The Relativity Bomb

by Arlene F. Marks

  There are no new television shows or movies being created. Instead, entertainment companies create virtual towns, virtual worlds, even virtual universes, populate them with AI-controlled virtual people, and lease NetSpace for nonstop commconnection. A bored citizen can thus drop in any time, night or day, on the lives of his or her favorite characters in that virtual reality, and can even interact with them for a fee. Any citizen can lease NetSpace as well, and invite the public into his or her life for a time. There are still live actors and musicians, performing theater and giving concerts, just not on the InfoCommNet.

  Now that the InfoCommNet is linked to the Galactic Web, Earth can communicate directly with the Great Galactic Council and can also remain in touch with Human colonies, ships and hubs via Gate transmissions. A Galactic Broadcast Review Board screens news items before sending them out, ostensibly to ensure that the considerable energy required for Gate transmission is not being wasted on trivia or information of narrow interest.

  The dominant language on Earth is Anglo, which has evolved into union dialects designated as Ameranglo, Euranglo, etc. There are many other locally spoken languages on the planet, but their number (and the number of people speaking them) has been steadily shrinking over time.

  Sports

  The same sports are being played and broadcast, but under quite different conditions. With gravity field technology, playing fields have become three-dimensional, with gravitational hazards to make the game more extreme and therefore more exciting. Because they risk life and limb, professional athletes are at the top of the Regional Council’s remuneration scale. Eligibles are disqualified from playing high-risk sports, since they cannot remain Eligible if they sustain any permanent injury, and the Relocation Authority needs as many Eligibles available for off-world postings as possible.

  Animal racing, long ago abolished as inhumane, has moved over to the InfoCommNet. Thanks to virtual reality technology, any citizen can watch all sorts of animal life thunder out of the gate — from elephants to centipedes — and bet the smart-fabric shirt off his back on the outcome.

  Economy

  Despite its fascist aspects, there is still room for capitalism on 2399 Earth. Trading between unions is brisk, and entrepreneurship is the most direct route to wealth. In each UD, there are individuals and families who were smart enough or lucky enough in managing their own resources to amass both enormous fortunes and tremendous clout, and who continue to influence business and public affairs.

  Trade unions and labor relations groups have all been abolished. There would have to be tremendous unrest among the employed to resurrect these organizations, and to prevent this from happening, the Regional and District Councils have taken steps to ensure the following: that the average wage is high enough to support a reasonable standard of living with respect to each union’s Gross Productivity; that no one who is willing to work will go hungry; and that talented and ambitious individuals have opportunities to move ahead. There is also an underground economy, consisting of a lively and growing barter network, to enable those who cannot or will not work for the government to survive from day to day. And, of course, there is crime, which is the highest-risk of all enterprises but pays the highest dividends to those who are able to get away with it.

  Hard currency no longer exists, and wealth is generally expressed as credit in an account. There is gambling, but not on the stock market — companies not privately owned are government-owned. Because the productivity and trade balance of each union establishes its standard of living, there are still swings in the economy, but the planetary government exercises tight control to keep these ups and downs within comfortable limits.

  Energy

  The use of fossil fuels to produce electricity has been abolished. Energy farms out in the Heavy Industry Zones harness the power of sun, wind, and water, and channel the resulting energy in the form of electricity to the UDs. Theoretically, power production is a nonprofit enterprise, since the fees collected by the Regional Council for energy delivery are allegedly only to cover the cost of production and the salaries of all the workers on the farms.

  The use of fossil fuels for transportation has been outlawed. The synthetic fuels that power ground vehicles and aircraft do not harm the environment, but they are expensive to manufacture. Citizens who drive are heavily fuel-taxed.

  Waste Management

  Each UD has a Zone on its outskirts where collected garbage is dumped and then processed. Workers are well paid for this type of labor, although most find they cannot take it for more than a year. They must first sort out the recyclable materials and direct them to the appropriate Heavy Industry Zones. Organic waste goes to the Agricultural Zones to be composted and used as fertilizer. Everything else goes into a compacter to be squeezed into small blocks, which are then shipped to a designated airfield. When enough has accumulated to fill a rocket, Earth’s non-reusable garbage is shot directly into the sun.

  A similar process is followed with Human sewage. Once everything possible has been reclaimed from it, it is sterilized, compacted, and sent on a “shit run” into the sun.

  Social and Welfare Issues

  The government’s preoccupation with ensuring the health, education and welfare of its Eligible citizens has led to the demise of the welfare state. To compensate, Ineligibles take care of their own. Street gangs that started out as packs of disaffected young men and women have evolved into large extended pseudo-families. Some are crime families, some are corporate families; and in certain situations, it’s hard to tell the difference between the two.

  As a result, anyone who is homeless doesn’t stay that way for long. Street kids are found and “adopted” and are then put to work to earn their keep. The sick and elderly receive whatever help they need, usually anonymously. Any gang with an abandoned Zone on its turf has plundering rights and will use whatever it finds to take care of its “relatives”. There tends to be one dominant gang in each UD — in New Chicago it’s the Warrior Kings — making the rules and setting the tone for the others to follow.

  A tiny proportion of the population, called “ghosts”, either choose or are forced to live off the grid. Their names do not appear in the database, meaning they have no official status or rights. They have no biowafers or credit accounts and are therefore not entitled to medical care, housing, or legal employment. Such a lifestyle is feasible on a colony world, but not on Earth itself. “Ghosts” on the Human home world tend to be sickly, malnourished, and vulnerable to exploitation by the criminal element.

  IF YOU SPEND SUFFICIENT TIME IN EARTH SPACE, YOU MAY BE PRIVILEGED TO WITNESS HUMANS INTERACTING WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SENTIENT ALIEN RACES IN OUR ARM OF THE GALAXY.

  Stragori (home world, Stragon)

  Identical in appearance to Humans, the Stragori have developed an array of invisible neural implants that can link their senses to a central network, called “the intellinet”. Most of their population have been “optimized” with these implants, which vary according to the nature of each individual’s work. For a soldier, optimization also includes changes to one’s physical body that increase the odds of survival in hostile conditions.

  The Stragori planetary government is called The Directorate. It’s the equivalent of the Earth Relocation Authority, and, just as on Earth, there are Stragori who chafe at being controlled by it. At the turn of the 25th century, there are two factions on Stragon, the moderates and the radicals. Each has a different fate in mind for The Directorate. Despite the fact that organizations such as Earth For Terrans (EFT) have been agitating for several years for the identification and expulsion of every Stragori “spy” on the planet, in this time period the factions are actively attempting to gather support on Earth.

  While it is highly unlikely that you will knowingly engage with one of these beings, it’s wise to be aware of their agenda. Keep in mind that joining any causes during your stay in 2399 C.E. could alter the timelin
e.

  Nandrians (home world, Nandor)

  Reptilian, bipedal, over two meters tall, a cross between King Kong and a T-Rex. Nandrians are traders and explorers, but first and foremost they are warriors, with a strict code of honor. Their society is very ceremonial, and most occasions are scripted. Nandrians love riddles and puzzles and often converse in both, but they also have endless patience for any Human who is willing to try talking with them. Their highest compliment is, “You understand.” They love Earth cuisine, especially macaroni and cheese and colored jelly dessert. Because citric acid becomes an intoxicant in their bloodstream, their government has classified Earth citrus products as drugs and banned their importation or distribution in Nandrian space. In Earth space, Nandrians love to chug-a-lug lemonade. This, together with the fact that Nandrians are quick to anger if they sense any kind of slur on their honor, has resulted in several diplomatic incidents.

  In informal interactions with Humans — and in the absence of citric acid — Nandrians have shown themselves to be fair and honest trading partners. Their size and appearance make them physically intimidating. However, they know a great deal about Humans and are, in fact, friendly. Engage if you wish, but use caution.

  The Nandrians have “civilized” their society in order to win membership on the Great Council. A millennia-long civil war among the 40 Houses on Nandor has been converted into a sport (complete with officials and a scoreboard) and moved into space, thus giving them a peaceful home world. The sport is called tekl’hananni, which means “test of strength” in their language. Humans are forbidden to participate. In fact, it can be dangerous even to observe.

  Corvou (home world, Coravoi)

  An insectoid race of master engineers and builders. About a meter long, not terribly strong but incredibly quick-moving, they show emotion by changing color. Their work can be seen all over the Milky Way. Be advised, however, that they are forbidden by their religion from completing anything they start.

  They believe that the universe is a work in progress, being built by the Mother of All, and it would be an affront to Her if one of Her creations finished anything before She did. When She is finished (every 1000 of their years or so), the Mother of All Corvou (the queen, back on home world) stops laying eggs and dies. While her last batch is incubating, the entire race rushes about, finishing everything they began so that the Mother of All can inspect their work before She destroys the universe and starts over. Then they all die off. If the Mother of All is pleased with their work, one of the incubating eggs will hatch out a queen and the race is reborn.

  It is best not to attempt interaction with a Corvou under any circumstances, because this race is also notoriously hot-tempered. Notice, but do not stare or engage.

  Dimmlesi (new home world, Dimmla)

  This ornithoid race is not spacegoing, since the Dimmlesi eschew all technology. In fact, they are quite reclusive. Their planet’s name means “garden”, and their own means “gardeners”. They live the perfect pastoral lifestyle. Their genius lies in agriculture and the arts, which they combine in many wondrous ways. They managed to poison their original home world by overindustrializing it, so on this new one they have banned all pollution-producing activities.

  About 2 to 2.5 meters tall, the Dimmlesi wear no clothing except for the occasional ceremonial cape. They resemble a race of evolved emus — long-necked, with a hairless head, a muscular torso, and sturdy legs. Feathers march in iridescent rows down a Dimmlesi’s back and along its arms, which end in skeletal, double-thumbed hands. The rest of its body is covered with very soft double-quilled feathers that look and feel like hair. The Dimmlesi are oviparous and mate for life. They can be fierce when protecting their garden world, but the Dimmlesi are otherwise a very gentle and hospitable race.

  Proat (home world, a one-second-long hiss with three glottal clicks at the end)

  A sauroid race, bipedal, with rainbow-colored skin. Communications geniuses (in Standard, anyway), these beings are eloquent and moving speakers with huge vocabularies and an instinctive grasp of psycholinguistics. In demand as advocates and mediators, they are often chosen to represent losing or lost causes. It was the Proat who ran the peace talks following the last Great War. You will not find a Proat on Earth. However, one may be appointed to be your advocate should you be arrested in alien space.

  Reyota (home world, Reyi’it)

  Felid, about two meters tall, with body fur and manes, pointed ears, vertical pupils, and short tails. Telepathic, these beings are scholars, inventors, and thinkers, pursuing knowledge not only for its own sake, but also as a commodity which they can trade. The Reyota are the custodians of the Central Archives, the principal repository of information in this arm of the galaxy. Their planetary economy is primarily based on serving the needs of the steady stream of visiting scholars and researchers who have come to access the Archives. On Reyi’it, everyone is both a teacher and a student. They aren’t spacegoers, particularly, but they have a fleet and keep it maintained.

  The Reyota also have a well-earned reputation for being devious and self-serving. If you find yourself dealing with one of these aliens, it’s best to keep your guard up and take everything you hear with a generous grain of salt. Don’t worry about the privacy of your thoughts. The Reyota can only read the minds of other telepaths.

  Kularians (home world, Kula’as)

  Physically identical to the Reyota, but with retractable fingerclaws that extend at moments of stress or excitement and legs made for running rather than walking, Kularians are a race with telempathic abilities. This means they can not only sense the emotions of others, they can also project emotions into other beings. Kularians are soldiers, explorers, doers, makers. They haven’t been home in 340 Earth years because a Reyot Oracle sent them scattering through the galaxy in a cycle of concealment. Now they’ve interbred with other races and possess an interesting variety of physical and mental characteristics and abilities. Omnivorous, Kularians need only to be able to tear and chew their food. They also like things that crunch.

  Females are taller and more slender than the males, and tend to look slightly more humanoid. Although they are now few in number, pure-blooded adult males bear a striking resemblance to the African lion, while pure-blooded females look more like Siamese cats. In terms of physical strength, the genders are about equal. Because the act of mating creates a permanent telepathic bond between them, this species mates for life. Every living Kularian, whether pure-blooded or a hybrid, is a fraternal twin. Kits in the womb are joined by a secondary umbilical linking their brain stems. The cord dissolves shortly before birth. However, a latent telepathic connection exists between them for the rest of their lives.

  Kularians can tell when you are lying but are too polite to say anything about it. Keep this in mind if you engage in conversation with one of them.

  Thryggians (home world, Thrygg)

  Short and powerfully built, with large, round, hairless heads, the Thryggians are a race devoted to scientific investigation for the sake of increasing their knowledge. They have no apparent interest in applying this knowledge to the betterment of their own or any other living species. Judging from their actions, the Thryggians view the galaxy as a huge laboratory and every planet in it as a petri dish.

  Following a Galactic Tribunal that in 2398 found them guilty of scientific crimes against other races, the entire Thryggian planetary system was imprisoned in a pocket universe as punishment. If you should see a Thryggian at large in 2399, do not engage. Be sure to report the sighting immediately to the authorities. (Important: You must use the shell identity assigned to you by your time travel co-ordinator when interacting with officials in this time period.)

  SHOULD YOU LEAVE EARTH TO VISIT A COLONY OR A HUB, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT STANDARD TIME IS USED IN OFF-WORLD LOCATIONS.

  EARTH TIME VS STANDARD TIME

  When the first spacegoing races made contact long ago, they a
greed on the need for a standard way to measure time out in space. They decided to use the interval between radiation pulses of a collapsed star located approximately 300 billion kilopaces from the center of the galaxy as the standard second. Thus began the Galactic Common Era (G.C.E.). Year 1 of the G.C.E. coincided with the year 6660 B.C.E. on Earth.

  Standard time was adopted by all the spacegoing races to measure the duration of starship voyages. It is also used by Humans aboard ships or hubs:

  64 standard seconds = 1 standard minute

  64 standard minutes = 1 standard hour

  24 standard hours = 1 standard day

  8 standard days = 1 standard interval

  48 standard intervals = 1 standard year

  Each standard second is equivalent to 1.25 Earth seconds. This means that:

  1 standard minute = 80 Earth seconds

  1 standard hour = 85.3 Earth minutes

  1 standard day = 34 Earth hours

  1 standard interval = 11.37 Earth days

  1 standard year = 545.76 Earth days or 1.49 Earth years

  Earth year 2399 C.E. corresponds to approximately 6040 G.C.E.

  — «» —

  WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO EARTH YEAR 2399 C.E.!

  — «» —

  JOIN US IN 2400 C.E., IN BOOK 4: THE GENOME RALLY

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