Chapter 5
Floyd slept better now that he could stretch out on the bed and the drawing seemed to help, for his dreams were not dominated by the image of the hilltop. After he had cleaned up, Floyd joined Lina for some breakfast, if you could call the stuff they fed them breakfast. Lina had just finished eating when her communicator became active. Her tail began to twitch as she listened. After she signed off she told Floyd, “The Council has completed the first trial of your coffee and in a few minutes it will be available in the food dispenser.”
“They are able to create something that quick?”
“Our chemists are very efficient and they found chemicals similar to your coffee in a bean that is raised for its ability to fix nitrogen in our soils. They worked all night to match the chemical signatures that your Mr. Watson had provided. The roasting seems to be the biggest hurdle, for everything changes, depending on how much heat is used in the roasting.”
Lina had no sooner finished talking when the food dispenser beeped announcing the arrival of Floyd’s coffee. He opened the door and found a squeeze bottle of dark colored hot liquid. He took the bottle out and tried to smell the contents but it was not satisfying. He looked through the limited supplies and found a small bowl that resembled a cup. Pouring the hot beverage into the bowl he held it up to his nose and inhaled slowly but deeply. A smile formed on his face as he explained, “It smells right!” He then took a small sip of the hot liquid. He let the liquid rest on his tongue to fully guage the flavor before saying, “It’s pretty good. Very smooth and reasonably full flavored.” After a few more sips he added, “A bit too smooth, it could have a bit more bitterness to it.”
He offered the makeshift cup to Lina to try but she refused until her communicator became active and she was apparently given the ok to try the beverage. First she sniffed the cup and her tail seemed to indicate approval as she said, “It has a pleasant aroma.” She sipped some of the fluid and almost spit it out saying, “This tastes terrible! How can you drink this?”
Floyd could not help smiling but since Lina did not recognize his facial expressions it caused no harm. He said, “It’s an acquired taste.”
“But why would you want to acquire the taste of something so horrible?”
Floyd sipped his coffee before explaining, “A cup of coffee is much more than a bitter beverage. It is a social custom, as much as anything else, and to really appreciate coffee you need to experience the entire coffee culture.”
Lina’s tail was twitching at the tip which Floyd had learned meant she was interested but still confused. He said, “Some of my fondest memories are grinding the freshly roasted coffee beans and enjoying the aroma before adding them to the coffee maker. Listening to the gurgle of the coffee maker would increase the anticipation of the coming enjoyment. Even the sound of pouring the coffee into the cups added to the anticipation.” He was quiet for a moment before continuing, “Then I would sit with my wife on the deck and enjoy the best part of the day as we sipped our coffee and visited.”
They were both silent for several minutes before Lina asked, “What of your wife?”
Floyd could not control the tears that wet his eyes as he replied, “She died of cancer many years before I started this mission.”
“You did not take another for your wife?”
Floyd did not respond at first and finally explained, “No, when she died I mostly lost interest in life and lived with my memories.”
Lina’s tail drooped somewhat as she replied in a quiet voice, “It does not seem logical for you to have been alone.”
“Humans are not known for being logical. It’s how I was and I suppose that I found contentment in my melancholy.”
Tesla had been watching their interaction and seemed upset but Floyd had no way of telling for sure. He held the bowl he was using for a cup and tried to pantomime making it into a real coffee cup but was not sure the message was getting through to the Fixer. He sketched a rough drawing of the cup and this Tesla could understand. He took the drawing and started to copy it adding thickness and overall measurements to the drawing. By the time he was done it was almost like a CAD drawing from a computer. He even measured the width of Floyd’s hands to make sure he had the size right.
Lina watched the interaction and said only, “The Fixer is happy when it has work to do.”
Further conversation was prevented as Lina attended to her communicator. She made notes as she listened and said little. Only after she was finished did she look up and say, “The Council has requested another series of interviews. The President of the Council will be available in 15 minutes for his conference.”
“I better finish my coffee and make myself look somewhat official.” He added, “Hope I don’t have to meet with that angry lady again.”
Lina’s tail drooped noticeably as she replied, “She has requested a meeting for the midmorning.”
Floyd shrugged his shoulders as he drained his coffee and donned his uniform coat over the pajama like clothes he had been provided. The computer monitor became active as scheduled and the President appeared on the screen. Lina disappeared into her bedroom.
They exchanged pleasantries and Floyd thanked him for the coffee. The President asked, “Does our version of coffee satisfy your taste?”
“Yes sir, it does. It could have a bit more robustness and a tad more bitterness but I very much enjoyed it.” He added, “After the quarantine is lifted I would like to offer you some seeds which I brought from my world so that you and your people can enjoy the real thing.”
The President smiled and thanked him for the offer but explained, “We live in balance here in our Sanctuary and adding anything new always makes subtle changes in everything else. For now I must decline your kind offer.” He then brought up the reason for the conference, explaining that they had been trying to download the database aboard the ship’s computer but major sections were sealed.
Floyd spoke into his communicator and asked Mr. Watson, “Why are areas of the database off limits?”
Floyd was receiving a verbal response about how the initial programming had sealed the operational data via a non-removable lock. He was also receiving some sort of signal through his electrodes which indicated a distrust of the intrusion.
Floyd looked back at the monitor and replied, “Seems the hardware is locked but maybe when I return to the ship I can manually download the information you seek.”
The President asked, “Why would the programmers put a lock on the information?”
Floyd shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I suppose they did not want me messing with it.”
“If they did not trust you, why were you chosen for this mission?”
Floyd had to think for a minute before responding, “It has more to do with my natural curiosity and tendency to try and fix things even if they are not broken.”
The President’s tail twitched and he replied, “You are in some ways like our Fixers who are not happy unless they have something to work on. We will wait for the information until you return to your ship and retrieve it.”
The conversation turned to art and the President asked Floyd if he was an artist. Floyd responded, “No, I draw a little but only for my enjoyment.”
The President explained, “Here in the Sanctuary, art in the various forms, is considered the very essence of The People and is strongly supported. Is it so on your world?”
Floyd had to smile and said, “On my world the artist is usually starving, for no one will pay for their work. Only a few are well received and thus capable of make a living from their art.”
They spent a few minutes discussing the nature of art but then the President needed to close the discussion for other duties called. Floyd relaxed and compared notes with Mr. Watson who was satisfied with Floyd's interaction. The electrical brain stimulation Floyd was receiving was somewhat different and made him think the lack of trust was deep but they dared not discuss it because of the monitoring of t
heir signal. Lina returned to the room and sat on one of the funny stools which had a split back extending down into the seat to allow movement of her tail. She asked how the interview went and Floyd told her about the art discussion. He asked, “I would like to see the artwork of The People; is it possible?”
Lina spoke into her communicator and after a few minutes replied, “We are proud of our art and would be happy to share it with you. It will have to wait for several interviews are scheduled for the day.”
Floyd took the last sip of his coffee and said, “Let’s get on with it.”
The next interview was with the Council member in charge of health issues. She was fairly young looking and portrayed the demeanor of a physician. Their introduction was cordial but she wasted little time before asking about Floyd’s kidney disease. Floyd did his best to explain the nature of the autoimmune disease but was unable to answer her questions about the genetic factors. Mr. Watson chimed in and reported the genetic data as it was known but admitted they did not fully understand the immune system and why it would turn on the body. When Floyd described the ongoing struggle he had with dialysis, the Councilor’s tail became more vertical and twitched only at the very tip.
When he had finished she replied, “It seems your world expends a great amount of resources on things that could be corrected with genetic modification. Would it not be preferable to have a better version of yourself created and have avoided all the suffering?”
Floyd shrugged his shoulders but the response was not recognized so he replied, “My disease is what led me to this mission so maybe figuring out what is best is harder than it looks.”
The Councilor’s tail twitched in a more relaxed manner and she asked about the stem cell therapy. Floyd freely told her all he knew, which was very little, and when she asked how the cells worked he could only say he did not know. The conversation turned to diseases present on Earth and Floyd did his best to answer but he just did not have a significant depth of knowledge to share. The topic of epidemics like the plague and Ebola were of great interest to the Councilor but again Floyd’s knowledge was limited. He asked Mr. Watson to help out and promised the Councilor they would organize the information and make it available. They had just gotten into a discussion of the “Hygiene Hypothesis” when their conversation was interrupted by the Councilor who Floyd did not like.
She demanded that the interview end immediately because she needed her full time allotment. Floyd could not help rolling his eyes and could sense Mr. Watson trying to calm him down. He did his best and ignored the ranting of the Councilor saying, “Nice to see you again, Councilor.”
She settled down only slightly and began asking her rapid fire questions. Floyd did his best to answer the questions and stay calm and controlled. She began to really bear down on him when the topic of his title came up. This led to a discussion of the military system and why it was needed. The discussion of terrorism and warfare seemed to almost overwhelm the Councilor and her speech became harder to understand. Her tail was held rigidly upright and barely moved. Floyd could hear a beeper in the background and she finally signed off saying, “Your comment 'Fuck You' during our last visit seems to translate into some sort of sexual term.”
Floyd responded, “It is a simple term of common speech and believe me it has nothing to do with sexuality.” He added, “I see no reason why our interaction needs to be so abrasive.” There was no reply and when the monitor went blank Floyd let out a sigh of relief. He could sense Mr. Watson trying to calm him down but he was still angry and not sure he wanted to calm down. His stomach was growling again and when Lina returned to the room and asked him how the interview had gone, he said only, “Time for lunch.” He added, “A beer would be good about now.”
Mr. Watson began his monologue about his beverage of choice but Floyd had already turned him off and was concentrating on the food substitute he was supposed to be eating. He spoke up saying, “Even if I try my hardest I can’t make this stuff taste like a burger and fries. Hard to believe something can be less appetizing than the freeze dried stuff aboard my ship.”
Lina watched him eat in silence and only when he had finished asked, “How is it that you drink your coffee so slowly but consume your food so rapidly and what is a burger and fries?”
Floyd had to think for a moment before replying, “On my world food has two different aspects. First is the need for nutrients and we evolved in a condition of shortage so the ability to eat quickly was an advantage. The second aspect is the social aspect of eating which encourages communication. Coffee is an example of the second aspect.” He then explained the burger and fries as being a tasty example of nutrients which could be eaten quickly. Adding, “Maybe not the best nutrients but very tasty none the less even if they were hard on the heart.”
“Why is it important that the nutrients are tasty?”
Floyd was not sure but suggested, “I would suppose that things we appreciate as being tasty have been selected by evolution to be good for us. The second aspect of eating is also enhanced by the flavor of the food.”
All too soon the rest period was over and the computer screen became active with the Minister of Beliefs. He was an older gentleman who seemed kind enough but was very thorough in his interrogation. Only as the afternoon wore on did it become a two-way conversation. The comparison of the religious beliefs between Earth and The People showed similar patterns varying from strident monotheism to atheism. Floyd had many questions about the people he had found on the hill but learned little new. They as a group practiced a severe form of religious ideology and had shunned many of the modern changes. Those in the Sanctuary were mostly atheists with only minimal religious activity.
When asked if he believed in a Creator, Floyd paused for some time before replying, “I very much believe in the science of evolution but the fundamental question of a Creator is tough. The very existence of our two peoples and the commonality of the genetics would imply a design. This requires a designer but with the vastness of the universe who knows what is possible.”
The Minister listened closely and said in reply, “You are a creationist then.”
Before Floyd could respond his stomach began growling and the Minister asked, “What is that noise?”
Floyd responded, “It is my biologic clock telling me it is time for nutrients.”
The Minister was gracious as he apologized for the long afternoon and hoped they would have more time to visit and discuss the philosophy of belief. The monitor went blank and Lina came out of her room saying, “That was a long session.”
“Long, but interesting. I need to eat but first a bit of exercise.”
As Floyd worked through his calisthenics he watched Lina’s response. She had some flaring of her nostrils and her tail assumed a position over her left shoulder. After he had showered and they ate their nutrients together Floyd asked her what she sensed as he exercised.
Her tail quivered just at the tip as she replied, “When you are working hard at your exercises you develop a slightly pungent odor. It reminds me of the experience of coming into heat as I entered adulthood.”
Floyd was not understanding so she explained, “All of The People in the Sanctuary are allowed to come into heat once at the end of adolescence. It helps complete the maturation process of our bones. Once that process is complete then the chip we have implanted prevents any further cycles.”
“You mean you have sex once and then you are done?”
Lina’s tail twitched excitedly as she explained, “No, you can have sex whenever you want but the uncontrollable urges of being in heat only happen once.”
Floyd could not help but think of the young female cats his family had through the years and better understood what she was saying. His face broke out in a big smile as he remembered his own youth and the urges of a young man. He said, “Maybe not so different from my world but we didn’t have the chips to control us.”
“You me
an you were always in heat?”
“Yes, and no. The urges were never as overwhelming as what you describe but were present most of the time at least among males. It did cause us to do a lot of dumb things.”
Lina asked, “What do you mean?”
Floyd replied, “Young men were always showing off trying to impress the girls. They would do dumb stuff like drive too fast or pick a fight with someone. Heck, over the history of my world, several wars were started because of sex.”
“What is war?”
“Tough question; it is a big fight between groups of people where the political elite compete for power and control. The average person pays the price of the conflict but has no say in the solution.”
“Is it the war which produced your injuries of which you have spoken?
“Yes. It was a small war but cost me dearly.”
“On your world are these wars common?”
“Unfortunately, it seems to be part of human nature and war is much too common. Were there wars amongst The People?”
Lina took time to check her communicator before replying, “In past times there was conflict between villages over water and land issues but never large scale conflict. Perhaps because of the non-centralized government the leaders never had enough power to instigate war.”
They spent the rest of the evening looking at art work on the computer. All of the works appeared to be fractals based on triangles. Wonderful displays of shape and color were presented. Floyd asked why the paintings and sculptures were all based on the triangle. Lina explained, “The triangle is the most perfect geometric form and allows the creation of art in the purest form.”
Floyd asked, “All of your art is based on triangles?”
“A few artists experiment with other geometric shapes but seldom is the result well regarded.” She asked, “How is this different from the art on your world?”
Floyd spoke into his communicator asking Mr. Watson to transfer an image of the Mona Lisa to their computer screen. Mr. Watson replied, “I have been unable to interact with their computer systems but have allowed the download of our database which included the image you have requested.”
Lina was working on her communicator and after several minutes the image was seen on the large computer screen. Lina moved close to the monitor and examined the image intensely. “Why is this considered art? There are no repeating patterns or geometric shapes. It is merely a poor quality photograph.”
Floyd tried to explain how the painting was done long before computers and cameras were invented and that many felt the picture was one of the pinnacles of art on Earth. When he said that the woman in the painting was considered very beautiful by most people Lina stepped back and stared at the image. She finally asked, “What makes her beautiful?”
Now it was Floyd’s turn for quiet reflection. He finally spoke up saying, “I think it is the small smile which expresses hope on a face that appears sad. Our art work is mostly judged on the emotional impact it creates in the viewer. Some of the modern art stuff is really strange but does have an emotional impact.”
“What is this modern art?”
“Look up the works of a guy named Picasso.”
Images of Picasso’s work were soon being displayed and Lina watched the monitor intently. She finally asked, “This is considered art on your world?”
“Yup. You must remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and is thus different for every person.”
Floyd could no longer stifle his yawns and Lina was sensitive to his needs saying, “I think a rest period is indicated, you have worked hard today.”
Floyd just nodded and started towards his bedroom when he noticed that Tesla was sitting in the corner still studying the images on the monitor. He said, “Good night, Tesla.” The Fixer did not respond yet Floyd sensed some sort of positive feeling that seemed to arise from the Fixer. He was tired and images of the angry woman Councilor kept intruding on his sleep.
Morning came and after cleaning up Floyd joined Lina for breakfast. The food dispenser provided another tube of coffee. Floyd was about to pour the coffee into the bowl when Tesla handed him a new coffee cup. The cup fit his hand well and the craftsmanship was excellent. He looked at Tesla and said, “Thank you. It is a beautiful cup.” Tesla stood proud and seemed to have a smile of sorts.
Floyd sipped his coffee and when he offered some to Lina she accepted but managed only a few small sips before handing the cup back to Floyd. Floyd asked, “Where do the Fixers come from?”
Lina explained, “They were first domesticated thousands of years ago and through selective breeding and genetic engineering have been adapted for the ability to use tools and increased intelligence. Once the ideal was reached the cloning process has allowed perpetuation of the traits.”
Floyd asked, “Doesn’t the genetic lottery continue to change them?"
Lina replied, “The Fixers are asexual and cannot reproduce. They are all clones and designed for specific services.”
Floyd took another sip of his coffee before saying, “Seems you have created biologic robots with intelligence. It would make for an interesting moral discussion back on Earth.”
“Why would it be interesting?”
“For long periods of our history we allowed slavery where humans were owned by other humans. It was only a few hundred years ago in my own country that this was made illegal. So the argument would be whether the Fixers were like service dogs doing what they were trained for or if they were, in fact, slaves.”
Lina thought for several minutes and consulted her communicator before replying, “The Fixers are not independent beings but entirely dependent upon The People. They cannot be thought of as being equal to us.”
Floyd was watching Tesla and could see some response in the face but could not understand it. He did sense a level of anger and resentment but could not define where it came from. He changed the subject to talking about the daily schedule, which was another full day of interviews. At least none were with the woman Councilor he did not like. The day progressed well enough but the continuous questioning was tiring. Just as the last interview was being completed they were interrupted by the woman Councilor, whom Floyd did not like. She demanded time for an interview and the Councilor Floyd had been visiting with immediately signed off. Floyd’s stomach was already growling and he was tired but tried to remain polite. She had many questions about the nature of war and how the politics of war were handled. Floyd did his best to answer her questions but when they became personal, about his role in the war, he became wary and a bit evasive. The harder she pressed the more Floyd resisted and finally said, “I am tired and hungry. This interview is over.” He stood and started walking to his bedroom as the Councilor was yelling at him over the monitor. He did not even glance back but simply shut the door of his room.
Several minutes later Lina knocked on his door asking if he was alright. He got up from the bed and stretched before opening the door. He looked first at the monitor to make sure the Councilor was not still connected. “I’m all right, but I think that I have had enough of that Councilor.”
Lina’s tail sagged noticeably and she replied, “You must continue to work with her. Her goal is always to preserve the Sanctuary and at times she is tough but we need her.”
Floyd said, “I’ll try, but I’m pretty sure I never need to talk to her again. There needs to be limits on the amount of time for these interviews. At times I seem more of a prisoner undergoing interrogation than a diplomat.” He added, “I have shared the culture of my world with The People but have learned little of your culture.”
Lina spoke into her communicator and after some back and forth with whoever was on the other end, she said, “We apologize but there is so much we wish to learn. Would watching the evening debates be of interest to you?”
“Probably, but I would rather go down to the local pub and hang out with the locals and get a feel for their liv
es while having a beer or two.”
Mr. Watson started to interrupt with his monolog about beer but Floyd cut him off saying, “I suppose with the quarantine I will need to settle for watching the debates. What is the topic?”
Lina consulted her communicator and said, “Tonight the scientists are debating the significance of the ground tremors we have been experiencing. It starts shortly.”
“Well, let’s eat now and I’ll do my calisthenics later.”
The debate was in a large auditorium and the camera panned over the audience of young people filling the seats. Lina explained, "The University is the center of academic thought and all members of the Sanctuary are graduates of the University. The brightest study art and others like me study the field of our clones. Hence, most of my studies concerned the written records of The People."
"Universal education to the extreme."
Before Lina could continue, the debate began with a long winded introduction. At one podium was a distinguished looking gentleman dressed in formal academic regalia. At the second podium was a much younger woman dressed in the smock of a scientist. The first speaker opened with a slide show of the geology of their world and the stability it represented. The second speaker had but a few slides demonstrating the increase in seismic activity surrounding their deepest thermal wells. The moderator began asking the submitted questions but always seemed to favor the senior presenter. Several times the young scientist was interrupted by the more senior presenter and the moderator did not step in. When the young scientist attempted to ask a pertinent question the moderator cut her off.
In the end the audience voted by giving the senior presenter a huge round of applause and only a polite applause to the young scientist. Lina explained that the senior presenter was chairman of the geology section at the University and the young scientist was just completing her studies. She went on saying, "Did you notice how strong the tail was held by the chairman and the strength in his voice? I would have chosen him as the victor in the debate."
Floyd had stood up and stretched before replying, "I always tried to teach my kids to listen to what was being said not how it was said. I would have voted for the young scientist."
"Why?"
Floyd could not help shrugging his shoulders even though he knew Lina would not recognize the action. He explained, "The senior guy obviously was representing the consensus but his presentation was all fluff with no data. The young scientist presented data which was never addressed by her adversary. I try to always put my trust in the data." He added, "Besides, as we were about to crash land on your planet Mr. Watson detected some sort of gravitational anomaly. Maybe this is what is causing the tremors."
Floyd glanced at Tesla for some reason and could see what appeared to be interest in its facial expression. His look caused Lina to follow his gaze but she seemed not to recognize the expression, but her gaze caused Tesla to look away.
Floyd started his exercise program and the interview with the Councilor he did not like kept coming back into his thoughts. This made him work out even harder. He pushed himself through the calisthenics and moved on to shadow boxing. By now he had worked up a good sweat and was feeling less stressed. He was breathing hard and finally quit and used a towel to wipe the perspiration. He had no sooner sat down when Lina came up to him making a purring like noise. He cocked his head to the side trying to figure out what was going on. She came up to him with her tail arched over her left shoulder and began rubbing up against his shoulder. First on one side then the other just like a cat or dog does against your leg when it was in heat. Floyd's body began to respond but mentally he was very confused.
When Lina sat on his lap it became obvious that he was responding and this seemed to encourage her even more. She seemed intent on purring in his ear and he finally spoke up asking, "Is this appropriate?" She did not respond except to snuggle up tighter. Floyd thought, "It has been a long time. What the heck, why not?" He simply nuzzled her neck and she seemed to melt right into him. Next thing he knew she was leading him to the bedroom. Somehow the door was closed and she almost pushed him down into the bed.
When Floyd awoke the next morning he was alone and for a minute thought maybe it had been a dream but the scratch marks on his shoulders said otherwise. After he had cleaned up for the day he found Lina waiting at the eating area for him. Her tail twitched but she said nothing of the night. They ate the morning ration of food and Floyd's coffee arrived on schedule. Tesla came to them bearing a small version of Floyd's cup and handed it to Lina. She accepted the cup but said nothing to Tesla. Floyd asked her if she would like some coffee and she said she would like a very small amount. He poured hers first and then his, taking time to enjoy the aroma.
Their conversation was mostly about the debate they had watched the prior evening and they both seemed to avoid any discussion about the rest of the night. Lina's communicator became active and she again made notes as she listened. Floyd paid little attention and concentrated on his coffee. While Lina was finishing her notes he checked in with Mr. Watson and asked how things were looking. Mr. Watson responded, "The dry lake has begun to fill with water and I am thankful you moved us to high ground." He rambled on for a bit before admitting, "All systems are above minimums aboard the ship, but the orbiting relay has ceased to function."
Floyd did not have time to worry because Lina was ready with her report. Before signing off, something caused Floyd to glance at Tesla who slowly shook his head giving Floyd a bad sense about the failure of their relay. Floyd said nothing hoping Mr. Watson could detect his concern though his brainwave patterns. This made him reach up and scratch his scalp but he did his best not to pick at the electrodes. Lina said, "You are scheduled for only one interview this morning with the Ancient One."
"Who is the Ancient One?"
Lina tried to explain, "No one knows for sure but he has been here at the Sanctuary for maybe as long as it has existed."
"I thought you said the Sanctuary was over 400 years old."
"It is. Attempts at cloning the Ancient One have not been successful but treatments have kept him alive. He is blind but his Fixer has an implant that relays the visual nerve impulses directly to the brain of the Ancient One."
"You mean he sees whatever the Fixer sees?"
"Yes, but he also can control the Fixer with his mind so the Fixer knows where to look."
"Wow, this takes the concept of a seeing eye dog to a whole new dimension."
Floyd finished his coffee and donned his military jacket. When the computer screen became active an image of a very old man accompanied by a Fixer filled the screen. Introductions were brief and when Floyd asked what title he should use in addressing the Ancient One, he was greeted with a smile showing teeth in good condition. The Ancient One explained, "I have no title or position and my name is lost to time. Your use of the term, Sir, seems appropriate enough." It was then Floyd noticed he did not have a tail.
It was an interesting discussion because it centered on what made Floyd happy. The discussion of the Oregon wilderness and mountain vistas was well received by the Ancient One. It was when Floyd described his fascination with the stars that they really connected. The Ancient One had great knowledge of the stars but Floyd could not explain where his Sun was in relationship to the rest of the galaxy. It was nearly lunch time and Floyd's stomach had begun its demands, when Floyd asked, "You are not one of The People, are you?"
"No, like you I am a visitor who was sent a very long time ago to warn The People of the coming asteroid."
"You had almost 400 years, why did you not redirect the asteroid?"
"Direct interference in another world is not permitted. Life is to be allowed to progress without interference for this is the only way it can reach its full potential." He then explained, "The People chose not to develop aviation and space travel so the only choice left was the Sanctuary."
The grumbling of Floyd's stomach was
becoming more evident and the Ancient One suggested, "It would seem that you need to attend to your biologic needs. We will resume the discussion after you have fulfilled your nutritional requirements."
Lina watched him eat his midday meal and only when he finished did they discuss the morning. Floyd wanted to know more about the Ancient One but Lina admitted they knew nothing about him other than he appeared a long time ago proclaiming the end of the world. Most of The People ignored the strange prophet but a few listened and this is what gave rise to the Sanctuary. Floyd had questions about the lack of aviation but Lina had no information other than, "It has been shown that flight is dangerous."
The afternoon meeting with the Ancient One became even more interesting when the discussion turned to flying and the type of controls used to control flight. It was obvious that the physics remained the same on their former worlds for the basic control systems were similar. The choice of propulsion was where the differences became obvious. The systems described by the Ancient One made the jet and rocket engines seem very primitive. Tesla seemed to be paying close attention to the discussion but would look away whenever Floyd glanced in his direction.
The Ancient One turned the discussion to the question of death. Floyd had little to offer other than the saying he had learned from his grandfather, "Death is the great experiment. Everyone gets to perform it once but no one is allowed to report their results."
The Ancient One smiled and asked, "Are you afraid of death?"
Floyd responded, "I was essentially dead even if still walking before this journey began. I feel more alive now than I have for many years. I would not lose this sense of vitality, but then again, I have lived a full life." He added, "In the end, yes, I am afraid of death but even more afraid of losing life."
The Ancient One was quiet for some time before replying, "Well said. I had similar beliefs but with time my vitality just ebbed away and all I was left with was my fear of death. A sinister trap that is easy to fall into."
The afternoon was wearing on and the Ancient One said, "It is getting late and we both have much to contemplate. I would that we can have further discussions of the joys of flight and of mountain tops aglow with the colors of the setting sun."
Floyd did not want the conversation to end but the screen went blank and he just sat and stared at it. The day had been made so enjoyable because of the shared interest and fears. Real conversation about things Floyd cared deeply about. Lina came out of her room and asked, "Is everything ok?"
Floyd nodded but then remembered that Lina probably did not recognize the gesture and said, "A most interesting old man. I could grow very fond of him."
Lina asked, "Do you think his stories are real?"
Floyd was surprised at the question for he had no doubt that the stories were valid. He looked at Lina, and slowly understanding began to penetrate into his consciousness. Her world view did not allow for things like flying because it would disrupt the order of life. Growing old with your memories was not something The People did because the order was better kept with control of the memories that the clones were instilled with. Their world was defined by the memory transfer and genetic modifications that guaranteed continuation of status quo. He finally replied, "In his world the stories are real. In your world I am not sure."