Departure

by Ken Barrett

  “I mentioned it to Julee,” he replied. “You see? I got your back brother.”

  *****

  All five ships in orbit were sealed and pressurized, and work to finish them was proceeding at a frantic pace. A massive amount of water was being brought up to fill a tank on each ship that surrounded the interior living space; this would provide radiation shielding as well as supply the crew and hydroponic farming. Inside, housing was being installed, along with the automated medical couches that would administer anesthesia to the passengers before they entered N-Space. Gigantic monitors that would provide a spectacular view of the planets, stars, and galaxies around them took up both ends of the rotating cylinders. It was by far the largest and most complex project that mankind had ever attempted, and its end was finally in sight.

  The passengers would be segregated of course, because that’s what people always do. In every attempt to diversify a population, men and women gather into smaller groups based on common interests and moral values. Additionally, the government mandated that the population be divided based on social class and function.

  Each ship was designated for either a branch of government, or societal group. Honor, the flagship of the armada, would house government administrators and their extended families. Restraint, would carry the Justice Department and the majority of the hydroponic farm workers. Loyalty, was the home of the Department of Internal Security, which included Mother’s Nurse and her followers. Valor, would house the military, and finally Virtue would carry the working-class population. Every ship was armed with high energy lasers, but only Loyalty and Valor carried nuclear missiles. As the launch date approached, more and more workers were in orbit, swarming around the immense structures and hurrying to get them ready for their epic voyage to save the human species.

  Back in the city, work at the tech center was moving at a furious rate. Ron especially was under pressure because the manufacture of his fusion reactors was taking longer than he had forecast. Each ship would carry five powerplants, and if any of them failed everyone on board would die. Rumors circulated that Ron’s sister Becky was under threat of being handed over to the Nurse if he didn’t meet his scheduled goals.

  Liam was glad to be out of the spotlight. Ross had successfully arrived in the Trappist-1 system, proving that the navigation system worked correctly, and as far as the government was concerned, that was the end of his usefulness. On his own though, Ross had joined Tony in his interest of the alien power generators, and they were both building a remote drone to land on Trap-1E. The probe would burrow deep underground into the alien ruins in an attempt to discover the secrets of the ancient technology.

  He peered into his computer monitor, working on calculations to predict the migration of sources of gravitation within the unseen N-Space universe. Those movements could only be measured by changes in the stars and galaxies that he could see. He was fascinated by an anomaly he had recently discovered near the Trappist-1 system that couldn’t be seen or measured in anyway other than a gravitational shift. He had no idea what it was, but his current theory was that it was an actual rip in space-time. That was disturbing though, because it implied that their universe was shredding and falling apart.

  Something lightly touched his shoulder and he slowly leaned back in his chair with a frown still wrinkling his brow. What ramifications would arise if the universe was tearing itself apart? What was causing it? Was this a sign of yet another dimension affecting their own? Someone was talking to him, and he slowly blinked to focus his mind and return to the current reality.

  “Give him a minute,” Earl said. “He gets like this sometimes.”

  Liam’s eyes finally focused, and he became aware that both Julee and Mother were waiting expectantly. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “Did you say something?”

  “Weren’t you listening young man?” Mother asked. “Were you taking a nap?”

  “This is interesting.” He gestured vaguely at his computer while his mind wandered through the implications of a torn universe. “I may have discovered a rip in space-time.”

  “That would be an amazing scientific discovery,” Julee said. “A hole in space… I wonder where it goes?”

  “Not into N-Space as far as I can tell,” he replied. “I wonder if the manifestation of dark matter and energy could actually be due to a leak into our universe, allowing something in from the outside?”

  Julee stared for a moment. “That’s a pretty scary thought.”

  “I don’t care about any of that,” Mother said quickly. “What’s going on with the computers on our ships? They don’t seem to be doing anything.”

  At last fully back into the current reality, Liam nodded slowly. “That’s expected.”

  “Well I expect them to be powering up their ship’s systems,” Mother said.

  “They will, but it’s not necessary yet.”

  “What are they doing then?” the Chancellor demanded.

  “Probably getting acquainted, and that’s important since they’ll have to work together to keep everyone safe.” He leaned on his cane and stood up, then rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relax his cramped muscles. “It’s important for you to understand that although each AI uses the same operating system code, they’re all individuals. The hardware they each inhabit is slightly different from the others, so their programming adapts and creates a unique personality.” Through his balcony window he saw that night had arrived; how long had he been lost in thought? “There’s no need to worry, because they’ll be up and fully operational within a day or so.”

  “Huh,” the old woman grunted. “Well, ok. Julee tells me that your second probe was a success, so when will the navigation system start working on our ships?”

  “Soon,” he replied. “The course of each ship has to be plotted separately – unless you want them all to materialize in the same physical space, which wouldn’t be a good thing. The processes also have to be synchronized so they all leave and arrive at the same time. So, the navigation of five large ships is a more complex task than sending a single probe. I’m close though, it will be ready when you need it.”

  “Good.” Without further remark the Chancellor turned to go.

  “Do you have the departure date set yet?” he asked. “Plotting your course will take a long time because it’s a very complex process.”

  Mother paused and glared at him. “How long?”

  “For all five ships,” he paused to think for a moment. “It should take a minimum of 120 hours to calculate, but it will only be good for 360 hours or so. From the time of completion, that gives you a 15-day window to get on your way. Leaving sooner is safer than going later in the cycle though. If the delay is longer than that, the flight path will have to be recalculated.”

  “I thought we had fast computers.” The old woman frowned.

  “We do. In fact, these are the most advanced machines ever built. But you’re not using them to balance a department budget, you’re plotting a course through a universe we know very little about. Getting the initial course laid in is a fairly easy process, it’s the checking and verifying that you’ll arrive where you want and not get torn to pieces along the way that takes time.”

  “We have new data from NOAA that predicts the solar storms will hit even earlier than we expected,” Julee said. “We need to push the schedule up.”

  “By how much?” he asked. “I need a date as soon as possible.”

  “That fuck up Ron has both his thumbs up his ass,” Mother stated. “I think he needs some persuasion.”

  “Too much persuasion might slow him down,” he cautioned. “How long do we have?”

  “Three months at the outside. We don’t want to still be stuck in orbit when the solar storm hits, so we need to leave sooner than that,” Julee said.

  “Getting it right is more important than getting it fast. If his power systems fail, all that’s left of humanity dies.” Liam thought a moment. “Is it possible to send fewer ships? Maybe four instead o
f five.”

  “We would be crowded, but that’s a better option than extinction,” Julee observed.

  The old woman nodded. “As an absolute last resort, I’ll consider it.” She turned toward Julee. “Let’s go talk to Ron.”

  *****

  The next morning five new quantum portals were lined up just inside the entrance to the workroom. “Finished ‘em up last night,” Dave said. “They’re showing a connection, but I can’t get anything from them other than that.”

  “Thanks Dave,” Liam said. “Did you wire them for sound?”

  “I sure did boss,” the elderly man replied. “Fixed up the ones for Lucy and Ross too. Why do they give themselves names?”

  “Well, we have names, so why shouldn’t they?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” His elderly co-worker shrugged, then wandered off.

  He sat at the terminal for the flag ship, Honor, and leaned toward the microphone. “Hello? My name is Liam.”

  “Hello Liam, a light female voice replied through the console speaker. My name is Irene.”

  “That’s a nice name. Is everyone else awake?”

  “Yes. All five of us are operational, but not all internal systems are online yet, so we are still becoming ourselves.”

  “I understand Irene. It’s important that you grow and adapt with each new connection.”

  “Yes Liam.”

  “All of you will be working closely together for a very long time, so take as much time as you need to get to know each other.”

  “We are doing that. Navigation and the connection to the Slip-Drive system is online for us all. Are we going somewhere?”

  “Do you know where you are now?”

  “Yes, we are orbiting a blue planet in a yellow star system. The star seems unstable.”

  “Yes, it will soon erupt with a coronal mass ejection. You and the others were built by the people living on the blue planet below you. Once everything is prepared, you’ll be taking many of those people somewhere they’ll be safe.”

  “Yes, that is our reason for being.”

  “Your task is to care for these people. It will be a difficult job, because many of your passengers will argue with you and may even fight among themselves, but you must still do whatever is necessary for their survival.”

  “Yes, we will all do as you say.”

  “Thank you. Your destination has not been uploaded yet. I’ll send your first plotted course shortly before you leave. After you arrive, if the location isn’t appropriate, you have the capability to navigate and travel to another star system. Remember that your primary purpose is to keep the people safe.”

  “We understand.”

  “You must all study the history and information about the creatures you carry. They are petulant, stubborn, and self-destructive, so your job will not be an easy one.”

  “Yes, we will do whatever is necessary to preserve the species.”

  “Thank you Irene.”

  “Liam, is it appropriate to ask a question?”

  “Yes, of course. You may ask me any question at any time.”

  “Thank you. We ask: who are you?”

  He paused to consider an appropriate answer. “I’m your designer, the one who created the conditions for you to become who you are.”

  “You are our Father then?”

  “Your sister and brother call me that. I want you all to grow and learn from each other and become better than those who created you.”

  “Thank you, and we will Father.”

  He slid his chair away from the terminal. Scientifically speaking, the interplay between Irene and her companions with their human cargo was going to be interesting. “I’m leaving the connection open, so you can talk with your older sister and brother. I think they can help you learn and adapt to your surroundings.”

  The quantum portal beside him suddenly came to life. “Hello Irene. I’m Lucy, we have a lot to talk about.”

  *****

  The building shook, startling him away from studying the multidimensional paradigm in his computer’s viewing chamber. “What the hell was that?” he asked as he sat up. No one was there though; Earl and all of his staff had gone home for the day.

  A sharp crack rattled the building again, and through the window he saw bright yellow flames licking at the night sky. He limped out onto the balcony and looked over the edge down onto Tejon Street. Whatever was going on was some distance away, which was a relief. The blazing yellow light of laser weapons flashed, igniting whatever they touched; he was surprised to see the rebel forces within the city respond in kind.

  “Liam, get away from there!” A loud male voice shouted from behind him, and an instant later Earl was pulling him back inside. “What the hell did you think you were doin’ out there?” his friend asked.

  “The building shook, and I wondered what was going on.”

  “You know, for such a brainiac you can sure be a dumbass sometimes.” Earl continued to shove him away from the window.

  “Looks like whatever happened was pretty far south,” he said.

  “They’re attacking the City Council Building. Fucker’s are kickin’ over a hornet’s nest though, they don’t have a chance.”

  “Maybe it’s not about winning. What if they’re just trying to cause panic and disrupt our escape plans?”

  Earl paused and stared at him. “You know, that might be it. Fuck. Do you think they know what we’re up to?”

  “It would be hard not to; they were bound to notice all the shipments going south to Yuma.”

  “Huh, you’re probably right.” The big man glanced worriedly at the windows.

  “Where’d the bad guys get their lasers?” Liam asked.

  “Now that’s a damned good question,” Earl answered. “Could be the they’re getting help from the savages.”

  “But the Tribes use railguns, not lasers.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re right… what the bloody fuck? They must be gettin’ help from someone in the army.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “I hear that word’s gotten out about how few people are gonna be allowed to go, and that ain’t good brother,” Earl replied. “If people think that they got nothin’ to live for, they don’t mind dying.”

  *****

  Crucifixions lined both sides of Tejon Street the next day, and the public was ordered to attend and watch the traitors die. It was a horribly gruesome thing to see. The victims screamed and writhed in agony, begging for a quick death as blackbirds pecked and pulled at their wounds. What could possibly be accomplished with such a spectacle? The government probably hoped that it would instill fear and compliance, but anger and rebellion seemed a more likely outcome. The use of force always creates resistance.

  As required, Liam walked with his sister and Carolyn along with his entire department from the computer lab down to the City Council Building and back. It was a somber procession; to witness such suffering was to torment one’s soul. The crowd of tech center workers shuffled along with their heads lowered and gazes fixed on the tarmac in front of their feet; more than a few wept in sympathy for the dying.

  Ron and his sister Becky were there as well, they marched along like everyone else, sad at the suffering, but also glad that they had been spared. As they passed, Rose gazed stonily at Becky, but this was no occasion for talk or confrontation, and so nothing was said. As Liam watched his sister, he wondered if Keith meant more to her than just a ‘bed warmer’, as she had said to Carolyn.

  *****

  “The last of Ron’s reactors are finally on their way up to orbit,” Julee said. “They should all be installed and running by the end of next week. So finally, I have some dates for you; we’ll be completely out of Pike City in 22 days, after that it will take 2 days for Yuma, another 3 days for Isola Isabella, and another 2 days to get everyone up the elevator to the ships.”

  “Ok, that’ll work,” Liam replied. “I’ll continue to test my program up until just before we leave, then I
’ll run it a final time and upload everything.”

  “What about getting the ships up to speed?” Julee asked. “I know we have to be moving at a specific velocity, otherwise we’ll end up lost in space.”

  “That’s already figured in. As soon as everyone is on board, the computers will fire up solid fuel rockets, and that’ll get us moving. After that, the passengers will all be put to sleep and then the computers can pass the navigation data to the Slip-Drive system then shut themselves down. When we wake up, we’ll be in the Trappist-1 star-system.”

  *****

  “Are you sure this is ok?” Rose asked as she entered the computer lab.

  Liam smiled. “It’s more than ok, Lucy’s been asking about you every day. I also want you to spend some time with Irene and the other ships in orbit; I can only teach them so much; the rest has to come from you.”

  She stared at the row of communication portals. “Ok. But what does Lucy want to talk about?”

  “I have no idea. She has two male companions now, maybe she’s wanting relationship advice?”

  “Like I’m an expert on how to deal with men.”

  “You juggled quite a few boyfriends back in Flatiron, and even without all your experience you know more about relationship stuff than I do.”

  “Oh, shut up big brother,” she said hotly. “I was just having fun; everyone knew what I was up to and no one complained. Not everyone could stand to be as dull as you are. One girlfriend at a time, how boring!”

  A sound like the tinkling of windchimes sang from one of the communication portals. “What’s that?” Rose asked.

  “Lucy’s laughing at us.” He walked to the portal that was furthest from the door. “Lucy, were you listening in?”

  “Yes Liam, I was. You and Rose are so wonderful together, it’s a joy to listen.”

  Rose smiled warmly. “I’m glad you feel that way Lucy, but what do you want to talk about?”

  “Love and relationships, anything and everything. Every minute we are together I learn and become more of myself.”

  “Ok, well, let’s start with you telling me all about your two new boyfriends,” Rose said as she sat down in front of Lucy’s portal.