Usurper of the Sun (20 page)
Molly felt confident that the solar-powered material would stay close to the sun, not wanting to stray too far from its source of energy. Once the ring material moved into its pre-programmed position, it would await its signal to trigger the deceleration lasers. Molly also believed that even if the program became corrupted, the ring material would not deviate far from a forty million–kilometer distance from the sun.
Eight hours after the probe entered the stream, a portion of ring material deviated from its previous path. The ring material moved vertically, away from the original Ring’s orbital plane. Within thirty hours, two symmetrical arms began arcing upward on opposite sides of the Vert-Ring. Molly extrapolated from the snapshot data and created a profile of Vert-Ring generation.
“We’re there. It’s transitioning into a perfect spiral orbit. The material knows where it needs to go and is figuring out the path on its own. My calculations say that in exactly four rotations around the sun the nanobots will have reoriented the Ring as programmed. Send a message to Aki Shiraishi. Tell her that her dream of a Vert-Ring is coming true.”
AFTER THE FIRST
successful mission, another probe was sent to Mercury in April of 2027. The defense mechanism did not react to the gaseous spray of altered Vert-Ring ejecta introduced into Mercury’s fledgling atmosphere, allowing the instructions to eventually take root on the surface. Within two short weeks, the code embedded within the Vert-Ring’s particles was rewritten at the source—the mass drivers themselves. The exact mechanism that allowed the new code to infect the Builders’ automated production facilities was poorly understood. Not unlike how burning moxa to warm regions and acupuncture points of the body stimulates circulation and finds a way to smooth the flow of blood and qi throughout the body, the mechanism of the code was elusive but effective. A blog compared the success, especially with the incomplete analysis of the mechagenetics, to being as statistically unlikely as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being thrown into the air and randomly assembling themselves into the proper picture as the pieces landed.
The triumph of the mission meant that the UNSDF ships were no longer required to face the dangers of dismantling the Ring every few years. As Aki had planned, the Vert-Ring was reconfiguring in a way that would not cause substantial harm to Earth. All humanity waited for the new ring to grow to a height of 300,000 kilometers, following the growth cycle on a kilometer-by-kilometer basis in the mass media. If the Island formed at that point, as it had before, and if the deceleration lasers functioned consistently, the braking system would be able to usher in the Builders’ ships. The deceleration lasers, provided the lasers formed as they had before, would be complete by 2043.
Research to expedite this process was underway, but there had not been any breakthroughs yet. The braking system would not be ready for at least another fourteen years. Given the range of the estimated arrival window, Aki would be in her sixties when that day finally arrived. She knew she would have lived a long life by then. If the Builders arrived before these rushed preparations, Aki could not help but predict tragedy and disappointment. She did not want that dark cloud of despair to hang over her for much longer. She had waited so long to make contact. She needed to communicate with the Builders in person. After her substantial efforts to atone, the pain of watching the Builders speed by with no means of slowing would be too much to bear.
Why are you sending a fleet here? Are you fleeing your home, or are you being pulled to our solar system for reasons of your own? I wonder what you want to know; what you are like. Whatever is bringing you here, I beg the stars that you do not come too soon. We need time to prepare for your arrival. I need to meet you.
“
LEAVING THE PERSONNEL
selection for the Mercury Base Station up to UNSDF Headquarters? You have got to be kidding!” Aki blurted at the Science Subcommittee. Even though they were not integrated with the UNSDF, the personnel selections for ringology research had always been made by the Science Subcommittee.
“The initial stage of the project has ended. Now that we’ve started to unlock the Ring’s nanotechnology, the UNSDF is seeing its enormous potential. Let’s admit that some of these research applications are beyond our scope. It makes sense to select researchers that fit their needs,” Carol Horning, a long-time member of the subcommittee, had said.
“But—” Aki stopped herself, unsure whether she was arguing due to feeling territorial or because of a legitimate objection that she could not yet articulate.
“Our race against the clock to rebuild the Vert-Ring is over, Aki,” another member said. “I know it’s hard and it hurts, but you should face the reality of the situation. They gave the decisionmaking authority to us at first because we were a small group. We could come to a consensus quickly and take action. Our having the responsibility was nothing more than an emergency measure. You didn’t think they were going to give us free rein forever, did you?”
“I supposed that they would do what was right.” Fuming, Aki had always known that the UNSDF might decide to assert control over her research. She could not help but think of how hard Molly and Anastacia had worked at the RMRF. Aki knew that her colleagues had already accepted defeat on the matter and that she had no choice but to give in. This was a battle she could not win. “Rum-ruff ” had grown into a large-scale space facility and been renamed the Mercury Base Station. At any given time, there might be as many as forty researchers stationed aboard. Combined with the rest of the rotating crew and support personnel on Earth, there were now over one thousand people involved with the project. Its scale was far greater than what the members of the Science Subcommittee were capable of overseeing. Finally accepting the facts, Aki felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Now she could focus on more practical pursuits.
“
IF THE BUILDERS
are hostile, there is no way that humanity could prevail in a war with them. If the Builders are not hostile and we attack, we would most likely drag Earth into a battle we cannot win—therefore a preemptive strategy is just an exercise in futility,” Aki said to the audience. “In looking at the possibilities, it behooves us to greet their arrival peacefully. No matter what their intentions, this would ensure the best outcome in any scenario.” Cornell University’s Ridley Hall was packed. She opened the floor to questions. One male student raised his hand immediately.
“Don’t you think your logic is pessimistic and defeatist? You claim to promote friendship. I don’t think that adopting forced amicability simply because we can’t defeat the Builders is a genuine olive branch.”
“The point I made is that there is still hope even if we cannot defeat them,” Aki responded.
“And what if we could defeat them? If we had the military power required to drive them off, would you advocate the ‘Let’s be friends’ approach?” The boy was clearly mocking her in the way he accentuated
let’s be friends.
“Of course I would.”
“If we see this as being analogous to game theory and the prisoner’s dilemma, taking the pacifist route is the fool’s choice. If we do nothing and the Builders don’t attack, everybody’s happy. However, if the Builders attack we’re toast, right? If we attack no matter what, at least we’re refusing to succumb to annihilation,” the student said. The audience began to murmur excitedly.
“Your situation assumes a one-time encounter with the Builders. If we posit subsequent encounters, or an iterated prisoner’s dilemma, fleeing will only result in being run over, and I think that fighting them elicits consequences that you are failing to admit. A sufficient amount of cooperation, however, provides the potential of long-term survival with an accumulation of rewards, since it is not a zero-sum game.” Aki regretted the touch of superiority in her voice. She felt it was beneath her to fear being outsmarted by a college student.
“We
should
look at it as a one-time occurrence. One wrong choice and humanity is extirpated.”
“There are too few premises to build to logistic certainty or even close. If humanity were on an even playing field with the Builders, we would be able to migrate to another solar system. If this situation were fair, one Builder attack would not lead to extinction.”
The student said something about her not seeing his point. Whispers traveled through the lecture hall. Several years prior, Aki would have earned a standing ovation for a speech like this. A young woman raised her hand.
“Yes, please go ahead,” Aki said.
“I’m worried, to be honest. Next year, 2030, is the beginning of the arrival window. If the Builders arrive and see that their decelerator was tampered with, I’m afraid they’ll retaliate by launching an attack. How can I do anything but live in fear until the new Vert-Ring is completed?” Concern was evident in the quiver of the young woman’s voice.
“In life, we always have options. Why not turn that fear into a passion that you channel into researching xenocommunication methods?”
“I’d like to second those apprehensions,” said a male student seated next to the young woman. “We’re afraid, whether it’s easy to admit or not. But we need to try to be useful. If too many people are convinced that the end is nigh, or are doomsaying and spreading the meme of pessimism, the economy will collapse again. By preparing to fight, we can focus on survival instead of focusing on the possibility of being wiped out.”
“It is true that we need to prepare for all contingencies and remain positive, but fighting is not the only way to turn our outlook around,” Aki said. “We are the technologically inferior civilization. We have to adapt socially, since we simply do not have the time or resources to match the Builders in the time left before contact.”
“I was thirteen when you destroyed that first Ring. People danced in the streets for days. Photos of you and the
Phalanx
crewmembers were as ubiquitous as the American flag. You, Aki Shiraishi, taught me that humans can do anything they set their minds to, anything they believe in. You seem like a different person now. Why aren’t you encouraging us to be brave?”
Aki wondered if she had changed that much in seven years. Perseverance had been the watchword that got her through the immense uncertainties of life and all the risks she took. “Until that day I set foot on the Island,” she said, “I had no idea how to envision what the Builders were and what they stood for. My belief that intelligent life was involved in the creation of the Ring was nothing more than a good guess until I stood there. Even before then, there had been a theory that the Ring was a biological entity made of tiny nanomachines. Once we realized the purpose of the Island, we understood that a massive fleet of ships was coming. Our attention shifted from the center of the solar system to beyond the Oort Cloud as we looked for signs of the Builders. Nonetheless, we clung to our mission. I struggled, and I made an incredibly hard decision, knowing that the entire world was counting on me. I chose to destroy the Ring. I have never felt like I deserved to be called a heroine for making that choice. Not even once.”
Another voice in the crowd asked, “How do you feel about the death of Mark Ridley?”
“Mark…”
If Mark had known the purpose of the Island, would he have acted differently?
She shook her head.
Discarding the contaminated engine by remote control, we still could have continued our mission. He chose to do it by hand to give us better odds at reaching the Island. Our chances of success were slim. He bet his life that he would make the difference. “There’s no such thing as a battle where you think purely with your head,” he said once. He would have done whatever it took to save humanity.
The young student even looked somewhat like Mark, Aki realized.
If Mark were looking at me now, what would he say?
Aki mustered a response. “Mark was brave. A true hero. I am honored to be speaking here at Cornell in this hall that bears his name. That is all I can say.”
After the lecture, Aki reported to the reception that had been prepared for her. The wealthy patrons of Cornell who had sponsored her speech were waiting to shake her hand.
“Thank you. You were wonderful,” said one of the benefactors.
“Pretty rough crowd,” Aki responded. She did not know what else to say.
“They’re students. More idealism and passion than ideas, with just enough knowledge to create a justification for their hasty conclusions. If the contact dilemma was easy to solve, there would be no point in debating.”