Stopping for a Visit

To their credit, they called ahead, asking if they could stop for a visit.  They were very polite about it all, and they apologized for not being fluent in our language.  But really, they did alright considering that we have so many different languages.  They thought we would only have one.  It could be forgiven that they chose Mandarin.  That hurt the rest of us though.

As they got closer, their massive ship detected by radar and our large telescopes, they asked, again very politely if they could enter our atmosphere and land somewhere without causing any trouble.  But then when they fell into an orbit around us they told us that they didn’t want to take any chances of inter-contamination, noting that our genetics differed significantly.  They felt more research was warranted before attempting physical contact.

They asked questions about our history, culture, and technology, but we were hesitant to tell them too much.  They apologized for making us feel uncomfortable and sent us a library of information about themselves.

They said they were going to ask for water, but realized that our ocean were full of living organisms and would go elsewhere for it.

They apologized again for any inconvenience or distress they may have caused by visiting our planet so abruptly.  They said goodbye, wishing us well.

And they left.

To their regret, there are billions of nervous people not sleeping very well tonight.

The Last Entry of Commander Richard S. Johnson, Scout Ship 1352, United Interstellar Fleet.

The commander’s face appears on the screen.

 “2347.01.12.11.43.  Our engines are down, main power is down, batteries are running low.  We have contacted the fleet and have been told that help is on its way.  Our calculations tell us that they will not get here in time.  Life support will fail 17 hours before they get here.  Bio-restoration protocol will need to be employed.

 “It’s not dying that is the big concern here.  It’s what we see in our forward view screens.  There’s nothing out here.  It’s just empty.  There’s nothing for us out here.  We can live out here as long as our technology is working.  Some say we can live out here very well, comfortably.  But we cannot touch it, hold it, or breath it.  But, we just want to go home.  We want to back away from this indifferent emptiness of space, beneath the reassuring blanket of an atmosphere, in the grasp of a home world’s gravity, and feel solid ground beneath our feet.  We want to look out the window and see life around us.  Now all we see is darkness.

 “I know this report will go on my record.  I know I will be evaluated for fitness for command… or space travel.  I am sorry about that.  This has been an adventure.  It’s just that we have had some time to think about this hull and the windows, about what exists outside the ship, and what exists inside.

 “And… We just want to go home”

Negotiation

They had called for the meeting.  We came and we sat down opposite to them and waited for them to speak.  Their leader, sitting in the center of their delegation, looked at his people and then spoke.

"Thank you for coming."

The Secretary General countered, "You offered us no choice."

The other nodded and smiled, "Yes, we are sorry to have had to get your attention like that.  But you needed to take us seriously."

"You must know that we don't respond well to threats." asserted the Russian.

"Again, we are sorry that we had to resort to such tactics," he responded trying to smooth emotions in the room.

"We came," he continued, "as your descendants, to convince you that you must change your use and consumption of the earth's resources so that our way of life would be beneficial and sustainable, and you told us that you could not cut back your consumption or you would suffer economic distress.  We told you that we offered technological assistance to make the cutbacks easier, and still you refused."

The German raised her hand.  "We understand cutting consumption in the present, smoothing out our rate of consumption, and saving for the future, but we make the cuts, and you get the benefits."  

"Yes, that is what parents do for their children, and what grandparents do for their grandchildren.  It is called sacrifice, and love."

The French objected, "But it flies in the face of our national sovereignties.  You ask us to give up too much!  We cannot do it!"

"Please understand that we came back to your time because you actually had the technology to do what we are asking without losing people, our ancestral lines.  And, we come to you trying to persuade you that you can create a sustainable economy and ecology.  Let us help you!"

The British shook her head, "No, we cannot make this much of a sacrifice!"

The Other leaned back in his chair and looked at us with now fierce eyes, and spoke in a quiet, very controlled, and even tone, "Mr. Secretary, please understand.  When we broke the time barrier, we could have changed everything that happened in our history.  We could have changed your history and your experiences, but out of a respect for every human to have ever lived we decided instead to try to educate, persuade, inspire the changes that would benefit bot you and your descendants, us.  I assure you that the changes you would be making would indeed benefit us greatly.  And I also assure you that the changes you would be making now are very minimal compared to the choices we must make in our time.  We have shown you what we are facing.  How can you deny us your love and caring.  How can you deny us your relatively smaller sacrifices?"

The Secretary General answered, "We are sorry, but we cannot agree as separate, independent nations to make these sacrifices at this time."

"Then," he said with a heavy sigh, "these negotiations are concluded.  I am sorry that you could not be persuaded.  We will do what we need to save the future that you care so little for."

We all rose.  The American in our delegation spoke.

"We assure you, we will defend ourselves!"

He smiled, "No, you will not.  But, you will not suffer either.  You will not know that we have done anything at all.  Stepping over your chance to do the right thing will be the burden we will have to shoulder."

An Immortal's Death

They gathered around her bed, quiet and mourning.  One of them stood by her stroking her white hair.

"Oh Lily," she said almost whispering, "Why?  Why go through this?"

Feebly, the old woman looked up at the youthful face and smiled, "You know why, Mother."

"Lily, this nonsense has gone on long enough!"

"Eighty-seven years, two months, and sixteen days."

"Lily, my dear Lily," her mother pleaded, "you can be healed, restored to perfect health, and live!"

"I know," Lily coughed.

"Just say the word!"

"No."

They waited around Lily's bed.  From her great-grandparents to her great-grand children, they stood vigil over their beloved, but stubborn Lily, who thought that her 927 year life was long enough.  In perfect health, 87 years ago she withdrew from the system that would keep her healthy indefinitely and began to live a mortal life to this day.  Her last.

They waited around her bed, and quietly grieved.

Turing Test Final

Dr. Kho watched them as they left the building smiling, hand in hand, obviously in love.  She wasn’t smiling.  A colleague seeing her expression silently questioned her.  She open the file and handed it to him.  He looked at the data from the double blind Turing Test.  

“They were both artificial?”

“Yes.”

“And both believed the other to be human!”

“Yes,” said Dr. Kho, “and they both believed themselves to be human as well.”

“This is remarkable!” her colleague responded, “Do they know?  Have you told them?”

“No”, she replied, “not yet.”

A Resurrection

Imagine what we will be able to do with time travel and teleportation.  We will be able to find our ancestors and bring them to our time, restore their health, and offer them a new extended life with us.  I imagine the Mormons will lead the way in this technological redeeming of the dead, but others will want to bring back their ancestors as well.  And there will be some controversy other who we bring back.

He woke and gasped, breathing in air that he never expected to breath again.  A man and a woman were immediately at his side, touching his hands and shoulders to calm him.

"You are alive and well, my friend," the man reassured him.

"But how?" he shook his head violently and began to touch his arms, chest, and face, "I should be dead!"

"We saved you."

The brought him water drink and asked him if he wanted any food.  He declined and demanded to know where he was.

"Am I prisoner?" he asked.

They assured him that he was not and began to explain where and when he was now.  He listened with astonishment and shock.  The man and woman speaking in his native language explained his connection to the system and helped him access information that again amazed and frightened him at first.  He asked if he were seeing a vision from God.  They explained again how the system worked and that he had access to all human knowledge, protection, and care.  He now lived in an augmented reality awash in information.  There could be no ignorance.

Once he seemed somewhat acclimatized to the surroundings, dressed in a uniform of his choosing, and also becoming more curious, they asked their new guest if he were ready to see more.  With some flourish, he affirmed he was ready to encounter this wonderful new world.

A man in a suit appeared in the room and held out his hand to to him.  He responded by warily shaking the new stranger's hand as he introduced himself.

"Herr Hitler, I am known as the Governor.  I am not a real human, but an artificial representation of the system.  I take care of the system for all humans.  You have been brought to this time to continue your life with the rest of humanity.  We have created a very good existence for everyone and wanted all humans to live in this time and place.

"Your resurrection was not without some discussion.  Many, perhaps justifiably, objected to you being brought back here.  There was a lot of discussion.  In the end the decision was made to allow the victims of the genocide you created to be saved before you.  We felt they had a right to be here before you, and to have a say in your return.

"I sense that you are very angry now.  Would you like someone to talk to about it?"

Hitler threw up his hands and shook his head.

"So I am to be humiliated before the vermin race, am I!" he shouted.

The Governor stared at him and then answered, "You will face them.  You will see each and everyone of them.  Some may forgive you, many will not.  You will not be harmed, you cannot be harmed, after this you will allowed to live wherever you want.  Humiliation?  Perhaps.  That is up to you.  It is time to go, Mein Herr."

The room disappeared and he found himself standing alone before millions of silent people, each wearing the Star of David.

The Light

The first night after we jumped here we were surprised to find only one star in the sky; declination of minus 16 degrees, 40 minutes, right ascension of 6 hours, 45 minutes, and an apparent magnitude of minus 1.5.  It was almost exactly where we should see Sirius in our heavens.  But it was alone.

We asked our host about the star and he explained the star known as the Light was noted throughout the year and its position matched the months of the year.  Long ago it was believed that the Light was God shining down on them through the night, then when it was understood that the Light was a sun like their Sun, it was believed that it was the home of God and He still watched them from that vantage point.  Now, he explained, most people do not actually believe that God lives there on or near the Light.

Their astronomers have determined that the Light is a star like their own but bigger and it is about 9 light years away.  They have trained telescopes to observe the Light in every part of the electromagnetic spectrum.  They believe it is about the same age as their sun, and will die a few million years before their sun.

We asked him how big the universe was.  He answered that no one knows for sure.  There is an apparent radiant glow left over from the creation of the universe, but without other objects as references, the universe, as space and time may extend out away from the Sun and the Light forever, but for all practicality it is viewed as a sphere containing the two stars and their one planet.

One of us asked something about the Antropic Principle, and he answered that the universe contained but one world, and it was inhabited by life and intelligence, so that was considered very strong evidence for it's creation for them.  Humans were very important in this universe.

Pressed with more questions, he continued and told us that most of them felt either very special, as children of God or the Universe or they felt very lonely.  They also understood that the Light and the Sun would die and the universe would fall dark and that there would be no where else for them to go.  But everyone and everything dies, so it is left in the hands of God.  Perhaps they would all live in another world with another light.

We admired the beauty of his city shining bright in the dark, and asked how they were governed, and how they had achieved such a great civilization.  He seemed pleased that we recognized their advanced state.  And he told us us that as the only living intelligence on the only world in the universe they had to learn to live in peace; this was their only home, the only home they could ever have.  They could not afford to wage wars or to fight over or waste resources.  They had to share this, their home.

We asked him how this was achieved.  He told us they killed everyone who would fight, or create conflict, or refuse to share resources fairly.  They then eliminated everything and everyone that was not useful to humanity.  Then they had peace and prosperity under the Light.