by Marcus Sloss
The gateways were two points in separate solar systems that connected to each other by wormhole portals. One moment you were in space not far from Versi the next you were close to Earth. There was always a call out of a pending transition and then a transition complete announcement. I never understood those steps, but they were said every time. I wondered if there was a separate call out rehearsed for the idiots who got lost into the depths of space. I could imagine the ‘We went through the gate before it was linked, we are now in another universe, take our sincerest apologies.’
I remembered how isolated Versi was and how well connected Earth was. In 2474 humanity made first contact when a deteriorating portal triggered a warning for the universe’s watchdogs. It was an enlightened species that represented a group called the Onatics who fixed our unstable portal. This group was massive, numbering in the millions of unique species. They ruled the universe across multiple galaxies. You either joined or you were given a rouge status. Why did we bend the knee to these aliens so quickly? I remember watching the video where Emperor Vinta asked for a display of power to justify giving up so much to be an Onatics member. A billion warships blinked into the space around Earth with welcome greetings, then blinked out minutes later. It was a dramatic event that forever changed humanity. Emperor Vinta joined in fear and it made sense. Humans were not great with rules, our prison systems overflowed. If you were a rouge species any violation could mean the entire species eradication. If you were a member, only the offending party was punished. We joined the Onatics that very same year of 2474.
We humans were now under the rules and laws that bound the universe. The way we lived changed forever. People like me who come from a quiet planet that never received alien visitors are known as ‘bumpkins’. No idea where the term originated but we unenlightened humans were perceived by the noble people from Earth as less informed simply from our home location. It was all rather dramatic and dumb to me. But to others, like the whiney Earth humans it meant a lot.
Another shock to us from first contact was the brackets. There were seven brackets of species evolution. The brackets were established to ensure equality across the species. With so many different alien life forms at so many different stages of advancement, grouping them helped ensure fairness. We were taught in history class this was mainly for those species who achieved stage four or higher. When our initial contact representatives asked for clarification they were ignored. We needed to reach stage four. It was a repeating theme over and over. I do remember having to memorize the brackets.
First was the species could think and problem solve. Second was the species could travel outside an atmosphere and colonize other places than the homeworld. Third was the species could travel vast distances through wormholes, gateways, or portals. This stage you were meant to acquire and populate one hundred planets free from war. Every species got one hundred protected systems to establish strong and secure economies. Fourth was the species expanded to one hundred star systems and fought to maintain a hundred and first system in an unprotected war region. The fourth was a big deal because it meant you were ready to play in the game of planets. Where war was rife and economies blossomed. Fifth was the species could achieve immortality. We were taught a lot of conflicting information about this stage. The reality was we knew so little. A stage five species could have different ways of immortality. We heard cloning was a common method but that it was expensive. Sixth was the ability to dematerialize living beings or objects and reform them anywhere you wanted with no changes to the being or object. The seventh stage was ascension into a protected never ending nirvana leaving this universe behind. Many sixth stage species grew tired of ruling the universe and transitioned to the seventh. The fated eighth stage which did not exist was said to be that of a god who was themselves a maker of their own universe.
So humans were in stage three and we achieved portal travels merely three years before first contact. Humans did manage to buy upgrades to our portal systems that the Onatics informed us were unsafe. So they sold us our current gateway technology at a steep discount. That is the way it was taught to me. It was mentioned we could not afford to procure new technology from the Onatics. They controlled technology tightly and it was sold with restrictions and wait for it… rules.
There was no leniency for those who did break the Onatics’ laws. Again we were informed of only the basics until we achieved stage four. Do not steal, do not develop artificial intelligence, and avoid dealings with rouge species. The Onatics long ago decided that AI were a curse. A cause of lost jobs, ruined economies, and endless wars against a tireless foe. There were still a few cases of rouge AI loose in the universe. We were forced to end all development and remove all partially sentient computer programs. The best we could have was a voice bot that could understand your needs.
Instead, of skipping the line and reaching right for the fifth stage with help from our not so friendly new allies, the Emperor on Earth finally started expanding. The problem for the ruling elites on our home planet was the further they reached out to the stars to grow the Empire the less tight their grip became. It was why after the first two dozen planets were established that colonization came to a screeching halt. It also took years to reach new systems and set up portals to colonize. Recently the booming human population forced us to once again reach for systems to inhabit. We had at least a dozen ships with portals in storage bays on their way to empty solar systems. It all required an immense amount of time.
All this raced through my mind as I stressed the transition into the Sol System. For whatever reason, I still got nervous when instantly traversing tens of thousands of light years in a mere nanosecond. The ‘transition complete’ call out came over the loudspeakers and I breathed a sigh. I was relieved and knew I only had so many more minutes of staring at my knees hunched over. I hated shuttles.
We docked with New Spain Orbital and once again I waited for the other passengers to vacate before unfolding myself out of my seat. A navigation drone tried to guide me to a shuttle for departure to Earth, but I diverted my walk to view the bustling space. Thousands of ships swarmed dozens of orbitals and shipyards. Four massive colonization ships dominated my sight. That was only one more than last year. It seemed the Emperor was not taking the expansion of our species seriously. My mother while very anti violence was pro colonization.
I absorbed the dancing ships for a while, it was not every day you got to see so many alien space vessels in one place. All of the alien vessels traveled to and from one orbital. The only place the Empire traded with the few Onatics willing to purchase good from us. We tried to sell them everything imaginable but they only wanted raw materials. The dozens of ships had always caught my attention with the myriad of random designs. There were smooth contoured sleek transports, oddly designed spikey balls, followed by blocky goliaths, and it continued until I had my fill of trying to rationalize them all. They all had a purpose, and that was what tilted my head for so long… Trying to learn the why of the designs.
I left the window and shadowed the drone to my next shuttle. There were so many beings coming and going from the Earth’s surface that I was in a long snaking line waiting for my turn for inspection. This is where you went through customs before being dropped via pod to the ground. I provided the necessary documents to an actual human teller. This woman was cranky but my paperwork was in order and I processed through with ease. I was immediately crammed into a shuttle and shot down onto Earth.
A valet awaited me on the ground at the port. I was ushered into an aircar and delivered to my mom’s lavish apartment in downtown New York. I scoffed at the show of wealth, it always caused my skin to crawl. I hated that a planetary senator and her husband, an ambassador to an alien race were so rich. It was wrong on more than a few levels, but that was politics. I swallowed my pride and grinned in my fake smile as we approached my summer home.
CHAPTER 3
We smoothly glided into a seventh story covered landing pad. I gave the airc
ar space to depart as I exited and watched it take off with a blur to get its next client. I was greeted by my stepfather as I entered the foyer.
“Welcome home Mack, I am glad you arrived swiftly and safely. I must apologize for your mother she has been detained by…” Arenus Zenski was interrupted by the over excitement of Beau.
“Mack!!! I have been waiting all year to finally see you again, you were desperately missed. Right brothers.” Beau said as she indicated her brothers with a dramatic head twirl. They gave me a lazy half wave and vanished. Probably on orders to at least give a greeting. I ignored their rudeness as I absorbed all the changes my little sister had experienced since my last visit.
She was now eight and growing so fast. Her naturally dark hair extended down her back in a tight braid. A tiara adorned her head with intricate silver inlays splashed with vibrant sapphires. Her green eyes and exuberant smile radiated charisma and energy. Beau never lied to me and was always sincere. I was genuinely happy to see her again.
The same could be said for my stepfather who patiently waited in the background. Ever the diplomat Arenus was cordial and welcoming. He would occasionally butt in on my conversations with Maranda to see if I needed a tutor or some new gadget his boys had received. He kept a constant awareness to try to keep things fair. I respected the ambassador and knew I could have had a much worse stepfather so I received his platitudes and offers with grace.
“Oh well, I hear the twins are training for some new virtual game competition. I rarely see them around the house anymore. If you were to ask them, they would… ignore you more than likely. They even avoid me these last few days. Oh… Father, do you have his itinerary so I can see when we may do yogurt runs?” Beau asked her father with anticipation of being immediately allowed to get a sweet treat.
“Beau I will send you a copy, there is something important I must discuss with Mack.” This gave me pause, it was rare to nonexistent that my stepfather wanted a heart to heart with me. He left the ‘birds and the bees’, and ‘be mindful of the law’ talks to others. Beau stormed off in defiance angrily thumping her feet in retreat. Arenus waited until she was around the corner to erect a dome of silence. The translucent bubble enveloped us as we were guaranteed privacy. I was really concerned now. “Mack you have always positively surprised me. I figured with your situation you would drift off your top notch grades or run into trouble at some juncture. Instead, I get outlandish reports about the twins and flawless boring excellence from you. I am proud of the man you have become. I mention this because I was recently promoted. I went from a stage four ambassadorship to one of the founding members of the Onatics. The sixth stage lancers are a noble race. Do you know much about them?”
I did know a bit, there was an Onatics overview class in high school. Lancers were a centaur of myth but in a cat form. The top of their body was humanoid with tight short fur, pointed coned ears, whiskers, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The two upper body arms had paws that included a thumb like nub for grasping. A Lancer’s lower body was random in its patterned fur that ranged in every color imaginable. They stood on four intensely muscled limbs that were designed for a predator. They could pounce faster and farther than any known historic cat on Earth. Outside of the general description, only a few details were known about the ancient race. They loved combat, gambling, and were prone to laziness. They enjoyed reality competitions that included death, trails, and survival. If it was randomly generated then they loved it more and gambled on it. A few humans had competed in perverse death matches soon after first contact. When none returned our species stopped participating. I was less nervous and more curious if these were the species my stepfather had been linked to in an ambassador role.
“I know the basics yes, this is a huge promotion if you are the liaison with them. Congratulations.” I said and leaned my hand out to shake. Of course, he was a small thin man and my hand swallowed his as he accepted my compliment.
“Well… yes, it was a bit of a shock even to me. The Emperor himself told me about my new assignment. Unfortunately, my lancer counterpart finds his station beneath him. He feels that being stuck on a stage three developing capital was a punishment. He yearns for his two year tour to end every time I speak with him. He rarely says much, and avoided my initial offer to visit our home for an acquaintance gathering. Well, recently he had a letter delivered to me, in written English on actual paper. It accepted my invitation and set a date for a month’s time. I cannot stress how important this meeting will be. The Emperor himself may even attend, but I have heard he plans an outer planetary tour at the same time we will be hosting. I wonder what caused Havsha to change his mind. Maybe boredom or he was ordered to accept, but that is irrelevant. What is important is you. You will be tutored on all things lancer by an undergraduate I hired. You will find your lessons on your summer itinerary. I ask you to diligently pay attention. I am trying to recall when I have asked something of you besides general rational behavior and I think this is a first. This will be a momentous occasion for our family and I dare say humankind.”
He had started to nervously ramble toward the end. I understood he was trying to stress the gravity of the situation. I, of course, was not worried, I was the opposite of a trouble maker. My younger brothers would surely be the thorn in his side.
“Arenus, thank you for the warm welcome.” My kind eyes and genuine smiled eased some of his tension. “Earth is always such a change from the quiet of Versi. I will happily attend my tutelage. I look forward to meeting a lancer and promise to be on my best behavior. Will the boys be attending class with me?”
“Ha! As if, this never leaves this bubble. Those boys are going to be in a made up tournament for their virtual game. I had it all organized to avoid them being here. I simply cannot risk it.” The diabolical genius chuckled at this. “Those little shits would probably tie fishing line across entryways. Speaking of which do not plop down into your bed without checking it.” Arenus finished with a sour tone and dry voice.
The bubble vanished and I raced to find Beau. We baked sugar cookies and read over my itinerary together. Every morning including weekends I would be transported by a private aircar to a local gym. I would get two hours of exercise of my choice followed by a morning meal there. After that, I would be shuttled to a summer college campus to attend a university preparation course, a geopolitical course, principals of gateway physics, and finally a course on digital analytics. I was not a fan of summer school but it was the standard here. Both the parents in this household had full daily schedules. Often they were busy six or seven days a week. We were not allowed to lounge all day while they were gone. I had accepted that fate years ago. My school schedule rotated classes and had a long lunch at noon until one thirty. Then it was onto my private tutor until four. From four to six was personal time, six was mandatory dinner at the table. The parents were supposed to make it and there was always an effort by them at least a few days a week. More personal time then into my room by nine, sleep pod by eleven.
That was how my entire summer was structured. I inhaled the suck, clasped my hands together to let my anger fade, and accepted my fate.
∞∞∞
My mother never got home that first night. I shrugged it off and trooped my way off to start the day. A private aircar snatched me off the seventh floor landing pad and dodged automated traffic to the gymnasium. I knew I would have to work twice as hard to stay in excellent shape here on Earth. Not from gravity, but instead from regulations in place on my sleeping pod. The Versi rules allowed extensive physical training while you slept. Earth limited your nightly exercise to just enough to stay healthy. Any excess was a waste of energy and possibly a detriment to your health. My guess was some physical fitness lobby had applied pressure due to declining memberships and boom, no more getting fit while you slept.
I could handle it though. I would merely have to take my hour workout and double it. No sweat I told myself. I ran for a half hour and then rode a simulation bike for th
e next half. Wishing I had reversed the order but the first thing I found in the massive work out arena was the track. I did squats and leg presses unit I vomited an hour and a half into my routine. I had the shakes until a vendor bot delivered me a smoothie in the locker room. I knew I was pushing myself too hard but ZBall required you to be in peak health.
My first class was boring and dumb. The web, net, or the newest term was fabric could easily have provided me with the lectured knowledge. I did not fret over getting into my local university on Versi especially with my grades and sport skills. Still, I could see this course reassuring more apprehensive students. I ate a full lunch and then piled on another. That was at least one boon at mom’s house, the allowance money was the same that the other siblings got. Which was insanely high, I looked at my E-bits available and found I had enough to buy a used aircar on Versi. A third helping of lunch was ordered, I was famished and keeping my intake up was key. A lack of nutritious food was probably the cause of my projectile bile this morning, obviously, nothing to do with eating a dozen cookies for dinner last night.
I got a big shocker when I arrived in the enclosed room for my private tutor. The young woman was a total ten, a babe so hot I knew she would be more of a distraction than a help. Ever since genebabies fired out three year old toddlers with the perfect DNA of two parents the population increased dramatically in attractiveness. I had no idea if this lady was a perfection generated in a lab, but my gut and brains said yes. She had piercing green eyes, long flowing blonde hair, soft ivory complexion, and full lavish lips. Her figure was an hourglass bombshell that I had to keep averting my eyes from. She wore a tube top that exposed the perfect amount of ample cleavage for a young man to get lost in. Her exposed belly was flat and flawless with no piercing. A pair of black yoga leggings hugged her lush hips and toned legs. I found myself looking at her socks and sneakers to keep my eyes in an appropriate spot.
