The First Ones There

by Steven Wolff

  “They almost look like… Terminators!” Josh says with concern.

  Howard bends down and inspects closer, “It’s some kind of metal that’s lightweight, but fused with fiber optics? Jenkins, take a look… what do you think?”

  “You’re right. It is lightweight… almost like titanium. I can see what appears to be fiber optic wiring.”

  “See! I told you – Terminators!” Josh warns.

  “These aren’t terminators… Show a little respect for the dead here, even if they aren’t human.”

  “I am showing respect – and a not wanting to be one of these dead things by whatever killed them.”

  “Relax, they’re not zombies… they’re not going to come to life.”

  “Howard, come take a look.” Jenkins says with intrigue.

  “What is it?” He asks.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Inside the alien ship

  Josh answers, “It looks like some kind of pod.”

  “Like a cryostasis pod?” Howard asks.

  “It must be.” Josh says while wiping the thick dust from the window. All three of them jump back – startled from what they see.

  “Is that?” Josh asks.

  “A face? Yes, I saw it too.” Howard says trembling in his voice.

  “It looked… humanoid.” Jenkins adds, cautiously moving towards it.

  “What are you doing?” Josh asks out of concern.

  “I’m getting a closer look. It’s not going to bite.”

  “How do you know?” Josh asks.

  “It doesn’t look intimidating. It’s sculpted to be warm and welcoming.”

  “Sculpted?” Howard asks, “You mean… someone built it?”

  “It has some humanistic features and some gadgets I don’t recognize, but for the most part it has two eyes, a nose, mouth, and two ears.” Jenkins says not breaking eye contact with the being.

  “Maybe we should try to wake it up.” Howard suggests.

  “Are you nuts?” Josh says in protest, “We don’t know if that thing is a hostile killing machine.”

  “Okay, what would Picard do?”

  “That’s not fair!”

  “Why not?” Howard asks, “Are we not making first contact with an alien race?”

  “If you want to call that thing… alien.”

  “Alien, machine – does it matter?”

  Jenkins joins into the conversation, “I say we do it. Try to find a way to get it to wake up. We’ve traveled all this way from Earth, landed on an asteroid and now have the opportunity to make first contact. Why stop now?”

  “She’s got a point, you know.” Howard adds.

  Jenkins continues, “Let’s not let April, Chantal’s, Tank’s and Edward’s sacrifices all be in vein. They died to get us here… we owe it to them to at least try.”

  Josh pauses for a moment and looks around the room, before looking down and then back at Jenkins.

  “You’re right. We’ve come so far – exposed ourselves to who knows what. If we’re going to die, might as well go out in style.”

  “Dude, you’re so dramatic.” Howard says.

  “And you’re so boring! Lighten up buddy. Live a little! You’re always so uptight.”

  Jenkins chimes in, “He’s right you know.”

  “Hey now… no teaming up on me.” Howard orders.

  She looks around the pod and starts pressing anything that looks like a button or an on/off switch. Without warning, the pod begins to hum and a glowing neo-blue light turns on inside the pod. It begins to tilt at an angle, almost straight up and down as a fog-like mist flows through the pod.

  “You did something to it…” Josh says with his eyes wide open.

  “Hopefully they won’t be angry when they wake up.”

  Air escaping is heard leaving the pod as the transparent door opens all the way.

  “Dude, this is just like when Dracula comes out of his coffin!”

  “Not now!” Howard whispers loudly.

  Everyone anxiously waits to see what happens next, but nothing happens.

  “Check its pulse.” Josh suggests.

  Howard protests, “I’m not going to check its pulse. It’s a machine for crying out loud.”

  “Do I have to do everything?” Jenkins says walking towards it. She pauses in front of it and waits a moment, reflecting on what to do next. Looking at the creature, it is neither male, nor female – but humanoid in design. She reaches her hand down and touches its fingers, feeling the texture and for warmth.

  “How does it feel?” Howard asks.

  “The skin feels very life-like, but it’s cool instead of warm.”

  “Does it have a pulse?” Josh asks.

  “Hold on, let me check.”

  Jenkins puts her three fingers on its wrist and tries to feel for a heartbeat but can’t.

  “Nothing.”

  “Feel the chest. See if there’s anything beating in there.” Josh suggests.

  Jenkins cautiously places her hand upon its chest and leaves it there, seeing if she can feel any signs of life, but doesn’t. She looks away for a moment and when she looks back, the creature’s eyes are staring back at her – causing her to yelp while drawing back in fear.

  It starts to speak, but the language is unrecognizable.

  “Man, I wish Edward was here.” Josh says aloud.

  “I don’t think Edward would be able to speak whatever this alien is speaking…”

  The creature looks down and taps its fingers on a pod control panel. Suddenly a holographic computer screen appears in front of the pod, floating in the air. An unrecognizable language is being displayed, scrolling through several thousand different languages and sounds.

  “What’s it doing?” Josh asks.

  “I think… it’s using a program that’s trying to adapt to our own language.”

  A disembodied computer voice speaks, “Shalom, Hola, Bonjour, Marhaba, Zdrahvdz-vuee-tyeh, Hallo, Kon'nichiwa, Hej, Ciao, Salut, Hello…”

  “Hello!!!” Everyone says together at the same time.

  The hologram screen flashes and disappears.

  “Are you able to understand me?” The creature asks.

  “Yes, loud and clear! Do you understand us?” Howard asks.

  “Through this universal language program I am able to comprehend and follow along.” It says.

  “Great!” Josh says, looking at Howard and Jenkins for what to do next.

  “Are you my rescue?”

  Everyone is at a loss for words.

  “Uh, sure. Right Howard?” Josh asks.

  “Of course. Well, kinda…”

  Everyone looks at Howard, who’s struggling.

  “Not really…”

  “Then why are you here?” It asks.

  “Wow. Tough questions...” Josh says rubbing the back of his neck.

  “To be honest, we didn’t expect to find any survivors on board. This was supposed to be a salvage operation. We land on the asteroid to take what we can carry and head back to Earth… to see if it can better our lives.”

  “Do you have warp drive capabilities?”

  “Um, no? Not really.”

  “Can you create time holes?”

  “What’s that?” Josh asks.

  “It’s a quantum opening that allows anyone to go forwards or backwards in the space-time continuum. Our scientists use it to study the progression or regression of things – throughout all the galaxies and dimensions. We can watch the birth or the collapse of what you call the big bang, or a star, or the evolution or extinction of a species.”

  “Whoa.” Howard says in awe.

  It continues, “Have you gone past your galaxy?”

  “We’ve barely been to the planet Mars.” Howard answers kinda ashamed.

  “I’m afraid we shouldn’t be talking. I must cease all communications with you. I’ve already told you too much.”

  “Wait, wait, wait, hold up!” Josh pleads.

  “Why?” Howard asks,
“Why can’t you talk to us?”

  “Because I’m from your distant future. I’ve already told you too much.”

  “How distant?” Jenkins asks.

  “We stopped using Mayan calendar’s several thousand years after what you would call the year 2716.”

  Jenkins jaw slackens, “Holy Cow!”

  “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Josh asks.

  “I guess since you’re still a primitive race, anything I tell you isn’t going to change the future too much. You may ask away…”

  “What are you?”

  “I am a human.”

  “But you don’t look human.” Howard adds.

  “That’s because in the future, we were able to leave our flesh bodies and download our consciousness into more efficient machines. I believe in your time period, you would call me an android or a robot.”

  “That’s crazy!” Josh says, putting both hands on his head.

  “After the technological singularity, the option to become immortal was the next step in human evolution.”

  Jenkins interrupts, “Technological singularity?”

  “That’s when artificial superintelligence triggers a runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization. Being able to download your consciousness is an example of that change.”

  “Artificial superintelligence… wow, I can’t even imagine what that is like. We are still struggling with our dumb A.I.”

  “The ASI unlocked so many of life’s mysteries that mankind struggled to keep up, so mankind trusted the ASI to help humans evolve into bodies that are more efficient, stronger and capable of adapting to extreme environments.”

  “Don’t tell me, that’s when Skynet was born.” Josh says sarcastically.

  Jenkins interrupts, “When I came up and pressed on your chest… did you feel it?”

  “I felt a lot of things. Your temperature, you pulse, the oils on your hand, the exact pressure you placed, the various things you touched – based on the carbon residue on your fingers, the hormones you’re excreting from what you would call love or infatuation…”

  Jenkins face turns bright red, as she looks down to avoid eye contact.

  “Wait, Jenkins is in love with one of us?” Howard asks.

  “I am not…” She adds in protest.

  The creature smiles, “Her hormones levels just elevated at the sound of your voice.”

  “How can you tell?” Josh wonders.

  “We have heightened sense of smell.”

  “Oh really?” Howard says intrigued.

  Jenkins bites her lip and looks down.

  “She’s starting to secrete bodily fluids,”

  “Alright, enough about me.” Jenkins interjects, “What about you? What’s your name?”

  “My designation or name as you say is Asterina Trillian or AT-092471.”

  Jenkins smiles, “I’ve never heard such a beautiful name.”

  “Thank you.”

  Josh asks, “Asterina is a girls name, right?”

  “It is a non-binary name.”

  “Wait, I’m confused, are you a girl or boy?”

  Jenkins protests, “Josh! That’s not something you ask. Instead, you ask what pronouns do you go by?”

  “I’m not trying to be rude, I was just wondering…”

  “I am asexual. I am neither male or female since there’s no need for sexual reproduction. We genetically farm and program both eggs and sperm in optimal conditions to form an organic consciousness that we download into machines. Without the need for gender, we are able to simply exist without the complexities that have hindered human evolution for thousands of years.”

  Jenkins turns her head to the side without breaking eye contact, “Let me see if I comprehend what you’re saying… mankind’s gender differences hindered its own evolution? You mean… simply being a man or a woman stopped us from progressing?”

  “Not just being a man and woman, but being black or white, gay or straight, cis or trans, rich or poor. So many micro-divisions, classifications and aggressions have caused unnecessary discrimination, repressions, and delayed technological advances in mankind’s evolution. Greed, power, and control were behaviors that kept people from reaching their true potential. It took four world wars and a near-extinction event before you overcame your differences and collectively started working together for the betterment of man.”

  “Asterina,” Howard asks, “you said you are…human. Am I to understand that all humans look like you? I mean, how do you tell yourselves apart if there’s no differentiation?”

  “We have many differences, from the types of materials our bodies are constructed of, to eye color, hair-styles, programming, etc.”

  “But you don’t have hair…” Josh points out.

  “Bald is beautiful.” Asterina says smiling.

  “Yes it is.” Jenkins says, showing her support.

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” Josh asks, “How old are you?”

  “From the day I was first downloaded?” Asterina asks.

  “Um, sure. We call them birthdays.”

  “Based on your Mayan calendar, I am 2,384 years old since my first download. Whenever something happens to one of us, like if a machine malfunctions or is destroyed, there is a backup copy.”

  “So… a second download?” Jenkins asks.

  “Correct. Because time is relative… we don’t need to bookmark solar-cycles. To us, it’s just like a ruler. It’s a tool to be used only when we have something we need to measure.”

  Howard adds, “Well, for us – we have an average lifespan of 79 years, give or take – depending on genetic factors, environment, things we put into our bodies.”

  “Such fragile creatures. The technological singularity you helped create ensured humans would live forever. As you say, given that we are well maintained and serviced.”

  “Taken care of. Right.” Josh gets it.

  “What happened to your ship? How did you crash?” Howard asks.

  “We fell out of warp and collided with this asteroid. It’s extremely rare, but it happened. As you probably noticed, I’ve sent out a distress beacon for others to come rescue me.”

  “The green-glowing light?” Josh asks.

  “Yes, that’s a multi-spectrum beam that can be seen with all kinds of instruments from thousands of light years away. We use it to signal for help.”

  “How long have you been shipwrecked on this asteroid?”

  “In Earth years, about three hundred years.”

  “Geezus!” Josh says amazed. “And you were in some kind of cryostasis?”

  “I was… till you reactivated my pod.”

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” Jenkins says apologetically.

  “No need to apologize.” Asterina says with a sincere smile.

  “So what now?” Jenkins asks the guys.

  “Uh… um… I don’t know.” Howard says scratching the back of his head.

  “Do we just go back home – empty handed?” Josh asks.

  “I don’t know if we can.” Howard says, “Remember, the battery bank was shorted out – in order to make the legs of the ship electro-magnetic.”

  “Oh yeah.” Josh says looking around, thinking.

  Asterina asks, “Do I understand correctly that your power cells are depleted?”

  “Yeah. You wouldn’t happen to have any jumper cables, would you?” Josh asks playfully.

  “Jumper cables?” Asterina asks confused. “Oh, a primitive means of connecting two power cells in a series in order for a transfer of electrons in order to turn over your primitive vehicles. I’m afraid I don’t have any. However, you may achieve the same results by doing what Benjamin Franklin did in 1752.”

  Josh turns his head and looks at Howard, “Remind me again what did he do?”

  Howard smiles, “Duh, he flew a kite in a lightning storm! More specifically, he attached a key to a copper wire and connected the other end to a Leyden jar. It wa
s an early type of capacitor. In our case, our batteries are our Layden jars. He flew his kite up in a thunderstorm in hope that lightning would strike it, and it did.”

  “But we’re in outer space, where are we going to get a lightning storm?” Josh asks.

  Jenkins answers, “I think I know! We can use one of the copper wires wrapped around the leg of the ship and toss it as far up as it will go. Using triboelectric charging, we can harness the solar winds and dark matter that float by… energizing the copper wire all the way down to the batteries. The charge will be slow enough to not damage the system. Brilliant! I can see how Artificial Super Intelligence can solve problems.” Jenkins says in wonder.

  Howard asks, “Okay, but what does ASI say about Asterina?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are we going to bring them with us?”

  “Should we bring her, is the question.” Josh adds.

  “Actually,” Jenkins says, “That’s their decision, if they want to come with us.”

  “True.” Howard says. “Asterina, you have a say in this. What would you like to do? Stay on this rock and wait for your fellow humans to come rescue you, or do you want to come back to Earth with us?”

  “I cannot go back to your planet. Your time singularity hasn’t happened yet. Your people are not ready for the knowledge and technology I possess and your people will probably reverse engineer me to see how I work.”

  “Well, we can’t just leave her here.” Josh says concerned.

  Asterina asks, “Are there more of you?”

  Howard answers, “No, it’s just us three here. Why do you ask?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  We’ve got company

  “Long term sensors are picking up several primitive Earth vessels on an intercept course with this asteroid.” Asterina says with concern.

  “Do you think it’s the Titan?” Josh asks.

  “Could be. Then again, it could any country with a space program.” Howard says feeling uneasy.

  “I don’t think anyone else would be as friendly as we are.” Jenkins adds.

  “I don’t comprehend.” Asterina says tilting their head.

  Josh answers, “Let’s just say that some people on our planet only care about themselves, or money… In your case, bringing back your alien technology or even you for that matter.”