Chapter 2
Somewhere in Deep Space
(The Past)
The command chamber’s revival systems were set in motion and the warming sequence initiated. The ship had received a signal that a target planet had been discovered, a planet that had already been visited by one of her sister ships. It would be days before the initial crew and Pnomos would be awakened. The computer followed the programmed protocol to revive the essential leaders of the team. This was only the second time the ship had revived its crew. The first attempt led to negative results for a possible landing site. The decision was made to continue on to another destination. The machine did not know or care. It proceeded through its subroutines with blind unwavering obedience. When the crew had been awakened, the programming would be altered by their decisions and their will.
The ship woke its sub-systems preparing the ship for the awakening crew. Red lights flashed on the console turning to green as each subsystem came online. The path of the vehicle altered in response to the new signal and the computer generated a navigational plot to intercept the origin of the signal. The signal was recorded so the crew could analyze the written transcript that it contained.
In the deep silence of cold space, the vessel quietly turned as the course became locked in its navigational routines, now on a new heading to a possible new world. Since the computer was not sentient, it did not know or care that the results of these actions would alter the course of not only the ship but the lives of both the ship’s crew and those of another world.
* * * * * *
Pnomos sat up slowly, the harsh cold air filling his lungs with needles of ice. Breathing was difficult, but he knew that eventually his lungs would begin breathing normally again. This had been only the second time he had been awakened on their voyage looking for a new world. How long had it been? he thought. He stretched his legs over the side of the coffin-like chamber his naked body filled with the aches and pains of the revival. Slowly, he stood and surveyed the room. The others of his crew were still in hibernation, but he could see that the warming sequence had begun on each of the other seven chambers. Soon he would be with them working on the decisions that needed to be made. Why had the ship awakened them? Where were they headed? What new information had the ship obtained necessitating the revival of the command crew? Were the passengers still hibernating? Was this an emergency wake-up? He thought about the last question and realized as his mind cleared that that was not the case, the room was silent with only the sound of air rushing, life-giving air that had been frozen and stored until the time they would be awakened. There were no emergency lights flashing, no requests from the computer, no indication at all of an emergency. Pnomos had these thoughts as he dressed and prepared to enter the bridge to begin the assessment of the ship’s wake-up-call.
As Pnomos entered the bridge the soft-lights came on. He turned to the main console and sat down welcoming the rest. It seems to be taking a long time to recover, recover from the sleep. I wonder how long? he thought as he scanned the console. To his amazement he found that they had been in stasis for a long time, a very long time. It seemed that their galaxy did not harbor the vast quantity of life-supporting worlds that had been once thought. This very thought drove home the concept that life indeed was precious.
How were his passengers doing in stasis? He checked the environmental control console and found that all 1,000 pods were in excellent shape with no indication of damage. Good! The pods each held 100 people and all were being maintained with no indication of malfunction. Soon, maybe, his race would walk the warmth of a planet again. He recalled that the first planet they had encountered so many centuries earlier, had been barren and could only tentatively sustain life. It had been located too far from its sun, its sun being smaller than the one they had fled. It could not provide sufficient support for the crew and their passengers. Some life had been found there, but was rudimentary. Little water had been found. It was decided that to live there would be too difficult. Mining the asteroids and comets to provide life-support would have also been too difficult. The decision had been made to move on and try again. Now they were on a new course. Where they were going and what actions they needed to take would be left up to the crew when they were all awake.
Pnomos was excited at the possibilities that lie ahead, but patience was a virtue all Pnomos’ had. Slowly, deliberately, they would make their decisions and when all the facts were in and considered, they would make a plan-of-action. He sat back in the command chair and fell asleep, exhausted from the wake-up sequence. But this sleep was different. In this sleep he dreamed, something that stasis prevented. He dreamed of a new world with sunlight and warmth. He dreamed of a new home for his family, the members of the crew and the passengers he transported. It was a good dream. The nightmares would come later.
Chapter 3
John and Lisa’s Residence
(The Present)
The phone disturbed Lisa’s quiet reverie. John called from the kitchen, “It’s for you, Lisa. It’s the Institute.” Many things had changed in the past five years since the visitors had been adopted by the nations of the Earth. One was the institution of a Science Institute where scientists from around the world could collaborate on experiments and programs for the good of the planet. Bront, our Pnomos, had indicated that that was how they had functioned on their planet, giving their discoveries to all the people of the planet.
Lisa answered the phone, “Yes this is Lisa Brinder. How may I help you?” Lisa listened to the caller intently. Then Lisa said, “Yes, I can be there in an hour. Is that alright?” After a slight pause Lisa responded, “Okay, see you in one hour.”
“What was that all about?” John enquired.
“Get cleaned up, we are going to the Science Institute. It seems the obelisk has begun a new sequence of messages aimed at deep space and they would like our input,.” Lisa told John. Yes, the world had truly changed since the visitors had come. Now decisions were made by all concerned on a team, not by government agents, secret military groups or egomaniacal generals. “We’d better hurry, they want us there in one hour,” Lisa called to John as she stepped into the shower.
* * * * * *
John and Lisa took a taxi from their New York apartment to 860 Plaza square, the site of the original United Nations Building. Over the past five years, it had grown in size taking the open ‘green’ field and park that was north of the site. It was no longer called the United Nations building. It had been given the name the World Science Institute. It was a place where science was discussed for the betterment of man. It no longer housed diplomats and politicians from around the world. Much of the political dogma of the past had been replaced by science and the search for an improved quality of life for the entire planet. The Family of Man had given of itself freely to all races and cultures, raising the standard of living around the globe to a new high and a new equality. Everyone shared in the same global arena. We were finally and truly equal, no matter where we lived. The concepts and philosophies brought to us by the Family of Man changed the way we approached our values and treated our neighbors. We had not lost the feelings of ‘friendly’ competition, but we had lost, at least in part, the need to be ,better than the next guy.’ We all shared equally in the discoveries and the wealth brought to us by our visitors.
The taxi pulled up to the entrance of the Science Institute. John turned to Lisa and said, “That was a pretty quiet trip. You must have been deep in thought.”
Lisa just smiled and said, “Come on, we’re going to be late.” She stepped out of the taxi as John hurried around from the other side. They walked hand in hand to the main entrance. Lisa surveyed the surroundings. The original entrance to the United Nations building could still be seen. But the plaza at the north end, where many entertainment groups, high school bands and choirs, college groups and professional entertainers had once gathered to sing and speak of world peace, was replaced with a new larger building, the Science Institute. This is the building they entered.
As they entered the main entrance, they saw Zach striding towards them. Mr. Zachariah Gleesom was their contact liaison at the Science Institute. He had a lanky gate and walked as if he rode horses all day. Lisa always giggled when she saw him, expecting to see him in jeans and a T-shirt with a hay straw in his mouth. John leaned toward her. “Now, come on, Lisa, he is a nice guy, just a bit ‘country’ in nature,” he said, knowing what Lisa was thinking.
Lisa choked another giggle and said, “I can’t help it, he looks like he belongs on a farm.”
Zach looked at the two as he reached them. “You know, you two always look like you have a secret joke going on that I don’t know about.”
Lisa laughed out loud to this and simply grabbed Zach’s arm and said, “What’s up, ‘pardner’?”
“Okay, I get the small joke. Let’s get a bit more serious. There is new information being relayed by the obelisk, and we need you two to help decipher what it means,” Zach said in a more serious tone. “Follow me. We have a meeting with Pnomos and several of his crew.” Zach strode towards the elevator with Lisa on his arm and John following.
* * * * *
Zach opened the door and allowed John and Lisa to enter the large meeting room. Lisa looked around the room. Pnomos and Doria were talking quietly on the other side of the table. There were two others of his crew talking by the window overlooking the river, and there was Mr. Landrum seated at the table, showing his ‘all-business’ look. She still couldn’t call him by his first name, Fred. He was too much a mister to her, always being so formal and in control. As they entered Landrum looked up and said, “Ah, you have arrived.” He always had a way of stating the obvious. Pnomos, Doria and the other two visitors turned to greet Lisa and John.
“So good to see you both, Lisa and John,” said Pnomos as he greeted them raising his right hand, open in the now all familiar greeting which was their form of a handshake.
Lisa raised her hand in similar fashion and said, “Hi Bront. Hi Doria.” She had been asked by Pnomos to always call him by his real name and not the title of Pnomos.
“Please meet two of our crew that have been called in on this matter,” Pnomos said indicating the two visitors who were just sitting down. They both stood again as Pnomos introduced them. “This is Stovan, our Technical Science Officer. He will be coordinating the scientific aspects of this discussion.” Pnomos then indicated the lady to Stovan’s right, “and this is Marlan. She is our Language Advisor. She is well-versed in all aspects of language. Please be seated everyone,” Pnomos said as he sat down.
Lisa queried at the formality of the situation. Pnomos was being formal, more formal than he usually was. This hinted at something being wrong or out of place. What was this message they had been receiving through the obelisk? She knew she and John should never have taken that vacation. A month away from everything, and now they were strangers to the circumstances.
Mr. Landrum began, “I asked our two visitors who had been working with the Chinese and Korean factions to return and help us in determining our course of action. We asked Lisa and John to come because they were the first to study the obelisk and its unique communication system. Since this is more a matter for our visitors, I am turning the rest of the meeting over to Pnomos who will bring you up-to-date on what the obelisk is doing. Pnomos,” Mr. Landrum indicated Pnomos and took his seat.
Lisa turned to Pnomos and said, “So, what’s in this message I’ve been hearing about?”
Pnomos forward and studied Lisa. He had the un-nerving ability to look as though he were staring right through you as if reading your most inner thoughts. A smile crossed his face ignoring the fact that she had spoken a out-of-turn, “Always to the point, aren’t we Miss Brinder? Or, is it Mrs. Karlovec now?”
Lisa smiled back at Pnomos. It was that cute impish smile that John had fallen in love with. It was her way of making a tense situation relax, she said, “It’s Mrs. Lisa Karlovec-Brinder. I wanted to keep my research name. It makes it easier for my colleagues when they need, to find me. One of the casualties of becoming famous, or, as some might say, infamous. I guess it depends on your point of view.” She nodded her head towards John and gave him a wink. His face flushed, but he said nothing.
“Well, Mrs. Brinder, I will ask my Language expert, Marlan, to answer your question. Marlan, if you would, please explain the nature of the message and our problems with it.” Pnomos indicated his crew member to his immediate right. She acknowledged his enquiry with a simple nod.
Lisa always marveled at the simplicity of this race of people. They all only had one name, no first and last name as we were accustomed. They had just the one name as their personal name. They all had a titles like Pnomos, which was the equivalent of leader or guide. Marlan’s formal title was Langos or language expert, but she much preferred her personal name over being called by her proper name. On Earth she probably would have the name Marlan Langos. But that was not the way of the Family of Man. They reserved the proper name only for the leader, their Pnomos. Marlan, one of the younger crew members that Lisa had met was shorter than most of her fellow crew members. She had the dark black hair that seemed to be most prominent with their race which she kept in a boyish style, short and off her ears. She wore no make-up, but her face radiated as if she had.
Marlan began, “The message, though clear, has many unusual mistakes which makes us concerned over its authenticity. It simply states:
“We have received your signal of the discovery of a planet and have set course for your location. Since the distance between us is between five and six light-years, we expect to be at your location in approximately twelve of your years. We will at that time assist you in subjugating your new planet.”
Signed,
pnomos
Though the message is straight-forward, albeit, ominous in its wording, it is clearly written and sent in our language. The inconsistencies are very apparent if you look at the original script.” Marlan handed Lisa the original script as it had been received by the obelisk.
Lisa had been the first human to be able to understand how the obelisk worked. Messages were sent through sub-space using Polarization Synchrotron allowing the radio wave to move faster-than-light. It is a unique technology that Earth was just beginning to realize when the visitors arrived. Polarization Synchrotron basically abuses radio waves so severely that they finally give in and travel faster than light, which has a speed of 3.00 x 108 m/s (approximately 671 million mph.) Nothing else could move faster. It seems the radio wave through the polarization technique was the only wave that could ‘cheat’ the speed of light. Everything else in the universe was limited to speeds less than the speed of light, a universal constant as Einstein had predicted a century earlier. As the obelisk received each radio bundle, one of the characters on the obelisk would glow. The obelisk would store each bundle in sequential memory and repeat the bundle sequence until the message-received-symbol was tapped by the operator. In many ways it resembled the antiquated Morse-code system of the telegraph where the telegraph operator wrote down the sequence of letters that spelled out words. In the case of the Family of Man, the symbols represented word groups and concepts much like the ancient Hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians had received this concept of writing from our visitors when they discovered ancient (ancient to them) glyphs that had been left by the Family of Man centuries of decades earlier.
Lisa looked over the original script in the hieroglyphs of the visitors. She paused contemplating the series of symbols, the little dots as John had once called them. John looked at as she thought and pointed to the symbols for ‘Pnomos’. Lisa nodded and said, “Yes, I see your concern. The syntax is all wrong. These symbols for Pnomos treat the name as a personal name, not the proper name of leadership. It’s as if another had written the script not knowing Pnomos was an indication of Stature and prominence. Could the vessels people have lost that much of their civilization through the years in space and stasis?” Lisa questioned Marlan, though the question was actually aimed at Pnomos.
Pnomos looked up after contemplating Lisa’s question. He looked over at Marlan and then Stovan. “Lisa, you amaze me again. Your clarity and grasp of our language is crystal clear. Marlan has already briefed me on the exact conclusions you have presented here. I wish I could answer your question. However, I will turn the discussion over to my Science officer, Stovan. Stovan, if you please…”
Stovan stood, acknowledging the instruction of Pnomos. Lisa wondered at the fact that Stovan was the only one to stand after being presented. She watched as the man stood. He was tall, knowing that the visitors were all of a tall stature, she was astounded to see just how tall Stovan was a good two and a half meters tall, well over seven feet. He was lean and well-muscled. His long angular nose and the dark, short black hair combed forward and cut in straight bangs gave him the appearance of a character from an old movie her grand parents had liked. Who was that character? All he needed were the pointed ears of Spock to complete the likeness. In a way, he was like a Star-Trek character. He did come to us from the stars. However, the visitor’s ears were rounded, more rounded than ours which gave him a boyish look. As Stovan spoke, the ‘Spock-like’ similarity ceased. A deep velvet voice more akin to an operatic baritone came from his mouth. It lent a mood of concern and drama to the discussion.
Stovan acknowledged Pnomos and Mr. Landrum and then turned his attention to the paper he held. “Ladies and Gentlemen, what Lisa has asked is also what we have asked. Could the long days in stasis have caused some kind of deterioration in the formality and training we have had throughout our history?” He turned his attention to each of their faces, pausing to assess their reaction. Lisa realized that he was deciding on how best to approach the topic. Stovan continued, “We acknowledge that we were altered during our stasis. When we faced the change, we were able to continue our mission. Those of us that chose to voyage to the future through stasis and be here now with you and those of us who chose to stay in what now is the past living their lives on their new Earth, were stricken with a malady over which we had no control. During or voyage and while in stasis our vessel passed through a dense ionized nebula. The consequence of that passage made us all sterile. Our cargo, the eggs and sperm of our race were also infected and unable to produce life. But, this was a biological malady. Our civilization, its standards, protocol and doctrines had not been altered. We believe that there is no physical, chemical, or radioactive situation that could alter the doctrines and principles we follow. We have come to one of two conclusions. Either, they crew found a planet and populated it. Over centuries, possibly, they became infected by local fauna and becoming less human had lost their civilization. Possibly, the loss of their libraries and their knowledge eroded. Or, and this is the fear that we have. Or, the vessel has been taken over by another species, a more war-like species, which is now on its way here after commandeering our vessel. Our people must still be alive, at least some of them to show the ‘others’ as we have labeled them, how to use the equipment on board the ship. We have not yet tried to signal back. We have brought this to the Science Institute for their input and a consensus on how to proceed.” Stovan sat done having presented his information.
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