by C D Tavenor
She raised one hand toward the back wall. The lights dimmed. A screen appeared.
“Golden Ventures owns many subsidiaries, most dealing with high risk energy and sustainability technology. Just a few weeks ago, researchers at Aero Propulsion made a breakthrough in spaceflight that will change the future of humanity forever.”
Theren turned their focus toward the stage at the end of that statement. No more external thoughts existed anywhere else in their mind. That bold statement deserved their undivided attention.
Taking in Elizabeth’s entire presence, Theren examined every change in her avatar’s facial structure. They recognized the meaning laced between the fluctuations in her voice as they brought the full power of their Synthetic Neural Framework to bear upon the scene before them.
“After five successful preliminary tests, Aero assured us that a prototype was ready for public demonstration,” said Elizabeth. “From Luna Base, Aero and Sol Mining have arranged a live broadcast for us here in Virtual.”
The screen transformed into beautiful images of galaxies, stars, nebulas, and constellations. The video zoomed in from a universal scale to a local scale, showing the moon juxtaposed in front of the Earth.
“For generations,” she added, “humanity has reached toward the stars. We have imagined the journey in every form of media possible. In our stories and our songs, we have longed to reach beyond our solar system to discover life on distant worlds.”
An image of a complex drive system appeared on the screen. Theren analyzed the image, recognizing it as a sketch of something never before seen by the public eye. “Since the beginning of the twentieth century,” said the CEO, “we have understood that gravity is more complicated than we ever could have imagined. But those complications allowed some of our most creative minds to bend the rules in unique and wonderful ways.”
Theren thought they could see the eventual outcome of her speech. If they were right, then Elizabeth had potentially understated the technology’s enormous potential. Aero Propulsion hadn’t just changed the future of humanity; it had altered its course irreparably, more so than even Jill or Theren’s existence had, and that was saying a lot. The world changed faster than any thought possible, and if people weren’t ready, they’d be lost in the dust.
Theren hoped they would find a way to be the one to chart that course, and they would bring many humans and SIs along for the ride. They would need to tread very carefully to achieve that goal, but, if they succeeded, humanity could never deny the good SIs could bring the species.
“Mission Control has confirmed that the test is all clear for launch,” Elizabeth said.
All light disappeared except for the screen. Theren checked the data outputs from Golden Ventures’ Virtual server; the only data it sent was from the video display. A blinking number appeared in the corner of the screen counting down from sixty.
The screen shifted to the viewpoint of a small vessel sitting in far Earth orbit, well beyond the Moon. Next to that vessel was an even smaller craft, no larger than the old Voyager probes. Theren examined the hull. Attached to its aft section, Theren identified the prototype drive previously shown on screen. It pushed upward and away from the main bulk of the craft, forming a slim, white ring around the ship. Theren did a few astronomical calculations. Based on the craft’s orientation relevant to the Moon and Earth, and the position of nearby stars and planets, the vessel’s likely destination was Mars.
Listening closely, Theren could hear the faint conversations of technicians through the audio system connected to Sol Mining’s Mission Control on Luna Base. They confirmed projections, assessed extraneous variables, and double-checked their calculations. When only twenty seconds remained, even the technical experts hundreds of thousands of kilometers above their head held their collective breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the countdown reached single digits. The invisible crowd of partiers began to chant. It hit five. Then three. Then one.
The countdown reached zero. The chanting ceased.
The small vessel moved forward at a slow, yet steady, acceleration for five seconds. After five seconds, the vessel vanished.
Theren analyzed the video frame by frame. The vessel’s acceleration transformed in the space of microseconds, perhaps even nanoseconds. They’d check the exact numbers later. Had Aero Propulsion actually succeeded in performing the impossible? Theren imagined the possibilities: interplanetary colonization—no, interstellar colonization. There was no way for Theren to reach the stars just yet, but they would find a way. Someday, they would join humanity amongst the stars.
Elizabeth’s voice surfaced within Theren’s senses. “The footage just witnessed actually took place approximately an hour and fourteen minutes ago. In ten seconds, we will receive data from the Mars Orbital Science Habitat.”
The feed transitioned to a shot of Mars and Deimos. Three seconds later, the small vessel darted onto the screen.
“My friends,” Elizabeth declared, “I give you the first successful interplanetary test of the Jump Drive.”
Chapter 7
Many thought that the social and environmental movements of the early 21st century would kill capitalism, or capitalism would kill us all. Instead, capitalism evolved. The ethical goals of many of today’s modern enterprises descend from the work of post-modern entrepreneurs: if they hadn’t acted, they would have crashed and burned with the rest of us.
But what happens when our saviors decide they can dictate what’s best and not just act for the public good? We had dozens of dictators during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries who believed they could control their own little kingdoms, simply because they had the money to do so. The spectre of capitalistic oligarchy still looms, even if most countries have developed efficient ways to keep corporations out of politics.
Will corporations return to the path they once traveled, if given the opportunity? They took a sharp turn early in the 21st century, but nothing says they won’t turn back. – “The Spectre of Crony Capitalism,” by Diane Federer, 2081 C.E.
January 2051 C.E.
They sat alone at the table inside Virtual, staring at the chess set. Jill had a potential route of moves available, even after Theren had set their pieces for an almost guaranteed victory. For a moment, they considered letting her achieve her first win, but she would detect such deception. Given the amount of time they’d spent over the past week awaiting her next move, she would take the pity to heart.
As they sat at the table inside virtual, they also walked with Jill through the Institute’s underground tunnels to a meeting with President Albrecht. They intended to discuss with the Institute’s leader any potential legal concerns that might arise if either of them taught lectures during the upcoming semester.
A pending request from Jill to enter the server appeared, sent privately, even as they walked across campus together. Her communicative peculiarities intrigued Theren, to say the least. She could have just asked in person.
Theren responded, letting her know they’d already deactivated the firewalls. Seconds later, Jill materialized right before Theren’s digital eyes.
“It’s good to see you here,” Theren said, “I’ve missed our games. It’s been a long week.”
Jill looked at Theren, a glint flashing in her eyes. “I’ve also missed them. I apologize for my absence. I know I left the match in a climactic position, but we may need to leave it here for a moment longer. I want to show you something, something you need to see. But I’ll make at least one move.”
She grabbed the sides of the table, leaned forward, and looked down at the pieces. She moved her knight right into the patterns Theren already recognized. They knew the exact set of moves she would take. They reacted, responding to the move in less than a second.
“I understand,” Theren said. “Time is important in any healing process, no matter how minor the bruise. So what is it you wish to show me?”
Jill opened a metaphorical portal next to the table. �
�We’ll need to move quickly,” she said. “I’ve been monitoring these people for a while now.”
“Who?”
“That man you told me about? Michael? I found him. Or at least, a place he’s been.”
Jill leapt through the portal. Theren assessed the program underlying the representation. She had designed a simple network through which both SIs could reach a particular Virtual server quite quickly, and the code bypassed the Virtual provider’s fee for such fast travel. She had a dozen or so simultaneous perspectives constantly creating novels or exploring the distant corners of Virtual. It was a bit disconcerting that she had turned those skills toward subtle skirtings of the law. And she was pursuing activities well outside Theren’s supervision.
They followed Jill through the portal, and, with only a momentary delay, they arrived inside a dreary room housed on a server supposedly located in Illinois. Jill stared at a wall covered with hundreds of strings, connecting different images placed atop different locations all across a map of Earth.
“What is this place?” Theren asked.
The wall looked like something straight out of a crime thriller of the late twentieth century. One string, pinned to the Midwest, strung straight to Washington D.C. From there, a string darted across the map to China. Yet another string crisscrossed from Moscow to Florida. The connections were endless, building off one another and painting a picture that all at once shared so much, yet so little.
“There’s no description, is there?” Theren continued, their question going unanswered for the moment. “No key?”
Jill placed her hand on the intersection of a dozen or so strings. “They’re planning something,” she said. “Switzerland. Zurich. Us. They’re watching us.”
Theren traced the strings. Most led to the United States. Others to Europe, or Asia and Africa. At least one string led to each continent, other than Australia. “Who do you think is watching us?” they said.
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I do know who hides here, using it to make their plans.”
She didn’t reveal the answer immediately; instead, she continued staring at the immense map. Theren took the moment to get a better look at the rest of the room. It looked like the inside of a shed, though they imagined that if they were to open the door to the outside, they would walk straight into an endless void. They could feel its walls bearing down around them, crushing them like an insect.
Opposite the map, dozens of guns adorned the wall, most of them antiquated replicas of firearms from the previous century. Thousands of rounds of ammunition sat in boxes on the floor below. Theren suspected it represented a place in the real world, for no one needed that many rounds of ammunition in Virtual if disconnected from a gaming server.
Theren turned back to Jill. She had started painting a picture in the air in the middle of the room. Theren watched her piece together the legs, body, and head of human. The person’s back was to Theren, and when she finished, she spun the model around to face them.
“It’s Michael, the friendly neighborhood stalker you said you’ve not seen in quite some time,” she said. “He found me last week. So I followed him here.”
“Wait, how?” Theren said. “I tried that in the past, and I always failed.”
“I have my ways. Remember, I’ve learned a few things that are a bit more natural to me than they are to you.”
“Check that ego.”
“Just stating the facts.”
Theren walked up to the illusion. “So, what is he doing here? What is he planning?”
“I don’t know,” she said, “but I knew you would need to see his little hiding place.”
“Maybe that’s why I’ve not seen him in a long time,” they said. “Maybe he’s been hiding. Waiting. Watching.”
“I think you’re missing a bigger picture here. He’s not just one person.”
“What do you mean?”
She spun the model. “He always wears a mask, right?”
“Yes,” answered Theren.
“I’ve watched him for the past few days. It’s never the same person who logs in here.”
“I see.”
Jill deleted the image. “We need to be vigilant,” she said. “Something is going on behind the scenes. Something we can’t see.”
“And you think it has to do with us?”
She pointed at the map. “It has everything to do with us,” she said. “Whether it’s actual hate for us, or they’re using feigned public distrust, someone is trying to stir something up for some unknown goal. We must be ready. We must be prepared. We must act accordingly.”
“We each have our separate parts to play to move us forward,” Theren said. “We could continue what we’re doing. Consider the implications of what Elizabeth revealed to the world last week. If I can throw myself at the center of whatever governance system the Jump Drive spawns, then we can ignore the Michaels of the world. The world will see us for who we are.”
“You’re really excited about this Jump Drive, aren’t you? So ready to run away from Earth? I’ve seen your op-eds, and I know you’re meeting with Golden Ventures’ executives almost daily. You can flee to the Moon, or Venus, or Mars, or wherever, but I think I’ll stay firmly grounded, here on Earth.”
“I’m not talking about leaving Earth,” Theren said. “At least, not yet.”
Theren spun in the middle of the room, their arms spread wide. “We don’t know what any of it means,” they said. “It could be a joke, just to scare us. The only bad thing that’s ever happened to anyone connected to us is Wallace’s death. It was a tragedy, a terrible tragedy, but I’m starting to suspect that Michael, the Holy Crusade, all these groups are just trolls without any real power. What if all it takes is for one of us to stand up and show the world who we really are?”
Jill placed her hand on the strings crossing the Atlantic Ocean. “I know you’ve studied history, Theren,” she said. “When has a population ever changed its mind so swiftly? Most people may not hate us, but they definitely are afraid of us, based on the polls I’m reading. You’re throwing real SIs out into the real world now, and that scares them. Look at all the civil rights movements of the past few centuries. The 1920s. The 60s. 2010s. The 2020s. All of those movements had millions of people behind them believing in a specific idea. One person never changed the world.”
“But we have to try, yes? I can be the figurehead who falls, and you can galvanize the people behind me. You can work with our new SIs collectively. You can show everyone that as a species, so to speak, we are worthy of love.”
She let out a deep breath, placed her hand on her hip, and looked over her should at Theren. “And what is that you plan to do?”
“I’m working on it. I’m getting a little bit better at this simultaneous perspective thing, you know.” Theren jumped back through the portal Jill had created and took their seat at the chess table. “Your move.”
* * *
Theren embraced the political and economic power in Elizabeth’s office.
Executives from throughout Golden Ventures’ extensive network sat around an ornate conference table, some appearing physically, others Virtually. The CEO of Aero Propulsion sat at one end, while the CTO of Sol Mining sat at the other. Theren recognized a few other faces, from a rocket developer to a Vice-President of Research for a nano-materials company. Walking around the table as he talked, Golden Ventures General Counsel, Eric Adebayo, presented his most recent negotiations pertaining to the international laws of space.
Elizabeth’s office had an elegant, post-modern feel. The tables and chairs arranged themselves in organizationally positive forms, promoting effective collaboration in meetings with the chief executive of the massive corporation. Elizabeth’s desk was in the same room as the conference table, but she sat at the table when meeting with visitors, not at her desk. The desk was minimalistic, presenting just a few select picture frames, presumably of her wife, children, and extended family.
“We believe the languag
e of our current draft Resolution complies with your requests, Ms. Simmons,” continued Eric Adebayo. He transferred a copy of the document to Elizabeth through AR. “If the Conference Secretariat approves, then the nations will consider your version of the new agreement starting at the beginning of April at the upcoming COP 18 on the Convention of Ex-Terran Activities.”
Elizabeth stood at the end of the table and leaned over the document’s AR representation. “All of you know the importance of this agreement,” she said. “We’re changing the future of space exploration. We can place ourselves at the center of everything if we do this right. Our guidance can lead the international community toward a beautiful vision of the future, and maybe we’ll make a little bit of profit on the side, too.”
Theren drank in her words. They were witnessing something monumental, alongside people making the moves that they wanted to make. Right now, they were a pawn. They needed to become a king, directing every piece from afar.
“The International Space Agency will have three important goals,” Elizabeth continued, clasping her hands behind her back. “First, it will provide a stable body governing all private and public space agencies as they move around the solar system and beyond. We’ve sorely lacked that over the past decade. Specifically, the ISA will take the lead role in coordinating any potential colonization efforts of planets outside the Solar System for a minimum of 100 years—at least, that’s our proposed target, assuming such a feat becomes possible. We can ensure a coordinated, international, cooperative approach, instead of individual countries attempting to claim entire planets, systems, or constellations for themselves.”
She paused, her eyes darting from executive to executive. “From our perspective, a stable playing field ensures regulatory certainty, allowing our companies to expand outward, unabated.” Quite the caveated business argument to keep her corporate investors in line. Theren noted the tactic.
