BEYOND SPACE Part One

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

BEYOND SPACE

by Thomas Wm. HAMILTON

Part One: From Here to Eternity

     The dining room was crowded. He spotted a rare table with an empty seat and headed for it. "Is this seat available?"

     The young woman looked at him a bit dubiously, the two men simply waved him to sit without ceasing their chewing. As he punched in his order he introduced himself. "My name is Siddathamon Priddikachorn, from the affiliated planet Pradang. I don't expect anyone to manage my name, so just call me 'Pretty', even though I'm not." He smiled at his own joke. "I'm a specialist in exo`fossils."

     The man to his right looked up from his food for a moment. "Pretty, you've just added one more to the darndest collection of odd ball specialties on this ship. I got yanked from studying HD 4308, an oddly metal poor star a bit over 70 lightyears from Earth. It seems to have swallowed all its gas giants, leaving just one close in planet transitional between gas giant and terrestrial, and a single terrestrial and some Plutonoids in remote, eccentric orbits. By the way, I'm Raoul Cassetto from San Martin, an original Federation member, and one of the first colony planets."

     Pretty shook his head. "Never heard of HD 4308. Not sure about San Martin."

    "We're even. I never heard of Pradang."

    The second man joined in. "As long as we're claiming obscure homeworlds, I'm from Sternfestung. We're an associated federation member world. Helmut von Holtz, medical staff."

     "Ha," Pretty said, "a world I have heard of because of some odd fossils, and a specialty that needs no explanation."

     The young woman blushed, but clearly felt the need to announce herself. "I am Parvin Jamsheedi. I'm from an unaffiliated world far out in the galactic halo."

     Cassetto glanced at her. "Unaffiliated? My goodness, we do have a variety. What's your job?"

     "I'm a specialist in extracting data from materials with poor signal to noise ratios."

     Helmut looked impressed. "I've never even heard of such a thing. Has your homeworld a name you can share with us?"

     Clearly reluctant, Parvin slowly said, "Its name translates as 'God's Victorious Warriors'."

     Cassetto frowned. "With a name like that and such an unlikely location, I would expect your world has an unusual history."

     "Explain for an uneducated doctor why her location is unlikely." Helmut looked confused.

     With a professorial tone, Cassetto replied, "Most halo stars are very old red dwarfs with no terrestrial planets, and not all that many jovians, either. The rest are usually ones called blue stragglers, and they don't have much in the way of useful planets, either. I can't even imagine why any colonizing group would risk wasting time searching the halo."

     Parvin took a deep breath. "Our history says our ancestors fled Earth when the minions of Satan gained control. Placing their faith in God to save them, they fled in a random direction, and when they stopped two weeks later, found themselves little more than a lightyear from the star which became our new home."

     "Wow, talk about beating the odds. Halo stars average twenty lightyears apart, and fewer than one in a hundred has human habitable planets."

     "The Council cites this as one of the miracles proving God's favor upon us."

     Pretty spoke up, having devoured nearly half his meal while the others were talking. "Has your world any interesting fossils or current indigenous life forms? I'm not acquainted with much on indigeous life forms or fossils for halo stars."

    Parvin shook her head. "I don't know. The Council would frown on research of that type, and the Committee of Virtue would not allow it."

    Helmut raised pale blond eyebrows. "No wonder you're unaffiliated. A theocratic state?"

    Parvin sighed, "Yes, and my getting away was a long and difficult story I don't wish to share right now."

     Pretty shrugged. "Fair enough. Now do any of you have some notion of why we're here?"

     Cassetto said, "I've heard a rumor we may be trying to investigate a previously unexplored globular cluster."

     Pretty shook his head. "Globulars are almost totally bereft of inhabitable or inhabited planets, even more than the halo. No life forms means no fossils, so they wouldn't need me."

     Helmut said, "There would be no point to such secrecy with a globular, anyway. There must be close to a hundred globulars within reach. No, this is a very strange combination. Did you know this ship is just one in a fleet of three on the same mission, whatever that is?"

     Parvin looked surprised. "How do you know that?"

     "Medical supplies and personnel are distributed among all three ships. I saw the inventory of what each ship got."

     "Did you also find out who's paying for all this?" Pretty had moments of extreme practicality.

     "Yes, some of the equipment and supplies were fairly unusual, and I checked where they were coming from.  That's very curious also. The University and the Federation are splitting the costs."

     Pretty looked at Parvin. "Here we've got some data that seems to fit the poor signal to noise standard. Care to interpret for us?"

     "I would need more data, and have to set up an analytical algorithm. If you're serious, though, I could try with what we have."

     "No, no, no, I'm infamous for silly and impractical suggestions. I understand we'll be told the great secret after departure tomorrow."

     "Humph. We know all about security needs on Sternfestung, but this is ridiculous. Let me share this with you, though. We have a lot of medical supplies for dealing with ultra low temperature injuries, and the bare minimum for high temperature."

     A woman at a neighboring table leaned over and said, "I'm Wu Mai Ling, from Tien Hua. If you think you people are diverse, I'm a sociologist."

     "Well," said Cassetto, "that does go with an unusual colony world, but I still don't believe it."

     Helmut shrugged and said, "Come join the fun, Wu. May I call you Wu?"

     "It would be Ms. Wu or Dr. Wu, but I suspect nearly everyone aboard who's not part of the ship's crew has some sort of doctoral degree. Just call me Mai Ling." She picked up her plate, and shoved her chair over to their table.

     Pretty shrugged, and changed the subject. "I'm getting well paid, and I'm sure you are also. We'll find out in due time. Meanwhile, I must say, the ship's programming seems to be very good, considering the quality of how well it synthesized some of Pradang's best dishes."

     Helmut said, "It's been known forever that people are a lot happier with familiar foods. My Kasseler Rippchen was excellent also."

     Cassetto agreed the ship had well duplicated a native meal for him, and Parvin silently nodded. Mai Ling waved her plate in the air and proclaimed its contents a proud example of the excellence of Tien Hua's cuisine. The conversation wandered through descriptions of native dishes to popular sports, which led to the eternal unresolved question of how to allow for different gravity levels when comparing interworld sports records. This kept them occupied until the time they had to leave the table. They wandered off in various directions, seeking out their personal cabins. Pretty found his was reasonably close to the dining hall. He settled down to read some professional reports on fossils discovered on a newly examined world around a late K star about to move to the giant branch. Having studied fossils on a few planets around Main Sequence K stars, he read this with interest.

      Following breakfast the next morning, everyone was summoned to a large meeting room. The ship's captain, identifiable from an ornate uniform, stood in front with a man also in a uniform, and a woman, the only one in ordinary civilian clothing. The captain began, "Welcome to the Starship Ejnar Hertzsprung, designed and chartered by the University and one of three ships in a special exploratory fleet. The other two ships, in case you are acquainted with them, are the Benjamin Gould and the Wilhelm Olbers. We departed about an hour ago, and are now travelling considerably faster than any of you have ever gone before. I will let Professor Mobray explain."

     The woman stepped to the podium, and said, "All of you must know about the system in use for well over four centuries for interstellar travel. So-called zero-level travel involves the use of rockets and ion drives, which long pre-date interstellar travel, and are used only within a few star systems where inhabited planets are close to one another.  Both are limited to speeds less than the speed of light. First level travel was developed by a businessman-scientist named Mulvey, and involves travelling up to the square of the speed of light, allowing travel at the rate of one lightyear per one hundred seconds. In the centuries after Mulvey lost his monopoly this has led to human colonies on several thousand planets, fifty percent within two thousand lightyears of the homeworld. Fewer than one half of one percent are more than ten thousand lightyears out, and we have only one person in this expedition from that far away. The most distant attempt at a colony was over a hundred fifty years ago, when a group left for the Large Magellanic Cloud." There was a gasp through the crowd: clearly few had heard of this.

      "No one knows what happened to them, since no one since then has felt like spending so long cooped up in a spaceship, and there were closer places of interest."

     Pretty saw Cassetto sitting near him, and leaned over to whisper, "I hope they haven't shanghaied us into a flight to the Large Magellanic Cloud to hunt down a batch of lost crazies." Cassetto shook his head, but remained silent, straining to listen.

     "Mulvey held a monopoly of interstellar travel for about a quarter century, and about three hundred planets were settled by then. Most of you are from those planets. But then his secret was discovered, and suddenly hundreds, and then thousands of groups abandoned Earth. During the first centuries of expansion, nearly all of humanity's efforts went into the expansion; art and science and most of the rest of human civilization pretty much stagnated as almost all efforts went into creating new colonies on distant worlds. After that Earth and some of the first group of colonies stabilized enough to begin again doing original work in both areas. However, it was long felt that Mulvey's discovery of first level travel was the end, and nothing faster would be developed. About fifteen years ago work at the University suggested this may not be correct. Four years ago a breakthrough was achieved, and higher levels of speed were attained."

     The room broke out into as near chaos as highly educated professionals would permit themselves to show. Many were shouting to be heard, some to announce assurances this claim had to be wrong, others, who could tell?

     Profesor Mobray smiled, as though she had proved some theorem, and stepped back from the podium. The third person stepped up.

     "I am Admiral Tiberk of the Federation Space Fleet. Professor Mobray has been very modest, as she was the lead scientist in the University group which developed higher level flight. The University sent out robotic ships using the highest level attainable.  Sixty four hundred probes sent out thus far, in various directions for flights lasting from one week to a month. Of the over five thousand that have managed to return, most showed a region of near absolute cold, and total darkness. However, one reported back finding what seems to be planets in orbit around burned out stars. It is to this region that we are headed." He nodded curtly and returned to the line of chairs behind him.

     The expedition leader returned to the podium. "I'm sure your first question is what level speed is the highest attained, the one we are travelling at right now. The answer is ninth level."

     The room filled with murmuring. Cassetto had his complink active, and in moments looked horrified. Pretty said, "What's that mean?"

     "Sixteen times ten to the thirtyfifth lightyears per second." He said it in a voice of doom.

     "That's totally absurd! I don't believe it."

     "Why would he lie? This fits with the secrecy and the odd range of specialties."

     The leader seemed to have allowed enough discussion. He resumed, "You may wonder why we've kept this under wraps. The stagnation and near collapse of civilization during the period when hundreds of groups departed the Solar System and some of the early colonies with Mulvey's invention came close to leaving humanity spread through the stars, but drifting back into a primitive cultural state. This latest development would be far worse, and would drastically up the odds on running into an unfriendly species that might take advantage of our disunity. We've been lucky enough so far not to meet unfriendly intelligent aliens, but that could change if we spread through multiple galaxies. I'll take questions now, please use your complinks so we can stay orderly."

     The leader turned and waved Prof. Mobray forward. "Dr. Jamsheedi has asked a question that relates to my work. Yes, our findings suggest the multiple bubble cosmology is supported by the initial findings. We hope to see if this bubble we may have detected has the same physical constants as our bubble." Both Cassetto and Pretty looked around to see where Parvin was. She seemed to have successfully blended into the crowd.

     Cassetto finally heard his name, as the Admiral said, "Have no fear about our finding our way back. If all those unmanned probes could do it, so can we. And yes, I know a nanomicron aiming error could leave us lost. It won't happen."

     After another couple dozen questions, none of whose answers gave much information, Cassetto glanced at Pretty and nodded towards the exit. Pretty nodded back, and the two joined a small stream of people leaving the meeting. Pretty suggested the dining hall as their next stop. When they got there, they found Parvin, Mai Ling and Helmut had already arrived. As he sat, Cassetto said to Parvin, "You're something special being the first one to have a question answered. How do you rank?"

     Parvin replied, "While I was completing my doctorate I did some work for Prof. Mobray. It clearly relates to what we're doing, but even as she took my question, she complinked me a reminder that I signed a confidentiality agreement, so I suppose they still don't want me talking about what I did, or learned."

     Helmut said, "She must have been pleased with what you did. That would explain why you were chosen for this. All I can do is speculate that some computer decided I was good enough and not tied down to a practice."

     For the first time since they had met her Parvin smiled. "Last night I did an analysis of all the people I know are on board. Don't run yourself down, we all seem to meet some elite requirements in terms of skills, health, intelligence and diligence."

     "How flattering. Pity they don't trust us enough to come clean on what we're involved in." Cassetto was not open to flattery.

     Pretty shook his head. "I have to agree with the remarks on the dangers of releasing this. I don't know about your homeworlds, but if they are anything like Pradang, we've got dozens of groups that would gladly head off to colonize their own galaxies. Political, ethnic, religious, even philosophical groups. Plus, I am sure, people who would see this as a chance to be kings of their own colonies far beyond anything the Federation might do about it. Why, about twenty years ago we had a popular video fiction about pirates operating from a lost world in a globular cluster. No, no" waving off Cassetto before he could interrupt, "I know globulars don't generally have habitable planets, but our video people don't worry about scientific facts when they do their fictions.  Anyhow, to this day we've got re-enactors dressing up like pirates and having conventions where they pretend to sack and loot one another. Some of those crazies would probably hunt up a small galaxy from which they could really attack other worlds."

     "At least on my homeworld, that sort of thing would not be permitted, and I'm sure Parvin's people would not either," Helmut said.

     Parvin nodded, and then added, "I still have not decided if worlds that are freer are better off. I just know I was not at all happy."

     Mai Ling said, "None of the worlds I have worked on are careless enough to permit such disorder. Parvin, your homeworld sounds well organized."

     Pretty gave Helmut a calculating look. "I notice you aren't on Sternfestung any more, despite its superior controls on people being foolish."

     "I was offered a position paying far too well to go back, and at the time I thought I might have a love affair, although that failed. So, Parvin, why did you leave God's Victorious Warriors?"

     Parvin sighed, and looked very uncomfortable. Finally she said, "I was ordered to marry a midlevel government official. He was fifty one years older than me, and had two other wives at the time. My family felt I had to do this because my brother was in some legal trouble."

     Cassetto exploded, "Good God Almighty! What sort of barbarians settled your planet?" von Holtz also looked upset. but Pretty just stared at her.

     "It's part of our historic culture, going back to Earth."

      Mai Ling added, "There are other planets with plural marriage of various sorts. I guess you fellows have never come across any?"

     "No, nor would I want to!"

     Helmut said, "Sternfestung had a big court case when I was young from some people who wanted a plural marriage. They finally emigrated."

     "Pradang has historically allowed almost any kind of marriage among freely consenting adults. I think 90% settle for the traditional family structure."

     "The Federation should crack down on this sort of thing." Cassetto was clearly still quite upset.

     "The Federation, in its wisdom, has chosen to allow member worlds to do pretty much as their inhabitants want, and affiliated worlds are even freer."

     Parvin said, "On my world we don't see it that way. The Federation worlds are enslaved by Satan, and we are building our strength to meet God's promise someday to save them."

     "I'll bet there's at least half a hundred other unaffiliated worlds with the same ultimate goal. I'm glad the Federation and people like that fleet admiral are around to protect worlds like Pradang from them."

     Parvin shrugged. "It doesn't matter. God's Victorious Warriors will not have the strength to attack anyone during our lifetimes."

     Helmut considered this for a moment, and then asked, "What sort of legal trouble did your brother have?"

     Parvin shrugged. "I suppose out here it doesn't make any difference if I tell you. A government document had his name wrong. When he asked for it to be corrected, he was arrested for seditious activity in casting doubt on official documents. The man I was supposed to marry had some influence in the Ministry of State Security, and perhaps could have gotten him released."

     Helmut indicated he found the charge a bit severe.  Raoul and Pretty were totally shocked. Mai Ling sat silently for a moment, then said, "Many worlds expect their citizens to obey laws which some other worlds may find offensive."

    Cassetto looked at her and said, "And being a sociologist makes you accept just about anything humans want to do to one another?"

     "I'm a sociologist, and the only reason I'm on this insane venture must be that someone expects to find traces of intelligent life. And I've done low temperature work on an abandoned base on Miranda. Our professional ethics make us non-judgmental about how societies may organize."

     Pretty said, "If you think it's so insane, why did you come?"

     "Just like you, I was offered a lot of money, and not told a thing about where we were going. I assumed a lost colony."

     Helmut snorted. "Lost colonies are for children. There's no such thing."

     "But, Parvin, isn't your homeworld pretty much lost?" Mai Ling seemed more interested in challenging Helmut.

     Parvin nodded. "So far as most of the Federation is concerned, my homeworld is lost. We have almost no contact with other worlds, and the database has an incomplete entry for God's Victorious Warriors."

     "That may just be a testimonial to how unimportant it is." Helmut was not backing down. He turned to the new member of the group. "if you are a sociologist, do you know anything about God's Victorious Warriors, Mai-Ling?"

     "From the little I've overheard just now, I imagine its government is headed by a council of religious figures, and religious laws override any civil laws. Historically, many nations on Earth recognized the supremacy of religious law. And," turning to face Helmut directly, "at least 105 groups are known to have left Earth, and another 22 to have left the earliest colonies, with no one having any idea where they are today. That's a good enough definition for a lost colony."

     "Hah, they probably all had ships that failed in flight, and died in interstellar space."

     "Nonsense. Some of Mulvey's original ships are still in use after 400 years, he built so well." Pretty was prepared to defend the honor of long dead scientists.

     Wu was accepted as a full member of the group, and the five had a fine time arguing over lost colonies, Mulvey, and other issues until dinner. Their varied professional backgrounds made agreement on almost anything impossible, keeping the arguments lively.

     The remaining time to their destination was remarkably similar to all spaceflight in its possibilities for boredom, despite the unique speed and distance to be travelled. Time passed slowly and those not part of the ship's crew had to find their own amusements. Pretty took a personal interest in Parvin, and began to suspect Wu might have somewhat similar designs, despite her once or twice mentioning having children back on Tien Hua. Yet Wu made no overt move, so Pretty invited Parvin to his cabin. She smiled sadly, and declined, leaving him to wonder if he had misjudged both women.

     Finally an announcement was made that the ship was about to arrive in the area where the probes sent out by the University may have detected planets and burned out stars. Cassetto, as part of the astrophysics team aboard, was told to report to a station where he and colleagues would operate sensing devices and do analytical work on the observations. The others waited, with the rest of the specialists aboard, in the auditorium.

     A gong heralded the ship's finally ceasing its journey. von Holtz leaned back in his seat. "At least this part of the exploration won't produce any business for me. But if we are in a dim region, Parvin might be called on to help with analysis. Pretty and Mai Ling, you're going to be useless, like me, for a while."

     Mai Ling responded, "And I hope I stay that way. I have little expectation of meeting or trying to analyze alien cultures."

     "Why not? My job probably will be the same here as back in the home galaxy, study fossils and see what they tell us about the star and the planet, but if you get to study an alien culture, you'll be famous."

     Mai Ling just shook her head and said nothing more.

     An unfamiliar figure came out and introduced herself as a liaison with the astrophysics team. After a few minutes she said, "It appears that certain constants, such as the electron charge and Planck's constant, are the same here." She paused, and then said, "But c may be slightly greater. This has the astro team arguing with one another." Another pause, and, "Arguing may be too mild, but they haven't come to blows yet."

     Pretty laughed. "Sounds like how paleontologists feel about Skridlup's hypothesis."

     "The expansion function, or Hubble constant, for this bubble is considerably smaller than back home."

     Mai Ling said, "This is totally boring. I neither know nor care about Planck's constant, or Skridlup, either. Unless some planets with present or past intelligent life are found soon, I intend to go back to my cabin."

     "Well", said Helmut, "I can always hope they'll come to blows and give me something to do." Pretty laughed again, but Parvin looked pained. Mai Ling got up and started to walk out, leaving her chair shoved into the table between Parvin and Pretty. Pretty shoved her now empty chair towards the neighboring table from which it had been taken, and stood up to stretch. The empty chair exploded.

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To Part 2

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