Launch

by Richard Perth

  Amira shook her head. “Instead of the emotions that we human beings have, Elf has a computer operating system instructing it to serve people. It monitors itself and has overlapping layers of redundancy. It is impervious to electronic failure or unauthorized outside influence. It does make errors, but almost none affect anybody or are detected by a person.

  “Congress and I receive reports from Elf about the errors it makes. They are the most boring reading you can imagine. I use them as an occasional sleep aid. Elf uses error reports to reprogram itself so errors will not be repeated.”

  Claire frowned. “What about quality of life? What about jobs? Don’t people feel useless if everything is done for them?”

  “The increase in productivity from the automation revolution has multiplied capital enormously and eliminated poverty,” Amira replied. “Elf and automation and unlimited universal education have raised the standard of living and the quality of life to levels that would have been unimaginable in the twenty-first century. People can pick their challenges now and spend their lives doing something they enjoy, instead of being chained to drudgery.”

  “You mentioned Elf provides police protection,” David said. “Is the crime rate high?”

  “No. Effective law enforcement is the key to preventing crime. Elf is virtually everywhere, and its enforcement is virtually flawless.”

  “You don’t have crimes of passion?” he asked.

  “Yes, but frequently Elf can anticipate those and intervene before the crime occurs.”

  “What about the death penalty?”

  Amira shook her head. “America abolished that in the twenty-second century. Human error could not be eliminated from the justice system. Every year, innocent people were falsely convicted and sentenced to death and every year innocent people were executed. In a case widely reported on by the media, a mother with three children was executed just hours before she was proven innocent. An outraged American public demanded that the death penalty be put to death.”

  “A mother with three children: that’s horrible,” Claire said.

  Amira nodded. “She had been falsely convicted of a heinous crime.”

  “Do we still own a part of Elf?” David asked.

  “You and Claire became the sole owners of Elf Corporation when your trustee, Michael Bedford, bought all outstanding stock for your trust. The company was nationalized in 2230. The American government agreed then to pay you one trillion dollars for the company plus interest. As of now, the United States owes you more than forty-three million, trillion dollars. That’s the number forty-three with eighteen zeros after it.”

  Claire and David looked at each other in surprise. Just then, three robots served lunch and left.

  “That sounds like a lot of money,” David said. “How much is a dollar worth?”

  “Elf keeps the value of the dollar equal to the value of the American dollar at the beginning of the millennium. It’s worth more now than when you left.”

  Claire took a bite of her lunch and exclaimed, “Fantastic! Fresh food!” David grinned with his mouth full.

  They ate quietly for a minute before Claire asked, “Does the government have forty-three million trillion dollars?”

  Amira shook her head. “I have the mortifying duty to inform you that the United States government is in the ridiculous position of owing you far more money than it could pay in your lifetime. Congress has, however, passed a bill authorizing a billion dollars a year to be paid to you every year for as long as you live. An additional one-hundred billion dollars will be available to you for any project that does not destabilize any market or harm any person. I signed the bill into law, and the first billion has already been credited to your account.

  “Accepting the money does not waive your claims for the entire amount you are owed.”

  David asked, “What’s the income tax on a billion dollars a year?”

  “Income taxes for individuals were inefficient, expensive to administer, harmful to the economy, and managed to be unfair to just about everybody. They were phased out long ago. The government gets by just fine on PVAT, death taxes, land rent, taxes on business, and income from investments.”

  Claire asked, “What’s PVAT?”

  “It’s a Progressive Value Added Tax: a value added tax combined with a progressive luxury tax. There’s no tax on the minimum price for any necessity. Prices above the minimum are taxed progressively. PVAT is cheap to assess and collect, it helps keep prices down, and it allows people to choose whether they want to save money or spend it on luxuries and higher taxes.

  “Many young people keep their spending down and become debt free millionaires by age forty. Then they can enjoy their income without worrying about the future.”

  “Are death taxes the same as estate taxes?” David asked.

  “Yes,” Amira said. “Death taxes are one-hundred percent of the estate minus allowances made for the human needs of dependents and heirs. They help equalize job opportunities by eliminating unmerited advantages of inherited wealth.”

  David looked at Claire and said, “What do you think? Can we get by on a billion dollars a year?”

  She smiled. “We might be able to squeeze by if we’re careful.”

  When they finished lunch, Amira said, “Thank you very much for having lunch with me and being so gracious about your government’s financial embarrassment.

  “Claire, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you at two this afternoon at my favorite spa. They’ll give you the spa treatment and do your hair and nails and makeup for the White House dinner party tonight.”

  “A formal dinner,” Claire said and looked down at her jumpsuit. “What’re we going to wear?”

  “A full wardrobe including formal wear is in the apartment the reception committee rented for you.” Amira said. “Is formal okay?”

  Claire smiled. “I’ll enjoy dressing up for a change. How did the committee know our sizes?”

  “Welcome to the magical world of Elf. Over the next few months you’ll be repeatedly astonished by what it can do.”

  Chapter 28

  The public taxi flying Claire and David from the White House to their apartment had a white and dark blue interior with gold colored trim and six seats. Three were across the back. Two were across the aisle from each other in the middle. A single seat that could swivel in a full circle for easy access was centered at the front. A sliding door was on each side at the back.

  They swiveled the middle seats to face forward, sat across the aisle from each other, and held hands across the aisle. As the taxi lifted off and began accelerating over the Pacific, she said, “We got lucky.”

  He nodded. “I think so. The world looks like a better place, and we don’t have any money worries.”

  Claire heard a soft chime, and Elf asked, “Doctor Archer, General Archer, what would you like for dinner at the White House tonight?”

  Claire asked, “Can we get West Texas style barbecue?”

  “Yes, ma’am. It can be flown in from Texas.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “Less than an hour from restaurant to table by suborb, ma’am. Pecos Bill’s on the Rio Grande in El Paso has an excellent reputation and provides containers that keep food in moist heat during transit.”

  “I’ll have sliced marbled-brisket and links dry with sauce on the side.”

  “Dessert and salad from the White House kitchen, ma’am?”

  “Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing and peach cobbler a la mode.”

  “To drink, ma’am?”

  “Low calorie, sweet, decaf iced tea.”

  David said, “Same for me except I’ll have fresh buttermilk-with-mayo ranch dressing. Let me take a wild guess: suborb is the common name for suborbital rocket transport?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s the most frequently used mode of long distance transportation for people and high-priority cargo.”

  “Pollution-free fusion engines?”

  “Yes, si
r.”

  “How do they cope with the noise?

  “The engines are mounted in noise canceling pairs, sir.”

  “How does that work?”

  “Each engine is tuned to make a sound that cancels the sound of the other engine. There are two pairs of noise canceling engines on this taxi, sir.”

  “Why four engines instead of two?”

  “Comfort, sir. With only two engines, the taxi would need to lift off at two gs so it wouldn’t fall if one engine failed. With four engines, the taxi can safely lift off at a more comfortable one and one-quarter gs.”

  “I noticed a screen on top that tapers from the engine air intakes to the front of the taxi,” David said. “Is that to keep birds out of the engines?”

  “Yes, sir. The bird deflection screen is at a shallow angle to reduce damage to the animal in the event of a collision.”

  “That must happen a lot with so many taxis.”

  “No sir. Each taxi broadcasts an ultrasonic sound that birds can hear for a long way. They learn to avoid areas with high traffic.”

  Claire asked, “Speaking of sounds, what was that chime I heard, Elf?”

  “It was a signal so you would not be startled when Elf spoke, ma’am.”

  ▼

  The taxi took them to a tall, white, octagonal building in Malibu adjacent to the beach. They disembarked directly into the living room of a spacious apartment on the top floor, and the wall closed behind them.

  The wall had been opaque from the outside. From the inside, there was a striking view of the beach and the Pacific Ocean, and Catalina Island, 39 miles away, was clearly visible. But there was no heat or glare from the sun.

  Claire tapped on the wall. “What is this, Elf?”

  “It’s omniglass, ma’am. Elf can set it to be transparent, translucent, opaque, one-way, or a video screen. This wall is now set on a one-way mode with a sunlight reduction.”

  “Why is it flat white from the outside?”

  “To eliminate the glare a reflection would cause, ma’am.”

  The living room was attractively furnished. Vases with fresh flowers were on end tables beside couches facing each other across the room. Beyond two reclining chairs, a picture of a cougar on a canyon ledge hung on the wall opposite the omniglass.

  “Elf, is our personal property from Origin here?”

  “Yes, ma’am. It has been decontaminated and placed in the master bedroom closets.”

  An omniglass wall was in the bedroom with a view similar to the one in the living room. A king-size bed flanked by night tables was against the opposite wall. A picture of Origin, in space with the stars of Omega Centauri in the background, was over the headboard. Doors beside the night tables led to a large master bath, a large dressing room, and two large walk-in closets. One closet held a full wardrobe of new clothes for Claire, and the other held new clothes for David.

  The ebony box of gold coins was in Claire’s closet. She took it into the living room and centered it on a table beneath the painting of the cougar. The red velvet unfolded to display the coins, and Joanne and Michael smiled out at her from the photo in the lid. If only you could be here, Claire thought. Then, without thinking to be specific, she asked, “Elf, are these safe here?”

  “Yes, ma’am, unless young children visit. They tend to be curious.”

  It occurred to her that Elf’s answer confirmed that it wasn't simply listening for its name. It was watching her and could actually see the coins in the box. Yet there was no trace of a camera or speakers or speakers in the living room.

  She felt a tingle at the back of her neck.

  Claire and David explored the apartment separately. He stopped in the hallway in front of a door. It slid open to reveal a robot standing silent and still. “Are you functional?” David asked.

  “Yes, sir,” the robot replied.

  He watched it, but it still did not move or light up. “What do you do?”

  “Almost anything you want, sir.”

  “Stay there.”

  “Yes, sir,” the robot said. David walked off and the door closed.

  A few minutes later Claire came to the same door, and it opened to reveal the robot. She asked, “Do you work?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What can you do?”

  “Almost anything you want, ma’am.”

  “Stay there.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the robot said as Claire walked off and the door closed.

  David discovered a small room with a reclining chair in the center facing a video screen. It wrapped around the walls and ceiling and encompassed the full field of vision of anyone sitting in the chair.

  He sat down and asked, “What’s this?”

  “This is an audio-video center, General, usually referred to as an AVC. Everything in Elf’s library can be projected here. That includes just about everything that has been recorded on any media since the beginning of time. AVCs can be used for communication, education, research, reading, TV, movies, shopping, and games.”

  “Can you project a cross-sectional diagram of a taxi?”

  Elf replied, “Yes, sir,” as a diagram appeared on the screen.

  David studied it. “Can these things be built so they can be flown by a person?”

  The diagram changed to that of a taxi with flight controls. “Yes, sir. They are readily available.”

  As David looked in the door of a second AVC, he heard, “Oooh! You have to try this David.”

  Claire smiled at him from the bed in the master bedroom. He went to the bed, took her in his arms, and kissed her as he laid down beside her.

  “Hello, Lieutenant General Doctor Ms. General Archer. Welcome back to Earth.”

  She returned his kiss, and it was about to get exciting when a taxi arrived to take her to the spa.

  ▼

  Claire enjoyed being massaged, steamed, bathed, and styled. When she returned to the apartment, she found three gowns in her wardrobe that would be suitable for the evening. She selected a light blue-grey that matched her eyes. A single strap of rich burgundy, complementing her hair, slashed across her left shoulder and across the bodice, like a royal sash. A matching burgundy handbag and a white, fake-fur cape completed the ensemble, but she could not find any suitable shoes: only a pair of matching slippers.

  “Elf, are there any high heels here?”

  “No, ma’am. High heels are not in fashion; they are dangerous and unhealthy. The burgundy slippers go with the dress.”

  The irregular shape of the outside of her feet and toes disappeared as she put the slippers on. The burgundy color around the edge of the slippers gradually became transparent at the upper. Her feet appeared smaller and beautifully sculpted. She stood up and discovered the slippers were surprisingly comfortable. “These are amazing! How did they make them so comfortable, Elf?”

  “It’s a standard design, ma’am: form-fitting, super-cushion insoles and a tough, flexible outer sole.”

  David appeared wearing a midnight-blue tuxedo with a matching bow tie and cummerbund and a ruffled ivory shirt. With a delighted smile he said, “You make the twenty-sixth century look gorgeous.”

  “And you, sir, are the most handsome in any century.”

  David held his wallet in his hand. “Elf, my ID and credit cards are way out of date. I don’t know if the money’s any good either. What do we do about that?”

  “You don’t need any of those things, sir. Elf executes all financial transactions and can identify everybody. You could sell it or donate it as an antique.”

  “What about keys?” Claire asked.

  “Keys are unnecessary, ma’am. Elf controls doors.”

  Claire thought that was convenient, but it also seemed a bit creepy.

  ▼

  Their taxi to the White House was clean like their first public taxi, but the decor was orange, red, and yellow. Claire asked, “Elf, do all taxis have different interiors?”

  “No, ma’am. About ten thousand are curre
nt at any time. They are selected from the winners of periodic design contests open to the public.”

  “How do taxis fly?

  “Air from four fusion fans is ducted behind the aircraft into a lift chamber below to provide lift for takeoff, ma’am. When the aircraft is above nearby obstacles, the wings are lowered into position and a nozzle at the back uses part of the thrust for acceleration. At two hundred and forty miles per hour, the wings support the aircraft and all fan thrust is used for forward propulsion.”

  Everything works perfectly, Claire thought, and everything is controlled by Elf. Maybe the planet should be renamed Elf.

  Chapter 29

  After introducing Claire and David to the other guests at the White House dinner, Amira excused herself and left them talking to Dr. Albert Masters, the Director of NASA. He said, “We have begun to review the massive amount of data you've brought back. The specimens you collected on Minor-four-b have been taken to a biologically secure lab. Robots are searching the ship for samples of the space rocks that hit Origin. Their composition will give us priceless information.

  “The President told me you’re scheduled to speak to a joint session of Congress on Friday, October fourth, and a ball is scheduled here in your honor on Saturday, the fifth. We'd like to hire both of you starting on Monday, October seventh. That will give you three months of vacation and a day to rest up after the ball.”

  Claire said, “I appreciate your job offer, Doctor Masters, but medicine is my first interest. I want to go back to medical school and bring my skills up to date.”

  “We’re sorry to lose you. Will you have time for a debriefing after your vacation?”

  “Yes, sir. I will do my duty to complete the mission.”

  “Thank you, Claire.”

  “What does NASA do now?” David asked.

  “Of course we monitor and regulate space: suborbs, satellites, resort hotels in orbit and on the moon, and active exploration and mining operations on planets and moons in the solar system. The advent of suborb travel led to the merger of the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA, so we also monitor and regulate Earth’s airspace.”