A red light flashes and the A.I. comes on. “Please strap your safety belts and prepare for landing.”
Thrusters ignite to slow the ship. They drift downward and land in a valley next to a river. Purple grass and trees stretch across the land into the horizon. Manos looks up to see two silver moons in the vast sky.
The flashing stops. “You have arrived.”
Manos leaps from his seat. “We have no time to lose. Hurry!” He heads for the exit and runs down ten flights of stairs to the dock in the ship’s base.
Felina tracks close behind. “Mr. Kharon, please don’t rush. We can’t get overexcited.”
“It’s too late for that. I feel like a kid in a candy shop.”
In the cargo bay, Felina enters a passkey and a closet opens with two white spacesuits. She hands him a pair of smartglasses. “Please wear these so we can communicate.”
Manos puts on the specs and dons a space helmet. “Gareth, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“We’re about to disembark. Stay online with me.”
He suits up in the cargo bay, sliding into a pair of space trousers that auto-adjust to his measurements. He steps into the boots and they automatically seal around his legs.
Felina hands him a chrome rod. “Use this to take samples of the air and rocks.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I’ll stay here and run the analysis.”
“Have it your way.” He enters an airlock and shuts the door. Felina stands behind a glass panel and initiates a test sequence.
Manos dons a helmet. “Can you hear me, Felina?”
Her voice comes through the speaker in his smartglasses. “Yes, loud and clear.”
“Perfect. Gareth should be on the line as well.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
Felina gestures. “Prepare for safety checks.” A wind tunnel kicks up and the room’s pressure lowers. “How are you feeling, sir?”
“Excellent.”
Seconds later, a green light flashes. “You are good to go, Mr. Kharon.”
Manos smiles. “It’s time to meet our new world. Open the doors!”
The cargo bay opens, exposing an orange colored-land covered in purple foliage. One-hundred-foot trees stretch to the infinite sky, their maroon-colored leaves rustling in gentle winds.
Manos walks forward onto New Earth. “Oh my God, there are rivers and lakes as far as I can see. And plants with purple leaves!”
“Purple?” Gareth asks in his earpiece. “I wonder why that is?”
“Evolution must have taken a different course,” Felina says. “The reason plants back home are green is that they absorb blue and red light. The chemistry is probably different here.”
Manos walks toward a river and inserts the rod into the liquid. “Felina, I’m taking my first sample and sending you the data.”
Seconds later, she shrieks. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“What did you find?”
“Sir, that’s H2O!”
“Are you sure? What’s the composition?”
“Less than 1% sodium and chloride.”
“You mean just like home?”
“Yes!”
“Did you hear that, Gareth? This planet has rivers of water.”
Gareth gasps. “What about the atmosphere?”
Manos raises the rod and collects a sample of the air, then transmits the data for Felina.
Seconds later, her voice comes through the earpiece. “More stunning news…the air is thirty percent oxygen and seventy percent nitrogen.”
Manos’s eyes widen. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“That’s breathable air! I can take my helmet off.”
“Sir, please don’t do that. You don’t have to risk your life!”
“Why not? Oxygen is oxygen.”
“Sir, I would advise you—”
Manos removes his helmet. He closes his eyes as a gentle breeze touches his face. He takes a deep inhalation through his nostrils and exhales through his mouth. “Oh my God...”
“What’s happening?” Gareth asks.
Manos drops the rod and runs giddily across a purple field, rolling around the ground and shouting at the top of his lungs. “I can breathe the air!”
Gareth’s voice rises. “Manos, describe your vantage.”
He chuckles maniacally. “I see dollar signs everywhere, Gareth. Profits hanging from the trees!” He rips the purple foliage and kicks some rocks. “We’ll build factories and communities here!”
“Sir, please be careful,” Felina says. “I wouldn’t touch the plants if I were you. We don’t know what kind of microbes live on this planet.”
Manos jumps and screams, “GoldRock will be the biggest company of all time!” He digs his hand in the ground and throws dirt in the air. “Who knows how much gold and silver are buried in this land? We’ll dig thousands of mines.”
“Congratulations,” Gareth says. “You made it into the history books! This is a new chapter for our civilization.”
Manos sits on the ground and wheezes gleefully. “We have to keep this confidential, do you understand? We can’t tell anyone about this, not even the President.”
“That’s not possible,” Gareth states sternly.
“This is my discovery. GoldRock will have first dibs on New Earth.”
“Let’s discuss that when—”
The voice fades.
Manos panics. “Gareth? Can you hear me?”
The call drops. Felina looks up and spots Earth fading in the sky. “Mr. Kharon, the wormhole is shrinking.”
He looks up. “That can’t be.”
“If it disappears, we will be stuck here forever. We should return home immediately.”
Manos grabs some dirt and stuffs his pocket. “Okay, let’s get out of here.”
He races into the cargo bay and disrobes, changing back into his civilian clothing. They run to the cockpit and strap in. “Falcon 12, get us back home as soon as possible.”
“Prepare for launch,” the A.I. instructs. Seconds later, the rocket lifts off the purple planet and heads for the wormhole.
“What an experience,” Manos proclaims. “I can’t wait to come back here!”
Felina covers her nose. “You smell awful, sir.”
“I do? Like what?”
“Like when you blow out a match.”
He smirks. “I actually like that smell.”
The ship barrels into space and tumbles across the wormhole, rattling as it reenters the solar system. Earth and the moon suddenly appear in the near distance, their colors returning to normal. Behind the ship, Barnard’s Star dims as the portal begins to fade.
Manos turns to his assistant. “Get my Chief of Staff on the line.”
Moments later, Seth’s face appears on a tablet computer. “Hello, boss. We haven’t heard from you in a few days.”
“Days? I spoke with you earlier today.”
“That’s not true, sir. I’ve left you several voicemails.”
“That’s strange.” He rubs his face. “I could have sworn I talked to you a few hours ago. What did you message me about?”
“It’s the Google management team, sir. They’re not cooperating and they still haven’t given me access to the private servers.”
Manos rolls his eyes. “Forget about that. We have much bigger plans to think about.”
“Sir?”
“Listen, Seth, there’s a fusion reactor at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. I want you to steal it and relocate it to our facility in West Virginia.”
Seth hesitates. “I don’t understand. Are we getting into nuclear power?”
“No. We are forming a corporation called Diaspora. This is a brand new venture for GoldRock.”
Felina nods. “Brilliant name, Mr. Kharon.”
Seth appears confused. “Diaspora? What’s the mission of the company?”
“We will guide the exodus of human beings to thei
r next homeland. We will be the leaders of space colonization.”
The Falcon 12 flies past the moon on its way to New Mexico. It enters the Earth’s atmosphere and begins its descent to Spaceport America.
Manos analyzes a tablet. “Seth, I want you to identify the smartest physicists in the world and offer them million-dollar salary packages. We will hire the brightest minds for Diaspora.”
“I’m happy to do that,” Seth says, “but I still don’t understand the purpose of the startup.”
Manos eyes North America. “We will master interstellar travel. Felina and I just flew across a wormhole to Barnard’s Star. What I saw defies explanation. Now that we understand what’s possible, it’s time to build a new industry.”
Seth gasps. “Is this a new way to travel?”
“It’s more than that. The universe is now ours for the taking.”
34.
HIGH ABOVE the San Francisco Archipelago, Austin sits in gridlock in his flying car. A bumper-to-bumper jam stretches across the skybound 101 Freeway. He grins.
Rush hour, I’ve missed you.
“Isaac, I can’t be late for my date.”
His smartglasses buzz. “Don’t worry, you will arrive on time.”
He peers below and spots downtown skyscrapers connected by train tubes and passageways. Rooftops of flooded Victorian homes rise from the ocean. As his vehicle heads north to Marin County, he drives above the underwater suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge.
“Isaac, what’s happening in the world?”
“From NPR News, here are the day’s top stories. The President has lifted the ban on tourism. International travel will resume at major airports starting next week. This coincides with the planned peace talks between the United States, China, and Russia. Experts are hopeful for an end to the twenty-four-year World War.”
Austin shakes his head.
The War is finally ending?
“In financial news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 1400 points on the back of strong hiring and renewed confidence in the economy. It comes as oil prices continue to fall, currently at $5,600 per barrel. The Commerce Secretary credits developments with nuclear fusion power, which have boosted global energy reserves...”
Austin sheds a tear.
This is all Beth’s doing.
The car exits at Tiburon Ave and flies downward along holographic white lines demarcating the traffic lines. He makes his way to a high-rise apartment complex in San Rafael and lands on a rooftop helipad.
“Great driving, Isaac. We’re right on time.” He looks at himself in a mirror. “I wish I wasn’t so nervous.”
“Austin, you will be fine. Just be confident and look into her eyes.”
He exits the vehicle wearing blue slacks and a blazer, his face clean-shaven and his silver hair combed meticulously to the side. Taking an elevator to the twenty-first floor, he walks along a hallway to Apartment 2143 and gently knocks.
Just be yourself.
A lock unlatches and the door softly opens. Olivia stands in the doorway wearing a yellow summer dress and a wide-brim hat. Her shoulder-length gray hair highlights her diamond earrings, which Austin had given to her decades ago.
He looks her into her eyes. “Olivia…”
She reaches out to him and they embrace. He cries as he cradles her and smells her familiar fragrance. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me too…” She dabs her eyes with a tissue. “Thank you for your voicemail. It meant a lot to hear how you feel. I wish you had called sooner.”
“You did?”
She sheds a tear. “To be honest, I did blame you for what happened to Matthew, but the truth is that it wasn’t our fault. The Floods took away our son.”
He cries. “It was the worst day of my life, and I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I promise I’ll never act like that again.”
“I know you won’t, Austin.”
He holds her hand. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. Where are we going?”
He guides her down the hall to the elevator. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” They ride up to the rooftop and walk to his car. He opens the door for her.
Olivia smiles. “I haven’t ridden one of these in years.”
Austin climbs into the driver’s seat. “Me neither! It was sitting in a lot gathering dust. I couldn’t afford to charge my car. But now that electricity prices are falling, everyone is back on the road.”
“The world has changed so much this last week.”
“You have no idea. I have a lot to tell you.”
They lift off and fly north, merging onto the Skybound 101N Freeway towards Napa Valley. Olivia beholds the bustling city. “It feels like people are happy again.”
“There’s hope in the world, Olivia. Just listen to the news! Isaac, what’s happening today?”
“From the Telegraph, here are the top stories. The government is lifting decades-old rations on motor vehicle use and public transportation. Consumer goods like clothing, appliances, and aluminum products will be back on public markets later in the week.”
Olivia clasps her hands. “You mean I can finally buy a microwave?”
Austin chuckles. “I haven’t had a refrigerator in five years.”
“The future is so exciting!”
“In other news, Dr. Bethany Andrews has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for her work advancing nuclear fusion power. The President of the United States called Dr. Andrews the ‘genius of our times’ and credited her for spearheading peace negotiations and reviving the economy. She will receive the award in Stockholm later this year.”
Austin beams. “That’s my boss they’re talking about.”
“I remember her,” Olivia says. “She came to our wedding, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“How is she doing?”
“Let’s find out. Isaac, call Beth.”
A dial tone rings and the call goes to voicemail. A message arrives. “Can’t talk now but need to discuss something urgent with you. Will call soon.”
The car flies over Sonoma and merges onto Route 12, traveling towards Napa Valley. Vineyards stretch across hilltops spared by the rising ocean. They exit the sky highway and descend to sea level.
Olivia points. “Look, there are cows grazing!”
“Incredible.” Austin gasps at green pastures filled with thousands of rows of grape vines. “I haven’t been here in decades.”
“Thank you, Austin. I feel alive again.”
“Close your eyes, Olivia. I want to surprise you.”
Dust kicks up as they land on a two-lane concrete highway, driving east past the city of Sonoma. A sign greets them. “Welcome to this world famous wine-growing region. Napa Valley.”
“Are your eyes closed?” Austin asks.
“Yes.”
They turn left on Dealy Lane and drive past a series of small, family-owned wineries, crossing a bridge over the Sonoma River and arriving at a metal gate. A logo appears. “Welcome to Artesa Winery.”
Austin turns his head. “Are you peeking?”
“No.”
“Good. We’re almost there.”
They head along a windy road up a hill, passing a cluster of sheep grazing in the grass and reaching a parking lot high above the Sonoma Valley.
“Can I look now?”
“Nope.”
He escorts her from the car and takes her to a marble fountain with modern art sculptures, then kneels beside a rose garden. “Surprise!”
She takes in the breathtaking view of the countryside. Dotted with chateaus and wineries, the hills and rolling pastures stretch for miles. She grabs his arm. “You brought me here on our first date!”
“Yes, that was forty years ago.”
“That long? It seems like yesterday.”
He touches her. “What memories we made…”
“I wish I could go back in time.”
A bus arrives and offloads tourists on a wine tour. Austin
takes her hand. “Let’s get inside before they do.” He guides her to the winery, a contemporary structure built into the hillside. Fountains line the walkway into the entrance where a hostess greets them. “Hello, welcome to Artesa.”
Austin gestures. “I’ve reserved a private wine tasting under ‘Sanders.’”
“Right this way.”
She leads them through the foyer past a series of Renaissance art paintings. They enter a wine cellar packed with oak barrels; a deep wood aroma fills the room. She looks back at them. “Our winery was designed after the Villa San Michele in Capri.”
“Italy?” Austin asks as he takes a deep whiff of the oak.
“That’s right. Our founder was an Italian artist. We are famous for our Cabernet Sauvignon.”
“I can smell that.”
She guides them outside along a stone path lined with flowers and marble columns. The valley comes into view and a cool breeze drifts by.
Olivia closes her eyes. “Is this what Italy’s like?”
“Some parts of it,” Austin says. “Tuscany is stunning.”
“Let’s travel there some day.”
The hostess seats them at a private outdoor table overlooking Napa County. “Your server will be with you shortly.”
Austin spots a landmark on the horizon. “Look, there’s San Francisco in the distance.”
Olivia squints. “Where?”
“You see that tower? That’s Twin Peaks.”
“We had a date there once, didn’t we?”
“Yes, you remember…”
“How could I forget? It was the happiest time of my life.”
As a waiter delivers a bottle of wine, Austin receives a call in his smartglasses. “It’s one of my programmers.” He accepts the call in speaker mode. “Hello Anil, how are you?”
Anil, Prisha, and a newborn baby appear on the screen. “Hi Dr. Sanders, say hello to little Lumi!”
Austin leans forward. “She’s so beautiful. Congratulations!” He hands his glasses to Olivia. “That’s my goddaughter, Lumi!”
Olivia peers through the specs. “What a precious angel.”
Anil, bandages over his wrists, cradles his baby. “She’s my ray of light.”
Olivia hands the smartglasses back to Austin, who smiles when he sees the baby. “She’s so cute. How’s your hospital stay?”
Extinction 6 Page 25
