"A bit
more wine, Christina?"
"I'd
appreciate it, Det. I still am in shock over Numamba's untimely death.
I've read and listened to her diaries, as you asked me to do, but I can't
understand what drove her to carry out such an experiment on herself."
"You
can imagine my shock when I found her here, wasted away. She must have
died just an hour or two before I returned. I would have given my teeth
to hear her voice again, not on a machine, but coming from her."
"The
truth is that I can't imagine your shock, Det. Not in any meaningful way.
I've had similar blows in my life, with Boris and just recently with Martin,
for instance. But it's not the same thing. You and Numamba had a commitment
far greater than any I've ever dared undertake."
"You
mean, our long marriage? Yes, that really sealed our fate. We shared everything,
our research, our friendship with Stanley and you, our experimental farm,
the business end of this pharmacy, everything. In the time of stupendous
energy that preceded her rapid decline, she had managed to solve some of
the major problems that we had been encountering for 25 years, the wobble
of the planet and the density of its atmosphere. What a mind she had! In
a week or two, Numamba effectively completed the mission that Stanley (and
of course, the Earth Government) had given us. It might be time for me
to move on to other challenges. But for the life of me, I can't find any
that tickle my fancy. Any ideas?"
"Ideas?
You know I always have ideas. Can't live without them! The trouble is,
none of them springs to my mind as something that might interest you as
a new and exciting career. Now that it seems the ELB will come to an end,
your career as Stanley's successor has also ended. And you and Numamba
have completed every task that would require talents like yours: from here
on, it's something of a holding action, as I understand it."
"You're
right on both scores. Still, my talents, as you call them, are surely needed
somewhere. I think I need to get away from here, for at least some time."
"Well,
as a civilian member of the ELB, you can fly with us in this solar system
without asking permission. And of course you could go with us beyond that
if the authorities have no objections. In about two years we'll head back
to Damos. And, while I'm waiting to introduce our Damosians to the Canaanites,
why don't you spend some time aboard Constellation with them, and later
visit some other parts of Mars? They'd love to see the sights, and you
could travel with us."
"That
sounds like a great idea. I'll have Hélène take over the
operation for a week or so. That should be enough time to let me clear
my head a bit, and get away from morbid thoughts."
"Oh,
we'll have to be here at noon the day after tomorrow. The Mayor will be
here. I thought it would be a good idea for him to meet some of the Damosians
then, in secret. Can you arrange to have Hélène go off to
the pharmacy on the Town Square at that time?"
"By chance,
that's a day when we're closed. We can have the run of the house all to
ourselves."
"Good.
I'll let the crew know you're coming, when you're ready. And I have a surprise
for you: the quantum teleportation system is now authorized for people.
No more dismanteling of the cells, no snowy shimmer, no split-second of
disorientation: the operator presses the button, and voilà! you're
at your destination!"
"Quantum
teleportation! What a great advancement! I can't wait to use it. I'll close
up things as fast as possible. I should be ready within a half hour."
"I've
been thinking, Madame President, of recommending that you ask Commodore
Vasa to serve as our Ambassador to Damos. She knows the people, she even
can speak their language, she has bonds with them that they forged during
their battle against the STU, and in exploration of the other nearby planets,
not to mention their having shared with her the experience of everyday
life."
"I like
your idea, Mátyás, but frankly I don't see her willing to
take on that kind of responsibility. She would not want what is essentially
a political and sedentary job. What I would prefer doing, if Space Fleet
Headquarters agrees, is this. I would recommend they promote her to Rear
Admiral (with the understanding that she would continue to be Captain of
Constellation and later of the new craft we have on the drawing board),
and give her the opportunity to travel to Damos as part of her continuing
missions of exploration. I think Headquarters will agree with this plan.
Already they have accepted her proposal to promote her entire crew by two
ranks for the ordinary personnel and one rank for the ELB personnel."
"You
are right, as always, Madame President. She will have the personal recognition
she deserves, and the crew certainly has proven its collective and individual
mettle, judging from all the reports we have read and seen, and from the
debriefing interviews we have held. And the culmination of centuries of
dreams has come about: we have discovered alien intelligent beings, have
established contact with them, and have become their friends and allies."
"Tomorrow
we sign the pact of friendship officially. Ambassador Enohr has proven
to be an honest and forthright person, as Commodore Vasa has represented
her as being. All 25 of the Damosians have been a delight to get to know."
"Interestingly,
although we have the technological edge on them, they have a lot to offer
us in their methodologies and their unique experiences. I think, Madame
President, that our artists, our writers, our musicians, will participate
in this exchange just as fully as any scientist or politician."
"In the
meanwhile, suppose we appointed Admiral Vasa as a plenipotentiary Minister
of Galactic Affairs or some such thing. In such a position she would have
to keep moving, which she would like, and we would have a person authorized
to act promptly on behalf of Earth Government. Not for everything, of course,
but we can write in the limits needed. That type of job is something she
could handle as part of her appointment as Rear Admiral. It would be an
additional title and additional responsibilities for her, which I am confident
she will be able to discharge admirably."
"A splendid
idea! I'll get in touch with Space Fleet Headquarters right away, and then
I'll call the Cabinet together to speak about this proposed appointment.
With luck, we won't have to create an entirely new Department or Ministry,
together with a huge bureaucracy, to bring this to fruition."
"No need
to worry about that: with the Minister away for periods of 10 years or
so at a time, there would be no need for a bureaucracy."
"I see
that sparkle in your eyes, Madame President. It tells me that you think
bureaucracies do not necessarily depend on need. Or on the presence of
their leader."
"Sometimes
they seem to exist only to exalt egos."
"I'll
report back when I've completed these tasks."
"Thank
you, Mátyás. I'll be waiting to hear from you."
"...And
it is with the greatest personal pleasure that I commission you to the
permanent rank of Rear Admiral in Space Fleet, with express duties to be
Captain of Constellation and, when it is completed some decades hence,
of the first of the new generation of space ships which we are currently
planning to build. Would you please step forward, Admiral, to receive the
epaulets and the insignia that are the outward signs of this high rank."
In the
presence of what seemed to be the entire Headquarters staff, from Fleet
Admiral Jiang to the newest recruit, and of the crew of Constellation,
who had all just been installed in their new ranks, as well as numerous
friends from her many years of service and the delegation from Damos, Christina
stepped forward. Old Admiral Jiang smiled as he attached the epaulets to
Christina's uniform, and handed her a gilt box with the other signs of
her new rank, and a scroll affirming her new rank. The band broke into
a fanfare, and all present cheered loudly.
Before
Christina could utter the few words she had been planning on saying, Admiral
Jiang raised his hand for silence, and then stated that the President wished
to make an announcement.
President
Ionnanides moved to the center of the stage, resplendent in the white robes
of her high office.
"Meeting
in closed session, the Earth Senate has unanimously endorsed your nomination
to be Minister of Galactic Affairs. Your duties in this post will be consonant
with your new rank. I hereby give you the orders naming you to this post,
bearing my signature and the Seal of Earth Government. Welcome to the ranks
of the politicians, Madame Minister!"
The President's
eyes had that teasing twinkle in them, all the more so in that Christina
was taken completely by surprise by this latest honor and responsibility.
Again the band played a fanfare, which gave her time to phrase a double
message of gratitude for the high honors that had just been bestowed on
her.
"We are
prepared, Christina, to meet your guests from outer space. Our people are
eager to meet these creatures of God, who by their very presence betoken
the great power and wisdom of the Creator. It is our hope that, like you,
they will visit with us often, and become cherished friends."
"Mihály,
I'm so happy about this news. You have seen how kind and intelligent and
gentle the Damosians are. After the opening ceremonies, I will leave them
in your hands for a week, which should give them enough time to appreciate
at least some of what draws me constantly to Canaan."
"By a
strange coincidence, or perhaps by a decree of Divine Providence,
the appearance of the Damosians will take place on the very day we celebrate
our Founding Day. We will incorporate their arrival in our midst into the
service."
"This
is an extraordinary honor, Mihály."
"This
is an extraordinary occasion, Christina. And there will be yet another
service following that, at the High Church in the Town Square. We have
chosen a new Bishop, a man you know well: the Reverend Doctor Jeremiah
Hormuz."
"A triple
play! And a wonderful choice from my point of view, a man who believes
intensely in his ministry, and like so many of the Bishops I have had the
pleasure of knowing, someone not rigidly doctrinaire. If he were doctrinaire,
he would never have befriended someone like me!"
"His
investiture will take place, as I said, in the High Church. The Church
Council has authorized me to invite you to the ceremony–exceptionally,
because normally only the faithful are permitted to attend such a ceremony,
and the high officials of Mars Government."
"I am
deeply honored by this kind gesture, and I shall be there. How should I
be dressed for the occasion?"
"Why,
in your Admiral's dress uniform! We wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Well,
here you are together again! What on Mars do you talk about all the time?"
"Christina,
don't scold us. Remember that Ecnelav and I are both astrophysicists. Well,
she is by profession, and I am by dilletantism."
"Det
is being very modest. The work he's accomplished here on Mars, the skills
he's developed over the years, the knowledge he's gained by his work on
problems with the space stations and the three habitable planets in your
solar system, not to mention the time he spent on Mesnos, if all that doesn't
qualify him as an astrophysicist, what does?"
"I think
I'm more of an astroengineer than an astrophysicist. But, no matter. What
do we talk about? A small space station, or at least a satellite relay
station, in the Damos and Unias orbit, halfway between the two planets..."
"That
would be 183,847,760 kilometers from each planet..."
"meaning
that a signal from one planet could be relayed regularly from Damos to
Unias or back without interference. The problem is that the signal would
have to be sent 367,695,520 kilometers, more or less, to be received."
"And,
at the speed of light, it would take a lot of time to reach its destination.
It's bad enough when we send signals from Earth to Venus or Mars; conversation
is not possible."
"That's
over 20 minutes each way, more than 40 minutes for a question and response."
"Det
thinks there are three things we can do: once the station or satellite
is in place, we would have to accept the fact that communication (while
infinitely faster than what we have now),..."
"You
scientists! You don't mean 'infinitely' literally, do you?"
"Oh,
Christina, stop joking. We're being serious..."
"For
once, I see."
"OK,
for once. We'd just have to accept the fact that communication would take
a long time. Even from the space station to Damos would require 10 minutes
each way."
"Yes,
but while we were working under those conditions, we would be able to do
two things: study the galaxy and the extra-galactic objects from a place
with no atmospheric interference, and work on ways to send messages more
rapidly."
"Det
has come up with two ideas, which our government will gladly sponsor, I'm
sure: applying the principles of warp drive to stationary objects (planet
and space station), and trying to see if it's possible to somehow package
the electrical messages sent into quanta."
"Into
quanta! Why, if you succeed in that, we could apply the principles to the
new space ship being designed right now."
"Christina,
both of these methods could be of use for the Earth Government, too. With
an adaptation of warp drive, imagine how much easier and faster it would
be to communicate with Mesnos and Paracelsus, Mars and Venus, Damos and
Unias and the Tertia Twins! Certainly faster than we can manage now. And
if the quantum signal works, communication would be instantaneous."
"Actually,
Christina, thanks to the quantum teleportation, we've already made a step
in that direction. This idea is feasible."
"Amazing
stuff! So you've actually been working all this time! Seriously, I think
the Earth Government would be interested in sponsoring this research, too."
"Christina,
we've already made a major presentation to them. We're waiting for a decision."
"What
exactly are you proposing?"
"Let
me answer, Det. We're proposing that Earth Government send back with Constellation
the basic technology for a small station–maybe even a complete tiny laboratory
that could be utilized while the space station was being assembled–so that
work could begin virtually immediately. The value of this to Damos is obvious.
But Earth would acquire a knowledge of the galaxy that would be impossible
otherwise; and the technology developed in the course of this project's
life would also be shared by our two civilizations."
"How
come the Minister of Galactic Affairs has been kept in the dark about this
project? She might be upset, you know. You'd be walking on her toes."
"We wanted
to surprise you, and we asked Earth Government officials to keep it as
secret as the law allows."
"Which,
in this kind of matter, is totally secret," mused Christina. "When do you
expect to have an answer?"
Kwali
popped his head in the room at this moment, and announced that the Secretary
of Space Programs was on his way to Mars, and should arrive in an hour
or so.
"When
you bring the Secretary in, stay with us, Kwali. If he's coming himself,
he's likely to be bringing good news, news that I'm sure will excite you."
"And so,
in short, Ambassador Enohr and Dr. Stisreg's proposal has the complete
support of the Department, and in fact as we are speaking work is beginning
on a small station that can be transported in Constellation. Plans for
a larger station, much smaller than the huge stations we have here but
about half the size of Constellation, including all technical details,
will be given to the Ambassador and to the Director of Galactic Research.
Oh, damn, I wasn't supposed to leak out this title, which will be Dr. Stisreg's."
"Det,
how great!" shouted Christina, Ecnelav and Kwali at the same time.
"I've
let the cat out of the bag, but don't let anyone else know about this.
Dr. Stisreg will receive an invitation to present his case once again,
along with Dr. Enohr, at which time the surprise announcement will be made."
"Our
lips are sealed concerning the great news about Det's appointment, Mr.
Secretary. When may I share the news about the project with my crew?"
"Oh,
we have prepared a public announcement of this project, Madam Minister,
which will be released publicly on all our planets. We are hoping that
you will agree to read it."
"I'll
be happy to make that my first official act."
"It's
a day of firsts! This will be the first planned act of intragalactic cooperation
that we've ever done. Of course, we know about the cooperative efforts
taking place on Unias right now and that had taken place on Damos. But
we're entering into a new era, one in which we show our mutual trust in
concrete ways. Naturally, we're counting on the Ambassador's and the Minister's
ability to persuade the Damosians to join in."
"You
can count on Christina and me to do just that. Actually, it will be a soft
sell. This is a wonderful opportunity for us."
"Just
think, if you succeed in the quantum aspect of the project, we might someday
be able to travel intantaneously across the galaxy, and even beyond! I
hope I live long enough to see that day arrive."
"We'll
do our best to make that possible, Mr. Secretary."
"Dr.
Stisreg, you should receive your invitation by tomorrow. But please, when
the President and the Scientific Council and the Cabinet offer you this
post, please act surprised."
"You
can count on that."
"Each
of you is permitted to bring five guests into the chamber, which is really
a fairly small room. But Ambassador, make sure all of your people are on
hand; we can arrange to have them see the ceremony on a huge visuscreen.
We're planning a great gala: formal ceremonial announcements, state dinner,
a three-day party. And Admiral, Space Fleet will make all the arrangements
for your staff and crew. We expect that Constellation will be completely
ready to go by the end of the month. It will be only a question of the
time it takes to construct the station and prepare the various documents
I've spoken about, and for our Damosian friends to complete their visits
here. Part of your orders will include a stopover on Mesnos, as you know."
"We are
stupefied by the swift response, Mr. Secretary, and thrilled by the possibilities
that are opening up to us. Thank you very much for your part in the process,
which I'm sure has been great."
"The
presentation and the plan and the presenters themselves were all you needed,
Dr. Stisreg. But I appreciate your feelings. Now I must be off. I have
to visit Ares, various sites around the planet, then return to Earth to
help prepare the ceremonies. I'll see you in about two weeks."
"And
we understand that mum's the word."