by Todd Fries
Reflecting back on it now, she had been the source of their hope and by walking away from the family business, had thrown those plans into chaos, so it was no wonder she didn’t ask about it. Why bring up something painful for all involved. But she should have known better. Her parents loved her and while her initial decisions caused them pain, they adapted and changed and built a new life for themselves, knowing the garden they tended wasn’t the most important thing in life. She was. Family came first and if she was happy, they were happy.
Ultimately those seemingly unemotional reports about her schooling were a source of inspiration for them in their old age. What she didn’t understand until it was too late, was they were normal people just like her. The only difference was their greatest work was sitting right in front of them, while hers had yet to be defined. If in that moment she could have understood it like she did now, those conversations could have been so much more then one-sided reports on her progress. They could have been a mutual exchange of hope in a world that was slowly closing in around them.
In the end, she had few regrets, but she realized that some wisdom comes with age and some by experience. She only wished she had the benefit of her current perspective when she was younger, but that was the hope of dreamers and not a reality of life. All she could do was absorb knowledge from each experience and if she was cognoscente of those learning moments and took them to heart, she might find herself a better person in the end.
So as she looked around the room at these people, she understood that their wisdom and experiences were far different from her own and if she was to work with them in harmony, she would have to accept the fact that she didn’t have all the answers and that an attitude of humility would go a long way to gaining their trust. If she learned nothing else from her own life experiences, she knew enough not make the same mistakes twice.
THE BREAK
The General had granted a brief break from the meeting, but it was anything but relaxing in the hallway. This meeting had taken everyone by surprise and for the moment, there were more questions than answers. This started out as just another day filled with boredom and time, but now they were being barraged by a tidal wave of information and it was more than they could process in one sitting. Nickolas complained.
“If I had known about this briefing, I would have brought a pen and paper, but now I’m lost in a sea of data and with no way or organize it, I feel like I’m already forgetting half of what he said.”
Hannah reacted.
“No kidding. But if it’s any help, I don’t think he’d let you take notes anyway. His whole reason for springing this on us was to keep it secret. He didn’t want the subject matter getting out to anyone. I think he’s keeping everything close to the vest and if I were to bet, he’s going to want our input at the end.”
Major Brooks questioned her.
“Really? You think he needs our input and approval before making any decision?”
Hannah continued.
“What I’m saying is that he’s laying out a very controversial plan and I think he’s unsure if he’s making the right choices. He didn’t have to bring us in at all, and since he hasn’t announced his findings yet, I think he’s monitoring our reactions.”
“For what?” Nickolas said. Hannah turned back to him.
“To examine our facial reactions, our body language and to listen to what we have to say in the end. If he detects that we’re shocked or embarrassed by his presentation, he may think twice about his proposal. If you think about it, he’s been in seclusion for so long that he probably questions his own sanity. This has fallen on his shoulders alone and he doesn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Do you understand?”
Nickolas and Major Brooks both nodded their heads. Major Brooks continued.
“So what are we supposed to do about it?”
Hannah became quiet and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“I’m sure our performance in there has been questionable so far. However, he’d probably expect some confusion given the circumstances. I think we have to settle down and hear him out. Jillian still has to speak and we’d don’t know what she’ll add to the conversation. If nothing else, we need to keep an open mind and show him that we’re attentive and interested. We don’t have all the information, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Ok?”
They nodded in agreement. Nickolas commented.
“What do you two think about what we’ve heard so far?”
Major Brooks answered.
“I have to give him credit. He’s got all the details in place. I can’t argue with anything they’ve presented so far. The facts seem solid and while I don’t understand all the Hebrew math, Jacob’s got me convinced. I just never expected a spiritual answer to a scientific question, but since there’s no way of knowing if any of these planets are suitable for man, other than going to visit ourselves, the criteria for selecting the most promising target is a complex one and requires some form of attestation.”
Nickolas agreed.
“True. What he’s done is remarkable, but totally out-of-the-box compared to a purely scientific point of view. If we are to find a logical path through all of this information, we have to start with the fact that SM1 is anything but logical.”
Hannah remained quiet.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that we know this ship wasn’t built by man and we know it contained a library of 66 books, which turned out to be both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. There was a biblical message embossed on one of the walls and when you translated the triune language and changed it into binary code, we were able to decode a binary message sent from Voyager 2 in 2010, when it was over 9 billion miles from home. We all know what that message said:
“When you consider My heavens, the work of My fingers, the Moon and the stars, which I have set in place, what is mankind that I am mindful of them, human beings that I care for them? When you look up to the sky and see the Sun, the Moon and the stars-all the heavenly array-do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshipping things that the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”
“How could any of us forget those words? They’ve been burned into our minds. Everything about this ship seems to point to a divine source, so how do we ignore those clues? A lesser man would have put all of that aside as spiritual hogwash and never given it the attention it deserves. But this guy has been opening every door and searching under every rock. He’s not going to let this go; nor should we.”
Major Brooks agreed.
“While I’m not as spiritual as either of you, even I can see the patterns. But I’ve also been directly involved, being exposed to each discovery as it was made and while all of us may be on the same page, there are those who don’t have the advantage of our experience. You and I know there are people out there who are going to ridicule the General and discredit us for supporting him.”
Hannah Jumped in; the strength returning to her voice.
“I’ll support him no matter what happens. Remember everything he did for us when we returned from the Moon? By all rights we should have been executed or rotting in prison. Mutiny isn’t something they take lightly and he’s the only thing that stood between us; that still stands between us and what we deserve from a military point of view. In addition, we rebelled against you as our commander and in the process we needlessly sacrificed the life of one man. Jin Lei was a part of our crew and we should have done better.”
Nickolas held out his hands and moved between the two of them.
“Let’s not get into that again. That’s all in the past and we need to move forward. We all feel responsible in our own way and we’ve all grieved for him, but re-hashing events won’t change what happened. Right now we have to concentrate on the present. The General needs us like he’s never needed us before and we need to be there for him. I agree with Hannah; we can’t act shocked or confused. He’s going to get enough of that from the rest of the world. What he nee
ds now is our support and attention.”
Hannah calmed down.
“If we’re all on the same page, I say that we get back in there with a smile on our face and a skip in our step. We need to make an effort to listen and learn. And even if we have any doubts, don’t let him know it. We stand beside him and we give him the loyalty he deserves.”
She looked at Nickolas and continued.
“You’re the one who started this whole thing and he’s never dismissed your beliefs or considered you to be a crack-pot. All he’s ever done is treat every idea and each new discovery with total respect and attention. He’s held nothing back and this is just another example of the extremes he’ll go to in order to find the truth. I for one owe him everything and as far as I’m concerned, this briefing is an honor beyond anything he’s done for us so far.”
Nickolas shook his head.
“I never thought of it that way. Yes. This is an honor to be brought into his confidence and to be allowed to give our input. It shows how much he respects us and our opinions.”
Hannah finished the statement.
“This same respect has to extend to Jillian and Jacob. We’re not an exclusive club. New members are welcome and we need to make that clear from the start. Agreed?”
They shook hands and nodded.
“Agreed.”
At that moment General Reynolds walked by with a new cup of coffee in his hands. He smiled as he passed.
“Shall we continue?”
He ushered them into the room and closed the door.
BOTANY
It took a moment for everyone to settle down. General Reynolds whispered something to Jillian before patting her on the back and introducing her to the team.
“Once again I bring you Jillian Green. She’ll discuss some aspects of a theoretical mission to one of these exoplanets.”
There was some light applause and then Jillian stepped up to the microphone.
“Thank you General Reynolds. As you know, my name is Jillian Green and I’m a botanist, specializing in photosynthesis; in particular, the study of photosynthesis at the molecular level. I research and develop genetically altered plants which are more resistant to disease and more suitable for extreme environments.
As you’ve already heard, we are examining several exoplanet prospects for future human habitation. So the big question posed to me was how to grow plants on a world with a star no larger than the planet Jupiter and shining 2000 times fainter than our Sun. We know that plants can be grown in a greenhouse as long as they’re provided with blue, red, and infra-red light, but that requires power and light bulbs, fixtures and other equipment that’s not going to be available to new settlers. We already know there are plants that only require 3 to 6 hours of sun per day, which include Salad Greens such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive and cress, but also Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peas, Beets and Swiss Chard. However, they still require light and we don’t have enough of that on Proxima b or at Trappist-1.
Plants are dependent on our Sun. Sunlight not only supplies them with energy, but also controls their developmental steps. As an example, photoreceptors activate the process of germination, leaf development, bud formation, and blossoming.
One idea was and is to grow Mushrooms. Since Mushrooms don’t have chlorophyll, they do not perform photosynthesis and therefore don’t require light.
If we have bio-stable soil and water, there’s no reason we can’t get seeds to germinate in their new environment. When I came here several months ago, I had been involved in a German research project with the goal of creating a synthetic substance to replace the light-absorbing component of any plant. We fed seeds and seedlings a synthetic substance named ‘15Ea-phycocyanobilin’. Also known as 15Ea-PCB. In the plant cell, 15Ea-PCB replaced the natural photoactive component of the photoreceptor. Basically the substance fooled the plant into believing it was exposed to light.
In our experiments, the plants developed in the dark as if they were outside in the light. In spite of the darkness, the plants germinated and grew at the same rate as a control group that were actually exposed to the Sun. We showed for the first time that a synthetic substance could cause ‘light’ effects in entire plants. It was a major breakthrough in Botany.
When General Reynolds heard of my research, he sent for me immediately. It was his belief that these synthetic photoreceptors might be valuable for colonizing a planet orbiting a red dwarf star. Using state of the art equipment and almost unlimited resources, we’ve made great progress when compared to conventional genetic engineering methods. Apart from growth, we are investigating the process of photosynthesis far better than could be done in the private sector. Our work not only impacts any planned space missions, but could also impact the agricultural industry as related to the cultivation of flowers or other biomass production.”
She paused.
“Any questions so far?”
Major Brooks stood up.
“I understand the main components of your work and it’s fascinating to say the least. If we can simply bring a synthetic compound that replaces the light from our Sun, there’s no limit to what we can do.”
Jillian smiled.
“True. We’ve been able to manufacture this in the form of a powder which can be mixed with water. We only need a small quantity to be effective, so the amount of bulk we have to transport is minimal. A ten acre plot might only require a single 50 pound bag of 15Ea-PCB. One bag from seeding to harvest.”
There was a gasp from the group. This was an amazing turn of events. It had always been assumed that future explorers would need to bring nuclear power supplies in order to energize large groups of lights and in time, use existing power sources to drive those lamps. But if there was a way to grow fields of crops in complete darkness, this would change the speed in which mankind conquered new worlds.
Once a stable food source was introduced, the population could grow and develop rapidly. After that, animals could be transplanted into the habitat, providing rich sources of protein and other by-products. As long as they were able to produce vitamin supplements to augment the lack of sunlight, life on a dim world was possible.
Major Brooks interrupted.
“You said ‘blossoming?’ How do you intend to pollinate your plants? Don’t you need bees?”
Jillian turned to some notes in her binder.
“We’ve taken this into account. First, we can pollinate by hand if needed, but we also believe that bees can be transplanted to this new world. As you already know, bee colonies live in both darkness inside their hives and in light when they’re foraging. The bee’s visible spectrum starts a little higher than human eyesight at about 422 nanometers and extends to 646 nanometers at the red end of the spectrum.”
Major Brooks interrupted again.
“That’s all well and good, but if a bee can’t ‘see’ the Sun, how do they locate it and use it for navigation? The parent stars of these exoplanets are red dwarfs and very dim.”
Jillian continued without hesitation.
“Good question. One important clue is that they use ultraviolet light. In fact, bees identify any object in the sky as the Sun as long as it’s less than 20 degrees across the horizon - and if the object emits ultraviolet that’s less than 15% of its total output. The amount of polarization is unimportant. In essence, we can fool the bee and or simply use the existing red dwarf star. In the case of a world like Proxima b, where the planet is locked in one position by tidal forces, it actually simplifies the navigation of the bee.”
She used some chalk and drew a simple diagram of the Sun as it arched through the sky.
“On Earth, the bee relies on the Sun for navigation, but this also presents a problem because not only does the Sun move, but its rate of movement changes throughout the day. After foraging for hours, a bee needs to find her home relative to the Sun, but the Sun has advanced to a new location. So how does she find her way home? She relies on experience. Each day the bee memorizes how the Sun moves t
hough the sky, and this memory becomes the solution to the problem of Sun movement, even on cloudy days.”
She looked around the room and continued.
“Bees adapt to their surroundings. For instance, when bee hives are moved farther than 2 miles from their original location, the bees realize they’re in a new place and they memorize their new surroundings as they forage, preventing confusion and lost bees. In short, bees have many redundant navigation systems that are useful in different situations. Bee learning and memory, as well as the Sun are all important factors. If they were transplanted to a world like Proxima b, the bees could use Proxima as a fixed point and orient themselves by maintaining a fixed angle between its line of flight and the star. Does this make sense?”
The Major sat back down and looked at Nickolas and nodded his head. It appeared this girl knew what she was talking about. He wouldn’t challenge her again. He had to hand it to the General. The guy had no ego and therefore no reason to hold back when it came to cultivating wisdom. When he thought about it, Samuel had always been this way. When Nickolas started hinting there might be more to the literal translation of the alien text and in the words found embossed in the SM1 bible, he sought out the help of someone like Jacob Logan.
He often wondered why anything would be hidden in the Word of God, but maybe a more direct reason for hiding wisdom might be the effect it had on the reader. A moment of discovery like that required humility. He realized that scientists often use skepticism, but this was only a crude approximation of the real ingredients that allowed for discovery. These ingredients were humility and restraint. The General possessed both.
A scientist who thought he had a line of inquiry all sewed up wouldn’t see new evidence for what it was. He’d frequently reject it. He wouldn’t be skeptical of everything, but only be skeptical of that which didn’t match his preconceived ideas. He wouldn’t question his own theories. That was ego. He looked over at the General and realized that humility was the antidote to ego. Given everything he heard today, he concluded that humility might be the key to the “Tree of Life” and to creation.
