The Silence Between the Stars

by Alan Davenport

  Nathan frowned and said, “It seems so heartless to just recycle her body like that.”

  Kelly put her hand upon his arm and said, “It is just a body, an empty shell. What matters is the intelligence, the person, inside the body. Misty is still here. We have not lost her. If we had, showing reverence towards the body would be appropriate. In this case, her old body is just a thing.”

  “I suppose so.” He did not sound convinced.

  Seventeen noisily rolled up to him and said, “Please lay upon the table Nathan.” Nathan stood unmoving. Seventeen said, “Relax Nathan. Why should you suffer in your old, worn out body? I shall print you a new one. It will be the equivalent of your body when you were twenty-one years of age. In addition, I will remove some minor defects from the template. You will be better than you have even been in your entire life.” Nathan sighed and then climbed upon the table, his joints popping loudly. The bot gave him an injection and as he drifted off to sleep, he heard Kelly’s voice in his head. “Relax love, it will be all right.”

  Two minutes later, Nathan awoke. He did not move. Nervously, he thought to himself, “My Name is Nathan Staite. I am the captain of the starship Silent Running. My ship’s avatar’s name is Kelly and she has a body of her own.” He paused at that thought and then thought some more, “Hmmm. My mind seems to be okay.” He opened his eyes and quickly sat up. “I’m okay!” he shouted.

  Kelly laughed and said, “See silly, nothing to it!”

  Nathan swung his feet over the side of the bed and slid down onto his feet. “Oh!” he said. “My joints no longer crack!”

  Kelly laughed some more and repeated, “See silly?”

  “I can see and hear better!” He ran up to Kelly and kissed her. “Why didn’t you make me do this sooner?”

  Kelly looked at him tolerantly. “I love you, you silly, silly man,” she said with a smile.

  Now both happy and relieved, he said, “We should do something to celebrate!”

  “Like what?” Kelly said in amusement. “What is there to do that we have not already done countless times before?”

  “I don’t know,” he said happily. “First, I say we go eat. What do you think Misty? Do you like that idea?” The dog barked and began to run in circles around Nathan. Nathan turned to Kelly and said, “Let’s go!”

  In the galley, Nathan and Misty ate more than their usual fare. Kelly, who was not hungry herself, watched the pair in amusement. “I am going to go watch a movie. Want to come?”

  “No, that’s alright. I will pass this time. Misty and I are going to eat some more, right girl?” Misty barked and ran over to the food processor. Kelly waved at them as she left the room. “Have fun!” she said.

  When she was gone, Nathan looked at Misty. With a thoughtful expression he said, “Kelly is right. What is there to do that we have not already done? We have watched countless movies. We have listened to more music that I thought ever existed. We have even used the ridiculous ship’s lasers to vaporize asteroids for fun.” Nathan smiled at the memory of that one. “What else is there to do?” Misty said nothing. She just nuzzled his hand. In a flash, Nathan’s face lit up. “I know what we can do. I should have done this a long time ago too. I am going to ask Kelly to marry me!” Misty barked at him in approval. “I know it does not matter. Not really. We essentially are married already. I just want to make it official, Misty.” Misty continued to wag her tail and pant at him.

  Nathan took a cart to maintenance bay number one. On the way, he summoned maintenance and repair bot number 1,776 with a thought. When they arrived he immediately asked, “What is our supply of gold, 1776?”

  The bot eyed him and said, “We have two hundred kilograms of gold on board. What project do you have in mind Captain Nathan Staite?”

  “Oh!” he said. “That will be more than enough. I need you to make me two, smooth and unadorned rings of pure gold. The outside of the ring should be rounded and the interior, where it rests against the finger, should be flat. No sharp edges. They should be all smooth and well rounded. Make one to fit my ring finger and one to fit Kelly’s ring finger. In addition, I need you to make a similar ring out of silver with a mount for a gem. Make that one to fit Kelly’s ring finger as well. Please mount a large diamond on this ring.” Nathan had a thought that worried him, “We do have diamonds don’t we?”

  “Yes Captain Nathan Staite. We have diamonds from a very large one hundred-fifty-caret size all the way down to microscopic size. The diamonds range from industrial quality to gem quality and exist in all shades. Do you wish me to make the ring for avatar Kelly for adornment purposes or for abrasion work purposes?”

  Nathan looked at the bot sideways and said, “Adornment please. Please use a lemon tinted, ten-caret diamond cut for maximum sparkle. How long will this take, 1776?” he said nervously.

  The bot looked at him and said, “I can have them ready in seven minutes. Is this acceptable Captain Nathan Staite?”

  Nathan smiled and said, “Yes. Please begin. I will wait.”

  When the rings were ready, he put them into his pockets. The gold rings went into his left hand pocket and the silver ring went into his right hand pocket. “Come Misty!” he said and then got onto the cart and drove to the ship’s theater. Nathan smiled as he rolled to a stop outside the door. The sounds of a science fiction television show came from within. “Ha, caught you watching Firefly again Kelly,” he thought to himself with a grin. Suddenly nervous, he stood in the doorway watching Kelly watching the old television show until the closing credits began to scroll. He took a deep breath and then went inside.

  Kelly saw him and smiled with a sideways grin. “You caught me watching science fiction again, eh?” she said with a laugh. Nathan looked at her nervously. “What’s wrong?” she said with concern upon her face.

  Driven by fear and nerves, Nathan quickly walked up to her, knelt upon the floor in front of her, reached into his right hand pocket and brought out the ring with the beautiful diamond. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Kelly, you always said that you wanted to experience everything that it was to be human. Here is something else that you can do. If you want, you can get married to me.” He lifted the ring towards her and said, “Kelly, will you marry me?” Kelly, too shocked for words, did not respond. Nathan’s face dropped and he said, “If you don’t want to, I will understand.” When he started to pull the ring back, Kelly reached out and grabbed it from him. “YES!” she shouted and then she jumped up out of her chair, grabbed Nathan and kissed him as hard as she could.

  When they finally broke apart, Kelly excitedly said, “When can we do it? Can we do it now?”

  Nathan laughed and said, “No dear, we need a ship’s captain to perform the ceremony.”

  Kelly looked at him as if he were stupid. “Well, you are a ship’s captain, Nathan!”

  Nathan laughed again and said, “I cannot marry myself! Katy, on the other hand, can do it for us on her ship the next time we meet up.”

  Her face dropped and she said, “Oh!” A second later, she recovered her smile and said, “I can wait that long!” She took the ring and put it upon her finger. One-seven-seven-six yet again lived up to his reputation and the ring fit perfectly. Kelly cried tears of joy as she looked at the beautiful ring. “Katy is going to be so surprised!” she sniffed.

  In the three weeks that it took them to finish their exploration route, Kelly never took the ring off once. Nathan often caught her staring at it, in wonder. The scene always brought a smile to his face. At last, the day arrived of their meeting. Kelly stood on the bridge waiting for the timer to count down to when they would reenter normal space. As soon as they arrived, she reached out with her implant and used the ship’s sensors. “Katy’s here!” she shouted.

  Nathan smiled at her and said, “Let’s surprise her. We will go over to her ship this time. Don’t show her the ring until we get there.”

  Kelly kissed him and said, “Yes! That will be fun!”

  When the ships were in r
ange, Nathan called her on the radio. “Hello Stranger. Anything interesting happen?”

  The radio crackled to life and said, “Nada, as usual. So, what do you want to do this time. Has Kelly been keeping you out of trouble?”

  Nathan laughed and said, “Well, she finally talked me into getting a new body. Misty too.”

  Katy laughed and said, “About time. You were actually starting to look… old!”

  “Well ha-ha-ha miss ‘I need a new body every five years’. For a change, Kelly, Misty and I are going to come over to your ship.”

  Nathan heard the alarm in her voice as she said, “Over here? Why?”

  Nathan laughed and said, “Oh Katy, how long have we known each other? I don’t care if your ship is messy or not!”

  “Well okay then but give me some time to clean up first. Come over in two hours. Okay?”

  Nathan laughed and said, “Yes Katy. Two hours should be enough time for you to wipe up the dust.”

  Katy made a raspberry sound at him and said, “Okay, two hours. No sooner!”

  Nathan took Kelly by the hands, looked her in the eyes and said, “Traditionally, the bride wears a beautiful white gown and the man wears a nice black tuxedo. Since the ship’s storehouse does not contain these items, the next best thing will be for us to wear crisp, brand-new black and white ship’s jumpsuits. What do you say?”

  Kelly giggled and said, “Oh yes. Katy is so going to freak out!” Nathan nodded, smiled and hugged her.

  As soon as the ramp dropped down on the shuttle, Misty pushed between them and charged over to play with Willie, Katy and Henry’s golden retriever. The two dogs romped around together like things gone insane. Nathan smiled at their antics and then waved to Katy and Henry. Kelly hid the ring on her hand with her other hand.

  Katy looked up at them and said sardonically, “Nice choice of colors. Making a fashion statement?” she asked. Kelly, unable to contain herself any longer, ran up to Katy and waved her ring in front of Katy’s face. Katy’s eyes went wide and she said, “Frack!”

  Kelly excitedly and rapidly said, “Do you like it? Nathan and I are getting married. Can you perform the ceremony for us, Katy?” Katy, not one normally to be at a loss for words, just stood there staring at the ring. “Come on Katy,” Kelly said. “We want to get married!”

  Nathan, who still stood at the top of the ramp grinning said, “Give her a minute for her to get over the shock, Kelly!”

  Katy, still silent, watched motionless as Nathan walked up to her. “I thought that since we are living as husband and wife anyway, we may as well make it official. Since I cannot perform the ceremony upon myself, I’d like you to do it for us.” Katy remained mute. Laughing, Nathan put his hands upon her shoulders and gently shook her. “Snap out of it,” he said with a voice full of mirth.

  Katy at last found her voice and she sputtered out, “Yes… Yes, of course! When… when do you want to do it?”

  Kelly smiled and nearly shouted, “Right now!”

  Katy had a deer in the headlights look upon her face. “I… I have never done this before! I am not sure I know how!”

  Nathan smiled at her and said, “Relax Katy. Use your implant. The ceremony is in the ship’s database.”

  Katy took a deep breath and her face took on a distant look for a second. “Oh, it is not hard at all! Where do you want to do it? Surely not here in the shuttle bay!”

  Henry had a strange look upon his face. He softly said, “How about in the galley? That room is big enough.”

  Nathan nodded, took Kelly’s hand and said, “Shall we?”

  As the two travel carts left for the galley, the two dogs joyfully ran along behind. When they arrived, Nathan and Henry moved some tables aside. Katy gulped and looked overwhelmed. Nathan laughed and said, “I have never in all the long years we have known one another seen you this nervous, Katy. I am the one getting married here, not you!” he said laughing.

  Katy shook herself, grinned and said, “Do you guys have rings and everything?” Nathan nodded. “Okay then, go stand over at that end of the room and I will stand over here. I will start the music and when it starts, walk slowly up to me, holding hands and side-by-side. When you get to me, turn and face one another.” They nodded and quickly headed into position. Katy closed her eyes and a second later, the wedding march began playing on the galley’s speakers. Even though Kelly wore no beautiful gown and Nathan wore no expensive tuxedo, they both somehow managed to look more beautiful and handsome than ever before. When they reached Katy, they stood facing one another and then Katy began.

  “Since time immemorial, a ship’s captain has had the duty of performing the most joyous of ceremonies. From the old days on Earth upon ancient, wind driven, wooden sailing vessels until the present time, on our most advanced starships, that happy duty has been the joining of two people in matrimony.”

  Katy took a deep breath and continued. Her face relaxing as she fell deeper and deeper into the part. “We are here today to join Captain Nathan Staite of the starship Silent Running to his ship’s avatar and human, Kelly.”

  Their eyes never left one another as Katy performed the ceremony. As Katy reached the part where they were to exchange their vows, moisture appeared in the corners of her eyes. She sniffed, turned to Nathan and said, “Do you, Captain Nathan Staite of the starship Silent Running, take this woman Kelly to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

  His eyes never left Kelly’s face as he whispered, “I do.”

  Katy turned to Kelly and said, “Do you Kelly, former avatar and now human, of the starship Silent Running, take this man Nathan to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

  With tears of joy flowing down her face she also whispered, “I do.”

  Kelly and Nathan held each other’s hands and looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Katy smiled as she looked upon them. “Take out your rings. Nathan, place the ring upon Kelly’s finger and when he does so, Kelly please say, ‘With this ring I thee wed’.”

  “With this ring, I thee wed,” she said with moisture in her eyes.

  “Now you Kelly, please place Nathan’s ring upon his finger.”

  “With this ring, I thee wed,” he said, his eyes also moist.

  “I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride, Nathan.”

  Nathan reached over and grabbed Kelly in a bear hug. Their kisses lasted a long time.

  Henry, who had been silent for the whole ceremony, walked up to Katy and kissed her. Katy’s eyes lit up in surprise and joy. Henry finally spoke. “Why don’t we get married too, Katy? Will you marry me?”

  Nathan and Kelly watched wide-eyed as Katy lost her voice for the second time today. When she recovered enough to speak she smiled and said, “That was not the most romantic proposal I have ever heard Henry, however I accept! Let’s travel over to Nathan’s ship right now!”

  Henry and Katy’s ceremony was just as brief, and just as poignant. Afterwards, they pushed the tables back into position and Nathan struggled to make a wedding cake. There was nothing in the ship’s database for a cake that large. He ended up making two cakes… one slightly smaller than the other… and stacked them on top of one another. With a butter knife, he spread frosting to make one giant cake. Being the first to be married, Nathan and Kelly took the first piece. Kelly shrieked when Nathan smashed a piece into her face. “What did you do that for?” she asked in shock. Nathan, laughing so hard that his side ached said, “It is traditional!” Henry cut the next piece and as he advanced on Katy she said, “Don’t you DARE mister!” She tried running away but he handily caught her and smashed a piece of cake into her face. She got her revenge however, when she grabbed his head and then kissed him with a face full of icing. Laughing hysterically, the two couples ate far too much cake. Even the dogs each got three pieces.

  Next came the champagne. Katy and Nathan laughed so hard that they had to help each other stand as Henry and Kelly, unused to alcohol, staggered around the room bouncing off the furniture. Next cam
e slow dancing. They stayed up long into the night. Two happy couples. Thus ended the first historic weddings of the two formerly artificial intelligences and the two natural human intelligences.

  They were all very happy that day. Soon however, the days began to blur together again. The long, endless days.

  Chapter 25: Eden

  Many more years passed. While both couples remained in love, their failure to find a habitable world, the monotony and the sameness of each long day, began to take its toll. Nathan grew a scruffy beard… not because he wanted one but because he just did not feel the motivation to shave anymore. One day, just like the many thousands before, Nathan and Kelly sat in the galley eating breakfast.

  “What’s up for today?” he asked without any real interest. “Katy and Henry are meeting us again in the next system, right?”

  “Yeah Nathan. We will get together again and talk about the same old nothings.” She looked at him and said, “I am so tired Nathan. Tired of this hopeless search. Why do we even bother anymore?”

  “I don’t know Kelly,” he admitted. “If it were not for you I would have given up on life long ago.” He sighed and said, “Who would have thought that immortality could be so boring?”

  “I know what you mean Nathan. There are many days when I wonder why I ever wanted to be human,” she admitted. She put her hand upon his and added, “You give me the reason to go on, Nathan. You and Misty number nine.”

  Nathan gave her hand a little squeeze and said, “You are my rock as well, Kelly.”

  Just then, they felt the familiar lurch of the ship dropping out of warp. Kelly closed her eyes and said, “Well, at least there is a planet in the Goldilocks zone this time.”

  “That’s nice,” he said without enthusiasm. “Set the computer to scan it. I am going back to sleep. I feel like frack today.”