TSN: Epiphany (Terran Space Navy)

by Paul Phipps

“What do you make of Admiral Webster’s statement about a world dedicated to Islam alone?”

  “On the surface, I am gratified that Islam and Allah are so important to merit a world for believers only. But the situation must be studied. His statement that all must go or none may go is troubling. Islam must be present on all of these worlds” The Imam stated.

  “The Admiral was most firm when he said that this was a non-negotiable point.” Mr. Davis continued.

  “The followers of Islam number almost two billion now. We will not be denied our destiny.” The Imam stated in a firm voice of his own.

  “And how will you make the Admiral come to your point of view?” Mr. Davis pressed.

  “I do not know right now, but rest assured Allah will show the way to us.” The Imam said with confidence.

  * * *

  Washington D.C. White House. 2130 EST, Tuesday November 10, 2026

  President Richardson and his wife have settled down in the parlor of the family quarters in the White House.

  “William did you know how big that Flying Saucer was going to be?” President Richardson’s wife Anne asked.

  “No Dear, I didn’t. I was surprised that it was so big. And the Air Force is saying that larger vessel that the Black Captain, Captain Susannah I believe her name was, is the commanding Officer of is Ten Miles across at the Base and Seven Miles high. These people don’t believe in doing things small.”

  “So what sort of ‘Working Arrangement’ do they want with us?” She pressed further.

  “Actually it’s pretty simple on the surface. They want us to help them recruit people that are good enough to meet their requirements. And in return they will build Navy ships for us if we are satisfied with the one that they already built and the Navy is now checking out for suitability.”

  “That’s all?” she said in surprise.

  “At the moment? Yeah. Sure there is going to be a lot more interaction once they actually start this colonization effort they are talking about. That is going to take many years, possibly decades to get everything organized.”

  “Did you know about that bit, about a whole world for the Islamic’s only?” She asked as she sat down in a recliner and sipped a sherry.

  “No I didn’t, it never came up when we discussed this stuff on Sunday. But it does make sense when you look at it from a certain angle. The followers of that religion have been a thorn in the side to every country and civilization for over a thousand years. And they have only gotten worse since the acquired so much oil wealth and the economic clout that goes with it.

  I don’t know it for a fact, but I would believe it if the reason was to isolate them from the rest of humanity. We could use a break from their particular brand of fanaticism.” The President said thoughtfully to his wife.

  “Why are you moving so fast, if you only met for the first time on Sunday?” She asked candidly.

  “Why? Well Let’s see… Fleet Admiral Webster arranged things so that we couldn’t deny or cover the knowledge that the Terran Space Navy existed. He even made sure that we had over 13,000 Navy people that had photographic and physical evidence in the form of that Carrier. Epiphany…. A very apt name considering.”

  “I see, is he an honorable man? Will he keep to his agreements?” The First lady inquired with a lifting of a perfect eyebrow.

  “Yes, he can afford to be honorable. He owes nothing to anyone. And he has no taxpayers or voters to keep happy. As for his agreements….. It appears he has the means to enforce them from his side. It’s us who will have to ensure that we agree to only things we can deliver. And promise nothing further than that.”

  “Will he leave us alone if the Congress decides to reject your two bills?”

  “Yes, totally. What I am afraid of is that he will then bypass us and go to the people directly. Then we have no skin in the game at all.” The President said quietly.

  “Would the congress pass a bill making that illegal?”

  “They could, but I would veto it. That’s the sort of crap that the President-for-Life pulled. And the New Constitution put major limits on the power of the Federal Government if you remember. The only power we have now is to protect the United States from all enemies Foreign and Domestic, and to be the central authority when it comes to dealing with Foreign Nations.

  Everything else was taken away; the states handle all of the social stuff now. We even have to justify trying to regulate commerce between the states.” The president said with some feeling.

  “Dear, I seem to recall you bitterly complaining that the Federal Government and the President-for-Life had ‘Way to damn much power’ only a few years ago.” She said mildly but with flashing eyes.

  “True… True I did. I still do think that. In some ways this job just sucks you right in and makes you desire more power because you feel like everyone is always getting in your way. You know the old ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ thing.” The President said moodily as he sipped his Ginger Ale. (He refused to drink alcohol anymore as he was afraid it would affect his judgment at a crucial time.)

  “Be glad that there are hard limits on your office now. You would be asked to fix everyone’s problems and there we would be in the same situation that led to the ‘President-for-Life’.” She said to him with some heat.

  “Yes dear, I know you are right.’ He then laughed as he changed the subject, “Did you see Ambassador Wallace’s eyes bug out?”

  She laughed too, “Yes I did. He’s a pro though; he was ready for you and Admiral Webster when he finally had a chance to talk to the Admiral.”

  “He’s a good ambassador and a good man too. Maybe we should invite him and his family over again next week for a quiet family dinner?”

  “I’ll take care of it for you. What day?” She told him.

  “How about this Sunday?” President Richardson said.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  TSN/USN Epiphany – Wednesday 0530L November 11, 2026

  Ansel is in the crew exercise room lifting weights at one of the two Universal Gyms. BM3 ‘Pudge’ Schlesinger is coming in to do his morning exercises before breakfast. He sees Ansel doing Reps on the bench press and stops and stares at what he sees.

  “Uh, Space Cadet, I mean Commander Webster, when did you start pressing 350 pounds?”

  “Howdy, Pudge, in here it’s Ansel or Space Cadet, I don’t care which. And since yesterday, pretty neat huh?” Ansel said between repetitions.

  “Yeah pretty neat, but freaky man. How come you can do that now and you could barely press 120 a couple of weeks ago?” Schlesinger asked with awe and a little worry in his voice.

  “Well it’s pretty simple really, ever since I got tapped to basically be the Captain of this here floating hotel by Epiphany herself. I’ve been learning as much as I can about as many things as I can. Also I’ve been getting the basic TSN medical treatments. All recruits to the TSN get these. Yesterday I got a basic strength treatment.” Ansel puffed out as he kept pumping away.

  “So anyone who joins the TSN gets these medical treatments?” Schlesinger asked curiously.

  “Yep.”

  “So how does someone join up?”

  “We’re still working on the details. But what Admiral Webster thinks would be best is for someone to have completed a full tour in the Navy and have been on a ship and at sea for a good portion of his tour. If the prospective recruit is married then their spouse and minor children also need to meet certain requirements.” Ansel said having stopped his exercise and was sitting on the edge of the bench.

  “Is that all?”

  “No, not at all. There are also a bunch of things that need to be disclosed to the prospective recruit. Joining the TSN is not for the faint-hearted. For one thing there is the initial enlistment period. Then there is the issue that all recruits are enlisted. There will be no Academy for churning out Officers. Those ranks are earned and bestowed only by the Primary Ship AI.” Ansel said seriously.

&nbs
p; “Ok, how long is the initial enlistment?”

  “That would be 500 years.” Ansel said calmly.

  BM3 Schlesinger stared at him incredulously, then shook his head and stuck a finger in his right ear and made cleansing motions. “I’ve got to go see the Doc I would have sworn that you just said 500 years.”

  “Yes, I believe I did.” Ansel said, then a little louder,” Epiphany, please tell Pudge here what the initial enlistment period is for in the Terran Space Navy.”

  “Certainly Ansel, Petty Officer Schlesinger the initial enlistment period for a recruit in the Terran Space Navy is 500 years.” Epiphany replied matter-of-factly.

  Ariadne/Private Comm Mode: “You’re having fun doing this to him aren’t you?”

  Ansel/Private Comm Mode: “Yes I am, Pudge here is really a very stable person and I am enjoying this. Let’s see where he takes the conversation.”

  “500 years for an initial enlistment. I see….. So what would an average career be?” He said humorously.

  “I believe that the estimate is 2500 years, is that about right Epiphany?” Ansel asked her.

  “I remember that was the average length of a career that we had figured on. That would be about half of the life span of the Average Human Member of the TSN.“ She answered back seriously.

  “Yep, definitely need to go see the Doc. My hearing is pretty scrambled I see. But if I did hear you right then after these medical treatments that all member of the TSN get the average Life span is 5,000 years. Is that what I think I just heard?” Pudge said incredulously.

  “Well yes, that is the average, it could be a short as 3,000 and as long as 9,000 years. There’s not really a lot of data to go on there. We’ll probably know for sure in about 30,000 years or so.” Ansel said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  “Alright that’s pretty damn tempting. But anything that good has to have some major negatives. Can you tell me what they are?” He said in interest.

  “Negatives? Yeah, there are a few of them. One of them is that you become an exile from Earth, all of them. The abilities and forces you will have to work with and partially control will ensure that. When each and every ship down to a Starfighter or Scout carries or has the capability of fabricating Weapons that could blow a planet apart. You need to have self-control, total dedication and know deep down inside that your sacrifice to duty is all that keeps the rest of humanity safe and oblivious so that it can find its way into the future and its own destiny.

  And speaking of destiny, it’s also our hope that each Earth that gets colonized will be unique in several thousand years. It’s going to be exciting to watch, but sad also in that we can’t really become a part of it.”

  Petty Officer Schlesinger was quiet for a bit, obviously think about what he was being told. “What about having a family? Will that be allowed in the TSN?”

  “Families are encouraged Pudge. You’ll find that most of the ships are designed around having family groups on board. Then there are the Cities, they are empty right now. But one day they will hold several million Humans each and there are nearly twenty now. I think it is in the plan for building another type of civilization for humans and the A.I.’s to coexist and thrive together.”

  “That brings up another question I’ve had bouncing around inside for a bit and I know Harriet has had similar thoughts too.” He started out slowly but finished in a hurry as though if he didn’t say it now he might not say it at all.

  “Go ahead, we’re alone now other than Epiphany who is always here, wherever here is. Speak your mind.” Ansel said soothingly.

  “We all know now that the Epiphany has an A.I. intelligence that basically can run the whole ship. But how did she pick you as her Captain and how is it that you seem to have known her for years. It doesn’t make sense to me or anyone else that I’ve talked to about it.”

  Ansel/Private Comm Mode: “Now is as good a time to make yourself known in person Love.”

  Ariadne/Private Comm Mode: “Ok, I’ll be right there. I’m looking forward to this.”

  “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable Pudge.” Ansel said indicated a folding chair nearby, “Epiphany… Well let’s see… The Ship is named Epiphany and her Command AI’s public name is the same. But her real name is Ariadne, and I’ve known her my whole life. She and I grew up together, we lived on nearby farms and we spent vacations and long weekends on her Mother’s Ship. Her Mother is Seeker you see, and her Father, Fleet Admiral Webster is my Great Uncle.”

  “Ok, blown synapse time now. Mother, Father, grew up together. I thought that A.I. meant Artificial Intelligence. So how could she have grown up?” He said in confusion.

  “A.I. is a lousy term really, but it’s all that the English Language currently has available for use in this context. A better term might be Silicon Based Life form? Naahh, we don’t use silicon exclusively… Well, someday we will come up with a better term. But getting back to Ariadne, She grew up using Body-Sims just like her mom used one to be my Aunt Sarah. It’s just a shell they can wear when they want to, just like the ship around us or like one of the full-fledged TSN Vessels like Lucky or Susannah or even Victory.

  Ariadne would just go from Body-Sim to Body-Sim whenever she needed a growth spurt. And growing up with Humans and dealing with them on a personal basis has helped her tremendously in dealing with the Navy crew that’s here on board now.”

  “I think I can grasp that and I see that she knew you from when you were a kid. But how come you didn’t recognize any of this stuff before we got on board here? And why did she pick you? I mean, Yeah she knew you, But I know a bunch of people too. Why you?” Schlesinger pushed.

  “First question, How come I didn’t recognize the Lucky or any of the TSN stuff? Short answer is that those memories were buried under some well-crafted false memories that were put there to protect me as a kid and to let me grow up normal after I thought my Uncle Carl and his whole family died.

  Second Question, Why did she pick me? I can tell you but I need your word of honor that this goes no further than you. If Harriet pushes and wants to know send her to me and I’ll tell her myself.” Ansel said firmly.

  “Word of Honor, Hmmm.” He thought for a bit and Ansel just stayed quiet waiting for him to make up his mind. “I can do that, I give you my word of honor that I will repeat this to no one else unless you give me permission to.”

  “Thank you, Pudge.” Ansel said with feeling, “Why did she pick me? It’s because we are Mind-Mates. That’s a bit like being a soul-mate between Humans. The effect of it is that we literally fit together like a Lock and a Key. The consequences of the Mind-Mate bond are many, the biggest one is that we will eventually be able to have ‘Children’ of our own.”

  “Children? You mean like her Mom and Admiral Webster… OOHH I get it. They have a Mind-Mate Bond too.”

  “That’s right, a Mind-Mate Bond is the only way to create a totally ‘new’ AI. Most of the other AI’s you might encounter are a ‘subset’ of a Primary A.I. or sub-minds if you will or the result of an engram recording of a human being. That’s how Seeker came to be an A.I.”

  While the two men were talking quietly in the exercise room a young woman in black form fitting coverall uniform similar to Ansel’s TSN styled uniform came in the room and walked over to Ansel and came up behind him and knelt down and gave him a tight hug, then kissed his cheek.

  “Ariadne, I’d like you to meet my friend Charles Schlesinger. Charles this is my Mind-Mate Ariadne and also the guiding A.I. of this wonderful ship.” Ansel said with pride and feeling.

  After the two had exchanged handshakes and assorted pleasantries. Petty Officer Schlesinger leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling then brought his attention back to Ansel and Ariadne.

  “This is going down in my Diary, if I had a Diary, as one of the strangest and yet most wonderful days in my life. Damn if things around here aren’t enough to doubt your sanity at least once a day.” He said bemusedly.

  “Yeah, I know how th
at goes. Enjoy it while you can. Now go get your exercise in and if you want to, bring Harriet and yourself to my Cabin this evening for Dinner. I think we will have a lot to talk about.”

  Then Ansel and Ariadne left to go to the Captain’s Cabin.

  Tehran, Iranian United Republic, 1530L, Wednesday November 11, 2026

  The President of the Iranian United Republic has entered the office of the Grand Ayatollah Tariq Al-Quds chief Imam of the IUR Council of Mullahs. The Council is the religious rulers of the republic whereas the President is the elected secular leader of the republic. All of the citizens of the IUR know that the Council actually rules and the President does as he is told to do. It has been that way for several decades now. And the Mullahs intend on keeping it that way.