by Isaac Asimov
The Solarian did not respond. There was time. Until now, the swarmers had simply been a nuisance, an infestation that would eventually die out. Now they were a threat, and that threat could not be tolerated. The galaxy was too small for Solarian and swarmer. Soon, the Solarian thought as it returned to sleep. Soon I will have all the space I could possibly desire.
After Earth
498 F. E. (12566 G. E.)
Part 1: Plotting a Course
“WHERE DO WE go from here?” Golan Trevize wondered aloud. He, Janov Pelorat and Bliss were back aboard the Far Star, and currently gathered in the pilot-room. Their search for Earth, the legendary human homeworld, had brought them to an underground base on the radioactive Earth’s oversized moon. They had been treated hospitably by the base’s leader, an ancient robot named Daneel Olivaw. Daneel had chosen to burden himself (so Trevize thought of it) with the Solarian child Fallom Bander. Now that their quest was over, they had to decide on their next move.
“I shall be sorry to go,” said Pelorat. “I found our host’s conversation quite stimulating, and his records of the origins of humanity are unique and comprehensive. I could happily remain here the rest of my life. As long,” he added with a smile at Bliss, “as you were by my side, my dear.” Bliss returned Pelorat’s smile, and discreetly held his hand. Discreetly, for she knew that Trevize was willing to suffer only so much of their displays of affection. “I know you could, Pel. But I have been away from Gaia/us for too long as it is. As much as I enjoyed staying here, and as much as I will miss Fallom, I long to return there.”
Trevize was not overly eager to return to Gaia himself, but Bliss’s desire to return there was (for the moment) in accord with his own desire to leave Daneel’s haven. He was sure that Bliss had noticed his joy at being back on board the Far Star and preparing for departure. No doubt she knew the cause as well, for he had made no secret of his unease where Fallom was concerned. Trevize said, “As it happens, our options are severely limited. We learned on Comporellon that Mayor Branno has spread a description of us to every world in the Foundation. If we go to any Foundation world, we will lose possession of the Far Star. I’ve grown rather fond of the ship, and I would just as soon not have it taken from me. On the other hand, if we go to any world outside the Foundation, we are just as likely to lose the ship, and less likely to retain our freedom. That being the case, I can only think of three possible destinations.”
“One being Gaia, of course,” said Bliss.
“One being Gaia,” Trevize confirmed. “As far as I know, it’s the only world in the Galaxy that does not covet this ship, either on its own behalf or on behalf of Mayor Branno. The second choice is Terminus. It’s been six months since I left, and any animus Mayor Branno bore me will have faded, especially if I return with the ship. I still have my position in the Council, and since I was instrumental in Branno’s triumph at Sayshell, my political future is assured. The third choice is Comporellon.”
“And the waiting arms of Mitza Lizalor,” said Bliss with amusement. Trevize scowled briefly. He had never appreciated Bliss’s constant disparagement of his romantic interludes. He said, “I did promise her that I would return with the ship once my mission was complete.”
Bliss said with mock astonishment, “And you mean to live up to that promise? I was under the impression that men said all sorts of things they didn’t mean to get their way with women.”
Pelorat was frowning uncertainly. (He was always uncertain when he frowned, Trevize noticed. He did it so rarely, he tended to be out of practice.) “Now Bliss, that’s hardly fair. I’ve known Golan for some time, and known of him for longer than that, and I’ve always found him to be an honest man. Too honest, perhaps, given his choice of a career in politics. I have no doubt that he meant what he said to Minister Lizalor, and that he still does.”
“My apologies, Trevize,” said Bliss. “I’m afraid I have a tendency toward irreverence where men are concerned.”
“So I’ve noticed,” said Trevize. “I’ve also noticed that it seems to be directed exclusively towards me and never towards Janov.” He sighed and added, “Very well, apology accepted. I’d be happier, though, if I thought you’d be less irreverent in the future.”
“As soon as you return me to Gaia, you won’t have to suffer my irreverence any further.”
“That’s the best reason I’ve heard yet for returning there,” said Trevize. “Gaia it is, then.” So saying, he placed his hands on the ship’s computer console. The engines powered up, and the ship began moving towards the airlock leading back to the Moon’s surface.
Part 2: The Lost World
THE FAR STAR emerged from Daneel’s sublunar base and began its ascent away from the surface of the Moon. Pelorat, sitting in the pilot-room with Trevize and Bliss, gazed longingly at the Earth showing in the viewscreen. The sunlit side didn’t look quite like any other world he had seen. With no plants and animals to keep the atmosphere in balance, the oxygen was being chemically bonded with the ground (so Daneel had explained). By now, there was scarcely any free oxygen left. The same was happening more slowly to the atmospheric nitrogen. Eventually, Earth would have only a thin trace of atmosphere, just like the Spacer world of Melpomenia.
“Why so sad, Pel?”
Pelorat sighed. “Because, my dear, in a sense my goal in life has proved a failure.”
Bliss was puzzled. “But your goal in life was to locate the original homeworld of humanity, and you’ve succeeded. There it is.”
“I didn’t just want to locate it. I wished to study it. I wished to walk upon its surface and search for clues of what life was like there back in the days before interstellar travel was discovered.”
Trevize said, “Surely Daneel was able to give you all the information you needed about that. You just got done saying that his records of the origins of humanity were unique and comprehensive, and that you could happily remain here the rest of your life.”
“True, they are unique and comprehensive, as far as they go. Unfortunately, for my purposes, they don’t go far enough. As old as Daneel is, he still can’t tell me everything I want to know about Earth.
“You must understand that Daneel himself is far from well-informed about the details of Earth’s history. He was, so he tells me, built by Spacers from Aurora, that world we visited with the feral dogs. As long ago as that was, it was still over a thousand years after the discovery of interstellar travel. Also, the Spacers were contemptuous of Earth, and deliberately eliminated most of their information about their world of origin. Daneel himself was built in a Spacer enclave on Earth that had as little contact with the rest of the planet as possible, and he was brought to Aurora within months. He only made two brief trips to Earth before it became radioactive, and he had little time to learn details of its ancient history.”
Pelorat sighed again. “All my life, I’ve dreamed of locating the Earth, and beginning the work of unearthing and preserving its past. Now that I’ve finally found it, I know that will never happen. With Earth as radioactive as it is, archeological field work is impossible. Apart from the bare outlines preserved by Daneel, and the stories I got from Monomee on Alpha, nothing from Earth’s past has survived to the present. It’s all gone, and there is no way to retrieve it.”
The pilot-room was uncharacteristically silent after Pelorat finished. Finally, Bliss stood, and led Pelorat by the hand back to their room. There was nothing else she or Trevize could do.
Part 3: Pillow Talk
“STILL DEPRESSED ABOUT Earth?” Bliss inquired.
Pelorat smiled beside her. “My dear, after all the effort you’ve just expended, I couldn’t be depressed about anything. I suppose I shall become reconciled in time. And now that I’ve found you, of course, I have a new goal in life.”
“And that is?”
“Trying not to die of exhaustion.”
Bliss returned Pelorat’s smile and kissed him, and the two were silent again for a time. Then Pelorat said, “I wonder wher
e Trevize will ultimately go, after he drops us off at Gaia?”
“He seemed eager to return to the arms of Mitza Lizalor on Comporellon,” said Bliss tartly.
“My dear, I must tell you that I’ve always found your attitude concerning Golan’s personal life to be rather disquieting.”
“I know it made you uncomfortable, but I assumed it was simply your dislike of seeing friction between two of your friends.”
Pelorat shook his head. “There is that, but it goes deeper. I can’t help feeling that there’s a touch of jealousy on your part.”
Pelorat had the satisfaction (and he had to admit, it was satisfaction) of seeing Bliss rendered speechless. He couldn’t sense emotions as she could, but he could guess that surprise and indignation were warring within her mind. Finally she answered, “That’s ridiculous!”
“Oh no, my dear, it’s far from being ridiculous. You’ve shown all the venom of a woman scorned.”
“But I’m not even attracted to Trev! Why should I be jealous when he chooses to fall into the arms of some–” Bliss had the presence of mind not to finish the thought. It didn’t matter. Pelorat was looking at her like she had just confirmed his analysis, and she had the sinking feeling that she had. “Now, I know you and Golan have a tendency to think of me as an innocent in matters of the heart,” said Pelorat, “but I assure you that a man who has been married and divorced as often as I have can’t help but gain a certain practical knowledge of the subject.”
“But I have no reason to be jealous of Trev,” Bliss said–quite reasonably, she thought. “I’m not even attracted to him,” she repeated. “That doesn’t matter,” said Pelorat. “What matters is that he is not attracted to you.”
“I fail to see what difference that makes.”
“Do you?” Pelorat asked skeptically. “A woman as attractive as you are is bound to gain the attention of any man she meets. I imagine you’ve come to expect it. Golan, however, was completely indifferent to your charms. I saw it, and I’m sure you felt it. Now it seems to me that ever since then, you’ve been going out of your way to find fault with Golan’s taste in women as a way of proving to yourself that his indifference was his fault and not yours.”
“Do you really think I could be so petty, Pel?”
Pelorat shrugged. “I’ve noticed that being part of Gaia hasn’t made you into a flawless superbeing. You seem to have your share of minor quirks, just like any other human.” He chuckled. “That’s why I find Golan’s assertion that you might be a robot so amusing. A robot wouldn’t be so emotionally irrational.” Seeing Bliss frown, Pelorat said, “I wouldn’t make too much of it, my dear. It won’t be too long before we return to Gaia, and then you won’t have to worry about Golan’s poor taste in women any more.”
Bliss shook her head. “If I really am being so petty, it can only be because I’ve been away from Gaia for too long. It’s always easier to see your own flaws when you can see yourself from others’ perspectives.” She sighed. “I’ll have to apologize to Trev. Now that I think back, I can see I have been overcritical.” She shook her head again. “If this is how Isolates interact with each other, it’s a wonder you can put up with each other.”
“There there, my dear, don’t worry about it. We’ve had more practice at it than you have.”
Part 4: Homecoming
BLISSENOBIARELLA DIDN’T FEEL the Jump, but she felt the effect. In a fraction of time too short to measure, the Far Star had moved three thousand parsecs in space, and her link with the rest of Gaia had changed from a tiny, tenuous thing to a mental avalanch. The shock of it woke her from a sound sleep, and her own awakening woke Pel. She felt his mind shift from remsleep (a term whose origin was lost in the mists of time) to full consciousness. Pel looked over at her, and she felt his curiosity. “We’re here,” she explained.
Pel’s curiosity changed to understanding. He had deduced from her words (as she knew he would) that they had jumped into Gaia’s planetary system, and were now within a hundred million miles of the unified planetary consciousness that was Gaia.
Within minutes of the Jump, the two were dressed, and had made their way to the ship’s pilot-room. There they found Trev sitting at his computer console. In the screen above it, there was a view of stars, with one particularly bright star centered in the screen.
“The stars,” Blissenobiarella murmured.
She could feel Trev’s amusement as he said, “You’ve seen the stars before, surely.”
She suspected he knew very well what she meant, but she explained anyway. “It’s just been so long since I’ve seen these stars.”
Trev nodded. “It’s a common reaction. For most of the people in the Galaxy, the pattern of stars they see when they look up at their world’s night sky is part of the familiar environment that they’re used to. No matter how many other starfields they see in their lifetime, that one particular pattern is always what they think of as the stars. To someone from Terminus, for instance, the Diamonds and the Mist are the stars.” A smile on Trev’s face matched the amusement he radiated. “It’s comforting to know that even though you’re a part of Gaia, you’re still human enough to feel homesick.”
Hour by hour, the sun of Gaia grew brighter on the screen, until it was almost too bright to look at. After that, its intensity remained constant, and only its size changed. Finally, a blue star drifted onto the edge of the screen, and that star grew quickly into a blue and white circle. Then the circle grew into a world, and Trev brought the Far Star down to land on it.
When the airlock opened, she was unpleasantly surprised by the smell of Gaia’s air. She had always thought it pleasant when she noticed it at all, but now it seemed a bit rank. Trev’s murmured comment, “Back home to the crap” brought a remembered conversation with Pel. Having grown accustomed to the air on the Far Star, she would have to grow accustomed to the atmosphere of Gaia before it would smell the same as she remembered it. It was, she felt, one more disadvantage to spaceflight to add to the list that had grown in her mind.
Trev had landed the Far Star on the same spot it had occupied during his first visit, and Dom was waiting to greet them all when they left the ship. Once again, familiarity brought with it a sense of satisfaction. Blissenobiarella wasn’t entirely happy to learn that, as Trev had observed, she was still human enough to feel homesick. After all, she had been in mental contact with Dom, along with the rest of Gaia, throughout her voyages on the Far Star. Something as relatively crude as visual perception shouldn’t have so overwhelming an emotional impact upon her, and yet it did. In the final analysis, it was humbling to learn just how much she had in common with the Isolates of other worlds.
Normally, she would communicate with Dom on a largely nonverbal, emotional level. However, out of deference to Pel and Trev, she and Dom conducted their conversation verbally. “You seem different,” she said to Dom.
“I am different,” he said, “and you are the reason.”
“How so?”
“As you can imagine, we’ve all been following your exploits among the other worlds, and we’ve all found it terribly interesting. You’ve become a celebrity.”
“A what?”
“It’s an Isolate word. A celebrity is someone who is celebrated, someone whose existence has become known to a large percentage of the population. Here on Gaia, of course, everyone is more or less aware of the existence of everyone else. On the Isolate worlds, however, an individual remains unknown unless his or her actions are communicated, for whatever reason, to the general population.
“Your own adventures on the other worlds have made everyone on Gaia particularly aware of your existence, to an unusual extent. As a result, I find myself thrust into the role of mediary. For the moment, I represent not merely myself, but also an appreciable fraction of the human population of Gaia. We all wanted to be here to welcome you back home. Welcome back!” Momentarily overwhelmed, all Blissenobiarella could say was, “It’s good to be back.”
Dom continued, �
�It is also the general feeling on Gaia that the experiences you’ve accumulated offworld entitle you to add another three syllables to your name. We’re a bit ashamed to admit to a certain curiosity concerning which syllables you’ll eventually choose, so we would appreciate it if you could let us know as soon as you’ve decided on them.”
She smiled, for to her the choice of the new addition to her name had become blindingly obvious as soon as Dom had mentioned it. She said, “You won’t have to wait long, because I’ve already chosen them. My full name will now be Blissenobiarellapelorat.”
Part 5: The Gift
THE FAR STAR sat beneath the sun of Gaia. Standing beside it were Golan Trevize, Janov Pelorat and Bliss. This time, however, Pelorat and Bliss would not be joining Trevize as he set off once again into space.
“Are you sure you wish to do this?” Bliss inquired one final time. “You can stay on Gaia. You’re one of the most honored people on the planet.”
“Because I chose to make your world the model for the future of the Galaxy,” Trevize noted.
“That’s true,” Bliss admitted. “We’re flattered that you find us worthy. We don’t even mind,” she added wryly, “that your reason for choosing Galaxia was fear of a hypothetical alien menace.”
Trevize shook his head. “I have commitments to honor elsewhere.” He could tell that Bliss was forcing herself not to mention his Comporellian paramour, Mitza Lizalor. Trevize had noticed with some curiosity (and a good deal of relief) that Bliss was no longer commenting on his social life. Of all the things he disliked about her, that had been the most prominent.
Pelorat stepped forward. Taking Trevize’s hand in his own, he said, “I’ve only known you for half a year, but somehow it seems like a lifetime. Probably because I’ve experienced more in my time with you than in all the decades before. I’ve come to rely on your determination and self-assurance, for I’ve always been aware of a conspicuous lack of those things in my own makeup.”
