Echoes Through Time: A Harvester Adventure Series

By Richard W. Chamberlain

Earth is dying due to an alien object placed in orbit about the Sun. Earth receives a message from the far reaches of deep space informing the Earth space program that it is not allowed to travel any deeper into space than the outer planets. Due to some very extraordinary qualities concerning the strange message, the Earth Council is forced to s

• Language: English
• Publisher: LitFire Publishing
• Release date: Jul 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781643980911

Richard W. Chamberlain

Richard Chamberlain was a part of the Naval Submarine force for twelve years. He was hurt during deployment and then medically discharged. He then entered Idaho State University and attained a degree in Mathematics and studied astrophysics. After graduation he commenced working at Nuclear Power stations on refueling code to refuel nuclear reactors. He worked for sixteen more years in various engineering positions at Nuclear Generating Stations throughout the various states. After he could no longer do that work he turned himself into the DAV. From then on he studied Physics, Mathematics, and various subjects pertaining to Quantum physic and Cosmology. He now writes, reads, and studies Electronics.

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Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my life long best friend and wife of fifty-two years, Patsy Chamberlain, from whom I received constant encouragement and graciously given time to complete.

ONE

Jerome sat with his back to a weathered oak and looked out across the empty city; the stars above almost invisible due to the raging radiation of the Van Allen belts. The cities sprawling vacant condition reflected his own mood and he felt almost as empty as did the city appeared in the waning moonlight. In the vacant streets, a lonely wind stirred, giving rise to a small twirling dust devil running a strangely staggering course among the dead street lights and now useless street signs.

The pesky wind took with it several tumble weeds which increased the vacuous numbness Jerome felt. Jerome sighed softly and wondered how the town below could have sustained such a state in such a short, brief period. When Jerome first arrived at the Project five years ago, the town was still occupied, although not thriving. Of course, at that time, Earth’s sun was far more stable, albeit in a bad state even then. As the sun instability increased, the town population rapidly declined; the occupants either taking refuge in the Government provided bunkers below the city or taking refuge in other bunker sites across the state.

Jerome’s depth of morose should have been overshadowed by happiness due to the completion of his many years of preparation readying him for his flight to the stars. Yet, any happiness the Project completion brought to him was now replaced with worry and specific misgivings. How quickly it had all transpired and how ill equipped he now felt for such a flight. A flight of utter fantasy, as well as, he thought firmly to himself, utter futility.

Silently he replayed the memory of his initiation into the Project. He chuckled sardonically to himself, as he thought of the night his mother awakened him from his slumber telling him there were people from the Council to speak to him.

He had just turned fifteen and, as with all young men of that age, tended toward incoherency when first awakened. His mother maintained a constant barrage of questions toward him as she threw his clothes at him, demanding he hurriedly dress. What have you done this time, she whispered loudly at him?

That was the very question he was asking himself. Why did they always think he did things, he wondered frantically as he searched his mind for his most grievous misconduct of late.

His covert alteration to some of his class seating came to his mind. Those re-arrangements were so his seat was next to Janie, the best-looking girl in school. Was that so terrible that the World Council would come for him personally? Well perhaps, he thought grimly, considering that it required breaking into an encrypted computer, and yes, to be honest, he had made his Identification profile appear slightly more acceptable while in the School Index, so he could impress her.

But that couldn’t be a problem, she hardly had noticed. Unfortunately, the school board had taken great notice and, at the time, considerable umbrage, for reasons he failed to understand. Now, the World Council’s interest appeared to be peeked as well.

They seemed, abruptly to take a great deal of interest in everything he had accomplished in his life, be it good or bad. But, especially they appeared to find his family history to be of great interest, as they had sent several questionnaires to his parents to fill out and return.

This brought considerable consternation to his parents and somewhat grave inconveniences to himself. There had never been any explanation with these questionnaires. And, then came that momentous night visit by Council Security rousting him from his bed. It had indeed become a puzzling problem for him, at that time in his early life...

After that night of interrupted sleep, life for him had altered dramatically. No more Janie, or for that matter, kicking about with any of his friends. After that fateful night, his life became one of dictated routine. Of course, that was when he was inducted into the Foundation and before the Sun’s problem manifested itself in full.

Still watching the despairingly sad city below, he unconsciously ran his fingers through his short blond hair. The effort gave little effect as his hair was now short and in compliance with the requirements of Flight Central.

Letting his eyes drift upward above the empty city where the Aurora Borealis constantly pulsed, he gazed deeply into the coruscating river of light. Since the increase in the Coronal injections from the Sun, the Northern lights were a day and night event washing the sky with a ghostly beauty. That glaring presence, was a declaration as to what the vociferous increase in radiation meant for humanity’s future. Though, the detrimental effects, due to the sun, were slow and ponderous, the Earth’s inhabitants would from this time forward, find themselves confined to the deep interior of the planet. The Sun’s radiation being a risk to skin and retina any time during the day, and thereby resulted in Jerome incursions to the surface to be of a nocturnal nature only.

Most of those within the city and the bunkers below took great care of their health for they were primarily the support team for his flight. It was safer below and their life held some marginal bit of normalcy for them. In the bunkers, there were families and friends, of which, they were a part. Above, on the surface, any normalcy ended. There the city was like the rest of the Earth succumbing to the tireless strafes of radiation as rampant cosmic particles churned within the Earth’s atmosphere signaling to all of Earths’ population of its enviable demise.

Earth’s scientist observed with alarm, the Sun becoming increasingly unstable, but the World Government, felt science was mainly wrong and filled with their pious righteous indignation, scorned and marginalized what they could not or would not understand.

This attitude by the religious leaders and politicians in charge of policy would cost the world a large portion of the population before the populace, on its own, acted to protect themselves. Now after several years of increased solar instability, that realization was a pall upon the worlds remnants forcing the last of Mankind to live forever mole-like, below the Earth’s once beautiful surface.

Jerome’s flight, of which most of Earth’s remnant, were completely unaware, was scoffed at and scorned by those who did know of it, and termed the effort mostly a vain attempt to achieve a state of immortality. There were, however, those who felt a subterraneous life could lead only to racial extinction. They felt no matter how vain the flight to the stars would be, it was a necessity to send Mankind’s legacy to the stars.

Entailed within that feeling, they fostered a secret desperate hope that a solution for Humanities plight could be found out among the stars. Humanity did not have the capability to embark on a migration of a magnitude sufficient to save the billions of humans left on the planet, although it had momentarily been considered. It seems, however, that Earth had given up upon that idea and would send star-ward just one individual, and he would carry with him all of Earth’s racial history and cultural meta-information.

That person would be himself; one Jerome David Anderson. Even though Jerome was the main character in this final dance of Mankind, he had never felt there was any great logical sense to the grand plan. However, his questions concerning the topic were evaded and he was told that his understanding was unnecessary to the success of the mission. He was only to study and use the learning machines provided by his instructors to gain as much knowledge as was possible in the short time he had till flight time.

Jerome, lost in his reticent thoughts for the plight of Mankind, looked longingly at those faintly lighted stars which blinked bravely through the aura above him. Tomorrow he would be cast upward through the starkness of space toward those enigmatic suns in a ship of dreams.

Throughout history every child of woman had filled their fertile imaginations with fanciful flights to those very stars, upon which, he at this crucial moment gazed. Crucial for all of Mankind, but for all its singular necessity and momentous audacity, the flight appeared to Jerome to be a fruitless one. His thoughts always returned to that. It had never been made truly clear to him how this flight to the stars might be useful to those left behind. And, that fact aside, the very trip was so rife with problems, in his opinion, it would almost be assured to incur failure from the start.

For in all those flights made in the imagination of man, the many hazards of such a flight were either marginalized, simply ignored, or were magically resolved by sudden scientific discoveries which made the many hazards of space flight vanish in fortuitous ways. Perhaps, Jerome thought, if time had been available, or if the World Congress had listened and heeded the advice of the scientific community earlier, there could have been time for some fortuitous inventions which would have made this flight, not just one of misguided hope, but one of consummate joy.

Perhaps though it was the thought of being alone among all the emptiness of space which vied at these moments for the territories of his mind. Perhaps it was, the certain knowledge that he would most probably never reach the stars in a living state, which made him less then joyful and somewhat fearful. Jerome liked to think he was above those reasons. But in truth his speed across the vastness of space would not be all that startling, when consideration was given to the immensity of the Universe.

His velocity would be, in comparison to that incredible vastness, rather snail like. Knowledge of that speed and the actual reason for his lack of what should have been overbearing exuberance beat at his courage like the wind blowing within that abandoned city beat at those perversely empty buildings. Both seemed to effect as well as enjoin his vision of a lost future.

Space was not only immense, but that immensity was filled with lethal radiation which could, for him, only be partially shielded. Once his wonderfully crafted ship left the protection of Earth and the hidden burrows below its surface, he would be at the whims of a completely uncaring Universe.

Scientists had provided for his protection as best they could. There would be the advantage of time dilation as his ship’s velocity approached almost the speed of light. That dilation would make his ship time very short when compared to Earth time. This would enable him to reach his destination within his normal life span, of course, but all those he knew in the Foundation and those on the Earth would be long sense dead. But, also, at that speed, the increase in cosmic radiation was much denser and therefore more deadly.

Then there was the possible encounter of Gamma Bursts which mostly occur outside our Galaxy. Even though they were far outside our Galaxy, they would most surely assure his death should he encounter them directly. This flight was one of hope, but mostly it was one of desperation he was afraid.

Sometimes the very futility of the endeavor filled him with sardonic laughter. Other times it brought him to tears. The mighty human race brought down to nothing more than a vain desire to only be remembered by the distant, possibly uncaring stars.

At present, there was no certainty that intelligent life existed out among those stars his flight could reach. Intelligent life other than our own, he thought with a chuckle. He had always wondered about the foolishness of that question. Of course, there was life in the Universe. Humans were here asking the question, were they not? If we were alone in all that vastness it could only have been because God, or whomever created the Universe, saw how pathetic we were and decreed to never make that singular mistake again. Somehow Jerome didn’t think that was the case.

Since we were here so would there be others- possibly countless others- spread throughout all the many billions of galaxies and their billions of stars. It just made perfect sense to him. Perhaps, even there might be a mighty ancient race which would have the knowledge and technology to help Earth, and would, if they could be reached, even care to do so. Or would they just possibly think that the demise of humanity would be less competition for their own race, in a somewhat already too crowded Universe.

At the ultimate velocity that he would achieve, somewhat incrementally below the speed of light, the Earth would, most certainly, have already ceased to exist by the time he could find any other intelligent races. That thought had always firmed his doubts concerning the flight. That disparity in time would be since Earth time would be so much greater than his ship time. Isn’t Relativity a bitch, he thought to himself.

When Jerome’s sonic communicator interrupted his lugubrious thoughts, it was with a sense of relief that he answered it. Yeah, Katie I’m here- topside as usual, he replied to her unspoken question.

It always was Katie Dawson his Attendant keeper, looking to keep him in touch with the facility below as well as readily available with proper sleep and provided with proper nutritional intake. Not bad on the eyes, but as abrasive as sandstone on a naked eyeball when it came to allowing privacy.

Jerome, felt she took her job of keeping his deportment within the required parameters specified by the Project much too serious. Often, he felt everyone needed to tone it down a bit. He was, by his very nature, the kind of person that assumes his responsibilities, yet one who sometimes also liked to kick the ant hill just to watch the boiling masses.

That, almost fractured personality trait, had upon many occasions, given the World Council pause concerning his dedication to this mission. That inherent concern by the World Council would send Katie in a rushing huff to his apartment in the training facility to whip out her sandstone persona to polish his less than responsible one. All in all, it was rather humorous, for the inevitable result was her standing with hands on shapely hips and left eyebrow raised as he fell into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Jerome! I knew you would be there she answered, her voice sounding tinny and far away on the small communication device he had with him. Do you have any idea the op procedures left to accomplish before tomorrow’s launch time. You are hours behind already and I am fed up with having to shake my behind in front of the committee to keep them from restricting you to your quarters till departure.

Jerome burst into full throated laughter at the image of this petite little brunette strutting her wares before those old men in such a provocative manner. You go girl, but can you wait till I get there, that is an image I would willingly take with me on my long lonely flight. Besides you know they would never do that. I am too valuable and time is far too short for such shenanigans, he added with a laugh.

In your dreams on the booty shake, Jerome. I don’t think you will have need of that kind of stimuli on this flight. Professor Massey does, however, require you to be present and properly prepared before flight time, so remove the images of me from your childish mind and shake your butt as fast as you can to the Professor’s Lab. The Professor has some last-minute changes to your flight procedures.

Jerome sighed and proceeded toward the gravity elevator allowing the fall downward to the lower bunkers. Yes Mother. I’m coming now, over and out. Under his breath, he added, oh boy more changes. I wonder if Professor Daddy knows there are more changes to the procedures then there are actual procedures

The Professor is only trying to help you live longer out there and he would not appreciate you calling him daddy.

Jerome gulped loudly. You’re still listening! he exclaimed. I said ‘OUT.’ That means that the conversation is over. Your supposed to turn off your communicator then.

Not me, she laughed with a lovely tinkle in her voice. That is when I get to hear all the good parts that you don’t wish me to hear, she added.

I’ll remember that, he said as he fell feet first down through the gravity shaft leading to the protected bunker a thousand feet below, knowing quite well that she couldn’t hear that last part even if she still had the com-port on.

The boson force field used in the gravity shaft disrupted communication during fall-down or fall-up, depending upon how you thought of it, from the bunkers. The fields within the gravity shaft isolated the user and wrapped him into a snug boson force field which centered the occupant within the shaft, thereby preventing him from slamming against its smooth sides when falling through the force field.

Such a field did, however, negate electromagnetic waves. Thus, no communication was capable during movement through the gravshafts. Up or down were a misnomer, for in both cases one was falling. In the gravshafts there was only down directions; no up. Falling swiftly downward, Jerome felt the sudden yet now familiar lurch of his stomach from the acceleration.

The field also isolated the person within the gravity shaft from acoustical waves as well as EM waves, so he not only fell swiftly, but silently. It did take a minute or so to fall the distance, but there was little sense of speed other than that lurch to his stomach. The engineering advancement of this field was the direct result of a remarkable scientific discovery by a young man, Maxwell Kitt, who at a very young age seemed to have a keen insight into particle physics. This perspicacious capability, within that discipline, gave rise to a discovery that the graviton message carrier for gravity was easily manipulated by adjusting the Boson’s coupling constant. This allowed unique provisions of singular spacial fields within normal wells of gravity.

These fields, known as boson fields (at other times referred to as Kitt Fields after Maxwell) could be regulated to allow reversal of the gravitational field within any manmade construct. No longer on earth were there weights so heavy that one man could not move it or carry it. It was with this discovery that Jerome would fall outward from the Sun toward those mysterious stars tomorrow.

As he neared the bunker. The velocity automatically decreased until his fall terminated directly before the bunker entry door. He immediately opened the airlock and entered the artificial environment of the bunker. Entry from the Fall Shaft was always startling.

The air was far cooler inside the bunkers than outside and the sound of fans and air movers caused an ever-pervasive sub-audible bone jarring vibration. That pervasive and ever constant vibration was one reason Jerome found himself out of the bunkers and topside within the old city with what regularity he was allowed.

Imagine having your teeth polished continually by some invisible dentist. Some underground dwellers had no problem with the bone wrecking hum, but he was one that felt the need to escape it often.

He opened the bunker door a lithe form with shoulder length brownish hair assailed him. Katie was there to make sure he did not get lost again as usual. Her normal cheery countenance was cloudy to the point of a full-scale storm. She quickly grabbed his arm and began pulling him down the corridor. At the same time, she assailed him with a constant bombardment of derisive condemnations for his, supposedly, lack of serious intent for the program of which he was part.

The Professor has been waiting for you for hours, she intoned in the most condemning manner she could summon, as she continued pulling him quickly down the hall. Do you have any idea how important these procedures are to your craft as well as to your well-being?

Jerome tried to reply, but mainly sputtered his answer to her question... Sometimes you are so immature, she declared unabated. I just don’t understand how you can be the normally considerate person you are at one moment and then an adolescent child at others. You just don’t take this seriously, Jerome. I was told that you had a maturity problem, she said, issuing a continuous line of deprecation as she dragged him along by his arm, but I just didn’t believe it then, but it seems that the closer you get to the big day of your leaving the more childlike you become," she added as she finally ran down and her condemnation ended.

Katie! he yelled finally getting her attention. I’m sorry I just needed to…, he stopped for a moment considering her deep brown eyes, I just couldn’t go away without seeing topside again, he suddenly trembled slightly.

Sudden concern flashed on her face as she gripped his hand in hers. God, I’m sorry Jerome. Sometimes I get carried away and I guess a little insensitive. A look of total dejection filled her pretty face as she considered somewhat the tremendous weight on her charges shoulders. I get so wrapped up with the schedule that I forget that you are actually leaving Earth forever. Suddenly her eyes wetly reflected the light from the hallway. She quickly looked down. You know we are not supposed to talk about this or about anything concerning our feelings as to your leaving. It was all agreed up front that those would be taboo areas and had no place in our preparations for your flight.

Inwardly Jerome grimaced, but he did smile at her. Yeah, I know and we both do such a good job of that don’t we. Katie had a quick look of confusion cross her face and then she quickly started down the hall toward Professor Massey’s laboratory. Jerome was left to trail somewhat despondently in her wake as she swept through the corridor to finally enter the lab.

The Professor’s lab was a large room consisting mostly of huge racks holding different models of full bodied radiation suits. Each one a failure. From points on those rubber suits, wires floated in coiled fashion about the torso and down the legs. The head was covered with a soft opaque material and tiny cross hatched screens were provided where the eyes should be. The whole setup gave the suit the very strange appearance of some alien insect hanging from the many hooks.

Near the walls were a sorted variety of free standing chalk boards, mostly covered with obscure mathematical calculations. Each represented a unique attempt to provide a form of protection for Jerome as he left the Earth and entered the lethal bath of cosmic radiation which filled the void of space.

Professor Massey looked up and smiled cheerfully as Jerome and Katie entered. He was an older, white haired, man with intense eyes and a friendly demeanor. His hair quite possibly could have been combed and given the look of a southern minister with every hair in place, but had it ever been in any state other than one of disarray, would have surprised Jerome. Contrary to his predisposition for the wild brilliant scientist appearance, he was known to partake liberally of his own gravity chambers to keep himself in excellent physical condition. His demeanor was always one of helpful cheeriness and Jerome did think of him as a father figure of sorts. Jerome felt that the Professor would find that sentiment rather endearing, for Jerome often found himself a part of conversations with the Professor widely outside just professional instructions. The Professor was as quick to engage in paternal conversation as he was in professional instruction, and that had made for an early and profound friendship between the two.

Ah, you’re finally here my boy, the Professor said as he issued Jerome over to his workspace. The professor then quickly closed a manual he had been reading on a table filled with a broad assortment of scientific paraphernalia. Katie told me you were tied up with MAC. I hope I didn’t take you from something important. I know how important the establishment of your relationship with the Main Computer Control Character is.

Jerome quickly looked over at Katie just as she cast her gaze toward the floor. So, she had covered for his trip topside after all. Her face flushed red as she turned slightly from him and The Professor. No problem Professor. MAC and I are becoming great buddies.

It seemed strange to Jerome to call the onboard ship computer, which would control all the ships functions, MAC, when the Professor, who built it had seen fit to outfit its artificial Intelligence interface with a female voice. But he supposed that during the long flight a female voice would be preferable company than a male one. He doubted Professor Massey had given much consideration to the effect voice gender would have on his wellbeing. Then again perhaps that was the intent from the first. Those sorts of questions never seemed to be asked or if they were they were never answered. It seemed most of the prep crew within the facility felt it better not to open a subject concerning one pertaining to a young man never seeing a female of his own species again. So, they collectively made it taboo. It, however, seldom left Jerome’s mind. But he also was aware that his selection was based much on his psychological makeup to withstand such problems, or so they indicated frequently. So, though it did bother him and he thought of it often, especially when he was around Katie, he never broached the subject with the prep crew.

Did Katie tell you I have developed another level of protection for your ship, Massey asked excitedly. He always got excited when he made another discovery which could protect Jerome. It could well be close to full protection this time, allowing us to rid you of the need for that infernal suit we fitted you for, he said while waving Jerome over to another table holding the latest of his contrivances.

She did Professor, Jerome said casting a smiling glance toward Katie. Since she had covered for his topside excursion it seemed the least he could do was to return the favor. She said that now with the new addition to the ship, I would never even have to go. The ship would take care of itself. He felt obliged to add the last for he didn’t want her to think she would get totally away with the omission concerning the upgrade to his craft.

The Professor cast a quick somewhat confused look at Katie as she sputtered a denial to the statement. I did no such thing, she replied firmly with a look of alarm on her pretty face.

Ah, a joke, Massey replied beaming from ear to ear. Sometimes Massey had to be eased into humor or he missed the complete context of it. He did fit the profile of the absent-minded scientist more than not. But his contributions to the program were always astounding. Well, anyway my boy I think I have solved the radiation problem. You of course know that any suit provided so far fell far short of your needed requirements, he added as he connected several tests leads to the device on the table.

Jerome ambled over to the device and looked it over casually. What did you change, he said to the Professor as he was thinking that what the old Professor had implied was that he wouldn’t have to wear that infernal suit for any actual part of his flight. Jerome’s personal protection was a profound concern of the Professor. It was very personal to him but he tried to keep his concerns professional as his feelings for Jerome was something that he carefully hid.

Feelings were something that might be thought about and possibly considered when working with his ship, but never actually discussed. It seemed that loneliness was not the only taboo subject placed on him by the Project. Nothing as personal as feelings would ever be discussed, and he supposed, they all felt that silence would somehow ensure he never considered it. He had always understood that their reticent attitude concerning these matters was more for their benefit than for his own. It was just too difficult for them to think of him enduring those challenges, during a flight, that would basically extend to the end of his life within that craft.

Not much change on the outside, but the internal force generator setting is completely different, the Professor remarked, handing the test controller to Katie who proceeded to open the control tab allowing an illustration to flash upon the viewing screen.

This actuates the field which moves all or at least most of the electromagnetic particles around your ship once it is installed, he said pointing to the small panel illustrated on the screen. Jerome was kept well informed concerning all quantum kinetic adjustments to the ship. All forces were handled on the quantum level requiring some degree of understanding of Quantum Field Theory. It was just one of the variety of higher level courses he was forced to master for this jaunt.

I was thinking last week about the field generator, Massey continued. "Using a Dirac disturbing potential on the gravity boson force carrier to bring it to a more excited state should place a larger ramp up of the relativistic effects on all particles within proximity of you and your ship, thereby, causing a massive time and spacial dilation, so that the particles will never reach you. Of course, I haven’t yet discovered a method to verify the theory. I think the functionality will be quickly illustrated at the very beginning of the flight.

Professor, let’s keep the tech talk down to an undergrad level ok, Jerome said, smiling at Katie, your confusing the woman folk."

Katie flashed a look of pure astonishment at Jerome and punched him in the arm. I have you know I also took a course or two in Quantum Field Theory, she whispered harshly at him. I may not have an IQ that gives most people an inferiority complex, but I was able to complete my PhD in record time, thereby, allowing me to participate in this project.

Jerome smiled at her umbrage of his inferring her to be less than knowledgeable concerning the more technical aspects of the Project. She was only two years his senior and had already completed her Doctorate and was an associate Professor for the Project as well as his care taker.

I know, I know, he grinned. Gee your testy. The question is, little Miss, did you complete your therapy today or not? he added moving quickly out of arm’s length. Professor Massey looked up from the controller and observed the two with a much-befuddled look. Katie, you really shouldn’t inflict physical trauma on our candidate. He must be kept in top physical condition for the flight, he added, just like he had good sense, Katie observed to herself.

Katie sputtered and stammered as Jerome laughed at her. Jerome could never decide whether she was prettier when happy or irate. He felt it his enduring task, at least until flight time, to cause her to alternate demurely between the two states.

Jerome decided, during the pause in the conversation, it was worth one more attempt to speak of the purpose and reason for his being a part of the flight; the topic least spoken of.

It was as if Katie had read his mind, Professor Massey this is just intolerable. Can you not think how it will be to live in total isolation for the duration of the flight; to be completely isolated from any companionship. We should, at the very least, explain why he must endure such a flight.

She stood on her tiptoes, coming as close to the Professor as decorum allowed, while glaring into the Professor’s puzzled face. The Professor tried to back up away from the pretty young woman, but she just seemed to float toward him as he moved away. He finally backed himself against the table and seeing he had no further place to retreat placed his hand on her shoulders. Looking deep into her eyes he seemed to be trying to reason with her in a silent meaningful way.

Katie suddenly violently began to shake her head. No! No! No more of this Professor. I don’t care what the cost, this is wrong. We can do it, despite the Council, and it should be done for him. He has a right to know, she said almost virulently. The Professor looked at her fiercely for long moments and their gazes seemed to battle back and forth with her tiptoeing forward again and him trying to not forcefully push her backward. Finally, after what seemed like minutes with Jerome feeling more and more confused by what was going on, Professor Massey’s resolve appeared to cave. His face and shoulders sagged and Jerome could tell that some barrier of opposition had broken down within the man.

Katie, you know this has been specified as a non-topic. Under Council decree we were never to inform the Candidate about this, the Professor said, almost too soft to hear. Katie’s look of determination never let up, even though Jerome could tell that the battle was over, and Professor Massey had lost. What was lost, Jerome could not surmise, but if it had something to do with the reason for the flight, then it well could be that he, Jerome, had won as well. Thanks to Katie.

Suddenly she smiled so sweetly that the room seemed to glow and she slowly came off her tiptoes backing away from the embattled man. There have been too many, so called non-topic secrets mandated by the Council, Professor, and you know it as well as I. It will not matter in the long run. You’ve indicated that yourself. That we have continued this farce concerning his being specifically needed on this flight is despicable in its entirety, she continued sweetly as if she still needed to add a finishing touch on the already capitulated man. Do the right thing Professor. The Council need not know we have told him, Katie said, staring deeply into Massey’s eyes as he fidgeted back and forth on one foot to the other.

It’s not as easy as that Katie and you well know it. There are unknowns which could arise, should he be made aware of this information. Unknowns which could have repercussions in ways that are indeterminate to temporal physics, the Professor added.

Jerome felt suddenly very confused. Wait just a minute here, he interrupted. What temporal problem? What does this flight have to do with time? he asked genuinely puzzled.

The Professor grimaced slightly and waved a hand in a nonchalant manner as to say it was unimportant. That was a slip of the tongue boy. Nothing to concern yourself about at all.

Jerome cast a doubtful eye at that remark, Both Katie and Massey looked at him for a moment. Then Katie looked furiously at the Professor and cocked her head to one side telling him she expected him to answer Jerome. When no explanation was forthcoming Katie finally gave the explanation. Yes, there is a portion of the flight that has a temporal component.

What portions? Jerome asked excitedly. What temporal effects could there be that would cause such secrecy so that it was forbidden to discuss it! As Jerome spoke his voiced raised and he became more excited. Katie and Massey looked on with almost a sense of horror as his agitation increased.

As Jerome’s tirade quickly ran down and he finally stood looking at the two, Katie and Massey turned to each other and began whispering as they moved away from him. The two conferred silently as he looked on. Patches of their conversation came to him. Patches like he should know, he should have never been kept out of the loop and others tidbits like that. Then suddenly an exclamation from Katie, he needs to know, Professor. He needs to know it all. If anyone is of the need to know it would be him. I have always said this, but have always been summarily overridden by the Council. Her level of frustration was apparent to even Jerome as he watched her argue with the Professor.

So, tell him, Professor Massey said finally, as he turned away, abruptly giving in completely.

Kate came over to Jerome and took his arm. She led him to a table with several chairs and seated him there. She then sat beside him and considered his eyes softly. Jerome felt an icy feeling settle into his lower stomach. Whatever was coming appeared to be bad.

The quick answer, Jerome, is this. You were not just randomly picked for this task. The Council knew of you when you were born. In fact, they had been searching for you for almost forty years. She went suddenly silent as if to let that sink into his concept of the whole matter

Forty years! he exclaimed incredulously. I am only nineteen now. How could they have been searching for me before I was even born? he asked, totally confused.

Katie sat for a silent moment as she thought on how to proceed. I will get to that in a bit. Please be patient, she pleaded softly as she looked him directly in the eyes. What’s important at this moment is for you to know and fully understand what could happen when you become aware of this knowledge. I will also get to that in a moment as well.

Please understand this is very difficult for me. It is a very complex secret that has been withheld from you, and now you are wanting me to just blurt it out. It must be told in a rational manner so you will understand.

Jerome saw that she was terribly upset and this was difficult for her. Ok, Katie. Take your time and tell me the best way you can.

Katie thought some more and then commenced. You know that the Professor has consumed almost all his time trying to keep your ship shielded from radiation. Well it is not actually for your protection that this is being done.

Jerome thought about it for a bit and then said, ok, go on.

All that effort was to contain any emissions that might be given off during your flight.

But why would that matter? In fact, isn’t that something we would want. It could possibly be picked up by any intelligent races out there and have them find me, he stated with relief.

Yes, that is possible. The emission could be seen by all races with certain technological capabilities.

So why would that be a problem, he asked again in a puzzled tone? Isn’t that what we were going to do anyway; send a distress alarm outward in hopes of discovery by any race that might help Earth? Katie looked suddenly sorrowful and she let her eyes drift downward leaving his own.

The importance of containing that radiation emission was to do the opposite of what you are saying. We don’t want anyone to detect those emissions. If they are detected, it could mean your life, she said sorrowfully.

I’m afraid that it was just a cover story about protecting you, the Professor said sadly, taking over the tale. He looked over at Katie and then at Jerome. And you as well, he added with deep pain in his eyes.

Jerome looked at both, astounded and suddenly very hurt. He always had felt that there were some things being kept from him. But even knowing this he had never felt it could be nefarious or malicious in its intent, especially not from these two; his closest allies. He had always reasoned that what was being kept from him were those things which might hurt him, mainly due to his being completely alone on this mission; things which had to do with helping him keep up his psychological courage, so to speak. It had never entered his mind that these two people, his most trusted friends in this endeavor, could ever withhold vital and necessary information of import to the very mission.

He truly believed that there was not a nefarious bone in either one of these two. He just could not bring himself to believe there actually was. If this has all been a cover story for me and other Project scientists, then what is the true story. How much of this flight is true and how much not? he asked softly. Not only that, he suddenly said more firmly before they could answer his query, as he stood and placed his hands on the table leaning toward them. Why was it so necessary for me to be lied to.

Katie put her hand on Massey’s arm when he started to answer. "No Massey let me explain. I’m the one who always felt he should know. It has always been me that has felt the Council wrong in their decision.

Jerome the Project’s purpose was, as you are already aware, in part, initiated due to the solar problems we are having and the other, related part, to have the history of our civilization spread to the stars. And yes, to answer the question in your eyes, the problem of our sun is more serious than most can believe. But an event occurred many years before the Project’s conception which eventually, when divulged, caused the Council to reconsider the actual intent of the Project. This event was kept so secret that hardly anyone knew of it. It was only when the Council began seeking out other departments for their input and help with the flight, that it came out." Jerome stared at Katie with a puzzled look. All of this was news to him.

It seems that a spacial phenomenon occurred in the outer region of our solar system and was witnessed by the scientific station on Ganymede. It was a rift in space caused by an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. The actual rift was of course invisible to the scientist at the station, but per chance, it happened to impact a small comet which was being tracked by the Station’s Near Earth Object Organization, as it sped from the Kuiper belt toward Jupiter. The scientists on Ganymede Station knew that comet was to hit Jupiter as surely as the Earth orbits the Sun; yet it somehow didn’t. It veered off its predicted trajectory by something that was very massive and absolutely hidden. It was determined to be a compacted black hole positioned in space just out past Jupiter. It appeared to be in a fixed area of space not influenced by the orbit of Jupiter.

Jerome looked puzzled. What does that have to do with this Project? he asked quietly.

Everything Jerome. That event was not a natural phenomenon. Someone caused that rift in space to occur, she said. Furthermore, it was meant to be found by us, as a warning so it seems.

A warning! What kind of warning and why? he asked, deeply entranced by the strange shift of this subject.

Well, I’m getting to that, she replied. This is very important Jerome and must never be released to anyone outside of this room. Not all of those working on the Project are aware of this. No one can know, for it seems, that we are, in some degree, at war with a very powerful race who lives deep within our Galaxy. Katie paused and took Jerome’s hand and then continued. You were never supposed to know about any of this until you were well on your way."

Jerome scowled at her and slowly removed his hand from hers. He looked between Katie and the Professor as he felt a painful stabbing sensation settle into his chest. The hurt must have registered in his eyes for her eyes quickly glistened with tears. Jerome, most of us told the Council we disagreed with their decision to keep this information from you. We told them it was completely wrong, however, they said they had their reasons and we were to be silent on this if we were to work with you at all. She again sat quietly watching him with soft tear glistening eyes.

Tell me about the warning, he stated flatly. How was it received and what did it say, he asked, hoping perhaps changing the topic would help with the sinking feeling deep into his stomach. Perhaps giving his mind something technical to grasp and think on would allow him to not feel the hurt and betrayal he felt as he saw the guilt revealed in Katie’s eyes.

The rift was eventually determined to be a microscopic wormhole from which a very powerful electromagnetic signal was being generated. At first it was thought to be only an effusion of Hawking radiation across the event horizon, but after much time and the collective effort provided by much of the scientific community, it was determined that there was a message being sent to us from some distant intelligence. Kate paused for a moment as she let him adjust to this new information. I suppose that the actual carrier for the message was very complex, she said softly. It was far beyond the capabilities of our science at the time. We, she waved a hand at the Professor and herself, were made aware of the exact content only recently; just prior to your arrival, but much after the Projects conception," she added almost as an afterthought.

Suffice it to say that the message mandated a limit be set to which Humanity was to proceed into space, from our part of the Galaxy.

"Um, that limit was pretty much set by us due to our lack of technology wasn’t it, Jerome interjected.

Well, yes, somewhat, she agreed, but we were and are on the cusp of new levels of science, as you are aware. Part of which is the very drive which is taking you to the stars tomorrow.

Part? What other advancements? Jerome looked over at Professor Massey. He had been quiet during this narrative. You know it seems there has been quite a lot of information kept from me. Am I even going out into space at all or was this some sort of scam on the public, Jerome shouted in exasperation?"

Katie quietly moved over to a locked grav-well data storage file and flipped through its internal halo screens. She picked one and motioned Jerome to come over to view it. Oh, you’re going alright, she stated with firmness. Professor Massey quickly stepped between Jerome and the data well.

Katie this is absolutely forbidden, the Professor interjected with sudden ebullience. About this, no one can know, especially Jerome. We all agreed to that on the onset and we can’t violate the Council’s edict. Speaking of the message is one thing but letting him hear it is quite another, the Professor stated with surprising firmness as he stood with his hand placed firmly on Jerome’s chest staring with an implacable manner at Katie. Jerome tried to push the more diminutive Professor aside, but he seemed immovable. Professor Massey stared silently at Katie’s defiant stance for a moment, then appeared to arrive at a decision.

No dammit, he exclaimed with what appeared to be abject ferocity. I too am tired of all this secrecy. It seems to me that the Great Council takes on too much innate authority concerning scientific knowledge, of which, they know very little and I, like you Katie, have never agreed with their policy. But Katie, Professor Massey pleaded, you and I can’t know what possibly can happen when he learns of this. Why, it could make everything change. The very Universe could unravel for all we know."

No, Katie scoffed. I do not think that knowledge of this nature could cause time to unravel. That is just so much foolishness, Professor.

Jerome, having listened to this cryptic exchange, had finally had it. There was something of such import happening here that he felt he needed to know. They were going to open and tell him. Right now, they were going to tell him, he decreed to himself.

Alright, I’ve had enough of this. Both of you are going to tell me what you know concerning this message, or you and this World, will find yourself short one rocket jockey. I will not move one decameter from this planet until I know everything that I wish to know concerning this program, the message in the Rift, and why that information resulted in the change of purpose for my flight. I, to the life of me, can see no reason now why there must be a human on this adventure at all. Actually, I can’t understand why there is a flight at all at this point so make me understand fast for time is wasting. Jerome realized he was just being defiant out of anger, but it felt good to vent it out on the two before him yet he did feel somewhat guilty at doing so.

Professor Massey looked at Katie for long moments as if considering some great unknown only the two of them knew, until he finally acquiesced. Oh lord, what are we doing? the Professor muttered almost silently as he moved from between Jerome and Katie.

Jerome walked stolidly forward as if it was to his death he came. It can’t be that bad Katie, he said to her

Professor Massey suddenly looked at him with a grave expression on his face. Yes, it can, my boy, yes it can. So, don’t take it so lightly. We may all be in front of the Council tomorrow if anyone finds out that we divulged this knowledge to you. So, if you have any feelings for either of us this knowledge must not be taken from this room. Is that understood? But, more than that Jerome, I feel obliged to tell you there could be even more serious repercussions to your knowing this information. It could put us into an inextricable morass of a temporal nature, I’m afraid.

Jerome suddenly had a sinking feeling. What have I gotten myself into, he thought as Massey brought up the halo view of the data well. Yes, I think I understand. Let’s just get through this before I make any more promises. Ok? The commitment Jerome had already made weighted heavily upon him. It was tantamount to a death warrant as it was; this flight into the depths of space and time. Now he was finding out that he had not been privy to the complete story. The thought of what could have been withheld from him staggered him.

He had always felt that the Council was being less then propitious on matters concerning the Project, but now he was coming to realize this secrecy had been a cover for some more recondite agenda. Jerome watched Katie with a saddening heart as the Professor began to reveal the message from the rift. She shifted her eyes to quickly meet his then dropped them when their eyes met. He had always known there could never be anything between them, but had come to feel for her a closeness and almost intimate caring, even though she was a harsh task master when it came to her need to ready him for his flight.

The holoscreen filled the area above the datawell with a full view of what appeared to be the dark of space. Off to the side the beautiful amber orb of Jupiter could be seen. The large red storm known as the Eye of Jupiter circled among the swirling bands of poisonous clouds. The screen began to lighten somewhat as the Professor enhanced the scene being viewed so the human eye could make out significant features. Finally, there appeared a distorted portion of space just off from that Planet. It filled the center of the viewer and it flowed and pulsed as if alive.

This is the rift as found by Ganymede Station. Of course, the rift itself is invisible to the human eye, so MAC always makes it so it is viewable for we lesser species. The Professor let a small smile slip to his lips at the mention of MAC. MAC was his baby and he always felt intense pride concerning the computer.

Now it was through this rift the message came. The part that was the message is of such a nature that, of course, we would not be able to hear it or see it, or, for that matter, understand it. However, MAC has fulfilled the Professor’s expectations and translated the message into not only conceptional context which is readable by we humans, but also as to how it would sound if it were made by actual sound waves in a nitrogen-oxygen rich environment as we have here on Earth. The Professor added letting the small smile grow to a proud grin. Professor Massey paused and cast his eyes from the halo image to Katie for a long moment. She seemed reticent and almost withdrawn as the Professor spoke of the rift and the Station’s findings. The Professor finally dropped the grin and sighed. He then continued, his voice and enthusiasm palled. Katie continued to stare at the holoscreen without comment; a look of deep concern on her lovely face.

The actual message is of vital importance to Mankind and of course to you as well Jerome, but that is not why all of this has been kept secret from you, the Professor seemed to stutter to a halt as he looked back to the screen."

Suddenly Jerome could tell that this subject was one that was more than just difficult for the Professor to speak of, but was one almost beyond his ability to openly convey. What could make this erudite Professor so unsure as how to proceed that he would stutter to a stop during this effort to show something Jerome was sure the Professor had covered and spoken of numerous times to groups of other scholars and politicians. Jerome put his hand on the Professors arm. Just come out with Professor. It can’t be that bad. I mean if the message threatens humans, what more harm can it do?

Both Katie and Massey gave a quick furtive look at each other. They both seemed to be more agitated by the minute. Oh! Come on, Jerome said, feeling suddenly impatient. It can’t be the end of the world if I hear this message.

Ok, this is enough Katie said. Yes, Jerome it can mean the end of the world or worse yet the end of the Universe. We just don’t know. We just don’t know what can happen, she said with resignation.

If it has something to do with me, why not let me have that information before I leave.

Katie suddenly broke into tears

Telling you could very well result in a time paradox.

A paradox! Jerome yelled out in astonishment. "You