Panspermia Deorum

by Hylton Smith

  *

  Kolorov suggested that they put some urgency into making the flight deck disappear.

  “As wonderful as it is, Volker Brandt created a monster if viewed from the present circumstances. It could actually become the means of our downfall. Are you hearing me, Julien?”

  “Yes, I am, but I still haven’t come to terms with the loss of Kepler. I need a couple of hours before engaging with even more destructive activity. You’re right, the flight deck must go before anyone knows about it, I’ll see to it later today. I just want to be alone now, Ivan. Please give me some privacy, as I need to speak with my family, I want them to come here so we can talk this through, in particular what comes next.”

  “You are not thinking of quitting are you?”

  “Maybe, I don’t feel anything but numbness right now. How about you? Sorry, I forgot, you’ve been through stuff like this before.”

  “Actually, I wasn’t sure exactly how to approach you about it, and yes, I have observed horror like this on several occasions, and that is why we must keep our references about conspiracy to remain vague. It is also why I only told the media there could have been a cyber-attack, and we checked it out to be certain, but found no hard evidence yet. I know you weren’t happy about the way I put this across, but as I said previously, if Kepler was destroyed by an accident in space, shouting our mouths off about conspiracy would ensure that we would become targeted by the hit men for no good cause. It would be different if we had proof of real sabotage actions, but all we had was circumstantial evidence of possible collusion of the Knudsen sisters. This kind of shit never gets any easier to take, but I am not going to die for nothing, Julien. However, as you have raised the subject, and now that the mission is kaput, my expertise isn’t going to be of much value to you now. Like you said, it all seems a bit surreal, and yet we were so close. Look, I don’t want you to agonise over this anymore, I’ll just quit, and as the press always need a scapegoat, because it is their lifeblood, at least I can take a fair slice of the blame with me. It is a real shame, but nobody would take us seriously if we tried to begin again, you know, to take another shot at Mars. So, please be warned, if you insist on fuelling the conspiracy theory, I will have to deny it. We both have to survive the attacks which will come our way, even though they will be delivered from different sources.”

  “That’s hardly fair to you, Ivan, I’d rather front up to the media again when we know more, so, if…”

  “No, Julien, You are wearing those rose-tinted glasses again. Just get back to trashing this damned asteroid. My career was blown already. Let us shake hands and accept that we did our best. My C.V. is toxic now, and that won’t help you, so a total change is a must. I am done talking about this. Au revoir, my friend, I think you should go to your family, instead of bringing them here.”

  “You’re right once again, Ivan, it’s just that I don’t want to appear to be running away from my responsibilities. Anyway, if I can’t talk you out of leaving, you must take care of yourself in your own way, and I truly hope we can stay in touch.”

  They embraced and Kolorov closed the door quietly as he left.

  *

  The Delacroix clan gathered in one of the less conspicuous, family-run restaurants. Julien had become world famous for the second time, and a lot of people interrupted the family discussion to pass on condolences and wish him well. He wanted to assure Eugene that the offer on the table for him to work on genetic research still stood.

  “I’ll be concentrating on asteroid hunting from now, but somewhere, sometime, there will be another organisation trying to claim Mars, and they will need the kind of benefits your research will bring, Eugene. Now then, Sophie, I won’t be as busy with just one project on my hands, and I would appreciate your involvement in designing my new house, in fact I’d like to get on designing it for us as from today. Your artistic gift will be crucial in creating a place for you, Eugene and me to enjoy. Neither of you needs to live there, but you will always have a place to stay with me whenever you want. The same goes for you, Elise. I’d understand if this tragedy changes your mind about spending more time in Guiana, but I’d love you to come here any time you feel the urge. If you wanted to bring your friend or Geraldine, don’t hesitate. This awful event shows just how fragile and short life can be. There’s no time for petty quarrels. I also need to tell you all exactly how much I have always valued your support, especially in this dark time. But, I won’t be beaten, even if I’m down right now, there is still a battle to be won if I’m going to live longer than my father.”

  The kids tearfully nodded affirmation that they would get on with their respective tasks, and Elise announced that she was staying another month, and added, “Will that be long enough for me to tell you exactly how I want my room designed, Sophie?”

  The huddle became four instead of three.

  A New Fulcrum

  Ten Days Later

  Julien was contemplating the best way to ‘wipe’ Brandt’s flight deck from the premises. One of the screens which followed current events flashed a ‘breaking news’ alert.

  ‘Ivan Kolorov has been installed as Vice President of Soyuz. It is understood he will bring new impetus to the company in terms of putting the first of our species on Mars. Soyuz acknowledge that in his previous spell with us, he spoke out against compromise in safety procedures just ‘to win a race’. As a mark of respect to those who perished on the VB Aerospace vessel, Kepler, this announcement was rescheduled to allow memorial services to take place and help the families of the crew to have closure. Kolorov’s first interview will be broadcast later today, but we understand he has already stated that there is no chance of the planned launch date being brought forward’.

  Julien repeatedly processed the events of the last few weeks and became a man possessed. The announcement was confirmation of him being victim to a highly elaborate sting.

  A strange calmness engulfed him, beginning with the need to preserve the archive he’d promised to destroy. There would be another time.

  Chapter 17

  Part Two: Plateau

  The dreadful loss of the Kepler crew was still raw, and completely dominated the thoughts of Julien Delacroix in preparing his response to the media. He’d considered not responding at all, in his mind many of them were pitiful trolls. However, this wasn’t about his personal situation, the crew had either been taken by some unexplained cosmic accident, or they had been murdered.

  The request of Ivan Kolorov to get rid of all evidence in the flight deck felt like it was a key part of the sting. Eradication was out of the question. Sitting in Brandt’s period dark red leather swivel chair, he twirled the business card of Cyclops between his fingers. Recalling Brandt’s words – ‘Now, take this card, he is the only other person who knows about our espionage activity. He set up the system and smooths out glitches every once in a while. He is only known by this reference – ‘Cyclops’. It’s the only way he works, and I’ve asked him to contact you after the launch’.

  But Cyclops hadn’t contacted him at all. He dialled the number on the card and heard the unobtainable tone. Why had this man not called? And why could he not be contacted now? Volker Brandt never used the words maybe or possibly if he could avoid them. Julien could only conclude this ran deeper than Ivan Kolorov. He decided to bring his son into the flight deck.

  “Eugene, only a few people have had the privilege or the misfortune to see this place. I can only vouch for the ones I know about. Obviously Brandt, as he had it installed, myself, a Russian named Ivan Kolorov, a man who installed the kit, known only as Cyclops, and my Communications Director. The last mentioned burst in without approval, to tell Kolorov and myself about the blackout of contact with Kepler. It didn’t seem unreasonable at such a time of emergency, but now it may have more significance than I thought it did on that fateful day. You should know that Kolorov was here to help me uncover a conspiracy. He left immediately after the disaster, and within a short time he was made Vice Pres
ident of our main rivals to get to Mars, now known as NERO/Soyuz. Volker Brandt left me this card in the event that something went wrong with this snooping hub, a veritable window into the confidential stuff of all our competitors. It still works, except for NERO/Soyuz. And now, this Cyclops cannot be contacted. Just as Kolorov was leaving, he asked me to destroy the snooping hub from which he claimed to have identified a mole aboard Kepler. I don’t want to involve you in this conundrum, Eugene, because it’s patently a dangerous plot to wrestle with, but I do need someone I can trust to help me out. I remember you telling me about a friend you had at university, a young man with amazing abilities in the I.T. world. I have no idea how to go about making all of this hardware disappear to another location yet still retain its capability. I particularly want to preserve the data already stored on the system.

  “So, I wondered if you think this pal could perform such a task, and whether he is absolutely reliable? He would have to be prepared to look the other way and then forget he ever spoke to me. I’m saying this because I fear Cyclops may have been eliminated. It’s a lot to ask of you, I know, and I’d understand if you decline. I could just get on with the asteroid programme and forget about further investigation of the loss of life aboard Kepler. However, I feel that I owe them some kind of justice if they were subject to a reprisal act of terrorism against Brandt. I would like to think it wasn’t, that they died accidentally, but I have no evidence to support that as yet.”

  Eugene’s face was blank and Julien took this to mean his son was overwhelmed. Eventually, he reacted.

  “I don’t think it’s wise to involve another person. I’m pretty I.T. literate myself. Listening to your plan, I can see a few flaws. Do you need ongoing access to the system?”

  “Not right now, my priority is to keep the archive safe until I need it.”

  “Ok, physically moving this stuff out of here to some other location will be like advertising a Halloween party, even if you did it at night. It would be better to brick up this office and let it be known that it is defunct, and to be preserved as a ‘mausoleum’, dedicated to the memory of Brandt. Get it alarmed with the best gear available and then I can put it to sleep, pull the existing IP address, and we just mothball it until you need access to the drives. You said there were only a handful of people who knew about why this room was really built, and we should keep it that way. I sense that you want to check out your Communications Director. Well, if he is tied up with this Kolorov, it could be a neat way of getting him to report that the system has been neutralised, telling the guy what he wants to hear. Just a thought.”

  “I’m happy to confess I’m utterly naïve when it comes to dealing with these kind of people, Eugene, but I do think it’s a workable idea. Can I leave it to you to organise it? And let’s not bore your mother or your sister with what you’re doing. They’d have me sectioned, or worse.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it, Sophie is already designing my room in your new house. Telling me what I want and what I don’t want. Don’t worry, not a word will be passed on to her or Mum. Listen, I just want to help in keeping you out of trouble. You said it yourself, these people are extremely dangerous, and the whole family could become a target. That’s how they work, by creating fear. I won’t go any further than what I’ve already suggested, because if that doesn’t make them back off, we really are out of our depth. I know you want to find out what happened to your friends on the vessel, Dad, but it isn’t going to bring them back. It is what it is, and the media know you’ll be expected to try and find out what caused Kepler to disintegrate, but personally I’d ease off with the conspiracy stuff. I’m guessing they’ll leave you alone if the perpetrators believe this snooping hub is defunct, leaving them in the clear. That will allow us to get on with preventing the asteroid from making this whole conversation pointless. Let’s leave it at that, unless there comes a time when you need these archives. I want you to promise me you can let the conspiracy angle go. Dad…Dad, are you listening?”

  “What? Oh, uh… yes. I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said, but I do have to genuinely start an independent investigation into the sudden break up of Kepler.”

  “Sure you do, so just call it that – a thorough study of precisely what kind of natural phenomenon could have caused the disaster. You have to get these people off our backs, Dad. I’m still not sure you’re getting the message. Start by involving this Communications Director in every step of the investigation. He was responsible for keeping tabs on the situation, but you only have his testimony regarding the time of the instant cessation of the link to Kepler. Leave it like that, tell the people of the world whatever he tells you. Come on, tell me I’m getting through to you, Dad. You really are as naïve as you said earlier, so take a step back, trust me or I’m out.”

  “Ok, ok we’ll do it your way. You have my word.”

  *

  He had arranged to face the media rather than simply put out statements, and this time Julien was alone in the hot seat. What had shifted since he stood together with Kolorov to make the announcement regarding Kepler’s demise, was the reaction of the people rather than the press. World demographics showed clearly that less than forty percent were sympathetic to establishment-governed institutions, and that figure was still declining. The distrust of this faltering elitist structure, and its abuse of power did in itself threaten virtually every aspect of ordered society. The one notable exception was the asteroid programme. There simply weren’t enough qualified anarchists to take it on. Julien not only wanted to preserve Brandt’s reputation, but use it as a clarion call to protect VB Aerospace. He was in the process of instructing the telecommunications company inherited from his mentor to broadcast a monthly bulletin on what was happening. It was to cover the Kepler investigation, the trajectory and position of chocolate orange, and the progress on all fronts of the programme to deflect it. He wanted to convey transparency in return for trust. His sub-objective was, however, to create a truly visible desire in more than sixty percent of the population to protect the programme of avoiding extinction. He would appeal to leaders amongst the ‘anarchists’ to join this cause. He knew it risked being isolated from the rest of the establishment culture, in fact he hoped it would. Despite what he’d promised his son, Julien feared further interference from those who did thrive in the art of the hand deceiving the eye. Eugene’s plan was a first step, but not enough in itself.

  Armed with this dual strategy, he presented his case to the media, but clearly aimed it at the ‘have nots’ of the populous. He had taken a leaf from Brandt’s book. He distanced VB Aerospace from any further attempt to reach Mars, at least until the cause of Kepler’s demise was proven beyond all doubt. Patience in reaping what was sown.

  Chapter 18

  2034

  Under the stewardship of Kolorov, Soyuz had wrestled some of its former autonomy from the claws of NERO. With VB Aerospace out of the space race, he’d insisted that the launch of their Mars project vessel, Laika, was restored to its original date. He only needed to mention the word safety multiple times in the same sentence to quell any resistance.

  The crew of six were all Russian citizens, although the first officer was born in Poland. The objectives were not clear and never discussed openly. The spectre of 2039 had taken on significantly more divisive characteristics. In the previous eighteen months, the shift to muted anarchy intensified significantly. It was also accompanied by a breakdown in the capability to produce accurate demographics. The launch of Laika was quite logically perceived as constructing a cynical escape route for the privileged few. Protests denigrating the mission as a waste of resource became ugly, and the worry, as published by the press, indicated that a total collapse of order would ensue. City centres were being inexorably transformed into burning ghettos. It was predicted to be only a matter of time before NERO and Soyuz themselves were subjected to siege warfare with the anarchists.

  *

  Julien Delacroix had kept his word to the general public
. The broadcasts he’d promised were still running. The mausoleum was still gathering dust, having served its purpose of keeping the sharks at bay. He had spent a lot of time explaining precisely why the fate of Kepler was still a mystery, and that without new evidence, the science of probability indicated force majeure. He stopped short of closing the case, saying that someday advances in the technology for observing the Cosmos could possibly find and identify individual pieces of debris from the vessel. It was more hope than probability, but if the vessel’s chronology box could be located, a recovery mission could be considered. Without being able to examine remnants of Kepler, or the box itself, an explanation of its disintegration would remain elusive. He likened it to the raising of the Titanic. The impossible could conceivably become feasible with the passage of time.

  With respect to the trajectory of the asteroid, there had been no further deviation to report as yet. However, they had detected a fall in homogeneity in the structure of the beast. It was minimal but definite. Without raising expectations too much, it was seen as weakness in the cohesive nature of the rock. At the very least it could assist any last resort nuclear strike to destroy it. And this fleet of asteroid killers was on course in manufacturing terms.

  *

  A more ‘tactile’ prospect was brewing as a result of Eugene’s work. He had identified a means of altering DNA to repair birth defects which caused vulnerability to a number of serious, untreatable conditions. The work was in its infancy, but the potential for fortifying the human genome in general was to receive more intensive funding. This was the kind of research the people could identify with, and Julien kept reinforcing the point by declaring he was prepared to spend a significant proportion of the money Brandt had bequeathed to him on this research. His catchphrase became – ‘Money is only a resource, nothing more. Like oxygen, all Earth resources belong to all of us’.