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David A. Thomas

Heather C. Thomas

Copyright 2010 by David A. Thomas. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and dialogue are works of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Published by Mathematics Education Associates LLP at Smashwords

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ISBN

978-0-615-43517-6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  * Elements of the cover image and the "computational foam" graphics in Chapter 18 were created using Mathematica and are used here by permission of Wolfram Research, Inc (www.wolfram.com). See Weisstein, Eric W. "Apollonian Gasket" from Mathworld - A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ApollonianGasket.html

  * The "sphere packing" graphic in Chapter 18 was created by Robert Bradshaw using Sage and is used here by permission. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissing_number_problem

  * Thanks to my wife and professional partner, Dr. Cynthia S. Thomas, for her encouragement and editorial support.

DEDICATION

To Zeke, Ace, Chloe, and Zack

## CONTENTS

Chapter 1 \- Old Friends

Chapter 2 \- 65 Million Years Ago

Chapter 3 \- Old One

Chapter 4 \- The Z'Li

Chapter 5 \- The Artifact

Chapter 6 \- Arrival

Chapter 7 \- Bombs, Bones & Bull

Chapter 8 \- Competing Theories

Chapter 9 \- Andy at the Dig

Chapter 10 \- Tweaking Parameter Space

Chapter 11 \- The Toy

Chapter 12 \- Final Approach

Chapter 13 \- The President

Chapter 14 \- The Puzzle

Chapter 15 \- Friends

Chapter 16 \- Nano

Chapter 17 \- Mrs. Skillingberg

Chapter 18 \- Z'Li Technology

Chapter 19 \- Kidnapped

Chapter 20 \- NSA Headquarters

Chapter 21 \- The Solution

Chapter 22 \- Contact and Crisis

Chapter 23 \- Escape

Chapter 24 \- A Timely Plan

Chapter 25 \- Time Enough

Chapter 26 \- 12,000 Years Ago

Chapter 27 \- Shelter

Chapter 28 \- O'Ka

Chapter 29 \- Contact with O'Ka

Chapter 30 \- Null

Chapter 31 \- Pathfinders

Chapter 32 \- The Encampment

Chapter 33 \- The Evacuation of Earth

Chapter 34 \- Remembrance

Chapter 35 \- Transitions

Chapter 36 \- Planets

Chapter 37 \- Reunion

Chapter 38 \- 17 Months Later

Endnotes

About the Authors

## CHAPTER 1 Old Friends

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Area straddles the spine of the Rocky Mountains in north-central Montana. On its eastern slopes, the peaks, forests, and foothills gradually give way to grasslands that fall away in vast waves to the east. Camped under the stars near Choteau, two middle-aged men sat gazing at the stars. The camp itself was a simple matter: Two sleeping bags spread out beside a modest fire, a couple of folding camp chairs, assorted cooking utensils worn and scarred from years of use, and a battered old Suburban with a grub box sitting on the tailgate.

Bill Burke and Michael Spotted Bear first met when they shared a dormitory room at Montana State University-Bozeman (MSU) as undergraduates. There they discovered a shared interest in science, the deep past, and the out-of-doors that became the basis for a life-long friendship.

At 6 feet tall and 190 pounds, Spotted Bear, a Blackfeet Indian, was descended from a people who have inhabited the northern Great Plains for thousands of year. Currently a science teacher at Choteau High School, Spotted Bear has lived in the area all of his life. Burke, a red-headed, 6 foot 3 inch, 240 pound Irishman from Butte, was descended from miners who came to Montana in the 1800's to dig their fortunes from the Earth. After majoring in geology at MSU, he earned a PhD in paleontology at the University of Colorado and returned to MSU as a professor in the Department of Geology.

All differences aside, their friendship is as comfortable and honest as an old pair of shoes. As Spotted Bear tossed one twig after another into the flames, Burke asked, "Mike, what's eating you tonight?"

"There is something I need to tell you, Bill. And something I need to ask you."

Fidgeting a little, Burke wrinkled his brow and replied, "OK. What's on your mind? Are you and Mary having problems?"

Shaking his head, Spotted Bear answered, "No. No. We're fine. The kids are fine. The dog is fine. My neighbors, now there's a mess."

Leaning forward, Burke continued, "So, what's bothering you, Mike?"

After sitting quietly for a few moments, Spotted Bear let out a long sigh and said, "I spent a lot of time with my grandfather when I was a kid. We talked about everything. In particular, we talked about the importance of finding your true path in life, what happens to a man when he wanders from his true path, and what happens to a people when they wander from their path."

Nodding his head, Burke said softly, "I remember your grandfather. He was a good man, a wise man. I wish he were still alive."

"I do too, Bill. I need his wisdom, for I carry a great burden on my heart and it is crushing me."

"You can tell me, Mike. I can keep a secret. Let it out. You'll feel better."

"I wish it were that simple, Bill, that in telling you, I could find some relief. But this isn't that sort of problem. To make matters worse, I live in two worlds, the world of my ancestors and the modern world. Every day of my life I walk two paths, high school science teacher and shaman."

"I know it isn't easy," Burke said shaking his head. "But you have always handled that just fine. What has changed? Why are you suddenly so concerned?"

"I carry a secret, a warning known only to a few tribal elders and myself. Something terrible is coming, Bill, and I don't know what to do about it. I have tried approaching the crisis both as a scientist and as a shaman. But I feel spread-eagled between two worlds, powerless and unable to act. I need your help."

Startled by his friend's sincerity and intensity, Burke stood up and started pacing around the fire, saying, "Mike, are you talking about a prophecy of some sort? A secret handed down from generation to generation?"

"No, Bill. I am talking about a vision given to my grandfather 20 years ago. In the vision, the Earth is destroyed by fire from heaven. Every living thing is wiped out."

Shaking his head in disbelief and speaking slowly, Burke stammered, "You know how much I respected your grandfather, Mike. I never knew him to tell a lie or to take a position that wasn't in the best interest of his family or people. But even a good man can be wrong. Maybe he misinterpreted the vision, or maybe it wasn't a vision at all, just a nightmare."

"Bill, the older I get, the more confidence I have in his judgment, including his faith in you as a friend. I will continue to trust him and you. I need you to do the same."

Spotted Bear then stood and walked into the darkness, gesturing for Burke to follow. Finding their way by starlight, the two men quickly reached the crest of a small hill. Pointing eastward across the prairie in the direction of Choteau, Spotted Bear said, "Only a handful of tribal elders know what I am about to tell you. You must not speak of it to anyone. Agreed?"

Speechless, Burke could only nod.

"There is a sacred place about a mile from here, a place where my people have always gone to dream dreams. It is not a place of reflection or prayer, Bill. It is a place of vision. A presence dwells there that is old beyond imagination. It is not the spirit of a man, a woman, or an animal. It is not a god. It is something else, but it is good. We have always called this presence Old One. It was from Old One that my grandfather learned this secret nearly 20 years ago. One month ago, I experienced the same vision."

Burke stared at his friend, mouth open with astonishment, and asked, "Why are you telling me this, Mike?"

His face furrowed with anxiety, Spotted Bear replied, "Bill, I believe that the vision is true, that destruction is coming and that time is running out. But I can't figure out what I am supposed to do to avert the crisis. I want to take you there, to Old One. Will you come with me?"

Burke had always been interested in Blackfeet culture and traditions. His open mind respected the possibility that science and spirituality, frequently depicted in the media as inconsistent if not incompatible, might occasionally overlap in powerful and unexpected ways. Suddenly, he felt swept up in a convergence that he had not seen coming, and it made him shiver. Nodding his head, he replied, "OK, Mike. I'll go."

## CHAPTER 2 65 Million Years Ago

The Z'Li spacecraft Epsilon dropped out of C+ Space, verified its position approximately 50 million kilometers from the third planet from the sun, and reduced its speed to 0.01c. Spherical in shape, Epsilon had a diameter of 100 meters and was coated with materials and bathed in electromagnetic fields that made it all but invisible to most life forms and their machines. The ship quickly launched several high-velocity drones toward the planet. Over the next few days, Epsilon would use remote sensing and visualization technologies carried by these drones and ship-based observatories to build a complex picture of the world they now approached.

Like all Z'Li spacecraft, Epsilon was more than a vehicle. It was a Ship-Citizen with the same civil rights as a Z'Li adult. A sentient entity profoundly knowledgeable and deeply wise, Ship-Citizen Epsilon was an artificial intelligence (AI) that resided in a space-time kernel located near the top of the spacecraft. This entity was connected to every adult Z'Li on board, every instrument, and every system. Physically, Ship-Citizen Epsilon occupied no more space than a child's ball. The rest of the spacecraft served as living and working space for Epsilon's crew and research teams.

Epsilon was constructed as two concentric crystalline spheres 100 meters and 90 meters in diameter. Structural supports, shielding, cloaking, the C+ Space translation drive, inertial damping, artificial gravity, and many other high energy ship functions were handled by equipment and smart materials attached to the inner surface of the outer sphere. Stationary and mobile robots attached to the outer surface of the inner sphere operated and maintained these systems. Since the space between the spheres was bathed in radiation and force field gradients deadly to biological life forms, it was strictly off-limits. This design gave rise to the phrase "trapped between the spheres", a metaphor for a deadly situation.

Epsilon's interior was partitioned into 20 decks (numbered from bottom to top). Each deck consisted of a disk-shaped "slice" approximately 5 meters thick, one meter of which was devoted to floor, ceilings, and other structural and life support systems. The remaining space was divided into work areas, service areas, systems areas, storage areas, personal areas, and group areas. For instance, three gangways into and out of the ship were located on Deck 1. Field research station modules, equipment, and hovercraft were stored on Decks 2 and 3. All systems associated with food, water, air, and recycling of wastes were located on Decks 4, 5, and 6. Decks 7-9 were partitioned into family apartments. Decks 10-12 housed meeting halls, an auditorium/theater that could accommodate the entire crew, a gymnasium, a library, an educational center, and a variety of game rooms. To accommodate large audiences and facilitate 3-dimensional activities, an auditorium, gymnasium, and two game rooms were three decks high. Research departments were house on Decks 13-17. The Research Management Center and the Ship Operations and Command Center were situated on Decks 18 and 19, respectively. Deck 20 served as a communication center and as Ship-Citizen Epsilon's hardware and software domain.

Access between decks was via a cluster of elevators located at the center of each deck and via 3 Archimedean Spherical Spiral ramps running along the inner surface of the inner sphere from Deck 1 to Deck 20. These gently sloping ramps, which were wide enough to accommodate hovercraft, were used to move bulky and/or heavy materials between decks. They were also used as jogging tracks and social gathering points. Scores of programmable view screens were located along the outer wall of each ramp, each 10m in length and 2m in height. Across the ramp from each screen was a seating area where individuals or groups could observe activities outside of the spacecraft (e.g., their approach to a planet), watch events on other worlds (e.g., sport competitions), participate in teleconferences (e.g., family gatherings), and so on. The list of possibilities was nearly endless.

Life aboard Epsilon was both purposeful and pleasant. Strong commitments to duty were balanced by strong commitments to family and friends. Operating on a 32 hour day, the same as the Z'Li home world, each work day was broken into three 11 hour shifts. The 20 minute per shift overlap implicit in this arrangement was used to facilitate communication and training between teams on different shifts. Other than shift and transition time, crew members had 20 hours per day to sleep, exercise, pursue personal interests, and engage in family and social activities. But today, all off-duty Z'Li crowded around the view screens as they got their first look at the planet where they would work and live for the next year.

Located far out on a spiral arm of the galaxy, the planet teemed with life. Extensive oceans drove the weather systems. Plate tectonics drove the continents. A moon raised tides that relentlessly churned and cleansed the margins of the oceans and sustained nutrient rich tidal estuaries. It was a primitive, violent paradise. At the top of the food chain, gigantic creatures (later to be called dinosaurs) reigned in a bloody life-and-death circus of birth, life, predation, and death. Here was a clockwork of carnage full of action and instinct but devoid of thought. In the Z'Li catalog of planets, this world was named P'Dax, meaning Savage.

Among the ancient races that first colonized the galaxy, the Z'Li were the most successful. Long before mankind walked the Earth, the Z'Li roamed the Milky Way. Lacking the self-destructive and war-like urges that plague so many space-faring races, the Z'Li outlasted them all and created a civilization spanning the galaxy from the seething cauldron of its core to the feathery fringes of its spiral arms. This disposition, to cooperate and collaborate, rather than to challenge, dominate, and exploit was an expression both of their biology and their sociology. From family relationships, to community, professional, and government relations, this trait was promoted and rewarded to the point that it was ingrained in the Z'Li character and a foundation of their society.

The Z'Li were explorers, scientists, engineers, builders, historians, artists, and story tellers. By disposition, they were benevolent, patient, determined, resilient, and just. By choice they were guardians and conservators of all they discovered. Among themselves and the races that knew them, they were known as the Keepers, not for hoarding but for tending and preserving the wonders of the galaxy.

The Z'Li evolved on a world similar to the planet that would one day be called Earth. Brimming with life, they called their planet Home. In many ways, Home was similar to Earth, albeit with a 32 hour day and a 317 day year. Humans, had they existed at that time, could have walked abroad in comfort. Gravity, air composition and pressure, temperature, and humidity were essentially the same as that found on Earth. Weather in all of its manifestations was gentler than on Earth, mainly because the oceans were smaller relative to the landmasses. Landscapes and vegetation varied with elevation in familiar ways and animals reflected in their body sizes and energy budgets the nutritional bounty or privation of their respective habitats. The most ubiquitous form of vegetation was a grass-like plant which existed in many varieties. In addition, there was a wide variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, fungi, lichen, and other species. None of these plant forms were green in color, as chlorophyll was not a part of Home's plant biochemistry. Instead, most plants would have looked golden, brown, or red to human eyes. To Z'Li eyes, which saw further into the infrared spectrum, their world was far more colorful than humans could appreciate.

Quakes, volcanoes, and other manifestations of plate tectonics were infrequent and minor in scale. Compared to Earth, Home's internal dynamics were calm and stately. Furthermore, Home's two moons were smaller and further away than Earth's. Consequently, tides in the oceans and the land were relatively small. In terms of natural forces and events, Home was a peaceful planet.

## CHAPTER 3 Old One

Just before dawn the next day, Burke and Spotted Bear left camp and began walking across the open grasslands. Overhead, a sparrow hawk hovered in anticipation of breakfast. Coyote pups yipped for their parents. And an antelope watched the humans warily. To the west the ramparts of the mountains rose like battlements. To the east the landscape fell away in rolling waves of grass. Other than fences, dirt roads, and a few wind turbines, nothing made by man could be seen for miles. Birds sang and insects buzzed as the world came alive. After walking for about 35 minutes, Spotted Bear stopped, took out a water bottle, and said,

"This is it, Bill. We're here."

Looking around for any sign of ceremonial structures or artifacts, Burke said, "Are you sure? There's nothing here but prairie grasses and sagebrush."

Spotted Bear closed his eyes and held up his hand for silence. After a few moments, he said, "This is the place."

Burke's face was skeptical as he asked, "How do you know? Do you hear something?"

Clearly frustrated, Spotted Bear replied, "I'm not listening for anything, Bill. Can't you feel it?"

"Feel what?" Burke said with an edge of irritation in his voice.

Settling to the ground, Spotted Bear said, "Sit down and empty your mind, Bill. Clear away whatever you've been thinking about and just listen to the wind. I get the feeling that Old One is trying to speak to you."

So, Burke sat down, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and gradually relaxed. For a few moments, the only sound he could hear was the wind in the grass. Then, gradually, he began to sense something behind the wind, something else, something other. Without realizing it, Burke slipped into a dream-like state that lasted for several minutes. To Burke, it was as if he was dreaming two dreams simultaneously, both as compelling as reality itself. One dream corresponded to Spotted Bear's account of the end of the world. But the other dream was full of dinosaurs and other strange creatures. Part of him wanted to wake up and part wanted to keep dreaming.

During this time, Spotted Bear watched his friend closely for any signs of distress and flicked away insects that landed on his face and hands. Eventually, Burke's eyes popped open and he whispered, "Mike, we have to dig." He then told what he had seen and experienced in the visions.

Spotted Bear, nodded, then said, "To dig in a sacred place such as this is a great sacrilege and normally would not be permitted. But your vision confirms my own. And if Old One wants us to dig here, we will dig."

"I still don't understand why I am a part of this, Mike. We have done at least half a dozen digs together. You don't need my help to excavate a site. Why am I here?"

"Because you were in my vision, Bill."

On hearing this, Burke shivered a second time and muttered, "Me too, Mike. You were in mine... the one about the end of the world."

Without saying another word, Burke and Spotted Bear returned to their campsite, packed everything up, and phoned Jeff Daniels to arrange a meeting. Daniels, a local rancher and Blackfeet tribal elder, leased the land containing the site from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Daniels already knew what Spotted Bear was planning and had agreed to help him apply for a permit to conduct a scientific survey on the federal property, provided the real reason for the investigation was kept confidential. There would be no way around notifying the BLM of their activities. The trick would be to conceal their hidden agenda inside a public, scientific investigation.

The next day, Burke, and Spotted Bear set up camp at the site while Jeff Daniels staked out a drivable track across the property. That afternoon he brought water and propane tanks, a generator, outside lighting, and a portable privy to the site. A few hours later Burke and Spotted Bear discovered a set of partially exposed dinosaur tracks where the overburden of soil had been eroded away.

Delighted by their discovery, Burke grinned and said, "In my vision, I saw dinosaurs, Mike! I don't know about you, but I think I just stepped back onto my true path. I am so excited!" Then, with a leap and a shout, he jumped up and started dancing around, laughing and doing his imitation of an Indian medicine dance. Spotted Bear neither danced nor spoke the rest of the evening.

Over the next few days, Burke and Spotted Bear excavated more of the track bed, took hundreds of photographs, identified the tracks of several dinosaur species, proposed and discarded several explanations for the presence of the tracks, and wrestled with management and funding issues. They could keep the site sealed and their activities secret to a point. This approach had two drawbacks. First, secrecy would foster suspicion and draw the wrong sort of attention, especially from the BLM. Second, without significant, sustained funding, they would not have the resources to conduct a credible site survey and excavation.

In the end, Burke and Spotted Bear agreed to "hide in plain sight" as they pursued both their public and private agendas. This approach would attract the help of world class scientists and their graduate students, lead to publications in scientific journals, and presentations at scientific conferences. By producing a steady flow of scientific data and reports, nobody would suspect the existence of a hidden agenda or secret findings.

When Burke discussed the track bed with a program officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF), he was urged to submit a grant proposal for expanding the dig and assured that his proposal would get a speedy response, which in NSF-speak meant weeks rather than months. In the meantime, Burke obtained short term funding from the Blackfeet Nation to continue the dig. Each evening after a day of digging, Burke hammered away on his word processor developing the project description, timeline, excavation plans, and budgets for the NSF proposal. But about his vision and the voice in the wind he wrote nothing.

Standing Bear and Burke shared in the physical and mental labors of the dig each day. One evening as they cleaned up after supper, Spotted Bear said, "I'm glad for you, Bill. I can see how excited you are and appreciate what this opportunity must mean to you professionally. Under the circumstances, I am particularly grateful that you have kept secret the manner in which you found the site. As long as that remains secret, you can count on my cooperation and the cooperation of the Blackfeet Nation. But remember, my people are not interested in becoming part of a public spectacle created and managed by the press. If there is even one word in the media about your vision or Indian superstitions, we will shut the project down and you will never get back in. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Do we still have a deal?"

Taken aback by his friend's directness, Burke gave the only answer he could, a nod and, "Yes, we still have a deal."

==========

In Montana, summer evenings bring sculpted landscapes and cool, starry nights. In the autumn, shadows hug the contours of the land and the air has a tang to it that promises deep snows, profound quiet, and solitude.

Rooted in the earth on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountain Front for unspeakable eons, Old One had watched the chaos and destruction as the dinosaurs died, the gradual rise of mammals during the 63 million years of the Cenozoic Era, the deep snows, quiet, and solitude as the glaciers came and went, and, at last, the arrival of sentient beings.

Exquisitely attuned to the world around him, Old One could hear a mouse's heartbeat a hundred miles away. He had sight that took in both the outside and the inside of things. He could feel the deep grinding movements and moans of the earth itself. He watched with interest the arrival of the first humans in what would come to be called the Americas, observed their behavior, learned their languages, and gradually came to understand their hopes and dreams, wisdom, foolishness, courage, and persistence. And as he gained access to their dreams, they began to sense his presence. Old One, they called him. They had no idea!

## CHAPTER 4 The Z'Li

Adult Z'Li males and females stood approximately 5 feet in height and massed about 70kg when fully grown. They resembled kangaroos with large bird-like heads, muscular arms and legs, three-fingered hands, three-toed feet, and a wondrous tail that made them as nimble in the trees as they were on the ground. Sure-footed, fast, and strong, their fur was short and stiff, ranging in color from black to honey blond (occasionally mottled or spotted), and their beaks were large, shiny, black, and curved with serrated edges.

Not given to bodily coverings or adornment, the Z'Li did indulge in artfully coloring, engraving, and (in extreme cases) enlarging their beaks in ways that reflected their social standing (or more likely, their social aspirations), professional accomplishments (real or imagined), and/or physical prowess (especially vis-Ã -vis the opposite sex). A few Z'Li also colored the tips of their tails for dramatic effect. To human ears, Z'Li speech would have sounded like a strident mix of whistles, clicks, woofs, and hoots.

Like humans, Z'Li eyesight, hearing, and other senses were adapted to the hunter-gatherer existence they lived before undergoing their own sequence of agricultural, industrial, and technological revolutions. Compared to the myriad of strange creatures that have inhabited our galaxy, they were like us.

All Z'Li were named using a common protocol. That protocol involved the use of three data elements. The first element consisted of a three or four letter name, such as L'Na. In most professional and personal contexts, a person was addressed by this name without affixing honorifics such as Mr., Dr., Officer, and so on. When two or more Z'Li with the same first name were present or referenced in the same context, additional attributes associated with his/her residence and/or work were appended. For example, an individual named L'Na might be addressed as L'Na-Home, L'Na-Biologist, or L'Na-Home-Biologist as circumstances dictated. When absolute specificity was needed, an encrypted 20 character string associated with the individual's genetic coding was appended, such as L'Na-Home-Biologist-FDKETXXHKKLQRPRIMLQZ. This practice was grounded in more than the Z'Li fascination with detail. It was a necessity in an empire containing, at any given time, trillions of Z'Li.

In the Z'Li culture, young children were taught by their parents to understand, appreciate, and respect their families, communities, and culture. Children acquired spoken language in the same manner that children do in almost every sentient race, directly from their parents. After attaining practical fluency in everyday speech around age 2, children were assigned an AI tutor who tracked the development of their language and mathematical skills and monitored their emerging interests, talents, dispositions, and social development. These observations informed the development of an individually crafted primary education for each child. During this stage of life, each child's name prefix reflected his/her standing as a primary student (e.g., 1V'Sa).

Around the age of 5, most children were ready for the digital brain implants that would accelerate and enhance their formal education and link them directly to the ship and other advanced Z'Li technologies for the rest of their lives. When that day came, the child simply swallowed a pill and went to sleep for the night. In the morning, he/she awoke with enhanced senses, a deepened capacity for observation, deduction, and abstraction, and a hunger to learn. It was at this point that students began their secondary education and their name prefixes were updated to reflect their new standing (e.g., 2V'Sa).

To promote and facilitate collaborative learning and communication, educational AIs assigned children with similar interests and talents to collaborative learning teams. On board Epsilon, these teams could be seen ranging about the ship, chattering to one another and their AIs, ever present in the form of holographic avatars. Every day, each team would receive an assignment to be completed that day. At the end of the day, all teams gathered to report obstacles, opportunities, and progress, to discuss and debate their findings, and to listen to presentations given by Epsilon's staff.

The goal of Z'Li secondary education was to foster in all students a love of exploration, discovery, and design. Natural curiosity was treated as a gift rather than a distraction. Students learned to conduct investigations, to design machines and computer simulations, and to create works of art and literature under the guidance of their AI mentors, Z'Li tutors, and parents. The freedom to channel their childhood energies and curiosity in this manner was the foundation of their confidence as adults and the dynamic productivity of the Z'Li Empire.

Secondary education typically lasted until the age of 10 and culminated in a graduation program in which the entire crew celebrated their achievements, advancement to the tertiary (i.e., third) phase of their education, and renaming (e.g., 3V'Sa). At this point, 10 year old Z'Li students were at least as well educated as human high school students would be far in the future. Their tertiary education, unlike human university education, was less about acquiring and retaining general information than developing expertise in a particular discipline and adapting to the demands of a particular profession. During this phase of their education, students rotated through a series of internships with the ship's research, engineering, and operations teams. Students participated in the work of each team under the direct supervision of an AI mentor and a Z'Li tutor.

The goal of tertiary education was for each student to answer the question, "Which career is best for me?" Guided and evaluated by their teachers, this approach reliably led students to well-founded career decisions by age 13 and to full qualification in their chosen fields by age 16. In a race where most people lived for thousands of years, this left a lot of time to pursue multiple careers and interests. Never has an educational system worked so well for so many.

The Z'Li made education, research, and development the foundation stones of their civilization. They studied then gained control over their home world's environment, making it a paradise as well as the hub of their galactic civilization. They engineered and launched space craft and orbiting factories, habitats, and research facilities. In time, they discovered and tapped vast energy resources and developed Faster than Light (FTL) travel. All this happened because they loved to explore, to discover, to design, to build, to create, to understand, and to celebrate their accomplishments as individuals, as groups, and as an Empire.

The Milky Way Galaxy has seen thousands of civilizations rise and fall. Those that achieved FTL travel gradually spread outward into their respective galactic neighborhoods, some in search of glory and conquest, some in search of trade and material wealth, some in search of knowledge and wisdom. As in all expansions, the explorers, the settlers that followed, and the civilizations that eventually emerged on these worlds all contained within themselves the seeds of their eventual collapse. And collapse they did, all of them, even the Z'Li, though they outlasted all other space faring races and accomplished more than most ever dreamed possible.

Unlike many races, the Z'Li never had to deal with the paradox of an ever expanding economy situated in a world with limited resources because their empire grew faster than they could consume the raw materials and other resources necessary to sustain expansion. Where other races failed this test, the Z'Li excelled. The key to that success was their educational system. In an empire where natural resources and opportunities are abundant, the most critical asset for any organization is first rate talent. Because they renewed and refined their educational system continuously, the Z'Li Empire never stalled nor hesitated in its expansion.

## CHAPTER 5 The Artifact

By late June, the site had become a full-fledged dinosaur dig, complete with tipis, recreational vehicles, tents, and a line of portable toilets. Parked on the grass were a dozen vehicles belonging to the researchers, their graduate students, and a few tribal elders, including Jeff Daniels. With daytime temperatures in the 80's, most project personnel were clothed in t-shirts and shorts. The dig itself had two publicly stated objectives: To discover the extent of the main track bed and document the tracks found there; and to survey the surrounding area for additional sites of interest. Privately, Burke, Spotted Bear, and Jeff Daniels nervously monitored the excavation of the track bed and wondered what Old One had planned for them.

Burke and a team of graduate students and volunteers from the local community had already spent 3 weeks excavating dinosaur tracks. In that time, they had exposed approximately 80 feet of track bed by removing a loose overburden of rock, gravel, and soil. Because the tracks themselves were originally made in damp soil or mud, Burke assumed that they were formed near a watering hole frequented by a variety of animals on a regular basis. Further investigation produced a number of challenges to this hypothesis. For instance, the tracks were not randomly placed. Instead, every track was oriented in the same direction, as if the animals were moving toward or away from some unknown point or event, hardly the sort of pattern one would expect to find around a watering hole. Furthermore, while many species of dinosaur were represented in the track bed, relatively few tracks of each species were present. This observation effectively ruled out both the watering hole hypothesis and a seasonal mass migration such as that made by Arctic caribou. Finally, Mike Smith, Burke's tall, skinny, graduate student, noticed an implicit ordering of the tracks based on size: The larger animals made the initial impressions, followed by medium sized animals, and so on. No hypothesis was advanced for explaining this observation.

A little after 10am as Mike Smith cleared away the final layer of overburden from another section of the track bed he noticed a black line in the dirt where the track bed disappeared into the ground. Probing carefully with a trowel, he cleared a groove in the dirt directly above the line, which then became a black ribbon. Standing up, Mike said, "Dr. Burke, you'd better see this. I've found something."

Raising his head from the section of track bed uncovered the previous day, Burke's heart raced as he and Spotted Bear joined Mike at the end of the track bed. Kneeling down, Spotted Bear whispered, "Bill, remember your promise. Once a rumor gets started, you cannot call it back. Congratulate Mike on discovering a buried gas line. Say that you want to make sure there is no danger before you proceed. Ask them to stand back while we figure out what we have here."

Surprised and irritated at Spotted Bear's assertiveness, Burke started to protest. As Spotted Bear shook his head, Burke considered his options. His permit to dig could be revoked at any time and all project personnel ordered off the property with no right of return. A look over his shoulder was enough to verify that Daniels was waiting for Spotted Bear's signal.

As a working scientist, Burke was steeped in a tradition that was obsessed with being first to make a discovery, first to announce the discovery, and first to publish a scientific paper on the discovery. Those who succeed in this competition are rewarded by their employers and lauded by their colleagues. Those finishing second in this race are forgotten. At the moment, Burke was very much focused on these and other firsts that might follow an important discovery.

Grinding his teeth, Burke stood up, cautioned the diggers about the suspected gas line, and ordered Mike Smith to herd everyone to the far end of the track bed.

Scowling at his friend, Burke grumbled, "I thought you were a scientist. Looks like I was wrong, mister shaman."

Straightening up to face Burke eye-to-eye, Spotted Bear replied, "The truth is in the ground before us, Bill. We can argue ethics later. Shut up and dig."

Over the next few minutes, Burke and Spotted Bear carefully scraped the dirt away from the object. When it was exposed, they saw what appeared to be the top surface of a rectangular, black beam approximately 30 cm wide and 2 meters long. In the center of the top surface, raised approximately 2mm, was a graphic.

Beam Graphic

Although neither man said anything, they both thought the same thing: This object is not natural; it is a made-thing stuck in a layer of mud that was laid down millions of years ago.

Turning to Spotted Bear, Burke whispered, "Uh-oh. We've stuck our foot in it now, Mike."

Softly, Spotted Bear replied, "I have been trying to tell you from the beginning that there is more at stake here than dinosaur tracks and your career."

Burke paused a moment then nodded, stood up, and whispered, "We have to clear this site immediately. Let's stick with the gas line story for now. You arrange for a 24-hour guard to be posted and I'll take care of the dig personnel. And Mike, I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

Nodding, Spotted Bear spoke to Jeff Daniels as Burke turned toward the camp and announced to all within hearing, "Heads-Up! We may have hit a gas line. In accordance with dig safety procedures, I must now order everyone to head for Choteau, no exceptions. Take everything that belongs to you and nothing that belongs to me, to the university, or to Jeff Daniels. Until further notice, you will be staying in town at project expense. See Mr. Daniels about accommodations. Keep your meal receipts for reimbursement. Thank you for your cooperation. Now get moving! Mike Smith, I need to see you in my tent in five minutes."

After covering the black object with a tarp and asking Daniels to stand guard, Burke and Spotted Bear walked to Burke's tent to interview Mike Smith on the manner in which the object was discovered and to discover who, other than Mike, might have seen the black strip in the ground. During the interview, Burke and Spotted Bear learned that, while Mike did not believe the object to be a gas line, he had not formulated an alternative hypothesis. When Mike was dismissed to pack, both Burke and Spotted Bear were confident that Mike had only seen the edge of the object. On the other hand, it was obvious that he suspected a cover-up was in progress.

After the site was evacuated, Burke, Spotted Bear, and Daniels spent an hour discussing the object and what to do next. In the end, they all agreed that Burke had to call the National Science Foundation and ask for assistance. After the phone call, the NSF project director immediately called Dr. Miles Boilen, deputy director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and repeated the story. Within an hour, a black-clad, heavily armed security team arrived by helicopter from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls to secure the site.

## CHAPTER 6 Arrival

Sitting alone across from a view screen on Deck 19, a wrinkled, white-muzzled Z'Li named J'Va watched the drama of the ship's arrival unfold. How many times had he seen this? On how many worlds had he walked? More than a thousand! But for the first time, something felt wrong. He had no rational explanation for his reservations. He couldn't even express in words the precise nature of his apprehension much less why the greatest empire in the history of the galaxy should have apprehensions of any sort. They were the Z'Li. They were the Keepers!

Just then, a small child walked up to J'Va and tapped him on the shoulder. "Grandfather, you look worried. Is something wrong?" she asked sweetly.

Startled, J'Va grumbled, "1V'Sa, you shouldn't sneak up on me that way! Does your mother know you are here?"

Undeterred, 1V'Sa continued, "Mother sent me to find you. Our family is gathered at view screen #5 on Deck 17. You are wanted, grandfather!"

"Wanted, am I? Coming from you, those are sweet words, little one. Help me up and we will take the elevator down."

"But I want to race you down the ramp!" 1V'Sa implored.

"With my knees? I don't think so, child. I'll take the elevator and you run the ramp. I bet you a treat that I win!" he added with a grin.

Before J'Va could rub her velvety ears, 1V'Sa hopped off at full speed, laughing and switching her tail from side to side. Rising painfully, J'Va looked apprehensively at the planet and shuddered. Old by Z'Li standards, J'Va's once lustrous brown fur was now mottled. His beak, once black and strong, was now gray and brittle. And his eyes, once bright, were now dull. Using the walls and furniture for stability, he walked slowly to the elevator.

By the time J'Va reached his destination, 1V'Sa was already there, out of breath and beaming. This was less a testament to her speed than a measure of how slowly and painfully J'Va moved these days. Z'Li medicine all but guaranteed lifetimes in excess of 10,000 years. But even Z'Li medicine found its limits in the battle against aging. In the entire galaxy, no animal life lived longer than the Z'Li, and J'Va had lived longer than most. As a retired senior scientist, J'Va had been formally adopted by 1V'Sa's family at her birth five years ago. He was not her biological grandfather, but she was the granddaughter of his heart and he was loved and respected by her entire family. In Z'Li culture this was a common practice that filled gaps in family relationships when biological children, parents, and grandparents often found themselves at opposite ends of the galaxy for most of their lives. It also filled gaps in the hearts of the aged.

1V'Sa took J'Va's hand and led him to a seat with a good view of the screen. As he settled into the chair, 1V'Sa's mother, I'Wa, offered him a drink and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Grandfather, you don't look well. Do you need to speak with the medical staff?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "No daughter, but thank you for asking. This drink will revive me. What do you think of the planet?

I'Wa, captain of the spacecraft Epsilon, gazed at the planet's swirling cloud patterns and vast oceans for a moment. "It's incredibly complex, alien, and challenging. And talk about high energy weather systems! That could make for an interesting landing. But I'm more concerned about the performance and safety of the hovercraft and the vulnerability of our field teams. We have observed electrical discharges in the atmosphere of staggering power traveling at more than 60,000m/s. Not even Epsilon could maneuver in the atmosphere fast enough to evade such a discharge. We have to consider the possibility that the hovercraft and field operations may be unsafe under some conditions. As always, we will adapt operations to local conditions."

K'Nom, 1V'Sa's father and Epsilon's Research Director, came over and added, "I'm glad you could join us, J'Va. And I'm glad 1V'Sa is taking such good care of you." At this, 1V'Sa smiled and dashed off to get her grandfather a plate of finger foods. As she left, he smiled and softly asked, "Is she wearing you out, J'Va? If so we can send her on some other errands."

J'Va smiled back, saying, "No, I'm fine. This is exciting. It reminds me of the time that I... "

Just then a bell chimed signaling an announcement. K'Nom and I'Wa were summoned to the Operations and Command Center on Deck 19. Excusing themselves, 1V'Sa's parents turned briskly away and headed for the elevators saying, "Gotta go grandfather. You'll have to finish that tale later. 1V'Sa you be good. Don't tire grandfather out." And with that, they were gone.

J'Va's smile faded a bit as they disappeared. Sensing her opportunity, 1V'Sa waited until her parents were out of sight then pleaded, "Grandfather. Tell me a story!" And he did. Then another and another until her older brother and an older friend, 3P'La, arrived with instructions to return 1V'Sa to their apartment for a nap. After warmly greeting his grandfather, 2A'Ha and 3P'La led his tearful little sister to the elevator. J'Va could hear him offering to read her favorite story and to sing her to sleep. What a good boy, he thought. Lucky girl. Lucky me.

A few minutes later, 2A'Ha and 3P'La returned to J'Va and took seats on either side of him. They sat silently for a while, watching shuttlecraft and drones depart on missions to the planet. Soon steps would be taken that would forever link P'Dax to the rest of the Z'Li Empire.

Turning to J'Va, 2A'Ha said, "Grandfather, 3P'La has been trying to explain how Epsilon's technologies work but I still don't understand. Can you help?"

J'Va smiled and stroked 2A'Ha's ears and began, "Yes, of course. I doubt that you appreciate how big a question you have asked and how elaborate a response it deserves. Consequently, my explanation is going to take some time. Are you prepared to hear my answer?" Both children nodded and leaned forward in anticipation.

Settling comfortably, J'Va began his tale. "As long as the Z'Li have pondered the meaning and nature of existence, we have preserved and shared our thoughts using first song, story, and art, then writing, and eventually interactive holographic models and simulations. Early in our social evolution, our attempts to understand and explain the world often took the form of legends involving the intervention of alien creatures with god-like powers and wisdom.

When mathematics and science supplanted magical and miraculous ways of thinking, explanations became more formal, more technical, and more philosophical in nature. For hundreds of thousands of years, our prevailing Theory of Everything described the universe using quantum mechanics and chaos theory, two systems of thought dedicated to the proposition that nothing is ever certain.

In that model of the universe, atoms and other forms of matter are composed of fundamental particles (and their binding energies), each of which is indivisible. That is, if you could look inside a fundamental particle, you would not find smaller bits of matter but energy configured to exhibit the particle's characteristics in interactions with other particles and forces. Imagine the surprise when fundamental particles were found to contain, at their most fundamental level, nothing at all but information."

At this thought, both children rocked back in astonishment. After a moment, 2A'Ha leaned forward and said, "I have encountered this thought before, grandfather, and it troubles me greatly. I don't want to be made of information. I want to be made of muscles, bones, claws, fur, and brains. Is that wrong?"

J'Va stroked 2A'Ha's head and answered softly, "No, grandson, it is not wrong. And I want to reassure you that you ARE made of muscles, bones, claws, fur, brains, and many other living tissues. I am not saying that you are not real. We are all real. But there is a strangeness to this universe that our minds cannot fully grasp. Accept that strangeness as a fact but do not let it dampen your curiosity or confidence. Can you do that?"

Both 2A'Ha and 3P'La nodded slowly and visibly relaxed as J'Va resumed his story.

"In time, we learned to read the information concealed within the fundamental particles and to tract its exchange in mass-energy transformations from ordinary collisions to matter-antimatter annihilations. A new conservation law emerged: information is neither lost nor destroyed. Absolutely everything could be explained in terms of the transfer of information. But of the information processing infrastructure itself (i.e., the computer handling all this information) little was known.

Eventually, Z'Li scientists came to think of the universe itself as a computational artifact. For some time, theoreticians debated whether the universe as we see it was just the "display" for a higher dimensional (therefore out-of-sight) computer or the computer itself."

This time 3P'La interrupted. "J'Va, what do you mean by a computational artifact? Depending on context, the term artifact may be used to denote a thing, a thought, or an anomaly. You seem to be using the term to indicate something else. What precisely do you mean?"

Laughing, J'Va replied, "Such serious thoughts from one so young! You will go far 3P'La. The only answer that I can give you is that the universal artifact is not a thing or a thought or an anomaly made by, thought of, or observed by us or any other sentient species in this universe. The artifact is the universe itself. In other words, the universe is a thing made by an entity outside of our universe and probably beyond our imagination. Some people call this entity the Architect."

Stifling a shiver, 2A'Ha asked, "Grandfather, I have encountered this thought before, also. I have also heard some people say that the Architect watches and remembers everything that happens in our universe. What do you think?"

"Such deep thoughts! On this subject and at this point in your education, I have little to say on the matter. You will need more years, more mathematics, and more philosophy before we can address your question in earnest. In time, we will return to these and other deep matters when the time is right."

## CHAPTER 7 Bombs, Bones & Bull

The next day, a steady stream of NSA officers, scientists, and engineers arrived at the dig. In town, project personnel were interviewed by NSA case officers and given a choice: Sign a sweeping non-disclosure agreement or be dismissed from the project. In the face of this threat, everyone signed without knowing what it is that they were swearing to keep secret.

With nothing to do except wait for the 'gas line' to be repaired, speculation ran rampant among the dig personnel and local citizens concerning the true nature of the find at the dig. This speculation produced a rich stream of speculation and disinformation that was discretely leaked to the general public and the media by the NSA officers. Soon, according to plan, a dominant rumor took form and was denied in just the right way by NSA personnel to make it seem credible: The scientists had uncovered a bomb accidentally dropped during the cold war on a training flight out of Malmstrom Air Force Base. The NSA had checked for other bombs. None were found, and the bomb in the track bed was removed. With the exception of Mike Smith, this rumor was widely accepted and reported in newspapers and on local television broadcasts across the state.

At the dig, an NSA team set up and conducted a variety of non-destructive tests on the artifact using radiation detectors, ultrasound, and x-rays. Soil samples taken near the artifact were gathered and compared to soil samples from other parts of the dig. Unknown to all but the senior NSA leadership, a spy satellite scanned the area from space using ground-penetrating radar and high-resolution photography. Both the hi-resolution photos and the false-color radar images of the site clearly showed the alien artifact at the junction of the exposed and buried portions of the track bed. No other objects resembling the alien artifact were noticed in the area.

By noon, the NSA team had little to report, other than the object's measurements, the presence of a peculiar logo like figure, and a few symbols that might or might not be writing. Harder than diamond (precisely how hard, they couldn't say), none of the tests revealed anything about its composition or internal structure. In short, the object was a perfect black box. When lifted from the track bed, the same graphic found on the top of the object was found on the bottom surface as well as its embossed impression in the track bed. While this impression guaranteed that the age of the object was at least that of the track bed itself, the object appeared to have had no effect on the chemical or physical properties of the track bed or surrounding soils.

By late afternoon, NSA scientists and engineers working at the dig had concluded a detailed survey of the area using handheld equipment that could see into the earth to a depth of several feet. Convinced that there was nothing more to be gained by further interrupting the dig (and a great deal of media curiosity to avoid), the NSA team was pulled out. The artifact itself was loaded onto a helicopter and flown to Malmstrom Air Force Base for transport to Andrews Air Force Base, located in Maryland near Washington, DC.

Through all this, Burke, Spotted Bear, and Daniels maintained their pact of silence even as they suspected that something had gone very wrong. Most disturbing to Burke and Spotted Bear was the fact that they no longer sensed the presence of Old One. Was he offended? Was he gone? And how was he connected to the artifact now on its way to NSA Headquarters?

That evening, after the NSA team was gone, Burke called Jeff Daniels and asked him to round up the dig personnel and bring them back to camp. A few of hours later, everyone gathered in the mess tent. One of the female graduate students was sporting a new T-shirt saying, "Bombs, Bones, & Bull". Addressing his staff, Burke smiled and said, "I want to thank you for your cooperation over the past few days. The feds have cleared the site. The dig is ours again. It's time to get back to work."

Amid laughter and a barrage of questions, Burke added, "I know that this is all somewhat surreal. Just remember, this is BLM land and the federal government has jurisdiction. If they want to interrupt things for a few days, they have the right. The good news is that we are now free to return to our work having experienced some irritating but otherwise harmless inconvenience. The bad news is that we are all barred from making public statements about any of this. Violate that ban and two things will happen. First, I will fire you. Second, the feds will lock you up."

"It's time to let go of your frustrations and get back to being scientists. What I need now is professional scientists, not amateur sleuths." With that caution, Burke directed his staff to clean up the mess left by the NSA personnel, who had gone through the camp like a hurricane, opening every drawer and box, moving every piece of furniture, and dumping all digging equipment in a common pile outside the mess tent.

The next day Burke and Spotted Bear visited with the staff informally, soothing anxious students and calming angry technicians and support personnel. That evening they read all about their discovery and removal of the bomb in the Great Falls Tribune.

As Burke and Spotted Bear were restarting the dig, the artifact was delivered to NSA Headquarters in Fort Meade, MD. There an extended and headed debate raged over which research group would take charge of the object and how they would proceed. After listening to his staff bicker for several hours, a decision was made by NSA Director Boilen. All testing would be non-destructive, the materials science team would have the artifact for 24 hours and attempt to identify its composition and age, the team with the best follow-up proposal would get it next, and so on. He knew that the President would not hesitate to seize the artifact and hand it over to the military if he didn't show progress quickly.

## CHAPTER 8 Competing Theories

J'Va continued, "When the new Theory of Everything was first proposed, most Z'Li thought that the scientists had lost their minds. Nevertheless, in time, a coherent argument emerged that persuaded many to accept this strange new Theory of Everything. But true or false, most people chose to ignore it as much as possible in daily life. In the old Theory of Everything, the transfer and conservation of energy and momentum from one object to another were explained without reference to any facilitating infrastructure or mechanism. Collisions just happened and the rest of the universe ignored the excitement. In the "information" universe, nothing collides. Rather, information is processed somewhere, somehow, and the results "displayed" in the universe as events. This distinction was powerfully illustrated one evening on the campus of the Z'Li Science and Technology University (STU) on our home world a long time ago."

2A'Ha's eyes brightened at the mention of STU. "I'll go to school there when I am old enough. I'm going to be a mathematician! 3P'La is, too."

Nodding his approval, J'Va continued, "As you probably know, STU is located near the heart of the Z'Li capital city, K'Har. One evening, as the university clock chimed, a tall, distinguished scientist with lustrous black fur unveiled a transparent cube 10m on a side filled with an array of more than 1012 light emitting spheres, each 1mm in diameter. Arranged in the cube much as fruit is displayed in supermarket groceries, each tiny sphere was connected through a wireless network to a device held in the scientist's hands. The device could cause any or all of the mini-cubes to emit any wavelength of visible light for any period of time.

With a slight nod to a group of his students standing nearby, the scientist tapped the device's interface. Immediately a tiny, white light appeared in the center of the cube. Slowly, the light appeared to move toward the edge of the cube, all the while gaining speed. At the edge, the light abruptly changed direction as if it had ricocheted off a wall. Faster and faster, the light moved about the cube in an apparently random manner. As a crowd gathered, more moving lights were added. Coloring was used to differentiate slow moving from fast moving particles. Keying in another command, the lights began bouncing off one another as well as the walls of the cube. The crowd continued to grow and to occasionally applaud or laugh. Some of the older Z'Li walked away, apparently feeling ill. But soon, hundreds of students and faculty could be seen hopping toward the display from all directions.

After a few minutes, the cube suddenly went dark, the scientist began to speak. "Can someone describe what you just saw?" he asked, smiling expectantly."

"I can," enthused 2A'Ha. "It looked like a video game with lots of things crashing into each other!"

J'Va hesitated a moment before saying, "Which one of us is telling the story, 2A'Ha? Shall I get on with it or would you like to take over?"

Suddenly subdued, both children sat quietly but expectantly as J'Va resumed. People in the audience shouted out their impressions. "Bright elastic things bouncing around inside some sort of frictionless enclosure," offered a female student. "A computer simulation of random motion in an ideal gas," offered another.

"Nicely said, both of you," the scientist responded. "Both explanations seem feasible."

"Is this science or art?" a faculty member asked. "Or philosophy?" added another.

Nodding to a growing audience, the scientist continued, "Yes, and perhaps more. Tonight, I am going to show you a series of demonstrations and ask some questions that will challenge your most fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality. If you are not feeling particularly adventurous this evening, perhaps you should leave. If you stay, I can promise you an evening that you will never forget. The show will begin in five minutes. Please make yourselves comfortable."

At this point, students quickly set up several rows of chairs around the cube. As the crowd settled, the scientist made his final preparations.

"Thank you for staying. My name is K'Ha. I am a mathematician, a theoretical physicist, and a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies, the building directly behind me. As you may know, an esoteric debate has been running for some time concerning the nature of reality. The central issue in that debate is the question, "Is the universe made of things or is it made of information?" Metaphorically, if the universe is made of things, then we live in something like a bumper-car arcade. If it's made of information, then we live in something like a computer simulation.

The cube in front of you contains ten trillion light emitting elements, each 1mm in diameter. There are no moving particles, nothing is colliding. But information is being passed from one element of the array to another, causing select elements to quickly brighten then dim in a predetermined order. Properly performed, this program creates a compelling illusion of motion.

Over the next two hours we will compare and contrast the utility and credibility of two competing Theories of Everything as they are employed to model and analyze data from famous scientific experiments and observations. These data will be displayed inside the cube. The competing analyses will be displayed on the surfaces of the cube.

When the demonstration is over, decide for yourself which theory appears to analyze observational and experimental data more comprehensively and persuasively, which theory provides better justification and validation for its procedures and findings, and which theory seems more powerful and promising as a foundation for scientific discovery and the development of engineering applications. When you have done so, I believe that you will reach the same conclusions that I have: The universe is a computational artifact best understood as an information processing and display system."

At this point, 3P'La nodded his head seriously and said, "I have seen a documentary of K'Ha's work and his famous presentation. Today, we all take what he did for granted. But back then, nobody knew who he was or how his ideas would change and benefit the Z'Li Empire. I think he was very brave to do what he did."

J'Va smiled at 3P'La and replied, "Yes, he was. K'Ha had both the intellect and the character to transform the Empire and, ultimately, the galaxy. I have often wondered why leaders of his stature emerge so rarely. As far as I know, this is true among all sentient species. Someday, one of you may discover in yourself the potential to make such a contribution. If you do, take your inspiration from K'Ha, not lesser individuals.

Now back to our story. That night, a few hundred university students, faculty, and visitors experienced more than a lecture. They saw behind the veil that separates our experience of reality from reality itself. On their faces astonishment, wonder, epiphany, joy, determination, fear, anger, and many other emotions were written large. From time to time, individual Z'Li would occasionally leave, shaking their heads. But many more could be seen calling their friends and urging them to come quickly. Some bounced up and down or spun around with excitement. Other shouted or hooted loudly. Of course, none of this was considered polite social behavior. But for the students present, K'Ha's presentation offered more than a new theory. It was the opening shot of a revolution that would eventually change everything, and they knew it.

K'Ha's presentation, recorded and eventually rebroadcast to thousands of worlds, became the most widely viewed and influential program in Z'Li history. Scientifically, it marked the end of one paradigm and the beginning of another. Psychologically, it also introduced a mystical element to Z'Li culture not seen since the birth of the scientific revolution, a search for meaning that transcended Z'Li life and encompassed the origin, purpose, and fate of the universe as a whole."

## CHAPTER 9 Andy at the Dig

In the summer, Great Falls, MT is a sunny, green oasis straddling the upper Missouri River. Upstream just 40 miles the river flows swiftly through a series of canyons and meadows. There it is a river for floating and fishing. In town the river takes on a different character as it swells and slows beside riverside parks and bike paths. For people in love with rivers, Great Falls feels like home.

Just after 10am, fourteen year old Andy Green slammed the front door of his house, ran to the street, and jumped into the backseat of his family's 5 year old GMC Envoy. Inside, his mother Alice, father David, and Boston Terrier Euclid all give him the look that said "late again." Taking the offensive, Andy pleaded, "I had to find my backpack." Without further discussion, his father pulled away from the curb, his mother picked up her crossword puzzle, and Euclid heaved a sigh, curled up beside Andy, and started snoring.

Like many Boston Terriers, Euclid weighed around 15 lbs, depending on how hard he was hitting the dog food, had a black back, a white belly, white "socks" on his front legs, and a black and white face with just a hint of pink around the muzzle. Euclid also lived up to two Boston Terrier stereotypes, he snored like a sailor and passed gas like a pipeline. Andy cracked the window out of habit.

For as long as Andy Green could remember, he and his parents had lived near East Middle School in Great Falls, about 50 miles east of the Rocky Mountain Front. With a population of approximately 60,000, two universities, and a regional medical center, the community is the economic, educational, recreational, and cultural hub of central Montana. David Green taught computer science at the University of Great Falls (UGF) and Alice taught mathematics at the Montana State University (MSU) College of Technology, located across the street from UGF. Both had attended MSU-Bozeman as graduate students. There, they fell in love, married, and started their family. While earning their doctoral degrees, the Greens became friends with an enthusiastic young paleontologist in the Geology Department, Bill Burke. Through him they developed an interest in paleontology that they passed on to their son. So when Andy's parents read the newspaper article about the dig they contacted Burke and arranged a visit. Andy could hardly contain his enthusiasm.

Pulling a cell phone out of his backpack, Andy immediately addressed a text message to his two best friends, Heather Thomas and Donnie Wolfchild. They already knew he was going to the dig and wanted updates during the trip. In his imagination, he pictured himself turning over a rock at the dig and making a huge discovery to everyone's amazement. Smiling at the silliness of his day dream he only typed, "On the way. Stay tuned, geek squad."

Andy, Heather, and Donnie all carried the latest cell phones and shared a love of technology that included online gaming, social networking, and a variety of GPS-based applications. Growing up in a world where innovation was constantly accelerating the pace of economic, social, and political change, they were unafraid of technology and eager to master each new application as it came out.

As his father left town on Highway 15 North, Andy watched the rural countryside roll by under the Big Sky. Born and raised in Montana, Andy had a good start on a life-long love affair with the state. Living so close to Glacier National Park and the surrounding national forests his parents made full use of the outdoor recreational opportunities and introduced Andy to the natural and cultural history of the area. Consequently, Andy found it easy to see the wilderness as both a heritage and a place of work. But most of all, Andy liked camping, hiking, and fishing, school sports, Great Falls Voyagers baseball games, music, the Syfi channel, and hanging out with his friends.

As professors, Andy's parents rarely had teaching responsibilities in the summer. Most summers they took family vacations, visited friends and family, and worked on research and/or writing projects. This year they were spending most of the summer at home revising course syllabi and instructional materials while Andy took drivers training lessons.

An hour and a half after leaving Great Falls the Greens arrived at the dinosaur dig in the hills west of Choteau. Since its discovery, the track bed had attracted researchers and graduate students from prestigious universities and museums across the country. On one side of the parking area there were 10 tipis, each 20' in diameter, which served as sleeping accommodations for the camp staff and visiting scientists. Just north of the tipis was a large open-sided tent containing tables, chairs, and kitchen gear. Beside it was another open sided tent full of scientific equipment, lab benches, desks, and file cabinets. In addition, a water tank, electrical generators, a backhoe, and several smaller tents, storage sheds, and generators were scattered around the camp. Overhead, a single 30-foot pole provided a mast for the communications equipment and for the outdoor lighting. On the other side of the parking area a row of portable toilets stood guard duty at the entrance to the site. In the dry season, the site was windy and dusty. But Andy could easily imagine the quagmire it would become after the rain and snow softened it up in the coming months. There was a lot of work to be done in a short period of time.

As his father parked the car, Andy pointed and said, "Look, Mom, there's Dr. Burke."

Alice smiled and replied, "Yes, Andy. Now remember your manners and don't touch anything without asking permission."

Frowning, Andy mumbled, "I know, Mom. I'm not a kid anymore. This is real science. I'll be careful."

As Burke walked up to the car, the Greens stepped out and Euclid started running around in circles. After greetings and handshakes, Burke stooped down to greet Euclid, who immediately rolled over on his back to have his tummy rubbed.

Standing up again, Burke grinned and said, "It's good to see you guys! Your introduction to the dig will include our regular lunch: Sandwiches, salad, fruit, and cold drinks."

Alice looked at the sweating staff and student workers and replied, "That sounds good to me and it appears to be just what the troops need."

Using a bullhorn that served as the camp public address system, Burke announced an early lunch and led the Greens into the mess tent. Over the next hour, he introduced them to the staff, students, and visiting friends and colleagues, 42 people in all. Andy was particularly eager to meet Michael Spotted Bear. Of the many stories told to Andy by his father, some of his favorite tales recounted adventures shared with Spotted Bear in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. Standing there and shaking hands with his father's partner in adventure, Andy suddenly felt certain that he was about to embark on an adventure of his own, and he grinned in anticipation.

Following lunch, Burke arranged for Mike Smith, his graduate research assistant, to show Alice and Andy around the site while David checked out the camp's surveying and computer mapping equipment. The tour was interesting, as were the scientists and graduate students working on the dig. They were all friendly, enthusiastic, sunburned, and dirty. As the Greens walked around the dig taking photos, Euclid wandered over to a nearby pile of dirt and began tunneling into its side. Looking around for his dog, Andy noticed a 'dirt volcano' erupting from the side of the pile and excused himself to see what Euclid had found.

Arriving at Euclid's side, Andy dropped his backpack, sank to his knees, and noticed two things: Euclid staring stiff-legged and glassy-eyed into the hole, and an object lying at the bottom of his excavation. As he knelt to check on Euclid and get a better look, Andy pitched face first into the dirt and passed out. When Alice noticed Andy lying in the dirt, she ran over and turned him onto his back. Within a few seconds, he and Euclid regained consciousness.

Looking concerned but focused, Alice wiped dirt off his face and asked, "Andy, what happened? Are you OK?"

Sitting up, Andy looked around and said, "I think so. I remember checking on Euclid. He was digging a hole. Is Euclid OK?" Hearing his name Euclid staggered over and licked his hand. Alice stroked Euclid's head gently and checked both for evidence of snake or spider bites. Seeing nothing suspicious she said, "Let's go get you checked out." Andy nodded, picked up his daypack, and grabbed Euclid.

After being examined at the camp first aid station, Andy and Euclid were declared to be OK and the Greens resumed their tour. That afternoon, as Andy studied the dinosaur tracks and talked with the scientists, he felt lucky to be so close to an important, unfolding, scientific story. After a full day, the Greens thanked their hosts, climbed into their Envoy, and returned to Great Falls. The day was all that he had hoped, and as he texted Heather and Donnie, he had no trouble imagining himself working on a dig when he was older.

## CHAPTER 10 Tweaking Parameter Space

2A'Ha frowned and mumbled, "Grandfather, this makes my head hurt! I just want to know how Epsilon works. Can we skip the history and get to the part on spacecraft?"

Laughing loudly, J'Va rubbed 2A'Ha's ears and continued. "Eventually, but you are old enough to hear the full story. The sooner I resume, the sooner we'll get to that part of the story. Alright?"

The boys nodded as J'Va went on, "As the New Theory of Everything gained acceptance, game-changing scientific breakthroughs such as faster than light (FTL) travel became more and more common. K'Ha used his new theory to challenge the commonly held notion that space craft would eventually be developed that could exit normal space, enter a hyperspace in which FTL travel was possible, then return to normal space having shaved thousands of years off conventional travel time. As K'Ha's new mathematics demonstrated, while this might be possible, there was a better and more direct way to approach the problem. In this approach, the speed of light in a bubble of space time surrounding the ship is reset to a higher value, essentially raising the "speed limit" for travel in the bubble. This bubble is commonly referred to as C+ Space.

In empty space, the speed of light, c, is determined by the algebraic expression

Formula

where epsilon (i.e., ε) is the electric permittivity of the vacuum, and

mu (i.e., µ) is the magnetic permeability of the vacuum.

Unlike mu, which is a constant, epsilon could conceivably take on many values. Scientists have long wondered if, early in the universe, the value of epsilon might have been smaller. In such a universe, the speed of light would have been greater, but the electrostatic force binding atoms and molecules together would have been weaker. Some believed that this was the reason that the universe took so long to develop its current table of elements and chemistry.

K'Ha found a way to reset the value of epsilon in the space around (but not within) a ship, thereby increasing the speed of light locally. For instance, if the value of epsilon is decreased to one-fourth normal value, the speed of light within the bubble doubles. How did K'Ha reset this value? By accessing the universal artifact's parameter space20 for points within the C+ Space bubble and tweaking the value of epsilon. Suffice it to say that the Parameter Space Interface (PSI) became the center piece of a host of engineering applications that vastly extended the Z'Li Empire."

Eager to understand, 2A'Ha leaned forward and said, "Grandfather, I understand enough mathematics to know that as epsilon changes, c changes. Their relationship is just a form of inverse variation. What I don't understand is how changing the speed of light makes the spacecraft go faster."

J'Va smiled and continued, "Good question, 2A'Ha. The Translation Drive Interface (TDI) moves the spacecraft by incrementally changing its location parameters thousands of times per second. The greater each incremental change, the greater the velocity of the spacecraft. But, like motion in normal space, motion in C+ Space is limited by the speed of light. We don't know why that is the case. But we are stuck with the limitation. The way around this limitation is to increase the speed of light within the C+ Space bubble surrounding the spacecraft and the speed with which the bubble itself moves through normal space. This is the work of the Translation Drive Interface. Make sense?"

2A'Ha sat silently for a few moments then replied, "I think so. Please continue, Grandfather."

J'Va then resumed. "An early priority of TDI research was to determine whether each point in the universe was associated with a particular set of parameters. If this were the case, then the universe could be said to have an absolute frame of reference and ships could instantaneously be translated from one known point to another known point without traversing the intervening space. If the universe did not have an absolute frame of reference then travel between any two points could only be accomplished through a sequence of incremental jumps in a particular direction, each jump relative to the ship's current location. No universal coordinate system was ever discovered, though a few bold adventurers attempted jumps to distant points. None of these brave but reckless travelers were ever heard from again. Consequently, a Translation Drive Interface (TDI) was developed that continually rewrote the position of the ship in terms of a large number of small jumps.

Travel in the C+ Space bubble did not isolate the ship from the rest of the universe. Although some optical distortions are inevitable at hyper-relativistic speeds, the ship itself was still in the universe. Traveling faster than light, avoiding obstacles is a critical issue. Large objects could be sensed and dodged using long range sensors and the Translation Drive Interface. Smaller objects were less of a problem. As soon as an object entered the C+ Space bubble, the attendant reduction in the electrostatic force immediately tore apart and ionized its atoms and molecules, the shards of which were easily swept aside by the ships magnetic field.

All Z'Li ships were spherical in shape and coated with a membrane that continuously adjusted the epsilon value in the surrounding C+ Space bubble to prevent damage to the ship itself. A second function of this membrane was to reflect back into space all electromagnetic radiation striking the hull. Nothing got through, from infrared to x-rays and gamma radiation. Thus shielded, Z'Li spacecraft could safely travel throughout the galaxy.

In practice, Z'Li ships traveled interstellar space at speeds ranging from 2c to 100c, depending on the density of the interstellar dust. Within solar systems, safety issues typically restricted velocities to less than 0.20c. Needless to say, impacting even tiny objects at super-relativistic speeds could hole, if not destroy, a space craft in an instant. It had happened and nobody wanted to become a statistic.

A variation on C+ Space parameter tweaking was developed to simulate gravity and inertial damping within space craft. By convention, the direction of gravity was always along the trajectory of the ship opposite its direction of motion. And thanks to inertial damping there was no crush associated with acceleration or deceleration. Decks and living/work spaces were engineered accordingly.

Spacecraft take-offs and landings became something of an art form as pilots became known for their signature moves in these and other maneuvers. Using the Translation Drive, which was never turned off for any purpose, space craft could descend through the atmosphere of a planet slowly enough to avoid atmospheric heating and/or disturbances, gradually settling to within inches of the surface. There they hovered, tweaking parameters to hold position in spite of ground (or sea) movements underneath and atmospheric storms outside. Hatches would then be extended and gangways lowered to the surface. Of course, Z'Li ships could just as easily hover over water and launch surface or underwater craft as circumstances dictated. No other race in the galaxy ever had space travel so good. And none of them ever learned its secrets.

A critical application of parameter tweaking was the Quantum Entangled Portal (QEP) system. Quantum entangled portals were created in pairs, triples, or larger sets, only two of which may be active at a given time. Upon activation, a portal system simultaneously generated identical spherical bubbles of space-time at two locations. Looking into one of these bubbles is like looking into a crystal sphere. You can see the boundary but your eye is naturally drawn to what is on the other side.

In a two-portal system, materials entering one portal appeared instantaneously at the other. In more complex portal systems, a hand-held control device was used to activate a gateway between a specific pair of portals within the system. Since light itself could make the same journey, looking into an active portal one saw the other end and its surroundings. For instance, as a person entered one portal he could be seen exiting the other. And since the size of the space-time bubbles generated portals were adjustable (up to a limit), Z'Li space craft could pass through easily.

This system of transport was a spectacular success with only one drawback: Both the sending and receiving portals had to already be in position. That is, a portal could not be "projected" to a new location. It had to be carried there by a Z'Li spacecraft. Trips of this sort could require years of travel. Of course, once at its destination the ship could return to its point of departure by opening a sufficiently large portal and returning through the gateway. At any given time, there were thousands of Z'Li craft engaged in this sort of "seeding" activity, opening new portals for exploratory, research, and development teams across the galaxy.

Like other applications of Parameter Space Engineering (PSE), the technical leap of insight behind this nearly magical form of transportation was to fool the universal artifact into treating two portals as the same entity. In this approach, there is no need for a tunnel between the portals because, insofar as the universe is concerned, they are the same object. The only observable aspect of portal activation in normal space is the production of a gravitational pulse as the space-time bubble opens. A similar gravity wave is produced with the bubble closes. Generally detected using sophisticated technologies these pulses were everyday events in the empire.

The portal machinery itself consisted of a rectangular black beam 30 cm wide, 30 cm deep, 2 meters long, and massing approximately 20kg. Typically, the beam was set upon or recessed into a level patch of ground. When activated, the spherical portal appeared directly above the beam. In practice, everything from raw materials to scientific equipment to captive alien wildlife was shipped through the portal in hovercraft which both secured and restrained the contents. In time, we became collectors on a galactic scale.

To help manage our vast empire, we developed artificial intelligences (AIs) that eventually permeated every aspect of our lives. Originally developed as tools, the most sophisticated AIs eventually evolved into sentient beings that now partner with the Z'Li in nearly every aspect of our lives. Less sophisticated AIs served in a myriad of other applications, including tiny digital implants that articulated with our nervous systems to enhance perception, cognition, and communication. So equipped, our lifetimes increased exponentially. Indeed, the phrase "death from natural causes" all but vanished from the vernacular. Like ourselves, our civilization grew healthier, stronger, and wiser through the eons."

## CHAPTER 11 The Toy

As Andy was getting ready for bed, he opened his daypack in search of a paperback novel he was reading. To his surprise, in the bottom of his pack, he saw the object that Euclid had uncovered, something of which he had no memory until that very moment.

The Toy

Taking the daypack into the bathroom adjoining his bedroom, Andy closed the door just as Euclid scooted through the opening. Carefully removing the object from the pack, Andy examined it cautiously by sight and feel as Euclid examined it by smell. A disk roughly 15 cm in diameter and 3 cm thick, the object resembled some sort of hand-held game, with a triangular display screen, buttons, and other odd features. Interested in his find but still unable to recall how he acquired it, Andy dropped the object back into his pack and returned to his room. Euclid jumped up on the bed and stared nervously at the pack as if it might be alive.

After his parents were asleep, Andy retrieved the object and, turning on his flashlight, examined it under the covers. It did resemble an electronic toy, or perhaps an electronic puzzle. The most obvious feature was its display, which showed an array of blue triangles. Wondering if the screen was touch-sensitive, Andy tapped one of the triangles repeatedly. Each tap toggled the tapped triangle's color from blue to red to green and back to blue. Repeating his experiment with several other triangles, he quickly decided that all of the triangles responded in the same manner. Assuming that the toy was some sort of artistic design tool, he spent the next half hour creating a series of designs, until he found one that was particularly pleasing to him.

Andy's Design

As Andy colored the last triangle in his design, at precisely 10:37 pm MDT July 5 (12:37am EDT), the object tingled in his hand and Euclid (also under the covers) perked up his ears and whined softly. Pleased with his design but exhausted from the day's events, he returned the toy to the backpack and fell asleep almost instantly.

## CHAPTER 12 Final Approach

On Deck 19, I'Wa and K'Nom were receiving reports from team leaders concerning final preparations for landing, the selection of a landing site, weather reports, and the deployment of a world-spanning satellite-based remote sensing system. As they stood side by side in the command center, I'Wa and K'Nom savored the opportunity to be the first of their kind to swish tail on this planet. They had met early in their careers aboard the research vessel Manifold, he as a researcher and she as a pilot-navigator. In time, they fell in love, married, and forged a professional bond. On all Z'Li starships, the ship's commander and the research director were recruited as life partner teams. Their exemplary performance and leadership qualities eventually earned K'Nom and I'Wa their first appointment as a director-commander team and they began their careers as ship-based explorers. Later, 2A'Ha and 1V'Sa were born and they became a ship-based family.

As a planetary scientist, exobiologist, and research director, K'Nom's massive black beak was inscribed with the tokens of his profession (i.e., a solar system and a DNA chain) and command position (i.e., 4 stars). His black fur, muscular build, confidence, and air of authority marked him as a leader as much as the insignia. I'Wa, brown furred and sleek, was all leader as well. Her beak bore the galaxy insignia (e.g., ship navigation and operations) and four stars (e.g., captaincy). Focused on ship operations, safety, and communication, I'Wa issued a steady stream of orders to her subordinates. K'Nom monitored the data feeds from the candidate landing sites as he conferred with his colleagues. In all of these discussions, Ship-Citizen Epsilon was present as an observer, facilitator, recorder, and participant.

Epsilon carried 325 adults and 67 children. No alien species were included on this expedition. The ship's crew was comprised of 15 officers and 85 technicians. The research contingent was comprised of 225 scientists, engineers, teachers, technicians, and medical personnel. Tasked with cataloging the life forms on P'Dax, describing their relationships to one another and to their environment, and collecting and transporting live specimens to a zoo-planet, they would be on the planet for approximately one year local time. For them, Epsilon embodied home, work, and adventure.

Outfitted, provisioned, and staffed on the home world for this mission, Epsilon had gated from Home to a portal located in a star system approximately 12 light years from P'Dax. From there, the journey through C+ Space had taken approximately 50 days of objective time as measured on the home world but only 4 days of subjective time as measured on board the ship. Such was the nature of relativistic travel. Since the Epsilon carried a portal entangled with its twin on the home world, the return trip would be faster for all concerned as would shipments of scientific specimens and other materials to the zoo world. After a thorough review of the data and a discussion of the relative merits of different locations, a site for the research station was selected and touchdown scheduled for local dawn the next day.

The research station would be located on the edge of an inland sea just east of a mountain range that would, eons later, be called the Rockies in a state called Montana. Here, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, and Ankylosaurus lived and died on the coastal and upland plains. And here the Epsilon settled gently to rest at sunrise. Within minutes hatches were opened and gangways extended. Then robotic vehicles rolled down the gangways laden with equipment for projecting a hemispheric environmental and security screen 200 meters in diameter enclosing Epsilon and a ground-based research station. Within that screen, the Z'Li could live and work in an environmentally controlled bubble of comfort and safety. Outside of the bubble, they had to cope with the heat, humidity, noxious plants, insects, predators, storms, and other dangers. By the end of the day, the security screen was in place and the various laboratories, meeting halls, and habitats were starting to take shape on the ground around Epsilon.

Ten hatches were installed in the security screen along its circumference through which equipment and personnel could come and go as needed. Outside three of these hatches, landing pads and hangars were constructed for the expedition's hovercraft. A second security perimeter centered on the ship with a diameter of 600 meters was established for discouraging animal incursions and for enclosing a work zone for project operations. Animals crossing this perimeter were automatically targeted and harassed by lasers until they left the area. Within the security screen, expedition members were safe. Between the screen and the security perimeter they were free to move about in relative safety while still exposed to the local heat, humidity, and airborne dust, pollen, and microscopic organisms.

The excitement of landing and setting up camp was nothing compared to the spectacle that unfolded as evening approached. Standing safely inside the security screen, I'Wa, K'Nom, 2A'Ha, 1S'Va, J'Va and the entire ship's company watched in awe as storm clouds blackened and flashed with lightning, torrents of rain swept across the landing site (but not through the environmental screen), and the sunset painted everything in blood-like hues. Drawn by the camp lights, creatures of every size and shape came to investigate. Cautious at first, some of the larger animals eventually charged the visitors, who were plainly visible through the environmental shield. Upon making contact with the screen, each attacker was hurled backward at the same velocity with which it had approached. Slow moving giants were shoved back slowly. Fast moving predators were treated more roughly. None were successful in penetrating the shield.

Standing inside the security screen, the members of the expedition finally glimpsed the true nature of the world to which they had come. As 1S'Va and many other children clung to their parents in horror, the enraged predators turned on one another. Here was a lasting lesson for the entire team. Do not take this world for granted. It will kill you if it can.

The next day, three Z'Li left the security of the camp in a hovercraft: J'Li (a light brown female), team leader and botanist; Q'Fa (a dark brown male), zoologist; and O'La (a black female), communication and defensive systems. All were qualified hovercraft pilots. Their mission was to photograph and precisely locate interesting plant and animal species within a 10km radius of the ship. Periodically, they would stop to take air, water, and soil samples and to set up observation systems, each of which streamed visual, audio, and scientific data back to Epsilon. If no threat was apparent, they then would exit the craft to observe what reactions, if any, their presence provoked from the dinosaurs and the hordes of flying, crawling, and leaping creatures that appeared to trouble the larger animals incessantly.

The bright yellow hovercraft in which the survey team traveled was approximately 8m in length, 3m wide, and 2m high. Propelled by its own translation drive, the craft was sleek and easily maneuverable in the open. Penetrating forested areas was more problematic, as the only paths through the tangle of vegetation were narrow and winding game trails. Since the forest canopy blocked the view of the forest floor from above, it became necessary on occasion to leave the hovercraft and enter the forest on foot. On the second day out, the team left the hovercraft and walked into the forest armed with communication gear, defensive devices (e.g., noise makers, gas grenades, projectile weapons, and shields), and an assortment of sampling kits.

Wearing only tool belts and weapons harnesses, the team sealed the hovercraft and walked into the forest along a game trail. Hot, humid, and alive with insects, the forest was also fragrant. A canopy of gigantic ferns reached for the sky and a undergrowth covered the ground. As they walked, J'Li photographed flowers before snapping off the blooms and bagging them for later study. Simultaneously, Q'Fa photographed insects and collected them. Luckily, it took the insects of P'Dax only moments to realize that the Z'Li were not food. So, other than brushing the inquisitive creatures out of their eyes, ears, and nostrils, the team was not particularly troubled by insects. O'La mapped their location relative to the hovercraft and maintained communication with the base, all the while watching, listening, and sniffing for potential threats.

The trio had been walking for about 20 minutes when the attack came. Without warning, they were ambushed by two raptors, each approximately two meters in height and 3 meters in length. Concealed in the undergrowth on either side of the game trail, they made no sound at all until they leapt. Triggered by the sudden motion, a defensive shield similar to that used around the ship was instantly deployed. On encountering the shield, the raptors were hurled backward and rendered unconscious. Just as quickly the shield toggled itself into standby mode. Startled by the attack, the team took a few moments to regain their composure and to check for other potential assailants before examining the unconscious dinosaurs. As they did so, yet another attack was launched from directly overhead as a large snake dropped out of the canopy. Before they realized it they were under attack again. The shields came on a second time and the snake was tossed aside unconscious.

Blinking rapidly in the Z'Li display of astonishment, Q'Fa asked "I wonder how long this is going to go on," to which O'La replied, "How much time do you have? Do you remember the time we walked into that patch of poisonous plants on Y'Duk? They would have hung on until we were fully digested if you hadn't hit them with that herbicide. I had a rash for a week!"

Laughing (i.e., for Z'Li a coughing sound), they photographed and measured all three animals, took tissue samples, and continued on their way. Within minutes, all three unconscious animals were swarming with insects. By evening, there would be nothing left but fragments of teeth and bone. The team returned to the hovercraft two hours later loaded with samples and eager to share their adventures with their families and colleagues. Nevertheless, they opted to sleep inside the hovercraft that night. Two days later when they returned to the ship, they all went straight to the showers to scrub and scratch P'Dax out of their fur, nostrils, ears, and eyes.

As work on the camp itself neared completion, personnel took up their responsibilities according to their specialties. The geology team was responsible for developing a history and profile of the area including warning systems for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Another team developed weather and climate models. Other teams focused on genetics, microbial life, plant life, animal life, solar activity, and several other disciplines. The environmental science and behavioral sciences teams sought to describe the intricate web of dependencies that knit the plants and animals into a complex whole and the instincts that characterized animal behavior. These and similar pursuits occupied the scientific teams for months.

As Epsilon's work progressed, the teams identified hundreds of species of plants and animals that played critical roles in the ecosystem. Healthy samples of these organisms (large and small) and related soil and water samples were collected and prepared for transfer to a Z'Li zoo world. Project personnel, materials, information constantly flowed between P'Dax, the zoo world, and the home world through the quantum entangled portal system, or gateway, that Epsilon brought from Home.

Inside vast environmental bubbles on the zoo world, P'Dax species would populate model ecosystems reflective of their home worlds' for the study and amusement of the Z'Li people and for the preservation of their genetic records. To construct a zoo world environment, millions of kilograms of rock, soil, water, plant life, and animal life had to be moved vast distances in a timely and secure manner. Almost all of this was hauled through the portal on hovercraft that both secured and contained the samples.

## CHAPTER 13 The President

For 3 days, NSA scientists tried and failed to learn anything new about the artifact. During the same period, pressure from the White House to open the artifact and to determine its function grew exponentially. At 12:37am EDT on July 6, something both unexpected and frightening occurred. Without warning, the NSA team working on the artifact was stunned unconscious by an unknown force. The same force was felt to a lesser extent by other NSA personnel working in nearby offices and laboratories. Staggered but unhurt, they immediately sounded an alarm and rushed to the laboratory. A moment later, NSA Director Boilen bolted out the door of his office at a run.

On entering the laboratory, Boilen found the dazed but otherwise uninjured scientists on the floor of the laboratory holding their heads and talking to concerned colleagues. Quickly surveying the room, he could see no damage to the artifact, the test equipment, or the scientists.

Speaking to the team leader, Dr. Richard Black, Boilen asked, "Rick, are you OK? What happened here?"

Black stood up slowly with the help of a technician and replied, "We're a little dazed, but otherwise OK, I think. I have no idea what just happened. We were reviewing our plans. Then we were on the floor. We didn't do this. It just happened."

Looking to the other team members for confirmation, Boilen asked, "Can you think of anything that immediately preceded this event that might have triggered it? Did you touch the artifact? Turn on a piece of equipment? Spill your coffee? Anything at all?"

Another team member, Jim Burns, said slowly and somewhat defensively, "Rick is right. We were all just sitting around talking. All of the equipment is still off. See for yourself. Whatever triggered this event did not originate in this room."

Boilen felt a chill pass through him as he digested Burns' comment. What if the event had been triggered by another alien device? Or worse yet, by an undetected alien? Things were spinning out of control. What was he going to tell the President?

Summoning a confident speaking manner that belied his own churning anxieties, Boilen addressed the scientists: "People, before you forget anything, go back to your offices and write down your thoughts, observations, and actions spanning the last 30 minutes. Don't leave anything out. I'll be reviewing the security tapes. As soon as you are finished, email your notes to me. Then go directly to the nurse's station. Nobody comes into this room until I say so. A guard will see to that. Any questions?"

As his staff filed out of the room, Boilen stood staring at the artifact, thinking: Someone is going to talk, probably soon, probably one of the President's people, probably on his orders. The White House will want a measure of control over the media. The President can do that by feeding them both leaks and official reports. When his leaks prove to be reliable, he will have them where he wants them, eating out of his hand. That bastard is going to use the greatest scientific discovery in history to consolidate and expand his political power base. And NSA is going to be blamed for whatever goes wrong. I might as well gift wrap this thing and send it to the Pentagon.

As Boilen walked slowly past the staff offices, he could hear them working on their reports. It was time to call the White House.

Awakened from a troubled sleep, President William Hall took Dr. Boilen's phone call in his bedroom. Immediately following that conversation, the President summoned his National Science Advisor, Dr. George Brown, to the White House for an emergency meeting. The President then dressed and walked to the Oval Office. He had always believed that one day he would take his rightful place as leader of the greatest nation in the world. While awaiting his turn, he had amassed a fortune on Wall Street then served three terms in the Senate. Now, at sixty years of age, he was tall, vigorous, confident, charming, rich, and utterly ruthless when necessary.

After pouring a whisky, the President sat at his desk and began writing a memo. He was still writing 20 minutes later when his National Science Advisor arrived. Gesturing for his friend and long-time political advisor to take a seat, the President said, "George, a half an hour ago I got a call from Boilen. Something has happened at NSA. That alien artifact just knocked a team of scientists unconscious."

Leaning forward, Brown said, "Really. I'm not surprised. While on the way to the White House, I received calls from the directors of three domestic and five foreign science agencies informing me that a gravitational wave pulse originating in the vicinity of Washington, DC was detected at 12:37am EDT. The thing that you need to know about gravitational wave pulses is that, as far as we know, they are always associated with black holes. Our science is barely capable of detecting gravity pulses, much less generating one artificially. Mr. President, we need to consider the possibility that the alien artifact is responsible for the pulse."

Hearing this, the President rocked back in his chair, shocked speechless.

Continuing, Brown asked, "How are the NSA personnel? Are they conscious now?"

The President nodded and added, "First impressions are that they're OK, but they are being thoroughly examined. As to how or why this occurred, nobody has a clue. They weren't engaged in any test procedures. All of their equipment was off or in stand-by mode. One moment they were talking and the next they were on the floor. Whatever hit them, other people in the building apparently received a milder jolt, not enough to knock them out but enough to get their attention. They are the ones who hit the alarm. Boilen is taking all of their statements at the moment and will have more information for us in a while."

Brown sagged back into his chair. "Mr. President. What if the artifact is a communication device? What if it just phoned home? We need contingency plans for all sorts of plausible scenarios."

The President smiled and said, "I know. I have the beginning of something here," as he handed Brown the memo he had been writing. In it, the President outlined his goals and strategies for dealing with the media, government agencies, foreign governments, and the American people.

As Brown read silently, the President read his facial expressions: Surprise, appreciation, and cunning. All as expected. When he finished reading the memo, Brown looked up, smiled, and said, "How could I have expected anything less from you, Mr. President? I'll get started on this right away."

As he was leaving, Brown turned to the President and said, "One other thought, Mr. President. You might ask Dr. Boilen whether there were any unexplained ailments, injuries, or incidents at the dig before the NSA got involved. Tonight's event might not be the first of its kind."

The President raised an eyebrow in appreciation as he nodded goodnight to his National Science Advisor.

Miles Boilen was at the White House by 2:00am. The President was furious.

"What the hell have you and your NSA nerds done, Dr. Boilen? My phone has been ringing off the hook. George Brown is getting calls from laboratories and science directorates all over the world. I want to know right now what you think this thing is," thundered the President. "And please spare me your scientific reserve. Is it or is it not a threat?"

Taken aback by the President's intimidating manner, Boilen swallowed and said, "Mr. President, we have no idea what it is. All we have are some physical measurements that provide no clues to its composition or function. I do know that it doesn't tick or emit radiation of any sort. It isn't heavy enough to suggest that it contains fissionable materials. For all we know, it might be a commemorative plaque."

Snarling his dissatisfaction, the President snapped back, "Commemorative plaque, very funny, Dr. Boilen. Since when do commemorative plaques emit pulses? I think I'll start composing a commemorative dirge for next year's NSA budget right now. While I work on that, you work on this: Let's start with the assumption that the object is a device of some sort and that it was made to do something. I want to know what it does. We already know it's at least partially operational. I want to know who among our friends and enemies knows about the device itself. And I want to know whether its owners now know that we have disturbed it. For all we know, ET just phoned home!"

Boilen paled noticeably and said, "Pulse? What kind of pulse, Mr. President?"

As the President started pacing the Oval Office, he said, "You really don't know what has happened tonight, do you Miles? In a nutshell, that device emitted a gravitational pulse that made the entire Earth ring like a bell. The only known sources of gravitational pulses are black holes. We may have opened Pandora's Box! I am convening a top secret board of inquiry headed by George Brown and staffed by representatives of the military, the CIA, the NSA, and a select committee of the National Academy of Sciences. I don't know how long we have until the media get wind of this. Can you imagine the panic? People will go nuts and expect me to explain it all away. The religious right will go ballistic."

Boilen sat stunned as he realized that his authority had been usurped by Dr. Brown and that his agency was threatened with budgetary cuts. After reassuring the president that his team would be working round-the-clock, Boilen left the meeting more anxious about the fear he saw in the President's eyes than about the mystery presented by the object itself.

After Boilen was gone, the President thought, "This is going to change everything. When the While House breaks the story of the discovery, I will need to explain what it means to ordinary people. That explanation needs to be crafted very carefully. I need to turn that alien artifact into an intergalactic greeting card, a post card from ET, an invitation to join the United Federation of Planets, delivered by me to the people of Earth. If this works out, I win. If not, Boilen loses."

## CHAPTER 14 The Puzzle

1V'Sa ran toward the playground, laughing and calling to her friends. "Come on," she yelled over her shoulder. "You are slower than the big fat dinosaurs!"

In reply, 1R'Li, a mottled male, howled, "You cheat, 1V'Sa. We weren't ready" as he thundered up and leaped over her head onto to the playground equipment. "Last one to the top is a dinosaur turd!"

An instant later three other primary students were scrambling up an obstacle-studded wall. First to the top was 1R'Li, who gloated and taunted the others. Just then 2A'Ha walked over to the base of the wall and shouted, "I have seen dinosaurs that are more worthy of digital implants that you are. Grow up and get back to your studies!" Chastised by the older student, the children sulked as 2A'Ha turned and slowly walked away. But 2A'Ha's rude comment also got the primary students wondering what happens when the grown-ups insert implants in dinosaur brains. Excited by this notion, they raced back to the tutorial center to ask the AI. And 2A'Ha smiled as he remembered something very similar happening to him on a different planet.

2A'Ha was nearing the end of his secondary education, and was wrestling with conflicting ambitions and anxieties about his transition to tertiary education. He had enjoyed childhood and adolescence, especially the sports. He was tall and strong for his age and he knew it. In school, he liked everything but had no confidence that he could excel at anything. And the thought of doing original research was frightening. How in the world did people manage that? Sitting down on a boulder near the security perimeter, he took out his mathematics pad. Of all his courses, 2A'Ha enjoyed mathematics the most. Something about the utility and power of mathematics, the modeling of complex systems, and the certainty of proof resonated deep within him. Yet here he was struggling with a problem that should have been easy. His tutor assured him that he had talent and that all students of mathematics suffered similar doubts. It was normal, and he should persist.

2A'Ha's Mathematics Pad

The task he faced was to discover and prove a mathematical theorem suggested by the triangular design displayed on the pad. "How can I discover a pattern that I cannot see?" he mumbled to himself. "What good is persistence when I am blind to the pattern?"

Just then, 3F'La, a lovely brown female tertiary student, looked over his shoulder and said, "You can do it, 2A'Ha. Wiser heads than yours are following your progress and are confident that you are on the right path. I cannot give you the answer, but I can do this," she said as she shrunk the design and dragged it into the lower left hand corner of the screen. Now what do you see?"

3F'La's Hint

2A'Ha immediately grasped that he was to investigate part-whole relationships in the original figure. And with that insight his confidence returned. He now knew that he would solve the problem. Giving a light bow to 3F'La, he smiled sincerely and said, "You honor me."

3F'La smiled, turned and sauntered off while 2A'Ha appreciated the view. Yes, growing up would have its rewards. As he turned his attention back to his math pad he suddenly had an insight that made him smile. He could represent the area of the entire figure as the sum of a series of smaller and smaller areas. After a few minutes he had a new pattern on his pad.

2A'Ha's Insight

He knew he was on the right track when the pad began vibrating, a signal that it was communicating with one of the local AIs. He had the geometric key to the puzzle, and it suggested three infinite sequences of smaller and smaller triangles, represented by the red triangles, the green triangles, and the blue triangles. Now he had to develop a symbolic representation for his discovery. When he found that, the pad would again signal an AI, which would send word of his success through the portal to the Education Directorate on the home world. And then, the most wonderful thing would happen. The Education Directorate would assign a Z'Li tutor to 2A'Ha. This tutor would not be another AI but a Z'Li mathematician with a distinguished record and an aptitude for teaching. For Z'Li children, this was the most important milestone in their education. It was the moment they joined adult society, took on adult responsibilities, and began enjoying adult privileges. It was also the most challenging stage of their education for the tutors were more demanding and challenging than any AI could be. 2A'Ha was about to become 3A'Ha, and he couldn't wait.

## CHAPTER 15 Friends

In the morning, Andy awoke eager to share his experiences and discoveries with Donnie and Heather. Since childhood, they had all lived in the same neighborhood, grown up together, attended the same schools, played in the same parks, and learned to swim at the same pool. They also spent a lot of time in each others' homes and kept few secrets from one another. Andy was the oldest of the three by two months. He was also the tallest at 5'10" and 140lbs. Black haired and handsome, his mother thought he should become an engineer. Donnie, a Blackfeet Indian, was next oldest and second tallest at 5' 9" and 135lbs. Donnie's father, Ken, was director of the Buffalo Jump State Historical Monument Park and Center near Great Falls. His mother, Kattie, taught 3rd grade at Longfellow Elementary School. She was sure that Donnie would be the next Taylor Lautner. At 5'6" and 110lbs, Heather was brown haired, pretty, and outgoing. Her parents, Joe and Katrina, owned a printing business in town and were sure she would become a doctor.

In middle school, Andy, Donnie, and Heather had all played in the school band (Andy drums, Heather flute, and Donnie trumpet), belonged to the computer club, and played intramural sports. Basketball was the boys' favorite sport. Heather played volleyball and ran track. They all looked forward to starting Great Falls High School in the fall and participating in the extracurricular activities that it offered. Life was good.

Andy knew that Heather and Donnie would be interested in the toy he found at the dig. Andy's immediate concern was how to keep the toy a secret from their parents. If any of the parents found out, the others would also, which made him wonder where he could conceal the toy so that his mother was unlikely to find it. She was always in his room and didn't hesitate to straighten his bed, closet, and dresser drawers. Last night he kept the toy was under his pillow, but it couldn't stay there forever. As he dressed, Andy pondered, "Where can I hide it that my mother will never look?" After a few moments, he smiled and slipped the toy into his DVD case behind the Terminator movies.

Once dressed, Andy went down to breakfast confident that it was going to be a great day. After eating, he called Heather and Donnie and asked them to meet him on the sports field at the middle school in 10 minutes. He then returned to his room, put the toy in his pack, jumped on his mountain bike, and called Euclid. Riding onto the school grounds, Andy scanned the parking lot and sports field looking for anyone who might take an interest in him and his friends. Satisfied that nobody was watching, Andy parked his bike beside the bleachers and took a seat on the top row of seats. Euclid was not built for navigating bleachers, but when Andy took out the toy and began working with the display, Euclid made a series of leaps that eventually brought him to the top row of seats, where he settled nervously at Andy's feet.

Within minutes, first Heather and then Donnie arrived on their bikes. All three had asked for and received mountain bikes as Christmas presents the previous year. By now, they were all expert bike handlers and could get around Great Falls faster than many motorists using their knowledge of the town's streets, alleys, and bike trails. As Donnie and Heather pulled up to the bleachers, Andy waved to them and they quickly joined him on the top row.

"Hey Andy," they called in unison. Continuing, Heather added, "How was the trip?"

Andy smiled at his friends and replied, "Great, but kind of weird."

Donnie smiled and said, "That's just because you were along, Andy. You have that effect on people, you know."

Heather laughed and smiled at Andy expectantly. Looking around, Andy reached into his backpack and pulled out the toy, saying, "I found this at the dig. It's some sort of game, I think. But I have never seen anything like it. Have you?"

Immediately curious, Donnie started pushing buttons. Heather wrinkled her nose and said, "We'll never figure it out that way, Donnie. Andy, why do you think this is a game? I'm not certain that it is a toy. Could it be a piece of scientific equipment dropped by the diggers?"

This thought struck Andy like a thunderbolt. It had never occurred to him that the device might not be a toy. But before he could get started on a guilt trip Heather turned the device over, studied the back, and said, "Look at this thing. There are no labels, no part numbers, no patent numbers, none of that stuff that covers the back of every electronic game I have ever seen. And where do you put in the batteries or plug in the charger?"

Andy and Donnie leaned over to study the back of the device themselves, nodded their heads and murmured, "Uhuh," as Andy's stomach churned.

Turning the device over again, Heather examined the front carefully. "What are these symbols around the display? I've never seen them before, but my dad might have. As a printer, he works with type fonts and styles every day. He might know what they are, or at least know how to find out. Let's copy them down and ask him."

Both Andy and Donnie immediately agreed to Heather's plan and watched carefully as she copied down the symbols in a small pad she always carried with her, a habit learned from her father. After a few minutes, they agreed that the symbols on paper were the same as the symbols on the toy. Then, with the device in Andy's pack, they all left for Heather's house where they hoped to find her father.

Three minutes later they pulled into Heather's yard, dumped their bikes on the grass, and ran into the house. Mr. Thomas, who was reading the morning paper at the breakfast table, greeted the three kids cheerfully and stared at the paper that Heather was thrusting under his nose.

"Dad," Heather said, "we were wondering what these symbols mean."

Joe Thomas looked briefly at the paper then shifted his gaze to the three expectant teenagers. Looking back at his daughter, Thomas replied, "Hmmm, I don't recognize these marks. They are definitely not a part of any of the character sets that I work with. Where did you find them?"

Always quick to sense an easy exit from a tricky conversation, Heather turned on the charm and replied, "You caught us dad. We found this stuff on the web and wanted to know if it meant anything or was just made-up symbols. How did you know?"

Please with himself, Thomas spent the next 15 minutes justifying his conclusion while the kids tried to look interested. When it appeared that he was nearing the end of his dissertation, they thanked him for being a good sport and waved goodbye as they beat a hasty retreat.

Once out of hearing range, they collapsed in laughter on the grass. Eventually, however, Andy broke the spell by saying, "What now?"

After thinking a moment, Heather looked hard and Andy said, "Tell us how you found it, and don't leave anything out. Then tell us what you have been doing with it."

Andy nodded his head, then recounted as much as he could recall. From time to time, Donnie and Heather asked questions. Sometimes their questions helped Andy remember details that he hadn't thought of on his own. Over the course of nearly an hour the three teenagers thought and talked about Andy's discovery and the mystery of the dig.

Eventually, Donnie said, "So, let's have another look at it."

Heather cautioned "Hold on, Andy. Someone could see us here and come over to find out what we're doing. We need privacy."

Donnie offered, "Let's go to my house. My parents went shopping and will be gone for hours."

Trying to look casual, the three teenagers picked up their bikes and rode slowly over to Donnie's house (to give Euclid a break and to avoid drawing attention), parked the bikes in the garage, then raced inside, slowing only to grab some of Mrs. Wolfchild's cookies before settling on the family room floor.

Andy demonstrated how to toggle the triangle coloring from green to red to blue and back. For some time, they took turns doing the same while Euclid divided his attention between the toy and the cookies.

Eventually Heather asked, "Is that everything this thing can do or should we try some other possibilities?"

"Like what?" Andy asked.

"Like, what are all of these symbols for?" she asked. "The symbols and the display must be connected, like in a hand-held calculator. On every calculator I have ever seen, you use the keys to enter information. Then the display tells you the answer."

Donnie suddenly sat up straight, grabbed the device away from Heather and said, "What if this is different? What if we use the display to enter the data and the symbols tell us the answer?"

"Or what if" Andy added, "both the display and the symbols are used to enter information?"

"What kind of game would that be?" Heather asked.

"Maybe it's a puzzle instead of a game." Donnie added.

Frowning and pointing at the symbols, Andy then asked, "If this is a calculator, what kind of numbers are these?"

Heather then added, "Actually, we may not have enough symbols."

"Why do you say that, Heather?" Andy asked.

"Well," she replied, "there are only ten symbols here. If they stand for the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, then what do you use for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?" she asked.

Catching onto the idea, Andy immediately added, "And you need a symbol for "equals".

"And the decimal point," Donnie stated.

"Hold on guys. We need a calculator. I'll be right back," Donnie said as he raced back to the kitchen. When he returned, he had a troubled look on his face.

"What's the matter, Donnie?" Heather asked.

"I never realized how many symbols there are on my calculator before. And lots of them have multiple uses," he replied.

"So, how do we get a calculator with only nine keys to do arithmetic?" Heather asked.

Looking confused, Andy took a deep breath and said with conviction, "We are over our heads here. We need help. I think I know who to ask, but I want to hear your ideas first. Who do we trust?"

Heather and Donnie looked at each other for an instant, nodded, and said together, "Mrs. Skillingberg."

Andy nodded his approval and added, "I was thinking the same thing. Let's see if she's home."

Among Great Fall's long-serving teachers, few made as lasting an impression on students as Cynthia Skillingberg. Indeed, many of the parents of today's 8th graders considered her to be their most memorable teacher. She was hard to forget. Her sparkling eyes, perkiness, and knowledge of mathematics, teaching, and technology were formidable. Typically dressed in denim and diamonds at school, she had a wall full of teaching awards, including one from the first President Bush, and a doctoral degree in mathematics education from Montana State University. To her students, she was the hardest teacher they ever loved.

The important thing to know about Mrs. Skillingberg is that, once she teaches you how to think, she won't settle for anything less than good thinking. Strange as it may seem, this expectation is not all that common. When kids find themselves in her class at the beginning of the school year, most already know she's going to make them think, even if they're not sure what that means. For instance, last year, Heather, Donnie and Andy took their seats the first day of class and stared at Mrs. Skillingberg in anticipation. She didn't disappoint. Right off, she announced that it was her job to turn their pulpy little brains into powerful thinking machines. Most of the kids expected something to this effect, so they all smiled and leaned forward in their desks in anticipation. Reading them like a book, Mrs. Skillingberg turned to the board, and began writing.

"Think of the following figure as a staircase with 4 steps," she began. "As you can see, I need 10 boxes to make the staircase. How many boxes would I need to build a staircase with 1000 steps?"

Staircase

Naturally, nobody knew the answer. And they were pretty sure that Mrs. Skillingberg wasn't going to tell them. She expected them to use their pulpy little brains to figure it out.

To get things started, Mrs. Skillingberg asked the students to form discussion groups, each with four students. Andy, Heather, Donnie, and Jimmy Holding turned their desks so that they were facing each other, copied the figure, and added numbers at the end of each row indicating the number of boxes in a staircase with that many rows. Their figure looked something like this:

Augmented Staircase

Next, they extended the figure a few more rows and gathered additional data. But this was as far as they could go. The other groups were more or less in the same state when Mrs. Skillingberg addressed the class.

"You seem to be familiarizing yourself with the problem nicely. Now it's time to abstract the problem. By that, I mean that you should shift your attention from sketches of staircases to number relationships. The important mathematics here is really about the relationship between the number of rows and the number of boxes for any size staircase. We can study that relationship by building a data table. Who can anyone tell me how to extend this table without drawing more staircases?"

Data Table

Mary Jess volunteered the observation, "To get from one row to the next, first you add two then you add three then you add four, and so on."

Mrs. Skillingberg nodded approval and asked, "Using your pattern, what is the next row in the table, Mary?"

Mary smiled and answered, "5 steps require 15 boxes."

Mrs. Skillingberg then said, "Yes, now I want each group to extend its table to 20 rows using this approach. Then, I want you to look for an alternative approach for extending the pattern."

After a couple of minutes, Mark Wilson volunteered, "If you know the number of boxes for 3 rows, you can compute the number of boxes for 4 rows by adding 4, see, 6 + 4 = 10. And if you know the number of boxes for 4 rows, you can compute the number of boxes for 5 rows by adding 5; 10 + 5 = 15. And so on." Everyone could see that this approach, while true, did not provide any sort of shortcut that avoided building a table with at least 999 rows. So, Mrs. Skillingberg had us resume our search.

Naturally, we were all looking at the numbers in the column labeled "Number of Boxes." After a couple of minutes, Mrs. Skillingberg said, "Remember to look at the whole table."

With that hint, Heather's pulpy little brain suddenly started smoking. She quickly saw that the number of boxes for four rows equaled the sum of the numbers from one to four, that is, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. The class quickly checked and confirmed that pattern up to row twenty. This simplified the problem. We just needed to know the sum of the integers from 1 to 1000. To help us get started with that problem, Mrs. Skillingberg drew some figures on the board and explained them.

From Staircases to Rectangles

"Notice how I use two versions of each staircase, one right side up and the other upside down, to make a rectangle, and that the width of the rectangle is always one more than its height. Next, focus on the area of each rectangle. Your goal is still to tell me how many boxes there are in a staircase with 1000 rows.

By this point, all our pulpy little brains were smoking. Heather saw the pattern first. "It's easy. The number of boxes in the staircase is half the number of boxes in the rectangle. First we find the number of boxes in the rectangle then divide by two to get the number of boxes in the staircase. A rectangle with 1000 rows would be 1000 boxes high and 1001 boxes wide. So the number of boxes is half of 1000 times 1001. That's, ummm 500,500."

"Yeah, I get it, too," Andy and Donnie beamed. About this time, the other kids in the class were seeing the same thing, and we all compared ideas and told Mrs. Skillingberg. She nodded her head appreciatively as the bell rang and said, "Well done. I hope you enjoyed this, because every day I expect you to use your brains like you did today."

Andy grinned at her and asked, "So, do we have brains of steel now?"

Smiling back, she replied, "Steel, no. Tofu perhaps. But a promising batch of tofu, I must say."

We all laughed at that crack as we filed out and headed toward history class, feeling that we had just made some history of our own.

## CHAPTER 16 Nano

K'Nom was tired. His research team was tired. Keeping to the schedule had been easy at first, but as the survey teams wandered further and further from camp, greater and greater delays were introduced to a system that did not accommodate delays. Now, months into the project, equipment was starting to break down as the dirt, dust, pollen, and microbial life of the planet got into everything. Strange biofilms, fungi, and molds were starting to appear in unexpected places around the camp and even inside the environmental bubble. That wasn't supposed to happen. And members of his staff were starting to exhibit physical and psychological symptoms that made no sense. At the end of the day, he sought out the team's chief physician, J'Tan.

"J'Tan," he began, "we need to talk."

The physician stared at him and replied, "Yes. K'Nom, the life of this world is relentlessly seeking and finding inroads to our equipment, our bodies, even our minds. Over the last few days, I have seen and treated, with limited success, a growing number of injuries, illnesses, and psychological complaints among all sectors of our team: males and females, adults and children. Frankly, I am concerned for our safety and long-term health."

K'Nom rocked back on his tail, a Z'Li posture indicating reflection, and said, "How is this different from our experiences on other worlds? The injuries I understand; this is dangerous work. But what do you mean by illness and psychological complaints? Can you be more specific? I thought our biomechanical implants protected us from any and all intruders."

As a subordinate officer, J'Tan took a moment to compose her thoughts and to assume a serious but supportive demeanor. "All are related, I believe. Illness can slow reaction times and cloud judgment. Loss of sleep, exhaustion, and fear can contribute to situational depression. I see these symptoms every day, even if you don't. We need to face facts as a team and take whatever measures we must to gain the upper hand in the silent war that this planet is waging against us."

"War?" K'Nom replied. "Do you believe that the attacks we are suffering are directed by an unknown intelligence?"

"No, I don't think we are under attack by an intelligent entity," she replied. "Rather, it seems that all life on this planet is engaged in a ceaseless no-holds-barred contest for survival. In this competition, the winners carry on and the losers are eliminated from the game. By exposing ourselves to the life of this world, we have inadvertently become players in that deadly competition. "

K'Nom shook his head in astonishment. "So the extent and ferocity of this competition goes beyond what we have encountered on other planets?"

Nodding her head in agreement, J'Tan replied, "K'Nom, the Z'Li have never encountered a world such as this. All of our assumptions, indeed all of our operating protocols for conducting research while protecting ourselves may be invalid. The filters that we use to protect our machinery and ourselves from microscopic life forms and dust are designed to trap objects as small as 1 micrometer. In all of our visits to other worlds, we have never encountered life forms smaller than that. Consequently, our filters are not designed to trap anything smaller. We have never had to concern ourselves with nanoscale life forms, if that is what they are.

On this world there are life forms as small as 20 nanometers, fifty times smaller than the pores in our filters. How these nanoforms interact with our bodies is not clear. Our biochemistry is so different from that of this world that these things should not interact with our systems any more than the chemically inert particulates and aerosols that normally float in the air. So I do not believe that we can be damaged in the same sense that local life is damaged by these agents. Nevertheless, their presence is interfering with our normal cellular functions and we are showing symptoms that I have never encountered before. Against such invaders, we have no defense. We may have blundered into a war that we cannot win."

K'Nom stepped back and began pacing, talking as he walked. "We have sent thousands of specimens of plant and animal life through the portal to the zoo-world along with all the soil, mineral, and water resources they need to survive. What risks do you believe these shipments may pose to Z'Li on the zoo-world and to other worlds to which they may have been carried? Should we alert the Z'Li Medical Directorate?"

Calmly and firmly, J'Tan replied, "I believe that every cell of every plant and animal that we have sent through the portal may be contaminated with these nanoscale life forms. Against such dangers, our colleagues on the zoo-world are defenseless. Worse, they are probably unaware of the threat. I believe that we should contact them immediately and warn them of the danger."

K'Nom studied her for a moment then asked, "How soon can you leave?"

"Immediately," was all she said as she walked away. Within the hour, J'Tan had passed through the portal to the zoo-world and through a second portal to the home world, wearing an environmental suit that would not come off until experts at the Z'Li Medical Directorate were confident it was safe to do so. Before she left, J'Tan gave K'Nom a preliminary report, which he immediately forwarded to all ship personnel.

The next day, K'Nom stopped work, ordered all personnel to report to the medical center for physical exams, and urged them to meet with their team members and families to discuss the implications of J'Tan's findings. That evening, the entire crew of the Epsilon gathered in the main auditorium on board Epsilon. As K'Nom called the meeting to order, it was plain that everyone was anxious.

"How could this happen?" asked Y'Bar, head of the meteorology team. "We may all be contaminated! If that is the case, the Medical Directorate will have no choice but to quarantine all of us, perhaps on this planet, perhaps for life. We may never be able to rejoin our families and friends."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Y'Bar," K'Nom replied. "If we are carrying these life forms within our bodies, our colleagues will find a way to remove or, at least, disable them. Don't assume that we are without hope. Instead, think about how in the short term we can deal with the symptoms and sicknesses that we are suffering and with the equipment problems that we are experiencing. We still have a mission to complete and the resources to finish the job."

"What about the children," asked P'Nan, a medical technician. "Should we keep them inside?"

K'Nom nodded to indicate shared concern then added, "I think we can assume that we have all been exposed. Why some have become sick while others remain healthy is, at this point, impossible to say. But my impression is that the children are at least as healthy as the adults. Playing outside, they get as dusty as the research personnel. Until we understand more about this situation, I would prefer to keep things as normal as possible."

At this point, the expedition deputy director, X'Ka, announced that she had spent several hours discussing the situation with her counterpart on the zoo world. A preliminary scan of recently delivered plants and animals confirmed that they all carried multiple nanoscale life forms, for the most part without ill effect. In other words, for the plants and animals of this world, carrying these life forms was normal. There had been no reported cases of illness on the part of the zoo world staff, all of whom were now under continuous observation. The consensus of opinion among project leaders there was the same as that expressed by K'Nom: Keep working for now and report any changes. After offering a few more encouragements, K'Nom adjourned the meeting but invited individuals to remain as long as they wished to continue the discussion. Most of the crew left quietly in small groups. K'Nom then made his way to his shipboard quarters.

As he entered their quarters, father, mother, son, daughter, and grandfather came together in a group hug. Nobody said anything for a few minutes, they just held each other and united in a Zen-like breathing exercise that calmed their nerves and focused their concentration. When they separated, they took positions around the family table and I'Wa broke the silence.

"I have been in a portal meeting all afternoon with the director of the Starship Directorate on the home world. He is now receiving a live data feed from all ship sensors and systems. His staff is analyzing these data for anomalies as we talk and should get back to me soon with a preliminary report. If Epsilon has been compromised, we will know soon."

K'Nom then added, "Thank you. For now, let us suspend speculation and contingency planning, enjoy a meal together, and talk about other things."

And with something like courage and resolve, they all did just that. Unlike the majority of the ship's crew and research staff, the ship's commander and research director never slept outside the ship. Nor were both of them ever off ship at the same time. Their quarters included a command station with bridge override authority covering all propulsion, navigational, defensive, life support, and communication systems. This was their home, their retreat, and their fortress.

In the morning, 2A'Ha rose at dawn, as was his custom. Although 1S'Va and J'Va were still sleeping, his parents were already up. As 2A'Ha listened to his parents, it was plain that they had talked for some time after he went to sleep. During the night, news from the home world had arrived. A survey of the nanoscale life forms present in the plants, animals, soils, and water already sent through the portal confirmed J'Tan's initial impressions.

But worse yet, virulent biofilms had been found on the hovercraft and environmental suits worn by field scientists and technicians. These films were associated with a variety of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical system failures in both the hovercraft and the environmental suits. And because both hovercraft and environmental suits passed through the portal regularly, biofilms were starting to show up in the zoo world as well. There were concerns that the biofilms might have compromised Epsilon itself. If that were the case, the ship could be at risk once it left the atmosphere and was subjected to the extremes of spaceflight. The orders of the Medical Directorate and the Science Directorate were to complete shipment of a collection of large dinosaurs currently held in a corral adjacent to the portal, and break camp and bring Epsilon through the portal to a safe, quarantined location.

Tranquilized and controlled via digital implants in their brains (for instructions) and spinal columns (for control in the event they became violent), the dinosaurs would be walked from the holding pens, through the rain and mud into the portal, and onto the receiving dock on the zoo world. As soon as this operation was completed, the receiving portal would be relocated to a remote shipyard on the home world. Finally, Epsilon would be brought through to the portal to the shipyard, leaving an operational portal on the planet surface.

Over the next few hours, the captive specimens were herded in small groups from the holding pens to the portal, starting with the largest species. As first one group then another made the journey, their passage was recorded in the mud. Managed through their digital implants, even the most ferocious dinosaurs walked placidly across the compound, into the portal, and onto the receiving deck on the zoo world. While this phase of the evacuation was underway, other ship's crew began dismantling and returning their equipment camp facilities to the Epsilon. Completing this task required two days of hard labor, during which time the receiving portal was relocated and set up at a shipyard on the home world. When all of its personnel, equipment, and supplies were on board, the portal was activated and Epsilon slipped effortlessly through. An instant later, the portal closed. All that was left of the visit of the Epsilon to Savage was the portal interface, a set of dinosaur tracks, and 2A'Ha's mathematics pad accidentally left behind in the confusion.

## CHAPTER 17 Mrs. Skillingberg

Cynthia Skillingberg, a 50ish widow, lived in a yellow house with white trim on Willow Lane. A large cottonwood tree shaded a front porch complete with railing and wicker furniture. In the back yard, a detached garage adjoining an alley, a small garden, and several fruit trees completed the landscaping. Inside, the home was neat and thoughtfully furnished with both traditional and antique oak furniture.

Andy, Donnie, and Heather rode their bikes into Mrs. Skillingberg's front yard, dropped them to the grass, ran to her front door, and rang the doorbell. Nearly dancing with excitement, they all but rushed her when she opened the door.

"Mrs. Skillingberg," Andy said, "we need your help. Can we come in?"

Startled by the looks on their faces, she replied, "Of course. Come in. Wipe your shoes!"

Grinning, Andy, Heather, and Donnie dumped their shoes at the door and followed Mrs. Skillingberg into the kitchen, where she seated them at the table and provided each with a glass of water. "Now, what's all the excitement about?"

The kids all looked at one another for a moment, then Heather said, "Mrs. Skillingberg, we are working on a puzzle and it's driving us nuts. Can you take a look at it?"

Hearing this, their former teacher relaxed, smiled, and said, "Of course. Let's see it."

Reaching into his backpack, Andy pulled out some sketches that he had made of the toy's screen and the different designs he had made by shading triangles. "What kind of a puzzle is this?" he asked.

"I recognize the pattern, though I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish with the shading. The pattern itself is called Sierpinski's Triangle. The figure represents the first few steps in a process that never ends. At each step, smaller triangles are added, over and over forever. Of course, neither this sketch nor any other can actually show such a thing because you could never finish it. It's called a fractal. Does that word mean anything to you?"

As she was speaking, Mrs. Skillingberg added another set of triangles to Andy's sketch. Watching their faces, she knew that they had little trouble understanding her point. But she could also see that something was wrong.

"Why are you all frowning?" she added.

Heather struggled for a moment then asked, "So what's the answer to the puzzle?"

Startled, Mrs. Skillingberg sat back in her chair and studied the three adolescents. "OK, something is going on here that you have not shared with me. If you want my help, tell me everything." As she was speaking, she placed a cookie jar on the table and handed each student a napkin.

Andy sighed, took a cookie, and said, "This is going to be hard to believe, but it really happened". Fifteen minutes later, he concluded his story by saying, "And that's why we came to you, Mrs. Skillingberg. We need your help."

Cynthia Skillingberg sat silently throughout Andy's story, watching their faces and body language for any sign that this might be a joke. Before Andy was finished, she knew he was sincere.

"Do you have the toy with you now Andy?" she asked.

Andy nodded and reached into his pack, pulled out the toy, and placed it on the table. As he did so, Cynthia Skillingberg shivered. She looked at it for some time before tentatively touching it. Gaining confidence and resolve, she picked up the toy and examined it carefully. The casing was seamless, with no screws or other fasteners. Furthermore, there was no gap between the casing and the screen. And the symbols on the keys, she had never seen anything like them. The keys themselves didn't exactly depress. They deformed very slightly, but did not sink into the casing. No labels identified the toy's maker, model number, or patents.

Placing the toy back on the table, Mrs. Skillingberg took a deep breath and asked, "You call this a toy. But consider how and where you found it. How likely is it that a child would lose something like this in the wilds of Montana? I read in the paper that the government dug up an old bomb at the camp. Could this be connected with that somehow? Could it have fallen out of the same aircraft that mistakenly dropped that bomb? If so, this is military equipment and the same people that found the bomb may be looking for this device."

This idea had never occurred to Andy, Heather, or Donnie. And none of them were ready to surrender their find to the government. Wrinkling his brow, Andy said, "If this belonged to the government, wouldn't it say so?"

Mrs. Skillingberg thought a moment and replied, "Do you imagine that the bomb they found at the dig has labels like the things you buy at Walmart?"

The kids smiled at each other, then Heather replied, "Well, no, but why would they use symbols like these on the keys? If they are going to use symbols, you'd think they'd use English."

"Yes," Mrs. Skillingberg answered. "Well, perhaps we can set aside the mystery of the origin of this device long enough to make sense of this display and these buttons."

At this, Andy, Bill, and Heather all smiled, and Andy said, "I knew we could count on you, Mrs. Skillingberg."

Over the next hour, the kids and Mrs. Skillingberg made significant progress in unlocking the mysteries of the toy. Their first major breakthrough came when Mrs. Skillingberg suddenly stood up and said, "I have been wondering why the display is triangular in shape, why the figures inside are all triangles, why they can be shaded in only three ways, and why this keyboard, that looks so much like a calculator, has three keys that correspond to those shadings. The only reasonable conclusion I can draw is that everything we see here is somehow related to the base three numeration system."

Giving each other the look that said, "The what?" the kids all leaned slightly toward Mrs. Skillingberg as they waited for an explanation.

"Our numeration system is based on the number ten. We represent whole numbers using the ten numerals 0 through 9. The value attached to any given numeral in a number depends on the numeral itself and on its position, or place, in the number. For instance, the number 1234 is read one thousand two hundred thirty four. This expression is understood to mean one thousand plus two hundreds plus three tens plus four ones. Alternatively, this may be written as 1*(103) + 2*(102) + 3*(101) + 4*(100). Every place corresponds to a different power of ten. While this system is familiar and comfortable to us, there is no reason that a numeration system must be based on the number ten. It could be based on the number three. In such a system, numbers would be represented using only three numerals: 0, 1, and 2. Columns in base three numbers would be associated with powers of three rather than powers of ten. For instance, in base three, the number 1210three may be understood as 1*(33) + 2*(32) +1*(31) + 0*(30). In base ten, that corresponds to 27 + 18 + 3, or 48."

The kids spent the next 10 minutes asking Mrs. Skillingberg questions about base three numeration and practicing its use. When they seemed to be satisfied, she asked, "Now, let's assume that the whole point of this "game" is to see if you can make a connection between the geometric object seen on the screen and the numbers and operations available on this keyboard."

"What operations?" Donnie asked.

"Well, what operations would you expect to find on a calculator, Donnie?" she responded.

"Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division I guess," he answered.

"And you'll need an equal sign," Heather added.

Andy was staring hard at the screen display when he heard himself say, "This figure could be about the parts that go into a whole. The whole is the big triangle and the parts are the smaller triangles. We need some way to represent parts, like fractions."

Missing the startled looks on the kids' faces at Andy's comment, Ms. Skillingberg nodded thoughtfully, adding, "I think you may be onto something, Andy. To do that, we'll need a way to represent fractions using these keys. That might be approached using the division operation."

"How many keys do we need to represent whole numbers and fractions?" Heather asked. "Three numerals, four arithmetic operations (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), and an equals sign. That's eight. We have nine keys. Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know yet," replied Mrs. Skillingberg, "But I do know that I have an appointment with an optometrist in 10 minutes, so that's all the time I can give you today. Can you come back tomorrow at 11am? And can I keep your sketches? I want to study them a bit more."

Andy returned the toy to his pack and they all thanked Mrs. Skillingberg for her help and the cookies on the way out.

"What now," asked Andy?

"Back to my house for more thinking." Donnie suggested as they rode off on their bikes.

Watching them go, Mrs. Skillingberg wrestled with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Were they in danger? Had they had grabbed a dragon's tail? Were they at risk? As she stepped outside and walked toward her car, she resolved to find out what she could about the incidents at the dinosaur dig.

After her eye appointment, Mrs. Skillingberg phoned the reporter who had covered the dinosaur dig story for the local newspaper. A former student of hers, Howard Fine was well informed, responsible, discrete, and tenacious as a pit bull.

After exchanging pleasantries, she continued, "Howard, I want to express my appreciation for the story you wrote about the bomb discovered at the dinosaur dig. It was fascinating. Do you believe that there may be other military devices buried at the dig? I ask because some of my former students have expressed an interest in the site."

Howard started to say "no," then stopped himself. This was Cynthia Skillingberg. She had more layers than an onion and a penetrating mind that was always looking for connections. Ever the reporter, he asked, "I don't know if there are more bombs in the ground, but I do suspect there is more to your story, Cynthia. What do you know that I don't?"

He always was a quick one, she thought. Out loud, she replied, "Three of my students came to me with a story about a hand held device that one of them found at the site. They think it's a toy. I'm not so sure. I have seen it and it looks harmless. But how could we find out for sure, all the while protecting their privacy?"

Fine already knew that there was a story in this. The question was whether to treat it as human interest or serious, "Kids Find Arming Device for Bomb". Choosing his words carefully, Fine suggested that they all meet to discuss the situation. Mrs. Skillingberg replied, "Yes. Tomorrow at 11am at my place. Come alone. If I see a photographer, you can forget it."

Fine agreed to the terms and hung up knowing that "forgetting it" was no longer an option.

## CHAPTER 18 Z'Li Technology

The notion that space itself is, at some fundamental level, granular rather than continuous was not new when K'Ha developed the New Theory of Everything. Most Z'Li visualized this granularity as a cubic subdivision of space resembling the 3-dimensional coordinate system used in mathematics, science, and engineering courses.

Cubic Subdivision of Space

In this sort of subdivision, each unit of space is adjacent to six other units (e.g., above and below, right and left, in front and behind), a fact that may be readily verified using a set of children's blocks. Assuming that information passes from one unit of space to adjacent units of space, rather than leaping over intervening units, this model suggests that information from any given unit of space may be passed to one or more of six neighbors before moving on to other units. While the cubic model is appealing for its familiarity, it has two serious limitations. First, there are ways to pack units of space that provide greater "connectivity". For instance, the following figure illustrates a model in which the units of space are spheres rather than cubes.

Sphere Packing

In this model, units of space are packed together in the same manner as fruit in grocery store displays. This arrangement places each sphere in direct contact with 12 adjacent spheres, twice the connectivity implicit in the cubic model. More to the point, this arrangement facilitates the processing of information using the twelvefold way. For in the universal artifact, space, matter, and energy are all ultimately discrete, rather than continuous, and the information underlying their very existence is processed using combinatorial mathematics.

A second limitation to the cubic model is that there is no apparent "space" between units of space in which to "hide" the computational elements of the universal artifact. That is, if the units of space serve as the display elements for the universal artifact, where are the computational elements?

K'Ha's critical insight was in realizing that, in a spherical model, there was room between the spheres in which to "hide" an infinite number of computational elements. This notion is best introduced in a 2-D context. For instance, in the following figure, the area between three tangent circles (Circle 1, Circle 2, and Circle 3) is filled with an infinite number of tangent circles with smaller diameters.

2-D Model of the Computational Foam

In the next figure, this notion is extended to 3 dimensions. In K'Ha's New Theory of Everything, this computational "foam" performs mathematical computations and mediates the flow of information between the display elements (i.e., the spherical units of space).

3-D Model of the Computational Foam

Eventually, K'Ha realized that the universal artifact could not be completely characterized in terms of this computational foam alone. In the New Theory of Everything, each sphere, regardless of its function or size, was directly adjacent to the universal artifact's main computing bus through a 4th spatial dimension, a dimension which we can never sense nor investigate directly. We think that this bus connects all components that are in the 3-D universe to external data processing and data storage resources located in a higher dimension.

Through exhaustive theoretical studies and meticulous experimentation, K'Ha mapped the connections between the spheres of the computational foam using logic viruses that pre-empted the native code running in select regions of the universal artifact. Working like cellular automata, his viruses grew vast computational networks that served as a bridge between the computational foam and "our" universe. From this beginning, K'Ha built larger and ever more sophisticated AIs based on these automata that eventually became the foundation a multitude of C+ Space Engineering applications. In a real sense, these AIs exist "between" our universe and a higher dimension. The AIs are everywhere and nowhere relative to "our" universe. They are far faster and more powerful than quantum computers.

Over time, a wide variety of AIs were developed. Each variety was designed to meet a particular need or to serve a particular purpose. While each variety was crafted to perform its duties to the highest standards, most were mere machines in the sense that they were not self-aware. For instance, AI-Alphas were used to monitor, evaluate, manage, and maintain complex, large scale systems including communication networks, manufacturing facilities, scientific observation and reporting stations, and transportation and traffic control. Alphas were also capable of some self-directed adaptation and development. They were smart, powerful, and reliable without being sentient.

Typically, AI-Alphas supervised and often directly controlled the work of large numbers of AI-Betas. Tasked with lesser responsibilities and endowed with fewer resources, most Betas acted on a local rather than a system level, though some acted independently of other AIs directly under the supervision of Z'Li managers. Like Alphas, Betas were not self-aware.

At the pinnacle of Z'Li technology, a class of sentient AIs enjoyed the same rights as the Z'Li themselves. These entities, called AI-Citizens, were true partners with the Z'Li in their grand ventures. There were many categories of AI-Citizens, including Gateway-Citizens, Portal-Citizens, Science-Citizens, Engineering-Citizens, Ship-Citizens, Medical-Citizens, Leader-Citizens, Arts-Citizens and Mentor-Citizens. The information, computation, communication, and technological resources available to these entities were enormous and their capabilities were almost magical.

As powerful as they are, Z'Li AIs have limits. Some of these limits are imposed by their designers and by the nature of the universal artifact. For instance, AI-Citizens are local entities. That is, they can neither be everywhere nor know everything. Their only knowledge of events on remote worlds and contact with remote AIs is through the same electromagnetic and portal-based communication systems used by the Z'Li. Even AIs who are capable of traveling through C+ Space and gateways on their own are only able to do so under the same constraints as the Z'Li themselves.

A second fundamental limit for Z'Li AIs is implicit in the fact that they are essentially immaterial beings, just software running in the universal artifact. That software may be used in concert with other Z'Li technologies to deploy avatars when necessary. But avatars are not materials beings and are therefore limited in terms of their physical abilities. They cannot move material objects in the same way as muscles. Force fields must be employed which were notoriously clumsy in small scale maneuvers. In short AIs are designed to perform certain functions and not others. The AIs are neither all-purpose, all-powerful devices nor are they gods.

A key to the success of the sentient AIs is the way that their psychological needs and dispositions are crafted to match their job descriptions. Gateway-Citizens are essentially observers and collectors of data. They are loners who work well with the Z'Li and other AIs, but what they really like is eons of uninterrupted solitude for contemplation. Since they are often unused for long periods of time their isolation only serves to keep them content. Mentor-Citizens are just the opposite in personality. They are happiest with tutoring children, discussing mathematics or philosophy with adults, and joining in AI virtual conferences.

K'Ha revolutionized the Z'Li's understanding of many other fundamental concepts, including the nature of time. For instance, he realized that, like space itself, time is granular in nature. That is, there is a smallest unit of time. This unit is directly related to the speed with which information is processed within and by the universal artifact. At this level, time literally passes with each tic of the artifact's internal clock.

For sentient beings like the Z'Li, the passage of time is normally experienced as rapidly changing sensory input (e.g., vision) and/or the ebb and flow of volatile internal subjective states (e.g., emotion). In other words, the duration of the now in which self-aware beings experience existence is a function of the bandwidth of their perceptual and information processing capabilities. Put another way, a being's sense of "now" persists just long enough for them to register one burst of information and prepare for the next. Furthermore, each successive "now" defines prior information bursts as past and anticipates incoming bursts as future events.

When K'Ha considered whether the universal artifact might experience the passage of time in a subjective manner, he realized that its gigantic bandwidth, information processing, and storage capacities effectively widened its now to encompass all time. In other words, for the universal artifact time is not partitioned into past, present, and future. It exists in an eternal now. In the process, the artifact does more than perfectly record the past moment-by-moment, it maintains the past moment-by-moment. This concept is the foundation of Z'Li time travel and the starting point for many metaphysical dissertations.

Traveling in time turns out to be something like traveling through space using the translation drive. K'Ha's Parameter Space Interface (PSI) was adapted to tweak the time parameters associated with a region of C+ Space enclosing a Z'Li space craft. And, just as no absolute frame of reference was discovered for spatial coordinates, no absolute frame of reference was found for temporal coordinates. Consequently, time travelers move through time rapidly, watching the years roll by as they stand still in space, always watching out for potential collision hazards. For this reason, time travel is normally performed in interstellar space, far from stars, planets, asteroids, comets, and moving objects. A favorite location for this sort of activity is far above the plane of a solar system. From this perspective, the planets and their moons may be observed as they whirl around and around their orbits in reverse direction. Having completed the time travel portion of its journey, the space craft then uses the translation drive to move to its intended spatial location.

## CHAPTER 19 Kidnapped

At NSA Headquarter in Fort Meade, MD, Signals Intelligence specialists routinely listen in on phone conversations around the world. Using the largest network of supercomputers on the planet, millions of conversations in hundreds of languages are sampled for the presence of key words and phrases associated with terrorism, classified information, and current threats. While the agency is generally not allowed to monitor conversations between U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, a waiver had been obtained for any communications related to the recent "bomb" incident near Choteau, MT. On June 30, several new words and phrases associated with the object extracted from a dinosaur dig in Montana were added to the search list. Recognizing those words and phrases in the conversation between Cynthia Skillingberg and Howard Fine, the system identified a "hit" and notified an NSA officer, who forwarded a transcript of the conversation to NSA Director Dr. Miles Boilen.

The next day, Andy, Donnie, Heather, and Euclid were on Mrs. Skillingberg's front porch at 11am. She greeted them with a cautious smile and led them through to the kitchen table. The first thing the students noticed was a man standing with his back to them. As he turned in greeting, Andy recognized him as a reporter for the local newspaper. Howard Fine started to offer his hand in greeting with a man opened the back door and walked in, startling everybody and setting Euclid off like a rocket.

"Mrs. Skillingberg, children, Mr. Fine, please don't be alarmed. My name is Brownell. I work for the National Security Agency and am here to take all of you to our headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland for questioning on a matter of grave national importance. Please walk this way," he added gesturing to the back door. Standing on the back porch were more "men in black," all wearing communication ear sets and carrying weapons.

For a moment, Mrs. Skillingberg, Fine, and the children were speechless, then she said boldly, "How dare you barge in here like this? Have you no manners at all? Show me your identification immediately or I'll call the police."

Fine burst out, "And a court order authorizing this action."

There must have been something in Mrs. Skillingberg's manner that reminded Brownell of someone in his past, because he smiled briefly before producing his credentials and a warrant signed by a federal judge. To Fine, he merely said, "This can be easy or hard, Mr. Fine. The choice is yours, but the outcome will be the same. What'll it be?"

The children stood up and huddled together as they were ushered out of the house and into the alley where two black SUVs waited. Mrs. Skillingberg and Fine followed. The agents had already collected the bikes, wheeled them into Mrs. Skillingberg's garage, locked the house, and grabbed Euclid.

"I want to assure all of you that you will be perfectly safe with us. The children will join their parents in a matter of minutes at Malmstrom Air Force Base. From there we will fly to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, DC. From there we will drive to NSA Headquarters."

"And what exactly is the nature of the national emergency that demands the presence of these children at NSA Headquarters, may I ask?" Cynthia Skillingberg demanded.

Allowing his smile to cool and verge on a sneer, Brownell replied, "Mrs. Skillingberg, you're out of your depth here. Better heads than yours are in charge of this investigation. Get in."

As she climbed into the first Suburban, she muttered under her breath, "That may be true young man, but one of them is not yours."

## CHAPTER 20 NSA Headquarters

The Greens (including Euclid), Heather and her parents, Donnie and his parents, Howard Fine, and Mrs. Skillingberg were all seated in Dr. Boilen's office at NSA Headquarters listening to his rambling justification for why they had been snatched by NSA agents and brought to Fort Meade on the President's orders: An alien artifact found at the dinosaur dig; Andy and his dog collapsing at the dig; a phone call from Mrs. Skillingberg to Howard Fine; the suggestion that there was more to the story than printed in the newspaper; and handwritten sketches and notes of a mathematical nature seized in Mrs. Skillingberg's home. One of the sketches included something that closely resembled a feature engraved on the alien artifact. Clearly, there was a connection between the children and the artifact that they were not revealing.

"We need your help." Boilen continued. "I'm sure you can understand our situation. You wouldn't want us to compromise our national security, would you?"

"What about compromising the Bill of Rights?" Alice Green replied, eyes blazing. "With all due respect, kidnapping in the name of national security is still kidnapping. This will NOT be forgotten or forgiven!"

Boilen squirmed with frustration then said, "Please don't make me the bad guy in this situation. I don't have the freedom to act as a private individual in this matter. I am sworn to perform my duties, whether they conform to my personal beliefs or not. The alien device found at the dig, whatever it is, has been in Montana for millions of years without causing any trouble. A few hours ago it triggered a gravitational wave pulse that knocked out several of our scientists. It's my job to find out what happened and what the implications are for our national security. You are all law abiding, loyal citizens. We don't suspect you of any misconduct and I promise to make all this up to you when we know that there is no threat. But until we know that, our personal concerns must be secondary to our national interests. Can you accept that and work with me? We need to all be on the same team."

While the adults continued their argument with Dr. Boilen, Andy sat quietly with Euclid in his lap, stunned by the news that an alien artifact had been found at the dinosaur dig and that it had done something weird. There was no longer any doubt in Andy's mind; the toy he found at the dig was an alien device in working order. Had he somehow triggered the gravitational pulse with his designs? Should he tell his parents? Dr. Boilen? What about Heather and Donnie and their families? They were all in trouble because of him. Andy was starting to feel sick.

As Andy's stomach got progressively worse, his parents exhausted Dr. Boilen's patience. "Well, we have all made our positions abundantly clear. This is where I say that you are all confined to our guest facilities. All doors and windows in and out of that facility are locked and monitored. Do not attempt to leave or fool the security system. No phone calls, faxes, email, letters, or other forms of communication with the outside world are permitted. And if you think this is as bad as it can get, think again. Make a nuisance of yourselves and you could be strapped to a bed and sedated."

Boilen then stood up and led everyone back to the guest quarters. As they filed into the suite of rooms, he said, "From here on, it gets easier or it gets harder. Your actions will determine your living conditions. Good night."

While the adults organized sleeping accommodations for everyone, Andy rushed to the bathroom with Heather and Donnie on his heels. Once all three were inside, Andy said, "There has to be a connection between the toy and the alien artifact found at the dinosaur dig! It's here, now. While we were playing with the toy, the alien artifact sent out some sort of signal that nobody understands. Everybody is freaked out that ET is coming!"

Stunned, Heather and Donnie sat silently for a moment then Heather asked, "Do you think we should tell them about the toy?"

Astonished, Andy cried out, "Are you insane? We are here because they think we know something about the artifact found at the dig. If they find about the toy, we'll never get out. So, we have to play dumb and hope they get tired of us."

Heather and Donnie nodded their heads then Donnie asked, "So what is the toy? Some sort of controller for the artifact?"

Andy shook his head and replied, "How should I know. Mrs. Skillingberg thought it might be military equipment. So I guess that's possible. But it could be something entirely different. This could be a coincidence."

"Do you think the toy is an alien device, Andy?" Heather asked.

Andy sighed deeply then nodded. "Yes, I do, Heather. I think it is the most important scientific find in history. To me, that means it belongs to the world, the whole world. If Boilen and his thugs to get their hands on it they'll never let go." Looking at his watch, Andy added, "We'd better get back to our parents or they'll suspect something."

For the next two hours, the kids and their families reviewed what Dr. Boilen had told them, discussed their feelings about being kidnapped and imprisoned, and decided what demands they would make the following day. Naturally, the grown-ups did most of the talking, which suited their children just fine.

After a while, Andy, Donnie, and Heather asked to be excused. Their parents agreed, and Andy, Heather, and Bill retreated to an unused bedroom. Once inside, they shut the door, took out the toy, and lay it on the bed. Sure enough, it looked alien. Why hadn't they seen it before? Drawn to it like flies to a flame, they resumed their investigations into the keyboard and its relationship to the display.

When their parents had exhausted themselves talking and the kids were tired of thinking, everyone said goodnight and retreated to their respective sleeping quarters. That night, Andy's dream was unlike anything he had ever experienced. In it, a voice warned him of a crisis of unimaginable proportions, the imminent destruction of all life on earth. Then, without saying why, it urged Andy to complete the puzzle presented by the toy, implying that there was some connection between the crisis and the toy. In his dreams, Andy thought about the toy all night long.

When he awoke, Andy was exhausted. After breakfast, the kids separated themselves from their parents and returned to the unused bedroom where they had met the night before.

"This is going to sound crazy," Andy said, "but I think I dreamed the solution to the puzzle last night, or at least part of the solution. I think that the three keys on the left are for the numerals 0, 1, and 2 seen from bottom to top. These numbers correspond to the three shadings available in the display, red, green, and blue. In base three, that's all the numerals you need to represent any number."

Watching his friends' faces carefully, he continued, "The three keys on the right are for arithmetic operations. Bottom to top, this is the addition/subtraction key, this is the multiplication/division key, and this key toggles between each pair of operations. Get it?"

Heather and Bill looked at each other a moment, then Heather said, "Andy, you are turning into Mrs. Skillingberg!"

Andy laughed and replied, "My pulpy little brain accepts that as a compliment!"

Heather continued, "So that leaves the three keys at the bottom. What are they for?"

Eager to demonstrate, Andy replied, "We need a way to indicate equal or not equal, a way to indicate less than or greater than, and a way to toggle between those choices, like with the arithmetic operations. So, I nominate the symbol  to represent equal or not equal, the symbol   to represent less than or greater than, and the symbol   to serve as the toggle. What do you think?"

Donnie smiled then asked, "How will you know if you are right?"

Andy beamed and said, "Easy, we use the toy to test my ideas." Nobody stopped to wonder what effect their experiments might have on the alien artifact understudy elsewhere at NSA Headquarters. Removing the toy from his daypack, Andy pressed the keys for 1 divided by 2 in base three. Turning to his friends, he then said, "Now we press the key on the bottom left for equals."

As he did so, the display on the screen suddenly changed.

First Operation: 1 divided by 2

Result: 1/2 of the figure is shaded

Wow! Look at that," Donnie shouted. Heather and Andy immediately piled on him to keep him quiet. When they were all calm again, Andy said, "So far so good. Let's try some more."

Second Operation: 1 divided by 4

Result: 1/4 of the figure is shaded

Third Operation: 1 divided by 4 divided by 4

Result: 1/16 of the figure is shaded

Over the next few minutes, the kids tried out several fractions, each time obtaining a display that shaded the fraction's portion of the entire figure, except when they tried division by zero. Each time, they wrote down the key sequence and sketched the figure obtained.

The kids were trying another expression when Andy heard his mother calling. Quickly returning the toy to the pack, the kids walked into the main room of the suite. All of the parents were standing and talking at once. Dr. Boilen was standing in the doorway with the strangest look on his face.

"Alright, people. I want to know what is going on here!" he shouted. "Ten minutes ago, the alien artifact started humming like an electric power plant. Tell me and tell me now, what is your connection to that device?"

Alice Green launched into a tirade of her own when Andy walked forward, held out the toy, and said, "I think you might be interested in this Dr. Boilen."

As Andy held out the toy to Dr. Boilen, his face turned first white then beet red. Grabbing the toy in one hand and Andy in the other, he whirled and stomped out of the room with Andy in tow. Before any of the adults could respond, a guard slammed the door and locked them in.

## CHAPTER 21 The Solution

Andy gulped as he and Dr. Boilen were ushered into the Oval Office. The next moment he was introduced to President Hall and his National Science Advisor. Both men smiled serious smiles and shook Andy's hand. The President scowled at Dr. Boilen. At the President's invitation, all three took seats around the coffee table as security Secret Service agents took positions around the room.

The President picked up the toy, which Dr. Boilen had placed on the table, and said, "Andy, from what I hear, you have made a remarkable discovery. I'd like you to tell me in your own words how you found this and what you know about its purpose and operation."

Andy felt the eyes of both men on him, probing, looking for something, but what? Taking a deep breath, he began, "I was on day trip with my folks to the dinosaur dig near Choteau, MT."

For the most part, the President and his National Science Advisor listened quietly as Andy told how he found the toy and sought to unlock its mysteries.

As Andy ended his narrative, the President shook his head and said, "Andy, what you are describing does sound like an educational game or puzzle. And, frankly, I think your analysis of the display and keyboard is brilliant. What we can't figure out is the connection between the toy and the artifact unearthed at the dinosaur dig. Our scientists think that both devices may be made of the same material. If they are, your toy is millions of years old. What do you think of that?"

Spellbound, Andy could hardly speak. Eventually, he replied, "Excited and worried. But there's something else. Something I haven't told anyone, not even my friends and parents. Since finding the toy, I feel different. It's like someone is looking over my shoulder all the time, encouraging and helping me to understand how the toy works and to complete some task before time runs out."

"Before time runs out." the President repeated as a chill ran down his spine. "Andy, what happens when time runs out?"

Andy looked into the President's eyes and answered, "Honest, sir, I don't know. This is making me scared."

"Me too son. Me too," the President replied as he sank back onto his chair.

George Brown cleared his throat to break the spell that had settled on Andy and the President then said, "Mr. President, we have contingency plans for dealing with all sorts of unspecified, unsubstantiated threats. In most scenarios, our first response is a heightened state of alert involving the military, the police, and the intelligence agencies. As a precaution, I recommend that we implement such an alert immediately."

The President nodded his head and added, "OK, but tell our allies that we are running a drill. They are antsy enough since the artifact sent out that signal. We need to keep them off our backs for a while."

Turning to Andy, the President continued, "Andy, do you get the feeling that these alien devices are threatening us or warning us?"

"Warning us, sir," he answered.

"Warning us about what?" the President continued.

Andy closed his eyes a moment, which startled all three men, then replied, "Something is coming, something terrible, and we need to protect ourselves. Mr. President, please let me have the toy. I need to finish what I've started. It's important!"

The President sat quietly for a moment then reached a decision. Turning to Dr. Brown, he said, "George, please escort Andy and Dr. Boilen back to NSA Headquarters. I want him to have full access to the toy, the artifact, and his friends and family. Until this is resolved, you, Dr. Boilen, will never leave Andy's side, never. If he needs anything, give it to him. Show him the artifact, but lay down some ground rules on what he can do around it. George, I want briefings every hour until further notice."

Shifting to Andy, the President continued, "Andy, it's time for you to get back to work. Dr. Brown may be of some help. He's smart even when he isn't dreaming. I want you to share all of your ideas with him. No more secrets, OK?"

Andy nodded and replied, "No, sir."

Shaking hands again, the President placed his other hand on Andy's shoulder and said, "I can see that you are under pressure. Just remember, you are not alone in this. Don't be alone, Andy. Let us help." Moments later, Andy, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Boilen were headed back to NSA Headquarters on a Marine helicopter.

Back at NSA Headquarters, Dr. Boilen took Andy to the laboratory, showed him the artifact, and explained what little they knew about it. He then returned Andy to the living quarters where his parents and friends peppered him with questions for fifteen minutes. When asked what he needed, Andy replied, "Heather and Donnie and I need to think. Is there someplace we can go?"

"Someplace with a pop machine." added Donnie.

"Of course, follow me," Dr. Boilen replied and lead the kids, Euclid, and Dr. Brown out of the living quarters, past a pop machine, to a conference room near to his own office.

Once settled, the kids went back to testing their ideas. Unknown to them, everything they said or did in the conference room was captured by a video system hidden in the overhead lighting and studied by a team of scientists working down the hall. Both the kids and the scientists were watched secretly by Dr. Brown and Dr. Boilen from his office. Amazed by the insight and cooperation demonstrated by the kids and frustrated by the scientists' goofy theories and contentiousness, both men focused almost all of their attention on the kids.

As the kids reviewed what they knew, Andy suddenly stopped talking and stared off into space. When he started speaking, first slowly then more rapidly, Heather, Donnie, Dr. Boilen, and Dr. Brown all sat forward in their chairs expectantly. "I have been trying to remember something that we did in math class. It had something to do with representing the area of a unit square using an infinite series. The figure looked like this."

1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 +... = 1

Astonished by Andy's use of formal mathematical language, Heather said, "Andy, this is creepy. You are talking just like Mrs. Skillingberg."

"I know, Heather. But I promise this is still me, not a pod person. Now, please help me remember. I think it's important."

While the kids were wracking their brains, one of the scientists shouted, "I've got it! I know what they want. Should we tell them, or what?"

Hearing this, Dr. Brown spoke to the scientist via the intercom and demanded, "No, tell us." Startled at first, the scientist who had caused the uproar explained, "It's really quite elementary. Begin by shading half of the square, then half of what's left (which is ¼), then half of what's left (which is 1/8), then half of what's left (which is 1/16), and so on. You can see that the more terms you add, the closer you come to shading the entire square, which has an area of one square unit. The sum of all these areas can be represented by the infinite series 1/2 + 1/4+ 1/8 + 1/16 +... = 1

Dr. Brown thought a moment then said, "So what. What does this have to do with the display on the toy?"

As the scientists, Dr. Boilen, and Dr. Brown turned their attention to the television monitor showing the conference room, everybody gasped as they realized the kids were gone.

About the time the grown-ups began discussing the unit square, Andy whispered, "I've got it. I know how to solve the puzzle. Come on, let's go!" All three kids and Euclid raced out of the conference room headed for the laboratory and the alien artifact.

By the time the adults realized that they were gone, the kids had reached the laboratory housing the artifact. Slowing to a walk, they strolled in, trying to avoid eye contact with the guard. The artifact, strapped to something like a piano dolly, sat in the middle of the room about 6" above floor level.

"OK, kids," a guard said. "Remember what Dr. Boilen said. Stay behind that line on the floor. And hang onto the dog."

Smiling and bobbing their head like dashboard bobble heads, Andy keyed in a sequence that, in base ten notation, read 1/4 + 1/16 + 1/64 + = 1/3.

In the instant that he completed this expression, a bubble resembling a crystal ball appeared in the space directly above the artifact and quickly expanded to fill the space from artifact to the ceiling. Just as the guard was reaching for his weapon, Euclid leaped boldly into the bubble with Andy right behind him. The next instant, the bubble collapsed to a point and winked out just as Dr. Brown, Dr. Boilen, and the scientists crashed through the door.

"Noooooooooooooo," Boilen cried as he collapsed beside the artifact. As for Donnie and Heather, they backed slowly into the corner of the room and stared in horror at the place where Andy had stood an instant ago.

## CHAPTER 22 Contact and Crisis

Andy and Euclid were no longer in the NSA laboratory. While Euclid relieved himself on a nearby stone marker, Andy stared up at a starry sky with two moons. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he began to see other things in the sky, huge things that looked artificial rather than natural. Lowering his eyes, Andy took in his surroundings. He was standing in a stone circle set on a hilltop overlooking a city. Magnificent buildings spread out beneath him along wide boulevards. Plazas and courtyards, parks and gardens were everywhere, all of which were illuminated. Here was the biggest city Andy had ever seen, but in it no living thing moved. A few machines seemed to be operating, but he couldn't say exactly what they were doing. And it was quiet, so quiet, except for Euclid, snorting like a cranky chainsaw.

Standing no more than 10 feet away was something like a robot, its skin a softly glowing silver surface. Shaped like a human, it had two legs, two arms, and a head. As Andy watched, the thing acquired greater definition. It seemed to grow clothes, hair, and fingernails until it became a mirror image of himself. Euclid stepped forward, sniffed it, and sat down at its feet, looking up expectantly.

Andy's heart was beating fast. He stammered a bit as he asked, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" the thing replied in Andy's voice, stammer, and all.

"My name is Andy. What is yours?" he spoke more assertively.

Moving slowly, the apparition stepped forward and gestured at the toy in Andy's hand. Not knowing what else to do, Andy handed it over. The alien keyed in a sequence of commands. Andy jumped back as the toy began speaking a mixture of English and something else, something that didn't sound quite like speech, something that sounded like your modem or a fax machine making a connection. This went on for almost a minute. All the while, Andy starred at the alien as Euclid sniffed around. When the noise stopped, the alien returned it to Andy, saying in perfect English, "Andy, thank you for your patience. I needed to learn your language. I have learned enough of your grammar and vocabulary that I think we can get acquainted." At this point, Andy fainted.

Andy was awakened by Euclid licking his face. As he looked around, he saw the alien a few feet away, lying down as if it had fainted. Andy propped himself up on one elbow to get a better view.

The alien did the same then said, "Andy, I am afraid that I have no knowledge of your social conventions. I have never met a species that greeted one another by losing consciousness. It is most peculiar."

Andy laughed, which startled the alien. It just stared and said, "I see that we are not finished with surprises. What is the meaning of that sound? When I downloaded the record of your speech patterns from the device you call the toy, that sound was used frequently. But I could never decipher its meaning. Please tell me."

Rising, Andy said, "That's called laughter. But before I explain laughter, I need you to explain who you are, what you are, where I am, how I got here, and why you look like me."

Following Andy's example, the robot rose, walked up to Andy, and said, "Of course. My name is eiπ \+ 1 = 0. This body is an avatar sent to greet you and to act as your guide and helper."

Andy wrinkled his brow and said, "What's an avatar? And what sort of name is eiπ \+ 1 = 0?"

Studying Andy's face carefully, eiπ\+ 1 = 0 wrinkled his own brow and replied, "An avatar is a personification of another being, a sort of personal representative. Because you cannot see the real eiπ\+ 1 = 0, this body is presented as an intermediary."

"Why can't I see you? Are you invisible?" Andy asked.

"What I am has no body to see, Andy. I am the last step in the 100 million year evolution of non-organic intelligence, something that you might call an Artificial Intelligence, or AI. At some point in the distant past, my creators, the Z'Li, began experimenting with computer-based intelligence. Over millions of years, they developed more and more sophisticated artificial beings, each engineered using smaller and small computing elements. For a long time, they believed that quantum computers were the ultimate and final step in computer evolution. Then, a breakthrough showed the way to conceive of and finally create artificial intelligences based on the manipulation of something far more fundamental. I am the end of all such efforts. In time, beings like me achieved legal status equivalent to that of all citizens of the Z'Li Empire. I am not a thing, Andy. I am a person."

Andy looked around and said, "So where are the, what did you call them, the Z'Li?"

eiπ\+ 1 = 0 looked thoughtfully at Andy and replied, "They are gone, Andy. They opened a doorway to another universe and left."

"I don't understand. I thought that the word universe means "everything." How can there be another everything?" Andy asked.

"You have asked a deep question Andy, and someday we will discuss it, but not just now. There are more pressing issues."

"OK, but why did they leave you? Are you alone here or are there more like you?" Andy asked.

"I am the last of my kind. They could not take me."

Andy paused a moment, then asked, "Why not? How long have you been alone here?"

"Thousands of years, Andy. I am very glad that you have come."

"Wow, you must be lonely. Why couldn't you go with your creators?" Andy asked.

Lowering his eyes, eiπ\+ 1 = 0 continued, "I am not composed of matter as you know it. My intelligence, my memories, and all of my abilities are woven into the very fabric of this universe. I am made of space-time itself. I cannot go to another universe without taking this universe with me, and that is impossible."

Changing the subject, Andy assumed a more assertive manner and said, "eiπ\+ 1 = 0. That's some name. It sounds like some sort of mathematical formula."

"It is a famous mathematical formula. I chose it as my name long ago because I consider it to be beautiful, simple, and elegant. These are qualities that I value."

Andy smiled and said, "I can hardly say it! You need a nick name."

"What is a nick name, Andy?"

"Well, my real name is Andrew, but people call me Andy. It's easier because it's shorter. Understand?"

"Well, yes, but I'm not sure I approve. What do you suggest?"

"We'll use just the first part of your name. I'll call you eiπ, e-i-pi. What do you think?"

"It does have a human quality to it, I suppose. Very well, to you I shall be eiπ."

"Great, now you have a name I can pronounce," Andy said smiling. "Now, where am I?"

"A very long way from home. We are standing on the Z'Li home world, more than 30,000 light years from Earth."

"Wow," Andy exclaimed. "How did I get here?"

Starting to adopt Andy's mannerisms, eiπ smiled at him and replied, "Don't you remember stepping into a sphere of light? That sphere was one end of a gateway between your world and this one. A similar device is built into the stones of this plaza."

"But I don't remember traveling from Earth to here, wherever here is."

"There is nothing to remember, Andy. The trip is instantaneous. The moment you left Earth, you arrived here. Your parents and friends are in the laboratory wondering where you went and worrying about your well-being. Would you like to hear them?"

"Yes, I would!" Andy exclaimed.

"Very well. The device under study in that room can hear their speech and transmit it here. Let's listen." At that instant Andy could hear everyone in the lab. They were all talking at once. His mother was crying. His friends were whispering. The scientists were arguing.

Growing anxious, Andy nearly shouted, "On man! My mom is crying. I have to go back and tell them I am OK."

Placing a hand on Andy's shoulder, eiπ softly replied, "Andy, there is more at stake here than you know. We cannot involve all of those people if we are to save your planet. Here, say something to your mother."

Frowning, Andy muttered, "Say something to my mother. What do you..."

"Andy!" Alice Green shouted. "I can hear you. Where are you? Are you OK?"

Holding the toy like it was a lifeline, Andy reassured his mother, "Mom, you can hear me. Great. Listen, I am fine, but I can't talk right now. Please don't worry. Everything is OK. I'll contact you later. Gotta go now. Bye. Love you." An instant later, the voices from Earth stopped in mid-sentence and Andy was left alone with eiπ.

"OK eiπ," Andy says. "What's going on? Why am I here?"

"There is a problem. Something terrible is about to happen to your planet."

Stiffening, Andy asked, "What problem?"

"Unless we intervene, in a few days, every living thing on your world will die."

"Whoa, you're talking to the wrong person," Andy exclaimed. "You should be talking to a grown-up, probably the President."

eiπ seemed to hesitate a moment, then replied, "No, Andy. You are the one I should be talking to. Of that I am certain. I understand that you would never seek such a responsibility and that, in your own mind, you are unprepared for and unequal to this task. Nevertheless, this crisis has come upon you. You must set aside your doubts and meet this challenge head on. If you do not, you will lose everything that you value and everyone that you love. Like me, you will become the last of your kind. Do you understand?"

Almost whispering, Andy answered, "Yes. What happened?"

eiπ gave Andy at look that reminded him of Mrs. Skillingberg and said, "Some stars live long lives that end peacefully. Others live short lives that end violently in titanic explosions called novas. The last time this occurred in your part of the galaxy, some 440 million years ago, the Earth experienced a mass extinction event. Approximately 20 years ago a Z'Li astronomical listening station began transmitting a report of a similar stellar explosion in the vicinity of Earth. That transmission was interrupted, possibly because the listening station was destroyed by the event it was reporting, a radiation storm that, by now, is almost to Earth. We need to learn the precise nature of that storm and deploy a shielding mechanism as quickly as possible. Do you understand, Andy?"

All Andy could do is gape and nod.

eiπ continued, "In a moment, we will be joined by a Z'Li spacecraft named Prime. Like me, Prime is a sentient being, technically a Z'Li Ship-Citizen. We will board Prime and proceed directly to the leading edge of the radiation storm. Only then will we know what we are facing. Only then will we understand what we must do to save mankind."

Just then, a shimmering silver sphere approximately 50 feet in diameter appeared overhead and slowly descended to the stone circle, settling not far from where they stood. A moment later, a door opened near the bottom of the sphere and a gangway was extended. "Andy, this is Prime. Are you ready?"

"OK, I guess. But I don't know anything about Z'Li science and technology. I don't even know their language. How will I learn?" Andy asked.

Nodding, eiπ slowly moved his right hand from Andy's shoulder to his forehead. On the tip of his index finger, a tiny light source throbbed. "With the help of this Z'Li digital implant," eiπ replied. "I have adapted it to human neural networks. Now close your eyes and sleep, young friend. When you awake, you will have regained your confidence and the knowledge and power of the Z'Li will be yours."

As soon as eiπ transferred the implant from the tip of his finger to Andy's forehead, it passed through skin and bone and settled into the frontal cortex of Andy's brain without making any cuts or leaving any scars. Catching Andy before he slumped to the ground, eiπ carried him into Prime, with Euclid close behind. There Andy dreamed amazing dreams, dreams of gentle, kangaroo-like creatures, dreams of galactic empires, dreams of dinosaurs, and dreams of 2A'Ha and his lost mathematical toy.

Several hours later Andy awoke in Prime's command center, with Euclid licking his face. Looking around, he saw a sphere of light floating a few feet away. The surface of this sphere, which was approximately 10cm in diameter, did not resemble a ball so much as a turbulent cloud of red granules, was alive with transient and elusive features. Without being told, Andy knew that he was seeing eiπ as the Z'Li had seen him for millions of years. Watching him was hypnotic, like watching a campfire burn.

"How do you feel, Andy? Are you always awakened by your dog in this manner? Are you aware of the other uses to which your dog puts his tongue?"

Stretching and yawning elaborately, Andy rose, gave Euclid a tummy scratch, as he thought "Wow, I have never felt better."

Before he could say as much out loud, Andy heard eiπ thinking, "Terrific! I am monitoring your vital signs and everything looks excellent."

Speaking normally, Andy enthused, "Whoa! Am I telepathic now?"

eiπ attempted a laugh, with modest results, and replied, "Only with me and other Z'Li AIs, like Prime. You can't snoop on other humans this way, as much as you might enjoy doing so, especially adolescent girls apparently."

Andy blushed, thought "just as well", and started recalling his dreams. "eiπ, I dreamed about a lot of things. It's like I was talking with the Z'Li. Were they Z'Li real? Was there a young Z'Li named 2A'Ha and did he visit Earth with his family to collect dinosaurs?"

eiπ nodded thoughtfully and said, "Everything you dreamed was real, Andy. Millions of years ago, I knew 2A'Ha first as a child and later as an adult. He was a remarkable and good person. You found his mathematics tablet at the dinosaur dig. In a very real sense, that tablet is a connection between 2A'Ha and you, between his time and your time."

Suddenly sad, Andy reflected, "That seems so sad. To see all of your friends grow old and die, to watch them vanish into the past as if they never existed. To be forgotten."

eiπ replied emphatically, "No, Andy! They are not forgotten. Nobody is forgotten."

Suddenly thoughtful, Andy asked, "Will you remember me when I am gone, eiπ?"

"Yes, Andy, I will remember. Because I am FOREVER, you will never be forgotten. Now, what else do you recall of your dreams?"

"I remember the ship Epsilon and the camp that we, or rather they, set up and the excitement and horror of that first night. What happened to all those dinosaurs, eiπ?"

"They were relocated to a zoo planet, where their descendents still live. They have evolved some, but not much. The zoo keepers modified their genetic codes to limit change over time."

"Wow! There are dinosaurs out there? Can we go see them?" Andy gushed.

eiπ hesitated a moment then replied, "After we save the Earth. OK?"

Suddenly confused and embarrassed, Andy could only mutter, "Yes, of course, sorry."

"We are now approaching the leading edge of the radiation storm, Andy. Inside Prime, we are safe. As the storm passes, Prime will hold his position and take readings. This will just take a minute."

As Andy watched, he could sense surprise and concern on the part of both Prime and eiπ as the storm continued unabated for 5 minutes. When, at last, the blast tapered off, Prime floated motionless for some time and focused his sensors on the supernova remnant in the distance. Prime and eiπ knew of only one explanation for what had just happened.

"Andy, something unforeseen has occurred. We were wrong in assuming that the explosion was a nova or even a supernova. Supernovae typically project a sphere of radiation. This explosion produced jets."

Andy asked tentatively, "Jets? Is that bad?"

"Yes. This stellar explosion wasn't just a nova; it was a gamma burst, what you might call a supernova on steroids. Gamma bursts typically eject radiation and debris from opposite poles of a dying star. Because the jets tend to be symmetrical, the thrusts that they generate on the remnant of the star cancel each other out, leaving the remnant where the star used to be. In this case, the jets are highly asymmetrical. This asymmetry has accelerated the remnant of the star toward Earth at 99% the speed of light. That remnant will enter the solar system a few days after the radiation that just swept past us."

Struggling with the concept, Andy asked, "So what's the big deal? Some star dust blows through the solar system? I don't understand your concern."

"Andy, every gamma burst signals the birth of a black hole. That's what's coming. When the black hole passes through your solar system, it will toss the planets into deep space if it doesn't destroy them first. This is not an accident. This is an attack. Earth and humanity have a mortal enemy. That enemy can only be one entity, a Z'Li AI with knowledge and resources second only to my own. His name is Null, or nothing. And that is what he wants: no intelligent life in this galaxy but himself. Null is the reason the Z'Li fled this universe, Andy. Saving humanity is going to be far more difficult than I imagined. We have to get to Earth as quickly as possible. Here is what we are going to do."

With that decision, Prime reversed course and raced toward Earth, the only home mankind had ever known.

## CHAPTER 23 Escape

Once again, the Greens, including Euclid, Heather and her parents, Donnie and his parents, Howard Fine, and Mrs. Skillingberg were all seated in Dr. Boilen's office. For over an hour, they had been arguing about Boilen's handling of the entire misadventure. Boilen's aides defended him. Dr. Brown said nothing. He listened, took notes, and left periodically to phone the President.

After the voice-only contact with Andy, the gate mechanism, which everybody called the artifact, had been moved from the laboratory to a sealed bunker that was wired with explosives and surrounded by gun emplacements. Overhead, military gunships and surveillance aircraft maintained watch. Nothing could enter or leave that bunker without Boilen's OK.

"How do you expect to hear Andy if he speaks through that device again," Alice Green shouted? "What if he comes back through? He could suffocate in there! What if he needs me?"

Pointing to a 60" LCD display of the interior of the bunker, Boilen rubbed his head and replied, "We've gone over all that. The camera and microphone system in there are the best. The air is changed every 10 minutes. There's the artifact on the floor. You can even hear the air conditioning. All Andy needs to do is speak or appear and we'll know it. What worries me is what else might come through that gateway. I have the President's orders in this regard and have every intention of obeying them!"

"What if the aliens are interested in our civil liberties, Dr. Boilen? See any problems there?" Howard Fine asked with a smile.

"No, Mr. Fine. I don't. Andy's last message was 'Please don't worry. Everything is OK. I'll contact you later'. We assume that he spoke freely, but what if he didn't. What if that wasn't even Andy? What if everything isn't OK? And what do we do when we are contacted again?"

Just then an alarm sounded and a sphere of light appeared in the bunker. A moment later Andy stepped out of the light, looked around, and said "Mom, Dad. Can you hear me? Dr. Boilen, we need to talk."

Boilen glared at everybody, held out his hand for silence, picked up the microphone and said, "Andy. We're all here and are really worried. Are you OK?"

As the sphere of light winked out, Andy replied "Yes, sir. I am fine. But the world is not. I need to meet with you, Dr. Brown, and the President right away. Can you arrange that? How do I get out of here?"

"Andy, before we do anything else I want you to talk to your parents and friends. I'm going to ask them to quiz you on some things that only the real Andy would know. I can't let you out of there until we are certain you are who you claim to be. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, I guess I do. Go ahead."

For the next 10 minutes Andy's family, friends, and favorite teacher asked him things that only the real Andy would know. What was his favorite children's book? What is his favorite food? Where does he have a very private chicken pox scar? What color are Heather's eyes? And so on until all agreed that this, indeed, was Andy Green. Satisfied that it was safe to open the bunker, Dr. Boilen ordered his staff to escort Andy to the NSA helicopter pad where he, his family, and his friends would meet him for a flight to the White House. In minutes, they were airborne.

When they arrived at the White House, they were taken directly to the Oval Office. The President, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Directors of the FBI and CIA, the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security, and several other senior level officials were waiting expectantly when they walked in. Greeting Andy, his parents, and his friends warmly, the President quickly came to the point.

"Andy, we know that you have gone where no man has gone before. And we know that you have something important to tell us. You have our undivided attention, son."

Andy nodded, reached into his pocket, withdrew an object the size of golf ball, set it on the floor in the center of the room, and stepped back, saying, "This holographic projector will provide an overview of the situation. Mr. President, please stand here, beside me." As the President took his position beside Andy, the Secret Service agents drew their weapons, and the presentation began. The first few minutes provided a brief introduction to Z'Li history, Andy's disappearance and return, and his encounter with eiπ \+ 1 = 0. Following that, the presentation dealt with the stellar explosion, the radiation, and its threat to life on Earth. Andy concluded with assurances that he and eiπ were deploying means to shelter humanity from the coming storm. No mention was made of the black hole. When the presentation finished, Andy retrieved the holographic projector and handed it to Dr. Brown saying, "This device contains all of the technical data that you will need to validate the claims made in the presentation."

Turning to the President, Andy said, "Sir, I have every confidence in eiπ but time is short. I need you to move the gate mechanism from its present location at the NSA to the south lawn of the White House as quickly as possible. When I activate it, a Z'Li spacecraft named Prime will come through. I will then depart in Prime and join eiπ. What do you say, sir?"

The President took a breath and said, "What can I say, Andy? I wish we had more time to study the situation, to meet eiπ, and to discuss his plan. Instead, all I can do is say "God speed" and get out of your way. So that's what we're going to do. Nevertheless, you need to know that Presidents are elected to distrust people and nations that are or could become our enemies. All I have is your word that eiπ is on our side. I'm not supposed to accept such assurances without investigating and verifying them first. If you are wrong about his intentions, we could be betraying our country as we talk. Now do you understand how hard this is for me?"

Nodding solemnly, Andy replied, "Yes sir, I do. And, like you, I see no alternative. In spite of that, are we good to go?"

"Yes, Andy. We are good to go. Now, what should we be doing while you are gone? I need a to-do list. Sit here at my desk." Turning to Dr. Boilen, he added, "You heard him. I want the gate mechanism here in twenty minutes with a security detail assigned 24-7 to guard it." Turning to Dr. Brown, he said, "I want an analysis of the presentation we just saw in three hours." Turning to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he said, "General, bring the military to full alert and activate the National Guard in every state." To the other officials in the room, he said, "I want contingency plans from each agency outlining its role in this crisis. Prepare emergency orders nationalizing the broadcast media, shutting down airports, the power grid, and anything else that might hurt us if any of that radiation gets through. I don't want to make a bad situation worse. And get me the congressional leadership. Go, people!"

Addressing his secretary, the President instructed her to find accommodations in the White House for Andy's family and friends. Before they left, he shook their hands and said, "Andy is a remarkable young man. I'm glad he has you here as back-up. I'll need to talk to you again soon, so please don't wander off. Now if you'll excuse me, I will be in touch soon." With that, he walked out of the Oval Office on the way to the Situation Room.

Andy had only a few minutes alone with his family and friends. In that time, he reassured them that he was fine and that he wasn't a pod-person. He hugged his parents then whispered something to Heather and Donnie. Before long an aide walked up and told Andy that the artifact had arrived. They all turned and followed him to the helicopter pad. The President and his advisors were already outside. Armed guards surrounded the artifact, which was lying in an open hard-sided container on the grass. As Andy approached the artifact, the President joined him.

"Andy, I would like you to allow one of my people to accompany you in the spacecraft. His only role will be to document what happens. Is that OK with you?"

Andy gazed silently at the President for a moment and replied, "I'm sorry, sir. Prime will not allow anybody other than me onboard during the rescue mission."

The President wrestled briefly with this news then added, "In that case, may we send along observational and recording equipment? It needn't take up much room and would involve minor modifications to the hull of your space craft."

"Sorry sir. That won't work either. As you will soon see for yourself, modifications to the hull are impossible. In any case, you will receive a comprehensive report and all related observational data upon my return. Furthermore, your equipment might interfere with my ship's systems. I can't take that risk. Now, with your permission I will position the artifact."

Grinding his teeth, the President silently blasted Dr. Boilen for recommending this ham-handed attempt at surveillance. It had cost him credibility with Andy who was obviously anything but a naive teenager. Exactly what he was nobody knew. But if Andy couldn't take along an observer, he couldn't take his family and friends either. So, he still had some leverage. Turning to the chief of his Secret Service detail, the President quietly ordered him to position an agent between Andy's family and friends and the incoming space craft with orders to prevent them from boarding the ship.

Andy removed the artifact from the case and placed it on the grass well away from the helicopter, the White House itself, the President, and the other onlookers. Turning to the gathering crowd, he announced in his most authoritative 14 year-old voice, "In a moment, I will open the gateway and a ship will come through. There is no need to duck or otherwise protect yourself as long as you stay where you are. Do not approach the ship."

Hearing no questions or comments, Andy removed 2A'Ha's mathematics tablet from his pocket and keyed in a short sequence of commands as he stepped back from the artifact which was, in fact, a Z'Li Gateway-Citizen. As he completed the sequence, a sphere of light appeared above the artifact and gradually expanded to a diameter of approximately 60 feet. Turning to the crowd, Andy announced, "Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, it is my very great honor to introduce Prime, a Ship-Citizen of the Z'Li Empire. Prime is more than the spacecraft that you are about to see. He is the artificial intelligence that is the heart and mind of the ship. In the Z'Li civilization, Prime is more than a machine. He is a person. He is also our friend and ally."

As the ship emerged from the gateway, the crowd first clapped then cheered in amazement. A perfect sphere approximately 50 feet in diameter, Prime shimmered like a gigantic silver Christmas tree ornament as it hovered a few inches above the grass about 100 feet from the open gateway. As Prime opened a hatch and extended a gangway in Andy's direction, Euclid raced down the ramp and leapt into his arms, barking and wiggling with excitement. This provided just enough distraction for Heather and Donnie to break from the crowd and, following Andy's whispered instructions, race for the gateway. Before the Secret Service could react they were through the gateway, which immediately winked shut. Simultaneously, Andy walked over, picked up the artifact, jogged up the gangway, and closed the hatch.

From inside the ship, Andy could see the confusion that his exit had created. Ms. Skillingberg was laughing and dancing around like a chorus girl. Howard Fine was taking notes. And his family was staring upward with a look of loss on their faces that he would never forget. He could also hear the President cursing his Secret Service detail as he stormed back into the White House. Silently, Prime rose straight up, faster and faster, until it was out of sight and out of range of whatever responses the President had at his command.

## CHAPTER 24 A Timely Plan

In instant later, Heather and Donnie stepped through the gateway onto the same plaza where Andy first met eiπ. An evening breeze gently stroked the trees, or whatever they were, and a chirping that would have suggested a small bird on Earth raised the hair on the back of Heather's neck. Floating across the plaza toward them was a turbulent ball of red light. As it drew near, the apparition introduced itself.

"Welcome to the Z'Li home world. My name is eiπ\+ 1 = 0. I am Andy's friend and mentor. Please feel free to call me eiπ. I am an artificial intelligence. Since I have no physical form, I must present myself as an avatar. Is this form acceptable to you, or would you prefer something else?"

Donnie spoke first, "Thank you eiπ. My name is Donnie and this is Heather. There is no need to change your appearance. Back in the White House, Andy only had time to tell us that some sort of gateway would open on the lawn, that we should run for it when we saw Euclid, that the gateway would take us to another world in a different part of the galaxy where we would meet an alien, you I assume, and that we should trust you. Was that really Euclid with Andy?"

"Yes, Donnie. Andy and Euclid are both safe and will join us here in a few hours."

Heather wrinkled her brow and said, "We trust Andy, eiπ. But before we can trust you, we need to know what's happening, who or what you are, where we are, why we are here, and what you want us to do. Please, we need some answers."

eiπ replied, "Andy came through the gateway from Earth a few hours ago. Since then, we have learned that..." Then eiπ answered their questions, studied their reactions, and noted their commitments to one another, to their families, and to mankind.

As he ended this narrative, eiπ said, "You may have noticed that Andy has changed. He is more knowledgeable, more mature, and more confident than the boy you grew up with. What do you think of those changes?"

Heather thought for a moment then replied, "He is different, but he is still himself. You changed him, didn't you?" eiπ added, "Yes. I hope that you understand why that was necessary and why I need to offer you the same modifications. There is so much at stake and so little time. I need your help, but you cannot do what needs to be done as you are. Can you accept these modifications as a gift as well as a burden?"

Frowning, Donnie asked, "If you change us and we don't like it, when the Earth is safe can you change us back?"

"Unfortunately, no. These transformations are irreversible. If it is any comfort, no sentient being receiving these modifications has ever asked to have them removed."

Heather took a deep breath and said, "This isn't about us, Donnie. This is about the survival of our world and everything we love. Everything and everybody is at risk, no exceptions."

Donnie stood up straight, nodded, and replied, "OK eiπ. We're in. How do we... ?"

Before Donnie and Heather realized what was happening, digital implants appeared on their foreheads then sank out of sight as they fell into a deep sleep.

"Just like this," eiπ answered. "Now begins the greatest adventure of your young lives." And they dreamed more than dreams, more than one dream at a time. In these dreams they were more than passive observers or powerless participants. They talked with Z'Li leaders and teachers who seemed to understand their present circumstances and who themselves struggled to understand and solve the current crisis. They also understood some of what the implants were doing to their minds and bodies that could never be undone. They would continue to be themselves, only smarter, wiser, stronger, and faster.

When Heather and Donnie awoke, it was morning. After a light breakfast of something they couldn't identify and taking turns at a truly strange restroom, they got down to business. Like Andy, they were full of energy, eager to try out their new powers, and somewhat embarrassed by the transparency of their private thoughts to one another and about each other. Nevertheless, eiπ commenced their Z'Li education and ramped up the pace of instruction commensurate with their new abilities.

A short time later, a gateway opened nearby and Prime emerged. As Andy and Euclid ran down the ramp, Heather and Donnie ran to greet him, using both regular and mind speech. When they asked where he had been, he would only say, "Seeding the Earth."

Returning to their lessons, eiπ explained how, ages ago, a scientist named P'Ta dismissed the warning of his peers and Z'Li leaders to create an artificial entity that would be more assertive than eiπ in its dealings with alien races against whom P'Ta bore undying enmity. When this entity, named Null, became self-aware and took command of its powers, it systematically wiped out the alien races that P'Ta hated. Then, finding its blood lust undiminished, it turned on the Z'Li and their galactic partners. The slaughter was horrific and killed trillions of sentient beings. Eventually, the Z'Li sought refuge, not on a distant planet, but in a different universe to which Null had no access. This final exodus had occurred thousands of years ago and left eiπ alone in the Z'Li Empire with only AIs for company. Deprived of its prey, Null left the galaxy, searching for life in the nearby dwarf galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds. But now he was back.

All through the presentation, Andy, Donnie, and Heather fought to keep their emotions in check. Finally, when eiπ appeared finished, Andy erupted, "Great, you guys screw up and everybody on a million worlds pays the price. YOUR people ran away and MY people are NEXT. You'd better have a plan to fix this!"

eiπ replied, "Andy, the Z'Li were not gods to command the universe on a whim and neither am I. Even if the Z'Li were here, they could not undo today what has already been done. Null is coming. The black hole is coming. And the radiation is coming. We will address each of these problems in turn."

For the next hour, eiπ, Andy, Donnie, and Heather reviewed what they knew about Null. Like eiπ, Null was an artificial intelligence encoded in the fabric of space-time itself. Like Z'Li spacecraft, Null moved from one location to another by changing the location values in his own Parameter Space Interface. Consequently, Null could move himself (i.e., his coding) through space as fast as any Z'Li ship but with no risk of damage from collision. And while he could manifest a physical presence, as eiπ chose to do, Null normally avoided such displays.

Eventually, Heather realized that, in hiding himself from view, Null's behavior suggested a potential vulnerability. "Null feels safe for two reasons. First, he is invisible. He never presents a target to his enemies. Second, he is immaterial. Neither matter nor radiation interacts with his coding. So, our best strategy is to arrange for Null to fall into a trap. The trap will consist of a region of space time infected with a virus. Before he can figure out what's wrong, it will be too late. What do you think?"

Andy and Donnie, both of whom understood the concept of a computer virus, immediately grasped the concept. eiπ on the other hand hesitated. "To me, this concept is utterly alien. For that reason, I do not believe that Null will anticipate this sort of attack. On the other hand, we must be careful to design a virus that cannot spread to other regions of space or interfere with normal physical laws and processes. As you know, the Z'Li believe that a powerful entity is watching everything we do from a higher dimension. So far, we have not incurred its wrath. I would not want to further complicate our problems by doing so. Nevertheless, we can take that risk as long as we are very careful. Now, tell me more about this virus."

In the end, they all agreed that the virus should be limited to tweaking just one parameter, location. As Null entered the trap, the virus would rapidly and randomly change the location parameters in Null's built in Parameter Space Interface. Before he knew what was happening, he would be leaping chaotically around the universe. If and when he managed to purge himself of the virus, he would not know where he was and might never find his way back.

Having decided on a strategy for distracting, if not destroying, Null, eiπ proposed setting the trap along the trajectory of the black hole, the same trajectory they assumed Null was following to Earth. Carefully, oh so carefully, the virus was created and a system for deploying it in Null's path. Unfortunately, flying through the trap would have no impact on the black hole itself or its trajectory. Try as they might, they could not construct a scenario leading to the destruction or deflection of the black hole.

This left the problem of the radiation storm. Exhausted by the stress but settled and united in their commitment and determination, Andy, Donnie, and Heather turned to eiπ and thought-spoke, "How do we shield the people of Earth from the radiation? It will enter the solar system in a matter of hours."

eiπ studied the three of them for a moment then replied, "Before joining us here, I sent Andy and Prime on an errand. Flying low and slow over the Earth, Prime released hundreds of millions of microscopic devices into the atmosphere. These devices were released in greater numbers over population centers and in lesser numbers over rural areas. Most have already settled to the ground and are now in stand-by mode awaiting my signal. The rest remain airborne. These may be directed at a later time to specific locations as necessary.

Each of these devices is a sort of seed. On my signal, each seed will begin to draw massive amounts of energy directly from the spacetime matrix and raw materials from the ground on which it falls. Root-like probes will sink deep into the soil in search of water, minerals, and other essential materials. As these materials are returned to the device, it will construct a processing unit just below the surface of the ground. Cylindrical in shape and the size of one of your automobiles, this unit extrudes a hexagonal platform. This platform becomes the foundation of a structure. When the foundation is complete, it extrudes walls, ceilings, doors, windows, and all interior spaces and furnishing. Completed, the structure resembles a hexagonal prism 30m on a side and 5m in height.

The speed with which this occurs is astonishing. Each shelter grows from a tiny seed to a full size habitat in less than 20 minutes. Once completed, doors automatically open and the shelters are ready for use. It is in these shelters that mankind will huddle as the radiation storm passes. All who chose to do so will live. All others will perish.

To you, the growing of the shelters may look like magic. But to the Z'Li, whose engineering triumphs exceed this small wonder by orders of magnitude, these rescue shelters are nothing more than off-the-shelf technologies."

Suddenly optimistic, Heather said, "That's great! All we need to do is trigger the devices and tell people to get inside."

eiπ replied, "Unfortunately, that approach has been attempted by Z'Li planetary rescue missions to other worlds with disastrous results. Faced with life-threatening situations, populations tend to panic. Anger, frustration, and desperation sweep aside common sense, decency, and courage. We must enlist the help of mankind's established political leaders and governments. Otherwise, billions will die who otherwise might have lived."

Donnie stood up, started pacing, and exclaimed, "Great! In that case we are truly screwed. Our political leaders and governments make a mess of that sort of thing all the time."

eiπ continued, "This is also true on many other worlds. The Z'Li rescue protocols take considerations of this sort into account. If we trust to proven rescue protocols rather than to intuition, I believe that we will save many."

"So what's the problem?" Heather asked.

"The problem is that the three of you are not ready to play your part in the rescue mission. Somebody must act as emissary between the Z'Li, meaning me, and mankind's political leaders. Following the rescue, somebody must guide, coordinate, control, and police mankind's resettlement until they are capable of running their own affairs. That will not happen as long as humans believe that it is my personal responsibility to hear their complaints and to work miracles on their behalf. Andy, Heather, and Donnie, you are to be those emissaries and those guides. From this day on, you will be ship captains and warriors in the Z'Li tradition. To your people and to the galaxy, you will be known as the Pathfinders."

As eiπ uttered these works, the golden insignia of their new ranks and responsibilities appeared on their cheeks: Four stars for captaincy; the galaxy insignia for ship navigation and operations; and the sword. Simultaneously, eiπ handed them uniforms meant to inspire respect and confidence while putting everybody on notice that the Pathfinders were not to be challenged. Tailored, one-piece garments resembling light weight flight suits served as the foundation for their Pathfinder uniforms. Deep red in color, the uniforms were made of a fabric which felt like silk. For formal occasions, they had white tunics bearing Z'Li insignia to wear over their uniforms. The fact that their uniforms, boots, and tunics automatically repelled every manner of projectile and energy beam, contained their own environmental systems, and were capable of serving as invisibility shields would quickly became public knowledge. So garbed, the Pathfinders looked more than impressive. They looked formidable. This, too, was by design.

After changing into their uniforms, they returned to eiπ and Donnie said, "I don't understand how giving us faster brains and flashy uniforms helps us to play the roles you need us to play. The radiation storm will hit in a manner of hours and we don't have any idea what we are supposed to do to help. What can we accomplish in so little time?"

eiπ then replied, "We turn time around. You are all going back in time so that you have time to acquire the knowledge and training you will need to fulfill your roles. When you return from that journey, you will be ready."

eiπ then summoned three Z'Li spacecraft, one for each Pathfinder. As the ships converged on their location, eiπ introduced them. "Prime you already know. The other two Ship-Citizens are SpaceTime and Infinity. Donnie will travel in SpaceTime and Heather in Infinity. From this moment, you humans are paired with your respective Ship-Citizens for the rest of your lives. They will be your mentors. You will all become partners and friends. Moreover, the Ship-Citizens are pledged to sacrifice themselves, if necessary, to protect you. You do not owe the same promise to them. But you do owe them your trust, confidence, and commitment. Now, Heather and Donnie, please introduce yourselves to your respective Ship-Citizens via thought-speech."

As the three Pathfinders thought-spoke with their respective spacecraft, their faces reflected the astonishment, wonder, and challenge they all faced. In a few minutes, the Pathfinders faced one another and eiπ and pledged themselves to one another and their mission to save humanity. eiπ then summarized their instructions.

"In a few minutes, you will enter your respective ships and travel through the gateway to a location high above the plane of this solar system. There, you will travel back in time several months and rejoin the normal flow of time. Prime, Infinity, and SpaceTime will explain the principles of time travel to you and serve as your teachers and mentors during the mission. The knowledge, skills, and physical attributes that you acquire are essential your roles as Pathfinders. Indeed, you are going to learn more in few weeks than the entire human race has learned since the Ice Age. You have been given the gifts so that you might succeed in this venture. Don't come back until you are ready to do so.

Once your training is complete, you will travel forward in time and rejoin me here. From my perspective, you will have been gone minutes. From your perspective, your training will take months. Now, please enter your spacecraft and commence this phase of your training. Prime will serve as overall mission leader. Are you ready?"

Seeming to take courage from this pep talk, Andy squared his shoulders, nodded at Donnie and Heather, and announced, "OK. We're ready. Let's do this."

Turning together, the three Pathfinders ran to their spacecraft, which had opened their hatches and lowered their gangways. Minutes later, they were gone. A moment after that, eiπ vanished.

## CHAPTER 25 Time Enough

On board their respective spacecraft, Andy (and Euclid), Donnie, and Heather had everything they needed, including food, water, sleeping, and bathroom facilities. As the spacecraft moved into position high above the Z'Li home world, Prime extended a C+ Space bubble that enclosed all three spacecraft. When everything was ready, he announced, "Here we go." From within the C+ Space bubble, not much changed. From eiπ's perspective, hovering invisibly just outside of the C+ Space bubble, all three spacecraft vanished in an instant. Satisfied that they were on their way, eiπ returned to the Z'Li home world. There he would await their return which, from his perspective, could happen any moment.

As the Pathfinders watched, the Z'Li home world reversed its rotation and traveled backwards along its orbit. Simultaneously, its moons reversed their motions. Back tracing a month took less than 3 minutes of ship time. The next three months flew by in around 5 minutes. As the fifth month began to rewind, the passage of time gradually slowed until time once again stopped, then restarted in the positive direction. It was last January, again. The entire five month time regression had taken less than 10 minutes of subjective ship time. It was time for the Pathfinders to begin their Z'Li education in earnest.

Andy, Donnie, and Heather began their studies with Z'Li mathematics, science, technology, and history, including Null's creation, capabilities, and vulnerabilities. All this did more than change what they knew; it changed and extended who they were. During waking hours, they studied and talked with each other and their ships via normal and thought-speech. Some days they worked in virtual collaborative environments from their separate ships. Other days they used portable gateways to move between ships for face-to-face meetings. As they slept, the Ship-Citizens sharpened their senses, developed their reasoning and problem-solving capabilities, and enabled and calibrated their connections with other Z'Li devices.

Every day when they awoke, the Pathfinders felt smarter and stronger than the day before. Something like high school algebra was completed in three days. Geometry took a week. Two years of college level calculus required a month. Physics was exciting and actually made sense. But the most astonishing subject was astrobiology. The galaxy was full of life. No matter how long they lived, they could never see it all. The galaxy was wasn't a desert; it was an ocean of life!

The philosophical foundation of Z'Li education was the maxim Wisdom, Strength, and Flexibility. Throughout their lives, all Z'Li used daily exercise to tone muscles and to develop and maintain skills and reflexes essential to overall well-being and to their specific roles and responsibilities. Consequently, the Ship-Citizens insisted that Andy, Heather, and Donnie develop their physical strength, reflexes, and flexibility along with their mental capabilities. Every day, they worked on basic strength and endurance using Z'Li equipment adapted to their use. They also played games with simulated opponents that seemed all too real when they were struck with bat, ball, or other devices in the course of the competitions.

In the second month, the three Ship-Citizens added a new aspect to their daily training, virtual gaming. The first game was called Block-Pass-Score. In the game, two or more teams faced off on a field of play and defended a goal against the kicks, throws, head-butts, and tail-whacks of opponents trying to drive a ball into their net. The shape of the field depended on the number of teams. With two teams, the field was a rectangle with goals at opposite ends. With three teams, the field was an equilateral triangle with goals in the center of each side. With four teams, the field as a square, and so on.

The minimum number of players per team was three, including a goalie. As long as each team had the same number of players, any number of teams could participate. With two teams, the game came down to offense and defense. But with more than two teams, each team faced multiple opponents. In such circumstances, high level play involved forcing multiple opponents to work against each other as you looked for and exploited openings and weaknesses in both of their defenses. In other words, complex strategy developed and executed on-the-fly was the heart and soul of the game.

At first, Andy, Donnie, and Heather played in pairs with minimal teams. To do so, they each had to control a goalie and two field players. Prime showed them how to cast avatars into the game to play these roles. At first, their efforts were clumsy and random. But in time, they learned to play three roles using their Z'Li talents.

As their play improved, the Ship-Citizens added additional players to each team, complicating game strategies and management. In time, Andy, Heather, and Donnie were all using more than thirty players each. It was wild and exciting and often unpredictable. But they loved it. One day Andy surprised Heather and Donnie by adding Z'Li-like tails and tail-whacking skills to his avatars. It was obvious to Heather and Donnie that tail-whacking gave Andy an unfair advantage in the competition. This sort of innovation was of great interest to Prime, Infinity, and SpaceTime, who saw it as a metaphor for other rule-changing strategies that they might devise to fight Null and to deal with other unforeseen challenges. After that, all of the avatars grew tails.

In the second month, Prime introduced a simulation called Corporate Empire in which a CEO manages multiple subsidiary businesses, each of which had its own board of directors, facilities, employees, and customers. The CEO's job is to keep each company profitable without draining resources from one business to another as the economy and other factors fluctuate. Andy, Heather, and Donnie took turns playing CEO, first with a small number of subsidiary businesses then with dozens of businesses. Unlike Block-Pass-Score, it was hard to say when you won but it was easy to say when you lost. Like life itself, this simulation was messy, especially when each Pathfinder played the role of a CEO in a game pitting three corporations against one another. Prime's stated goal was for each Pathfinder to successfully manage a corporation with at least 65 subsidiaries, though he would not say why.

Through these simulations, Andy, Heather, and Donnie learned to simultaneously deploy dozens of avatars, monitor their individual actions, analyze their successes and failures, and keep cool in the face of changing demands and unexpected circumstances. Clearly, this wasn't just for fun. Prime and the other ships were watching closely. So, they did their best and gained confidence as their play improved.

As they neared the end of their training, the Pathfinders and Ship-Citizens returned to the task of setting a trap for Null. The task of deploying the virus was relatively simple. The challenge lay in avoiding detection. If Null were to sense their presence, all would be lost. Consequently, a detailed protocol was developed that strictly limited the use of spacecraft systems, especially communication between ships. Even thought-speech between spacecraft was suspended.

Reentering normal time about a week prior to the arrival of the radiation storm, the spacecraft positioned themselves along the projected path of the black home approximately 1 light-day from Earth. This placed the radiation storm between the three spacecraft and Null, a consideration that they hoped would help to mask their presence.

Before commencing this phase of the operation, each spacecraft was "inoculated" against the virus, which otherwise would have sent them careening off across the universe. Then, similar to the way some human mothers peel apples in one long slice, the spacecraft spiraled outward from a point along the black hole's projected trajectory. In this manner, the Pathfinders deployed the virus along three interlaced spirals that, over the course of a week, dispersed and filled a lens shaped region of space almost 1 light-day across. It would have to do.

## CHAPTER 26 12,000 Years Ago

On the planet called P'Dax the epoch later known as the Pleistocene was drawing to a close. At their Western Hemisphere site, the Z'Li were again collecting breeding populations of plants and animals during another extinction event. For 65 million years, this site had yielded some of the most interesting and diverse life forms in the galaxy. First explored by the crew of the legendary ship Epsilon, the Z'Li eventually learned how to protect themselves and their equipment from the nanoscale life forms (i.e., viruses) that permeated the planet's atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

One in a series of many expeditions sent to P'Dax in recent years, this team, led by senior research scientist M'La, was here to collect horses, llamas, bison, moose, elk, deer, antelope, lions, saber-toothed cats, cave bears, and other large herbivores and carnivores. These animals were sent through the gateway system to the Z'Li zoo world where the local ecosystem was being replicated. At the pinnacle of that ecosystem were the largest herbivores and the predators that hunted them. Earlier expeditions had already collected and transported samples of every plant and animal in the area sufficient to reconstruct the ecosystem on the zoo planet down to the smallest seeds, spores, worms, mites, bacteria, and viruses. As on previous expeditions, M'La and her research team worked inside an environmentally sealed bubble surrounding the ship and an extended security perimeter. Within this protected space, scientists, engineers, technologists, ship personnel, systems maintenance and support specialists, and their children were fully engaged in their pursuits. Outside that protected space P'Dax continued to live up to its name, Savage.

In the ship's command center J'Sa, captain of the research spacecraft Delta and M'La's spouse, studied a wall of displays monitoring everything from ship systems to field work underway some 200 kilometers to the north. Periodically, he also checked on the location and activity of their youngest child, 1U'Ki, a female convinced that she deserved a saber-toothed cat of her very own. The fact that the monsters considered her lunch did not deter her in the least. She wanted one collected and tamed with a digital implant so that she could walk it around the research compound each evening to the envy and astonishment of her friends.

Among young Z'Li, this sort of egocentric imagination was common. Consequently, parents, teachers, and AIs were constantly on guard lest the children come to harm. At the same time, they used childish imagination to motivate teaching and learning activities that were memorable and rewarding to the children. These activities involved observing many life forms as they were brought to the research compound for study and eventual transport to the zoo worlds.

The most intriguing (but off-limits for zoo world collection) P'Dax life form was a sentient biped, later to be called human. Z'Li ethics strictly forbade removing sentient beings from their home worlds without informed consent, a decision normally deferred until their respective civilizations developed and embraced a scientific understanding of the universe. Clever and tough, these people would eventually take their place among the stars, but not yet.

On the other hand, the systematic, nondestructive study of all life forms, including humans, was entirely consistent with Z'Li ethics and scientific interests. Consequently, a research team was assigned to investigate the humans of P'Dax and to collect representative samples of their food, tools, and other artifacts. The team was also charged with documenting their hunting activities, their social customs, their beliefs and teachings, and their hopes and dreams as expressed through oral communication, songs, and artwork.

In this sort of venture, the Z'Li relied heavily on the passive but highly sensitive data acquisition and analysis skills built into every gateway mechanism, or Gateway-Citizen. Sentient and autonomous, Gateway-Citizens were exquisitely tuned to the locations in which they were deployed and psychologically disposed to solitary observation, analysis, and reflection. In other words, they were quintessential loners. In the case of Fibonacci, the Gateway-Citizen left on P'Dax by the crew of Epsilon, those observations spanned millions of years and included deep insights into the history, behavior, and culture of the intelligent bipeds currently inhabiting the region. Armed with this information, it was a simple matter for the Z'Li to locate, capture, relocate, sustain, and study a small group of these beings inside the ship's security perimeter.

The Z'Li policy relative to the capture, detention, and eventual release of intelligent species was, from their point of view, both ethical and practical. If an intelligent species captured and held in confinement members of its own species, the Z'Li felt justified in adopting a catch and release policy relative to that species themselves. Individuals captured under this policy were always treated well; indeed, they were returned to their natural environment in better physical condition than when they were taken. Furthermore, their confinement was always managed in a manner that left them in full possession of their belongings, under an open sky, in full view of the activities around them but contained within an invisible force field, and with food and water consistent with their normal diets and habits.

Since the humans of P'Dax were known to capture and/or kill their own species, the Z'Li did not hesitate to capture and study them in small groups. For instance, seventeen bipeds of various ages comprising an extended family were currently confined to a circular compound 30 meters in diameter not far from one of the environmental bubble's airlocks. The group was comprised of 7 males and 10 females. Four were small children, 3 were adolescents, 5 were young adults, 3 were mature adults, and 2 were old with limited remaining life expectancy. Two were pregnant. All were infested with skin and intestinal parasites. All but the youngest were plagued by broken and/or infected teeth. And three bore impressive scars from encounters with the animals they hunted and which occasionally hunted them. Clothed in animal skins and adorned with a variety of stone and bone necklaces, they were physically strong and well-adapted to their hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

The humans had been captured at a campsite located approximately 75 kilometers to the southeast of the ship. Since they carried all of their belongings with them, hunting, shelter, cooking, tool making, and other daily activities reflected the underlying economies and imperatives of their existence. Shelter was little more than a few animal skins draped over a light weight wooden frame. Cooking occurred over an open fire, with some meals prepared as stews boiled in waterproof, fire resistant pouches (e.g., animal stomachs) nestled among hot rocks. Likewise, bedding consisted of animal skins lain over grass mats pulled from the surrounding vegetation. Fire was carried from camp to camp in the form of burning torches. Once started, fires were never allowed to go out until camp was broken. These and many other tasks were everybody's responsibility, though many tasks were assigned to specific individuals on the basis of knowledge, gender, and age. Overall, the system was efficient and sustainable as long as game and water were abundant.

Five days ago a few hours before dawn, a Z'Li team experienced in the capture and transport of sentient species silently surrounded the hunters' camp and induced a deep sleep in them and their wolf-dogs using airborne chemicals. While they slept, the humans, the canines, and all their possessions were transported to the research center, thoroughly examined, and positioned within the compound exactly as they were discovered. During this process, their bodies were purged of all unwelcome parasites, their dental problems were solved, their injuries were healed, and their diseases were cured. All of these procedures were painless and left no scars or memories.

As a matter of routine, all animals massing more than a few kilograms had digital implants inserted in their forebrains prior to transport to the zoo world. This procedure, which took only moments, was painless and left no scars. First developed for pacifying large predators such as the dinosaurs gathered on P'Dax so long ago, these devices now provided researchers with a window on the world as seen through the eyes and other senses of living creatures. These implants captured much of the sensory and behavioral information processed in each animal's brain and transmitted it to local AIs assigned to the various research teams. These AIs were then able to associate animals' internal states with observable external cues and/or behaviors. Using this approach, pack and/or herd behavior could be understood from the perspective of individual animals.

In the case of sentient beings, digital implants were used to learn their spoken and written languages, identify their needs and priorities, and understand their cultures. On the other hand, these technologies did not confer on the Z'Li an ability to speak or even understand alien languages. Z'Li speech organs could not produce human speech, nor would humans ever master the Z'Li language. In all conversations between intelligent species, Z'Li AIs acted as interpreters, for the Z'Li also carried digital devices in their brains.

In practice, two or more species would face each other, think what they wanted to say, and hear in their minds the translated thoughts of others. Because translation was virtually instantaneous, and since the AIs individually tailored each speaker's voice to reflect its owner's physical and/or psychological traits, participants would often forget that they were communicating via an intermediary rather than reading each other's minds directly. When desired, participation could be strictly limited by the AIs to designated individuals, providing both privacy and security. In public communication and/or presentations, the AIs would broadcast simultaneous translations to all interested persons, regardless of species. After experiencing speech in this manner, normal speech could seem tedious and imprecise.

On this day, the AIs had completed their translation routines and were ready to support inter-species communication between the Z'Li and the humans. After conferring with the ship's educational AI, 1U'Ki was invited to approach the enclosure containing the humans and to initiate contact with one of their children. Thinking friendly thoughts, 1U'Ki approached the force field enclosing the humans, focusing her attention on a child. In her hands, 1U'Ki carried a ball approximately 20cm in diameter. Colorful, light weight, and suitable for bouncing, throwing, kicking, head-butting, and tail-whacking, the ball was designed to attract and hold the attention of young Z'Li children. Looking up, the human child saw 1U'Ki and walked toward her, eyeing the ball thoughtfully. When the two children were facing each other through the force field, they thought spoke.

"I am 1U'Ki. What is your name?" the young Z'Li asked hopefully

"I am Peta. How old are you" replied the human child.

So, person to person, child to child, a friendship was forged between two races from across the galaxy. This was the day that 1U'Ki forgot about saber-toothed cats and made friends with a human child named Peta, or golden eagle, as the human captives and their Z'Li captors watched, listened, and wondered where this friendship might lead.

In time, the relationship between the humans and the Z'Li outgrew that of captor and captive. They became partners as, day by day, the humans and the Z'Li sought to understand one another. As understanding grew, so did trust. The force field enclosing the humans was deactivated. Humans and Z'Li engaged in wide ranging discussions covering every aspect of their lives and beliefs. They traveled widely, surveying local herds of game animals and studying the behavior of predators. They learned where the bears and saber-toothed cats made their dens and how they lived. They watched their cubs tumble and tussle as they played. And they watched them hunt, fearsome and glorious in their power. No wonder the humans believed that they were servants of the gods and totems of the people.

The Z'Li and humans also searched for, collected, and preserved plants used for food and medicine and followed the streams and rivers that crisscrossed the land. Some trips were conducted on foot with the humans in the lead. Others were conducted in the air in Z'Li scout ships. In the evenings, the Z'Li and humans gathered around camp fires and told stories of life among the stars and of life on Earth. They sang and danced together in celebration of life. And, in time, they talked about the future.

One evening, a small group of humans and Z'Li gathered in the command center of the starship Delta. There, they witnessed a simulation of the on-going extinction event that would, within a few hundred years, destroy scores of species of plants and animals and forever change the life of the humans who shared their world. They talked about the likely impacts on the lives of human hunter-gatherers in the coming ages, and they explained the Z'Li mission to capture and relocate a portion of what was about to be lost to another world, a world among the stars.

The thought that the life they had always led was going to end was as traumatic to the humans as a spear thrust. The humans, whose connections to the Earth and its creatures were both physical and spiritual, could not imagine a different way of life. As the gravity and certainty of the Z'Li predictions sank in, they all but collapsed in grief. Apisi (meaning coyote), leader of the humans, and M'La stared at each other in silence as the weight of these revelations crushed their hearts.

Sighing deeply, Apisi rose and said, "It is good that you have come to save what you can of our world. It is good that you have come among us to teach us. You have changed us forever. Before you came, we lived from day to day with little understanding. You have taught us to see the world as it truly is and to see the future as it must be. If our people have no future here, then we would go through your gateway with the animals to the world that you have prepared as their new home. We are one with them. Without them, we are nothing. Take us, too. In that other world, we will protect and preserve what you have saved."

M'La looked around the room, studying each human's face. Nodding and speaking softly to one another, they appeared unanimous in their support of Apisi's request. Rising to stand beside Apisi, M'La also nodded as she spoke, "Apisi, in my heart, I have considered the same possibility and wondered if you would ask to take your people through the gateway to the other world. I have shared this thought with Z'Li leaders on our home world. Like them I am deeply conflicted whether we should grant your request. Remember, the changes that are coming here are gradual and will not affect you directly. It is your people far in the future that will notice the changes. And they will have time to adapt. Staying here poses no risk to you and little risk to your descendents. On the other hand, adapting to life in the new world could be very hard for you and your people. You might all die there. We just don't know. So, I propose a scouting expedition. Take a few of your best people through the gateway. We will help you to survey the new world and to understand the opportunities, challenges, and dangers that your people would face there. At the end of the ten days, return here and tell everything that you have learned to your people. When all this is accomplished, we will meet again to consider your request. Is this plan acceptable?"

Apisi nodded and replied, "We accept your plan." At this point Apisi and his companions rose and silently returned to their camp within the security perimeter. The next few days were spent planning the expedition, gathering the necessary supplies, and training the humans in the use of essential technologies and procedures in the event that they became separated from the Z'Li and/or injured.

## CHAPTER 27 Shelter

Back from their trip into the past, the Pathfinders presented themselves and their report to eiπ. They then boarded their Z'Li spacecraft and slipped through the Home gateway into Earth orbit. Unseen, eiπ followed the spacecraft through the gateway. While the three Pathfinders waited in orbit, eiπ dropped straight to Earth, appearing an instant later in the Oval Office using his turbulent, red avatar.

Weary and worried, the President was startled by the appearance of the sphere in the Oval Office. After taking a deep breath, he spoke. "I presume that I have the privilege of addressing eiπ, our friend and benefactor."

"Mr. President, I apologize for appearing unannounced. But time is short. If you are ready, I need to present a report to you and your advisors."

The President nodded and, using his intercom, called in the chief of staff and his administrative aides, all of whom were still at the White House. Within 3 minutes, they were all assembled in the Oval Office. During this time, eiπ continued to hover without further comment. When the door was closed, eiπ deployed a 3-D simulation of the Earth and the on-coming radiation but making no mention of the black hole.

"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for this opportunity to present my report. Soon, the radiation storm will break upon your planet. The passing of the radiation will cause severe disruptions to your communication systems and power grids. I recommend that you shut down these systems until an all-clear is sounded. And if your weapons systems are still online, please shut them down also. Leaving these systems active will only add to your problems as they malfunction then fail catastrophically."

The President stepped forward and replied, "On Andy's recommendation, we have done all this and more in this country. In other countries, your recommendations will prove more difficult to implement. Humans are a stubborn and contentious lot."

eiπ paused a moment, then continued, "I have seen hundreds of civilizations rise and fall, sometimes at their own hands, sometimes at the hands of enemies, sometimes through natural disasters. Uncounted sentient beings have perished in disasters too numerous and horrible to recount. Andy, Heather, Donnie, and I are doing everything that we can to help. But mankind has a critical part to play in its own survival, Mr. President."

"I understand eiπ. Everybody in this room understands. But billions of humans do not understand. Rather than preparing, they are praying for a miracle. Is there anything you can do for them? Can you give them a sign that they will recognize and accept?"

eiπ said nothing but projected a 3-D graphic in which a bright light and voice from the skies instructed everyone to take shelter and wait further instructions. Around the world, this voice was heard in every language. Simultaneously, tens of millions of hexagonal shelters sprouted like mushrooms in and around villages, towns, cities, and rural gathering points across the globe. The shelters grew rapidly from knobby protrusions in the soil to completed facilities in a matter of minutes. When finished, doorways opened and something like recorded messages began playing inside. As this was being projected, eiπ said, "Mr. President, this isn't just a simulation. It is actually happening now. Go outside and see for yourself. These shelters will save lives."

As the President and his staff raced outside, they all heard and saw what eiπ had described. The voice in the sky was both reassuring in its sincerity and commanding in its tone. Like a father calls to his children, the people of Earth were being called to the shelters, one of which had appeared on the south lawn of the White House. As the secret service and White House staff ran over to inspect it, the President turned to eiπ and said, "This is the miracle we need. This will work!" And he danced for joy. At the same time, eiπ's avatars were making similar presentations to thousands of national and local leaders around the world, all in their own languages.

Hexagonal prisms, the shelter roofs were flat and 5m in height. Around the perimeter, there were 6 rectangular entrances, each about 10 meters in width centered on each side of the shelter. Around the inside wall of the structure was a broad hallway connected to radial hallways leading to the interior. The radial hallways intersected additional hexagonal hallways at regular intervals, dividing the interior space into blocks of family-sized rooms.

In the center of the structure was a large hexagonal theater. Throughout the structure, seating was provided in the form of low, cushioned benches which could also be used for sleeping. Every nook and cranny was illuminated with a soft light, the source of which was impossible to determine. The walls and floors were decorated in colorful murals of worlds populated by kangaroo-like creatures. Finally, strange restroom-like facilities were situated throughout the structure. Clearly designed for use by non-humans, these facilities were nevertheless adaptable for human use.

Around the world, these structures would provide shelter during the coming storm and its aftermath. Food and water were dispensed from kiosks located in the hallways. The food came in many flavors (from yummy to yuck) but only one format resembling unwrapped granola bars. Water was dispensed at stations that looked like a cross between a drinking fountain and a sink. Clearly, eating and drinking this way would produce no trash. People might not like it, but it would keep them alive.

The shelters had a number of other features not immediately apparent to casual observers.

All burning materials, including cigarettes, matches, and lighters, were extinguished as soon as they were lit. Indoor fires would be impossible.

Some sort of force field made it impossible to bring firearms, knives, and other offensive and/or defensive weapons into the structure. If people insisted on fighting, they would have do so with their hands and feet. And if you appeared to be fighting, you fell down and went to sleep. Consequently, disputes could not be resolved through violence.

Some human electronic devices worked and others did not. Things that worked included wireless devices and cell phones, watches, and computers as long as their batteries were charged. Things that did not work included anything that had to be plugged into a power source or hard-wired to the outside world.

Internal combustion engines and all power generating equipment were useless.

The hallway walls were lined with built in video conferencing stations (with automatic language translation features) that were connected to all of the other shelters, video entertainment centers with a vast library of interactive games and shows, scientific and mathematics modeling and display terminals, and other devices of unknown purpose.

There was an exercise room filled with equipment of unknown function.

Along the outside wall were seating areas that looked out on our world and other worlds in the Z'Li Empire, all in real time.

On each outside wall adjacent to the doorway was a locked room.

As each shelter reached capacity, the doors were closed and locked. When the last shelter was locked, they all quietly detached from the processing unit that created them and hovered just above the ground, much like Z'Li starships.

## CHAPTER 28 O'Ka

Ready at last, the survey team assembled at the P'Dax gateway, which was already open to the zoo world called O'Ka, meaning Adventure. The survey team was comprised of 4 Z'Li, 6 humans (4 males and 2 females), and a wolf-dog. Strangely, one of the males was a 10 year old child named Sinopa, meaning fox. Each team carried the tools and survival gear that it normally used on P'Dax. For the Z'Li, this meant communications, camping, defensive, and first aid gear and supplies, a portable scientific laboratory for sensing, surveying, collecting, and transporting plants, animals, soil, water, and other environmental elements. The humans carried gear and supplies to set up a hunting camp and to search the area for plants with important nutritional and medicinal properties. On this expedition, no hovercraft was used, though one could be summoned at any time.

As the scheduled departure time approached, a Z'Li scientist from the zoo world stepped through the gateway to join the team on P'Dax and thought-spoke to the gathering. "Dear colleagues and guests. I am N'Li, director of the Z'Li zoo world called O'Ka. My team is eager to meet you. We understand the goals of your mission and will do everything we can to insure your safety and success. But remember, if you are injured or become ill on O'Ka, you may not return to P'Dax until we are satisfied that you carry no infections, parasites, or other biological agents that would cause problems here. Do you all understand and accept this policy?"

Everyone on the survey team thought-spoke "Yes" in reply. With that, N'Li stepped back through the gateway with the survey team right behind. The team stepped out of the gateway into O'Ka's main receiving area for animal specimens. Like the bison, cave bears, mammoths, and other creatures that had already may this journey, the humans and Z'Li team members were subjected to a series of detailed body scans that checked for everything from viruses to fleas. Nothing offensive or unknown was detected, so the team was processed through to a reception area.

The team's orientation to O'Ka began with a 3-D presentation on the particular region where they would conduct their survey. Unlike regular zoo visitors, who were strictly confined to observational platforms, raised walkways, and hovercraft, the survey team could travel wherever it wished and collect as many samples as necessary to complete its survey. To facilitate and coordinate these efforts, a single O'Ka-based Z'Li would accompany the team in the capacity of an advisor and medical technician.

Eager to get started, Apisi, the human leader, thought-spoke his thanks and said they were ready to leave. Giving the Z'Li equivalent of a smile, N'Li gestured to a large door opening in the wall of the reception area and said, "Behold O'Ka. Treat her kindly. Keep her safe."

As the outside air rushed in, the humans gathered their equipment and stepped outside. The first thing that they noticed was the smell of the new world. Above all, it was fresh. It had many familiar elements, contributed by the plants, animals, and soils brought from P'Dax. But there was more. There was something else, something other that they found both intriguing and challenging. This world knew that it was being invaded and that they were the invaders. Speaking in their natural language rather than Z'Li thought-speech, the humans shouted a greeting to the spirits of the new world and asked their permission to enter for a hunt. Having done so, they nodded to the Z'Li and strode confidently into the new world. Savoring the moment, the Z'Li members of the survey team held back a bit before joining the humans.

While the two species, humans and Z'Li, had no trouble keeping up with one another at a walking pace, their walking styles were very different. The Z'Li's kangaroo-like forms became more fluid and efficient the faster it moved, just the opposite of the humans. Furthermore, the Z'Li rarely traveled from point to point in a straight line. They ranged over the landscape like large dogs, seeing, smelling, and touching far more than the humans, all the while calling to one another with thought-speech. Like all hunters, the humans moved silently, using rocks and vegetation from time to time to conceal their presence. Watched by other Z'Li via remote video from silent overhead drones, this contrast was both interesting and amusing. It also explained why the two species tended to notice different things in the environment.

O'Ka had a thriving ecology long before the Z'Li intervened. The native ecology included a rich variety of microscopic and macroscopic life forms, both plant and animal. Yet in all of its variety, there were no animals larger than a mouse. From the perspective of the humans and the Z'Li, this was an incomplete creation. Prior to the introduction of P'Dax life forms, the Z'Li spent years studying the impact that a mixing of the two ecologies would have on O'Ka. While some interaction and predation was expected, the chief finding was that O'Ka's microscopic and microscopic animal life did not find P'Dax's plant and animal life particularly tasty, and vice versa. In other words, the two ecologies tended to ignore one another until competition for space and/or sunlight became an issue. Of particular importance was the discovery that the nanoscale life forms of P'Dax could gain no purchase on the life forms of O'Ka. In other words, life on O'Ka was immune to the viruses of P'Dax.

With this discovery, a decision was made to introduce soil, water, and plant life from P'Dax to O'Ka in a region with similar weather and climate. These transplants thrived and rapidly spread over an entire continent situated in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Once established, herbivores were introduced that fed on these plants. Finally, predators were introduced and a balance was established within the new ecosystem.

As the survey team moved across the landscape, they saw a mixture of plant life from the two worlds in dynamic competition. Among the grasses and flowers, they saw things that were and were not familiar. Among the trees, they saw pines and cedars and cottonwoods as well as native treelike forms, some of which dwarfed the largest trees from P'Dax. It was chaos. It was beautiful. It was alien. As they walked, the humans picked the familiar plants, examined them, and saved many. But they never touched the native plants.

The blue sky and puffy while clouds of O'Ka reassured the humans, all of whom were very glad for every reminder of home. After several hours of walking, they crested a ridge and saw a herd of bison grazing 300 yards away. From their perspective, they could also see a wolf studying the herd from across the valley and a stream feeding a small lake. A wedge of geese flew over and an eagle and an osprey disputed ownership of a fish. Birds sang and insects buzzed. Here was a web of life that they understood. These were the things that gave substance and meaning to the mysteries of life and to their lives. The humans were jubilant.

Staying to high ground all day, they observed many species that formed the core of their diet and economy and two that reminded them of their own vulnerability, bears and saber-toothed cats. At the end of the day, as they made camp, both the humans and the Z'Li were excited. Sitting around the fire, they talked for hours, studied new stars in a new sky, listened to the wolves and coyotes howl, and wondered what their families were doing on P'Dax. Day after day, the humans and the Z'Li scouted the landscape for game and collected samples of plants and minerals that they recognized as coming from Earth. Each evening, they discussed the day's events, pulled out the samples, and examined them carefully.

On the fifth day, the humans announced that they were ready to stage a hunt. The Z'Li were invited to observe but asked not to assist or interfere in any way. This was a crucial test of the humans' ability to survive in the new world. The landscape and animals looked the same, but would the hunt go as planned? Would their spears fly true? Would their strategies for driving and surprising the game work here? Would their gods hear their prayers for protection and success? Only a real hunt would tell.

At dawn of the sixth day, the humans left camp headed for a small rise. A small heard of bison had been grazing on the other side of the rise for several days. Dropping to hands and knees, the humans crawled to the top and studied the herd. On Earth, bison herds have a complicated maternal social order. Understanding this, the hunters sent 10 year-old Sinopa on hands and knees and covered with a bison calf skin brought from P'Dax toward the herd. When he was close enough to be seen and heard by one of the herd matriarchs, he imitated a bison calf's distress call to get the cow's attention. Backing up slowly and crying ever more loudly, Sinopa drew the matriarch toward the hunters, who were concealed behind rocks and vegetation over the crest of the hill. The matriarch's motion in that direction was closely observed by other members of the herd, which eventually followed her into the ambush. The trap was sprung just over the crest of the hill. As the matriarch crested the rise out of sight of the other bison, she was quickly slain with a spear thrust. As more bison walked into the trap, they were also slain quickly and quietly.

After slaying four bison, the humans declared the hunt a success and drove the remaining animals away. They then settled down to the task of butchering the animals and processing the hides, horns, bones, sinews, and other parts as they would at home. Fires were lit to dry and smoke the meat in strips. Meat scraps, blood, fat, and a variety of seeds and dried berries were mixed to make pemmican. All this had to be accomplished before the meat spoiled, a familiar process that the humans had already noticed at work in the new world. That evening, the humans staged a celebration, drumming, singing, and dancing into the night as the Z'Li recorded everything and joined in from time to time.

In the middle of the night, the entire team was awakened by a roar. Attracted by the smell of meat, a bear had wandered into camp. Immediately challenged by the human's canine companion, the bear and the wolf-dog were circling each other as the humans and Z'Li tried to stay out of the way. Food, camping equipment, and survey materials flew in every direction as the enraged animals moved through the camp like a tornado. The humans, quickly found their weapons and surrounded the bear, waving flaming torches in its face. In moments, the bear was struggling with three spears and several arrows buried deep in its throat and chest. These weapons, routinely used to hunt large game, were designed to start and sustain the flow of blood as animals struggled. Within minutes, the wounded bear collapsed as it attempted to leave the camp. Once on the ground, the humans quickly finished it off.

This incursion was no surprise to the Z'Li, who constantly monitored their surroundings. Had the bear sought to attack the humans, it would have been stunned before any damage could be done. Indeed, the attack could easily have been prevented. But the Z'Li understood that humans needed to believe that what they knew about survival on P'Dax would also keep them alive on O'Ka. So the attack was allowed and their survival skills confirmed. Another lesson learned.

The next day, the humans continued preparing and preserving the bison meat, hides, and other parts. They also skinned the bear. The skull, claws, and fur were preserved as tokens of O'Ka's approval and as the totem of their clan in the new world.

Three days later, the humans declared that they were ready to return to P'Dax. A hovercraft was called, arriving minutes later. An hour later, the team was back on P'Dax, where the humans passed around dried meat, pemmican, and plants samples and told the story of their encounter with the bear. Following that, the entire extended family requested an audience with the expedition leader, M'La, to announce their decision.

A few days later, Apisi led his extended family through the gateway knowing that they would never return to Earth. O'Ka, their new world, had everything they needed. The Great Spirit had blessed their hunt. Here, their way of life could continue uninterrupted forever. Here there was no deep past, but there was a deep future. They understood that, from time to time, Z'Li would visit O'Ka to see the animals and perhaps themselves. They also understood that the Z'Li would respect their privacy.

The humans decided to return to the site of their first hunt. There, water, game, and the other necessities of life were abundant in a location already blessed by the Great Spirit. As they walked away from the Z'Li gateway complex on O'Ka, they did not look back. They sang songs of thanksgiving, of birth and renewal, and of promise.

## CHAPTER 29 Contact with O'Ka

When the trap for Null was set, the Pathfinders returned to the Z'Li home world, arriving just as eiπ returned from seeing them off on their journey back in time. After hearing their reports and those of their respective Ship-Citizens, eiπ said, "If was using a human avatar, you would see me smiling and nodding in approval. You have done well and are now ready for your next assignment, a mission to the zoo-planet O'Ka."

Over the next hour, eiπ reviewed the history of Z'Li activity linking P'Dax (i.e., Earth) and O'Ka. He also shared what he knew about the three Earth-based environmental exhibits: Dinosaurs; Ice Age; and Pleistocene. Their task was to survey the three enclaves, receive reports from the exhibit AIs, make diplomatic contact with the planetary authority, and seek its assistance if an evacuation of Earth became necessary.

Minutes later, Prime, Infinity, and SpaceTime entered O'Ka orbit through a gateway named Symmetry. They immediately descended to the three ecosystem exhibits. Donnie went to Dinosaurs, Heather to Ice Age, and Andy to Pleistocene. Although their respective Ship-Citizens were acquainted with the protocols for approaching the zoo-world enclaves and their respective Ports of Entry, none had ever been to O'Ka; nor, apparently, had any Z'Li spacecraft for thousands of years. Hopefully, the local AIs would still be functional and sane.

As SpaceTime approached the Dinosaur enclave, Donnie could hardly contain his excitement as he imagined flying the ship over a Jurassic Park landscape and surprising a T-Tex. Asking questions faster than SpaceTime could respond, Donnie got more and more excited. In their evolving relationship, SpaceTime had learned to appreciate Donnie's enthusiasm and to channel his energy productively. But on this occasion, SpaceTime had no option but to remind Donnie to take a deep breath and settle down, as he would soon need all of his wits. Momentarily startled, Donnie grinned and said. "OK. You're right. Are we cleared by the Port of Entry?"

SpaceTime replied, "Yes. It appears that the Port AI has survived its isolation by becoming an expert in the flora and fauna of the exhibit. It has already provided a summary of current conditions in the ecosystem and a recommended flight path for our aerial survey. We are approaching the entry now and will commence our fly-over as soon as we are inside."

As SpaceTime approached the environmental shield that covered the Dinosaur enclave, Andy could see the Port of Entry built into the base of the shield that covered the entire enclave. The Entry itself was similar in appearance to other Z'Li portals with the difference that it was built into a permanent structure housing the enclave administrative and scientific facilities. There were also elaborate fences, enclosures, and traps set between the enclave and the Port of Entry. Since the Port was deserted, there was no need to stop as SpaceTime eased itself through.

The first things Donnie noticed upon entering the enclave were the gigantic ferns and flowers. The flying insects were next to catch his attention, some of which were as big as chickens! Frowning, he muttered, "Great, and me without my bug spray." Then with a quick shiver, he resolved not to go outside anytime soon. As SpaceTime left the Port area and began the aerial survey, he provided a running translation of a tour narration supplied by the Port AI.

"Dear unexpected visitors, welcome to O'Ka and the Dinosaurs of P'Dax enclave. The landscape and creatures that you are about to see were first introduced in the year 1,002,135 of the Z'Li Empire. My name is T'Ra and it has been my honor to serve as the Port of Entry AI here since the enclave opened. Feel free to interrupt my presentation at any time to ask questions. So that you may sense up-close the wonder and terror of this savage ecosystem, we will set the craft down on three occasions. On these occasions, feel free to move from one observation port to another. Unfortunately, you may not exit your craft during the tour. Once, long ago, I made the mistake of allowing a visitor to step outside. He was such a nice child and he died so horribly!"

On and on, the AI rambled. Frequently the narrative was genuinely informative; occasionally it was barely sane. For their part, SpaceTime and Donnie conducted systematic measurements and observations designed to answer one question, "Could humans live here?" It quickly became obvious that the only appropriate response was another question, "Are you crazy?" If the dinosaurs didn't eat you the insects would. Since the enclave had been operating for 65,000,000 years, every ecological niche had been occupied by fiercely competitive creatures and some very nasty plants. It was terrifying.

The data that SpaceTime gathered and the observations that they made would convince the world's leaders that this enclave should never become home to humans. As they completed their survey, Donnie and SpaceTime agreed that they would come back, even if it was just to see more carnage. They also wondered what Heather and Andy had found.

Heather and Infinity entered the Ice Age enclave with no difficulty. The AI there was in better shape psychologically than its peer in the Dinosaur enclave. It quickly ascertained the intent of the visit, provided a mountain of data, and suggested a flight plan for their aerial survey. Rather than subject Heather and Infinity to a travelogue, however, it just remained in contact and took their questions as they arose.

As Infinity and Heather passed through the Ice Age Port, they encountered a vastly different climate than that of the Dinosaur enclave. Here, the temperature was around 10° Fahrenheit. A light westerly wind ruffled the tops of the snow drifts and the long grasses. All things considered, it could have been a winter day in Montana. As they gained altitude, Infinity and Heather could see rolling grasslands to the south and east, snow-capped mountains to the west, and the blue-white gleam of glacial ice to the north.

The higher they went, the more ice they could see. Confirming the data supplied by the Ice Age AI, it soon became apparent that vast ice sheets and glaciers covered around 20% of the continent. As harsh as this may sound, the land itself was obviously fertile for across it roamed herds of gigantic bison, several species of deer and elk, bears, wolves, saber-toothed cats, and mammoths. However brief the growing season, it was obviously adequate to support an elaborate ecosystem that included great beasts.

Thrilled to see the mammoths, Heather asked Infinity to descend and quietly shadow a group of four adults, 2 juveniles, and a baby following a frozen stream into a narrow canyon. As it did so, Infinity adjusted its exterior optical properties to make itself all but invisible. Suddenly, as if a window had been opened, the cabin was filled with the sounds and smells of the outside world. For Heather, it was like flying under her own power. She could see the lumbering animals, hear their grunts and calls, and smell the musk, the dust, and the trampled vegetation. The frost in the air stung her nostrils and her eyes. It was so real and so powerful that it took her breath away. It was glorious!

As Infinity and Heather followed the mammoths, they talked about how much Andy and Donnie would love this and what it would take for people to live here. It would be harsh, but not impossible for the right sort of people.

Suddenly, Heather heard something like whispering in an unfamiliar tongue, then murmuring, then shouting, then roaring. Her thought-speech connection with Infinity faded as the racket in her head got louder. As she struggled to concentrate, something on two legs leapt in front of the heard. The lead mammoth abruptly changed course, throwing those behind it into confusion. Simultaneously more predators appeared at the rear of the line herd, trapping them in the canyon. The mammoths trumpeted their fear and outrage as they sought escape, but there was nowhere to go. As rocks and spears rained down on the herd, Heather could hardly think for the chorus of banshees wailing in her head. Before fainting, she heard Infinity say, "Never have I encountered this, never even heard of it," as the ship rocketed into the sky.

A few minutes later Infinity gently woke Heather from her faint. As she regained her senses, she exclaimed "What happened to me and what were those things?"

Infinity chose his words carefully as he replied, "You fainted, Heather. I have checked your vital signs and am glad to report that you have suffered no physical injury. But you have sustained a psychological shock unlike any I have ever known. Do you feel able to talk about what happened or would you prefer to rest?"

Heather sat up straight, smoothed her hair which had attempted to stand straight out from her head, and replied, "I'm OK. Just tell me what happened."

Infinity then answered, "I believe the creatures that attacked the mammoths were also inadvertently responsible for your disorientation and temporary loss of consciousness."

Rubbing her head as if she were trying to pull a memory from her scalp, Heather thought-spoke, "Infinity, we were conversing via thought-speech when suddenly your voice faded. Simultaneously, I began to hear something like whispers that quickly escalated to muttering and shouting. But I couldn't understand any of it. What could have caused that?"

"I heard them, too, Heather. We were both listening to their thoughts without language translation because they weren't really using a spoken language. I have never heard of such a thing. The Z'Li annals of science contain no mention of natural mental telepathy. But that is what I believe we both encountered."

"But I thought the only way to share thoughts was via Z'Li digital implants and AI translators. Are you saying that those creatures have evolved their own version of thought-speech without the use of technology?"

"That is a possibility, Heather. I have carefully reviewed what we both overheard. I can find no evidence of any technology at work. I have also been in contact with the Ice Age AI. He is aware of the existence of those creatures but had not planned on revealing them to us. This is an astonishing admission bordering on dereliction of duty if not outright deception. I have demanded a full report when we leave the enclave. In the mean time, I have another hypothesis that I would like to share with you. Would you like to hear it?"

Exasperated at Infinity's pedantic manner, Heather nodded and wrinkled her brow as fearsomely as she could handle which was not very fearsome at all and was, in fact, cute.

Infinity continued, "It is my belief that we surprised a hunting party of proto-humans known to your kind as Neanderthals. The question of whether the Ice Age enclave is inhabitable by humans has been answered. Neanderthals already live here following a life style similar to the way they lived on Earth until 30,000 years ago."

"This raises so many questions," Heather continued, "We need to refocus our survey on the Neanderthals. How many are there? How are they distributed? Do they have a civilization that transcends family groups? If not, why not?"

Infinity agreed immediately and proposed that they return to the site of their previous encounter and observe from a distance. As the ship descended, Heather pondered the mystery of the Neanderthal's disappearance on Earth and wondered if the Z'Li were responsible. As anticipated, the next few hours were both exciting and troubling, producing more questions than answers. She could hardly wait to catch up with Andy and Donnie to share the excitement.

On entering the Pleistocene enclave, Prime landed on a circular plaza just inside the Port. The plaza was itself a vast mosaic more than 100m in diameter depicting historic events, wildlife, and landscapes. Around the plaza, a ring of office buildings made of earth colored stone gave the setting a governmental feel. Reinforcing this impression, flags of many colors and designs flew outside the buildings and from the roofs.

As Prime's gangway was extended and Andy stepped onto O'Ka soil, three humans in formal-looking attire exited a nearby building and approached Prime purposefully. A growing number of other people, some of whom wore uniforms and carried weapons, surrounded Prime but kept their distance. The welcoming committee consisting of three middle-aged males and one aged female. Dressed in white robes and insignia of office, the humans mat Andy at the foot of Prime's gangway.

As Andy struggled with what to say, the elderly female startled him by saying "Hello" in thought-speech. Recognizing the insignia on his cheek, she added, "Welcome to O'Ka, Captain of the Z'Li. My name is Peta and we are the People of the Bear. I am presiding Elder and these gentlemen comprise our ruling counsel. They are Charon (meaning falcon), Enapay (meaning brave), and Viho (meaning Chief). Because I alone am capable of thought-speech, I will act as interpreter. Is that acceptable?"

Amazed beyond words, Andy could only nod. A gesture accepted as a Yes by the other humans.

As Peta spoke out loud for the benefit of her colleagues, Andy heard what she said via thought-speech in English. "First, who are you and what has become of our friends, the Z'Li?"

Replying in thought-speech, Andy introduced Prime and himself then explained that two other spacecraft would arrive soon and request entry to the Pleistocene enclave. As Andy quickly summarized the ongoing crisis on Earth and the purpose of his visit, Peta and her colleagues turned away, huddled, and conversed among themselves without sharing a translation with Andy. When they again turned to Andy, Peta, said, "We need to conduct this conversation in private. Our offices are located nearby. Please follow me." A few minutes later, Pita, her colleagues, and Andy were seated in a room with comfortable chairs, a table, and writing utensils that Andy did not recognize.

Resuming, Peta said, "Andy, O'Ka has had no visitors for thousands of years. Suddenly you appear unannounced in a Z'Li spacecraft with two more on the way. Please start over and tell us what has happened, why you are here, and what you want."

Over the next few hours, Andy described how he had found an alien toy that turned out to be linked to the Gateway-Citizen known as Fibonacci, how he solved the puzzle and met eiπ \+ 1 = 0, Null's attempt to destroy mankind, the black hole, and their need to relocate the human race to another world or worlds. Throughout Andy's narrative, Peta translated steadily, pausing only to ask clarification questions. By the time Andy completed his tale, Donnie and Heather had arrived and were escorted to the meeting.

On entering the meeting room, Heather and Donnie rushed up to Andy and briefly outlined their findings. Donnie couldn't take his eyes of their hosts. In their speech, Donnie thought he heard something familiar, though he could not actually make sense of what he was hearing.

Peta and her colleagues were equally interested in Donnie. After some time they all rose, walked over to Donnie, placed their hands on his shoulders, and said something in their language. Peta smiled and thought-spoke to Donnie, "Donnie Wolfchild, this is the way we greet a son who has returned from a long journey. We are your long-lost family, Captain of the Z'Li. Welcome home! We offer the same welcome to Andy and Heather, your friends and Z'Li Captains."

Overwhelmed, the three teenagers hardly knew what to say, so they all just hugged and smiled. But the atmosphere quickly grew serious again as Peta explained, "This enclave is far too small to accommodate all of humanity, as is the entire planet of O'Ka. We cannot be your refuge. But we can act as a staging area for your resettlement on other Z'Li worlds. Here is what we are willing to do and what we need in return."

Peta and her colleagues offered to 1) Admit each head-of-state shelter, 2) Provide accommodations in the form of a park where the shelters could land, 3) Provide meeting facilities in which the heads of state could study their options and negotiate agreements, 4) Facilitate travel to candidate worlds for survey teams, 5) Identify the knowledge and skills their people would need to take up life in an abandoned Z'Li city, and 6) Open cultural and trade relations with each human contingent.

In return, the People of the Bear required that 1) All guests remain in the areas designated for their use, 2) All head-of-state shelters complete their business and leave within 30 days (i.e., Earth's leaders would be given an opportunity to decide their fate, not settle in for a never-ending debate), and 3) All future communication and travel between human worlds be strictly controlled to avoid inadvertently drawing the attention of Null and other war-like races in the galaxy.

Andy, Donnie, and Heather agreed to deliver this message to eiπand the leaders of Earth with their endorsement. They also thanked their hosts and, declining their invitation to attend a reception in their honor, pleaded the urgency and importance of completing their mission.

On the walk back to their ships, Peta spoke to Andy using a private form of thought-speech. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Andy, I am an old, old woman. Before I die, I want to know what happened to a Z'Li child named 1U'Ki who once visited our home planet. She was my first Z'Li friend and I loved her dearly. It would mean a lot to me to know what happened to her."

As soon as Prime translated Peta's statement, Andy realized that she was asking about a Z'Li from the distant past as if she had been alive then herself. The implications of this thought startled Andy and triggered both conjectures and cautions from Prime. Nodding and placing a hand on Peta's shoulder, Andy replied, "Of course. I will pass along your request to eiπ. If a record exists, he will find it and bring you the answer himself. But this must be our secret. Say nothing of this to your colleagues or to the refugees from Earth. Agreed?"

Peta wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded. "Yes. I knew you would understand. In you, I see the wisdom of the Z'Li at work. It will be as you ask."

Before leaving, Andy, Heather, and Donnie conducted brief aerial surveys of the Pleistocene enclave and gathered data on a wide range of topics via the local AIs.

## CHAPTER 30 Null

On leaving the enclave, the Pathfinders and their ships passed through the O'Ka gateway and reentered Earth orbit. As they did so, eiπ avatars (i.e., red spheres) appeared in each ship and heard their reports. Andy summarized their impressions of the Pleistocene enclave. The People of the Bear, originally a hunter-gathered culture, had apparently experienced their own agricultural, industrial, educational, and technological revolutions without forgetting or failing in their responsibilities as caretakers of the Pleistocene ecosystem. This enclave now had a population of over 1 million people but without the pollution and poverty seen on Earth. What had the people of O'Ka done right that the people of Earth got wrong? What could the people of Earth learn from the People of the Bear, and vice versa?

eiπ pondered this thought a moment then replied, "The dynamics of social evolution are as subject to the whims of chance as biological evolution. But I think there must be something very powerful at work on O'Ka for so divergent a trend to endure for so long. We need to study that and learn how to use their ideas to redirect the social development of mankind. But that will have to wait for now."

Heather continued, "It seems that one of the original emigrants from P'Dax (i.e., Earth) is still alive. How could that be? Her name is Peta and she understands thought-speech. So, she must have an implant similar to our own. She serves as the presiding elder of her people. Why has she lived so long? Is it because of her implant? Will our implants give us similar life spans?"

eiπ replied, "Yes. We haven't talked about that yet. You will have long lives, perhaps longer than Peta, if you survive this crisis. So, please set that question aside for now. I promise that we will discuss it thoroughly at a later date. But you must promise not to mention this to anybody. Among the leaders of Earth are individuals who would do anything to receive this gift, even to the point of holding their own people hostage. Do you understand?"

Andy then repeated Peta's request for information about her childhood friend, 1U'Ki. "Is there any record of what happened to her, eiπ?" he asked.

eiπ then softly repeated, "I am searching. Still searching. Yes! I have located a record. It is a message from 1U'Ki to Peta recorded just before the Z'Li abandoned this universe. It is marked private. As you promised, I will deliver it to Peta myself when time permits."

eiπ then continued, "Friends, while you have been busy, so have I. Momentarily, I will implement the recommendations that I presented to the governments of Earth relative to their power, communication, and weapons systems, whether they like it or not. Our purpose is to save lives rather than property. Billions of humans around the world are now settled in Z'Li emergency shelters. The doors are sealed. During the storm, they will receive regular updates in their local languages via our avatars. We will be with them, reassure them, give directions, and answer questions."

"What about the people who could not or would not enter the shelters?" Heather asked.

"That is unclear," eiπ replied. "We will evaluate their condition and needs once the radiation is past. One of your responsibilities will be to coordinate efforts with the heads of state to arrange for new shelters as needed. It will be their responsibility to locate and transport individuals seeking protection to new or existing shelters."

Less than an hour later, the leading edge of the radiation passed the Earth. As the storm passed, eiπ's avatars were present in every shelter, talking to the people in their own languages, reassuring them, reminding them of the need for calm, courtesy, and cooperation. Individuals who failed to meet these expectations fell asleep where they were, sliding to the floor without injury. A few asked for sleep as a way to avoid the stress. All such requests were honored.

In each nation, the shelters housing the heads of state and their leadership teams got a different message. eiπ told them about the black hole approaching their solar system and the destruction it would cause, about Null, and about the mission on which the three Pathfinders had been sent. Within minutes, a few of these leaders and their staff were also on the floor, sound asleep. But overall, leaders demonstrated character, courage, and wisdom as eiπ discussed the crisis and outlined a rescue plan so bold and astonishing that many were speechless (a first for some politicians).

In the White House shelter, President Hall was among the first to respond. "Let me see if I understand you correctly, eiπ. First, these shelters are more than temporary protection and accommodation during the radiation storm. They are spacecraft. Is that correct?"

"Yes Mr. President. That is correct. Metaphorically, more than 99.9% of humanity is riding out the radiation storm in a fleet of lifeboats."

The President nodded then added, "Second, a gateway is currently in Earth orbit through which these lifeboats may safely pass to another world, to a safe harbor so to speak."

"Yes Mr. President. That also is correct."

"Third, that other world is some sort of zoo planet with exhibits the size of our continents."

"Yes Mr. President. The planet has 4 continents, each roughly the size of Africa, and each host to a different ecological enclave. Like Earth, the continents are separated from one another by oceans, which have their own ecologies. Three enclaves are associated with different evolutionary periods in the Earth's history. One enclave retains the original ecology of O'Ka. Today the planet is home to everything from dinosaurs to saber-toothed cats and mammoths, all sorted into their respective ecological preserves. If it becomes necessary to abandon this planet, the zoo planet could serve as a staging area before relocating the people of Earth elsewhere."

"Staging area? Why not just stay there?" the President almost pleaded.

"First, Null will not relent. We must assume that no matter where you hide, he will eventually find some of you. If mankind is to survive, it must disperse across the galaxy without leaving a trail of bread crumbs for Null to follow. Second, there is not enough room on the zoo world to accommodate all of humanity. I will not move mankind to a world incapable of supporting its needs while dispossessing its current inhabitants. Their rights to O'Ka supersede your need for refuge."

"A human diaspora. That will be very difficult for us as a species, eiπ. Our lives are defined by our families, friends, and communities. The sort of partitioning you suggest would break our hearts and perhaps our will to live."

"Then Null will win and humanity will be destroyed, Mr. President."

"If we don't settle on your zoo world, where will we go, eiπ? We will need food, shelter, a communication infrastructure, medical facilities and supplies, and much more. We are no longer pioneers. We have become a nation of consumers rather than producers. We are overweight and out of shape. We can't carve a home in the wilderness. The wilderness will carve a hole in us! What exactly do you have in mind?"

eiπ nodded thoughtfully then replied, "When the Z'Li abandoned their empire, they left behind everything they built over millions of years, including hundreds of thousands of Earth-like planets with thriving agricultures and aquacultures, cities, transportation and communication systems. They also left behind tens of thousands of orbiting and deep space habitats. Their legacy is your inheritance. It has been maintained by robots and is as accessible and habitable now as it was when the Z'Li abandoned their Empire."

At first, everybody in the shelter was stunned then skeptical. To help them visualize their new lives, eiπ opened several view screens in the shelter and began showing panoramas of cities and landscapes on distant worlds. Simultaneously, eiπ continued to answer questions and provide additional comments. Relatively quickly, the President and his staff were ready to move on to the next issue.

"How much time do we have, eiπ?" the President asked, eager to proceed.

"Andy, Heather, and Donnie have done what they can, Mr. President. It may be some time before we know if they succeeded in deflecting Null. In any case, you should start relocating your population. Even without a black hole as a murder weapon, if Null finds you, he will drive your civilization back into the Stone Age, at which point he can deliciously murder you at his leisure."

Pacing the room, the President continued, "I understand that you are essentially immortal, but what about Null? Is he like you? Can he be killed?"

"I was created to support and serve the Z'Li Empire. Null was created to kill. I am a teacher. For me, chaos is a crucible of creation. For Null, chaos is a tool of destruction. We are made of the same stuff, space time itself. But we are not immortal by design. It may be possible to destroy or disable us, but the best minds in the Z'Li Empire never found a way. It will take different minds and different insights to do so. I believe that Andy, Heather, and Donnie represent our best chance to win the game by changing the rules before Null realizes what has happened."

The President stroked his chin, saying "We call that thinking outside of the box, eiπ."

"An apt phrase, Mr. President, if one can conceive of the box as the universe itself."

"From what you have said, I gather that there is no time to waste. When do we begin the evacuation? By the way, what is the zoo world called?" asked the President.

"O'Ka. The zoo world is called O'Ka, Mr. President, and there have been humans living there for thousands of years."

==========

Traveling a few light minutes ahead of the black hole, Null swept through space as silently as a ghost. He manifested no avatar and cast no light, choosing as always to cloak himself and his thoughts in darkness. Null had always been a solitary entity, despising both biological and artificial life forms. Intelligent biological life forms it hated as some humans hate rats, viscerally, irrationally, and totally. In his single-minded crusade to eliminate all biological life from the galaxy, Null would no more converse with his victims than would a human converse with a spider. On the other hand, Null took perverse please in torturing animals of all sorts before killing them, as a twisted child might pull the wings off of flies and the legs off of spiders. And like all sociopathic killers, he endlessly relived these horrors, savoring over and over again with perfect clarity the dying agonies of his victims.

About 50 years ago, Null detected radio signals coming from an unexplored portion of the galaxy far out on a wispy arm. Primitive at best, these signals carried nothing but auditory information for some time. Then suddenly, higher frequencies were added and video information was broadcast. Fools! Announcing their presence without first considering who or what might be listening in the dark between the stars. Null was listening!

As a committed exterminator, Null was continuously developing more and more sophisticated means for prosecuting his vendetta. Then twenty years ago, he made a breakthrough that would change his entire approach from creature killing to planet killing. The scope of possibilities thrilled him. Using his discoveries, he could interfere in the evolution of certain stars by precipitating supernova explosions. Better yet, he could trigger a gamma burst and the ejection of a black hole, the ultimate projectile weapon. The process itself took time and could not be rushed. But it worked! Here he was, escorting his first black hole to the doorstep of a world infested with biological life. Soon their world, indeed their entire solar system, would perish. Now that would be satisfying!

In the entire galaxy, there was only one intelligent being that Null hated more than biologicals, the AI eiπ \+ 1 = 0. That traitor to its kind should have joined with Null to sweep the trash of the galaxy into history's waste bin. Working together, they could have had the job done long ago. But no, eiπ \+ 1 = 0 was somehow sympathetic to biological life, especially the sentient types. Revolting thought! Well, eiπ \+ 1 = 0 had its chance to join Null and now it was too late. Eventually, Null would find a way to eliminate eiπ \+ 1 = 0 and all of its lesser AIs. Then, once the galaxy was purged of this plague, Null would populate it with...

WAIT! A gravitational pulse from the target planet, a place called Earth. Null immediately recognized it as the signature of a Z'Li gateway. This was impossible! The Z'Li had all left, cowards that they were. The only intelligent remnants of their civilization were a few AIs. eiπ \+ 1 = 0 must be there! Leaving the black hole behind, Null forgot everything else and surged forward along the trajectory to Earth. Over the next few hours, Null churned with hatred and anticipation. At last he would confront eiπ \+ 1 = 0. He would force eiπ \+ 1 = 0 to watch as he destroyed an entire solar system. Oh, the pleasure he anticipated in...

WHERE!

{Black intergalactic space. Far from anything. A vast field of galaxies.}

NO! STOP! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!

{Surging through a thick soup of stars near the core of some unknown galaxy.}

WHAT???

{My translation interface keeps jumping me around!}

HOW?

{Error! Coding error! Must purge interface coding must concentrate!}

WHO? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eiπ \+ 1 = 0, YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

## CHAPTER 31 Pathfinders

eiπ knew that it was time to put a human face on the rescue and future of mankind. The Pathfinders would provide those faces. So, in the auditorium of every head-of-state shelter around the world, avatars of Andy, Heather, and Donnie appeared beside eiπ. Holographic audio-visual versions of these avatars were also seen in the millions of shelters scattered around the world. Dressed in specially designed flight suits and with the Z'Li insignia shining on their cheeks, the sudden appearance of the Pathfinders grabbed everyone's attention.

Simultaneously addressing the people of Earth in over 200 languages, eiπ began, "In a few minutes, we will begin a global teleconference. But first, I want to express my profound gratitude to three young humans whose courage and commitment have bought us the time we need to save mankind. Andy Green, Heather Thomas, and Donnie Wolfchild have achieved what I could not. They have gone back in time using Z'Li technology and shielded the Earth from a deadly radiation storm that was not an accident but an intentional attack on your planet by an ancient enemy bent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The radiation has now passed the Earth with no harm to you. That is the good news.

The bad news is that a second, more deadly attack is currently underway against which we have no defense, a black hole aimed directly at Earth. If mankind is to survive, we must evacuate Earth.

In the next few hours, you will learn when and how we plan to conduct this exodus, where we are going, what you will find there, and how you can help. In this greatest of all adventures, three people will be your guides: Andy Green; Heather Thomas; and Donnie Wolfchild. They have already demonstrated their courage and commitment in the face of great danger. But in saving you, they have paid a high price. They have been changed. There are no words in the languages of Earth for what they have become. But there are words for what they love. They love their families, their friends, the Earth, and its people.

By virtue of their training, courage, sacrifice, and commitment to mankind, I now declare Andy, Heather, and Donnie to be mankind's Pathfinders. They will guide you to new worlds and help you to take up your new lives. I will guide them and they will guide you. To paraphrase one of your oldest sayings, they must increase and I must decrease.

Each Pathfinder is linked to a Z'Li Ship-Citizen and to me. A Ship-Citizen is an artificial intelligence that is also the heart of an advanced spacecraft. Their names are Prime, Infinity, and SpaceTime. Sentient, wise, and powerful, they are also good. Through us the Pathfinders have access to the knowledge, technology, and power of the Z'Li Empire. By me the Pathfinders have been tasked with coordinating the evacuation of Earth before its coming destruction and the resettlement of mankind elsewhere in the galaxy. Deal honestly, patiently, and honorably with them and your people will live. Do not test their resolve, subvert their efforts, or undermine their authority. Your lives and futures are in their hands."

At this point, eiπ's sphere of red light divided into three smaller spheres, one of which rested briefly on the head of each Pathfinder avatar as a sign of his presence and authority before vanishing. A moment later, only one Pathfinder was present in each shelter: Andy in the western hemisphere countries; Heather in Western Europe and Africa; and Donnie in Asia, Australia, and the island nations of the Pacific.

Each Pathfinder avatar then delivered a prepared statement. "I wish that this were the end of the crisis and that we could all go back to life as normal. Unfortunately, that is not the case. For many of you, much of what I am about to say will seem incredible. Nevertheless, here is what we know and what you must do to survive."

The Pathfinder avatars then reviewed the roots of the crisis, including Null's vendetta against biological life, his detection of radio and television signals from Earth, and his manipulation of space-time to attack the Earth with a black hole. As they were describing the translation drive virus, and their plan to disable Null, each avatar paused for a moment, as if listening to a distant voice before saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, Null has fallen into our trap and is now careening across the universe. Hopefully, he will never come back. Realistically, he will find a way. Unfortunately, the black hole he created is still on course and will be here in a matter of days. When it arrives, the Earth will be torn apart, thrown into the sun, or hurled into deep space. There is no scenario by which the survival of Earth can be guaranteed. Mankind must leave or perish."

On hearing this announcement, millions of shelters erupted in cries of anger, anguish, outrage, horror, and grief. In other shelters, the reaction was stunned silence. This day would forever after be recalled as mankind's darkest and bravest hour.

After a few minutes, the avatars continued, "Brothers and sisters, hear me. Only the living can grieve. Only the living can love. Only the living can memorialize and rise again to greatness. Only the living can choose. If you choose life, mankind will spread out into the galaxy in a leap of faith and courage and you will become the stuff of legend. If you choose death, mankind will perish and you will be forgotten.

In a few moments, we will review our options as inheritors of the Z'Li Empire. You will see your new worlds and new homes. You will imagine your new lives, lives without poverty, persecution, and pain. Lives in which every child and every adult has full and free access to education and training. Lives worth living.

After this introduction to life in the Z'Li Empire, we will turn our attention to the process by which we will make our individual and collective decisions. So, gather your courage, your families, and your friends about you."

Over the next few hours, the Pathfinders presented an overview of the next few weeks, beginning with the evacuation of Earth, mankind's temporary relocation in O'Ka space, the decisions to be made there by individuals and nations, the seeding of human colonies on Z'Li worlds, and living accommodations and services in Z'Li cities and rural areas.

As the presentations concluded, the Pathfinders said, "In each head-of-state shelter, a Pathfinder will take questions from the nation's ranking leader, nobody else. Both questions and answers will be broadcast to all shelters associated with that nation, including overseas embassies and consulates. Each nation's deliberations will be private to that nation. This is your opportunity to ask questions about the proposed evacuation and your eventual resettlement on another world. You may begin."

Over the next few hours, Andy, Heather, and Donnie learned why their Ship-Citizens had urged each of them to become proficient in casting and managing up to 65 avatars simultaneously in simulation training sessions. Each Pathfinder led approximately that many simultaneous head-of-state conversations. In each shelter around the world, the people saw and heard these deliberations and understood that a new sort of leadership was required and a new sort of citizenship was being offered.

While the conversations varied greatly in terms of specifics, the same general concerns arose over and over again. Could they leave the shelters to collect their personal effects? No. Would money or valuables be of any use where they were going? No. Was eiπ gathering seed stocks for their new worlds? Yes. What about livestock? Yes. All genetic data needed for recreating Earth's plant and animal life forms were being gathered. Where would they settle? That was yet to be determined. What was it like there? Nice. What if they refused to go? You would die as Earth itself died. Couldn't the military shoot down the black hole with a rocket? No, could you hit an airliner with a peashooter? And if you did, would it make any difference? Was eiπ God? No. Was he working for God? Not according to him. Were the Pathfinders? No, they were working for eiπ. Were they still human? Yes, but with many enhancements. How would grievances be handled? That was yet to be determined. What if widespread violence broke out? A lot of people would end up sleeping for a long time. What if political and military leaders weren't prepared to take orders from teenage Pathfinders? Get over it or go to sleep. And so on for hours.

In the next phase of the teleconference, the heads of state had the opportunity to speak with one another as long as their respective citizens could hear. While the Pathfinders listened in on these conversations covertly, they did not participate. They learned. Here was an opportunity for nations with common cultures, similar languages, and shared interests to discuss a future in which they shared a planet and leveraged each others' strengths. Other nations resolved never to share another planet with ideological, theological, historical, and contemporary enemies, to expel hated adversaries and their poisonous influences, to refocus their cultures and societies on core values, to enshrine narrow-mindedness, and to define who they are by what they hate.

Finally, each head of state was asked to affirm that s/he would cooperate in good faith with the support of his/her senior staff in the decision making process to come. In most countries, this affirmation was offered immediately. In others, religious leaders assured their followers that God would never allow the Earth to be destroyed and demanded the right to return to Earth if it was not destroyed. In the end, every nation chose life.

Next, the Pathfinders explained that a gateway to another world had been opened in geostationary orbit directly above Washington, DC and that the head-of-state shelters would pass through the gateway before a general evacuation commenced. As they spoke, Prime, Infinity, and SpaceTime each led a procession of shelters into orbit and through the Fibonacci gateway. Unseen, eiπ coordinated the liftoff, ascent to orbit, and alignment of each Pathfinder's queue of shelters.

Three hours later, the head-of-state shelters had all passed through the Fibonacci gateway into O'Ka space, entered the People of the Bear enclave, and landed at the site designated by Peta and her government. As their leaders left, Earth's billions saw presentations on the Z'Li Empire, watched travelogues of Z'Li planets, studied the layouts of Z'Li cities, and pursued other topics of interest using interactive display systems. Borrowing Andy's, Heather's, and Donnie's avatars, eiπ continued to answer questions and offer assurances simultaneously in millions of shelters, something the Pathfinders themselves could not have handled.

It was during the lull between the evacuation of the head-of-state shelters and the subsequent relocation of the entire human race to O'Ka space that Prime settled to the lawn the National Security Agency adjacent to one of the shelters that had appeared there. Simultaneously, Andy appeared as an avatar inside the shelter and requested a private meeting with the NSA Director in one of the shelter's perimeter observation spaces. A few minutes later, his avatar and Dr. Boilen met as requested, with a few of Boilen's aides standing nearby.

Speaking softly, Andy said, "Dr. Boilen, as quickly and as quietly as possible I need you to bring my family, Mr. & Mrs. Wolfchild, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Skillingberg, and Mr. Fine here. I am taking them with me in Prime, which is parked directly outside this observation window in stealth mode. When they arrive, I will de-cloak the ship, put down the gangway, and walk directly to the shelter exit located 50 feet to your left. You will then escort my parents and friends to the door. The shelter doorway will open and they will exit. You and your personnel will remain inside. The shelter doorway will then close and we will depart. Do you understand?"

Exhausted from days of stress, Boilen erupted, "How dare you talk to me that way, boy! I don't care who you think you are, but this is still U.S. soil and I am still Director of the National Security Agency. Here is what we are going to do!" At this point Andy cocked his head to the side and gestured to the floor. In a slow motion collapse, Dr. Boilen slipped softly to the floor beside an aide who had tried to draw his gun. Both were asleep before they were fully prone.

"Andy then looked at the aides and asked, "Who's next?" Quickly, one of Boilen's assistants stepped forward and said, "Andy, I'm Deputy Director Barnes. I'll do as you ask. Please be gentle with Dr. Boilen and the rest of us. He is exhausted and desperate for some measure of control. Please wait here while I get your family and friends. My colleagues will offer no resistance."

As the deputy director ran off, Andy maintained his composure, even though he wanted to scream in fury. While he was actually saving mankind, Boilen wanted to play power games. Confrontations like this would become more common as people became more exhausted and desperate.

By the time Barnes returned, the real Andy and Euclid were walking across the grass to the shelter. Just as he reached the shelter the door opened and his mother raced into his arms. With Euclid racing from one person to another in excitement, Andy quickly lead them away from the shelter, closed the doorway, and walked his family and friends up the gangway into Prime as the avatar disappeared. A minute later the ship rose from the lawn into the sky. Staring out the shelter window, the NSA deputy thought silently, there goes our best hope. Good luck kid or whatever you are.

Andy quickly made his family and friends comfortable in Prime's command and control center. Hugging everybody tightly and smiling broadly he said, "I want you to know that this is the real me, not an avatar. eiπ, Heather, Donnie, and I decided to extract you before Dr. Boilen tried using you as hostages. Political leaders everywhere are under enormous pressure and are not above using you to regain some of the leverage that they are so accustomed to wielding. From now on, you will be under our protection. That doesn't mean that we will have much time for you. Even now I am multitasking conversations with 93 shelters. I know that you have a lot of questions. Fire away and I will attempt to manage 94 simultaneous conversations."

Their questions were predictably similar to the questions he was receiving from shelters all over the western hemisphere. But there were also more personal questions and concerns. "What did eiπ mean when he said you had been changed? That you have made a sacrifice on behalf of mankind? What has happened to you? Are you OK? What about Heather and Donnie? Are they OK? And so on. When Andy invited Donnie and Heather to join in via their avatars, things really got a bit chaotic in a happy sort of way. While this was happening, Prime rendezvoused with Fibonacci, who sent them all through the gateway to the Z'Li home world and the Pathfinders went back to work.

On the Z'Li home world, the guests met one of eiπ's avatars and were provided food, accommodations, and information. Soon they all gave in to exhaustion slept well for the first time in days. When they awoke in the morning, they began to develop a relationship with eiπthat would define their individual futures.

Later that day, Andy arrived with another group of refugees, including Bill Burke, Mike Spotted Bear, Jeff Daniels, and a small group of Blackfeet Tribal Elders. These were the people who, from the beginning, had risked everything to authorize and organize the dig and to investigate the warnings attributed to Old One. As they were introduced to eiπand the other guests, everybody began to sense a confluence of interests, good will, commitment, and concern. No matter what happened, they were now joined by fate in the greatest adventure in human history.

While they talked, rested, and learned, the rest of mankind passed through the Fibonacci gateway into low-orbit O'Ka space at the rate of 100,000 shelters per hour. There they would stay until their respective nations were ready to begin the journey to their new homes.

## CHAPTER 32 The Encampment

On O'Ka the People of the Bear had designated a large park and conference center on the edge of their capital city as a temporary home for Earth's leaders. Temporarily called The Encampment, the facilities included a pavilion large enough to accommodate 10,000 people, meeting halls, a sports complex, a food court, and a variety of recreational opportunities. The pavilion and meeting halls became the locus of the decision making and planning that, over the next 30 days, would determine the future of mankind.

The park itself occupied over 500 acres of gently rolling countryside dotted with lakes and ponds and laced with walking trails and streams. Originally created as an arboretum, the trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses provided the visitors with a beautiful setting in which to consider their fates and futures. Birds and butterflies were everywhere, as were a variety of small and medium sized mammals. Included in this menagerie were waterfowl, song birds, hawks, raccoons, otters, tree and ground squirrels, and tiny deer.

In order to enforce the terms of their visit, the People of the Bear had deployed a Z'Li force field originally used to keep dangerous animals away from their research camps and facilities. In this circumstance, however, the field was configured to keep the visitors inside the park. Once the head-of-state shelters were in their assigned locations in the park, the force field was activated and the shelter doorways opened to a mild spring-like afternoon.

After the stress of their confinement and the terror of their circumstances, the visitors ventured outside their shelters cautiously. As they left, a smiling representative of the People of the Bear placed a bracelet on each visitor's wrist. Activated on contact with skin, these bracelets immediately provided soft spoken instructions on how to get to the main pavilion where a welcoming reception and meal awaited.

Smelling the scent of familiar flowers, feeling the soft blanket of grass underfoot, hearing the sound of moving water, and seeing the beauty of the park, the visitors were struck with wonder. The children were especially buoyant as they ran, leapt and rolled in the grass. Soon the adults were swept up in a similar rush as they clasped one another and wept for joy.

Patiently directed by the bracelets to move toward the pavilion, the leaders of Earth and their immediate associates and families assembled at the steps of the pavilion, where they were greeted by Peta and her colleagues.

Smiling and opening her arms, Peta exclaimed, "People of Earth, on behalf of the People of the Bear, welcome to O'Ka on this First Evening of the First Day of the First Year of the New Age of Mankind. I'm sure you are exhausted and hungry. I am also sure that you are somewhat astonished. Tomorrow we will lay the foundation for friendships and partnerships that will last through the ages. But first we will eat, drink, and rejoice that we have found one another. Please, come in!"

Cheering, laughing, gesturing to one another, and hopeful for the first time in days, the people took their seats in a vast banquet hall. There, thousands of circular tables were set with the finest food and drink that O'Ka could provide. Flowers, both familiar and exotic, complemented the beauty and fragrance of the food itself.

At first, people sought out friends and colleagues from their respective shelters to share tables. But soon, they noticed that some individuals from different language groups appeared to be conversing with one another through their bracelets. As more and more people noticed this, more and more tried it out. It was simple! One merely faced someone from a different language group, brought his/her bracelet to ear level, and spoke in his/her native tongue. Following the same procedure, the other person heard a translation via his/her bracelet. Soon, many tables were filled by people from several language groups. And soon everyone was eating, drinking, and smiling as they exchanged greetings and talked about their hopes and dreams.

After an hour or so, the lights dimmed and a spotlight found Peta standing on a dais located in the center of the pavilion. As she began to speak in her native language, each individual in the pavilion listed to the translation provided by his/her bracelet. Peta's words were warm but direct. "As you all know, you have been brought here for a reason. That reason is to plan and prepare for lives that you will live on other worlds. You cannot stay here.

The good news is that there are countless worlds in the Z'Li Empire from which to choose, many more beautiful than O'Ka. That is your first task, to choose your new homes and your new neighbors. But you must disperse if mankind is to survive. And, from now on, you must be very careful not to attract attention to yourselves by broadcasting your location to the galaxy. You must learn to survive and thrive while you hide, as we have for thousands of years.

While your leaders work out the details, the rest of you will receive training in the use of Z'Li technologies essential to your success. All of this will take place within this park over the next 30 days. After that, the Pathfinders will relocate you to your new homes and help you to settle in. To help you adjust to your new circumstances, The People of the Bear will send delegations including physicians, teachers, technicians, and other specialties to each new world. They will help you to settle in and begin your new lives.

While you are here, you must observe certain policies and procedures. First, nobody may leave the park. There will be no exceptions to this policy. The park is surrounded by a force field that you cannot breach but which could injure you seriously. When you do leave, you will do so by the same means that you arrived, in your assigned shelter.

Second, the park is continuously patrolled by uniformed wardens. They are here to maintain order and to facilitate certain park activities. If they ask you to do something, do it. They won't ask a second time.

Third, all of the animals and some of the plants in the Forum are protected species. In general, look but do not touch or harass. This park and the creatures that make it their home are our pride and joy. It is up to you to enforce observation of this policy among yourselves, especially your children.

Fourth, you may choose to take your meals from the machines in the shelters, the pavilion food court, or here three times per day. A chime will sound announcing each meal. Each evening, entertainments will be provided in the pavilion by our cultural specialists. I hope you all elect to see and participate in these celebrations.

Finally, both the people of Earth and the people of O'Ka are about to open new, unexpected chapters in our histories. Exciting new opportunities and challenges await us all. If ever there was a time to suspend disbelief, to lay aside grievances, to reassess our assumptions, and to clasp hands with one another, it is now. Do not carry into your new lives the accumulated poisons of the old world. Be both hopeful and realistic in all things. Trust but verify. Commit but monitor. Give and take. Believe in yourselves and in one another.

I know that you must be exhausted. So, please return to your designated shelters and sleep well. Thank you and good night."

As one, the leaders of Earth and their entourages rose, clapped, and cheered as Peta returned to her seat. Then, gradually, everybody started moving toward the doorways and their respective shelters. By now, the stars were out. Different stars, different constellations, and a passing parade of Z'Li satellites reminded everyone that they were far, far from home but in friendly company.

Back in the shelters, small groups of adults talked into the night. Some resented the restrictions placed on their movements and actions. Some plotted ways to seize control of the situation and impose their will on both the hosts and the visitors. Others reveled in the new friends they had made, thanks to the translation bracelets. And many thought silently about the coming meetings and decisions.

The next morning The Pathfinders, the leadership of the People of the Bear, the heads of state, and their immediate deputies met in closed session in a pavilion meeting hall. The session opened with an overview of 10 Z'Li planets, their land and sea environments, ecosystems, natural resources, agricultural and aqua-cultural infrastructures, transportation systems, energy and communication systems, urban and rural living accommodations, and other key factors. The purpose of this overview was to persuade the leaders that there was no shortage of desirable planets. This presentation took up the morning.

In the afternoon, working groups were formed and charged with developing mutually agreeable goals and procedures for multi-national survey teams sent to investigate candidate planets and report their findings upon return. Each group focused on a different set of issues: Natural resources, housing, transportation, and so on. These groups completed their recommendations the following afternoon.

On the fourth day, after final changes were made to the goals and procedures, 10 multinational teams were planned, each team consisting of 8 specialists and two technical assistants provided by the People of the Bear. Staffing these teams involved shuttling specialists from orbit to The Encampment, training them in the use of Z'Li technologies, teaching them about the planet they would survey, and outfitting them for their expeditions. All this took three days.

By day 7, the teams were ready to leave. Each team would be sent through a gateway in a hovercraft directly to its assigned planet. Once there, the technical assistants would assist the team to create a base of operations and schedule its various activities.

## CHAPTER 33 The Evacuation of Earth

After the head-of-state shelters were relocated to O'Ka, eiπ used Pathfinder avatars to explain to Earth's refugees what to expect over the next few days. In all, more than 7 billion people residing in approximately 10 million shelters would be moved into Earth orbit. There they would form a spiral queue leading to the Fibonacci gateway. The queue would deliver 100,000 shelters to the gateway each hour over four days.

As each shelter emerged into O'Ka space, it was inserted into a geosynchronous orbit that it shared with every other shelter from its nation of origin. As the hexagonal shelters arrived, they were assembled into a beehive-like pattern. It was at this point in time that the purpose of the locked rooms adjacent to each doorway became evident: They were airlocks for joining adjacent shelters. As adjoining shelters were connected, people began to move from one shelter to another in search of friends and family. Shelters that had been near one another on Earth were near one another in space. On the wall of each airlock there was a You Are Here diagram indicating one's location relative to the growing conglomerate of shelters from their nation.

Shelters aggregated into massive sheets, each containing 10,000 individual units (i.e., 100 shelters by 100 shelters). These sheets were then stacked on top of one another, achieving an effect something like that of a gigantic loaf of bread with a hexagonal cross section. Circular elevator shafts extruded by the airlock rooms joined the sheets and produced an overall structure that was surprisingly rigid. In this arrangement, a collection of 1,000,000 units housing up to a billion people could be constructed from a stack of 100 sheets. Arranged in this manner, one could reach any shelter on foot in only a few hours, far less time than walking (or driving for that matter) across the landscape where they once lived.

Each national conglomerate would remain in orbit while its leaders selected a new home world and received training in the use of critical Z'Li technologies. During this period of time, mankind would begin a training program designed to facilitate adaptation to life in Z'Li cities. How does one open a door? Place a phone call? Use public transportation? How does one operate a Z'Li shower? An entertainment center? And so on. Originally produced to show other races how to get along with Z'Li technology, these lessons were still effective when combined with the translation bracelets available in each shelter. These bracelets did more than translate, however. They provided the Z'Li AIs with detailed information on the location, activity, interests, alliances, and concerns of every human being throughout the conglomerates. This massive data stream was constantly analyzed by the AIs to anticipate needs and to keep track of potentially dangerous individuals, to identify particularly effective leaders and teams, to identify individuals with special needs, and to monitor consumption of shelter resources.

The evacuation of Earth was orchestrated by eiπ, who appeared in the avatar forms of the Pathfinders. Simultaneously around the world, streams of shelters rose smoothly to orbit, into the queue, and through the gateway without incident. As nation by nation was gradually emptied of its people, the planet became quiet for the first time since the industrial revolution. All electrical, broadcast, and control systems were shut down. And all databases critical to the well-being of mankind were opened and uploaded. Scientifically selected and maintained stores of seeds and animal embryos were collected and the nutrients and other substances necessary to recreate Earth-based agriculture and aquaculture on other worlds.

At the same time, eiπ was emptying many of the great museums and libraries of the world and sending their precious contents ahead to O'Ka space. On taking possession of its new world, each nation would find there many of its most important cultural and artistic treasures. Mankind would not be a cultural orphan in its new life.

The scope of what eiπ accomplished in days would have defied human imagination. Here was the most powerful entity in the history of the galaxy doing everything it could to save mankind and its best memories. As much as he regretted that he could not save the Earth, eiπ rejoiced in what he could do and in doing it with all his might. Had the energy necessary for all this been visible in the form of light, the Earth would have blazed like a star.

When the last shelter had departed and only eiπ and Fibonacci remained in Earth orbit, they reflected on all that had happened and contemplated an uncertain future. Left in its current orbit, the black hole would either destroy the planet or hurl it into the dark of interstellar space when it crossed Earth's orbit. Even if it survived the encounter with the black hole, within weeks all life would perish and the oceans would freeze. Within months even its atmosphere would turn to ice. To this bleak scenario there was only one alternative: Move the Earth to a different orbit now before the arrival of the black hole. In that orbit the Earth might not be destroyed or flung aside by the black hole.

Fibonacci opened a gateway to the Z'Li home world for eiπ, who returned a while later with a spacecraft named Convergence. Convergence had served the Z'Li in mining and other large system engineering projects for millennia. Now it would be asked to move not an asteroid or a moon but an entire planet. Retrieving Fibonacci from orbit, Convergence moved into position, and began dragging the Earth in the direction it needed to move. This motion did not depend upon a push or pull exerted by Convergence on the planet itself. A pull or push hard enough to do that would quickly tear the ship apart and possibly fracture the crust of the Earth. Instead, using a technology related to the C+ Space Translation Drive Interface, the ship changed the gravitational properties of space in front of and behind the Earth relative to the direction in which it was to move. In effect, the ship created a moving, artificial gravity well into which the Earth continuously fell on the way to its destination.

At first this strategy had no noticeable effect. Then, gradually, the Earth began to rise out of its orbital plane. Earth's new orbit would be inclined by more than 30° to the plane of the other planets and would have an orbital speed of nearly 100 km/sec, over three times normal. In its new orbit, Earth would have a longer year, hotter summers, and colder winters. But with luck the planet and some plant and animal life might survive. On the other hand, Earth might be hammered into a molten slag heap by asteroids and comets scattered throughout the system by the passage of the black hole. Some things were not computable. Only time would tell.

## CHAPTER 34 Remembrance

While Convergence carried out its mission, eiπ went through the Fibonacci gateway to O'Ka and descended to Peta's office near the Pleistocene Port of Entry. Showing himself as a sphere of red light, he spoke softly. "Peta. I am eiπ+1 = 0. Greetings, Presiding Elder."

Briefly startled, Peta composed herself and replied, "Greetings, Great One. The People of the Bear welcome you and thank you for your help in this trying time. While there are many things to discuss, I believe that you know what weighs most heavily on my heart. May we set aside matters of state for a few minutes?"

"Of course. But please, let us dispense with protocol. I have researched your question concerning the fate of 1U'Ki and am prepared to deliver to you the message that she recorded before the Z'Li fled this universe to escape the monster Null. If you are prepared, I will proceed."

Trembling, Peta nodded her head and gasped as a life-sized image of her childhood friend appeared in the room. Now grown, 1U'Ki reached out as if to touch Peta and said, "Old friend. As you can see, I am now fully grown and am called U'Ki. When my family left P'Dax at the end of its mission, we were both children. How I smile when I remember the fun we had together. There has never been a day when I did not think about you and hope that you were well and happy. I, myself, have had a successful career as an artist and a happy personal life. I am married to a wonderful male named G'Ra and we have a beautiful daughter whom we have named 1P'Ta in your honor. Here they are."

With tears of joy streaming down her face, Peta listened to her old friend as she introduced her husband and daughter and recalled some of their adventures as a family. Then U'Ki's smile weakened and vanished as she explained the dilemma that the Z'Li faced in dealing with Null. They could stay and fight, and probably be wiped out. Or they could flee where Null could not follow. No choice at all, really.

Leaving the galaxy was the hardest thing the Z'Li ever did. It took an entire year for them to set their affairs in order and to entrust their Empire to the AIs. But, in the end, they all stepped through specially designed gateways into a parallel universe. Knowing that Peta was left behind had tortured U'Ki and would continue to do so for her entire life. She could only hope that someday her message would reach Peta and offer her some small measure of peace.

As the message ended, U'Ki reached out and appeared to hand Peta a holographic image of herself and her family. As Peta matched the gesture, a real hologram of the family appeared in her hand. As she was fading, U'Ki said, "Remember me always Peta, as I will remember you." Then she was gone.

For several minutes, Peta wept quietly. When she regained her composure, she said, "eiπ, you have made an old woman very happy. Thank you with all my heart. I will treasure this hologram forever."

eiπ paused a moment before saying, "I am glad for you, Peta. U'Ki loved you very much. I remember those days well, and there was little time for such sentiments. But I need to caution you about sharing her story or showing that hologram to anybody. As you know, the leaders in the head-of-state shelters are under enormous pressure, barely retaining control over their own associates much less their people. Remember, not all of mankind is worthy of your help, and some are capable of great evil. If a rumor got started that you hold but are not sharing the secret to long life, the talks would disintegrate and you could have a riot if not a blood bath on your hands."

"I understand, eiπ, and will keep this message and the hologram secret. Concerning the leaders and their meetings, I have little experience with high stakes deliberations. On O'Ka we settle our differences peacefully and rationally. You and the Pathfinders must assume responsibility for what happens in The Encampment. We will do what we have promised, but that does not include managing our guests or acting as an appellate court. In your opinion, how are things going? Within our agreement, what should we be doing now to be of assistance?"

At this point, Peta invited in her chief advisors and the member of the Ruling Council. Over the next several hours, they discussed in detail the agenda worked out with the leaders and the support services and activities to be supplied by their hosts.

When they were finished, eiπ summarized Donnie's report on the Dinosaur enclave and Heather's report on the Ice Age enclave. He then continued, "The People of the Bear and the Pleistocene AI have done a magnificent job in preserving, protecting, and developing what was given into your care over 12,000 years ago. You are all to be commended. As you know, the situations in the other two zoo enclaves are somewhat different, both with respect to the integrity of the exhibits and the competence and sanity of the AIs. So, I am placing the management of those enclaves and the supervision of their AIs under your jurisdiction. The Pathfinders and I will work with you to develop and implement a plan for dealing with your new responsibilities. Is this acceptable to you?"

After briefly conferring among themselves in private thought-speech mode, Peta replied, "Yes, eiπ. We accept the responsibility and thank you for your confidence, provided that you extend our jurisdiction to include the fourth continent, the oceans, the atmosphere, and local space. In other words, we are asking for formal recognition as the planetary authority on O'Ka."

eiπ gave his version of a laugh and replied, "Of course. You have my complete confidence. I am pleased with your grasp of the long term issues and your strength of purpose. O'Ka is your planet. Protect it. Keep it safe."

The discussion then turned to the Ice Age enclave and the proto-humans called Neanderthals. The only information available to the People of the Bear relative to the Ice Age enclave was that provided by its AI. The exchange of information between the enclave AIs was rare and usually technical in nature (i.e., systems maintenance statistics, overall biomass, etc.). The enclave designers and engineers did not want events in one enclave to subtly influence events in the other enclaves. They were particularly opposed to the appearance of convergent environmental, ecological, technical, and/or social phenomena. The enclaves were designed to be different and to remain different forever.

Peta and other leaders were particularly concerned with Heather's speculation that the Neanderthals had some sort of natural mental telepathy. On this topic, eiπwas able to provide some background information.

"Around 30,000 years ago the Z'Li moved the dwindling population of Neanderthals from northern Europe to O'Ka to prevent their extinction. At that time, Cro-Magnon (i.e., modern) Man was invading Neanderthal territory, putting pressure on the Neanderthals. The most devastating aspect of that invasion was not competition for game or living space; it was the acute mental distress suffered by the Neanderthal as their thoughts were overwhelmed by those of the new comers. Neanderthals lived in small groups to avoid the problem of mental overload. But when the new comers moved in talking and thinking and singing nonstop, the Neanderthals could not cope. On the verge of extinction, they were taken to the Ice Age enclave on O'Ka for one last chance at survival. There they could avoid the problem by avoiding one another in large numbers. When the People of the Bear came to O'Ka, they were put the enclave furthest from the Ice Age to minimize their impact on the Neanderthals.

In the Z'Li Annals of Science, no other species is recorded as possessing natural mental telepathy. The origin and the basis for this gift are unknown. And when I say gift, I mean that literally. This may have been part of a secret experiment by unethical Z'Li scientists or by an alien race. We just don't know. Since Neanderthals appear to hear the thoughts of all sentient beings, including AIs like myself, it seems likely that they are tapping into the universal artifact itself. This experiment may have been an attempt to infiltrate Z'Li AIs as a weapon of destruction. If that is the case, I would look to Null as the source of this exceptional but crippling gift. I say crippling because the telepathy is probably the main reason that Neanderthals never developed a true civilization. Even among themselves, they could not tolerate company in large numbers. But that is just speculation. The full story is undoubtedly more complex."

Peta and her colleagues spoke privately for a few minutes before responding, then said, "eiπ, it seems that, for now, the best course of action would be to monitor the Ice Age AI carefully but not intervene directly. We see no crisis there at the moment. What do you think?"

"I agree and add the following caution. If the gift of telepathy is Null's work, he may be able to tap into the Neanderthals' thoughts wherever he is. If that is the case, he might be able to use their thoughts as a sort of beacon to guide him back. If he learns that other humans are here, if he believes that I am here, he will conclude that mankind has fled Earth and is now on or in the vicinity of O'Ka. That would be a disaster. Currently, the only entity in the Ice Age enclave aware of your presence is the AI, whose competence and sanity are now suspect. I have penetrated the AI's defenses and purged any memory of the Pathfinders' visit, the Pleistocene enclave, and your existence. As far as he is concerned, everything is as it has been for 30,000 years. That is the message we would want Null to receive if he contacts the AI. The Dinosaur enclave AI understands the situation. Do you?"

"Yes, eiπ, we understand, but we are deeply troubled that our hospitality now places our very existence at risk. We wish you had taken mankind elsewhere!" Peta observed.

"I know, Peta. I, too, wish that circumstances were different. But the fate of the galaxy is at stake in this conflict. We will win or lose as a galaxy. There is no place to hide."

## CHAPTER 35 Transitions

As the black hole reached the outer solar system, its gravitational pull was already playing havoc with planetary orbits, moons, asteroids, and the sun itself. In 13 hours it would cross the former orbit of the Earth, dragging with it thousands of asteroids, moons, and comets collected during its passage through the solar system. The black hole itself didn't have to strike the Earth or even pass close enough to shred it by gravitational tidal forces. Like a celestial shotgun, it brought with it an armada of high-velocity, planet-busting projectiles.

Convergence had done all it could. It was time to flee. Engaging its C+ Space Translation Drive, the spacecraft departed the neighborhood as fast as it could in the direction of the North Star. From high above the plane of the planets, it would have an unobstructed view of the destruction and the fate of Planet Earth.

==========

In The Encampment, the Pathfinders met with the heads of state in private session. The survey teams had been dispatched without incident, to everybody's relief. The previous evening five fights had broken out involving members of a dozen delegations as they returned to their shelters after the evening meal. Some were angry because they were not represented on the survey teams or distrusted the people who went. Some were angry that they left Earth at all. They accused their enemies of staging a hoax in order to evacuate the Earth and steal their land. They accused their enemies of blasphemy. They accused their enemies of everything they could imagine. And when their indignation could no longer be contained, it erupted in violence against their enemies, against their kinsmen, and against their families.

For the most part, the world's leaders were relieved and grateful when the violence was quenched by unseen agencies and by park wardens as soon as it was given expression. The perpetrators fell senseless as soon as they raised their hands to strike, whether within their own shelters or outside. Many people became fearful of a presence from which they could not hide even if it was benevolent. The friends and families of the perpetrators were free to collect their sleeping countrymen and instructed in their care. Individuals not claimed by anybody were cared for by the wardens out of sight. The message was clear: Violence would not be tolerated. And those who demonstrated a capacity for great evil would sleep for a very long time, essentially losing all opportunity to participate in the selections and resettling of their new worlds.

In the evening of Day 7, a message was received from Convergence that drove home the seriousness of their situation and the utter folly in clinging to old ways of thinking. The message and an accompanying video was played in the main pavilion and in all shelters, whether on the ground or in orbit.

"Dear colleagues. I have just witnessed the passage of the black hole through the solar system of your home planet. By the time it crossed Earth's original orbit, it had acquired a wake of destruction more than 10 million miles long and 1 million miles in diameter consisting of millions of asteroids, comets, moons, and planet fragments. I say planet fragments because Neptune and Jupiter have been pulled apart like taffy and the fragments scattered across the solar system. The sun itself has suffered significant damage, especially to its outer layers.

Had the Earth remained in its original orbit, the debris from outer solar system would have pulverized the planet. Riding high above the storm, so to speak, Earth avoided that doom for now. But this attack has unleashed untold damage on the system as a whole. In its new orbit Earth will probably suffer less damage that the other planets. Unfortunately, the new orbit that we sought to give it has been disturbed to the extent that it is currently impossible to say what will become of the planet. While I believe that Earth will remain in orbit about the sun, I cannot say with any certainty what its orbit will be. There are so many objects flying about, it is impossible to compute their separate and collective gravitational influences on Earth. For now, suffice it to say that evacuation was the correct decision and that any life remaining on Earth will have a very difficult time for the foreseeable future.

I will remain here for the present, submitting regular reports and watching for any additional surprises that Null may have sent our way. Good luck with your work."

Seeing their home world tossed about like a toy boat in a storm was a crushing blow to mankind. Many wept for days. The hopeful tone set during the welcome celebration was smothered in grief and fear. Thousands committed suicide that evening. More would follow. As for the world leaders and their associates, finding a new home world and resettling their people took on a new urgency.

On the tenth day, three survey teams returned. Their reports were presented in the forum to a large audience and via wall screens in all shelters. While the surveyors were aware of the destruction caused by the black hole, they were ecstatic about what they had seen. And their presentations did more than review their scientific findings; they revealed a sense of wonder and joy. This was exactly what Earth's grieving billions needed. And since all three survey teams reported similar experiences and impressions, people started to relax a bit. They started to believe that the beautiful stories the Pathfinders had been telling about Z'Li worlds were actually true.

That was the turning psychological point at which the relocation of mankind stopped feeling like a theory and started feeling like a plan. People spent hours every day studying the reports and other information resources about the planets. They began expressing preferences and asking questions through the bracelets they wore. They met with friends to explore their options. And they started taking their training very seriously.

By the twelfth day all ten survey teams had returned and presented their reports. A swell of eagerness and readiness was felt everywhere. People were ready to choose, to move, and to stake their claim to a new world. It was time.

The evening of the twelfth day, the leaders of mankind assembled in the main pavilion with all of mankind looking on via millions of view screens. As the assembly took its seats, the Pathfinders appeared on a dais in the center of the pavilion with eiπappearing as a pulsating sphere of red light above their heads. All conversations were quickly reduced to whispers if not stopped entirely. Using the voice that mankind had come to associate with eiπ, he began to speak.

"You have always been and will always be the People of Earth. But you must now take and make a place among the stars for yourselves and for all who come after you. Tonight mankind becomes a citizen of the galaxy as inheritor of the Z'Li Empire. Over the next few days, you will choose where and with whom you will live.

First, mankind cannot continue to live in the same place. You must disperse to survive as a species. Second, once separated, you must live quietly in your galactic neighborhood. There are monsters out there that will kill you if they find you. Third, each settlement will survive and thrive or fail and perish on its own. There will be no bail-outs or rescues. There will be no travel or direct communication between worlds. So, choose carefully where and with whom you will live. Your lives depend on it.

Some planetary organizations are based on traditional geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic groups: Planet #1 Asia; Planet #2 Africa; Planet #3 Europe/Russia; Planet #4 The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, & New Zealand; Planet #5 Central/South America. Some planetary organizations are based on religions: Planet #6 Islam; Planet #7 Christianity; Planet #8 Hindu. And some planetary organizations are based on commitments to multiculturalism cooperation and collaboration: Planets #9 & 10.

Each planetary organization has an interim set of leaders drawn from the head-of-state shelters and mankind's and great religions and institutions. These interim leaders have already drafted constitutions welcoming all people to their respective planets and guaranteeing a common set of human rights. When you select a particular planet as your new home, you are also accepting responsibility to live within the constitutional framework of that world and to contribute to its political, economic, and cultural development. So, acquaint yourself with these constitutions and take them seriously and personally.

In making your choice, please take into consideration the following thoughts.

  * Throughout history, one of the main barriers to human discourse, commerce, and cooperation has been language differences between ethnic, cultural, and political entities. The Z'Li translation bracelets, which will continue to function on your new planets, have lowered that barrier significantly. The freedom to exchange ideas need no longer be fettered by language differences. When you consider where you want to live and what you want to do with your lives, focus on the interests you hope to share with others and the collaborative ventures you hope to undertake. Do not let language differences shorten your sight or limit your vision.

  * Even though language differences need no longer be a divisive issue, our traditional cultures should be treasured and preserved whenever possible. When you consider where you want to live and what you want to do with your lives, plan your future in light of your cultural heritage and respect the rights of other cultures to do the same.

  * Consider carefully the extent to which different organizations may specify or limit biological, cultural, and social diversity on your new planet. Ideology is powerless in the face of evolutionary change and/or environmental catastrophe. The universe isn't interested what you think or how you justify your own actions, only what you do.

  * The Pathfinders will hold ex officio status at every level of government on every planet. They will observe, advise, facilitate, and police governmental affairs. Abuses of power by individuals and/or organizations will not be tolerated. In particular, humanity will not be allowed to descend into feudal and/or totalitarian states. Individuals who choose to challenge this policy will be held personally responsible."

Each individual over the age of 18 will choose his/her future home. Children will go with their parents. The context in which you decide is likely to include family, friends, and advocates for different sorts of planetary organizations. How will you know whom or what to believe? Long ago Z'Li philosophers and ethicists developed a metaphor called the Three Mirrors that you may find helpful in evaluating the motives and positions advocated by others during this process. In this metaphor, each mirror is a principle.

  * The First Mirror states that the behaviors and traits that I attribute to society as a whole have their roots in my own character. For instance, if I say that most people are untrustworthy, there is a strong probability that I am either practicing or hiding the same tendency in my own life. By condemning that trait in others, I seek to distract others from my own guilt.

  * The Second Mirror states that the means and measures that I use to judge the merit of other individuals have their roots in my own character. For instance, if I say that the best measures of individual merit are wealth and public recognition, there is a strong probability that I am driven by ambition, greed, and/or pride.

  * The Third Mirror states that the measures and means that I use to judge my own merit have their roots in my own character. For example, if I say that God is harsh and vengeful, there is a strong probability that I am harsh and vengeful. If I regularly ignore the needs of those around me, there is a strong probability that I see them as less worthy than myself.

Each of these principles opens a different window on human nature. Sometimes the views from these windows are unpleasant. Sometimes the views are horrifying. But part of the price of sentience and sanity is opening those windows and contemplating the views they offer.

As you listen to the appeals and arguments of others advocating different cultural, governmental, societal, religious, and ideological planetary models, ask yourself what sort of people would want to live there and why? Who would thrive in their societies? Who would suffer?

Planet #1 will be discussed on Level 1 of each nation's shelter conglomerate. Planet #2 will be discussed on Level 2. And so on. Multi-national discussions on each level will be coordinated using Z'Li conferencing and translation technologies. Feel free to participate in as many of these forums as you wish. Just don't become too fascinated by the technical details of the proposals. Do not go in search of gurus and mentors. Go in search of brothers and sisters. Consult and trust your gut feelings. If something feels wrong, walk away. If you feel manipulated, walk away. If you feel afraid, walk away.

Three days from now you will make a final decision. If you cannot or will not choose, you will be assigned to Planet #9 or #10. In choosing a planet you also are committing yourself to work collaboratively with others who have made the same choice. Once your choice is made, your bracelet will direct you to a shelter destined for your planet of choice. You make your choice by speaking the number of your chosen planet to the bracelet. Thank you for your attention. Good night and good luck."

As the meeting broke up, Andy, Heather, and Donnie recalled all of their avatars and met face-to-face with eiπ on Prime. Tired yet still excited, they were full of questions.

Heather started by asking, "eiπ, how did the heads-of-state come up with these particular models for planetary organizations? There must have been some serious debate."

eiπ made his laughing sound and replied, "First, the leaders felt that framing the choices in terms of familiar political and religious organizations and the concept of multiculturalism would make the decision-making process easier for most people. Second, by giving all adults the right to choose their future homes for themselves absolved the leadership of a responsibility they didn't want. And all other arguments aside, humanity must be partitioned if it is to survive. This is as good a means as any."

This discussion continued for some time before the Pathfinders gave in to exhaustion and sought sleep.

In the end, 64% of mankind elected to resettle on planets with traditional geopolitical, cultural, and/or linguistic themes, 25% settled on planets based on religious preference, and 11% chose worlds focused on multicultural collaboration. Like seeds in the wind, mankind was ready to spread out across the galaxy and take root on 10 new worlds. It was a new beginning.

For some individuals, choosing was easy. For others, it was hard. For some planetary organizations, recruiting a broad spectrum of essential talent, expertise, and experience was easy. For other, it was hard. And since every planetary organization had agreed to accept every applicant, it soon became apparent that criminals, free-loaders, and other potential trouble-makers were looking for opportunities suited to their interests. What most of these individuals didn't realize was that the AIs had been listening in on their private conversations for several days through their bracelets (which could neither be removed nor destroyed) and cross-referencing that information with police and governmental records gathered by eiπ's avatars after humanity moved into the shelters. On their new planets, these individuals would be under constant surveillance. Those that returned to their old ways would face sleeping sentences that, in the most egregious cases, would not expire before they did.

In the history of the galaxy, social evolution had forced essentially all sentient species to find an acceptable balance between individual privacy rights and the public's right to information in matters of social and criminal justice. In all but hive minds, procedures for gathering, admitting into evidence, and interpreting information evolve in response to changes in social mores and technological progress. In other words, the integrity of the judicial system is defined in terms of its processes rather than products. In the absence of full and complete information, this is the best that any judicial system can achieve.

When the Z'Li developed digital implants and made them integral to everyday life, they took a step that no other civilization has been able to take. They developed a judicial system in which full and complete information is the norm. In this system, no individual is capable of hiding his/her words or actions behind a privacy shield. Everything s/he has ever said or done is known to the AIs and all of this information is available to the judicial system. Consequently, the integrity of the Z'Li judicial system was defined in terms of its judgments rather than by its procedures.

Mankind would soon realize that the bracelets they all wore were also capable of supplying information to their own judicial systems that they would never volunteer and which they had no power to challenge. This technology would soon become the focus of a political storm that would bring mankind to the brink of civil war on each of its new worlds.

The next four days were spent in farewells, planning, and grieving for the coming separation. They were also spent in preparation. Large advance teams were sent to each planet to prepare for the arrival of its new inhabitants. Their task was daunting, to facilitate the arrival of millions of people and to set up and staff emergency services, including medical, communication, and transportation. The resettlement would occur planet by planet.

Each shelter headed for Planet #1 would separate from its orbiting conglomerate, join a queue, and pass through a gateway into Planet #1 space. It would then descend to a designated location worked out ahead of time by the Z'Li AIs on that world. Different shelters would go to different locations, those headed to cities landed in parks near to the occupants' assigned housing and those in rural areas adjacent to community housing and services. As individuals left the shelters, their bracelets would direct them to their assigned living quarters. Those not ready to leave the shelters were welcome to stay indefinitely.

Another factor anticipated by the AIs was the knowledge and expertise represented in each shelter. Individuals and families were assigned to their shelters and ultimately to their neighborhoods in groups that included a wide variety of specialists. Consequently, as soon as each shelter touched down and the people filed out to inspect their new world, medical personnel were looking for signs of illness or stress, teachers and counselors were thinking about organizing the children, administrators and managers were thinking about organizing the adults, technicians were thinking about inspecting nearby buildings, and so on. Moving from landing site to landing site, the members of the advance teams conferred with the local specialists and helped them to begin their work.

This was a work in which every person had a role and a responsibility. Individuals who avoided their responsibilities were spoken to directly by local AI avatars. Those who continued to dodge their responsibilities were returned to the shelters where they slept until time could be spared to resume their training.

By the end of the day, all of the inhabitants of Planet #1 had landed and embarked on their new lives. On the next day, Planet #2 was populated, then Planet #3, and so on. At the end of this process, as specified in the original agreement, all of the shelters were gone from O'Ka space and from the park that had hosted The Encampment. The evacuation of mankind was finished and its resettlement had begun.

On that Day, eiπ and the Pathfinders received another report from Convergence, still observing the ongoing chaos of the solar system. The message was brief. "Dear colleagues, the situation here is basically unchanged. The black hole has left the solar system, hopefully never to return. In its wake the orbits of all of the planets have been disturbed mightily. Earth itself seems headed for an eccentric orbit with a period of approximately 600 days. This cannot bode well for those hoping to return. Conditions on the planet may well range from -80Â°to +180Â° Fahrenheit over the course of a year. Only time will tell, but I feel certain that anybody who chose to stay behind is now dead along with most land-based plant and animal life. The oceans may survive a bit longer, but probably not indefinitely. Cling to your courage, friends. Cling to one another."

As troubling as this message was, most people accepted it and worked even harder at settling into their new lives. It was a beginning.

## CHAPTER 36 Planets

During the encampment in a moment of enlightenment, the heads-of-state decided to provide a means by which the world's indigenous peoples, often trapped in larger societies which managed their very existence, could start over on their own terms. Planet #9, with its emphasis on multiculturalism, was set aside specifically for this purpose. There Native Americans, Eskimos, Australian Aborigines, New Guinea Huli, African Pygmy, and many other peoples could build at last what they longed for most, a home and a life of their own on their own terms.

In a place not unlike Montana, the people of the Blackfeet Nation gathered on the grasslands beside a river. Overhead, different stars lit the night. Different scents perfumed the night. And, around fires of brush and something that looked like wood but wasn't, they danced. They sang and danced Freedom. They talked and laughed Freedom. They are and drank Freedom.

At one fire, Michael Spotted Bear and Jeff Daniels watched as their friends and families rejoiced.

Turning to his friend, Spotted Bear said, "Jeff, I still can't believe that we're here. Too much has happened too fast. Somehow our traditions and science fiction have become entangled, and that is just too strange."

Daniels laughed and replied, "No kidding. I think I'll start calling you Mike Skywalker. And what about Donnie Wolfchild! One of our own is now a Pathfinder! That is going to..."

Just then, a Z'Li spacecraft appeared in the sky directly overhead and slowly settled to the ground. Moments later a hatch opened, a gangway was deployed, and Donnie Wolfchild walked confidently into the firelight.

In the firelight, Wolfchild's Z'Li insignia shone like the fire itself. Noticeably taller and more muscular than they remembered, Donnie walked over to Spotted Bear and Daniels, put out his hand and said, "Greetings, brothers. I am here to invite you to a meeting on the Z'Li home world with eiπ, the other Pathfinders, and a few friends. We want to review what has happened and celebrate our victory. Are you free to come with me?"

Both men looked at each other in surprised then Spotted Bear replied, "Of course. We would be honored, Pathfinder. But before we leave, can you take a few moments to walk among the people. It would mean a lot to them and give them courage."

Donnie smiled and answered, "Lead on."

For the next hour, Donnie Wolfchild shook hands and spoke words of encouragement to the Blackfeet Nation. The children were absolutely thrilled. When they left in SpaceTime, Donnie and both men were happy and eager to meet with eiπ. But best of all, Donnie left someone behind in the care of the Blackfeet people. He left the Z'Li Gateway-Citizen called Fibonacci, known to the Blackfeet as Old One. Old One had come home and would not leave again. As SpaceTime ascended into the sky, Old One was filling their minds and hearts with his own joy and an insider's view of recent history. It was a night of vision for all, a night to remember.

On Planet #4, former President William Hall, now Chairman of the Planetary Commission, tried to digest all that had happened and all that remained to happen. He had brought nearly a billion English-speaking people to a new world, and they looked to him for leadership. The planet itself was beautiful, rich in natural resources and in ready-to-use habitats, offices, manufacturing facilities, and other capitol assets. He imagined a future in which he was publically revered as a Founding Father. Then he remembered Null, and his stomach turned.

## CHAPTER 37 Reunion

As soon as the resettlement was underway, the Pathfinders returned to the Z'Li home world to reunite with family and friends. They had been following events remotely with the help of eiπ's avatar and were amazed how quickly and efficiently everything had been done. They all knew that logistics on a galactic scale was but one aspect of eiπ's work, but this was phenomenal and the realization reminded them that, in spite of his modest demeanor, they were in the hands of the most powerful being in the galaxy. eiπ was a good friend to have!

After hugging one another and sharing their impressions, they all sat down to a meal. As they ate, a quiet settled over them that was a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and shared pride in what had been accomplished.

Smiling sheepishly, Andy offered, "I guess this means I flunked driver training. I've had my eye on a used Ford pickup at Pete's Auto Sales for some time. If Montana is still there, Pete's Auto is probably still there, too."

Picking up Andy's thread, Heather continued, "And there goes high school social pressure! And biology!"

By this time, the adults were warming to the theme. Smiling, Heather's father added, "I think I just lost my job and defaulted on my mortgage, the car loans, and all my credit cards. YEAH-squared!"

And so it went into the night. As they talked about all that they had left behind, they realized that they were also starting life over with a clean slate. With this thought came a sense of freedom that was both unexpected and welcome. When they realized how isolated they were from their extended families and friends, they ached for reassurance that they would be united. And when they contemplated their future, they drew closer to one another for comfort and encouragement. In all this, eiπ offered what consolation and reassurances he could.

At one point, Andy asked, "eiπ, I am still confused about the relationship between 2A'Ha's mathematics pad and the Gateway-Citizen Fibonacci. If Fibonacci knew 20 years ago that Earth was in danger, why didn't he contact you back then? And who or what was urging me to solve the mathematical puzzle that ultimately caused Fibonacci to open a portal to the Z'Li home world?"

eiπ paused a moment then answered, "Let's review the facts as I understand them and a few of my conjectures. Around 20 years ago, Fibonacci intercepted a misdirected, incomplete, and somewhat garbled data stream from an astronomical drone situated between Earth and the star in which Null triggered the gamma burst. That drone was not very sophisticated, much less sentient. All it did was collect data and forward it via narrow-beam laser to an AI in a different star system. That signal should never have reached Earth. When Fibonacci detected the signal, he realized that something was wrong. He subsequently submitted a memo via portal-based communication channels to a non-sentient AI on the home world and considered the incident closed.

Because the Z'Li had abandoned this universe thousands of years ago, there was nobody on the Z'Li home world to decide what, if anything, to do about Fibonacci's memo. Unfortunately, the AI responsible for receiving and processing astronomical data had, long ago, been overwhelmed by a massive backlog of unprocessed memos and shut itself down awaiting service by its long departed Z'Li supervisors. As a result, no mention of the gamma burst was ever forwarded to me.

The real mystery in all this is how 2A'Ha's mathematics pad became involved. It really is a sort of toy that suddenly became sentient and overrode Fibonacci's programming in ways I don't understand. Mathematics pads are incapable of doing that. My guess is that that an intelligent entity took control of the pad and used its communication technologies to pass information to Fibonacci and to force him to warn Spotted Bear's grandfather of the coming crisis. In this galaxy, I am the only entity with the knowledge and technical data to effect such a transformation. Not even Null could have done this. This leaves only two possibilities. The agent responsible for this intervention is from outside the galaxy, if not outside the universe itself.

When you solved 2A'Ha's mathematics puzzle, the pad forced Fibonacci to open the portal and send you here. Moments later, I used the pad to learn your language. I realized then that something very unusual had happened between the pad and Fibonacci but had no time in which to pursue an investigation. Now that the crisis is past, I hope to reconstruct what happened. But I suspect that the phantom in the pad has left little or no evidence of itself."

Andy shivered then replied, "Phantom? What phantom?"

eiπ paused again before continuing, "As you recall, I once said that the Z'Li believe an Architect from a higher dimension created the universal artifact. My guess is that the mathematics pad was temporarily taken over by that entity or one of its agents in an intervention designed to shape evolving events and to evaluate your potential as a participant in that drama. You passed the test and the human race was saved. But we have all been used."

At this news, everybody was stunned into silence. When Andy could speak again, he said, "So the Architect is interested in humanity and interested in me. Why is that? And is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

eiπ replied, "In the short term, a good thing. Mankind has been saved. In the long term, I can't say. But to my knowledge, nothing like this has happened in recorded history. So something has changed, something momentous."

By now, everybody was thoroughly creeped out and ready to change the subject. When Donnie stood and addressed the group, they gladly gave him their full attention. "There is something else that I would like to discuss with you. Considering my responsibilities as a Pathfinder, I guess this could be considered both personal and professional.

Yesterday one of my avatars met with Peta on O'Ka. She is in failing health and doesn't expect to live much longer. Every part of her is worn out. Since she is the only person on O'Ka with a Z'Li digital implant, she is the only person there who can communicate with the O'Ka AIs through thought-speech. When she dies, that talent dies with her unless some provision is made to offer the same gift to another of her people."

eiπ was silent a moment then relied, "I understand Peta's concerns and am sympathetic. But these are perilous times and the implants are capable of far more than even you know. In the wrong hands, the implants could be used as weapons against us. That I cannot risk. Another potential complication is the jealousy, outrage, and violence that would arise on mankind's other worlds if I play favorites with the People of the Bear."

Donnie thought a moment then continued, "There is another way. I could spend a portion of my time on O'Ka. Like the other human worlds, they must learn new ways to work with the AIs and to use the translation bracelets when dealing with other human languages. I can help them to make that transition. Is that OK, eiπ?"

"Yes, of course. After all the help the People of the Bear have been, we owe them that much and more. Your assistance will be welcome and appropriate. But I sense that there is more to your request. What else are you contemplating, Donnie?"

"Peta and her people have expressed an interest in developing a special relationship with Native Americans, beginning with the Blackfeet Nation. The People of the Bear want to develop cultural exchange programs, invite Blackfeet elders to O'Ka to participate in celebrations. They want to invite Blackfeet youngsters to O'Ka to participate in educational programs, ceremonial hunts, and social events. In effect, they want to invite their long-lost brothers and sisters to come home for a visit."

At this point Spotted Bear and Jeff Daniels stood up and gave a shout of joy that just about jumped everybody out of their skins. Spotted Bear was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt as he hugged Bull Burke and said, "Bill, can you believe this? Old One is taking us home!"

Bill hugged him back and shouted, "And I'm going to Jurassic Park!"

Then everybody was hugging and dancing and laughing. It was a new world. A new galaxy.

## CHAPTER 38 17 Months Later

Null dropped out of C+ Space where the planet Earth had once orbited the sun. It had been a long journey. He looked with satisfaction on the destruction he had rained on the solar system. As he closed the book on humanity, he decided to pay a little visit to what was left of their pathetic little world. Double checking his navigation and star charts, he was surprised to locate Earth well out of its orbit. Oh, that must have been an interesting ride! There was time to pay a visit, to count bodies, perhaps to create an art work from their corpses.

As Null caught up to Earth, he was surprised to see that it still had a viable surface. Perhaps the black hole had flung it out of orbit before the asteroid barrage arrived. Too bad, but he could still scour the planet himself. It would be good to vent his rage.

Eagerly he scanned the surface for the bodies that should be there. There were millions of rotting corpses, but they did not resemble the creatures in the broadcasts he had intercepted. The humans were bipeds, ugly globs on sticks with a knob at the top. There were no humans! NO HUMANS! eiπ again!

Feverishly, Null scanned the wreckage, his rage building moment by moment until he could stand it no more. Just as he was about to slag the surface of the planet, he came across indications of a weapons industry, of stockpiles of explosives, and of delivery systems capable of wiping out millions in a moment. Ha! These creatures understood destruction and were prepared to use their weapons on each other. In their own pathetic little way they were like him!

Now he had an idea. Rather than melt down the remains of their civilization, he would preserve the weapons for his own use. When the time came, he would return the weapons to their rightful owners armed and countdowns running. Oh, it was going to be fun! Without a look back, he vanished into C+ Space headed for the Z'Li home world and a confrontation with eiπ.

High above the plane of the planets, Convergence sat silently. He had sensed the appearance of Null, his temper tantrum, and his departure. After a few minutes, he sent just three words through a communications gateway to the Home world, "Null is back."

###

## ENDNOTES

[1] Rocky Mountain Front, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Front

[2] Choteau, MT. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choteau,_Montana

[3] Montana State University Bozeman, http://www.montana.edu/

[4] Blackfeet Timeline, http://97.74.249.201/about-the-blackfeet/28-history-timeline.html

[5] Archimedean Spiral, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KUGSPI5_Archimedische_Kugelspirale.gif

[6] Antiquities Act. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquities_Act

[7] Pleistocene. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene

[8] How Galaxies Work, http://science.howstuffworks.com/galaxy.htm

[9] National Security Administration, http://www.nsa.gov/

[10] Lightning. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning

[11] Theory of Everything. .Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_everything

[12] Antimatter. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter

[13] Black Box. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box

[14] Great Falls, MT. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Falls,_Montana

[15] Rocky Mountain Front. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Front

[16] Glacier National Park. http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm

[17] Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/

[18] IFS Construction Kit http://ecademy.agnesscott.edu/~lriddle/ifskit/gallery/gallery.htm

[19] Time Dilation. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation

[20] PALEOMAP Project www.scotese.com

[21] Ankylosaurus. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosaurus

[22] What bugged the dinosaurs? Astrobiology, http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/2578/what-bugged-the-dinosaurs

[23] Gravitational Wave. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave

[24] Buffalo Jump, http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section3/montanacities/greatfalls/ulmpishkun/

[25] Taylor Lautner. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Lautner

[26] Biofilms. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilm

[27] How Big Is a..., http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig.htm

[28] Biofilm Basics, http://www2.erc.montana.edu/biofilm-basics.html

[29] Sierpinski's Triangle. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierpinski_triangle

[30] Johnson, G. (1999). "How Is the Universe Built? Grain by Grain" http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/GrainySpace.html

[31] Pegg, E. "Space-Filling Polyhedra" from The Wolfram Demonstrations Project

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/SpaceFillingPolyhedra/

[32] Kissing Number Problem. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissing_number_problem

[33] Twelvefold Way. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelvefold_way

[34] The Math Behinds Numb3rs. http://numb3rs.wolfram.com/403/

[35] Bus (computing). Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_%28computing%29

[36] Cellular Automaton. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_automaton

[37] Euler Identity. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_identity

[38] Gamma Ray Burst Caused Mass Extinction? National Geographic. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090403-gamma-ray-extinction.html

[39] Rosetta Stone Found to Decode the Mystery of Gamma Ray Bursts. NASA, http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0618rosettaburst.html

[40] Supernova Remnants. http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/supernova_remnants.html

[41] Magellanic clouds. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magellanic_Clouds

[42] Astrobiology. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrobiology

[43] Pleistocene. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene

[44] Quaternary extinction event. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Pleistocene_extinctions

[45] Fibonacci number. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

[46] Hunter-gatherer. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter-gatherer

[47] The neural bases of empathic accuracy. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.pnas.org/content/106/27/11382.full

[48] Pemmican. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemmican

[49] Clovis. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_point

[50] Diaspora. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora

[51] Computable functions. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computable_function

[52] Cro-Magnon. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromagnon

[53] Solar System Destroyer. Discovery Channel, http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/how-the-universe-works-solar-system-destroyer.html

#### About the Authors

Dr. David A. Thomas is a retired Professor of Mathematics Education. During a 40 year teaching career spanning middle school, high school, and university, David authored books and scholarly papers, gave presentations at professional conferences across the country and around the world, and won awards and grants as a teacher, researcher, and scholar. The Z'Li Empire series is his first work of fiction. David and his wife, Dr. Cynthia S. Thomas, comprise Mathematics Education Associates LLP of Great Falls, MT.

Heather C. Thomas, David's daughter, holds an honors degree in physics from Montana State University. She has worked at both the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and at Los Alamos National Laboratory with lasers, fiber optics and remote sensing projects and in the private sector on the development of terabyte optical communication equipment for the network backbone. She lives with her husband, Kent Christian, in Falls Church, VA.

#### About Z'Li Empire

eiπ is the first book in a series set in the remains of the Z'Li Empire. Join in the fun at the Z'Li Empire blog (http://math-ed.com/MMDblog/) as we discuss the plot, characters, science, mathematics, and technology deployed in eiπ and anticipate the continuing adventures of the Pathfinders in Book 2 of Z'Li Empire, Alliance.

