Quantum Times (16 page)

     Plato did not respond immediately. He wondered how much he should say. He and his team had been monitoring all of Earth’s communications for weeks and he himself had specialized in learning the power structure of the superpower countries. He had not yet resolved a communication strategy that would optimize his objectives. This Earth’s governmental practices were partisan and divisive on even relatively unimportant matters. They continually sought tiny tactical political victories at the expense of dealing with larger truths.

     Finally he said, “We can each help the other. The scale and consequences of the battle that exists are much greater than you imagine. No one of the many Earths can avoid involvement –your Earth is involved already – you just don’t yet know it.”

     “At least tell me what the battle is about?” The General demanded.

     “The war is about what all of man’s wars are about. On every Earth – and now in alliances of Earths – men fight over power and control. Man fights to control the resources that produce wealth and influence. When was it ever different?”

     Planck and Dr. Wheeling and David chose to sit around one of the outside tables covered by an umbrella. An ocean breeze was cooling off the worst of the late afternoon heat and each of them welcomed the island beauty. Each of them had spent the last couple of days confined in a small space: David and Dr. Wheeling at the Pentagon and Planck onboard The Object.

     “So Planck…last time I saw you, you were being kidnapped. How is it that you are here now?” David asked.

     Planck grinned, his boyish beach boy good looks at odds with the serious theoretical physicist he was. “Bizarre right! So I was taken by sort of a Russian equivalent of a Navy Seal team. They get me on their fishing boat and we start heading out to sea. I’m trying to figure out if I can do anything. There are about six of them and they all have guns. I’ve got my amplifier in my ear but I was scared and couldn’t really focus on what I should do. I didn’t know what I could do. Basically all I did was stare at them and stare out the boat at the waves.

     “So I don’t know what I should do…. But then their boat’s engine dies and they can’t get it started again. One of them tries the dinghy’s outboard and that won’t start either. And I wondered if I had done that somehow – but I didn’t think I had – though then it seemed like I should have thought of that. Then from out of nowhere The Object’s shuttle appears and it is hovering right next to the fishing boat. Then there is this huge booming sound and a super bright flash which they told me later knocks us all out. Next thing I know I am up on The Object and I never see the Russians again though I’m told they were dropped off unharmed back in Russia somewhere.”

     “So you were up in The Object all that time? More than two days?” David asked.

     “That’s right! I’ve been talking to Plato and his crew. They are from a number of different worlds, but all are simply different historical versions of Earth, some are almost identical and others totally different. And the people can look just like us or some interesting variations – though I was told those were culturally selected, not biologically. Like some of them are this very pretty light shade of green – but that is by choice. The universe is so different than what I had envisioned.”

     Dr. Wheeling had listened quietly but intently, now he had to ask, “So how does the universe work? What is different from what we thought we knew?”

     “The key difference is that the universe is in a continuous state of ‘potentiality’. What becomes material is what the Observer wants to arise out of the flux of possibilities. Matter is just the Observer’s preferred state. But the Observer is not a defined consciousness, it is an aggregate consciousness. As an aggregate it has no single orientation. But at any moment in time as it relates to any particular space-time location, its aggregate mind leads to one result, but that result can arbitrarily be influenced if that particular space-time is a matter of specific and exceptional focus from within the overall consciousness.”

     The professor nodded his head, “I see. So all of humanity is just a part of the universal consciousness but with Planck’s group mentalization aided by his amplifier he can influence local space-time by virtue of an exceptional focus directed there – potentiality is instructed to take a particular form or result. To the universe as a whole, that local space-time is an infinitesimally small fraction of all space-time.”

     Planck agreed, “I think that is how it works.”

     “So why did The Object, I guess I should say Plato and his team, want to communicate with you?” David asked.

     Planck’s expression changed then to a much more serious demeanor. “First, let me tell you, you can’t always tell what these guys are thinking. And since they come from a mix of Earths, some of which have very different histories and cultures than our own, you shouldn’t assume that they all think alike. Plato in particular thinks with a very different perspective than you or I do.

     “Also, they seem to have instant access to vast data files as if their brains have a computer chip inside them, so sometimes talking to them seems like you are talking to a computer.”

     “So why you?” David repeated.

     “Yea, why me? Well what Plato said is that in their experience once an Earth has developed the ability to manipulate matter with my so called ‘mentalization’ that the cultural and scientific changes at that Earth are so dramatic that the Earth enters a whole new historical cycle. Those changes can be transformative in very positive ways or very destructive ways. Some Earths become visions of prosperity and wisdom while others literally destroy themselves. Plato says there are not a lot of in-betweens – the Earth goes one way or the other.”

     “And what drives that? Why does one Earth become great and another Earth become a huge dust ball?”

     “Plato says it is driven by the wisdom of its political leadership.”

     David just shrugged his shoulders, “Then we’re toast!”

     Dr. Wheeling, who had been listening and considering the new information from Planck now bobbed his head up and down several times, and then said, “Actually what faces our Earth now, we have faced before. Planck’s mentalization should be viewed as no different than any previous major technological advance. At numerous times in our history major new technologies changed cultures and created both opportunity and danger.

     “Whether you consider the changes driven by the invention of the wheel or of nuclear power, both opportunity and destruction followed. The recent invention and development of the Internet has wrought enormous cultural changes. Some good some not so good. Setting Planck’s work to the side, scientists all over the world are working on tremendous new technologies that will radically alter cultures and societies. Geopolitical structures will have to change.

     “Also,” Dr. Wheeling continued, “With each new technological change, man’s ability to destroy the Planet seems to increase. Before gun powder was discovered, killing people in war had to be done one person at a time and from very close range. Gun powder led to more and more powerful explosives. Bigger and bigger bombs were developed until whole cities could be destroyed like the fire-bombing of Dresden during World War II.  Then we came up with the atomic bomb and its ever more powerful progeny. And then of course we started on potentially even more dangerous biological weapons. However that same growth in understanding chemical and biological reactions is leading to the eradication of diseases and the lengthening of the lifetime of mankind.” The professor paused as if to stop, then had one more thought.

     “Benefit and destruction are the constant yin and yang of scientific advance. And the stakes keep getting higher!”

     Now David really understood what the Alien leader had said earlier, “So when Plato told us that their statistical models show us with a 17% chance of turning our Earth into barren desert within the not so distant future, he was just forecasting the likelihood of our governments screwing up so badly that we off our own planet…. I guess I’m surprised the probability isn’t higher!”

                                                     
Chapter Seven

“There is a universe where Elvis is still alive.”

Alan Guth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor of Physics

    Hank Scarpetti hung up his phone and considered what the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had just told him. Human beings from other Earths with different histories. But more technologically advanced though not from the future. He would never have guessed that!

     He hated that the military was ahead of him on this. He should have thought of having one of his people go with the professor and Randall back to the island. Instead the damn military could claim first contact. What a political coup if he could have had the President there! Instead it was General Carl Greene and Scarpetti wasn’t at all sure that he could trust his friend Greene on this. Even though he and Greene had been friends for years, he really didn’t know what Greene’s political views were. Too often in Scarpetti’s experience military leaders wanted to act like they had no political views, but then WHAM as soon as they retired they wrote books that made civilian leaders look like idiots.

     Scarpetti had to figure out how to play it all. He knew the President would want to meet this Plato guy immediately. But something like that couldn’t be scripted and this President didn’t do so well without a script in front of him. The President was smart enough, you’d think, since he could remember all sorts of facts and figures, but he seemed to have no idea how issues would play over the long term. And the one thing Scarpetti knew about life in politics – sooner or later the long term would arrive and bite you in the ass! He had the scars to prove it.

     He thought then about pushing General Greene to the side on issues relating to The Object. But then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would just appoint someone else to be the liaison – or worse do it himself! Scarpetti figured he’d be better off with Greene, they were friends after all. And better the devil you know than the one you don’t!

     He realized he’d gotten used to The Object just floating by overhead and not really doing anything. Amazing how fast you could get used to something like that! But now this guy Plato had arrived and worse yet, he was talking about involving Earth in some kind of cosmic war. Of course as soon as the military heard that they figured this put them right in the center of everything! The President was not going to like that! He hated sharing power with anyone!

     Then Scarpetti thought of one thing the President would want to set up immediately, He’d want a new Cabinet level Secretary – Secretary of All Things Weird and Alien, Scarpetti mused. Actually he knew he had to start thinking about that. Who would the President want to appoint to take lead within the White House? Of course, the Secretary of State would argue he should be in charge and The Secretary of Homeland Security would argue for herself. Scarpetti shuddered and thought no way! He’d been brought in by the President to keep that sort of thing from happening. Those Departments were so cumbersome and overstaffed that it would take a year for them to figure out The Object had landed.

     Scarpetti knew he had to come up with someone quickly or the President would pick one of his old political cronies. As cynical as Scarpetti was, he knew he couldn’t let that happen. This issue was just too big. The future of Planet Earth was at stake. Scarpetti sat at his desk and thought about all the political leaders he knew. Who would he trust to be the Government’s interface or Ambassador to The Object? Who should the President appoint to work with Plato and Plato’s team?

     Scarpetti started thumbing through his contact list. He thought about Congressional leaders and political supporters. He thought about current and past leaders of his Party. He thought about state governors. Who was savvy enough, wise enough, that he or she could be trusted on this? This would require real wisdom. A real understanding of how things could turn out over the long term. Sitting at his desk, Scarpetti leaned back, defeated. He could not think of anyone. Never before had he actually had to think of who was wise. Wisdom wasn’t a requirement for political leadership. It would just get in the way of how politics really needed to be played. And those few who were wise also tended to be honorable – and that really didn’t work!

     Scarpetti leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his protruding stomach. Over the last thirty years he had worked tirelessly and he thought brilliantly to get himself to where he was the Chief of Staff to the most powerful person in the world. He himself thereby became one of the most powerful. That was a long way to come for the son of an airline mechanic who had worked his way through the University of Illinois. He’d always been underestimated by the people around him and he turned that into an asset. He had hid his ambition and worked closely with people whose personalities were shinier and more charismatic than his. Then when they failed, as they inevitably did, he was there to save the day.

    Now he had a front row seat at the table of one of history’s turning points. A moment where the life of the planet was at stake! And he realized he was not prepared for it – not at all prepared. He had scoffed at grand strategies and lofty visions. Get the tactics right and chalk up the election victories! But he knew this new challenge would take more than great tactics. It would require vision and an understanding of long term consequences – something he had never been good at. And he had spent his whole life around people who he knew were equally unsuited, most of them woefully so, though some in their arrogance would never admit it or even know it. And he knew the President was one of those.

     With all that in mind, he walked into the Oval Office to tell the President about General Greene’s conversation with Plato.

     Plato left General Greene to communicate with other generals at the Pentagon and found Dr. Wheeling, David and Planck in animated discussion. He joined them and took a seat where the sun’s rays could find his face.

     “Across all the Earths that I have seen so far, we all share a love of the sun,” he said.

     “So all the Earths share the same position in our Solar System?” David asked.

     Plato nodded. “Otherwise they would not be Earth. However the stars are different.”

     “If the stars are different then these Earth’s must be very far apart,” Dr. Wheeling observed.

     Plato nodded again, “Yes Professor. So far apart that we are not sure they are even in the same universe – as you think of it. But rather than thinking in terms of distance, you should think in terms of dimensions. We have gotten away from thinking of a universe or multiple universes. We just call it The Existence.”

     “So if it is so vast, how do you move about from one Earth to the next?” David asked.

     “In your quantum physics you call it ‘entanglement.’ All of the Earths are essentially entangled with each other. It is as if each occupies the same space-time but different frames of reference. Yet the physical existence history of each overlies the others. As the moment of dis-entanglement recedes historically the two worlds drift further and further away and the bridge between them becomes more difficult to cross.

     “Between ‘entangled’ worlds, the usual limitations in Physics, such as the speed of light, do not apply. But there are still limits none the less. For example, for I know this will occur to you to ask, we cannot move whole armies of men and materiel from one Earth to the next. Though of course, man being man, that was tried. Above certain low limits, either nothing would happen or worse some subset of the men and their weapons would simply disappear. Where they ended up no one knew.”

     David had been thinking along a different track. “So if there are many Earths and many different histories, there must be many different cultures as well.”

     Plato shook his head and held up his hand, “Less than you would think. As the Earths’ civilizations mature the most powerful countries in each tend to evolve culturally into just a few successful models. Those Earths that do not have civilizations that take on the culture of one of those successful models tend to not survive what we call Stage III – which happens to be the technological age your Earth is just entering. “

     “Now I am afraid to ask. Is our Earth mapping to one of those successful models?”

     Plato looked back at David. “There are three basic cultures that survive. One is a culture of brutal and repressive tyranny where a tiny few dominate the many. The more absolute the tyranny, the more survivable it is. The second culture that survives is what you would call extreme libertarianism. There is virtually no government but resources must be plentiful. The third culture is actually the one where I come from. It is a culture that marries two conflicting ideals. It is based on the pursuit of wisdom while maintaining military dominance. Its closest comparison on Earth is the Zen ideal of the Samurai Philosophy. But it is approached through the rigor of pursuing the perfect rendition of Wisdom and Martial Arts. One without the other fails to last.”

     “So is yours a warrior culture?” David asked.

     “Not so much as it is a culture that understands that one must always be willing to fight for one’s beliefs – and if you fight you must win. One of your Presidents said it well, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’ “

     David then repeated the question, “So how is our Earth doing?”

     Plato paused again. Then replied, “Your world is just at the beginning of Stage III – the stage where technology capability increases geometrically and resource abundance truly becomes possible. Will your leaders possess the wisdom to master those challenges?”

     The four of them sat silently. Plato leaned back in his chair and let his face feel the warmth of the sun. He felt the soft brush on his skin of the slight breeze and heard the whispering of the lovely turquois Bahamian waters ebbing and flowing at the shore. He had learned to take advantage of the quiet moments in the long war he was fighting.

     Dr. Wheeling was the one who interrupted. “So what happens next?”

     Plato looked once more out to sea and then returned his gaze to the professor. “I suspect that our General Greene after conferring with his leaders in Washington will request that I go and meet with your President. And I will do so.” He paused then for a moment before continuing, “But there are some things I would like you to do. Very important things!”

     Later Plato excused himself from the others. He had been shipboard for weeks and the opportunity to be out in the sun and feel an ocean breeze blowing over him was not to be missed. He found it a wonderful surprise that Planck lived on this rather deserted tropical island. It had been a long time since Plato could walk along such a beach and he took off his shoes and rolled up his pant legs. He set off walking and tried to set his mind at ease – to just walk and not think. After a few minutes he saw a woman walking toward him from the other direction. When they came up to each other, she paused to say hello.

     Plato accessed his internal data file and said, “Catherine Ozawa my name is Plato.”

     The woman smiled, “Welcome to our island. Thank you for returning Planck to us. I was worried for him. I talked with him for a few minutes earlier and he shared with me his recent experience. The universe is infinitely surprising.”

     “I understand you are both a physicist and a Zen Master – a combination that is unusual on your world but not so much on mine.”

     Catherine smiled again, something that Plato noticed seem to come very easily to her. “I claim neither distinction; I am a physicist only insofar as I have studied physics. And as to being a Zen Master, I only claim to be on the path. But tell me about your Earth. I am curious about a world where Zen and physics come easily together.”

     Until she had approached he was happy to be alone, but something about this woman he found embracing. She radiated a calm energy and clarity of being. The marks of age on her, the lines in her face and her short white hair, he barely noticed and knew them to be both irrelevant and reversible. “If you will walk along this beautiful beach with me, I will enlighten you as to my Earth.”

     Catherine nodded as she turned around, “Come then let’s walk.”

     After walking a little while in an easy silence, Plato found himself telling her about his Earth, an Earth very different than the one whose sandy beach was now underfoot. The dominant culture on his Earth had grown out of a Greek civilization torn asunder by centuries of strife between the philosophically opposed Sparta and Athens. Over the centuries Sparta had gained control of what were here the Americas, North and South. Athens had triumphed over Europa and Africa. Asia had mostly been a neutral land.

    Sparta had retained a rigorous military tradition and held to Plato’s philosophy of Ideals. Athens had taken on an Aristotelian society with its democratic energy and scientific emphasis. Though geographically born right next to each other, it took them a thousand years, countless wars and near mutual-extinction for them to finally learn to co-exist. Once they did evolve to welcome mutual co-existence, their Earth flourished. They had no stagnant Middle Ages filled with bloody territorial struggles. Every couple of hundred years or so, their political leaders would forget and a war would pop up, but it would be quickly ended. The people knew better and would refuse to fight. Let the politicians kill each other, they would say. Their last war was quite a time ago.