by Karl Morgan
“Headmaster, I’m only reporting what she told me. It may be true, but I doubted it as much as you. May I ask you another question, sir?”
“Of course, Prescott.”
“Are there any others missing?”
Dorchester smiled. “Missing? No, of course not. Two new students were released to their mother last night after dinner. You remember when I introduced the student body to Connie and Gabe Emanuel?” Carl nodded. “It seems their mother had a change of heart. That’s not unusual, you know. Most find it difficult to accept the talents of their children.”
“Yes, sir, I remember that about my own family as well. I’m glad no one is missing. May I be excused?”
“In a moment, Prescott. What is your plan to deal with the hollow under the school grounds?”
Aida raised her hand. “I can comment on that, Headmaster.” He nodded. “I found a large collection of boulders. I reshaped them into the precise shape of the shield Carl created. Later today, I would like the school grounds evacuated when Carl removes the shield, just in case there are problems.”
“Where did you find these boulders, Aida?” her mother asked.
“In the asteroid belt, Mom. They’re mostly iron ore, so they should be strong enough to support the buildings.”
“The asteroid belt,” Dorchester said with a chuckle. “What won’t you two come up with next? You’re all excused.”
As the students headed for the exit, Brian Conway stood. “Wait just a minute. What are you doing to protect my daughter?”
Carl turned to face him. “Mr. Conway, if you allow her to go with us, we’ll continue training her to protect herself. If not, I know the faculty will do everything they can to keep her safe.”
Brian looked down at his daughter. “What do you want, honey?”
“I want to go with Carl. I trust him.”
Brian looked back at the students. “What do you think is for the best, Carl?”
“Mr. Conway, I know you’ll make the right decision for your family. I’m just a kid, you know.”
“Thank you. I think she’ll stay with us.”
Barbie looked back at Carl with tears rolling down her cheeks. Carl smiled meekly and then led the others out of the private dining room.
As they worked their way down the cafeteria line, Aida asked, “Don’t you think she’ll be safer if she’s with us?”
Carl sighed. “Maybe, but after listening to Sylvia and the Grim Reaper, I’m not so sure. I have faith that her father’s paternal instinct will lead him to do the right thing. He loves his family more than anyone else ever will.”
After breakfast, Carl decided to return to normal classwork. All the craziness of the past few days had made him forget the real reason he was here. He and Aida were walking down the hall toward their first classes of the day. Conveniently, their two classrooms were across the hall from one another. Aida kissed him on the cheek and walked up to the door to her class. She turned and smiled at him. Carl gave a little wave. She opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door after her.
“You’re going to be late, Carl,” Burt’s voice said. Carl turned to see Burt Jackson and Grace Mulligan entering his classroom.
“I’m right behind you.” He stepped up to the door and could hear the other students talking and laughing. He pulled open the door and stepped onto a broad field of grass. In shock, he spun around, but the doorway and the school were gone. One hundred feet in front of him, a massive, marble-clad temple sat at the top of a tall set of steps.
An angel appeared out of thin air a few feet in front of him. He was male and wore bright silver battle armor. A long sword hung from a loop on his belt, and he held an ornately engraved shield. He extended his open hand. Carl walked up to him and shook his hand. “It’s good to meet you, Carl. My name is Michael. I’m sorry about the mess with Gabe and Connie. This deception is completely unlike them.”
“I’m glad to know you too, Michael. I suppose I’m here to see Manny.”
“Yes. In fact, Uncle Luce is here as well. Come on. Follow me.”
They walked over to the temple and began to climb the steps. “What is this place? Is this where he lives?”
The angel chuckled. “Actually, this is an illusion, a parable if you will.”
“I don’t understand.”
Michael stopped and turned to face the teenager. “I thought Uncle Mort explained that already. Geez, do we have to do everything ourselves?”
Carl thought for a moment. “He said that Heaven and Hell were only stopping points on the bridge from one life to the next.”
“Ah, so he did explain it. Let’s go.” The angel continued up the steps. Carl considered asking for clarification, but decided to drop the subject. When they reached the top of the steps, they continued forward toward two large doors that appeared to be made from gold. The angel put his hand on one of the door handles. “Go on inside. This is where I leave you, Carl. Good luck.” He pulled open the door, and Carl stepped inside. The door closed behind him.
The interior of the temple was cavernous. A three-dimensional image of Earth floated in the air. To the left and right of the image, two chairs were elevated on poles. Manny and Luce sat on the chairs and gazed at the image. Manny noticed Carl’s arrival, and his chair descended until it reached the floor. He stood and hurried over. Luce remained up in the air, but had turned his chair to see the arrival. Carl extended his hand, but Manny walked past it and hugged his guest to his chest. “Thank you for coming.”
After Manny released him, Carl stepped back. “It’s good to see you, but I had planned to attend my science class.”
Luce laughed, and Manny waved him off. “Consider this your class. After all, science is what we’re here to discuss.”
“Let’s get on with it, Manny!” Luce complained.
Manny led Carl to a third chair on the opposite side of the image. “It’s automatic. Just think the direction you want to go, and it will comply. Try to go up now.” As the chair began to rise, Manny hurried back to his own chair. When all three were in position, Manny asked, “What do you think about this place, Carl?”
“It’s cool. That projection is pretty awesome.”
“Projection?”
Luce laughed again. “Carl, that isn’t a projection. That is Earth.”
“That isn’t possible,” Carl replied. “I’d have to be as big as China for that to be the real planet.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Manny said. “It’s a projection, okay, Luce?”
“You’re the boss, Manny.”
Manny waved his arm and the image vanished. It was replaced by the image of a spiral galaxy. He squeezed his hands, and the image shrank until millions of galaxies could be seen in a hazy web. “This is a universe, Carl.”
“This universe?”
“No, Carl, this is the prior universe, you know, the one we destroyed.”
Carl looked aghast. “With all those galaxies full of stars, planets, and living beings?”
Luce chuckled. “Manny, maybe you should make him wait to the end to ask questions.”
“I’m sorry,” Carl noted.
“Don’t be. That was a fair question. This is the precedent universe at the same stage of development as your universe today. That was sixty billion years before we ended it. Now, I know it’s difficult to see so many galactic clusters and understand what’s happening, so let me focus on two galaxies.” The image zoomed in until two spiral galaxies showed side by side. “Now, these galaxies were never this close together, but you get the idea. Luce, would you like to explain the general concept of the Big Freeze?”
“I get to talk? Wow, thanks, Manny.” Luce sat up straight and turned his chair to face Carl. “What cosmologists of your time believe, and we know to be true is that space-time is expanding faster as time goes by. That is entirely the opposite of what scientific laws say should occur. For example, you can’t throw a ball and expect it to keep going faster and faster as it moves away. On a pl
anet, friction with the air and gravity cause it to slow down and stop. Even in space, random particles and gravity from nearby stars and planets will slow it. Do you understand so far?”
Carl nodded. “I guess. I mean I know balls roll to a stop, and the universe should slow too, but it doesn’t.”
“Thanks, Luce. I’ll take over now.”
“Of course, you will.”
Manny frowned at the other man, but turned his attention to Carl. “In the concept of the Big Freeze, eventually everything gets so far away from everything else that new stars can no longer form. There aren’t any more massive gas clouds. Ultimately, the last stars die, and the entire universe becomes a lifeless, frozen, and infinitely large soup of particles.”
“The Big Freeze,” Carl said.
“Exactly right,” Manny confirmed. “Now, back to these two galaxies. I will fast forward the images through time.” The spiral arms of the galaxies began to turn. Supernovae exploded, and new stars formed from clouds of gas. Manny moved his hand and the image stopped. “That was ten billion years. Not much seems to have changed. Keep watching.” The galaxies began moving again. The galaxy on the left had many more star deaths than births. When the image froze again, it seemed half of its stars were out. “Now, it’s been a totally of thirty billion years.”
Carl pointed. “That one’s dying already.”
“Yes it is,” Manny confirmed. “Now let me zoom out.” The image shrank until the entire universe as visible again.
Carl gasped. “It’s getting faint.”
Manny nodded. “The overall size had doubled since we started and about two-thirds of the stars have died and not been replaced.” He shrank the image to the two galaxies. “Let us go forward once again.”
When Manny finally stopped the image, the galaxy on the left was completely dark. Only a handful of stars remained on the right star group. “And there you have it.” He shrank the image to show the entire universe once more. Only a few faint points of light still shone. “The Big Freeze has won. This is how that universe looked when we ended it. If we examine the entire universe, we’ll find about a thousand living stars, of which ninety-nine percent are red dwarves.”
Carl asked, “Pardon me for saying this, but how do I know this isn’t just a fake for my benefit?”
Luce chuckled and Manny glowered at him. After a few moments, he shook his head and turned to Carl. “In a moment, I’ll show you personally, but let me follow your conjecture through to the end. Let’s say this was fake and that the three of us destroyed a vibrant, living universe like the one we inhabit today. Yes, that would be heinous and unforgivable. However, you know that Sylvia, Gabe, and Connie want to do the same to this universe. Carl, there are one hundred and twenty billion planets with sentient populations in this universe, and that number grows daily. Maybe Luce, Mort, and I did the same thing, or maybe not. You know that Sylvia will kill everyone you know without a second thought to achieve her goal of taking my place. Quintillions of sentient beings will be wiped out in mere seconds to satisfy her lust for power.”
“We’re obviously not proud of those offspring,” Luce added.
Manny sighed deeply. “Frankly, she can have this damned job right now. The fate of all of these living beings is too dear a price to pay.” The three chairs descended to the floor. Manny and Luce stood and walked over to Carl, who then stood as well. “Just stand there, Carl, and take our hands. We’re going on a little trip down memory lane.”
When he grabbed their hands, the temple faded away and the three shot into space. They appeared to be in a clear tube that stretched out in infinity in front of them. Manny said, “When we learned that you and your girlfriend had done this, we were amazed. No other Invisible Hand has had nearly your power. Now just watch.”
They accelerated, and the stars stretched into lines of light that swirled around them. Gradually, the light faded away, plunging them into darkness. Seconds later, brilliant light was all around them. Carl clenched his eyes due to the intense glare. When the light faded, he opened his eyes. They were again in darkness and seemed to be chasing a massive cloud of translucent gas just in front of them. The cloud began to shrink rapidly, and they accelerated once again. The gas had shrunk to a pinpoint, and they dived into it. Then, they were suspended in darkness.
“What happened?”
Luce replied, “We’re on the other side of the Big Bang. Just keep watching.”
A blast of particles shot past them into the inky darkness. Most continued until they were no longer visible. Gradually, a blob of particles started to coalesce in front of them. In less than a minute, it had formed a planet. A dull, white light appeared behind them, and they turned in space to see it. The star was quite small and grayish white. It appeared to be spinning very fast, and jets of particles shot out from both poles. “That is a neutron star, Carl. It is the remnant of the original star after it exploded,” Manny explained. They turned again and approached the planet. As they flew over the surface, they could see the smashed remains of cities. There were no oceans or discernable ice or water features. They landed on the surface. Manny and Luce released Carl’s hands. “This planet was called Olympus. It was the home planet for a large interstellar empire for millions of years. At its peak, thirty billion people lived here. Of course, they knew the eventual fate of their planet and most fled.”
“Yeah,” Luce interjected, “when the star detonated, all meaningful signs of life were instantly wiped away. The oceans and ice caps boiled into steam and drifted into space, leaving this dead rock. Can we get out of here, Manny?”
Manny smiled. “Of course. Carl, the Invisible Hand who joined with Luce to create your universe was from this planet.”
Luce sighed. “Marcus was a pious and honorable man, and I was proud to share this journey with him.”
“What happened to him?” Carl asked.
“The Rope Bridge,” Luce replied and wiped a tear from his cheek.
“Carl, at our final stop, you will see Luce and me as we were when it all ended. We will not be able to interact with the others, for this is our memory only. I only hope you can forgive us for ending this universe, now that you know the truth. Take our hands.”
The three appeared in a temple remarkably like the one they had left. The three chairs around the galactic image were filled by others. As they watched, a younger Manny walked past them. “Lord Jupiter, we must end this. You can start again.”
The man on the left chair turned to face him. “No, Manny, this is the path we chose, and we must follow it to the end.”
“But it’s over. There is no sentient life left. In another billion years, everything will be dead.”
The chair on the right descended, and an old man walked toward Manny. “Our time is over, my son. That was the message of Lord Zeus to us and now our message to you.” He put his hands on Manny’s shoulders. “Now, it is your time. Please remember us fondly.”
Manny hugged his father. “But we don’t know what to do?”
“Where is my son, Lucifer?” Jupiter asked.
A teenaged Luce quickly approached and stood on the floor near Jupiter’s throne. “Yes, Father?”
Jupiter looked down at his son. “You have my blessing to go with Manny. And don’t regret our passing. As you know, we will all meet again. Perhaps, we can become friends in a future universe.”
Young Luce wiped his eyes and nodded. Then, he walked over to Manny who patted him on the back.
“Lord Jupiter, now there are two of us with no idea what to do,” Manny said. The third chair descended, and a thin man walked toward them. Manny and Luce bowed deeply. “Lord Charon, how may we assist you?”
Charon smiled. “I never understood why Lord Saturn, Lord Zeus, and now Lord Jupiter allowed me to move on, but be that as it may. As you both know, I am a simple man with meager needs and would be honored to show you the way.”
The two bowed again. “You honor us with your presence, Lord Charon. We gratefully accept.�
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Charon patted the two on the back. “Great. Let’s get this over with, okay?” The others nodded. When they looked up, they could see Jupiter and Pluto were crying.
Charon noted the pained looks on their faces. “Please focus on me. Looking at them will only make this more difficult. They have chosen their lots. Now, you must choose yours.” Manny and Luce focused on him. “That’s better. Have all of us joined?”
“Yes, Lord Charon,” Manny replied.
“Yes, milord,” Luce said.
“Okay, now extend your arms and close your eyes. We are going to join in a group hug. When we do, all of this universe will collapse into our bodies and burst into a new fledging universe. There will be no pain, but the sensation will be, let’s say, different.” When the others were in position, Charon moved forward. He turned his head to Jupiter who nodded and forced a smile. Charon closed his eyes and put his arms around the others, who hugged him back.
Carl stood panting for air. Luce and Manny were standing nearby. All were back in the temple. “Are you okay?” Manny asked.
“Yeah, I think so,” he replied. “You two looked so young!”
Luce replied, “Well, fourteen billion years will age you.” He turned around and took his seat.
Manny laughed. “It gives you a different viewpoint on immortality, doesn’t it? It seems Mort is the only true immortal. This is, at least, his fourth universe. Luce and I will be lucky to survive as long as our fathers.” He turned and headed back to his chair.
“What now?” Carl asked.
Manny replied, “When you step out of the temple, you’ll be back at the school.”
“No, I mean what happens with Sylvia?”
When his chair stopped at the top of the column, Manny said, “I think that’s up to you.”
Luce laughed. “Yeah, what he said.”
Manny pointed at Carl. “But there’s a few things to remember from our little trip, regardless whether you think we were butchers or not. First, Mort has told us he will not support Sylvia. If that’s true, I doubt they could create a viable universe. All of reality will blink out of existence, forever.”
