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The Phoenix and the Pelican – Sunday MorningChris Evophoenixandthepelican.blogspot.com-623 years after impact The long-greyed Doctor Harold Brunick stood at the foot of a tropical tree thicker then hewas tall and pointed at a waterfall a thousand meters high, commanding it to move. The lightreflecting off of the rocks and mist changed first, then suddenly the water itself splasheddifferently. Rocks erupted from the sheer cliff face to support the water's new path."I think it looks much better like this. How about you, Susan?" The old woman at his sidesnorted."I think you're a doofus, and you need to get out more. I liked you better when you were just a glorified elevator repairman." He pretended not to hear her and further adjusted thewaterfall."The physics engine is really looking up. We just might be ready for the big debut later thismonth.""I'm glad it's all going so well for you, Brunick, but I've come to tell you that you need toexpand the initial pool of subjects." He let the boulders above the gigantic mountain fall back intothe waters, creating a thunderous boom which startled wildlife for miles."More? I've already got almost a hundred volunteers for next month's beta test. Who's ideawas this?""The captain suggested it, and I agreed.""I know a larger beta sample can do SOME good, but there's no reason to just start lettingeveryone who asks into Gaia early. What we've got here is a politician trying to toss himself into atechnology he doesn't understand.""It's a personal favor to me too, Brunick. The new enrollment was a student of mine.""So is everyone on this ship anymore. It happens when you're the chief educational officerfor all fifty thousand people alive today.""It's more then that, Harold, and you know it. The girl, Harrah Riesom, was like a daughterto me. She's been sick for a long time, and I want her to come back into a world with trees andwaterfalls.""The ship has a couple of gardens with trees and waterfalls." Susan extended her arm topoint across the sheer cliff beside them, over a crystal-clear lake below, and into a waterfall higherthen any the former home of mankind had ever produced. Light bounced off of the spray toproduce countless raindows all around them, giving the jungle another layer of romance andwonder."The ship only has so much. For once in your life, care about another person and let the girlhave an early crack at the new world."Brunick pulled up a console with a sigh. "Fine. I'll make some calls and adjust the numbers. Just remember, you owe me one.""Hey Nestor, what's got you down?" Tuck Menshaw, Nestor Saldon, and Elouise Shaw stoodon the side of the greatest engineering project of all time, the United States Starship Atahensic.Over seven hundred years earlier, scientists had discovered a rogue asteroid large enough to tearthe Earth's surface from its core, instantly incinerating anything within a hundred thousand milesof the planet. They'd used the warning to construct seven arkships and send them in differentdirections, each with orders to settle the galaxy and make humanity invincible. Nestor, Tuck, andElouise magnetically bound themselves to the side of the ship so they could inspect it for defectsand repair any breaks in the hull. They essentially thought of themselves as extremely importantspace janitors."Nothing. Why do you ask?" He fixed his eyes on the airlock a quarter of a kilometer away,eager for his shift to end a few minutes after that suit came off."Your step has no pep! You've been moping around all day!" Tuck danced around the othertwo as he mocked, in spite of the powerful magnetic boots."You know what? Fine. Harrah's been getting better, and she's invited to join project Gaia
early.""Project Gaia?" Elouise gaped. "Ohmygod! That's the new virtual reality thing, right?""A world which can wirelessly interface with the brain, projecting tastes, smells, and touchsensations perfectly.""That's great! Why's it got you so bummed out?""Because I don't trust them, Elly. I don't think they can do what they claim to do withouthurting her."Elouise patted his arm through the space suit. "Don't worry, they've been testing this stuff on people for almost ten years. She'll be fine." Tuck closed in on him on the other side."It's a way to pass the time, ya know? Most of the people on the ship aren't going to livelong enough to see a real planet- slower then light space travel is like that. We might as well havesomething fun to do while we wait, and why not let it be a perfect simulation of a planet?""She's got some kind of nerve damage from the disease, you know. I don't want that tointerfere.""Your girlfriend will be fine, man. Stop freaking out." Nestor stopped walking. For a moment,they couldn't even hear his breathing across their always-on radio circuit."She's not my girlfriend.""Oh, sorry. Friend that you've personally cared for for months and months without expectinganything in return.""We don't need to go over this again, Tuck. We're just friends." He started walking again,this time at a much faster pace."Then how long has it been since you had a girlfriend? I've known you for years, man, and Idon't think you've really been looking since you met her." He punched the airlock button. Tuckswung through the small door first. Nestor waited behind, breathing hard in his tiny littleatmosphere."I'm not going inside until you understand something: I'm not taking care of her so I cantake advantage of her, I'm helping her out because we're friends and I was the most able out of everyone she knew.""Fine, you're not in love with Harrah. Now get inside." Nestor took a step and returned tothe .9 gravity of the Atahensic, quickly followed by Elouise. The door slammed shut. Within aminute the hissing ceased and they were safe to remove their helmets and look at each otherwithout any cumbersome breathing gear again. "So you're single.""Yes.""Hey, Elouise, you're single, right?" She turned bright red. The youngest member of theteam at twenty one, Elouise still looked like a teenager."Uh, yeah, but I don't think-""Come on, we both know Nestor needs a little action more then you need the rest of thatmakeup." Tuck put one arm over each of them as he led them out of the airlock and into theAtahensic proper. Elouise giggled loudly."Aww, you think I'm wearing makeup. That's cute." She pushed Tuck out of the way andwrapped her arms around Nestor before he had time to argue. He tensed up, gradually relaxingagainst her body, slowly running his hands along her back. She released him breathlessly. "Not,uh, not bad.""I've got to take off. I'll see you both tomorrow." Nestor left without waiting for an answer. Tuck waited until he was gone, and bellowed a rich, deep laugh."You were really into it, El! That was amazing! Maybe I should play matchmaker moreoften!" Elouise grinned noncommittedly."Yeah. he was alright. Nothing special. What's the deal with that girl he spends all his timewith?""Harrah? She's some blonde, nothing special. No one's seen her lately, she got somedisease.""On the Atahensic?""Yeah. I dunno what, but every so often one of those good diseases that helps you digestfood or whatever goes bad and starts eating your stomach. I think it's something like that.""She's getting better?""That's what Nestor and her docter claim, no one else has seen her in over a month."
Blood leaked from Harrah's mouth. Nestor bent low over the half corpse to whispersomething comforting while Doctor Munez busied himself with a pod in the far corner of her room."It's almost time to make the switch, Nestor. It's not too late to call this whole thing off. Justsay the word and we can still go free." He bolted up from the bed and pulled Munez away from thepod by his collar."No. We're saving her. Just give me time" He put his mouth right against her ear. "Harrah,can you hear me?"". . . yes.""I love you. I've loved you for years." Her eyes focused for the first time in days. "I wantedto spend the rest of my life with you."". . .really?" Her expression betrayed nothing but her pain from internal bleeding. "Butyou're Nestor." The world grew darker around him. "We're just friends.""Could we ever. . .""I don't . . . know. Probably . . not." She coughed up more blood, which he hurried to wipeaway."Harrah, please. Just tell me there's a chance.""No. Doesn't matter now, huh?" He smiled through the tears."No, it doesn't. Pull the plug!" Harrah thrashed once and went still. Her eyes, once hergreatest feature, seemed to swallow the light instead of creating it. Hair he'd admired ever sincehe met her now looked like a mess of horse hair poorly bleached."We've got the backup, but if we don't act fast and switch the bodies she'll never comeback." Munez had already started pulling cables out of her arms. "Help me put her into the matterprinter for dissasembly, we can't leave this thing lieing around." Munez tenderly reached down toclose Harrah's eyes before hefting her shoulders. "Get her legs."Harold Brunick sat across the table from a woman who appeared to be older then theAtahensic. They occupied a tiny island, only two meters wide, rising straight out of the endless,storming ocean just high enough for them to never feel the spray. They sipped tea from cups onthe table in front of them."It's all very, very impressive." Captain Felia Ewing was known for not giving people anyroom to maneuver, but she'd spent the entire meeting marveling at the sights of Gaia. "Everythingis going on schedule?""Yes, absolutely. We're actually ahead of schedule, if anything.""Oh really?""Yes- don't get the wrong idea, though. We're testing things that even the great scientistsback on earth never encountered.""I thought they'd had sims like this?""Oh, they did a little bit of this- simulating touch and taste, direct wireless connection to thebrain- but nothing on the level of what we're doing now. This is a place for everyone on the ship toconnect in ways that have never been seen before- instant, ubiquitous connection with the rest of the ship and all of the knowledge of mankind, not to mention some nice views and foods that arenormally unavailable." He pointed to the waves below, and a shark leaped over them, roaring."That sounds awfully close to improving human intelligence, Doctor. You know directimprovement is taboo." She leaned in close over the table. "I don't want to have to shut thisexperiment down.""No, no, it's not like that at all. It's just a more convenient way to read the same networkyou get on the consoles. I know all about the mod laws. I actually wrote a dissertation about themorality of the laws, believe it or not.""I hadn't heard of this. Please continue.""I came down in favor of them. The whole idea of the Atahensic is to protect humanity,which means our faults as well as our advantages. It's all a lot more complicated, but if you care tohear any of that then I'll send you my old thesis.""I'd like to hear that very much. Just give me the overview right now.""Oh, ok. We only have a certain amount of energy to use while the ship is moving betweenstars. We don't ever know how far away the next star is, and we can't spare the energy to keep a
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