Cellular Civilization/Yasas

When their little spaceship cleared Earth's atmosphere Lanora set course for the Lagrangian point where a larger spaceship was waiting. Turning away from the ship's controls, she noticed that Charlie was watching her. She asked, "Are you back?"

Charlie tried to clear his throat and replied, "I still feel like I might be dreaming."

Lanora sat down next to him took one of his hands in her hands. "It is no dream. Look out the window. We are in space, above Earth."

Charlie was not sure he liked the black of space. He tried to keep focused on Lanora....she seemed real enough. He asked, "Who are you?"

Lanora had imagined telling Charlie her real name, but now that seemed the wrong thing to do. Why burden him with any more details than necessary? She replied, "There is a whole civilization out here Charlie. We call ourselves Genesaunts. Mostly we leave Earth alone, but once in a while we take someone like you off of Earth. You have to get comfortable with the idea...you are now Genesaunt." For a few moments she wondered if Charlie might lapse back into his withdrawal from reality, but then he seemed to stabilize here and now and he held tightly to her hands.

Charlie had imagined that there was probably some illegal motive for Lanora's interest in him, but he had not imagined that she had singled him out for something as crazy as this. He asked, "Why me?"

Lanora chuckled and tenderly put a hand to the side of his head. "Silly boy, because you are special. You should feel honored. Earthlings who have made their way into space are a small and select group."

"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that I'm traveling on a one way ticket."

Lanora nodded. "Yes, it is very unlikely that you will ever have a chance to go back home. There is really very little travel between Earth and the Genesaunt society that exists out here in space. But do not worry, your parents will be taken care of."

Charlie asked, "Will they know what happened to me?"

Lanora asked, "Do you remember the explosion? It was made to look like you and I died in an accident. Your parents will be told that you are dead."

"And Stefi. I suppose you knew all along. This whole week you were planning this. Does she know that you took me off of Earth?"

Lanora was impressed that he could make that deduction. "Very good thinking, Charlie. Yes, Stefi is the one person who could be told. In fact, it was important that she know. She was very attached to you. She agreed that this was best for both of you."

"But why does she stay and why do I leave? You have not explained anything."

Lanora put a hand on Charlie's chest. "You are not well, Charlie. You inherited a bad set of genes. Had you stayed on Earth you would have died young. Out here we can easily repair your defects and you can lead a long life. Stefi knew this and was happy to let you be taken away and be given a new life out here."

"So, is that your job? To repair my defects?"

Lanora replied, "We have nanorobotic devices that will easily repair your body. I'm most concerned about your brain and your mental health. I want to make sure that you adjust to your new way of life out here."

Charlie let go of her hand. "So it is just a job for you."

Lanora took hold of his hands again. "No Charlie, don't say that."

"Why not, it is true. What possible interest could I be to you, personally? You manipulated my emotions and made me play into your scheme. When you are done with me and collect your bonus pay for a job well done, you'll be off on your next assignment. But tell me, who decides when someone like me will be taken off of Earth?"

"Nobody knew until a few days ago. You were in the way as long as you were on Earth. It was best for everyone to bring you out here."

"Best for my parents?"

"They will not suffer much because of your departure. Their natural pain at your loss will be artificially lessened by our nanite probes. They will be cared for. This is far better than your natural fate, which was to die young, as your genes would dictate."

"And you, personally?"

Lanora found that the answer she had prepared herself to give to this question was no longer what she really wanted to say. "I've only known you a short time, Charlie, but I do care about you. Maybe it is mostly my own guilt about taking you away from your family and friends and the life you were making for yourself, but I do care that you make this transition successfully. It is exciting for me to imagine what it must be like for you go through this...Charlie, just think of all the wonders you will see. Scientific and technical advances that you have only dreamed of are a reality out here. I'll show you all of these wonders...and share them and your discovery of them with you...if you will let me."

"As if I have a choice in anything."

"Well, you had no choice in your genes and I suppose there has never been a more star-crossed pair of lovers than you and Stefi."

"We were never lovers."

"Well, I'm sorry about that, Charlie. I suppose you might have stayed together had you stayed on Earth...but then again, maybe not. Even without our interference, Stefi's priority was her career."

"So, what is your interest in Stefi?"

Lanora explained, "That is the heart of the matter. She is a child of the internet....the net is her native environment. She will join a cadre of similar visionaries who will push networking technology to its logical social limits. The people of Earth are making an important technological transition into the information era. Our interest in Stefi is that she be allowed to participate in speeding that transition. Had you remained in her life, your health problems could have become a serious distraction."

"So, on Earth, I' a distraction and an early funeral. Now you are taking me to your technologically advanced society...so I can lead a long life as...what? The primitive Earthman?"

Lanora wondered if Charlie would just focus on the negatives. "Those of us who live out here off of Earth, in the Solar System, are not very much advanced beyond Earth humans. You can learn about our technologies that are as yet unknown on Earth. You should have no problem adapting to Genesaunt society...as long as you keep your spirit of...adventure. Don't you think it will be fun exploring this new existence with me?"

"I still do not understand why you should care, why you should bother with me."

"Maybe just because we can. I don;t know, myself. I suppose I was selected for this task in the hope that you would be comfortable with me. Maybe an error was made when I was selected. We get to decide about that. But I like you and I think you like me. Isn't that enough for now? Let's get your body repaired and I'd like to show you my favorite places out here. Let's just see how things go." She resisted using her nanites to push artificially at Charlie's emotions. She settled for just resting her head on his shoulder.

After a minute Charlie sighed and relaxed. He put an arm around her and said, "Okay. This is a battle you won several days ago. But I'm still wondering just what it is that...let me put it this way...Why do you sit out here with the technology needed to cure genetic defects and fly between the planets...and who knows what else? How did you get out here in the first place?"

Lanora snuggled against Charlie and put her arms around him. "Well, do not get your hopes up. These are all good questions but you cannot expect me to answer all your questions. Even we Genesaunts are not too clear about some of our own history. Our mythology says that long ago there were visitors from other star systems. Interstellar space travelers originating in a distant star system who came here and started taking Earthly life forms out here...to space bases and to other worlds."

Charlie asked, "Long ago? Just how long are you talking?"

"Well, our own history, human history, goes back a quarter million years. And there is reason to believe that other Genesaunt cultures proceeded ours by millions of years. Some say that there have been a series of Genesaunt cultures out here going right back to the Jurassic. But if so, they moved on, probably to other star systems."

"In quarter million years, this human civilization out here in space has not managed to travel to other stars?"

Lanora tried to explain, "Look at it this way, Charlie. Travel is almost completely one way..from Earth to space. You can leave Earth and join the human Genesaunt culture out here, mostly settled among the outer planets and the outer fringe of the Solar System. However, nobody can go back the other way. In the same way, it is possible to leave the Solar System and travel to other stars, but nobody comes back. It is all one way."

Charlie gave a deep sigh. "But why? Why leave humans trapped on Earth with primitive technology? Why are you satisfied to live without interstellar travel when other can and do travel beyond to other stars?"

"The short answer is that it is against the law to do things any other way. For example, the Overseers enforce the rule that prevents people like me from going down and living on Earth."

Charlie asked, "Overseers?"