Ice Planet

by Nicole Stuart

  “The chamber contained some devices, including the transporter cabinets that you have experienced. To cut a long story short, the chamber was created more than ten thousand years ago, to serve as an arrival point for a number of people who planned to travel from a distant past to a future time. They lived in a time of freezing cold, cold much worse than we are experiencing now, and they believed that they were almost the last humans surviving on the planet. They had developed science that had been handed down to them by the founders of our race on this planet …” The exclamations of amazement interrupted Savi’s address. He smiled and raised his hand for quiet. “I will go into that a little later. The technology they developed was based on quantum physics, a field of study which has been neglected by our universities as the questions it raised go directly against the basic tenets of the religion that has been forced on us by the government, because it asks what is the true origin of everything we see and know. That technology permits us to transport matter great distances with no loss of time. It uses an understanding of dimensions other than those which we commonly know. The early application of the theories was the ability to transport matter from one place to another, with no loss of time, regardless of the distance. Everyone in this room has already experienced such a transport, when we brought you from your prisons to this university room. Those scientists expanded their understanding of the nature of the quantum universe to realize that time is simply another dimension, and they modified their matter transporters to make it possible to transport matter, objects and living beings, including people, forward through time. The chamber that they created in Mount Kina was to serve as an arrival point for such a transport, with a fixed and known location. All that was needed was for intelligent beings to discover the chamber, and to actuate the technology so that the scientists, who transported from that distant time, would be assured that their arrival time would be congenial, in a time that supported the life of thinking beings. We brought about that activation, and the small scientific team responsible for the creation of that wonder of science arrived. They have assisted us in rescuing you all from the terrible fate that awaited you. It is their hope that you will form the nucleus of a group that will bring about a new government, one that will have at its heart the understanding that a government is the servant of the people, not their master. They have also assisted us in bringing about the arrest of the Chief Justice, a man who, more than any other, served as the willing tool of the government in removing from society those people who had the understanding and the courage to stand up to the wrongdoing that has been a hallmark of our government for at least the past century. They will assist us in bringing about the fall of the government, so that our people can choose to elect honest and competent people to govern us. They do not wish to impose their ideology or their ideas on us. They wish only to give us the opportunity to choose whether to go once again into virtual slavery, or to become free.”

  Savi paused, to allow the wave of applause to die down. When the audience had settled down, he continued.

  “I wish to present the people who have made all of this possible. They are the scientists from our past. At least one of them is already known to you. Aria, please come to the stage.”

  There was silence as the beautiful young woman stepped up, the woman who had presented the news item that had announced a new situation to the people of the planet. She came up to Savi and then turned to face the audience, smiling.

  “Aria is the co-leader of the scientific team that created the wonder of science that brought them here, and that transported you all from prison to freedom.” Again, Savi had to wait for the applause to die down. He knew that these people needed opportunities to express their emotions.

  “Bian, please come up to the stage.” The applause started again, before Savi had the opportunity to introduce Bian, who came up to Aria and stood next to her.

  The process continued, with Savi introducing one scientist after the other, until they all stood before him in a row, looking decidedly uncomfortable with the adulation of the crowd. They were scientists! They did their world-changing work behind closed doors, receiving acknowledgment for the outstanding breakthroughs they achieved only from their fellow scientists, the few who could understand the essence of what they were achieving. They had never expected to stand before a crowd numbering in the thousands, all of them enthusiastic supporters. The applause gradually died down, allowing Savi to continue. The people in the audience could sense that there was more to come.

  “I wish now to tell you the real story of our planet, and of how we came to settle here. Some twenty-five thousand years ago, some scientists on a distant planet identified a severe threat to the existence of their race. The planet, named Kiron …” There was a murmur in the crowd as several of the people recalled the name from their readings of myths and folktales of the ancient past. “The planet was found to be heading towards a crossing of its path with a giant wandering sun, an event that would inevitably result in the destruction of the planet and the people who inhabited it many thousands of years in the future. The scientists knew that the salvation of their race lay in their hands, and they set about developing a system that would enable them to transport the population of Kiron to other planets far from the danger posed by the wandering sun. It was estimated that the sun was moving towards the collision point at a speed of thirty kilometers per second. No feasible method existed at that time to escape the path of that sun, never mind to transport millions of people away from the planet in the time remaining to them. The scientists developed the science of quantum physics, and that, in turn, enabled them to conceive and construct a device that could investigate the conditions on hundreds of planets to determine their suitability for human existence. From that investigation they chose a number of planets to colonize, and then constructed the equipment to transport the colonists and the food, the equipment, the seeds and everything they might need to build a viable civilization in their new home.

  “Unfortunately, a group of religious opportunists saw the chance to build a power base for themselves, using the information that foretold the destruction of the race, and they mounted a strong offensive against the scientists and the work they were doing. That brought the result that the scientists were obliged to transport the colonists with only a bare minimum of equipment to their new planets, leaving for a later time the additional equipment that would enable the colonists to communicate and to transport between their new home and the other colonies. They reasoned that the survival of the people was their highest priority, with the luxuries coming in after that. Our planet, Kinair, received the two hundred and thirty-first colony. The lack of ability to communicate with Kiron resulted in our ancestors not knowing what transpired after their transport from their home planet, but the fact that our ancestors survived and built a civilization gave them hope that they were not alone in the universe. Fortunately, the range of knowledge and skills held by our early ancestors enabled them to retain and develop the technology that brought them here, although the recurring cycles of ice posed severe problems, to the extent that a large part of the accumulated knowledge was lost during the cold cycles, when the people were reduced to the necessities of keeping the race alive. It appears that the cold cycle that occurred ten thousand years ago was very severe, and that it allowed lunatic religious and political leaders to gain ascendancy when the remnants of society regrouped and started to rebuild. The lack of organization of the society was a weakness, which the religious and political opportunists exploited mercilessly. They used their power to erase from our racial memories the fact that we were once a prosperous democracy, able to achieve scientific miracles. In return, they gained enormous power and wealth, and they used that to banish any thought of freedom from our minds. They did not succeed in that, as the people here can attest. The people I have introduced to you are here to assist us to ensure the continuation of our race, of its science and of its freedom. We can accept their offer to help us in achieving that
, or we can reject it, and so convince them that they should transport themselves elsewhen, into the future, when the population of the planet may be willing to accept the benefits of what they can offer.

  “Finally, I wish to introduce some of the people who were involved in the work to bring you all here, and to make you welcome. Cora, please come up.” Savi waited until he saw Cora walking towards the stage. “Cora arranged the delivery of the documents ordering the arrest of the Chief Justice and the resignation of the President and his Cabinet. She insisted on doing that extremely dangerous work herself, not wanting to allow any others to go into danger. She is a hero by any definition of the word. Phelan, please come up to the stage. Phelan is the man who arranged the reception in this room, using his own assets to provide the food, and recruiting his own staff to help us here. Phelan, please introduce the people who have helped us here.”

  The introductions went on until everyone associated with the rescue effort had been named, and each one received enthusiastic applause from the crowd. When that was over, Savi invited Professor Netteos to speak.

  “You have already seen Professor Netteos in the interview shortly after his release from prison. He has now had the opportunity, like the rest of you, to learn of the people who were involved in that rescue, and who will continue to be involved in the rescue of our people until we are able to say, once again, that we have a true democracy, in which every man and woman can live a productive life, each according to his or her abilities and desires. I believe that the Professor would like to make some preliminary proposals to all of you. I wish to add that I studied under Professor Netteos, and have unbounded respect and admiration for his knowledge, his integrity and his intelligence. If he were to stand for President today, I would have no hesitation in voting for him, because I know that he has the welfare of the people, our people, at heart.” Savi paused, to a profound silence, then he held out his hand. “Professor, I know that you have not had the opportunity to prepare for this, but I believe that the people here would like to hear your views.”

  The silence broke, with a hesitant applause from those who had known the Professor before he was sent to prison and those who had met him in the prison. Even in there, he had not been silent, although his outspokenness had earned him several beatings from the guards. The applause swelled to a thunder and then died, as the frail, gaunt man came to the podium.

  “My friends and fellow citizens, we have endured many years of unspeakable treatment by those who term themselves our leaders. None of you has been silent, and all of you have paid dearly for your words and your actions. I know that the time has come for us to recover our rights. I am not a politician. I have no desire to become one of the ‘leaders’.” The professor spat the word out as though it was an insect that had crawled into his mouth. “I have only two desires. The first is that I be allowed to return to the university, to teach the truth to receptive minds. The second is that I be allowed to find those receptive minds, by offering to teach them the truth. I know that the granting of wishes does not come free, and I am willing to do whatever is necessary to bring about the freedom that is our birthright, to ensure that the people we choose to lead us understand that they are our servants, not our masters. I do not have any close family, apart from kindred spirits who believe passionately in the importance of freedom, and I am willing to devote my life to realizing that freedom for our people. I offer my services, in whatever capacity you may decide, to bring about that ideal. My request to you?” The Professor let the question hang in the air for several seconds. “I request that you show your support for the ideals of freedom and democracy, by telling your friends of what we have heard today, by recruiting them to our cause, and by not fearing the recriminations and the bullying of the government, StateSec and the religious leaders. If we can spread the word widely enough, the people who would be our masters will cringe in fear, for they will believe that we will inflict on them what they have so gladly inflicted on us.” Again the Professor paused, then he smiled. “If you doubt the efficacy of that course of action, ask to visit the Chief Justice in his cell. I have no doubt that he has already learned the lesson.”

  There was a roar of laughter that continued for several minutes. The Professor stopped talking, joining in the laughter. They all needed a good laugh. Savi, standing behind the Professor, saw that one of the helpers had called Cora, who was standing near the edge of the stage. There was a whispered conversation, and then Cora walked across to Savi, and took him by the arm.

  “I think that you will be interested to meet some people who have just arrived,” she said, smiling.

  Savi walked with Cora to Aria, and they all walked to the wings, where several people stood.

  “I wish to introduce Aria,” she said to them. “Aria is the leader of our group. I understand that you represent a community?”

  “Hello, Aria, I am Sorpe of Rendl.” The speaker was the young woman. “I would like to introduce Geoffrey of Earth, Tressin and Mian of Ga-In, and Jarl and Hera of Vikton. We represent the Universal Community, a community of all civilized planets that we have found in the universe. We are all descended from the colonists from Kiron, as your people are. We have come here to assist your people to attain the freedom that is enjoyed by all the people of the Community.”

  Aria looked at the six in shock, then the implications of what Sorpe had said ran through her mind. This meeting was the realization of a dream she had cherished since her early years. She smiled.

  “I am delighted to meet all of you,” Aria affirmed. “These are Cora and Savi, who have made this meeting possible.”

  The man next to Sorpe smiled.

  “We have witnessed your progress over the last days through our particle viewing system, so we know something of your story. We needed to gain an understanding of your language and of the situation here, and we have been delighted to see that you are on the path to democracy. We have been a little nervous about how your government would react, and would have jumped in earlier if we thought that you needed assistance, but it seems that you have been perfectly capable of achieving your objectives without our help. I would ask you to accept these bracelets, so that we can talk more fluently.” Geoffrey held out a number of exquisite metal bracelets. Savi could see that each of the visitors wore one on their arms. Each of the three took one and slipped them on their arms. The bracelets tightened slightly, until they fitted snugly. “They are communication devices. They access the thoughts that generate speech, and transfer them via the particle universe to the person with whom you wish to communicate. Apart from the first contact with you, I cannot communicate with you except with your permission, and you may terminate the communication at any time simply by thinking of me and of your wish to terminate the contact. If you wish to communicate with anyone else who is wearing a bracelet, you need only think of that person’s name or visualize that person, and he or she will be invited to accept your contact. The bracelets also supply the name of anyone of whom you think. The communication requires no translation, because it transfers the thoughts you wish to express.”

  Each of the three could hear Geoffrey’s words in their minds, in addition to the sound of his words coming from the air. Savi could feel the presence of Aria in his mind, a gentle presence that contained the essence of her as he knew her, and much more. She sensed his presence and she turned to him and smiled, with her lips and her mind.

  “Could we go somewhere to talk? I can see that the discussion in the room is likely to endure for some time.”

  Savi looked at the speaker, and her name, Mian, popped into his mind, together with a sense that she was a senior person in a university of some distinction.

  “There’s a room down the corridor. It’s a discussion room for students, so not very comfortable, but it should be adequate.” Cora led the way out of the hall to the room a short distance away. The room was furnished with a large table and numerous seats. They closed the door and each sat down.

  “I'd lik
e to tell you more about us and the Universal Community, and then gain some more information from you, if that is acceptable?” Sorpe looked at them, requesting their acceptance, then continued talking. “The Universal Community was founded less than a decade ago, when scientists on the planet Enderen and on planet Earth made contact through the particle world, accessing a device with which the scientists on Earth were experimenting. The first communications were designed to build a language so that they could communicate, and that developed into Enderen transmitting instructions to build a simple matter transporter, using the same principles as Aria and her team use. That developed into a larger matter transporter and then a person transporter. At that point, it was possible for the people of the two planets to visit each other. The interaction between the scientists developed, until they were able to transport a target particle to a distant planet, Rendl, on which several scientists were working to develop particle transport. I was the lead scientist on the project in Rendl, working under the strict surveillance of the government. One of the government men suspected that military uses could be derived from the small matter transporter that Earth and Enderen sent to us as a first contact, and they viewed my brother, who was also one of the team of scientists, and me as threats. When they planned to arrest us, Geoffrey intervened and transported us to safety on Earth. Subsequently, we evacuated thousands of persons under threat of arrest, as well as prisoners, from Rendl, and they organized to unseat the Governing Council, the hereditary rulers of my country. My father has since been elected President of the new democratic government of Rendl. Since then, Geoffrey and I, together with our friends here, have been the team to make first contact with new planets, which we usually find by monitoring the particle world for signs of use of the particle transport technology. One of the planets we found in that way was Ga-In, which was the planet that was settled by the last colony to depart from Kiron before the religious fanatics destroyed the equipment. Tressin and Mian rediscovered the city of Setlen, which was the site of the first settlement on the planet, and which housed the University of Setlen, which had been established by the lead scientists involved in developing the technology of matter transport on Kiron. They have since reestablished the university as one of the premier institutions of quantum technology in the known universe. Jarl and Hera represent the planet Vikton, which is the most recent member of the Community. Jarl’s sister is the scientist who was working in the field of particle physics and her work in that field was the reason that we found the planet. She is presently the Professor of Time Science at the University of Setlen, researching the ability of the indigenous people of the planet Kirona to alter the course of the recent past and the near future.” Sorpe smiled at the look on the faces of the three. “Those people are the only sentient race we have found who did not transport from Kiron, although we suspect that their ancestors came from the same stock as humans. Apart from them, we believe that every human or humanoid being in the universe was seeded from Kiron, as a result of the situation you spoke of earlier.”