However, the question remains, even if we do find hundreds, if not thousands of confirmed, Earth-like planets definitely capable of supporting life, will there be somebody out there we can talk to? Tomorrow, I will will discuss the nagging constant in the Drake Equation denoted by the letter L.
Entry 4-165: June 9, 2016
Loose ends: Species 1 - 926, part 2
Yesterday, I was describing the inevitable conclusion, by way of the Drake Equation, that there have to be other intelligent species out there. And yet to date we have not detected them. Why is that? It all has to do with the letter L.
The letter L in the Drake Equation is defined as the length of time intelligent civilizations release detectable signals into space. Our first commercial radio broadcast took place in the year 1904. Since that time, radio blossomed then took a back seat to television. For that 100 year period, from the perspective of the electromagnetic spectrum, we were ablaze and visible to the universe for anyone who cared to listen in. But now, terrestrial television and radio signals, those which could radiate into space, are rapidly disappearing. Cable, internet and satellites are delivering signals directly to receivers. They are not broadcasting. Soon the only signals that aliens would be able to detect would be those that we send up into space by design.
So if 100 years is the norm, a tiny, tiny window is terms of the life of the universe, what are the odds that we will find somebody either broadcasting or listening exactly during that 100 year interval? When you think of it from that perspective, it seems very unlikely.
And yet it gets worse. Advanced civilizations can die in a multitude of ways. Nuclear war, destruction by an asteroid strike, a gamma ray burst from a supernova or hypernova, these are just a few ways in which our species could disappear in a flash. There are also more insidious ways, disease, terrorism, pollution, climate change; all of these could force our species into hiding or slowly dwindle away.
What about machine or artificial intelligence? What if we are already creating our own successors without even knowing it? We could be gone in another hundred years by devices built with our own hands. Maybe the next rulers of the Earth would not be interested in communicating with other species.
Putting aside the gloom and doom for a moment, I would like to point out that the entire Rome's Revolution series is about hope and redemption for mankind. It postulates a species that not only survives but thrives and is already spreading to the stars. So it is inevitable that they would run into one of the other species some day.
Like Fox Mulder says on the X-files, I want to believe. I hope you do too.
Entry 4-166: June 10, 2016
Loose ends: Lupe, part 1 of 5
When I first started writing the novel Rome's Revolution, I always had an ending in mind. That ending was “Star OMCOM” issuing a dire warning about mutations running loose on the remains of the dead Stareater. It wasn’t until I started (at the time) the second book did I realize that Rome and Rei would get married some day and have children. This was a revelation to me. And since I always try and write about what I know, that meant that our heroes would have two children, a boy and a girl, and they would be extraordinary in their own way.
Thus it was that the original second novel, now Part 2 of Rome’s Revolution, begins with the announcement that Rome is pregnant during the Bierak’s year-long journey to Deucado. In the original version, Rome had just discovered that she was pregnant. In the modern version, she is much further along but in both versions, she is nearly ready to give birth by the time they arrive at their new home world.
I named the boy Aason after my son Aaron and he not only took part in the adventures of Rome’s Revolution, he was also at the center of not one but two kidnapping plots in The Ark Lords and in Rome’s Evolution. Eventually, he grows up and has his own adventure in The Milk Run. That book centered around the kidnapping (what’s with me and kidnapping?) of his sister Lupe, who was actually conceived at the end of Rome’s Evolution.
This brings me back to the reason for this post. I have a beautiful daughter, Paula, whose name in Spanish is Lupe and since I was patterning these books after my life, that meant that eventually Rome and Rei would have to have a daughter (named Lupe). But in the context of the book, was there a why? I used the wrap-up portion of Rome’s Revolution for OMCOM to suggest her to Rome. The whole explanation doesn’t really stand up as the driving force behind The Milk Run but it will in later books, if I ever get around to writing them. To lay the groundwork, I made OMCOM plant the seeds of Lupe's arrival at the end of Rome's Revolution:
“May I have a word with you in private?” OMCOM asked in English.
“Of course,” Rome replied. OMCOM wagged a finger at her and turned to walk down the hallway. Rome followed until OMCOM was convinced they were sufficiently isolated.
“I am attempting to live up to my promise to discuss things with you before I act. There is one more issue we need to discuss,” the all-white entity said to her.
“And what is that?” Rome asked, somewhat amused.
“There is still the matter of Lupe,” said OMCOM.
“What is a lupe?” asked Rome looking into what was, for all intents and purposes, a blank mask.
“Not a what,” OMCOM said. “A who.”
“All right,” replied Rome, humoring him, “who is Lupe?”
“She is our daughter,” answered OMCOM.
“Our daughter!” Rome exclaimed. “We have no daughter.”
“That is my point,” said OMCOM. “She is waiting to be born.”
Can you imagine someone telling you that you had to have a child? That wouldn’t fly in my household. Let’s see how OMCOM explains this tomorrow.
Entry 4-167: June 11, 2016
Loose ends: Lupe, part 2 of 5
Yesterday, we saw OMCOM advise Rome that she was to have another child, a daughter. This caught Rome off guard. Knowing Rome, she wasn’t just going to say, sure, OK. But she also had the patience to hear out OMCOM’s explanation. The conversation continues along the plan as OMCOM saw it:
“I’ve just had a child,” said Rome. “Why do I need another so soon?”
“Perhaps I have indicated there is more urgency than is really the fact,” said OMCOM. “It is not necessary that she be born in the next eight months. It is simply required that she be born in the next three years.”
“That is so, so, magnanimous of you, OMCOM,” Rome said, sarcastically. “If you don’t mind, I think we’ll take the opportunity to raise Aason and give him the proper attention before we proceed with the next.”
“Understood,” said OMCOM. “You may take your time. But do not take too long.”
“Too long by whose standard?” Rome asked. “And don’t you think Rei should be involved in this decision?”
“Rei will be involved,” OMCOM said. “There is no doubt about that. As I have already explained to you, I feel as if Aason is partially my son as well. After all, one element of his genetic structure is of my design. But Lupe’s genetic structure will be completely unique.”
“More unique than Aason?” Rome asked, confused.
“Yes, of course,” said OMCOM. “Rei’s genetic structure was modified yet again on Earth so she will truly be one of a kind. She will have all the advantages of a child of the Essessoni and Vuduri plus my additional chromosome plus the DNA required to produce the prosthetic PPT transceivers Rei acquired. She will be the most potent communicator in all of the universe.”
“Why is this so important?” Rome asked. “Why is it so important that we have another child, even one as special as you describe. MASAL is dead. The Onsiras are over. There is peace on Earth. The Stareaters know we exist and are going to leave us alone. There is peace on Deucado. We’re going to stop the asteroid from hitting Deucado. I know there is some work to do but really, what are you not telling me?”
OMCOM turned away from her. “Are you familiar with the story of Adam a
nd Eve?” he asked.
“Only in the vaguest of terms,” Rome said. “They are the mythical parents of the human race, yes?”
“Yes,” OMCOM said, turning back to face her. “I have foreseen this: you are to be the new Eve. And Rei is to be the new Adam.”
“What do you mean?” Rome asked.
“You are not just the mother of Aason,” OMCOM said. “You are to be the mother of the new mankind, literally and spiritually. You and Rei are starting the next phase of humanity, connected but apart. The mixture of Essessoni blood and Vuduri blood will prevent the pairing of the recessive genes MASAL engineered to create the Onsiras. It is extremely fortunate that a fresh supply of Essessoni are now available for breeding.”
“That is so cold,” Rome said. “Humans are not a science experiment.”
You will notice both here and in many other places, OMCOM always refers to Rome and Rei’s children as his children as well. The reason for this is because he contributed the 25th chromosome and so to that extent, he feels like he is partially their father. That did not stop him from manipulating them in The Milk Run but that is way down the road.
Tomorrow, OMCOM offers the “answer” as to why Lupe must be born.
Entry 4-168: June 12, 2016
Loose ends: Lupe, part 3 of 5
Yesterday, we saw OMCOM inform Rome that she and Rei were to be the new Adam and Eve and create the successors to mankind. This should be mind-blowing enough but OMCOM wasn’t done. He wanted to explain to Rome that he had an even larger role for Lupe. Here is how he explained it:
“That is not what I meant,” OMCOM continued. “You and Rei have demonstrated that combining a 23-chromosome Essessoni and a 24-chromosome Vuduri can produce the perfect child. The blend of your genetics will displace that created by MASAL and drive it out of the gene pool. You will set humans back upon the proper path. But there is more…”
“What?” Rome asked. “Why is there always more?”
OMCOM ignored her statement. “This type of child will create not an Overmind but an Over-Mankind,” OMCOM said. “Your children will build a consciousness made up of millions of independent thinkers, not those who surrender their individuality. The power of that mind will exceed the monolithic Overmind by an infinite degree. This is your destiny.”
“I have no destiny,” Rome protested weakly. “I am just a woman. Rei is just a man. You make me, you make us, into something we are not. A year ago, I was just a mindless drone within the Overmind. Now I am a wife and a mother. I need some time. I must figure out who I am, first. I am, at best, ordinary.”
“You are not ordinary,” OMCOM said, his voice rising. “You are extraordinary. Look at what you accomplished on Tabit, on Deucado and on the Earth. Because of you, the monolithic Overmind will fade into oblivion. You are the model for the future which is duality. You and Rei, you are not just a man and a woman…a husband and a wife. Together, you are the past and the future. Scientist and artist. Connected and isolated. You are two, not one and yet you are a team. There is no future with single thoughts. There always needs to be a divergence of opinions so as to arrive at the best solution. You will go down in history as the progenitors of how to approach life. You have saved mankind, not by killing the Asdrale Cimatir, not by saving the mandasurte, not by ending MASAL’s existence. No, you have saved all humans by simply working together and producing a child together. This is what I foresaw. This is what has come to be. It cannot be undone.”
“If all this is true, then why do we need a daughter?” Rome asked timidly. “Haven’t we done enough?”
“There are still things, important things that will require your involvement. Hirdinharsaway said that his race had encountered many sentient species. It would be prudent for us to search and find them before they find us. My calculations have told me that there will come a day when Lupe becomes a vital part of that, as well,” OMCOM said quietly.
“When?” Rome asked breathlessly. “Why?”
“It is not for some time,” said OMCOM. “We have several years still. But Lupe will need to be more than a child. Above all else, there is one question that needs to be answered. One that Lupe will help us answer.”
“And what is that question?” Rome asked. “OMCOM, you are frightening me.”
OMCOM bent over stiffly, from the waist, so that his eye slits were level with Rome’s eyes. Rome knew the avatar was hollow, that there was no soul within, yet she thought she could see a glistening, a twinkling, indicating there was something living inside. The effect was unnerving.
Ah, quite the teaser, huh? Tomorrow I will give you OMCOM’s somewhat lofty explanation as to Lupe’s role in the future.
Entry 4-169: June 13, 2016
Loose ends: Lupe, part 4 of 5
Yesterday, we saw the lead-in to where OMCOM would finally tell Rome his vision of the future and where Lupe fits within that grand scheme. There are other elements to the plan that OMCOM has chosen to save until the end. Today he reveals how all his visions interlock and tie together:
“We need to know who built the Stareaters,” OMCOM answered grimly.
“Built?” Rome said. “I thought they were alive.”
“We need to know their origin whether they are alive or constructed,” OMCOM said. “It makes no difference...”
“Of course it does,” said Rome. “If they evolved, then there need be no explanation for their existence. Evolution has no plan.”
“Oh but it does,” said OMCOM. “MASAL was correct about that.”
“So what do the Stareaters have to do with that plan?” Rome asked, almost in a whisper. Then she spoke louder. “If they evolved that way, so be it.”
“And if they were built?” asked OMCOM.
“I, I do not know,” said Rome. “Do I really need to know?”
“Yes, you do,” said OMCOM, “we all do. And I need our daughter to do this.”
Rome narrowed her eyes. Her shoulders tightened. “OMCOM,” she said stridently, “you of all people, or whatever you are, should not be telling me what to do. Every creature, every entity that we have encountered has tried to make decisions for me. First it was the Overmind of Earth. It wanted to think for me. Then there was the Overmind of Deucado who decreed that the mandasurte should be imprisoned there. The Stareaters decided that our sun should not be allowed to exist. MASAL decided that humans were no longer relevant. Did we not fight all of these so that we could be free? I do not want to follow their agenda or yours. I want to live my own life. I have earned that right.”
“But you have your own agenda as well,” OMCOM pointed out. “You helped destroy the Stareater on Tabit. You talked the Overmind of Deucado into accepting the mandasurte. You helped end MASAL’s mission. Why is your agenda any better than theirs?”
“Because it is,” Rome said defiantly. “I only do what is right. It is only right that all people get to live and live free. To pursue their own interests, their own happiness, without interference.”
“What you call right is relative to your perspective,” OMCOM countered. “But in this case, I agree with you. What I am proposing is, in fact, part of your agenda. As I look into the future, I see several paths that could endanger your freedom and that of all mankind. My goals are the same as yours. I am only asking for your aid so that I may aid you.”
Rome is a bit underwhelmed by OMCOM’s explanation. In fact, I was too. I thought knowing the origin of the Stareaters would somehow make things make more sense. The fact of the matter is, Lupe did facilitate the discovery of that knowledge but not in the way OMCOM expected.
Tomorrow, Rei finds out.
Entry 4-170: June 14, 2016
Loose ends: Lupe, part 5 of 5
Yesterday, we saw OMCOM provide a somewhat flimsy excuse as to why Lupe needed be born. The fact is, I could have him say because we need her for future novels. That wouldn’t make much sense. But that was the real truth. So let’s just say it is a w
eak argument but would give Rome pause. Here is the final element of that scene:
“Even if Rei and I did decide to have a daughter, I would not want her born to a fate already decided,” Rome said.
“We all have our destiny,” said OMCOM. “Your mother and father created you. Your fate was decided long before you were born. You did not shirk from your duties when the time came. I have seen you perform them too many times. You are a noble person, Rome. Lupe will take after you.”
“OMCOM, this is too much for me to absorb right now,” Rome said with exasperation in her voice. “You said we have time. Please let me wait until my life is more settled before I think about this.”
“Will you at least promise me that you will consider this in the not-too-distant future?”
Rome nodded then opened her mouth to speak but Rei came up to them and interrupted her first. “Consider what?” Rei asked.
“Rome will explain,” said OMCOM. “I must attend to that matter that we discussed earlier. I leave you now but I will rejoin you after you arrive at Deucado.”
“OMCOM?” Rome started to speak but the white livetar was already gone.
“What was that all about?” Rei asked Rome who was visibly shaken.
“OMCOM told me that we are to be the new Adam and Eve,” she said.