Chapter 19

Reunion

Galactic Explorer Near Earth: 2159

Albert was driving with the windows down and the music up. Esther was by his side and they were singing at the top of their lungs. It seemed to go on forever, that warm humid night. But then, there was a crack of light. He was drawn to it. He seemed to leave Esther and the warm West Virginia night behind and float up towards the light. He opened his eyes.

The room was white--a warm, glowing white. He couldn't discern the walls or a door. The platform he lay upon was soft, but solid, and it blended seamlessly with the floor. Suddenly, an opening appeared in the white, and two familiar figures appeared.

“Dom! Seala! What's going on?” Albert couldn't believe his eyes. It was all so strange. He was calling to them without moving his mouth.

Seala answered. “Oh, Dad. You won't believe this, but we brought you back! Anne and Ping froze you just after you died. They had your body shipped in a refrigerated container to Biotech Center, where it has been kept until now.”

“But you're not at Biotech. You're here, with us on the Galactic Explorer. It is a spaceship. It is a spaceship nothing like you ever dreamed. It has been one hundred and twenty-five years since your death. You have a lot of catching up to do. You probably noticed this room is strange. It's stranger than you think. Its look is motivated by your imagination. We have given you implants so that you communicate with the ship, and with us, with just your thoughts.“ Dominic felt he had to explain.

Albert sat up and discovered that he was naked under the gauze like sheet that covered him. He felt young. When he looked down he saw that he was. He wondered what he looked like and a mirror appeared, floating in front of him. The young man in the mirror appeared to be about twenty and looked just like him when he was that age. He blinked. Yes, the man in the mirror was he! He wanted something to wear. Suddenly, he was wearing the same white one-piece outfit that Dom and Seala were wearing. Dom was right. He could control things with his thoughts--How strange?

He dropped to his feet and found that he stood strong and steady. He hugged them both and cried. They all cried. How could this be?

“Do you want to see the others?” Seala couldn't contain her excitement. “Come with us and we'll show you.”

Albert clasped the hands of his children and followed them through the open door, down a long corridor, then through another door to a large room with many tanks. In the first tank they came to, floating peacefully, was Anne. Albert had never seen her like this. She was so young and beautiful. He was aghast.

“She’s a beauty isn't she?” Seala had anticipated his thoughts.

“She sure is. But not the mature woman that I knew so well." Albert still couldn't believe his eyes.

“You forget, that you’re younger too.“ Dom was being reassuring. “She will be as surprised as you when she sees you.”

“How long?”

“Two more weeks. Then she will wake up in a room just like you just did. You will be there to meet her. We've got someone else for you to see, too. “Seala took his hand and led Albert to another tank. Ping was floating peacefully in it. She looked like a child.

“So many surprises. I don't believe in heaven. But if there is one, this must be it.” Albert began to cry again.

Seala hugged him and comforted him. And then she took him by the arm. “Come,” she said. “Let us show you the rest. Then we’ll show you the rest of the ship.”

In a nearby white tank, Albert looked down and recognized the youthful face of Timothy Leary, one of the first to have himself frozen when he died. Smaller tanks contained labels: Carl Sagan, John Lennon, Albert Einstein, Samuel Clemens—there were too many to count. “These fetuses are clones. We hope they will have the creative thought processes of their fore bearers. They are developing naturally in embryonic fluid. Their creative output should help sustain us on our long journey.” Albert didn’t need Seala’s explanation, but he was still amazed. He did wonder a bit about the “journey”.

The 22nd century had brought new challenges and new hope. The Earth continued to evolve, and volcanic activity erupted from time to time. The Earth's caretakers were pleased. Animal and plant life flourished in spite of changes in the land or in the weather. The new colonies grew and prospered, and many projects were started in every corner of the Solar System. While there were still great challenges posed by the heat of Venus, the gravity of Jupiter, the gravity and cold of the Ice Giants--Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, and even how to approach Mercury, the mystery of how to sustain human life in outer space had been largely solved.

The Sagan Array and powerful telescopes in space had not yet found life. The more science found out about the Universe, the stranger it became and the less was known for certain. The Universe appeared both to be exploding an imploding at the same time. Some galaxies were receding at what appeared to be near the speed of light. While other galaxies seemed to be approaching nearly as fast. Most attention was focused on the Milky Way Galaxy. There were many stars in the nearby region that had planets. Some of these stars appeared to be as stable as the Sun. By 2150 an impressive array of colonies fanned out in Earth orbit around the Sun. The human population was secure in its new home, and thoughts turned outward beyond the Solar System. The Federation Earth launched a plan of exploration, discovery, and relief. The first vehicle created for the plan was the Galactic Explorer. Dominic was the chief designer and architect for the ship.

Experience with building the space colonies had shown that life could quite easily be sustained if ecological systems could be closed. The primary obstacle to deep space exploration would be fuel. However, recent instruments had found that dark matter was very prevalent in the Milky Way. Dark matter occupied the vast spaces between the stars. Some dark matter had been collected in the Oort Cloud. This matter was very strange. Its subatomic structure was found to contain quarks mirroring those in hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon atoms. Dark matter apparently was left over from the origin of the Universe and repellent to gravity. It was as close to antimatter as science had found.

The supercollider at Waxahachie became a shelter during the Great Disaster. When the survivors emerged to rebuild the Johnson Spacecraft Center, the supercollider was retrofitted with more powerful magnets. By the turn-of-the-century, the mystery of the quarks had been solved, and a new propulsion system using subatomic energy was proposed. The engine was basically a ram rocket capable of burning any kind of matter in its quark engines. The question posed was: Would it burn dark matter?

While dark matter was being investigated as a power source, its properties were found to be able to create gravity in weightless conditions. In twenty short years, research on dark matter went from using it to demonstrate parlor tricks to building workable models of vehicles with artificial gravity that could be varied from zero to 1 G and beyond. Tests using ram rockets and dark matter proved that dark matter could be a very efficient fuel for use in the vast distances between the stars.

The Galactic Explorer was designed to carry one million people and enough genetic material to recreate the Earth on distant planets. It was the first spaceship to be built like a living creature. To accomplish its mission, it was large -- the size of the moon. Its skin was resilient, yet flexible. It was covered with a mucous like substance, a polymer that, when properly charged, gave off a soft white, iridescent glow. All matter, large or small, that struck the viscous surface was absorbed by it, and then carried to a collection point inside the ship where it was analyzed, sorted, and put to use. Excess matter was either burned in the ram rocket or discharged in small packets.

The Senses had developed to the point that they contained neural networks of living tissue that operated electronic and mechanical equipment with or without human intervention. The Galactic Explorer was capable of charting its own course, avoiding obstacles, and even destroying small objects that might present a threat to the vehicle. The Senses had become an integral part of The Collective. The Senses were charged with carrying out The Universal Intelligence. So, with the construction of the Galactic Explorer, the three components of advanced human intelligence were merged. The occupants of the Galactic Explorer were the first to benefit from the merging of these three components into a living vessel of their own imagination.

Inside, the Senses provided much more. After the mystery of the anti quarks in dark matter had been unraveled, they were put to use providing gravity fields within the ship. The occupants could, with their minds, provide the desired gravity for any situation. The interior was also made completely sensory. Occupants could change their surroundings to be what they imagined. It was possible for two people to be in the same space, and each of them to have a different view of it. The Senses made sure that the fragile human body was comfortable regardless of the situation. Because humans had evolved facing the rigorous changes of the Earth's environment, the same range of sensory experience was readily available to the occupants. Random selection of Earth environments made sure that the occupants would never get homesick in some strange, artificial world.

Galactic Explorer was parked in a near Earth orbit around the Sun a half million miles from the New Earth Colony. It had, for some time now, created another, smaller moon in the night sky. Researchers on Earth and at SpaceWorks were intrigued by what the second moon would do to natural cycles based on the Moon. It was assumed that most of these effects were caused by the Moon's gravity and not by its appearance in the night sky. Because of its location, Galactic Explorer had no gravitational effects on the Earth.

The journey they were about to embark upon would be a long one. In all probability, they would never return. Before they left, they felt it essential that they return to Mother Earth one last time before bidding her goodbye, forever. Dom, Seala, Albert, Anne and Ping boarded a pod and returned home. As the earth grew larger, tears welled up in Albert's eyes.

“This is so strange. I can't believe this. Look at her! She is so beautiful, so peaceful, and so benign from here in space. I've always dreamed of seeing her this way. Now that I am, it's going to be hard to leave her behind.”

Seala had her arm around her Dad's shoulder. “Oh, you might be surprised. She's changed. I'm sure you'll recognize the New Wilderness and the ranch, but so many other familiar landmarks are gone. She's more the way you dreamed she could be.”

“That’s what I'm afraid of. I'll want to stay and watch her evolve.”

Dom stepped in. “Seala and I have been out there. Believe me, in spite of the boredom of a long journey, there's nothing like being the first to arrive at some distant place no one has ever been before. It will grow on you, and it will make you want to seek new adventure. There will be no need to go back.”

Anne squeezed his arm from her side. “Dom is right. We had a long run here on Earth. We did well. You weren’t here to witness nature trying to destroy us. I will download my memory of it to you so you will see how we suffered—survived. Now we've got a second chance. I want to see our old friend as much as you Honey. Let's wait and see what you say when we leave.”

Albert held his two girls close. The Earth was looming ahead. Soon they would be entering her atmosphere.

They landed at a familiar location. Dulles was still there, but it seemed smaller. The sky dock was larger. Airships were still in vogue, but they were bigger. They took one immediately upon landing. The Airship Stargazer was huge and more luxurious than Albert remembered. On the way to Johnson Spacecraft Center, they were carried less than a thousand feet above the countryside. The first thing he saw were the ruins of the old capital, its monuments rising above the wildlife refuge that the Potomac estuary had become. Dom said that it had become a major tourist attraction.

The complex in Central Virginia reminded him of futuristic cities he had seen in the holos. There were gleaming towers and spires with bridges between, buzzing with all manner of aircraft like bees about a hive. This was the new District of Columbia, seat of The United States of Federation Earth. It was much smaller than the old DC.

As they approached the familiar eastern slopes of the Appalachians, what struck Albert most was the absence of houses. He remembered the trip that he and Dom and taken by car along this way. He remembered how over populated the slopes were. Now, they had become wilderness again. He didn’t know if the houses had been torn down, or if they had been overgrown by brush or trees

In one of many clearings, he spotted a large herd of dark animals. “Bison?”

“Yes,” Dom replied. “They are Eastern Wood Bison. They were among the first animals reintroduced after the Great Disaster to help keep the eastern forests from becoming too dense and too much of a fire hazard. Deer and wild pigs do the rest. Pigs were some of the best survivors. So were raccoons and possum.”

“What about all those houses?”

“Most of them are still there. See those mounds over there? A thick layer of ash entombed them. Some made great shelter for animals. Most have rotted to almost nothing. The rest are overgrown with trees and vines.”

At least the mountains looked the same. Albert was glad to see that many of the lakes and rivers of the Tennessee Valley Authority were still there, too. He didn’t know if they were producing electricity, but he knew the dammed lakes were a source of teeming wildlife. Here and there, gleaming domes signaled human habitation. Most cities, towns, and villages looked abandoned.

Arkansas showed signs of devastation. Large rocks occasionally littered the landscape. Albert was preparing himself for what was to come. As they neared Waxahachie, he was surprised to see the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in ruin. It looked like something from a science-fiction holo. And he couldn't believe the trees. There were so many trees. He didn’t remember so many trees in the vicinity of Dallas.

The space complex at Waxahachie looked neat and normal. They docked. Anne, Ping, and he toured the complex while Dom and Seala attended an important meeting in preparation for their upcoming mission.

The meeting didn't last long. Dom, as chief designer and architect of Galactic Explorer was questioned by a team of experts about the viability of the untested ship and their mission. Dom reassured them that the craft had been tested because all of the elements had been contained in earlier exploration ships and the colonies. As for their mission, he reaffirmed that he was immortal and that he saw his purpose to extend human life beyond the Earth to the stars. He implored the Federation to build other Explorers and continue the search. He also assured them that the personnel he had on board were fully capable of building duplicates to the Galactic Explorer if they had the resources. They were also fully capable of establishing Earth life on any suitable planet.

Seala, as chief human-resources officer, was questioned about the viability of confining a million people on an indeterminable the space mission. She responded by saying, that Earth, except for the Moon and Sun in its sky, was similar to the Galactic Explorer. She assured them that the mix of people selected and the variety of stimulus provided would keep them from becoming bored or disillusioned with the journey or their mission. Relying on Dom for confirmation, she felt that the challenge and excitement of exploring a known part of the nearby Universe close-up would be similar to studying the way Earth has evolved. She concluded that the elements of The Universal Intelligence, The Collective, and The Senses, would keep them steadfast on their mission and guide them through any challenges that might appear.

From Waxahachie, they took a smaller, Yellowstone tour ship with an added side trip to the ranch. Their journey over what had once been Oklahoma and the Great Plains became very exciting. They started seeing rocks just north of the ruins of the Metroplex. They were few at first, but gradually, more and more appeared on the horizon. Rocks upon rocks had changed the role and nature of the land. Its ridges, valleys, and arroyos became what their tour guides affectionately called “The Rock Pile”. Below, between the rocks, the prairie still bloomed. Occasionally, a huge black herd of buffalo would be seen. Between those spread out herds, smaller brown groups of elk, antelope, or what appeared to be African animals grazed. Groups of mammoths were also seen occasionally. The sky was filled with hawks, eagles and buzzards. Near lakes and rivers, large flocks of birds filled the sky and colored the land and water.

With their telescopic vision, they saw packs of wolves, coyotes, cougars, foxes and saber toothed tigers. Grizzlies and black bear roamed these regions too. Goats and sheep found the rocks ideal habitat, as did baboons, monkeys, and many small rodents and birds seeking safe nesting places. Albert was almost overwhelmed with what he was seeing. The Rock Pile had proved to be one of the most productive animal kingdoms on the Earth.

Occasionally, domes in the distance announced human habitation. It was from these outposts that wild fruit, seeds, and plants were gathered, and animals were hunted for the cities. As the Rockies loomed in the distance, and the ruins of Denver reminded them of Dallas, they docked at one of these outposts. Armed with heavy tranquilizer guns against large predators, they took a 3-day trail ride amid rocks and boulders the size of their airship. Seeing prehistoric animals up close was a thrill no holo could provide. The sky was filled with birds nesting on the cliffs the rocks created. The night was filled with strange sounds mingling with the familiar coyote yelp, wolf howl, and hoot of the owl. Fortunately, an electronic shield protected their horses and camp. Otherwise, a tiger might steal into the camp and kill the horses. Life on the prairie was much more dangerous in the 22^nd than in the primitive 19th Century.

They embarked again on their main mission, Yellowstone. Skirting the Rockies north of the ruins of the eastern Rockies settlements, they moved out over Wyoming and a jumble of rocks of biblical proportions. Here too, there was much wildlife. But it tended to be of the mountain variety. The terrain was just too rough for most grazing animals. Goats and sheep thrived here. Beyond the jumble of rocks was a sight that reminded Albert more of Alaska than what he knew of the United States. A broad, towering mountain more than half covered with perpetual snow. They were forced into the pressurized areas of the ship as it climbed to 25,000 ft. and over the edge of the super volcano known as Yellowstone.

If the side of the mountain itself had been daunting, the cliffs reaching into the interior of the huge crater were spectacular. It looked like a scene from a science fiction drawing, but it was a real. Cliffs ranging from ten to thirty thousand feet cascaded to the floor of the crater. Everywhere along the rim, melting snow and ice created waterfalls that disappeared into clouds long before they reached the crater floor. It was into this huge hole that their ship gently descended, giving everyone spectacular views of the waterfalls and the rainbows they created. After they had descended 5,000 ft., the pressurization was turned off, and they were able to go out onto the decks and feel the cool, thin air become warmer and more humid.

Unlike Death Valley and her sisters, the valley of Yellowstone was not arid. The constant flow of water into the great valley created many lakes and rivers, shimmering through the clouds. When they reached the valley floor, it was unlike anything Albert had ever seen. It was hot, but the humidity kept the temperature at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Great ferns, vines, and flowering plants competed with huge trees over 300 ft. high for every inch of land that was not water or steep slopes. Everywhere, there were mud pits, sulfurous pools, and geysers spouting water and steam hundreds of feet into the air. It was like Jules Verne's vision of the land at the center of the Earth. They docked at another gleaming outpost, and descended to the facilities.

They were in, what was essentially, a tourist hotel. It was air-conditioned and filled with interesting things to do and amenities. Outside was that wild and dangerous place, filled with adventure and excitement, for those who wished to take the chance. There were air tours, water tours, and land excursions. They stayed three weeks and sampled all three. The air tours used small fliers that flew easily through the heavy air and landed at various preplanned locations. There were close-up views of waterfalls where you could get out and stand under water that had fallen over 20,000 feet. Amazingly, it was still cool, as cold as the ice that made it. You could stand at the edge of lava flows that had flowed for over 20 years. You could float low over multicolored pools, too dangerous to walk upon, and savor the smells and sights of the old Yellowstone multiplied many times over

Powerboats quickly whisked tourists across the great lakes and up and down the great rivers. Some were too hot to sustain fish. The rivers from the waterfalls were teeming with trout. Some of the tepid lakes contained huge bass, gar, and other warm water fish. Alligators thrived here. Cold-water lakes had the familiar cutthroat trout, lake trout, and Arctic grayling. It was a very strange place.

Amphibious, off-road vehicles carried the most adventurous tourists to spectacular campgrounds deep in the interior of the jungle forests that now covered the valley. Here, insects, birds, snakes, small mammals and other reptiles thrived in the tropical rain forest-like environment. An experiment with reintroducing dinosaurs was taking shape with mixed results. Some herbivores were very destructive and quickly decimated forests with their ravenous appetites. They had to be destroyed. Some carnivores introduced to control herbivores were too dangerous for human tourists and had to be destroyed. In an environment as small and newly formed as this, even one bad insect could destroy the entire ecosystem. Scientists were proceeding with caution. They hadn't yet found a balance that would allow dinosaurs to thrive. Besides, breaks in the crater’s east side could possibly allow creatures from this ecosystem to escape onto the rest of the Continent.

Thoroughly thrilled by the New Yellowstone, Albert and the others were amazed to see the ranch still standing. It had changed. The ranch house, barns, and bunkhouse were gone, but its water and natural gas supply made it ideal as an outpost. The mountain towered to its south, but the rocks had not fallen here in great numbers like they had further east. It was still manned by Blackfoot and Mandan Indians. Anne and Albert were enthralled by their stories of survival.

They took an early morning ride on the ridge. It was much the same as it was during his 120^th birthday so many years before. The open range was timeless. Shivers ran down his spine as he thought of it there in the solitude, Anne on a horse by his side. He drank it in. He would never be back in this lifetime.

From the ranch, they took a small jet to Marquette. At Mach 3, it took less than an hour. The high prairie below was much like they had already seen. They were told that mammoths and mastodons were more prevalent here in the north. They could still see the herds of buffalo from 30,000 feet. Occasionally, smoke would rise from fires set by late summer storms. Unchecked, they burned until they ran out of fuel or a rainstorm put them out. Over Minnesota, the prairie gave way to a sea of green forest dotted with lakes shimmering in the sun. Albert’s anticipation rose. He was glad that he was on a fast plane. Two familiar great lakes covered the horizon as they descended to land at the shiny new Marquette Station, Crossroads to the Great Lakes.

They were surprised to find that State Route 28 still existed. It was used to ferry people and supplies to the Superior-Duluth Station and access to Porcupine Mountain and the Northern UP. After conferring with authorities, they rented a Brushwhacker for the trip rather than flying in. Brushwackers were used to open old roads to periodically harvest timber, wild rice, berries, honey, animals, and other products of the wilderness. They were completely self-contained, and had a range of a thousand miles on a single charge of their fuel cells.

The road was smooth and wide, winding through virgin forests, pristine lakes, two burned areas, and the path of a recent tornado. There had never been so many wild birds and animals. They slowed to twenty just to take it all in. They were in no hurry. Ishpeming was still there and they passed through it, but the town was only a ruin. Tears once again welled up at the sight of Marge’s sign, faded and hanging from the marquee of the gaping, windowless building. Many buildings were gone altogether, swallowed by the forest. Only familiar trees remained, some larger and more stately than he’d ever seen. There were unfamiliar landmarks, too. Here and there, huge boulders and rocks rose above the forest and commanded attention. Anne and Ping remembered them well. How shocked they had been when they emerged from the volcanic winter and found them in the new landscape.

Although it hadn’t been used in many years, the road in was easy to find. The hulk of the All Wheel was visible through the rotten timbers of its fallen shelter at the entrance. The sight of it once again stirred emotion in all who had used her. Going in was slowed by four to six inch in diameter saplings that had grown up since the last time the old road was opened. The Brushwacker was very efficient in dispatching these obstacles, as well as pushing aside or cutting through any deadfall across their path.

By mid afternoon, they crested the last ridge and the lake came into view. The beavers had been busy. A new dam and houses had increased its size and look. Trees were growing up from and through the log cabin that had been home. Anne cried openly at the sight. Everyone was filled with memories and emotion. Winter snow and time had flattened the greenhouse and sheds. Albert poked through the remains like some old junkyard, but left everything in place. Anne and Ping had long removed all mementos from the cabin. What remained was a part of the wilderness.

They spent a week in the sun, relaxing, catching fish, taking walks, gazing at the stars, making love and listening to the wolves howl and the owls hoot at night. And then, they returned.

They boarded a ferry in Marquette for Pod Exchange 3 in stationary orbit. From there, they took a pod back to the Galactic Explorer. As she receded from view, Albert stared, his arms around his girls, Anne and Ping, his mind filled with thoughts and memories of Mother Earth. As a young man, he never cried. In the few short weeks since his rebirth as a young man, he had cried many times. Tears welled once more.

He knew he would not see her again.

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