8 Short Stories
Page 3
Gregory had found the experience exhilarating, of course, but also sad. The future had arrived, dreams had come true. Man had reached out and colonized the moon and set down on Mars, harnessed the resources of the asteroid “belt”, but it could not stifle its own primitive natures. The vast majority of the world simply did not care and would not understand. To them the exploration of the universe through the Quantum MFI was like a Hollywood illusion or maybe magic. For all intents and purposes much of the world was populated by a bunch of spoiled children.
He knew better than to try and drag the whole human race with him to the future but he was a generous and caring man by nature. He wanted them to know, to understand, to experience what he did. He found it sad they would rather wallow in their trivial pursuits and primitive pleasures.
“You want me to join the Society” Gregory said, breaking the quiet as they drank their tea “You want me to become a disciple and help acquire and retain knowledge that the human race doesn't know it needs or wants yet”
“Like a monk in the Dark Ages when Europe had fallen back to a more primitive time. Someone must keep the flame of knowledge alive as we slide into a new Dark Age” The old man said “An age of fantasy and desire take the place of reality and the possible. We think along the same lines, you and I”.
“Yet, I have no idea what you plan for me” Gregory answered “You already have disciples, Mr. Chang and Miss Koh are already running the foundation on a day to day basis. So what do you need me for?”
“You must go out into the world and teach it” Dr. Singh said “You must keep it simple for them or they will tune out. You must fight the darkness that is on the horizon. So, how would you explain the Quantum MFI to an audience of... those people?”
“The Quantum Multi-Field Integrator allows our probes or ourselves to be in two places at once, here and any where else in the universe” Gregory said “In a way this allows us to compare a place like the Eagle Nebula as it is now and the way we see from Earth, 7,000 or so years ago”
“What would it cost the foundation to hire you as its missionary?” the old man asked, amused about something again. It was as if the old man already knew the answer.
“I would want to be able to use the Quantum MFI on a regular basis, do my own research, my own exploration” Gregory answered “I want to be able to see everything there is to see. I want to see life on other worlds, I want to travel to the farthest star and see the void on the other side.”
The old man nodded and smiled. He was like a genial old Buddhist monk in the old martial arts films who seemed to know everything. They became quiet again, Gregory mused that the old man might be meditating. “Every fourth month, you may use the Quantum MFI as long and as much as you like”.
“What will you do in retirement?”
“Travel” the old man answered, amused again. “I will cease being in two places at once, I will no longer be here but there. I will die in the Quantum MFI, just to see what happens”.
END