Record #01: Parade // Compendium of Humanity's End

“Welcome back, everyone,” said the seemingly middle-aged woman in heavy makeup and a low-cut blouse. The chyron at the bottom of the screen identified her as Veronica Dubois. To her left from the viewer’s perspective sat an even older, rounder man apparently named Jaimé Ayuda. Jaimé kept a smile plastered on his face as Veronica spoke, although it was difficult to ascertain whether he was actually listening or just waiting until it was his turn to speak.

“In case you are just tuning in,” continued Veronica, “we are watching the final few floats and performances of the Interstellar Parade here in Puerta Estrella, Ecuador, Earth!”

“That’s right,” Jaimé finally chimed in. “We have taken our last commercial break, too, so we can bring you all the remaining action completely uninterrupted, most especially our star attraction, the oldest man in the universe!”

“I can’t wait!” shrieked Veronica. “Well, to catch everybody up before we get to that, today we are celebrating an extremely rare occurrence. For the first time ever, every single Quantum Ship that is normally out in the cosmos is docked in orbit around Earth, and all the crews and passengers have finished disembarking.

“The last ship to discharge was also the most recent arrival, returning from our most remote colony Novissimus. That ship just so happens to also have ferried our guest of honor, who I am told has officially reached the bottom of the Space Elevator on the south slope of Volcán Cayambe and was immediately transferred to a vehicle that will take him down to the parade route in Puerta Estrella, the town that rests just below the gateway to the stars.”

“Fun fact,” Jaimé added, “the notion to position the space elevator here actually came from an ancient American President, a long, long time ago. Though it never happened during that President’s lifetime, the idea’s seed was planted in the zeitgeist and eventually grew. While Volcán Cayambe is only the third highest peak in Ecuador and not even remotely the tallest summit in the Western Hemisphere—not to mention the rest of the world—it is the uppermost point on the equator.”

Veronica retook control of the conversation saying, “Yes, scientists tell us it is much more important to be close to the equator because that is where the Earth spins the fastest, which is critical to upholding the tautness of the cable. Starting higher up also meant being able to use a shorter line for the space elevator, which was especially important considering the materials that it is fabricated from were particularly precious and difficult to manufacture when it was first installed. However, that effort paid off as having direct access to outer space gave humanity the jumping off point we needed to begin the colonization of our home solar system—Sol—before finally being able to spread out to the rest of the galaxy, and maybe someday beyond.”

“And what a perfect time to be talking about this,” Jaimé proclaimed, “as coming down the parade path right now is a series of floats showing the progression of humanity’s technological achievements to reach the stars. At the front of the group are examples of early rocketry that struggled to even leave Earth’s atmosphere. Behind them comes mockups of the primitive colonization ships for Earth’s moon Luna, Mars, and even Aestas—the first settlement on Venus that floated above its clouds. Pulling up the rear are more recent examples of the classical Torch Ships that allow relatively speedy movement within Sol and all other solar systems. Of course, usage of Quantum Ships is strictly controlled for safety reasons.”

“That’s right, Jaimé,” Veronica announced. “That is why this is such a rare occurrence. Quantum Ships are so difficult to produce, maintain, and pilot that there are comparatively very few of them out there, and they are all essential in order to maintain and support the health and wellbeing of the extrasolar colonies. Without them, we would never be able to reach the colonies in any reasonable amount of time.

“The rigorous schedules for the Quantum Ships are planned decades in advance, so it is never a surprise when a supply mission is coming. It was just a timetable fluke that happened to make it possible for all of them to be back around Earth at the same time. As such, HSA—the Human Space Agency—thought it would be apropos to celebrate the occasion with a festival that is being kicked off by this very parade!”

“It is not just that, though,” Jaimé offered. “Typically, there is a minimum one-year layover once a ship arrives in order for repairs to be made and to finish the refueling and reloading process. This time around, we are told that a massive retrofit will be undertaken to bring all of the ships in line with the latest batch that is about to come off the assembly lines—metaphorically speaking, of course. Before this year is out, all of the Quantum Ships will be outfitted with the most up-to-date technology to aid in humanity’s ever-growing expansion!

“With so much work to do on the new and old ships, HSA is still hiring thousands of extra hands. This parade and festival are being used as a recruitment campaign, so if you have ever had any interest in working on the most important project in human history, HSA has an offer with excellent wages and benefits ready for you. Log on to HSA’s homepage for details.”

A website where additional specifics could be found appeared on the screen below the anchors’ names. There was also a code that people could scan with their personal mobile devices.

“Thanks for that, Jaimé,” Veronica crooned before continuing, “Oh, look, coming by now in the procession is a high school marching band from right here in Puerta Estrella with a float representing the growth of the town around the space elevator. Back when it was originally installed, there was almost nothing here at all, just some subsistence farmers in the general vicinity. The nearest town was kilometers away, and it was not remarkably developed, either. But once the space elevator was brought online, a commercial hub for the transport of goods and people grew up right around its landing zone and at the base of the mountain.

“Eventually, as commercial activity further expanded, a residential complex also began to sprout up. People from all over the world flocked here for opportunities, turning what eventually became Puerta Estrella into the most multi-cultural city in the world. The gateway became a microcosm of all humankind, the true melting pot that many other communities had previously claimed to be.”

The smile on Jaimé’s countenance suddenly evaporated at these words and his expression became serious. The camera zoomed in on his face as he stated, “But all of that came at a price. The indigenous community that lived and farmed in this area was completely supplanted. That is why the penultimate spot in the parade has been reserved for their descendants who are here to present traditional arts, music, and dances.”

At this, the camera cut to what must have been representatives of this indigenous group. Veronica and Jaimé remained silent for well over two Earth-minutes as the performance went on.

“Wow, simply amazing,” Veronica choked.

Jaimé replied, “It truly touched me, deep in my soul. I could practically feel their lost connection to this land in the name of progress.”

Veronica also put on her most thoughtful face as the camera panned to her and she said, “Unfortunately, it is oftentimes necessary to make this tradeoff in order to secure a future for all humanity. We won’t always have the Earth. It may be a billion years from now, but we’ll eventually have to spread beyond our home planet and even inner-solar system in order to survive as a species. That is why the Human Expansion Program is so vitally essential.

“Although the indigenous community has suffered greatly, we are appreciative of their sacrifice. And we also applaud that they have remained peaceful in their protests over the loss of their homeland. Not everyone who holds differing views has chosen to act with the same civility and grace.”

“I could not agree more, Veronica,” Jaimé noted. “Viewers, in case you missed it: earlier, adherents to the Sixth Day Cult attempted to disrupt the festivities, especially after they were refused a spot in the parade. HSA initially allowed them to have a booth at the fairgrounds under ‘freedom of religion and expression’ policies, but after their actions here at the parade, HSA has barred them from participating in any other activities. An emergency restraining order has been granted against all of their followers, and police are on high alert in case there are any further disturbances.

“If you are unfamiliar, the Sixth Dayers are against the colonization of not just the galaxy, but even of the celestial bodies in our own neighborhood. They take their name from the Book of Genesis, a sacred text in the Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to those scriptures, God finished his acts of creation on the sixth day with the advent of all of the animals on the land, including humans. Prior to this, God is purported to have caused the separation of the Earth from the heavens and the land and sky from the water, as well as bringing forth other forms of life like plants, fish, and birds.

“Although their name and beliefs are heavily influenced by western ideologies, they claim that all religions on Earth contain the same types of warnings. That is, that the reason we have not found any present or past signs of life beyond Earth is that only God can create living beings, and he only did so here on Earth. The massive struggle to keep colonies from collapsing—even on Earth-analogue planets around Sol-like suns—is a sign of God’s displeasure with humanity’s attempts to go out among the stars, a.k.a., the heavens, instead of staying where they belong.”

“Thank you for that very detailed background information, Jaimé,” Veronica attempted to intercede.

Undeterred, Jaimé either did not pick up on Veronica’s signals or did not care to and instead continued, “Yes, well, true to that description, earlier in the parade adherents of the cult could be seen in the crowd holding signs that said things like ‘Off Earth Is Sacrilege’ and ‘There Is No Second Eden’. It has not been uncommon to see them around the space elevator landing or on street corners in Puerta Estrella preaching to passersby about how humans should not be traveling beyond the Earth because God gave it—and only it—to us to cultivate and maintain.

“It is fair to note that while these are extreme and certainly out-there opinions, the Sixth Dayers are considered relatively harmless, more buffoons than revolutionaries. There have been very few recorded instances of skirmishes, notwithstanding the type of violence seen earlier today. Even those conflicts in the past were usually started by drunkards who just didn’t want to be disturbed by missionaries while they were stumbling their way home. Leaders of the cult have put out a statement saying that they do not condone what has happened and that the acts carried out today go against their doctrine. They said that the people who participated in today’s hostilities do not repre—”

“I hate to interrupt you,” Veronica finally interjected for a second time, “but it’s time for the main event!”

At that, the camera cut to a large float with a miniature replica of a Quantum Ship adorned with ornamental flowers. Sitting atop the facsimile was a very old looking man. Most of the hair on his head was gone, but a few wispy whites floated among the age-spots upon his dome. Although pale, his skin tone projected some yellowish and brown hues that were perhaps more pronounced in the past. He was hunched over slightly, yet still appeared to have a solid physique under his uniform. Whereas he was waving to the crowd, his face lacked the plastered-on smiles of Veronica and Jaimé. Instead, his manner was much more severe, perhaps just tired from his long journey.

“And there he is,” started Veronica, “the oldest human in the entire universe! Everyone watching in the crowd and around the planet has been waiting for this moment, so without further ado, here is the star among the stars, none other than HSA Quantum Ship Captain Marco Chung!”

A fanfare accompanied Marco Chung as he was ferried through the throng of supporters. The lively musical number had some difficult to ascertain words, but they seemed to be in praise of the overall goals of the colonization program and expanding the reach of mankind through the diligence and sacrifice of the crews of the Quantum Ship Fleet.

“Did you know that Marco actually started his colonization career before Quantum Drives even existed?” asked Jaimé.

“Yes, of course, I knew that,” responded Veronica, “but please inform the viewers at home how that is even possible.”

Jaimé then lectured Veronica—despite her claimed prior familiarity with the subject—and, ostensibly, the people following along that in the distant past, only Torch Drives were used to travel between worlds. Time dilation was still something that could be taken advantage of, but it was only for the people aboard the ship. As such, the ranges they could take the ships out to were extremely limited. “Can you believe it?!” he rhetorically asked.

“No, even knowing that, it’s still hard to imagine,” Veronica bemused. “In spite of what we are capable of now, due to the time displacement factor, most people only go out on one or two journeys, maybe an additional half one before usually settling on an interstellar colony. Doing more than a couple just puts them completely out of sync with their friends and family, literally! It is one of the reasons that HSA has had such difficulty in recruiting and retaining these talented and dedicated crews.”

As Marco began to move beyond the camera’s range, Jaimé divulged, “Well, including the trips Marco has been on before there was a Quantum Drive, he’s been out there sixteen times in all.”

The above piece is an excerpt from the speculative hard science fiction novel Compendium of Humanity's End by J.P. Prag, available at booksellers worldwide.

Learn more about author J.P. Prag at www.jpprag.com.

Compendium of Humanity's End is a work of mixed fiction and nonfiction elements. With the fiction elements, any names, characters, places, events, and incidents that bear any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. For the nonfiction elements, no names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated except for hypothetical situations.