The Way of the Seed_Earth Spawn of Kalpeon

by Richard Dean Hall

  As the dimness dissipated and full light returned, the entire rear of the chamber rotated and opened to a stark, white tunnel devoid of any markings. Asil signaled them ahead. Moving through the large, barren passageway was strange and eerily quiet. To Ott, the surface of the tunnel looked like polished granite, but it had the consistency of hard rubber. The only sounds were the muted clopping of the horses’ hoofs and the soft grinding of the chariot wheels turning on the axels.

  They continued at a steady pace on a gradual upward incline. After several soft turns, the angle leveled off and they arrived at another large opening flooded in even brighter light. Cautiously, they nudged the horses forward to a wide, flat area overlooking a strange vista.

  Directly in front of them, the surface of the road changed to a sandy texture and descended at an angle into a narrow valley that stretched out several hundred yards. The soft, rolling hills that undulated up on either side of the valley were covered in green grass and splattered with leafy hardwoods and copses of high, curving palms topped with huge, umbrella-shaped fronds. Nestled among the trees and scattered throughout the hills were shiny, geodesic structures interconnected by curving ribbons of smaller brown roadways. Near many of the domed structures, people moved about in white clothing that stood out in stark contrast against the thick carpet of green. The entire setting was awash in a soft golden sunlight that filtered through a translucent dome enclosing the entire habitat from a height of over one hundred stories. The pastoral calm and beauty were further heightened by a low, cloudy vapor that rose just above the roadway and extended until it disappeared over a cluster of hills at the far end of the valley.

  As they looked out over the peaceful vista, a screeching hawk swooped in front of them, followed by many smaller birds in harassing pursuit. Asil turned to Ott.

  “This will be your new home for now.” He swept his hand over the view.

  “And what is the name of this place?” Ott asked.

  “This place has no name, Ott. It is just a place with room for you Cha, Graf, and Yaan to live while you are on this ship. It is also a place for many others like you,” Asil answered.

  “This is another ship that sails the heavens, and it is also a house with rooms?” Ott asked.

  “Yes, Ott, this ship is also a house, and it has many rooms.”

  Cha turned to Ece. “Are Barjeen and Robfebe here?”

  “They are, and you shall be with them later,” Ece answered with a smile.

  “We must speak with them while we are here. I have promised to ask a request of them from the king of this land,” Ott added.

  “We know, Ott, and the request shall be granted,” Asil said, nodding.

  “When?”

  “This very night,” Asil finished. He poked his finger forward.

  Ott and Graf jiggled their reins and the chariots rolled forward and down into the valley of the ship’s lush, Earth-like habitat. Over a hundred stories above, sunlight filtered through the protective particle dome and stretched afternoon shadows across the valley.

  Barjeen and Robfebe stood next to each other in an observation dome at the highest point on the starcraft two hundred stories above the desert floor. Not satisfied with the view, Barjeen tapped at the control panel. As the gravity dissipated beneath it, the transparent dome dislodged and rose straight up, secured in an invisible particle field. When the dome reached the desired height, Barjeen slowed the ascent and came to a gentle stop. The dome now floated an additional fifteen hundred feet above the top of the craft. The views front to back, although disparate, were equally magnificent. To the rear and east, the vast desert stretched like a barren, motionless brown ocean that gently rested against the horizon and touched an azure sky that framed its vastness. In contrast to the monochrome of the eastern desert, the vista to the west was a vibrant patchwork of green-and-brown fields alongside the rampant growth of lush river vegetation. Everywhere in the verdure expanse on both sides of the upper river, the thousands of buildings, monuments, temples, and shrines that comprised the sprawl of the magnificent city of Thebes glistened in the waning sunlight that washed through the pristine air.

  Barjeen cast his gaze farther west to the high, flat plateau where the pyramids jutted against the blue sky, their white, polished, limestone sides shining in stark contrast. “Impressive monuments, considering the technology and tools,” he commented with a wave of his hand.

  Robfebe chuckled. “Their kings are considered gods, so what the king desires, the king gets.”

  “Ah, yes. Kings, gods, egos, and power, all in an ongoing miasma of war, death, and destruction, followed by brief periods of peace and then more—”

  “More kings, gods, and egos,” Robfebe cut in with a final laugh and a shake of her head. Smiling back at Robfebe, Barjeen tapped at the controls. The observation dome dropped gently down through the particle field and locked in place.

  88

  The river flowed north, glimmering with white ripples in the light of a near-full moon. When viewed from the retrieval craft that followed its course from a hundred feet above, it gave the appearance of a silvery, mammoth serpent. To those who happened to look up as the craft glided overhead, its blue-black surface looked like nothing more than a huge, starless patch of night sky. On an observation deck extending from the craft’s lower front edge, Barjeen and Robfebe stood with Ott, Cha, Graf, and Yaan, looking out over the river below and an endless black sky peppered with millions of winking stars above. The deck’s particle shield was disengaged, and as the craft glided above the river, the interior was washed in a balmy fragrance of warm night air rich with the earthy smells of freshly plowed fields and river vegetation. It was the first time Ott and the others had experienced flight in the open air. The sensation seemed almost magical, while imbuing in them a strange mix of exhilaration and empowerment.

  The reunion with Barjeen and Robfebe hours before had been calm and veiled with a quiet joy of returning to a place where they would learn more about themselves and the meaning of their long lives. Over millennia and through countless experiences, Ott, Cha, Graf, and Yaan had come to accept that Barjeen and Robfebe were responsible for—and to some extent, controlled and guided—their lives. Barjeen and Robfebe were the reason they lived an ageless existence, and someday, they knew, the reason why would be revealed. Now, as Ott stood on the open deck of the retrieval craft with the warm night air swirling around him, he glanced at Barjeen, who was staring up to the heavens, his visage calm, confident, and knowing. Ott felt the answers would come soon.

  The river stretched nearly a mile wide below them as they approached the far upper reaches of the kingdom. In the control dome above the observation deck, the commander began maneuvering the craft toward the eastern bank. When the palace complex came into sight, he pulled to a hover and then swung the craft around, pointing the observation deck toward the rear of the palace before slowly gliding forward. A moment later, the craft descended and the front of the observation deck rested flush on an open, unwalled area of the veranda with steps leading down to one of the royal barges. The king and queen’s quarters were off to the right on the far side of the veranda. As the ship hung silent and motionless, the commander tapped at a panel and the entire veranda was bathed in a soft blue light. Barjeen retracted a section of the front bay, and with Robfebe at his side, he stepped out, followed by Ott, Cha, Graf, and Yaan. On the far side of the veranda, just outside the soft blue illumination, four palace attendants trembled in fear.

  Ott crossed the veranda and approached the cowering attendants. “Go and tell the king and Queen Ankhesenamun that Otteri has returned to honor his request.”

  The wide-eyed and stooped attendants slinked through the arched opening and disappeared into the torchlit interior.

  In a compartment below and to the side of the command bubble, a biotech adjusted the blue particle scan field for a maximum read, while on the observation deck, two biosyndrones eyed a display panel showing all human movement within a mile radius.r />
  Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun emerged from the shadows beyond the arch. General Horemheb and Commander Ay stood a few feet behind. From the interior of the entrance, a dozen or more attendants glanced around nervously.

  The king stared at Ott, then spoke over his shoulder to Horemheb and Ay. “Remain here and do nothing until I return.”

  As Ott motioned them forward, Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun stepped onto the illuminated veranda. The blue field scan and analysis were completed within seconds, and the biotech had the information Robfebe had requested. He checked and reconfirmed the information on the screen, and then exited the compartment and walked up to Robfebe.

  He stood silent until she nodded, indicating he could speak. “They both carry the synthetic variant-one gene. Their evolutional lineage is from the seed. They are not naturals, and are, of course, suitable for transformation.” Robfebe nodded dismissal and the biotech stepped away.

  “Well,” Robfebe looked to Barjeen and pointed into the light field, “will you offer the king and queen a choice?”

  “Do we have any gods or royalty?” Barjeen asked with a whimsical smile.

  “Currently we have no gods or kings,” Robfebe smiled back, “but we may now. He is considered both.”

  The king and queen followed Ott across the veranda while eyeing the strange craft that hovered at the edge of the blue light. Barjeen and Robfebe motioned everyone into the observation deck, then turned and faced the king and queen.

  “Are you the gods Otteri has spoken of?” Tutankhamun asked, a look of astonishment spreading on his face.

  “We are,” Robfebe responded. “But not gods as you think of them.”

  The king stared at Robfebe with unblinking eyes. “You are living gods of this world, but not gods of the afterlife.” His voice was rising with excitement.

  “We are living here and now in this world . . .” Barjeen hesitated for a moment. “But we also live on many other worlds.”

  “You live on other worlds,” Ankhesenamun repeated slowly.

  “Yes, we travel through the heavens in our ships to other worlds, like you travel the river in your ships,” Barjeen said as the king and queen stared in thoughtful confusion.

  “But where do these worlds—” Tutankhamun began, but was cut off as Barjeen held his hands up.

  With his hands still extended, Barjeen looked to the biotech standing off to the side. “Does the bio bay on this ship have full psyops capabilities?”

  “It does, sir, with complete indoctrination and orientation programming,” the biotech answered.

  “And input simulation as well?” Barjeen continued.

  “Yes, sir, it has both emotional realization and virtual visual capabilities to near-full experience levels for both enhanced and unmodified individuals.”

  “Excellent.” Barjeen nodded. “Modify the level-one indoctrination and orientation program to include the emotional state of a transcended specimen on a modified planet. I want them to experience the empathy of the totally enhanced and transcended population living on a planet ready for potential colonization.”

  As everyone remained silent, Barjeen hesitated and then pointed a finger at the biotech. “Can you raise the level of the mental and emotional transcendence simulation to the experience of singularity?”

  The biotech squinted in thought and then nodded. “I can do it, but it will take a few moments to make the modifications. I will require the assistance of a level-two biosyndrone.” He pointed to one of the biosyndrones standing at the front of the observation deck. “A level two carries complete psyops-programming capabilities. It will be easier and faster for me to enjoin the modifications through his capabilities than for me to work through it. A level two has preprogrammed hard interface with the ship’s computer.”

  “Prepare it now, but not just for the king and queen. Prepare it for all of them.” Barjeen waved a finger toward Ott and the others.

  “It will be ready in a few moments, sir.” The biotech motioned for the closest biosyndrone to follow him.

  As the biosyndrone followed the biotech into the interior of the ship toward the psyops facility, Robfebe turned to Barjeen. “You wish to accelerate the entire process?” She sounded surprised.

  “I see no reason not to. The projection model estimates necessary interdiction within approximately three thousand solar rotations. I feel as though we might as well prepare as many as possible. Do you agree?” Barjeen asked.

  “I do,” Robfebe answered thoughtfully. “The more we have ready, the easier the transition will be. Warfare and violence are already in the nature of the naturals, and as the planet population grows and technology increases, many of the enhanced seed specimens will be destroyed.

  “From this point on, all of the seed retrieved should be transformed and indoctrinated as quickly as possible. They should know what is expected of them when the transition comes. What happens between now and then, we can only model and speculate, but it will be their history; they will live it and witness it. They have free will and should be able to make their decisions knowing what we desire for the planet and for them as the enhanced species that will inhabit it. Show them now so they may be fully ready and steadfast about what may happen to the naturals at the time of transition.”

  “And so it shall be from now forward.” Barjeen turned his attention to the king and queen, Ott, and the others, who waited silently on the observation deck.

  He stepped closer and gazed over their faces. “In a moment, you will experience the peace of your mind without the capacity for hate or the ability to conceive of evil. You will experience this state of being to understand what I and the leaders of the Kalpeon Empire wish were the way of all intelligent life. But it is not, and the simulation you will experience does not exist on any world I have traveled to. It is our quest to seek that level of Kalpeon-human perfection. You will be part of that quest in this world, but evil is everywhere and a constant in the nature of humans. You will witness it and learn from it, but now you will experience what we seek for this world.”

  As Barjeen finished, the level-two biosyndrone reappeared and announced that everything was prepared. Barjeen motioned everyone forward, and they followed the biosyndrone into the interior of the ship and the psyops facility. In the middle of the psyops facility, Ott, Cha, Graf, Yaan, and the king and queen sat in a row of high-backed chairs in a translucent cube structure. Off to the side, the biotech and biosyndrone sat at a black console topped with a long, rectangular panel. Barjeen and Robfebe sat beside the console.

  In the cube, everyone sat calm and silent as hard, stationary sensors in the chairs monitored their organ functions. A second later, the biotech looked to the panel. All functions were within normal ranges. He nodded to the biosyndrone, who inserted his index finger into a portal on the panel. The data-retrieval and analysis portion of the synthetic component of his brain would store everyone’s psychological responses for backup emotional analysis beyond the facility computer’s read capabilities. With the biosyndrone ready, the biotech deployed the invisible array of several million sensor and input fibers housed at the top of the cube. The fibers caused the area around the heads and shoulders of those seated to dim slightly, but they were otherwise undetectable. Next, the biotech activated a cluster of fibers that would monitor the hypothalamus and, if need be, adjust or override its function to ensure the autonomic nervous system functioned properly and heart rate and respiration were kept at safe levels. With the control cluster activated and checked, the biotech initiated the modified indoctrination program.

  Within seconds, eyes fluttered shut and all neural transmission activity in the cube ceased. Ott, Cha, Graf, Yaan, and the king and queen sat in a black, empty consciousness devoid of all feelings, thought, and awareness.

  The biotech and biosyndrone remained riveted to the panel, monitoring every aspect of administering the indoctrination. The biotech had done it many times before, but never with a program modified to this magnitude. He could onl
y guess at the emotional impact of receiving a level-one programming combined with simulation of singularity. In a few moments they would come to understand that the entire universe was a living organism unfathomable in its vastness and complexity. And they, like every other living thing, were a part of it. The program had run for little more than two minutes when tears began trickling from beneath Cha’s closed eyelids. Ott visibly tensed and squeezed at his armrests. Seconds later, as Tutankhamun’s mouth fell agape, the queen moaned softly and a smile spread on Yaan’s face. Graf pushed his head forward as if trying to get closer to what he was seeing, to what they were all seeing, experiencing, and feeling. At the side of the console, Robfebe rubbed at her brow as Barjeen sat in placid thought.

  The room remained in near silence, the only sounds low, sporadic vocalizations from within the cube. The modified program ran to completion in a little over seven minutes, and then the nanofiber array was disengaged and retracted. Everyone remained quiet and still as normal cerebral activity resumed, and then, within seconds of each other, their eyes blinked open.

  The promise that all their questions would be answered had been realized. The sanguine visage of their faces reflected the clarity and empowerment of purpose that had been engendered in their consciousnesses. The planet was to be their charge, and Kalpeon humans evolved from the seed would multiply and populate it with a civilization striving to achieve a perfect balance between themselves, all other living things, and the natural environment. In the indoctrination they had seen and experienced the planet as such, but they had been made aware that it was a way that would have to be earned through an understanding of their human condition and the exercise of their inviolate free will. It was their free will and choice that was the very essence of what made them human. As the biotech and biosyndrone studied the analysis of the program’s emotional impact, Barjeen approached the cube.