Trappist-1_The Tree of Life

by Todd Fries

  For what other major power would even consider the will of the Christian God in any decision involving something as powerful as SM1? Certainly not the Russians. Not the Chinese. Even the European countries were a basket of socialist ideals with very little attachment to religion. Church attendance in the EU was way down and most of the younger generation never worshipped on a regular basis. The United States was the last “hold-out” for the Word of God, so it made sense that the ark was nestled safely in the heart of this nation.

  If this was to succeed, the decisions had to be made with the “Builder” in mind. It couldn’t be used as a new weapons platform or spy plane. Even raw astronomical research might have to take a backseat to moving people and materials to a new home on a new world. Perhaps the fall of Christianity was imminent here. Was God about to preserve a remnant for himself to start anew? These were the questions being considered within the pages of this report and the mere fact that the idea of a god would be considered by science was a major victory in itself. His eyes ached from reading the tiny print and he set the book aside.

  He stared out into the cafeteria and pondered his situation. He recently submitted a formal request to work beyond the mandatory retirement age of 62, but had little hope of reprieve. His only wish was that his status as a non-person and his deep links to this project might leverage enough support to bend the rules in his favor. Perhaps he could look forward to one or two more years, but if not, he could rest knowing that he accomplished much since his early days in the program.

  When Nickolas Roshenko went to the Moon in 1975, he had no idea who he was and never met him until years later. He wasn’t privy to the details of that mission. He was simply tasked to track their spaceship as it circled the Moon. It seemed like yesterday. Could 40 plus years have passed so quickly? In a blink of an eye he was a young man, eager to advance his career and in the next, an old man, sitting in a cafeteria and wondering at a life almost spent. It was too much to believe.

  Yet when he tied it all together, it seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time and just like Nickolas, seemed tied to this whole project since the beginning. Perhaps God’s plan for him was to be in a position of power, to make the decisions required to fulfill the commission of this vessel and if so, the Lord was a patient and well planned strategist. And the rewards for his efforts? Kathi Fried.

  It has been a world-wind romance and in a few days he would be married to the love of his life. Who would have thought that after so many years of being alone, he could find such a wonderful companion and friend. During the past few months they’d been able to spend a lot of time together and it became apparent that their love for each other was mutual. And so mustering his courage, he asked her to be his wife and in just a matter of days, his dreams would come true.

  He had selected a beautiful ring with a princess cut diamond and small ruby’s on the side. His own ring would be a solid gold band, simple and understated. He didn’t need a fancy piece of jewelry, but only a symbol of his unending love and devotion, serving as a reminder to him and him alone. For just as he put his faith in the military establishment, he now put his faith in the love of a woman whom he never deserved. To think she had selected him out of all the other men in the world was beyond his wildest dreams, and he knew that he’d always protect, cherish and love her until the day he died.

  It made him smile just to think about it and when he looked back at the huge stack of papers in front of him, his smile faded as he returned his attention to the task at hand. There was much to review and even more to discuss. The next few weeks would be critical to determining the best course of action. The ship was waiting and ready and so was he.

  THE BRIDE

  As Kathi wandered into the mall, she examined a white wedding gown in the window of a local shop. Upon seeing her reflection, she hesitated and using her hands, stretched the skin across her face as she tried to iron out the wrinkles around her eyes. How he could love this ugly face of hers. This was beyond reason. She appeared to be an old lady when compared to the young models in the photos, wearing beautiful gowns and happy smiles.

  She reassured herself that Samuel was just as old, but men like him were considered dashing and attractive in their advanced years while women were generally viewed as old hags with no link to their youthful past. She hoped he saw more in her that she did in herself. For low self-esteem was definitely a woman’s affliction and society had much to do with propagating that feeling. Even the photos in the window were a message of youth and vigor and she longed to emulate those people in the images.

  Hannah Saunders had been helping her shop for a gown and doing many of the chores required of a “Maid of Honor” and while she appreciated the help, this one task she reserved for herself. She would select her own wedding gown. When she walked down that aisle, his eyes would tell her everything, so the dress was important and was also a means of shaking this feeling of dread which haunted her every mood.

  It wasn’t that she had any doubts. She loved him. This was certain and while she would have been perfectly happy eloping and then disappearing into the “vacation zone”, it was important to him to share the moment with his friends and she couldn’t argue with his reasoning. It was just as much his wedding as hers, but he had the advantage of acquaintances that he’d known for decades, while she had nobody except for the people she met in the last few months.

  All of her family and friends thought she was dead. Her tombstone sat in Arlington Cemetery and she could never return to her old life. Like the General, Major Brooks, Nickolas and Hannah, she was a non-person. A shadowy image of her former self, who no longer had ties to her past. It was a difficult decision to make, but she couldn’t stay here with him unless she gave up everything, including every friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor and even her career.

  In fact, her whole career path had been based on not being alone. She was terrified of being lonely and so she chose the life of a ship’s doctor, sailing on floating cities that never slept, listening to the constant sounds of voices and machinery and never having a moment to herself. Since coming here, she’d hardly seen the General and the promise of a dog was still forthcoming. The silence and the solitude of her apartment was taking its toll.

  When she wasn’t with him she felt empty and anxious. So much of her life was tied to her past and without it, she felt a sense of loss that penetrated deep into her soul. She had no high school yearbooks or old photos. All of her letters and cards, mementos and memories were gone. Her bank accounts and savings distributed to her living relatives and nothing remained except for this wrinkled face.

  She moved in closer and gazed at her reflection. She smiled and in that instant looked young again and she understood the deep love she had for Samuel and how much she had given up to be with him. For who could drop everything and follow someone, never to return. She remembered a story that Nickolas related to her about the apostles and how they walked away from their lives and never looked back. In the book of Mathew, it said:

  “As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the seas; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.”

  Deep down; she understood. They’d all given up friends, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters to be part of something much larger. Now she was giving herself to one man and would soon be married. They’d no longer be two people, but one flesh. It was hard to process and yet as she watched the crowds reflected in the window, and followed them as they scurried about their daily routines, she couldn’t help but wonder at the marvelous complexity of everyday life on the base.

  People w
ere working, living, dying, marrying and the only limitation was related to children. Children weren’t allowed on the base and anyone who was considered a “lifer” had to be sterilized immediately. Because of her age, she was exempt from surgery as she was well past her child bearing years. But for the younger ones, they had no choice. It wouldn’t do to have children born to people considered “dead” in the real world. Also, there weren’t any facilities to support the raising and education of children in this super-secret environment, cut off from the rest of the world.

  Area 51 was an island onto itself with its own rules and laws and nobody was above them. This is why the “lifers” were separated from the contractors who flew back and forth from Las Vegas on Janet airlines to work on various government projects, including new stealth technology and a host of missile programs. The Federal government had a lot of time and money invested in the development of military technology for offensive and defensive weapons.

  Strength was paramount to national security, and the secrecy of the base was just as much about protecting proprietary technology as it was about putting other nations on notice. Many countries might think twice before engaging the United States in battle, knowing that the US was capable of developing unique weaponry that could put them at a distinct disadvantage.

  She remembered when the stealth fighters were unleashed in the first gulf war in 1991. Who could forget the dismay of the enemy when they were bombed without warning, being unable to shoot down enemy aircraft using radar guided systems. The Iraqis understood these planes had been developed at Area 51 and since that time, the US always kept the fear of it in their back pocket. It was just one of many deterrents to foreign military aggression.

  When talking with Samuel, he was increasingly concerned about the military getting their hands on SM1. He was reviewing a major report, which covered recommendations for the best ways to utilize this one-of-a-kind aircraft and the competition was fierce. Everyone wanted to get their hands on it and because of that, the government asked everyone involved to write a justification, which was submitted to the General for analysis. She didn’t envy him in that role.

  He spent long days at work and then read well into the evening, taking notes and writing summaries based on data supplied by the committees. It was up to him to propose a final recommendation and he wasn’t looking forward to it. In the end, only one or two might get what they wanted, but the rest would kick and scream for another chance to prove their case. It would be a never ending battle for time and resources and he’d be stuck in the middle.

  She knew that privately, Samuel wanted to send a team back to Proxima b to finish the work started by Nickolas Roshenko. It would be a first step in colonizing a distant world. If the military got hold of it, they would waste this precious jewel on meaningless spy missions, bombing sorties or maybe commandeer it as a space based weapons platform. This is why Nickolas stole SM1 in the first place, to keep it out of the hands of the military and engineering establishment. He understood that if the engineers got their way, they might destroy it in their haste to understand how it worked, so it seemed to him that only one choice made sense. Take it back into space.

  After all, this is where SM1 was born and this is where she belonged. Navigating that vast reaches of time and space, performing wonders beyond imagination. But even if he got his way, there were a long list of possible missions, including trips to Europa and Titan as science continued its search for life. Kathi pursed her lips. From her own perspective and being involved with the Navy for so many years, she understood the self-destructive power of man.

  If humans were unable to harness that aggression, there’d be little hope for anyone, so in her opinion, finding a second home was a priority above all else. If the General asked her, she wouldn’t hold back from expressing her belief that transplanting humans to a new world should be the ultimate goal. The long term future of any civilization depended on spreading out and conquering new territory.

  Even if one looked at pre-historic tribes or other ancient societies, spreading out protected them from disease, hunger and war. If one group became sick, they were less likely to infect another if separated by enough time and distance. So it made sense to consider colonization, given the fact that this world was becoming smaller and smaller. Not literally of course, but with the speed of travel, dense population centers were literally hours from each other. All that was needed was one highly contagious outbreak to wipe out vast swaths of human life.

  This was more than enough reason to put the search for life on hold. In fact, they might kill two birds with one stone if they visit Proxima b. In the process of setting up a new home, they might come across new and different life forms that have evolved within a completely different set of circumstances, and who knows what wonders they might reveal. The universe was one vast and unending expanse of exploration, just waiting for the dawn of a new space-faring species, eager to understand the deep pockets of the cosmos.

  She only wished she could go and as she pulled at the wrinkles in her skin, she returned her gaze to the beautiful dress in the window. It was such a wonderful piece of craftsmanship and as she traced her fingers along the glass, following the gentle undulations of the fabric, she decided to purchase the garment. For the bridegroom was coming and she wanted to be ready. She remembered a passage from Mark.

  “And Jesus said unto them, Can the friends of the bridegroom fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”

  She had waited a lifetime for this day and nothing was going to come between them anymore. As she settled into the dress, she knew it to be true. This wedding was going to be everything she had dreamed of since she was a little girl and as she turned to look at herself in the mirror, she felt young again, just like the models in the photos. This was going to be a happy day.

  THE DESERT

  Caleb Brooks stood dripping in sweat. He had just finished with his morning jog and breaking open a bottle of water, he downed it in seconds. He didn’t enjoy running on a treadmill, preferring the quiet of the desert before the sun rose too high in the sky. In the evening, the desert might drop into the 30’s or 40’s, but by mid-morning could be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so getting an early start was critical to avoiding heat stroke.

  The nice thing about the desert is that it almost never rained. He would rise to a crimson sky, beckoning the Sun to peek over the hills, spilling its light onto the virgin terrain as it burst forth in glorious radiance, and when it did, he felt that first touch of warmth against his skin. At first it helped him to shake off the evening chill, but soon the rays served to urge him forward as the heat became too intense to run. By the time he completed his trek, he’d be drenched in sweat and so this cool bottle of water was blessing beyond compare.

  For him, it had been one deployment after another. But in between each new assignment, he always found time to unwind. They had a surf-machine in the vacation zone and he received special permission to ride the waves, reliving the days of his youth as a surf enthusiast. Those memories seemed so distant now that it could have been another life, in another place and time. In fact, he felt like he had lived many lifetimes and each was special in its own way. His carefree days as a “beach-bum”, his time at the academy before serving his country in the Gulf War, and then the day his engine failed and he was forced to bail out, deep inside enemy territory.

  When he ran in the desert each morning, he couldn’t help but remember those days when he was lost and alone, looking for friendly lines. There wasn’t a nice cool bottle of water waiting for him at the end of each trek and as he wandered the vast stretches of sand, he understood his life hung in the balance. If he was captured, he could be tortured or killed and if nobody ever found him, he’d die of exposure in the heat of the day or the cold of night.

  It was dumb luck that he happened upon a secret military base, watching as an Aurora spy-plane landed and re-fueled
on its journey to somewhere in the world. It was beyond anything he could imagine and as he observed it taking-off, he could still remember the pulse of its engine, crushing his chest as it lifted into the sky at incredible speed.

  General Reynolds was his savior. He was the one who pulled him out of that desert and into a world of subterfuge and intrigue. If he hadn’t crashed, he never would have flown the Aurora himself, taking it to the very edge of space and while he gave up everything to be part of this team, he never forgot his roots as a young athlete, conquering the wind and water on a sandy beach, on a world so far away.

  It seemed his life was tied to open landscapes. The sand and sky, the ocean and space. His trip to the Moon was the ultimate adventure, where he once again found himself alone among people he barely knew. He was intimate with their capabilities and skills, but didn’t really know them as people. This was something that had been foreign to him until recently. It took the death of one of his crew to finally start breaking down his self-imposed wall of self-reliance and through it all, he understood how barren and empty was his own existence.

  He was an emotionless monster, who didn’t need anyone or anything. At least that’s how people perceived him. In his capacity as commander, he had to distance himself from his subordinates, but maybe that’s where he went wrong? Was he really superior to them and even if his military training put him in a position of power, did he have the right to run his team like a dictatorship? By and large, he was no longer dealing with military people, but civilians and scientists.

  It was easy to forget. They didn’t have combat or other operational training. He expected his orders to be carried out, but this group didn’t fit into that mold at all. While Hannah Saunders was Navy, she was a cryptologist, whose main objective was to translate enemy communications and to feed that information to her superiors. Nickolas Roshenko was an archaeologist and a pilot and Jin Lei was a metallurgist. Each one as independent as the next and it has been his job to get them to work together in harmony.