The Pathfinder Trilogy

by Todd Stockert

  The first way a sun dies is for the nuclear furnace at its center to begin breaking down as it runs out of fuel. The star collapses inward and begins to emit huge dust clouds that surround it and move outward. As the dust clouds continue to form, residual radiation from the still-burning sun continues to blaze outward and lights up these dust clouds – usually in a spectacular display of patterns and color. As a nebula forms and the star inside it dies, the building blocks for new stars continue to form. There are lots of larger nebulae scattered throughout the galaxies that have grown so massive that they are actually a galactic “manufacturing facility” with ideal conditions for new stars to form.

  The second way a sun dies is to simply collapse and then explode in a huge surge of energy called a supernova. The starburst shockwave is usually visible from thousands of light years away – once the light travels to and finally reaches those faraway places at least. Regardless of which method a star uses to end its life, it usually continues collapsing inward upon itself, becoming smaller and smaller. Eventually many of these dead stars end up as white dwarves… which are essentially very dense and compact tiny versions of the original star. Because so much matter has been compressed into such a small galactic object, the typical white dwarf generally possesses a tremendous amount of gravity, but radiates a much less significant amount of solar radiation than the original star. Some of these are visible, but that depends directly on how far away they are and how small their size ends up after the inward collapse has completed.

  Make no mistake – whether it’s neutrinos with mass, undetectable brown dwarfs, tiny unseen white dwarf stars, black holes, or some other type of exotic subatomic particles – dark matter does exist. It simply can’t be detected by the use of traditional telescopic equipment alone. A good example of this comes from the Pine Ridge Observatory back on Earth, whose study several years ago used light gathered from two galaxy clusters in a single telescope image. This light passed from one star cluster through another in the foreground of the picture. Through use of computer models of the foreground cluster and matching them to the way that it bent the light rays from the background cluster, scientists were able to accurately estimate the mass of the foreground cluster. The model that finally fit everything together showed conclusively that the cluster’s mass was about 250 times greater than the mass of its visible matter alone.

  Dark matter exists, hence this brief science lesson to help bring everyone up to speed. Please note that the amount of dark matter that is present at any given location we travel to will directly affect the gravitational forces in the area and consequently our ability to keep the ship’s CAS Drive functional. I had initially speculated that the extra dark matter present in the vicinity of the wasteland galaxy could be by-products of or a direct result of the inhabitants of that region choosing to destroy entire stars on a massive scale. However, if that were the case then the gravitational waves surrounding our ship should have returned to normal when we transited to our current location BUT THEY DID NOT. This tells me that a very sizeable portion of the area we are currently journeying through contains a larger than normal amount of dark matter. I am extremely curious as to why this is happening and would like to specifically identify the cause.

  I will continue working with the Observatory staff to come up with a plausible explanation for this phenomenon, since this unexplained situation could contribute to further difficulties in completing successful CAS transits. I also hope that you have found this memo informative and will use it to ask good questions at our next Council meeting, since I have added the dark matter issue to our agenda as an important subject for discussion. I look forward to seeing you there.

  Sincerely,

  Thomas J. Roh

  Pathfinder Software Systems Specialist

  THE PATHFINDER PROJECT

  Chapter XVI: Intelligent Debate

  Adam was the last to arrive and quite pleased to discover that Thomas had reserved a seat for him. The Captain sat at the head of the main table with Mary and Glen to his right. Seated next to Glen was Thomas – he waved eagerly at his brother and motioned to the empty chair he had saved. Smirking, Adam walked over to the chair and patted his brother on the back, placed his briefcase on the table, and carefully took a seat.

  “Nice memo Thomas,” he whispered to his brother.

  “Thanks,” Thomas replied.

  “Nice and long, anyway,” Adam smirked, ignoring the whack Thomas gave him. He continued to survey the room. Karen Simmons and Father Dixon sat across from them and he also recognized Colonel Neeland, Jeff Markham, and Kari Hansen. The other three faces were new – he had heard that the remaining three civilian members of the Council had recently been appointed but had missed the most recent orientation meeting which had been held just prior to the wasteland attack on the Pathfinder.

  “Who switched the damn meeting to Observation Dome Two?” Adam quietly asked Colonel Neeland, who was seated to his right.

  “We don’t know for certain, but it’s got something to do with the teachers on board. I think they’re meeting with some of the civilian ship authorities in the other Dome to request that more classroom space be made available or something,” said the Colonel softly. “That’s where the smart money is, anyway.”

  “I was good friends with a teacher back on Earth,” commented Kari. “She was thinking of getting out of teaching but we all knew it was in her blood. Her name was Cassidy… Cassidy Freeling.” She frowned and took a sip of coffee. “Although it’s doubtful she survived, you can bet that if she did she’s surrounded by kids right now. That was her passion in life.”

  “That’s the most difficult part for our people,” Father Dixon said softly. “Not knowing whether loved ones survived is almost as bad – or worse – than hearing for certain that they were casualties. I move that we start with a moment of silence for those lost family members and friends.” He nodded his head and everyone surrounding him followed suit. “May God be ever merciful with their souls,” he said finally, concluding the short prayer.

  “Well…” said Kaufield, shoving a donut box down the table. “Everyone is here… finally. So I think we can get started.” He pointed at Adam and held up the coffee pot.

  Adam waved him off. “I’ll just have ice water this morning – thanks anyway,” he decided, gesturing toward a pitcher sitting in front of him.

  “According to my notes, Mr. Roh you weren’t present at the last meeting. Since Kari is here for the first time from the Observatory to fill in for Dr. Markham, I think we should start by giving our new members a chance to re-introduce themselves.” The three new people seated next to Kari nodded in response.

  “My name is Anne Wilcox from passenger deck two,” said a young, fresh-faced woman with short blonde hair. She stood up and took a quick bow. “I’m the principal of Education on this ship…” she paused to cast an amused glance at Adam and Colonel Neeland. “The march toward educating our young people never stops, so the smart people will put their money on us getting our extra space.”

  “You’ve already got Observation Dome One,” Adam whispered sarcastically. Next to him the Colonel did his very best to keep an emotionless expression on his face.

  “If you want to get out of the classroom setting, bring the kids up to the Garden wing once in a while,” suggested Jeff. “We have lots of room in the fruit orchards, and at least once in a while they can go over to the Livestock wing and take a tour of the zoo.”

  “Thank you, Jeff, I’ll mention that to my colleagues,” she said, writing the information down on her legal pad. “An ‘outdoor’ setting… those children could end up spoiled very fast.”

  A second woman stood up, this one older with white hair. She had some wrinkles, her expression was friendly and she had a very intelligent air about her. “My name is Kayla Daniels,” she said. “I live on deck three and am the Administrator in charge of maintaining the public utilities on all four passenger decks.” She shook her head confidently. “If you’ve
got a problem with oxygen, electricity, water, or waste disposal then we’re the people to see.”

  “It’s nice to meet you again,” Kaufield said, nodding to her as she sat down again. He looked to the third and final addition to the Council, a medium aged man with dark hair.

  “My name is David Thushman,” the dark-haired newcomer said, his voice deep and gravelly. “I’m from deck four, and my team provides direct technical support for all of the electronic and mechanical equipment used aboard this ship. My staff can fix anything!”

  “We know that,” Kaufield grinned, “Or we would certainly have found somebody else to shoulder that burden by now.” He nodded graciously. “Welcome again everybody; we’ve got a lot to discuss this morning.”

  “Who begins?” Adam asked curiously as he took a large, chocolate iced donut from the box in front of him. He poured himself a glass of ice water from one of the pitchers on the table and looked expectantly at Dennis.

  “You’ve got the donut box… you start,” Kaufield suggested.

  Adam’s expression became slightly irritated. “I think we should give our new members a chance to express their interests and concerns,” he decided, shoving the box over to Anne. “How are things going for you? I’m curious to know what it’s like teaching children with so many new discoveries made each and every day. It must be pretty overwhelming.”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I’ve already gotten some complaints from the parents. There’s been some concern about all of the constant discussion regarding stars and nebulae and the vastness of the galaxies and our universe. They’re worried that our kids may lose their spiritual connection to God.”

  “How to best teach Intelligent Design in the classrooms,” Dennis commented. “Now there’s a tough nut to crack. We’ve been debating that issue back and forth on Earth for decades.” He grinned. “Back when Joseph and I were staying with his grandparents, I served for a while on the local P.T.A.” He shook his head with wonder. “There are some parents in our society who have some very strong opinions on that subject, and I think I personally met each and every one of them – on both sides of that particular issue!”

  “Why so much concern?” Father Dixon queried. “I never understand that. It’s in our nature to be curious and explore and try to figure out things. I don’t see what that has to do with maintaining a strong moral character and a devotion to doing good deeds in our world.”

  “I think some parents are naturally concerned that their children may learn to focus too much on the scientific nature of things and forget to include religion in their lives,” suggested Adam, shrugging. “After all, the things we discover in science are right there in front of us and provable – Intelligent Design, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.”

  “Oh – is it truly the complete opposite?” Father Dixon asked. “There’s no room for gray area in your comparison of the two?”

  Adam looked at him a little irritably but held his composure, although he noticeably became uncomfortable at being so sharply contradicted. “Okay,” he said in response. “Prove to me, Father Dixon, that the Intelligent Design of our universe is possible. Do something magic or… supernatural or… something.” He confidently leaned back in his chair and smiled at the Chaplain.

  “Certainly,” Father Dixon said, smiling right back at him. He held his legal pad out over the room’s carpeted floor and dropped it. Everyone chuckled nervously as it fell and hit the floor. “Explain gravity to me.”

  “I beg your pardon,” Adam said, confused.

  “I mean it,” Dixon continued. “Every solid object in our universe has gravity… a simple attractive force which increases in strength as the size and density of an object increases.” He watched Adam continue to grow uncomfortable. “You can measure it and – if you have an object’s specifications regarding mass and density – you can predict how strong a gravity field it generates by comparing it to a similar object back on Earth.” The Chaplain waved a hand at the large conference room surrounding them. “You and your colleagues can even develop methods to simulate it in different levels on ships like this one, but you can’t explain what generates it or why all physical objects in our universe seem to have it.”

  “Oh c’mon,” Adam said, his irritation becoming greater. “Gravity is a physical law of our universe. It is a constant that you learn to accept if you want to study astrophysics.”

  “You just stated that science is ‘right there in front of us and provable’,” Dixon continued. “Show me how to generate real gravity. Demonstrate it to me right here and now with your provable science. Is it energy produced by burning a substance such as coal, or does every object in the universe simply have it – for no apparent reason?”

  “Well, it’s in the design…” Adam started to say before catching himself. He abruptly trailed off, deep in thought.

  The Chaplain smiled. “Did you just say ‘design’ my friend?”

  “That’s…” Again the elder Roh hesitated.

  “That’s a really solid, inexplicable point,” David chuckled, interrupting him before he could finish. “The Chaplain is right, too – every gravity generator on this ship merely simulates gravity – it does not and to my knowledge cannot – create it.”

  “I like your example too, Father,” Thomas grinned, drawing an irritated scowl from his brother. “Using the simple example of gravity you’ve demonstrated that some parts of science are still beyond us and not immediately provable, while at the same time shown us what might actually constitute a spiritual act. Boggs-Higson research is still widely debated, even though they really think they’re onto something there.” He paused to think about the Chaplain’s action. “Why does your legal pad hit the floor when dropped? Can a physical law like gravity be considered magical or miraculous? Those are really excellent observations, Father.”

  “Thank you,” the Chaplain said, nodding humbly and shooting a glance at Adam. “I read your memo.”

  “Gravity is a physical law of our universe which we have learned to break by generating enough thrust in the opposite direction of its attraction. That’s how we attain orbit around a planet or a moon,” said Kaufield. “And the commandments we are given by God are moral laws of our universe, which we personally – each and every one of us – have the opportunity to choose or choose not to obey.”

  “Back on Earth I once helped a man build himself a new home,” Father Dixon continued. “He was a poor but really impressive member of my Church who saved for years so that he could finally afford a new house for himself and his family. This man’s skills working with wood were truly unmatched. So we worked and we worked and some things would not be perfect and I would watch this man take extra pieces of leftover wood that most people would throw away. If we sawed too much off somewhere he could fill it in and cover it up so well that no one would ever notice. If we didn’t saw off enough he would re-measure the distances and shape everything just so and not stop until it looked as perfect as he could make it.”

  “I’ll bet he ended up with a nice house,” Jeff spoke up. “My brother was the same way when he would build things. Me, I just slap everything together. That’s why they have me building barns in the Livestock wing!”

  “Yes, but the work that this man and I did together truly enlightened me in brand new ways,” grinned Dixon happily. “I had always been taught that water and sunlight were our most precious resources and the reason that all life exists. Plants couldn’t grow without them and animal life couldn’t exist without the plants and the rest of the food chain. But watching my friend put the finishing touches on his new house was truly eye-opening for me.” He glanced around the table at everyone and smiled. “My first thought was of the coastal regions and their constant, unpredictable Earth quakes. What good does it do to make sure everything is perfectly aligned with the floor and then have the floor shift on you unexpectedly and tear everything apart? Then I thought of gravity in general. Without it you can still nail stuff together and secure it
to the ground, but if you don’t everything would just float away. Even the surface soil that makes up the ground would probably dissolve away into space. Gravity is yet another truly remarkable reason why life here in our universe is possible.”

  “There could still be life without gravity, but certainly not in the way we’re used to encountering it,” decided Dr. Simmons. “It would have to be something like the bacteria we found on the mineral rocks, or a life form capable of surviving for extended periods by floating in empty space.”

  “That’s why I – a man of holy faith – am not afraid of what science discovers, proves or disproves,” Dixon said. “The intricate details that make up our universe continue to astonish us – and always seem to keep us wondering – no matter how much we manage to learn. Life is truly an incredible experience, to say the least.”

  “So how has the feedback been from the parents on Pathfinder?” Kaufield asked, pointing at the donut box still sitting in front of Anne. Do they think you’re teaching too much or too little regarding Intelligent Design?”

  “Primarily they’re concerned that we are not teaching enough,” she replied after pausing for a moment to carefully consider the matter. “Traditionally it has always been our policy to focus primarily on the sciences of life. Most parents – back in America anyway – would already have a Church picked out for their children to attend. Some would even take the spiritual side of their development a step further by enrolling them in a private school that focused on a solid, religious doctrine. But we don’t have that option here on the ship, and that’s why we’ve been trying to convince the parents that they may have to be willing to step forward and play a stronger role in the spiritual development of their children.”