Galactic
Spider’s Web
The star,
"You mean nova?"
"It’s a certainty."
The child sat before the glowing
green cathode ray tube at the computer terminal. She punched - enter - file -
history of lunar colony at
Excerpt from the diary of Myrna Harrison,
an original colonist: "We crossed the depths of the blackest night. The
name of our ship was the Leaf Erickson. We were the first generation of our
multi-generational journey that would see sunrise across Barion,
a gas giant, from it’s moon
Soon the moon was visible. It was brown,
with white streaks of exposed ice forming brilliant star patterns around the
craters. We settled into orbit around
The young girl turned the computer off.
She went to sleep and dreamed of ships crossing the galaxy, with paths like
spider’s webs linking the stars.
Phillip organized a council to
consider what measures should be taken. Phillip began, "Vega could send a
ship at fifty percent the speed of light. It would take sixty years to reach
us. However, the message would take thirty years to get there. That would mean
ninety years before help arrived. We know there is an uncertainty of give or
take ten years before
The message made its way across the
depths of space. It was a universal S.O.S. followed by a description of
In a room on the base, there were
oriental paintings. They had delicate bamboo shoots and Japanese sages in pin
and white hues. The walls were pink with shining golden furniture. The smell of
incense pervaded the room. A man with a pony tail, wearing a white robe, sat on
a golden cushioned chair, playing a melancholy wistful melody. It was entitled,
"
Satusha
Suzuki put down his guitar. He knelt before the statue of Buddha and recited
the Diamond Sutra in Japanese. Through the corridors of history his ancestors
had passed. He was light years away from
Satusha
was there, in the communications room, when the message arrived. As he watched
the computer screen, his eyes lit up. His exhalation was irrepressible as his
shout, "Hallelujah!" echoed across the corridors. The message read:
Starship Long march estimated time of
arrival at
sixty years from now. Departure was
thirty years ago as of arrival
Of this
message at Fair haven. Cargo manifest: New construction
equipment for expansion of colony.
Stand by for further information
Years passed by without seasons. Only the vacuum
of space and magnificent desolation were found outside the antiseptic corridors
of the moon base. Earth was an almost mythical place of open spaces and
greenery. Long March arrived in orbit. It could be seen as a bright cylinder
crawling across the atmosphere less sky. The inhabitants of the
The nuclear fusion engines ignited
with an exhaust like a comet’s tail spreading out behind the ship. They were to
journey across the light years to a new star one hundred years and fifty light
years away.
Generations passed on board Long
March. People dreamed of open spaces and an earth-like planet. Perhaps they
would find a blue and white sphere, perhaps with air that could be breathed and
moderate temperatures. However, the chances of this were slim. In fact, this
type of Garden of Eden had never been found in all humankind’s travels across
the terra incognito of deep space. They approached the new solar system, eager
with anticipation. Then through their telescopes, they sighted the distant
planet. Spectrum-analysis showed it had enough oxygen to breathe. As they got
closer they found that the equatorial region had equable temperatures, much
like the north
They settled into orbit with silent
grace. After studying the planet for six months they decided to send the first
landing party. The air was thick with excitement on board Long March. The
landing craft looked like a spider with folded legs. There was a silver
cone-shaped heat shield on the bottom. The crew of Long March watched on the
observation deck as the landing craft, Lilith,
drifted toward the blue and white horizon. The stars were visible, glowing like
candles in a sacred ceremony. The landing craft glittered in the sunlight. It
drifted away until it was a pinpoint of light, then vanished.
Lilith
plunged through the atmosphere. A red fire blazed around the craft as it raced
towards the planet’s surface. Parachutes billowed in the air, slowing the
descent. Rockets fired a brilliant fireworks. Then
with a thump they landed. The crew tested the atmosphere for poisons. They
analyzed the surface and spent a week meticulously studying their surroundings.
Finally they departed the craft. The air was cool and salty. The soil was dull
red and powdery with green lichen-like plants covering small boulders. Out in
the distance there was an azure blue ocean. The sky was deep blue. They were on
a rise in the land and had a magnificent panorama.
They camped out that night below a
starry sky. The stars twinkled in the atmosphere, something none of them had
seen in the vacuum of interstellar space. The wind rustled their polyurethane
tents. They woke at dawn and saw the sun float above the horizon. The sunlight
glowed yellow and warm.
Soon there would be amber fields of
grain with tassels waving in the breeze. Houses would be constructed. There
would be villages with white cottages by the sea, like on the coast of
The starship’s pattern of
colonization would stretch across the galaxy from star to star carrying
sentience to the worlds. Their paths would trace between the stars, in patterns
like spider’s webs. Planets would be terra formed and made verdant. Starships
would light across the galaxy, their nuclear engines blinking on and off over
the centuries like fireflies in a forest at night.