The Last Show on Earth; The Resurrection of Thomas Edison

By Jacob Hall

Earth has been void of men, women, and children for over 3 millennia. Flora and fauna once again continue on their evolutionary trek without interference. Erosion, volcanic upheaval, rain, wind and storms go unabated. Separated from man, the planet has returned to covering shades of green, brown, and blue with clean air and pristine oceans.

Each night eight beacons flare on and shoot pulsating streams of cold light upward through the atmosphere and into space. Paris; Washington, D.C.; Peking; Sidney; Cairo; Moscow; and Lima are sites of the alien icons, obscene monuments to the religion of the vanquishers.

Alien supplicants visit the shrines dedicated to the histories and memories of the race they destroyed. Humans were an interesting race, almost obscene with their intense emotions and constant disregard for authority. But now they are safely sealed in The Book, the dioramas of historical enactments that serve as part of the sacraments of the universe of the conquerors. Or are they?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outlier Publications
• Release date: Oct 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466153691

Jacob Hall

I've read science fiction and fantasy since my early teens. I even taught myself speed reading at the age of fourteen so I could "consume" more science fiction. For many years of my life, I read a complete book a day. It's only recently that I've come to realize how much of my education was dependent upon science fiction from the political/economic insights of Asimov's Foundation Trilogy to the hard science fiction that laid the groundwork for a subsequent degree in math and physics. I love the optimism of Star Trek and the weirdness of Zelazny. I hope to add some of both to my books.

Book preview

THE LAST SHOW ON EARTH

The Resurrection of Thomas Edison

Jacob Hall

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Jacob Hall

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Cover Art based on: RolfImages

Copyright Dreamstine # 15892914

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One: Alive and Aware

Chapter Two: A New Beginning

Chapter Three: Not Alone

Chapter Four: Tagging Along

Chapter Five: Deeper In

Chapter Six: The Threat From Outside

Chapter Seven: All the Answers

Chapter Eight: The Great Emancipator

Chapter Nine: The Challenge of Leadership

Chapter Ten: The Other Great Emancipator

Chapter Eleven: Backstage

Chapter Twelve: Let the Show Begin

Epilogue: Win Awakes!

Prologue

Earth had been void of men, women, and children for over 3 millennia. Flora and fauna once again continued on their evolutionary trek without interference. Erosion, volcanic upheaval, rain, wind and storms went unabated. Separated from man, the planet returned to covering shades of green, brown, and blue with clean air and pristine oceans.

Each night eight beacons flared on and shot pulsating streams of cold light upward through the atmosphere and into space. Paris; Washington, D.C.; Peking; Sidney; Cairo; Moscow; and Lima were sites of the alien icons, obscene monuments to the religion of the vanquishers. The plasma streams were like flowing tears of a planet still mourning for the lost race of mankind.

Each alien shrine consisted of intermingling planes of hardened energy. Alien architects designed the uppermost surfaces of each shrine to catch light and reflect it skyward to call attention to the holy site during daylight. Vertical faces glowed in pastel shades of blue, green, and rose. Each shrine was 12 kilometers per octagonal face with all external and internal measurements accurate to a nanometer and aligned with the high standards of respect and honor befitting a monument to a fallen race. The ground surrounding each shrine was bare to a distance of 400 meters from each of the eight sides. At the edges of the circumference, folding upwards to enclose each monument was a smart pusher field. Plant and animal life, from the smallest microbe to an African elephant, were repulsed and denied access to the grounds. In any number of ways the intelligent perimeter could also detect off world visitors and bid them welcome.

The alien power source for each temple was no larger than a quarter of a meter cubed and would have fit nicely inside of a cake box, if such artifacts of everyday human life were still available. But they weren't. The entire planet had been sanitized, cleaned and purified in a reverential act similar to the way in which a caring mortician cleanses the dead for interment. All that remained were the eight shrines.

New Arrivals

The tiny family ship shimmered into local space/time at a rendezvous point just beyond the moon's circle of the earth. This was the best viewing point as noted in the Order of Service guidebook as both the moon and the third planet could be seen in conjunction--somewhat of a rarity in the universe--a sight that made this particular oblation a popular one among the faithful.

Within seconds the three facing shrines' smart perimeters--which easily monitored beyond the moon—simultaneously detected power drive emissions, intelligent maneuvering, inter-ship communications and scanning beams. Linked together, the three facing shrines radiated universal welcome messages: Come, Visitors. Honor and revere with us the soul and essence of these liberated ones from the planet called Earth. A squirt transmission uploaded audio and video information concerning each of the eight sites. This same information was available in the Order of Service guidebook but it was protocol to pick up an electronic memento that was authentic, a kind of I was there validation as a point of humble pride.

Please forward race and species classification numbers for environmental adjustment. The ship's computer responded by sending the codes that would notify each shrine to adjust ecosystems to accommodate the new worshippers.