Dadr'Ba (2 page)

The blast had propelled Kr’T at a higher velocity than the plate which just fell away from the ship. The plate began to grow small.

Kr’T had little to do but wait and hope that the catch-net system could target him and Drag him back to the ship. He had no individual rocket propulsion. Dadr’Ba’s rotation made using rocket packs complicated and wasted fuel. Individual rocket propulsion fell out of favor for routine extra-vehicular work, replaced by retention cables and the catch-net system that can recover an overboard person up to several kilometers away.

Kr’T was now, thanks to his initial momentum and the blast, traveling away from Dadr’Ba at tens of meters per second. A jagged plate the size of a large conference table cartwheeling between Kr’T and Dadr’Ba with a large hole in the middle, the lifesaving catch-net system on the other side.

Kr’T’s helmet camera continued to function, whose wide-angle view showed Dadr’Ba, which up close seemed like scaling a mountain, fell silently away with the blast plate spinning in between blocking most of the view.

The people monitoring the catch-net system frantically worked to solve the life and death problem, the supposedly automated system was having trouble deciding what to do, the programmed priority being to recover Kr’T but the blast plate barred the way making it impossible to target him.

Kr’T’s helmet camera automatically switched from normal to low light to Starlight mode, then to infrared bands. His helmet camera sent images of the Starship Dadr’Ba, sent back in a large combination of colors. It’s natural and crafted beauty, showed a relatively small comet, as comets go, still over three trillion kilograms, shaped and compacted while soft near the sun into a cylinder shape, a kilometer diameter and over five kilometers long.

The ships core is a fusion rocket engine. Integrated down the central core of Dadr’Ba’s bulk, the engine burns over ten kilograms of fuel per second
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. The rocket produces an exhaust mass accelerated to a significant percentage of the speed of light. Though this thrust may seem large, it’s imperceptible to the crew operating a ship with a mass of trillions of kilograms.

This comparatively tiny engines saving grace and real power resides in that it’s been running for almost two thousand years. During the first millennium, it pushed Dadr’Ba to a velocity of over ten percent the speed of light and is now working to slow Dadr’Ba down.

Dadr’Ba for all of its operating life has been traveling fast enough for even small meteoroids a problem, even now after decelerating for hundreds of years, it’s still going plenty fast enough to turn a grain of sand sized meteoroids into high explosive missiles.

Dadr’Ba’s cylinder-shaped main body is capped on each end with meteoroid blast plates designed to sacrifice themselves to protect the ship. On one end of the ship the blast plates are designed to help accelerate it, the explosion is delayed and positioned to blast behind the plate and to blast outward, protecting the main ship while adding a minute amount of thrust and destroy the offending meteoroid.

On the other end of the ship, the end that Kr’T was working on, the blast plates are designed to slow it down, they detonate at the impact point or forward side of the plate, destroying the offending meteoroid and providing in the process a little reverse thrust.

Kr’T’s helmet cam now showed Dadr’Ba in its entirety, its main body rotating slowly, enough to provide artificial gravity to its occupants. Counter rotating bands near the ends and midsection became clearly visible, containing the ships docking bays, observation decks, and catch-net systems, shrinking in the distance. It’s unlikely that anyone but the watchful on the observation deck would have noticed Kr’T flying away, there wouldn’t have been any sound, maybe the flash when the plate detonated caught someone’s eye, but now he was only a speck in the distance.

The catch-net system finally fires and is quickly wrapped up in the spinning plate; the catch-net line goes taught, almost to the breaking point then slowly starts to draw its haul back to Dadr’Ba.

The Milky Way slowly engulfs Dadr’Ba it shrinks in the distance.

Kr’T is too far away now for the catch-net system to reset and reach him. Had they been prepared for this sort of thing they would have caught the plate right away, and then been able to reset and catch Kr’T but now they don’t even waste the energy to try. Someone made a note to send the catch-net programmers a memo to make the change.

Dadr’Ba fades into black against the relative brightness of the Milky Way, and Dadr’Ba begins to move slowly against the Milky Way’s starry tapestry, not due to Dadr’Ba’s movement but due to Kr’T’s capture in Dadr’Ba’s magnetic field and is slowly drawn toward the fusion rocket engine’s intake.

Dadr’Ba looks small, a short laser pointer held out at arm’s reach, firing in a mist, its jet, piercing into space, an iridescent line drawn out into infinity. At this distance occasional ripples different than those seen from close up, move across its length, only noticeable from this distance, probably caused by slight variations in its fuel. Dadr’Ba’s fuel contains in part molecules vacuumed up by Dadr’Ba’s gigantic magnetic field, mostly hydrogen molecules, collected as it fly’s thru space, the rest of the fuel, provides the bulk of the rockets exhausted mass comes from the fuel that is mined and processed out of Dadr’Ba itself.

Visible at this distance Dadr’Ba’s exhaust looks laser-like, a shimmering, pulsing, jet scintillating from what must be the result of the rocket exhaust interacting with Dadr’Ba’s magnetic field. Creating an energetic conflagration, as the relativistic jet passes through a thin cloud of gaseous particles. Particles and waves working at cross poles, attempting to break the speed of light barrier annihilating each other in the process.

The result is a manufactured Aurora. Seen from this angle, Kr’T can see colors and designs he didn’t dream possible and thinks how beautiful it is.

Kr’T remains motionless, one of his retention lines almost caught on a jagged shard of the blast panel as the catch-net wrapped around the panel, stops, then slowly starts to draw it back. It catches Kr’T’s line only for a moment, then gave way, but it stopped Kr’T’s spinning.

Now Kr’T, deathly still, his helmet cam focused on Dadr’Ba as it passes, or more accurately Kr’T passes by, moved by Dadr’Ba’s magnetic field. Kr’T has moved in a long arc around Dadr’Ba toward the trailing end, the intake of the fusion engine.

During the acceleration phase of Dadr’Ba’s journey, this engine intake is the front, and the plasma jet trailed out the back pushing it along. Now decelerating Dadr’Ba has turned around and the plasma jet pushing out the front of its path slowing down Dadr’Ba’s tremendous mass.

Kr’T can now see Dadr’Ba’s fusion rocket engine intake, it looks like a gaping mouth within mouths, the layered edges of sloped blast plates surrounding a throat leading to a fiery gut of nuclear fusion fire.

Further in Dadr’Ba’s throat, not far from the fire are catch plates designed to collect precious elements, guided by electrostatic forces that guide some of the heavier elements too big to burn, onto the catch plates. Recovering valuable elements and refining them at the same time.

Kr’T is too massive, and is moving too fast, to deflect to a capture plate, and finds himself looking down the engines maw to a fusion fire. His helmets visual filters strain to protect his vision and allow him the view.

The arch that brought Kr’T to the mouth of a furnace hotter than the surface of the sun was wide enough to prevent a second attempt to save him with the catch-net system. Assuming that the catch nets recovery wasn’t intended just for the plate.

It’s one of the core tenants aboard Dadr’Ba that nothing is wasted. Kr’T wondered if the remnants of the plate might have been deemed more important than he by the Central Authority.

Most of Kr’T’s mass will burn in the fusion fire as well as his tightly fitted Carbon fiber spacesuit and life support system. The CA would have undoubtedly preferred to save the metals and electronics that helped the magnetic field bring Kr’T to this end, but for that to work they would have to be free pieces and particles not integrated into his suit.

Kr’T’s path down the throat of Dadr’Ba’s fusion rocket engine intake included some high-speed bumps that separated some of the metals and other precious compounds from his suit and life support system. The bumps, his momentum, and inertia along with the electrostatic fields helped to center him in the bore of the intake and kept him from splattering against the heavy element catch plates lining the innermost throat of Dadr’Ba.

It’s been a very long time since anyone was lost to the fusion engine; Kr’T may even be the first, at least in official recorded history (since the Touch of God Event and the braking maneuver) to be devoured by Dadr’Ba’s engine.

Kr’T’s body clips against a particle collection plate, causing him to spin uncontrollably. He’s stretched and squeezed by powerful fields. He makes no attempt to struggle, apparently at peace, possibly paralyzed, not having moved since the initial explosion that launched him on this last odyssey.

Kr’T’s body reflexively rebels against the forces. Kr’T, through an enormous strength of will, forces his body to relax. His muscle tension eases and his body returns supple, as it slips through the electrostatic fields. Kr’T’s heart rate slows as he lets go of his body, and takes back control of his mind. Then gives up control, looking for a way out. It’s over in milliseconds, as Kr’T’s battered and crushed high-velocity body passes into the fusion fire, and whats left of his body winks out of existence.

Waking up refreshed, the lovemaking from the night before fresh in his mind, the little death, having released its grip feeling wide awake and refreshed Tu’Tan
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opened his eyes and turned to see Le’Ta
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looking at him smiling. “You cheater” He said, trying unsuccessfully to pout; it was supposed to be a win-win. “I know,” Le’Ta says, “but I felt that you needed a ten or eleven more than both of us a nine.”

She was right, Tu’Tan’s parents, having passed only a week before, had taken a heavy toll and although he hadn’t fully realized it Tu’Tan had been under a lot of stress.  The burden of dealing with his parent’s estate was tremendous. The transfer of ownership, fighting with the CA, who seemed to think they had more right to his parent’s possessions and credits than the family, was too much.

The CA was trying to impose tax and fees on what little was left, imposing charges for each time A’To
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had changed jobs throughout his entire life. It was terrible and prevented Tu’Tan from concentrating on his obligation to carry his parent’s seed, to give, together with Le’Ta, a birth, a life.

Gathering his thoughts Tu’Tan said: “Last night was great, and I probably needed it, but we were supposed to be practicing to give birth.” “I know, but we can always do it again” was Le’Ta’s reply, and with a closed lipped smile moved towards Tu’Tan. She reached her arms around Tu’Tan, and they embraced, and then began to make love.

Although their sexual parts were aroused, the focus of their lovemaking wasn’t on those small pieces that can be so consuming. They concentrated on the whole body, a whole of existence experience, erasing the thought of separate bodies. They became one and then gradually their minds joined, becoming indistinguishable, they lost awareness of their existence, joining as one, and found themselves cast out into the inky darkness of space with no method of propulsion except their will and their thoughts.

Only vaguely aware of the other, and trying to without trying to move together, failing at first, stretching their connection and nearly breaking their link. Then finally moving together, searching, finding others, but keeping distant, because it’s not time yet, this is only practice.

They turned inward and became aware of a feeling, a rhythm, beneath their thoughts they recognized the clear echoes of A’To’s and Ba’Ni’s
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rhythm, but don’t name them; they are in a world beyond names.

The only way they could move without breaking their tenuous link was to lose everything tangible, solid, anything that can be described with words disappeared. Their world now is intangible, indescribable, encompassing emotions, love, and trust. The fullness and satisfaction from being loved and feeling hearts join, adjusting, accommodating and incorporating two heartbeats into one, feeling whole, complete.

They were in another universe; the rhythm matched the physical selves in the old universe, but here the physical doesn’t matter, it gets in the way, it needs to disappear and be forgotten. To think about pushing the physical away, only grasps it, drawing it closer.

No, it’s better to ignore the physical and let yourself synchronize with the other, and as the waves of existence beneath the thoughts align, a new pattern emerges, different from the old, a new original pattern where the peaks and the valleys match, magnifying each and where the peaks and troughs align, cancel each other. What remains is a new pattern recognizable, different and similar, like and unlike, at the same time. Working without thought maintaining the new synchronicity achieved and letting go of parts of you, and accepting new found patterns, forgetting your old self and feeling turned inside out. Then much faster than it was achieved the pattern slips away and they found themselves transported back to reality. Sad as if awakening from a dream they didn’t want to end they woke as if they just lost a true reality.

After a long pause, Le’Ta says “I think that’s what it must be like” and Tu’Tan responded, “I think we’re ready.”

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It was unusual to wait so long; the norm was to perform the birthing as soon within days after a retirement, assuring the grandparents imprint is as strong as possible. But Tu’Tan had to delay the birthing; the CA had been giving him trouble over the settlement of his parent’s estate, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

Everyone thought the estate was settled before the retirement, but the CA came back after the retirement, rejecting the award of most A’To’s overtime credits, forfeiting them to the CA. Tu’Tan had to dig up documentation that his father, had luckily, kept, then Tu’Tan had to file an appeal.

The last thing a birthing needs is even the slightest emotional stress and issues dealing with the CA over a parent’s retirement and the settlement of their estate.

Tu’Tan’s emotional stress dealing with his parent’s retirement began with the most important episode of his life to date. Important not in a good or bad way, only in that it changed his life and the way he looked at life from that moment forward.

It was the day that his parents retired; it was a beautiful and profoundly meaningful moment, the moment they passed. Hand in hand, side by side, their lives ended in the same instant. Tu’Tan couldn’t help but feel a deep loss, and a profound gain.

He lost their company, but in a larger way, he felt they became part of him. In the physical sense, their existence stopped, but at the same instant, they passed to him, those parts of themselves not connected to or dependent on their physical selves.

The love his parents had for each other, and their children passed to him. It was now his turn to carry the families love, name, and values forward. It was his task, duty, and honor to pass as much of what made his parents who they were and who he is to his children.

His parents had a long and productive life. They eventually grew tired and fatigued. To have lived a quarter millennia and without seeing a change or improvement in their lives for over a century fosters a feeling of despair. That’s when the thought, then the hope, then the dream of bringing new life into existence takes hold, not only to make room for it but to be part of it, becomes a goal in itself. A’To and Ba’Ni sacrificed their lives to give him birth rights so that Tu’Tan and Le’Ta could have children in Dadr’Ba’s zero population growth society.

Then, someday after a lifetime of being head of the family and setting the example, Tu’Tan and Le’Ta will pass from existence. He and his love, his life mate, will pass the baton of love and life, like what was given to him, to their children, not unlike the birthing ceremony that started their children’s lives so many years ago.

Retirement, instead of giving life to something that wasn’t living before, is synching with the living, and leaving behind tired and worn out bodies. A’To and Ba’Ni hadn’t synched with Tu’Tan since his birth. This time, Le’Ta witnessed and participated, Le’Ta had become part of Tu’Tan long ago and couldn’t be separated.

This time, the synching was very different, this time, they didn’t synch to give strength to initiate life in unanimated flesh, they were too old and too tired for such an arduous task. This time, they synched and allowed their tired, weak selves to be cradled and carried away, leaving behind empty unanimated flesh.

Their flesh became still, the life that was within their bodies faded to nothing. They found peace and tranquility, passing their lives to those that love them.

After his parent’s retirement Tu’Tan felt truly mature. All the while his parents were alive there was always “someone there” Ma and Ba, although being for all practical purposes beyond ever needing their help they were there and insisted that they would always be his parents, and he and his sister, their children.  Now that they’re gone Tu’Tan was beyond their help, even when it became apparent that they had become more dependent on him than he on them, the parent-son relationship was always there. Now that had all changed.

There is no better end to life than to die with family and close friends present, to share the experience. Those witnessing can bid a fond farewell. The one’s passing, gives family and friends a final seed or the impression that will live on with them and through them all their lives and perhaps beyond, a kind of immortality.

Tu’Tan’s parents lived an average life span, two hundred fifty-three years and two hundred forty-seven years for A’To and Ba’Ni respectively. They married early, both of them in their early fifties and perhaps because they married early, they had more troubles with settling down than most couples. A’To changed jobs as often as the CA would let him until he was nearly one-hundred and seventy-five then finally seemed to settle down and stayed at the same job until the end.

Perhaps bouncing from job to job for one hundred twenty-five years, then to be stuck doing the same job for seventy-five years straight aged A’To early. It’s not uncommon for people to live to three or four hundred spending their entire working lives at the same job, yet for all their years they can’t claim to have done all the things or gone through half the rewards and hardships (although some self-inflicted) that was experienced by A’To and Ba’Ni.

By the end of three or four centuries, most of these people stuck in the same job are little more than robots satisfying their standards or quotas and going through motions that on the surface would appear rewarding activities but in the end make them empty shells with happy faces painted on them. A’To and Ba’Ni pursued life with a passion for most of their lives, had they not and become robots they may have survived for another hundred or more years. There’s no physical reason they couldn’t have, the crew of Dadr’Ba being genetically locked clones in a sterile environment means there’s no such thing as natural death or death due to age or disease.

Nobody ages, nobody gets sick, and all except for a few dangerous jobs (really dangerous jobs are done by robots and convicts) the CA ensures nobody gets hurt. The age record holders among the commoners seem to top out near five hundred, by that time their minds are gone, they begin to fail standards and quotas and the CA comes in and retires them, or convinces them to retire.

Once selected or approved for retirement, they only have a few weeks free from work to devote to getting their affairs in order before the prescribed termination date even then the time is charged against vacation time earned, deducted from their children’s inheritance and the families ranking based on mileage earned from work contributed towards O’M.

Retiree’s body parts are said to be donated to those few that have suffered injury, or they may get frozen for possible use later. A’To and Ba’Ni could probably have held out for another twenty-five or fifty years, but the cost they would have paid in mental and emotional ability would have been great. It’s better to retire voluntarily while your mental faculties are intact while you still care, while you still love, and while others love you. There is nothing so sad as to see living machines retired, who are not cognizant of what is happening; not knowing that they are leaving anything or anybody behind, incapable of leaving a thought, a wish, a desire, a little piece of themselves, anything, behind. A’To and Ba’Ni had plenty to give to Tu’Tan and Le’Ta.

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The birthing was going beautifully, Tu’Tan and Le’Ta were bonded and synced, they could feel the presence of A’To and Ba’Ni, and now together they found what was to become P’Ko
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like a quiet, secluded pool of crystal blue water on an isolated island in the middle of a vast ocean. As they had practiced so many times before, they gathered their collective being, and like shimmering translucent specters each overlapping and joined. Not just synchronized, but unified, allowing the natural additive and subtractive focus to run their course without complaint, freely sacrificing and accepting self and losing all sense of being, replaced with a feeling of belonging and that belonging, with a common goal of seeking out the still pool of P’Ko.

P’Ko is laying on a cushion on a dais between Tu’Tan and Le’Ta in the Churches birthing chamber. His breath slow and regular, monitored by the med-tech, but dead or more accurately as are all preborn, without brain function, their bodies warmed, and their hearts started for the first time minutes ago, not ever alive.

Exactly where preborn come from is one of the CA’s secrets. The prominent theory is all pre-burns had been on board since launch, stored with the passengers in suspended animation, frozen. The minority theory says that they’re created as needed in a three-dimensional printing process.

Being GLC’s (Gene-Locked Clones) they cannot be born in any normal biological way, their cells don’t divide so they cannot grow. They come into the world physically fully developed, but with minds that are, aside
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from what their parents impart to them during the birthing process, initiating their cognitive functions, a blank slate.

Of course, the people whose work exposes them to harsh environments show signs of wear and tear, but not age. When the wear and tear affect’s performance, they can go in and have the worn parts replaced, even whole skin transplants, (the most common repair/replacement) since everyone is genetically the same transplants are easy to perform. Since a certain percentage of people are always retiring there is a ready supply of spare parts; nothing is wasted on a starship.

The MedTech, assisting with the birth had brought P’Ko’s body up to the proper temperature, started P’Ko’s heart and breathing but could do nothing for P’Ko’s brain. Starting P’Ko’s brainwave and cognitive functions would be up to Tu’Tan & Le’Ta, with the recent memory echoes of A’To and Ba’Ni providing subtle but recognizable undertones. A’To, Ba’Ni, Tu’Tan and Le’Ta need to as one, find and enter P’Ko’s pre-born mind and provide the seed of life, of self.