could spend time with his friends in the village or just walk around the beautiful area. In the afternoon, he could enjoy sitting on the patio at the front of his house. He would read a good book or just relax simply sipping his sake while reminiscing about his past life, or planning for the future.
****
The next afternoon, Akiro sat outside enjoying the cool air and sunshine. Eventually, his thoughts wandered to something that he never discussed with anyone. His marriage.
Akiro met his wife while at his first job in Tokyo. She was only half Japanese, being the daughter of an American Air Force officer and a Japanese woman. Her dual culture and expertise in the two languages made it easy for her to find an important job in those days of unsurpassed growth in technology in Japan.
They were married, but soon, she began to chafe under the societal restrictions for women that existed in those days. She was raised in the freedom of the United States and would never understand that, after marriage, a woman, no matter how talented or how well educated, was expected to stay at home.
Eventually, she moved back to the US, and they divorced. Neither married again as they still cared deeply for each other. The relationship just didn’t survive their cultural differences. Over the years, they always stayed in touch. In fact, they seemed to be even closer now than when they were still married.
Akiro would always be proud of this headstrong girl who had taken his heart and would always be in his soul. Perhaps, some day, after all this time, they could reunite. After all, times had changed, and life was now more liberalized in his country.
****
Akiro had spent the whole afternoon reminiscing, but now, it was time for another night of stargazing. Unfortunately, this could be his last chance. Scattered rain and possible storms were being predicted for the next few days, so he would have to make the best of tonight. There could be no mistakes, no miscalculations. As usual, he set up his equipment and software very carefully and methodically. Nevertheless, he had a strange, uneasy feeling. Perhaps it was just the dreaded rain, or was it something else?
Again, the night was completely unsuccessful and totally uneventful. Before the first fingers of dawn crept across the mountaintops, he shut down his equipment and took it inside the cabin. After a cup of hot tea, he dropped to his futon in a tired heap and slept for many hours.
Surprisingly, the weather held for a third night, and Akiro set up his viewing. Again, a totally unsuccessful night. He was more than a little depressed after his high hopes while the first two nights had proven fruitless. Maybe he should just go back to the city.
On the fourth night, the skies were still clear but Akiro had few if any hopes. But, like any other astronomer, amateur or professional, he wouldn’t quit. That next scan might be the one of discovery. It was like buying a lottery ticket. The odds are astronomically against you, but someone would eventually win. Why shouldn’t it be Akiro?
He hummed as he set up his equipment. The night would be especially cold for this time of year, so he hurried back inside as quickly as possible. The cabin was warm and cozy with his two kerosene heaters, and he poured himself another glass of his prized sake. Soon, he had consumed the entire small bottle and was more than a little relaxed. He didn’t care about the rainy season that was fast approaching. He didn’t care if he had to eat another bowl of instant soup. He was happy in his cabin and with his equipment.
Hours later, near dawn, he was startled by the alert buzzer from his laptop. At first, he thought that the buzz might just be in his head, caused by all that sake. But it continued unabated. He ran to the computer and began to review the scan from the previous hour.
His jaw dropped in amazement at what he saw. There was an object, a huge object, on the extreme outer edge of the field. It must have appeared at the very end of the scan. He leaned forward and stared intently at the screen. The thing was unbelievably huge, and it was bright. He had never seen anything like it. A shiver of anticipation and a little fear pulsed through him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was still there. It was no anomaly or an artifact. It had to be something real.
Akiro scratched his head in confusion and spoke aloud wondering what the strange object could be. It was far larger and brighter than any comet. He racked his brain for other p
ossibilities but could think of none. This thing was something different, and he had no idea what it could be.
He cleared his mind quickly as the years of discipline took over. Dawn was already approaching, and there would be no more viewing. The last scan would be abbreviated, but he would have it downloaded within a few seconds. If the object were real, he would surely see it.
Akiro checked the abbreviated scan segment and to his disappointment, there was nothing there. The object was not visible. What could have happened? He bounced back and forth between being thrilled and being apprehensive. There was nothing more that he could do. The weather was now his enemy, and he would be forced to wait until the skies cleared to confirm the mysterious sighting, whatever it was.
Akiro decided to get a little sleep. He had interior wooden shutters installed so that he could shut them and sleep in darkness during the day. He shut them before unrolling his futon and covering it with a soft, thick comforter. Normally, he would sleep until noon but not today. He tossed and turned and eventually got up. There would be no sleep today, and there were many hours until nightfall.
Akiro thought about reporting his observation to the Night Sky Network but quickly decided that this would be unwise on his part. He must have a confirmation. He must be sure that the object was there and that it was real. There would be no shortcuts.
To make an erroneous report would be most embarrassing for someone of his reputation. It might even be ruinous. He longed to make a discovery, but he must follow the rules. He had discovered a new comet a long time ago using equipment that was far less advanced than what he now had. He named the comet after his mother who perished in the devastating earthquake that struck Niigata in 1964.
Akiro decided to put the whole thing out of his mind for the day. Instead of spending time in his cabin, he decided to take a short hike up Mount Kita using a trail at the other end of the village. He looked forward to meeting a few of the climbers who arrived by bus or taxi from Kofu and then toiled slowly to the summit of the mountain. Yes, it would be a nice distraction. A perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Akiro decided to take the trail that ran beside the mountain stream that rushed down the side of the mountain. The sound of that rushing water would surely calm his nerves and let him relax for a while. He needed to clear his head of the mysterious and elusive object that he had seen for a few hours. Tonight, he would surely be ready to make an objective assessment of the thing he had seen. That is if it appeared again. If not, at least he’d had a little excitement on the trip.
He climbed steadily up the pathway and admired the multitude of colorful mountain flowers that bloomed profusely along the way. Being Japanese, he had been taught to appreciate the simple beauties of nature and the spiritual joy that they brought.
Before leaving, he had anxiously checked the Night Sky Network site to see if anyone else had observed the object. He was both relieved and surprised that there was no mention of anything even vaguely like his finding. The object had been large and extremely bright. Why was he the only person to have seen it?
Tonight, he would surely either prove or disprove his observations. He trusted his software and his equipment and knew that some unexpected glitch could easily be ruled out. He would compare his previous scans with those from tonight’s viewing. There would be no question of authenticity or fraud if his findings were confirmed. The software would uniquely identify each scan. He, nor anyone else, could access the code and alter the data of the findings.
****
Akiro returned to his cabin in the late afternoon after having tea with an elderly couple in the village. The lively pair had been quite thrilled to share their village gossip with him, and he had wound up staying with them far longer than he had planned. The night was approaching quickly, and he hurried to set up and program his equipment. Unfortunately, clouds began to form, and he was more than a little nervous about the situation.
He threw together a simple meal from his supplies and ate quickly. Afterward, during those last minutes before complete darkness, he had a cup of hot sake—not his special, premium brand, but one of good quality. He would never insult his beloved Junmai by heating it.
At long last, it was dark enough to start the scanning. He made a few final adjustments to the coordinates and waited nervously. If the strange object was indeed real, and weather permitted, it would surely be visible again tonight. Thankfully, the weather held and the sky remained clear over the mountains. It had seemed an eternity before the first scan was completed.
The computer sounded a double beep to indicate that it had received the final data points of the scan and was beginning its processing phase.
Akiro could hardly breathe as he anxiously awaited the results. It would only be a couple of minutes before he would confirm the sighting or experience complete devastation if the object did not appear. Suddenly the buzzer alerted him that there was indeed a new object in the field. He was both shocked and amazed. That object could be the real thing.
In his nervous haste, he accidentally clicked an incorrect icon on the computer screen and had to wait long, agonizing seconds before he could instruct the computer to complete its task. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the screen refreshed. It was there. The strange object was huge and far brighter than any comet. He sat back and looked at the screen in disbelief. What could this be? What had he discovered?
Akiro was ecstatic for a few minutes until he had the stunning realization that the object had moved an impossible distance from its location on last night’s scan. Such speed was incredible if not impossible. Something must be wrong, but what? He had become quite skillful in estimating the speed at which an object moved across the night sky, but this thing had moved at an oblique angle across the viewing area, making the speed extremely difficult to assess. He shook his head in frustration and knew that he would have to perform another scan before he could make a judgment.
He quickly aborted the scan in progress and reprogrammed the software. He would rescan the original first hour segment. After the briefest of time, the telescope repositioned itself and began the repeat scan.
Akiro’s heart began to pound when the computer suddenly signaled that the scan was aborting. He knew the reason instantly. Clouds had obscured the night sky. He was utterly devastated. He checked the clock and noted that the scan had run for approximately thirty-five minutes, well short of the hour that he had programmed.
He forced himself to be calm and told himself that the object, being as bright as it was, would surely be there even if the scan were abbreviated. At last, the buzzer sounded, and he clicked the icon to display the findings.
He stared at the screen in wonderment. There it was. The brilliant object was real. Akiro sat back in his chair and felt a wave of excitement sweep over him. He was still, hardly breathing while he tried to process mentally what had appeared before him.
Then, he put all emotion aside and began his scientific analysis. Akiro used the software’s split-screen function to review all three of his scans simultaneously. Next, he used the electronic ruler tool to measure the position of the object in the first scan and compare it to its position in the final scan.
The distance was more than 400 arcseconds over a period of approximately fourteen hours. He couldn’t believe it, but the scans didn’t lie. It was true. The thing was real, and it was very, very strange indeed.
The measurements indicated that the movement of the object should have been about four hundred divided by fourteen or about 28.5 arc seconds. The field had a view of twelve hundred arc seconds meaning that fourteen arc seconds should be easy to see. The final result shocked him. Movement in the last thirty-five minutes was ZERO arc seconds. The object had been motionless.
Akiro jumped up from his chair, almost knocking it over in the process. He paced the room frantically trying to find an answer. A few hours ago, the thing had been traveling at an unimaginable speed, and now it was standing still. What was going on out there in space
?
He massaged his temples as if he could exorcise some demon in his brain. He wondered, just for an instant, if he had lost his mind. He had looked forward to this trip with excitement, but he had never dreamed that something like this could happen. This sighting was totally insane.
Akiro walked out of the cabin into the cold night air. Maybe he could think better outside. He breathed in the icy air and looked up into the blackness. Something was out there. Something very big! Something that could move at an incredible rate of speed, and then suddenly stop and be completely still. He spoke aloud as if the heavens could hear him.
“What are you? What are you doing here? You’re no comet; that’s for sure. You’re no star. You’re no planet. I have absolute proof that you exist, whatever you are, but who will believe me?”
He ran back inside and warmed himself in front of one of the kerosene heaters. It was obvious that he could not solve this mystery alone. It was time to get some help. Akiro would report his observations and ask for assistance in confirming his findings. Surely, some other astronomers would come to his rescue.
Thankfully he had satellite Internet service available, so he filed a report of the event with the Night Sky Network and included the date, time, and coordinates of his observation. He also outlined the unusual anomalies of the sighting and asked for assistance in confirming, or not, his observations.
By the time all was said and done, the night was over, and the sun had chased the clouds away again. It was almost noon on Friday, June 29.
Chapter 6
Completing the Supporting Cast
“Evolution doesn't care whether you believe in it or not, no more than gravity does. I want to rekindle excitement over what we've achieved as a species with the space program. We can't afford to regress back to the days of superstition.” - Seth MacFarlane