The Silence Between the Stars

by Alan Davenport

“I detect high levels of stress in your voice Nathan. Are you under any duress or are you being forced to apply against your will?”

  “No… no,” said Nathan. “It is just that I never had a psych exam before.”

  ‘Relax Nathan. The exam is only for the purpose of your application to The Starship Project. Any abnormalities found are kept in the strictest confidence. There will be no disclosure to authorities.” The image of the woman glitched momentarily and then she said, “Given your nervousness, do you still wish to continue with the exam? Please note that aborting the application process now may result in your permanent disqualification from the program.”

  Nathan took a deep breath. “Yes, I do wish to continue please.”

  The fake woman’s face showed a smile. “Very good Nathan, I will now explain the process. We will ask you a series of questions. To avoid skewing the results, this is not a multiple-choice test. You are to provide us with the first answer that comes to mind. These questions and your answers to them will determine if you are a suitable candidate. Please answer each question as honestly as you can. If you attempt to try to answer what you think we are looking for instead of giving an honest answer, we will detect the stress level in your voice and will be able to tell that you are lying. Lying will result in your instant disqualification from the project. Please indicate whether or not you understand.”

  With another nervous catch in his voice, Nathan said, “I understand, please continue.”

  “Very good. Here is the first question. If you find yourself in a crowded room, what is the first thing you want to do?”

  “Um, I am not sure what you are asking me.”

  “If you find yourself in a crowded room, what to feel like doing the most?”

  “Um, I guess I feel like I want to get out. I hate crowds.”

  “Very good Nathan. Next question. You are in a burning building, what do you do?”

  Nathan laughed and said, “I get the hell out.”

  “Very good. This next question is hypothetical. You find yourself in a very large room. You are the only person in the room. How do you feel?

  Nathan sighed and said, “I think I would be quite relaxed. I think it would be like heaven.”

  “Very good. Next question. Do you often have thoughts of suicide?”

  Nathan stood there with his elbows to his chest and his chin in his hands. “I am not a happy person but I do not want to die. I am unhappy about how the Earth has become. I have seen the historical nature videos and I wish the Earth were still that way. It makes me unhappy that humankind has destroyed this planet but not so much that I want to die.”

  “Very good answer Nathan. Next question. Something is broken in your residence. What do you do about it?”

  Nathan did not hesitate. “I fix it, if possible. I am good at fixing things. At first I fixed things to just save credits but then I discovered I liked repairing things.”

  “Excellent answer Nathan. Last question. Please be as detailed as possible in your response. Why do you wish to join The Starship Project?”

  Nathan took a deep breath and said, “Part of the reason, I detailed already in my answer to the suicide question. I feel that the Earth is doomed. People have ruined this world and I believe it is too late to save it. People just do not see how bad it has become. When I watch old nature videos, I cringe seeing just how bad the world is now compared to back then. My roommate thinks that they are all fiction. Too many people believe that… if they even know about the videos at all that is. That is why I believe that the world is doomed. The Starship Project is humanity’s last hope. That is why I want to be a part of the project.”

  “Excellent answer Nathan, most top scientists believe that this is correct also.” The avatar typed on her computer and then said, “This concludes your psychological review. Do you wish me to summarize the results for you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Very good Nathan. Your results show that you are not dependent upon others for support, that you enjoy solitude and will be unlikely to suffer from lack of human contact on your long journey. You are a survivor and adaptable. You are not put off by adversity and adapt quickly to resolve the problem at hand. Most importantly, you are observant and see things for what they are rather than hiding behind a mask of self-denial.” The avatar gave Nathan a huge fake smile and continued, “To further summarize, with the exception of your failure to have yourself sterilized, you have no negative checkmarks on your profile. You have placed in the top 99% of the applicants who have applied. One final question, if you are participate in the project, is there a person or persons who will be negatively affected by your leaving?”

  “Not that I can think of…” Nathan started to say however, he quickly changed his mind and said, “Well, my roommate Jonathan Harris might be upset. We share the rent here and he will not be able to afford the apartment on just his salary alone.”

  The avatar smiled and said, “That will not be an issue Nathan, we have Jonathan’s information on file from your apartment’s records. We will cover your half of the rent as payment for your service for as long as you participate. Is this acceptable?”

  Taken aback, Nathan said, “Really? That is more than acceptable, thank you!”

  “Very good Nathan.” The avatar stood up and bowed towards the camera. “Congratulations Nathan, you have been accepted to participate in The Starship Project! Since you scored so high on your entrance exam, you will be immediately placed upon a brand new starship. All that remains is your verbal agreement to participation. Full disclosure. If you agree, this is a binding contract, which cannot be canceled. If you understand, please place your RFID chip on the scanner and repeat after me, ‘I Nathan Staite, agree to participation in The Starship Project.’”

  Nathan sat there, frozen, unable to respond.

  “Nathan, please respond as indicated or say, ‘I do not wish to participate’.”

  Nathan sat still for several more seconds and then snapping to a decision, stood up, quickly walked to the RFID chip scanner, placed his hand upon it and said, “I Nathan Staite, agree to participation in The Starship Project.”

  “Excellent Nathan, let me be the first to welcome you to The Starship Project. A shuttle will arrive in the parking area of your apartment in approximately seventy-one minutes. You will receive a text upon its arrival.”

  “Seventy-one minutes! So soon?”

  “Yes, please have all personal effects packed and ready to go upon the shuttle’s arrival.”

  “I… I do not know if I can. I have to call work and quit. I have to tell Jonathan. How can I leave in just Seventy-one minutes?”

  “Seventy minutes. All outstanding concerns will be taken care of for you. Please remember that you have signed a binding contract. Please be ready for arrival in seventy minutes. Do you agree or shall I contact the local authorities?”

  “I... I agree,” Nathan gulped. “I will be ready.”

  “Very good Nathan, the shuttle will arrive in sixty-nine minutes. Again, welcome to The Starship Project.” Wall display flashed and then displayed “Disconnected”. Nathan thought to himself. “What have I got myself into? What have I done?” With rising alarm, he looked at his watch. Sixty-eight minutes. Nathan unfroze and rushed towards his dresser saying, “I better get packing!”

  Chapter 5: Departure

  “What was I thinking? Am I crazy?” thought Nathan as he rushed to pack his belongings. “I don’t even know what to bring!” Grabbing a duffle bag, he stuffed in several days’ worth of clothes, some toiletries, a pistol with two extra clips, some protein squares, his phone and his tablet computer. Nathan eyed the tablet and said, “Computer, please clone all my personal data from yourself onto my tablet. Also, after I have departed, please lock all my data contained on yourself so no one but me can access it. Thirty days after I leave, unless you receive different instructions from me, please cancel all of my video subscriptions. Please indicate that you understand.”

  The
wall chimed and said, “Understood Nathan, all data is being copied to your tablet. Estimated time to completion of the copy is 1 minute, 23 seconds. Upon pickup by the shuttle, all of your data on this particular computer will be locked. All video streaming subscriptions will be canceled on July 2nd, 2100. Do I have your instructions correct?”

  “Yes computer, you have it correct and thank you.”

  The computer surprised Nathan when it said, “Very good Nathan. I shall miss you. Have a great adventure.”

  “Why thank you, computer. I shall miss you as well.” Nathan gave the wall a stare. “The computer never has expressed sentiment before,” thought Nathan. “Weird!” Nathan thought for a second and then said, “Computer, please confirm the status of the rent payments for this apartment. Has the Starship Project really taken over my half of the payments?”

  “Stand by, checking. Yes, next scheduled payment is set for June 28th, 2100. Fifty percent of the bill is to be paid by automatic deduction from Jonathan Harris’s account. The remainder is scheduled to be paid by the Starship Project. The payment schedule has been set for recurring, automatic monthly payments.”

  “Wow, they don’t waste time,” thought Nathan. “Thank you, computer. That will be all. Please resume playing the slide show of Ansel Adams photographs I had requested earlier today.” Nathan sat down and for a time lost himself in the montage of the beautiful black and white images of nature. Nathan’s phone broke him out of his daydreams when it said, “Text message received. Do you wish to me to play it?”

  Nathan, startled by the sound, nervously said, “Yes. Read it aloud please.”

  “Message from The Starship Project shuttle 1138 reads as follows: ‘Your shuttle has arrived at the designated parking area for your apartment complex. Your escort will arrive at your door shortly. Please be ready to leave immediately upon their arrival’.”

  Nathan felt a knot of fear in his stomach. “Oh frack!” he nervously muttered under his breath. “Computer, please acknowledge receipt of the message.”

  “Acknowledgement sent,” said the computer.

  Hesitantly, Nathan walked over and looked at the door monitor. Lisa’s body still lay where she had died. Not a trace of her personal effects remained however. Even her clothes were gone. “Unbelievable! They took all of her stuff but they left her body,” he said angrily. “The damn vermin. I’m glad I am leaving this fracked up world!” A tear ran down his cheek as he gazed upon the image of the tiny woman’s crumpled body. “Poor Lisa,” he whispered. A movement to the right side of the screen caught his eye. Nathan gasped in shock at the visage. Two men in obsidian-black, military grade armored suits appeared at the end of the hallway. Both men sported impressive state-of-the-art assault rifles. The corridor dwellers fled past his apartment door in a blind panic. He watched in fascination as the armored men approached and then stopped at his door. Ignoring the naked dead body on the floor, one man waved his RFID chip at the doorway. The door monitor chimed and, swallowing hard, Nathan said, “Yes? Who is there?”

  The man at the left raised his visor and said, “Hello I am Captain Kurt Caruso. Sergeant Lane Basso and I are here to escort you to your starship. May we enter?”

  Nathan pressed the door unlock icon and opened the door. Eyeing them warily, he said, “Come on in.”

  Kurt held out a hand-held scanner. “Please present your RFID chip for the scanner sir.” Nathan held out his hand, shaking, to Kurt’s scanner. It beeped and looking at the display, Kurt said, “Very good Nathan. Are you ready?” Nathan nodded towards the duffle bag at his feet. “Is that all you wish to bring sir?” Nathan nodded. “Very good sir. Before we leave, I need to remind you that anything you see or anything that we tell you falls under your contract’s non-disclosure agreement. You are to reveal to nobody whatsoever outside of the project any details from this point forward upon pain of recycling. Do you understand sir?” Nathan fearfully took a step backwards and nodded affirmative. Kurt laughed and said, “Relax sir. That is just a formality. We are taking you directly to your starship. You will be unable to contact anybody anyway from this point forward. The project’s lawyers require me say that. I’m not here to harm or threaten you.” Nathan’s face still showed fear and he held back. “Seriously sir, relax. We need you. The only thing to fear are the lawyers and they will not be able to reach you once you are underway,” he said with a wink.

  With a nervous laugh Nathan said, “I will not be able to contact anyone once I leave?”

  “That is correct sir. That is to protect the project’s security.” Nathan hesitated and Kurt said, “If you wish to leave a goodbye message to your roommate that would be okay. Please record your message now if you wish to do so. We need to get going.”

  Looking startled Nathan said, “I never thought of that! Things are going so quickly today.” Turning to the computer he said, “Computer record the following audio message for Jonathan. Message begins: By the time you get this Jon, I will be gone. I have joined The Starship Project. Do not worry about the rent. The project is covering my portion of the rent for you for as long as I am a participant. I am sorry, my friend. I believe that you are wrong. Earth IS doomed. Maybe I will find everybody a new planet and you can join a colony ship. Look into it. Be well, my friend. Computer, end message. Please deliver this to Jon when he gets home.”

  The computer chimed and said, “I will Nathan. I shall miss you. Please take care.”

  Nathan again looked at the computerized image of the woman on his wall with surprise. “Thank you, computer. Take care of Jon for me.”

  Sergeant Basso looked at the wall in surprise as well. He said, “I swear these house avatars are getting more and more human by the day!”

  Kurt said, “You got that right sergeant.” To Nathan he said, “Are you ready Sir? I would like to get you to your starship ASAP.”

  “I am confused. Don’t I need to go to an orientation first?”

  “Orientation will occur upon your starship. You are lucky sir; your ship has only just been completed. There are a number of techs still aboard. Last I heard they were performing final diagnostics on the ship’s main reactors and are preparing to power her up for the first time.”

  Feeling overwhelmed Nathan said, “BRAND new? Wow.”

  “Yes Sir, from what I read on your file, you have received the highest score ever on your entrance exam. You are to be the first one assigned to a new generation two starship.” Kurt held out his hand and Nathan numbly shook it. “Congratulations sir.” Kurt said, “Let us get going sir. Grab your bag.”

  Still half in a state of shock, Nathan grabbed his bag and followed the two men out the door. As the door closed and locked behind him, he heard the computer say, “Goodbye Nathan.” Nathan did not look back.

  “I feel like a head of state!” Nathan said as the two armored men escorted him to the parking lot. Kurt nodded and said nothing. The men’s heads swiveled left and right, checking for any threat. Their rifles at the ready, fingers upon the triggers. “Is all this really necessary?” asked Nathan in amazement.

  “Yes sir, it is,” said Kurt. “There have been… attacks.”

  Nathan looked at him, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

  “Afraid so Nathan. Although many people act as if their heads are buried in the sand, I think most people know that Earth is doomed. That broadcast from the minister did not fool anybody. It has only made things worse. It has led to apathy and violence. People know that there is no hope. It is as if they are trying to seal their own fate by killing the very people who are trying to save them.” Nathan looked towards him with understanding in his eyes. He was about to open his mouth to say something but suddenly stopped short when he caught sight of the shuttle. Hyper-alert, his escort immediately stopped alongside, flanking him. The shuttle sat in the parking lot. In contrast to his escort’s black combat armor, it stood there, pure white and gleaming in the dingy sunlight. The only adornment, the shuttle’s identification numbers. Nathan stared in awe at the a
rrowhead shaped vessel. It was fully twenty meters long and sat upon sturdy landing struts. Two additional men in black combat suits and carrying assault rifles stood on either side, guarding. The crowds were giving the shuttle a wide berth… for the most part. Somebody in the crowd hurled a bottle with surprising accuracy towards one of the guards. It bounced harmlessly off his chest armor. The guard instantly took aim at his attacker and in a single fluid motion, shot him dead center in the chest. The explosive rounds nearly split the man in two and he fell dead to the pavement with a wet, meaty thud. As one, the mob turned and fled the scene. Kurt grabbed Nathan’s shoulder and said, “Come on Nathan, let’s get you aboard before someone decides to use something more lethal than a bottle.” Nathan did not hesitate. The trio quickly boarded the shuttle followed by the others. The guards stood at the top of the ramp with their weapons drawn until it had completely closed. “We’re aboard,” Kurt bellowed. “Get us in the air, pilot!”

  Chapter 6: Orientation

  Nathan did not know what to expect. However, the last thing he expected to feel was… nothing… as the shuttle rapidly lifted off. “Captain, don’t I need to buckle up or something?” he asked in wonder.

  “Negative Nathan, this shuttle uses the latest antigravity drive. The inertial management system controls the ship’s internal gravity, which completely negates all effects of acceleration. We are rising through the atmosphere at over 25Gs. The IMS constantly adjusts the internal gravity compensation. With the IMS set to 100% you cannot even tell that we are moving.” Kurt gave a little grin and said, “Some pilots like dial their IMS down to 99% so that they can ‘feel the ship’.”

  Nathan reached the bridge and stared in shock at the main view screen. They were already well out of the atmosphere. The dirty brown and blue Earth was far below them and falling away fast. “Wow, just wow!” he said. “If I didn’t know better, I would have bet a full year’s credits that we were still in the parking lot!”