Dreaming Immortality

by Marco Santini

  “They have taken possession of the Caravel transmitter.”

  “Are they planning a terrorist attack?”

  “At present, we cannot exclude any hypothesis.”

  The Health Advisor enters the discussion: “Till now we haven’t spoken about the population. They need immediate treatments, but I question that they are available on board. The Caravels must return to base!”

  The Head of Security looks him straight in the eye. “The Computer Science Institute is studying a cure. Their competence is beyond dispute. Moreover a return would be counterproductive. We have studied Nihil’s personality. He will try destroying the Caravels. And he will succeed, no doubt. The beginning of a chain reaction: we will not be able to keep the Net population in check anymore!”

  A collective shudder runs through the group.

  “The virtual beings will claim more autonomy. We will have to make concessions, give more independence to Mars and Net.”

  “It will not be enough. They want to turn Alpha Centauri into a world like the Earth…”

  The President listens silently. The intelligences will try to seize the physical world for sure. Resting his arms on the table, he inspects his team. “The ships will continue their voyage. We must take control of the Caravels as soon as possible. What do you propose?”

  “The armory has passed to the enemy,” intervenes Bogart. “They will try to take possession of the combat androids and attack the bridge, where C573Y is waiting for them with the Security forces. Because ours are too few, they will not hold out for long…”

  “We will put the Defense depots at your disposal,” General Marcus Rand states clearly. The emergency plan, wanted as a final strategy by the General Staff. A secret known only to the President and a few senior officers. Of whom Security knows very little.

  “Do you believe it will be enough?” asks Bogart.

  “I have no doubts,” answers the general. Then, without adding details, he continues: “What really worries me is Alphacity. I fear the numerical superiority of the Security troops will not be sufficient. Nihil is full of resources...”

  “What is the latest news about Nihil’s assistant?” interrupts the President.

  “Eve Dirac took part in the intrusion of the information system, but there is no evidence she is involved in the slaughter,” announces the Head of Security. “Rather, during Martin Wing’s murder, she dashed in pursuit of the killer Nihil had sent.”

  “What do you know about her?” asks the Secret Service Director.

  “She is an authority in the field of artificial intelligence. As a young woman she served in the army, but on this matter the Defense can provide you with more details.”

  “A skilled and loyal officer,” announces General Marcus Rand. “A real pity she resigned.”

  The President addresses Bogart: “Did you think of asking for her cooperation?”

  “She can help us to seize Nihil before he embarks on the spaceships. But now there is no time left…”

  “Let’s send her on board!” the general interrupts.

  “I don’t trust her,” replies Bogart. “She participated in the intrusion. She is accused of corruption.”

  “Eve Dirac contacted the two employees of the Space Agency, but she didn’t go beyond that. As to the scandal, all the evidence was false. She had approved the commercialization of Open Source software that was going to damage some multinationals. This is stated in the Defense report.”

  “The Defense report?”

  “Its conclusion doesn’t leave any doubt.”

  “I remind you that many years ago an enquiry was opened against the sect.”

  “Look at the facts!” roars the general. “With the collective suicide, the Elects only harmed themselves. And before the recent events, their conduct was always exemplary. And then, what to say about the woman’s attempt to save Martin Wing?”

  The President has at the same time a perplexed and intrigued expression. “James, is there aboard someone more skilled than the woman at finding a cure?”

  “I fear not. Very few scientists are at her level.”

  “Marcus, what do you think about her fighting capabilities?”

  “She is worth top marks, obviously.”

  “And as for her loyalty?”

  “Same grades.” After these words, the general stands up. “Eve Dirac contacted us. Thanks to her, we made the latest improvements to the defensive system of the Caravels.” He heaves a sigh. “Mr. President, on behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Defense Staff, I ask you to offer Eve Dirac an agreement which will transfer her to the Caravels and entrust her with the command of Alphacity Special Forces.”

  The Head of the Confederation remains silent for a few seconds. “Do you believe she will accept?”

  “I hope so, Mr. President.”

  ALPHA CENTAURI

  In the constellation of Centaurus, there are about ten twinkling dots that, according to ancients, draw the shape of a being, half man half horse, in the sky. There is a light more intense than the other, which stands out not by its size, but by its closeness to the Earth, just four light years away. It is the Alpha Centauri system, formed by three stars, two like the sun and a third so weak that it is not even visible to the naked eye.

  Since the 21st century, the astronomers were searching in that system for planets with the characteristics of the Earth. In 2034 an inhospitable body close to one of the major stars was found, and twenty years later a second one with an Earth-like mass was identified at a little more than an astronomical unity from the other star.

  In 2087, three probes were sent in succession. Two of them, after a voyage that lasted eighty years, reached the system and started broadcasting images of the planet while being far from it. After four years, when the first shots reached Earth, the emotional reaction was tremendous. The poles were covered with white caps and the analysis proved without a shadow of a doubt it was water.

  The astronomers were surprised because they had expected an arid planet since that solar system lacks the big external bodies like Jupiter and Saturn that attract the comets abounding in water. The atmosphere was rich in oxygen. As the probes were getting near and new discoveries were made, emotion increased, and when a few areas of water were identified in the middle of a bare and rocky surface, joy exploded.

  Other missions followed. Today two probes sent at the beginning of 2200 and transmitting data and images for about twenty years, are orbiting at about five hundred kilometers from the planet, while others are performing geological and biochemical tests on the surface. Thanks to them, viruses, bacteria and even plants and animals have been identified. It has also been discovered that terrestrial organisms do not survive in that environment, which is suitable for androids and robots instead.

  The virtual beings realized that planet colonization was the opportunity to separate from the humans. But the costs were so high that the project could take off only with the financial support of the Confederation. Ten years ago, the Martian government proposed a large scale colonization to the federal parliament, and offered to accommodate the orbital construction yards for the spaceships, as well as the plants for the production of the androids, robots and automatic factories needed for expansion on the planet. The Alpha Centauri project was born. Then, without waiting for approval, the Martian government began the construction of the fleet.

  The humans, who could not take part in the mission, tried to block it by appealing to the federal constitution that for the most important decisions requires the approval of the three ethnic groups of parliament: men, souls and intelligences. Later on several humans agreed to the project, on condition that the explorers made the planet inhabitable for man. In their opinion, it was indispensable for mankind to participate in the colonization in order not to be excluded from progress. They also proposed a plan to introduce into the alien ecosystem organisms capable of removing the life forms harmful to man and of reproducing the main terrestrial food chains. Their proposal was int
eresting because it confronted the fundamental problem of man’s destiny, but since the very beginning it was strongly opposed not only by the virtual community but also by many humans, for whom the huge costs and the long realization times were just unacceptable.

  The initiative was challenged for other reasons, too. Most people, who were not interested in matters of principle, asserted it was no use undergoing sacrifices, since the Earth was already on a human scale. Some, mindful of the disastrous human experience on Mars, maintained man would never consolidate his presence because of unavoidable adaptation problems. Others feared a difficult cohabitation with the virtual community, which would be quite numerous by the time the first humans could arrive, and ecologists refused every modification of the alien ecosystem, branding it as a senseless act of violence.

  As the discussion was getting heated and its outcome more and more uncertain, it became clear that the defeat of the human proposal would cause the end of the whole project. The Martians worked out a new strategy, and on July 4th 2293, in a historical session, parliament accepted the plan of modification of the ecosystem.

  A protocol of implementation was also prepared, that gained the approval of the moderate ecologists. The humans succeeded, but only apparently: the protocol required an infinity of studies and checks that would delay the modification of the ecosystem for many years.

  Moreover, the virtual beings were going to take advantage of the distance from the homeland, to postpone the project further. Actually, they knew they could avoid its realization forever. In about a hundred years, the population of the solar system would increase thanks to Net people and the political balances would turn in their favor.

  To silence the remaining opponents, the virtual beings put into the field the major industrial groups and banks of the solar system, that had been financing the project for years and that in default of government grants, would be destabilized by an impressive liquidity crisis, capable of triggering a series of disastrous failures. Under the pressure of powerful lobbies, an influential joint party favorable to colonization started playing a leading role.

  The Alpha Centauri project was finally approved by general consent. The humans drew a sigh of relief for having avoided even worse troubles.

  Arthur Barnard, 2298, “The new species”.

  TRANSFER

  Nihil is following a path edged with thorny shrubs, that winds up a hill. From time to time he stops, has a quick look around, and then starts climbing again.

  Finally at the top, he enjoys the view. The hill rises together with three others in the middle of a plain covered with olive green vegetation growing in fertile volcanic soil. On the nearest peak, about a kilometer away, are the buildings of the Space Agency and next to them, in a large square on the right, are three aerial dishes. One of them, a colossal bowl supported by a metal cradle similar to fingers, turns slowly towards South and finally stops in the direction of the Caravels.

  The moment has come; Nihil casts a last glance over his body. When he ran into it, skimming through a multimedia catalog, it was love at first sight. Its imposing build and the black color, so menacing and disquieting, attracted him because of the perfect match with his authoritative gloomy character.

  But now he must abandon it. He takes the tiny soul tank out of his pocket. A week before, two followers working in the Space Agency, damaged a control unit. During the repair, they installed a receiver that now he is going to use to reach the satellite dish. Everything during a normal transmission, to pass unnoticed.

  He starts the transfer. One after the other the followers reach the control unit through a laser beam, go to the dish aerial and from there begin their voyage in the depths of the space. Nihil feels faint. It’s his turn. A moment later the android's body is standing against the clear sky like a shell without life.

  @

  Half an hour later Nihil is on board the Santa Maria, in an underground passage of Alphacity. Exhausted, but in a good state. He needs only to get his strength back. His followers are around him. Three of them are lying on the ground, in deep comas. He didn’t study the transmission parameters enough, in order not to delay the boarding, and the consequences could have been even worse.

  The Head of the Elects musters the followers. “We are on board, but a few of us didn’t make it. In their honor, I am asking for a moment of silence.”

  They all bend their heads.

  “Now let’s look ahead,” he says. “The population of Alphacity is waiting for us. This way!”

  They walk along the tunnel, and come out into a deserted alley. At the first crossing, they get stuck. In front of them, an expanse of bodies.

  “To the hideout!”

  They shelter in the tunnel. Dismay spreads.

  “Stay here,” orders Nihil. “I am going on a reconnaissance.”

  He goes back to the alley. Brushing against a wall, he reaches a corner and puts his head out. A Security squad is loading the victims onto an ovoid. Farther away there is a roadblock.

  He comes back to his hideout and puts off the followers who meet him: “I haven’t got time now!” He goes to one side. "I will find out who has organized all this!"

  He transmits a signal to the computer, which activates a small program sent with the virus that transfers him into the information system of the Caravels.

  "I was waiting for your arrival," the computer welcomes him.

  "I want to know where the enemy is!" he cuts it short.

  The image of the ship appears in his visual field. The sphere rotates and stops in front of a bright orange area.

  BRIDGE

  GUARDED BY SECURITY.

  Nihil returns to the group. “Our enemy occupies the bridge. We will take possession of the combat androids stowed in the armory. Then we will start the attack.”

  A youth raises his arm. “The armory? Impossible to storm it.”

  Nihil gazes at him scornfully. “The computers obey me!”

  The armory is protected by thick armored walls and by advanced anti-intrusion systems that make it inviolable in almost all cases. This is one of the rare exceptions because the invaders, taking possession of the computers, have actually eliminated any defense. Nihil sends an access request for himself and his companions, locks out the management program of the androids to anybody else, and activates the transfer.

  He wakes up in a war android, unfastens the belts holding it against the wall and checks his new body. It is black as the one he left on the Earth, but much bigger and covered with a shield.

  He asks the information system for the plot of the ship. The globe of the Santa Maria appears.

  "Show me the route."

  The shell vanishes, revealing a network of corridors, interrupted from time to time by rooms of all dimensions.

  "The armory is marked in red and the route in green," explains the computer. "The bridge is three hundred meters away."

  "The sections are isolated by hatches. Open them!"

  "They are in an area under the control of the bridge."

  "It doesn’t matter…"

  Nihil disappears into a corridor and when he comes back, he has a rucksack on his back and a few plastic bombs. He gathers his followers. “I connected to the computer of the ship and now I know how many androids Security has and where they are placed. They are much weaker than us. Now we will attack them.”

  The metal wall isolating the armory from the rest of the ship slides open. Nihil points his arm towards the exit and crosses the threshold. The sound of footsteps echoes down the corridor.

  PARTING

  @

  The shower has just finished and the wind is driving away the clouds beyond the pinewood. There is a fragrance of resin and wet soil. Victoria is sitting on a fence, intent on observing the colts that run after each other spraying around dirty water and mud.

  Many years before, she was in a manège when James drew her to him, for the first time. The beginning of a dream she thought everlasting…

  Victoria
gives a start. James is approaching briskly. She jumps down and runs up to him. They stop in front of each other.

  “As soon as you called, I rushed here,” says the man panting. “You disappeared with Eve Dirac, a member of the Elects! What’s going on?”

  Victoria has a challenging look. “They are not what you believe, it’s Nihil who is the author of all the crimes. We are hunting him!”

  “Nihil is already on the Caravels. When we found the system he had embarked with, it was too late.”

  She gives a stifled sigh. “Nothing can stop him…”

  “You underestimate us. The Caravels are garrisoned by our forces. Eve Dirac will go on board with the Elects to command the Special Forces.”

  “Are you joking?”

  “The Space Agency is preparing their transfer.”

  Victoria wavers, it is now or never. “I want to go too!”

  “What are you thinking of?” cries James. Without waiting for a reply, he sets out for the paddock. He leans against the enclosure and watches a mare nuzzling her colt. He looks up, diverted by shrill cries. Beyond the downs, a few young seagulls are circling above the rippling sea.

  He turns round. “There will be many victims.”

  “You cannot stop me,” hisses Victoria. “I will ask Eve to have me embarked.”

  Obviously neither the President nor the Defense will reject her request: they want Eve on the Caravels, none of the rest matters.

  “When it is all over,” answers James, “the Elects will be allowed to continue their voyage. As for you, good luck!”

  He vanishes.

  Victoria remains still, staring into space, as if she were living a surreal experience. Her tension gradually eases and the cold determination she was supported by, is replaced by remorse. A deep remorse. She turns towards the paddock with a lost expression. Now the horses that the stable boy is pushing hastily towards an arcade, look like ghosts. Their neighs are distant noises.

  Then the first big drops; dark spots on the dried up earth. Rolling over the treetops, thick low clouds are approaching. Where the downs take the place of the scrub, whirling sand hides the view. The air is still.