The Face of Earth

by Kirsty Winkler

  “Why haven’t they contacted us?” Karina asked in confusion. “Don’t they regulate traffic here?”

  “No. This planet doesn’t receive many visitors. For one thing, people would have to deliberately come out here to even know it exists. Most space travel is done inside galaxies, and most intergalactic travelers take the shortest route possible between galaxies using a distortion drive. The slowest speed distortion drives are capable of is one megaparsec per month. So even if the planet passed right by them, they wouldn’t realize it. And there’s no reason to come out this way unless you’re specifically looking for an intergalactic planet.”

  “Then how do you know about it?”

  Agnar grinned. “I was deliberately looking for it.”

  “Why?”

  Agnar gestured to the viewscreens, which showed the surrounding view outside of the ship. The city gleamed around them, shining in the evening sun. “This is an advanced civilization of enlightened individuals who were perfecting space flight when the Bitowans were barely intelligent and the Yalsans were primordial slime. Their star, along with several hundred others, was torn out of the Vontyr Galaxy as our galaxy passed close to a much larger neighboring galaxy. This happened billions of years ago, and only myth remains. I followed that myth, and found this world.”

  Karina stared at the viewscreens in wonder. “Atlantis,” she breathed.

  Agnar looked at her in confusion. “What?”

  “Earth has a similar myth of a lost advanced civilization. The Atlanteans were the richest and most powerful nation on Earth. They attempted to conquer and enslave the world, and the rest of the nations banded together to fight against them. The Atlanteans defeated all of their armies, until only the Athenians stood against them. The Athenian army ultimately defeated the Atlanteans, but then the entire army sank down into the ground as earthquakes and floods destroyed the area. Atlantis sunk into the sea, never to be seen again.”

  Agnar silently absorbed the story as Karina continued. “The legend of Atlantis grew over the centuries until it was considered not only advanced economically, but technologically and socially. Their warlike nature was forgotten, and they were portrayed as a peaceful and enlightened people.”

  “Huh. Well, the people of this planet are peaceful and enlightened. I don’t know if they were warlike in the distant past, but they certainly aren’t now.”

  “Is their civilization older than the Stelairian civilization?” Karina asked.

  Agnar rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t know. I do know that both civilizations are extremely old, but I don’t know who evolved first.” He stood up and stretched. “Shall we go?”

  “Don’t we have to get permission from the authorities to proceed?” Karina asked in confusion.

  “There are no authorities. There is no government. This is a world of individuals who respect themselves and each other. There’s no need for government when you are enlightened enough to govern yourself.”

  Karina laughed resentfully, shaking her head. “Why couldn’t I have been born here?”

  They disembarked as the sun set. Agnar led her toward an eating establishment not far from the ship. The people they passed looked like Yalsans and smiled at the newcomers, sometimes greeting them as well. Agnar politely replied in their language. It was a lilting dialect and even though she couldn’t understand it, Karina found it pleasant to the ear. They sat at a table in an open court next to a kitchen.

  “They watch for guests, and immediately begin preparing your meal,” Agnar explained. “They believe that meals should be a pleasant surprise rather than an expected chore. Our food will arrive in about half an hour. No one hurries here. I find it quite relaxing.” Agnar sat back and stretched out his long legs under the table. He breathed in the spicy air. “Each time I visit here, it gets harder to leave.”

  Karina had been staring at the sky. She continued to stare as she answered Agnar. “I can see why. I’ve never seen such a beautiful place.”

  The sun had sunk below the horizon and the sky was darkening. Stars began to slowly appear, first one, and then another. Karina had never seen a sky where she was actually able to count all the stars. There were only about fifty of them. The darkness increased, and the Vontyr Galaxy appeared, its disk edge-on to the planet, spanning the entire sky. Farther galaxies materialized, and the moonless sky brightened, lighting the planet with a soft white glow.

  Karina breathed a sigh of amazement at the unusual sight. Agnar watched her, a tiny smile on his face. He looked up at the sky he had seen many times before, but seeing it from Karina’s perspective made it new again. He wondered how he had grown so used to such a splendid sight that he had taken it for granted.

  A chef appeared, depositing their food on the table. Agnar thanked her in her language and then switched back to Yalsan as he turned to Karina. “The society here is made up of a certain percentage of each job, and each person chooses his career when he reaches adult status. Everyone does their job, and everyone benefits from the jobs of others. There is no money in this system, everyone gives what they can, and everyone is given what they need. Each master takes on apprentices, and the apprentices become masters when their master has determined that they have learned everything they need to know. Once a person has worked for eighty percent of his life, he retires, and society takes care of his needs. These people function in complete cooperation, and no one is left wanting.”

  Karina listened as she ate, reveling in the exotic taste of the food. “I never would have believed that an entire world of people could respect and cooperate with each other in this manner.”

  “Well, they do have millennia of experience over the rest of us. They would have to be more mature,” Agnar replied, smirking.

  Karina laughed. “Then that would make their species far older than even the Stelairians. My experience with Megg has proven to me that her society has not reached the point that these people have achieved.”

  “That makes sense,” Agnar agreed. “Megg is one of the oldest Stelairians alive today, and even her maturity level doesn’t come close to the people on this planet. That’s one of the things I like about her.”

  “You’ll excuse me if I don’t share your appreciation for Megg. When we first met, I believe she had plans to kill me, and the next time we saw each other I learned that she was responsible for the creation and destruction of my species. She’s not exactly my favorite person.”

  “You’d be surprised by how much you’re like her.”

  Karina snorted. “I’m nothing like her.”

  “Okay, Karina. Have it your way. After all, you would never kill someone just because he was violent toward others and you believed he deserved to die, to stop the abuse,” Agnar replied sarcastically.

  Karina felt her face flush. That was exactly why she had killed Fred and the premier. She placed the value of her own life above theirs, and made the decision to end theirs so she could continue to live her life knowing they would never be able to hurt anyone again. And Megg had destroyed the Earthlings for the same reason. Megg saw their violence and stopped it before it could affect the rest of the galaxy. At the thought of having something so fundamental in common with a person she disliked, Karina felt sick and stopped eating.

  Agnar saw the change in her expression and put his hand over hers reassuringly. “Hey, that’s not a bad thing. You don’t know Megg like I do; she’s a good person, she just has different values. Those values don’t make her bad, and sharing some of those same values doesn’t make you bad. I happen to agree with both of you; some people don’t deserve to live when they interfere with other people’s right to live. Megg just took that idea to the extreme when she applied it to an entire species. She didn’t account for the possibility that individuals in that species had potential. She should have viewed the species individually rather than as a whole.” Agnar squeezed Karina’s hand lightly. “Even her advanced species makes mistakes.”

  “Yes, I guess,” Karina con
ceded. She returned to eating, feeling a little less hostile toward Megg.

  As they finished their dinner, the chef brought them dessert. It was in the shape of a small pie, and tasted slightly sweet. Each mouthful effervesced, releasing the flavor onto Karina’s tongue. “This is heavenly!” Karina exclaimed.

  “It is,” Agnar replied around a mouthful.

  They finished dessert and Agnar thanked the chef as they stood to leave. He complimented the food profusely, making her smile with pleasure. Karina, not understanding the language, felt a twinge of jealousy, which she quickly subdued. She refused to admit any real feelings toward Agnar, even to herself.

  Agnar took her hand as they walked back to the ship. His hand was warm and comforting, and Karina decided not to pull away. She felt that she was strong enough to hold his hand without giving in to any romantic delusions about it. They walked along in silence, watching the alien sky. For the first time in a long time, Karina felt content.

  They arrived at the ship and boarded. “Would you like to stay another day, or continue our journey to Earth?” Agnar asked as they reached Karina’s quarters. Karina was torn. She wanted to stay here forever, but she wanted to see Earth as well. She hesitated, thinking.

  “Can we decide in the morning?” she asked.

  “Sure. Sleep well.” Agnar gave Karina’s hand one last squeeze before letting go and heading to his own quarters.

  Karina watched as he walked away. She couldn’t deny that Agnar was an attractive man. Her head tilted slightly as her gaze followed the line of his body. He reached his door and opened it, looking back down the corridor at Karina. He smiled impishly at her, and then entered his room, the door whooshing closed behind him. Karina realized she had been staring and blushed. She went into her room and lay on the bed, trying to sleep. Her thoughts were in chaos, and she had a feeling Agnar knew it. Being alone together was beginning to wear on her, and she was having trouble keeping her distance from him. They were months away from the Milky Way; how could she endure those months if she was weakening now?

  Her mind in a jumble, she finally fell asleep, dreaming of Earth and the beauty of Yosemite. She found herself hiking the trails, backpack on, never tiring, never needing to stop to eat or sleep. Here in her element, she felt strong. She entered a clearing where something was tied to a tree. It was a man, his head drooped down on his chest, bleeding from numerous cuts all over his body. She took off her backpack and ventured closer, and the man lifted his head and glared at her accusingly. It was Tresar, and Karina’s hands closed into fists in horror. She felt something in her right hand, and looked down to see her fingers closed around the handle of a bloody knife.

  “You did this to me.” Tresar’s whisper echoed around the clearing as he rasped out the words. “Don’t just stand there, finish it,” he demanded. He lifted his chin to expose his neck. “Do it!” he screamed.

  Karina dropped the knife and stepped back. “No. No. No! No! NO!” She ran from him, screaming ‘no’ at the top of her lungs. She tripped on a root and fell. A strong hand lifted her up.

  “Are you all right?” It was Agnar, and she stared at him mutely. “Wake up!” he yelled, shaking her.

  Karina woke up in a sweat to find Agnar leaning over her and trying to shake her awake. “I’m awake! Stop it!”

  Agnar let go of her and sat on the edge of her bed. “What was that all about? I could hear you yelling from my room.”

  “Nightmare.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.” Agnar got up to leave, but Karina grabbed his hand, forcing him to stay.

  “Please. I don’t want to be alone.”

  Agnar smiled reassuringly. “Scoot over.”

  Karina made room for him on the bed and he put his arms around her, holding her tightly until they both fell asleep.

  * * *

  The next morning when Karina awoke, Agnar was gone. The spot in the bed next to her was still warm, so he hadn’t been gone long. She got up and changed out of her sleep shirt, choosing flowing trousers and a loose shirt. She checked his room, but he wasn’t there. She went to the refectory, but he wasn’t there either. She grabbed a piece of fruit and munched on it as she made her way up to the bridge. Agnar was nowhere to be found.

  Figuring he’d turn up eventually, Karina went to the air lock. The open door let in the bright morning sun. Karina went outside and sat on the boarding plank, feeling the alien sun warm her face. She closed her eyes to better enjoy the sensation. Space travel made her miss sunlight, and she wanted to soak up as much as she could while she could. The plank vibrated and Karina opened her eyes. Agnar smiled at her as he approached, holding a container in his hand. He sat next to her and opened it.

  “I thought you might enjoy something different for breakfast.”

  The smell that wafted out of the container made Karina’s mouth water. The large pastry was warm and sweet, and Karina ate slowly, enjoying the medley of tastes in her mouth. Agnar shared, and for a few minutes they sat and ate in silence.

  “So, did you decide whether to go or stay?” Agnar asked as he licked the last of the pastry off his fingers.

  Karina thought for a moment. She wanted to stay here for awhile, but she wanted to see Earth more. She needed to determine what had happened while she was frozen in order to get some closure. She may have existed in stasis for the intervening years between the twenty-first century and now, but she felt as if she had been plucked from her own time and transported to the future. She hoped that seeing what happened to Earth would help her accept this new time and place.

  She came to a decision and looked up at Agnar. “It’s beautiful here, but I’d like to go to Earth soon. You won’t be too disappointed if we leave now, will you?”

  Agnar smiled and stood up, offering her his hand. She took it and he helped her up, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Not at all.” He led her into the ship, turning to palm the door plate and close the air lock. Karina took the opportunity to escape to her quarters.

  “I’m still a little tired. I think I’ll take a nap.”

  “I’ll be on the bridge,” Agnar replied.

  * * *

  Karina sat on the bridge, watching the stars plod along on the viewscreens. The trip back to Earth had been both the longest and shortest journey Karina had ever experienced. Time flew whenever she was around Agnar, but dragged when she spent time alone. Her conflicted emotions sent her teetering between the two in excessive amounts. She either spent entire days hanging out with him, or entire days alone in her quarters.

  She could tell he wanted her, but he seemed to understand her need for space, and so kept his feelings to himself. She appreciated it, but at the same time found her attraction for him growing. She still felt the echo of his burning lips on hers from their last kiss.

  During the journey Karina concentrated on studying the unigraphy texts that Agnar had given her. They were translated from Stelairian texts, and contained more knowledge of the universe than the combined knowledge obtained by the rest of the species. Megg had given them to Agnar, and he had used them to find new species to fleece. Karina grinned, remembering what Agnar had said when he handed her the tablet.

  “Give a pirate a complete map of the universe, and he’ll see new territories to plunder. What did she expect from me?”

  “So that’s how you found Earth?” Karina asked.

  “And how I learned your language,” Agnar replied. “It’s all on the unigraphy tablet. Handy thing to have.”

  Karina scoured the texts, and was fascinated to discover that her solar system, and even her star, had a name. Earth’s sun was known to the Stelairians as Helios, and the solar system as the Olympian Solar System. Karina recognized the names from her Greek and Roman mythology college courses, and wondered how much influence the Stelairians had on early human culture. If they showed themselves, it was quite possible that they would have been considered gods. Karina chuckled. It wouldn’t surprise
her to discover that Megg had been the Greek goddess Hera.

  They had arrived at the edge of the Milky Way last week, and Agnar had shut down the distortion drive and initiated the ship’s regular propulsion system. The propulsion drive was more efficient than the star and system drives that she had grown used to while traveling with Tresar. She snorted, thinking how Tresar had so casually dismissed her over the premier’s death.

  Hearing her, Agnar looked up from the helm. “Yes?” he questioned.

  Karina shook her head and laughed. “No, I wasn’t trying to get your attention. I was just thinking about Tresar.”

  “Ah. Still mad at him?”

  “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? If he had been in a similar situation, he would have done the same thing. But because he’s never had to choose his own well-being over another’s life, he can’t imagine being justified in killing someone. And so he judges me for having to make that decision.” Karina snorted again, irritated at Tresar’s closed-mindedness.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it, he’s thousands of light-years away.” Agnar pointed at a small blue dot on the forward viewscreen. “Worry about that, it’s closer.”

  Karina looked up at the viewscreen. Her heart seemed to jump in her chest. “Earth!” she exclaimed.

  “Yes,” Agnar replied, smiling at her excitement.

  Earth grew rapidly as they sped toward it. Soon they were over it, and Karina could see the continents and oceans. The ice she remembered had melted, and Earth bloomed with greenery. As they flew over the planet, she noticed that the shapes of the continents were slightly different from what she remembered. “Agnar, it looks as if the oceans are larger than normal.”

  Agnar scanned the planet, watching as the data scrolled down his screen. “Huh.”

  “What?” Karina demanded, worried by his tone.

  “Earth isn’t where it was the last time I was here. It’s orbiting a little closer to the sun. And the moon is a bit closer to Earth than it was. I wonder what happened?”

  “Maybe its orbit was affected when the comet hit,” Karina suggested.