She reached up and put her mouth to my ear. “I’m gonna go join my family. Go knock ‘em out, Dan.”
She pecked my cheek, ducked under the cordon and wove her way to her family.
The noise receded, allowing Baas to continue.
“I have said enough”, he said, looking my way. “I now give you your captain. A true leader, a legend in the making. Please give a warm welcome to Captain Daniel T. Luker.”
Talk about raising expectations… My stomach lurched, but it was no time for nerves. Given the choice of making this speech or facing armed criminals on the streets of LA, I know which I’d choose. Bad experience as a best man one time that did it. Anyway, that was a long time ago. Everything was a long time ago. I walked up the four steps and over to Baas, exchanging a warm smile and hearty handshake to rapturous applause, whoops and cheers. He slipped away and left me to take up position behind the podium as the crowd settled, faces looking up at me expectantly.
I cleared my throat, then tapped the button for the auto-cue to start.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I am proud to be your captain. I am proud to lead people like you on this historic mission.”
Another bout of jubilation came from the beaming voyagers, forcing me to smile too, settling my nerves. I continued.
“There are places, and moments in time where humanity’s destiny has been decided. Many are sites of war—from Concord and Yorktown to Stalingrad and Normandy. Others are sites that symbolize our daring and innovation—Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral, Mount Everest and Antarctica, the deserts and the oceans. And some places symbolize these things and more.
The Juno Ark is such a place.
Six hundred and forty-one years ago—a time scale, I still struggle with—this great ship set forth from the embrace of our home planet. Earth—forever the cradle of humanity. Our voyage is the epitome of what it is to be human. When the Juno Ark set off on her maiden voyage in 2070, it was as an expression of faith … faith in the belief that human progress is not yet finished, to remake a civilization more closely aligned with our highest ideals. Today, and every day, we carry the torch of those Juno Ark pioneers. Most of them were heroes. Most of them did not make. But some did, and for many of you they were your ancestors. All of you honor them today, by finishing what they started.”
I paused a moment, moistness finding its way to my eyes as I thought of my friends. Of Evert Rietmuller, of Kate Alves and of many other good people. And of Laetitia. Made as an android, but died with more humanity than some humans.
Taking a deep breath, I went on.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal.
Words from my country’s constitution, adapted for our own. These are not just words. They are a call to action for free men and women to shape our own destiny. Among you are founders like Franklin and Jefferson, leaders like Lincoln and FDR. The success of our experiment so far away from Earth rests on all of you engaging in this work. My life has taught me that tyranny is never far away. It dwells like cancerous spores of death among us. It is born of greed and disregard for our fellow humans. I will make one thing clear: the resolve we showed in dealing with Valdus and Reichs will continue, lest anyone misunderstand,” I said, my stern manner bringing serious looks on the sea of gathered faces.
I smiled, lightening my tone.
“We celebrate here today—just one leg in our journey toward a better world. There is a long road ahead—for us, for our children and for all that go after them. As our probes have shown, Aura is a world full of life and full of challenges. Although there are no existing civilizations, there are biospheres teeming with life. Unfamiliar, alien life. We must be good stewards of this life if we are to succeed. There will be surprises. There will be challenges. There will be death and tragedy, life and joy. Aura will be a constant work in progress but comes replete with unimaginable opportunity. When it comes to the pursuit of our goals, we can afford neither complacency nor despair. What makes us unique as a species is our adaptability. As we go about our mission here, we will strive to make it everything Earth failed to be. We will replicate the good and leave behind the bad. We won’t accept a free ride for anyone, nor should we believe in equality of outcomes. But we do expect equal opportunity. We expect justice for all. We will make sure every person has their role, and with it gets a fair deal, along with a real voice in how we run our society.”
I paused, the people listening intently, many nodding. Talia’s green eyes caught mine. She beamed proudly, gave me a thumbs up.
Lowering my voice, my tone became more somber.
“I’ve seen more death than I would wish on anyone—the death of loved ones, the death of twelve thousand pioneer colonists … the death of planet Earth. We’ve endured great loss, but we’ve fashioned a way through. We’ve harnessed technological wonders to get here, but it is hard work and the human spirit that will see us succeed.”
From left to right, I surveyed an arc across the thousands of faces, making eye contact with many. Familiar faces. Diverse faces. The faces of humanity so far from home.
“All of us … we were born of change. Constant change. We respect the past, but we don’t pine for it. We don’t fear the future; we grasp for it. Humanity is not some fragile thing; we are large, containing multitudes. We are boisterous and diverse and full of energy, perpetually young in spirit. That’s why we will triumph over adversity and lead the mighty march to make Aura our new home planet.”
Sensing I’d finished, the crowd erupted in noise as Talia, Sirtis, Baas and others thronged the stage. We linked hands and raised them in that moment of elation that would live on. History in the making.
“Not bad for a seven hundred year old cop from Idaho,” said Talia in my ear.
“Please … six hundred and seventy-three if you don’t mind,” I said back.
“And none the worse for wear,” she said, smiling.
Life works in cycles and we were at the cusp of a new age of human colonization. We’d travelled so far, bringing life from a distant home planet to start afresh. It might never have happened. If I’d been in the adjacent stasis pod like poor Kate Alves or Evert Rietmuller… But I wasn’t and a bright future beckoned. A fresh chance to learn from the mistakes of Earth. Human nature hadn’t really changed, but nothing was pre-determined. I liked to think we could build on the lessons of previous generations. While I was living and breathing—and even after I’d migrated to the Forever World—I had human agency and so did the other good people of the Juno Ark. Now, we had to use that agency every minute of every day to shape the history of our new home planet.
--- THE END ---
Also by T.J. Sedgwick
While hiking through the wilderness of New Zealand, Ben Mitchell witnesses a remarkable sight: a meteorite streaking through the night sky then smashing into the ground nearby. When he digs it up, it sets off a sensational chain of events that will change his life and that of two planetary systems, forever. What he uncovers will redefine history; but will it save humanity from itself or spell the beginning of a new, sinister age of subjugation?
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013LK33KY
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013LK33KY
The year is 2030 and for the first time in history a being more intelligent than humankind walks the Earth. Eva is the beautiful AI masterpiece of the brilliant Professor Szymanski. She looks and sounds human, learning every second of every day with unrelenting drive. For Senator Roebuck, Eva is an existential threat to the prosperity of workers and society itself. His answer is the AI Safety Act, to secure American jobs and head off the threat of super-intelligent AI.
On the other side of the world, the British Army have been trialling military robots in the fight against the Islamic Caliphate. The extremists have overrun vast swathes of the oil-producing Middle East, cutting off the energy supplies and trade routes Britain needs to thrive. The country stands alone, having left t
he EU in 2019 and the end of NATO eight years later. The war drags on, costing thousands of soldiers’ lives and aiding the British Independence Party’s rise to power in 2040. It becomes a national imperative to transform the army, which turns to the latest military robots on a colossal scale.
Victor Zane and British Defence Systems—world leaders in military robotics—are counting on the huge order of humanoid infantry units. They will save many soldiers’ lives, create fortunes for the few and jobs for the many. But is there another purpose for such a powerful military machine?
Russia has profited from billions of dollar of weapons sales to the Islamic Caliphate and does not intend to stop now. With America and China’s token interest and energy autarky, the forces of the Islamic Caliphate seem unassailable. But if Britain can succeed with her new army, the rewards will be huge and shape geopolitics for generations to come.
MI5 try to thwart Russia’s attempts to steal Britain’s advanced robotics technology, but their agent, Sophie Walsh, has a different theory. As events unfold, will they discover who the enemy is and what they are plotting?
Can anything stop the greatest robotic war machine humankind has ever made? Will Britain return to greatness or will the dark forces at work forever subjugate the country? Immerse yourself in this complex techno-thriller of intrigue, espionage, and action and discover the seismic shifts in power that are at stake.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WOY84V2
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WOY84V2
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Home Planet: Arcadia (Part 3) Page 19
