Skyfire

by Vossen, Doug

  “Dr. Kapur, I appreciate that whole-heartedly,” said Trent.

  “S-s-said the man covered in blood holding a rifle,” blurted Rag.

  “Raghu - can I call you Raghu?” Trent asked.

  “S-s-sure. My friends call me R-R-Rag though.”

  “This man is not your friend, my son!” Aditi Kapur was opinionated and fiercely protective of her son.

  “Latex-fetish-shit-porn-subreddits! M-m-m-mom! I’m not t-t-two years old! S-s-stop it!”

  “Ma’am, I’m not the enemy here,” Trent said. “We did so much to come here. I’m so tired.” Trent got choked up thinking about the mental trips he’d taken over the last thirty-six hours. Most of all, he thought of Emma. “If you knew the risks we’ve taken to come for you guys, you would never deny us the opportunity to bring you to safety.”

  “There is no safety,” Aditi said.

  “Ma’am, I promise I will keep that man away from you. He’s extremely rough around the edges, but he means well. Can you please just hear us out? I’m not the enemy here, and neither is Legate Ronak.”

  “How can you be sure?” Mahesh Kapur wiped flecks of gypsum from his face after tasting the wall board.

  “Because if he wanted us dead, or even wanted to force you to act in a particular way, there is nothing we could do. All I ask is that you hear us out. Cooperation between us is the only way we can begin to understand what’s going on. It seems like an insurmountable task, but I’m truly confident that if we break this problem into bite-sized chunks, take it one day at a time, we can figure it out.”

  The Kapur family remained silent. It was hard to deny Trent’s logic. Two types of people thought in such a way, engineers and military officers. Trent was both.

  He’s turning them.

  Devi broke the silence. “You’re a very charismatic speaker. It almost made me forget that there is blood all over your sweatshirt and what appears to be human flesh stuck to your bayonet. Who uses bayonets? Is this the Civil War? How can you expect us to leave a place where we can work in relative safety?”

  “I know I look like a butcher right now,” said Trent. “This is not something I expected when I woke up two mornings ago. I don’t leave the house wanting things like this to happen. In fact, I never want to fight ever again, but it’s apparent that I have no choice. The reason I look like this now is because I know in my heart the only way for us to move forward is to cooperate. It starts with leaving this place, getting back to the Army’s firebase, and formulating a hypothesis. This hypothesis is heavily engrained in both your research and in what Ron’s people have known for a long time.”

  “What could you possibly offer our family that would make us think going out THERE would ultimately be better than remaining here until this blows over?” Mahesh asked.

  “I can offer you one thing no one else can. Something you want more than anything.”

  The Kapur family scoffed at such a bold assertion. “And what would that be?” Mahesh asked.

  “You’re primarily a theoretical physicist, right?”

  “I utilize experimental and observational data when it is available and base new potential principles on the theories I derive mathematically,” said Mahesh.

  “I can provide you with validation of those theories, advance your knowledge by centuries, and provide the opportunity to fully satisfy any curious scientific itch you could ever have,” said Trent. “You can take your work to levels above your wildest dreams. What you have discovered already is the just the tip of the iceberg.”

  The family rolled their eyes. “And how will the man with biomatter on the edge of a knife connected to a gun be able to do such a thing?” Mahesh asked.

  “Not me,” said Trent. “Legate Ronak, care to step in?”

  I am impressed with this man’s charisma. He’s fixed a good deal of what his overly aggressive friend ruined. He did so with minimal understanding of anything that was discussed prior to his arrival. He is, as his people say, a very good bull-shitter. “Doctors, Devi, Raghu - if I may?” said Ronak.

  It looked as if Mahesh’s wife was beginning to relent. “Please, go ahead,” said Aditi.

  Everyone seemed a little calmer. Trent politely excused himself and stood outside with Karl and the three survivors.

  “As you already postulated years ago,” explained Ronak, “the correct, paradox-free interpretation of quantum physics is only capable of producing material waves of possibility for consciousness to choose from. Consciousness has the ultimate power, called downward causation.”

  “You have regurgitated my own research to me,” Mahesh snapped.

  Academic types have frail egos. As brilliant as they are, they seem to seek validation as both intelligent minds and individually creative people capable of looking at things from unique perspectives. Whether this is actually true, such arrogance is a variable to consider in my interaction with them. Yet I must not pander to them. If he feels patronized, this conversation will end quickly. What a fascinating exercise! Everything is dependent on my own abilities. THIS is why I am a Legate. I would never have this opportunity back home working for the galactic trade consortium, providing our AIs with new data to produce more efficient trade algorithms.

  Legate Ronak was aware that he had drifted off in thought. “We have come here utilizing this fundamental assumption that drives the majority of our technology. Your baseline assumption of consciousness being the underlying field in which we all exist, Dr. Kapur, is the basis for everything. You are on the right track toward vaulting your species into the next technological age. Given the current circumstances, I find it prudent to assist you in your efforts so we can identify why this phenomenon, for lack of a better term, has chosen to affect this region of the galaxy.”

  “Are you telling me we are the only ones in the galaxy to experience this mess?”

  “That is unknown, but Earth is the only inhabited planet we have found in the charted galaxy that is experiencing this,” Ronak explained.

  “What makes you so sure this has anything to do with my work?” Mahesh asked.

  “It has nothing to do with you specifically. The appearance of this phenomenon is quite similar to the realm of perception one enters when traveling through The Veil.”

  “What is this veil?” asked Mahesh.

  “The Veil is what we call the underlying field you have postulated in your mathematical endeavors. For generations, quantum physicists such as you have tried to reconcile the submicroscopic world with the enormity of the cosmos. You, in particular, are moving along the correct intellectual trajectory. Many others are missing the most fundamental of assumptions.”

  “Please elaborate.”

  I am appealing to his ego. Excellent. I thought he would be too self-aware to display such narcissism.

  “As you know, Doctor Kapur, the most effective science is often the simplest. People studying any universal theory of everything, as your community calls it, be it string theory or otherwise, often get bogged down in the complexity of continuously emerging dimensions that cannot be measured with your current technology and understanding of the laws of nature. It is imperative that the terran scientific community realizes the ‘theory of everything’ is far simpler. If left to your own devices, without the phenomenon above your financial district, you would likely come to the same conclusions we as Æthereans have come to over time. I can fill in the blanks and we can work together as equals to ensure the survival of your race, your planet, and your work.” I must be careful not to appear condescending. This is a fine line. He is supremely intelligent, but he is also very arrogant, insecure, and seems to feel emasculated by his wife.

  “We can also offer you the opportunity to conduct complex experimentation, the likes of which you cannot imagine,” said Ronak. “Consider the prospect of being able to experimentally validate your life’s work.”

  “I like what you are saying,” said Mahesh. “I am extremely impressed, even giddy, that I am speaking to someone of anothe
r world. I am even more excited by the prospect of working with such an advanced civilization. But I - ”

  “Mahesh!” said Dr. Kapur’s wife.

  “Aditi! I give you immense leeway when assuming control of family matters. This is a decision I need to make for us. Do you doubt my judgment? When have I ever let you down?”

  “Mahesh, we need to - ”

  “Enough, Aditi! This is my life’s work!”

  He holds his work paramount, even against his family. I suppose true geniuses do. It was the same with us before everyone was fully integrated. This is the most interesting dynamic with which I have ever been involved! Thank The Veil! “Dr. Kapur, I know the warriors outside are boorish and not up to your intellectual level,” said Ronak. “I understand they seem to use force at every turn. I also understand they devalue the lives of conscious beings to suit their needs. In many ways, you are completely above them. In other ways, they are people who exist so you CAN be above them. Please recognize my level of awareness. I want nothing more than for you and your species to continue existing. My ulterior motive is to dismantle this problem before it spreads across the galaxy and beyond.”

  “OK, Legate Ronak. Say I believe you and I recognize the value of utilizing such brutes to achieve our end state. How do I know they won’t ruin everything for us?” asked Mahesh.

  “I have watched them, conversed with them, and analyzed them. They are more of a benefit than a detriment. Their top leader is pragmatic. You have not met him yet. The one who spoke to you before me is the most talented warrior I’ve seen in a great deal of time, but he is also prone to immense emotional and psychological introspection. When things get too intense, he turns to ethanol-based substances to numb his perception. At times he is, as your wife would probably assess, a mess.”

  “This is the one that stank of whiskey? I am Indian. I know what Scotch smells like.”

  “I believe his method of numbing is something called Jameson, which is of your Ireland.”

  “Not MY Ireland, Legate Ronak.” Mahesh was a little taken aback.

  “Nationalism is irrelevant. Grow out of it. He is on a journey to reconcile who he is with what he did because he thought he had to. It is the most interesting of paradigms. He seems to be going through a process of figuring out how to employ his talents in the most ethical way he can. Dare I say, I LIKE Captain Hughes.” This may stimulate his and his psychiatrist wife’s intellectual curiosity, but I need to tread lightly. As intelligent as he is, he is immature in many ways. It is as if he has been sheltered from the way people interact for most of his life.

  “What about his friend who tried to kill me?” Mahesh asked.

  I sense the melodrama in this one. I must think back to the academic personalities of my childhood, hundreds of years ago - that’s where they were mentally. Tread lightly, Ron. Interesting, I just thought of myself using nickname the terrans - no, HUMANS - gave me. Why am I warming up to them? I am clearly very lonely. I rarely spend time aboard RCV4. When I do, I attempt to distance myself from all interaction. Irrelevant; this type of loneliness is a good thing. It’s better than countless minds connected to me every moment of every day.

  I hate what we’ve become. I enjoy helping races who are not as advanced. We like to think the rest of the galaxy views us as the shining example of what they SHOULD be. I disagree. We have traded all our freedom and privacy for safety, efficiency, and exponential scientific development. I do not think the price was worth it. I wish we could go back 600 years, to when we could have a conversation and not know the other person’s every thought. I don’t care if I could’ve been swindled, hurt, or otherwise deceived. It gave flavor to all the different regions of Æther. It made me happy. The whole thing seems like pointless nonsense now. I am so glad I’m a Legate. I may not have seen home in several hundred years, but at least I’ve had the opportunity to grow, learn, and not fall into Æther’s nonsense. In another life, I may have counted myself amongst the heretics.

  “The man who tried to force me into handcuffs?” asked Mahesh.

  By The Veil, this mental silence is blissful. Being alone with my thoughts is relaxing, even amidst this horror.

  Mahesh nodded in Ronak’s direction, prodding him to respond. Right. I cannot get lost in my emotions and thoughts during an operation. “Dr. Kapur, I understand his boorishness, bad behavior, and methods are not congruent with your family’s mentality. I too have a family, and understand your point of view. This is the first time I have lied verbally in almost 300 years. You and he share little in common. For all intents and purposes, he is an animal who desires the next challenge. Nothing in life matters to him except doing the hardest and most dangerous thing. Whether this is good or bad, the result is the most aggressive human I have ever seen. What I told his people before we came to get you is that he, in your language, is a hammer. When you’re a hammer, everything else is a nail. I am confident Captain Hughes will keep this man under control.”

  “Fair enough,” said Mahesh. “I’ve heard enough. Aditi, we are moving with these people. I think this is the best move for our family.”

  “Mahesh! No!” said Aditi.

  “Cock-in-my-fucking-ass-mom! Shut the fuck up! D-d-docking uncircumcised penises on PornHub! I c-c-c-c-can’t deal with you! Stop it! I don’t care if you tell rich white ladies on the Upper East Side to throw Xanax down their r-r-r-rich white throats! Sh-sh-sh-shut the f-f-f-fuck up! You’re the worst! Obviously we need to do this!” Rag resented his mother immensely. She treated him like a problem she needed to contain within socially acceptable parameters.

  “Legate Ronak, we want to work with you,” said Mahesh. “Please tell your people you will be receiving visitors. Also, please understand, I am bursting with questions about every aspect of this experience, as I am sure your people are as well. I expect to be fully indulged when we get to a safer location.”

  “Of course, doctor,” said Ronak. “We will spend more than enough time ensuring we are all operating on the same universal assumptions and most up-to-date information. You have my word. Is this acceptable?”

  “It is, thank you.”

  He condescends toward those he perceives to be of lesser intellectual stature, and yet his work on what he calls universal consciousness has a central theme of equality. He has quoted the importance of ego elimination for the sake of progress the past two and a half decades. It is perfect irony.

  “RCV4 Nexus, this is Legate Ronak.”

  There was no response.

  “RCV4 Nexus, this is Legate Ronak.”

  Again, nothing.

  “Dr. Kapur, both my local and non-local communication have been affected by the phenomenon. However, we must continue as planned.”

  “Fascinating! Are you alone right now? Can you not even communicate with those who employ you?” asked Kapur.

  What is this? Anxiety? How interesting! “Communication is sporadic. My vessel is positioned on the far side of the moon you call Europa. Atmospheric interference based on the magnetic fields of the Jupiter’s storms cause occasional lapses in long distance verbal communication. I have no doubt it will be resolved shortly. Lie number two. We need to proceed with the mission as discussed. Please take ten minutes to gather any essential items you may need. This does not include comfort items, just items pertinent to your work. Everything else will be provided.” By The Veil, this is terrifying. This is invigorating.

  JACK

  “Jackie, we’re coming down,” said Karl. “We got them.”

  “Great. We’ll organize the exfil route. Break. Green Dragon 1-3, Green Dragon 1-3, Warrior 2, over.”

  “Roger, Green Dragon,” Chief Rudich replied.

  “How we looking out there?” said Jack.

  “Sir, there’s good news and bad news.”

  “Hit me.”

  “Well, the good news is that you shouldn’t have much of an issue exiting onto Central Park West. All the - people, I guess - are still tearing each other apart like animals in the midd
le of the park, about two hundred meters from our initial LZ. What’s even stranger is that all around them are little flashes of light with patterns similar to what’s hovering over the financial district. It looks like popcorn.”

  NOT good. I have the worst feeling about this. “Roger that, 1-3.” We better try to run south as fast as possible and clear something resembling an LZ. We have to cram as many motherfuckers in that bird as we can. If it comes down to it, I’ll hang back. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if any of those people couldn’t get back to safety. Even worse would be getting their hopes up and then dashing them at the last minute. I’ve done that more times than I can count in third world shitholes. It’s the worst feeling of helplessness.

  “Jack, so that’s that? Main exit on the east side of the structure?” said Karl.

  “Affirmative. We’ll move the casualties into the main hall and start clearing debris from one of the doors. Keep us posted on your progress.”

  I can’t stop thinking about what’s going on in the park. Why are tiny flashes of fractal light patterns exploding all over the place like “popcorn?” What the hell IS that thing hovering over downtown? Every time I’ve tripped on DMT I saw similar patterns and interacted with what was either a hidden part of me or otherworldly beings. I also know that just because you’re in a non-physical space, it doesn’t make what’s happening any less real. Whatever’s there has intentions. Clearly, if these are all the same things, then those intentions are bad, at least for us. Who’s to say there’s not an infinite amount of fractal spiral beings that usually don’t exist in this dimension? What if the patterns I saw are as different from the thing downtown as dogs are from humans? What if we are ju-

  “Hey dude, little help?” Callie gestured to the unconscious older man on the ground with shit-laden pants.

  “Harrison, help her out,” said Jack. “See if you can hoist that guy up in a fireman’s carry. Callie can pull security to the rear. Someone help me herd these kids while we’re moving.” Remember Iraq. These are kids. They pick up tone. They don’t need to understand your language to know if they’re safe or about to die. One of them even asked for water in English earlier.