Read Online Debt of Ages by Steve White - Free Book Online
Authors: Steve White
Tags: Science-Fiction
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displacement network. Pardon me, Andreas—do continue."
"Of course we knew nothing of these events beyond the Solar System. But in the subsequent five centuries, we mastered the scientific method and began to forge ahead technologically." His voice held a kind of forlorn, defensive pride. Sarnac belatedly understood that he was looking at a man who had been cast, all alone, among strangers whose kindliness only underlined the fact that they wielded powers beyond the dreams of gods. "By the twenty-sixth century," he continued, "we were ready to launch our first interstellar expedition, toward Alpha Centauri."
Tylar's face took on the abstracted expression that, Sarnac had come to realize, meant he was in whatever unimaginable linkage he maintained with his sentient machines. The image of a space vessel appeared in midair above the table around which they sat, although there was no apparent holo projection equipment nor any place for it to be concealed. Sarnac couldn't worry about that as he stared in fascination. It was like what Jules Verne might have visualized had the notion of an STL interstellar ship ever occurred to him.
Tylar seemed to read his thoughts. "Yes. The technology of the alternate Earth developed in ways that were idiosyncratic to say the least, from your standpoint or mine. Those divergences make a fascinating story in themselves."
"It looks big," was all Sarnac could say, even though he had no familiar objects to give a sense of scale.
"Indeed," Tylar affirmed. "It had to be, for it was what those science fiction writers of whom you're so fond called a 'generation ship.' It required a century to reach Alpha Centauri, and one of the things of which its builders were ignorant was cryogenic suspension. Given those builders' capabilities, it was really a technological tour de force , and like all such was incredibly expensive. I gather it was at least in part a symbol, carrying with it the prestige of the Empire—which included the Americas and large parts of Africa and Russia as well as all of Europe and the Near East, and was locked in rivalry with its Chinese counterpart."
"Sort of like the mid-twentieth-century space programs," Sarnac opined.
"It was expensive," Andreas acknowledged. "But it turned out to be a better investment than its builders imagined, for it put a small portion of the human race out of reach of what happened twenty-five years into its voyage. That was when the Korvaash ships inexplicably appeared in the outer Solar System and descended on Earth."
"The Realm of Tarzhgul?" Sarnac made it as much a statement as a question.
Tylar nodded. "Remember, the displacement network is the same in both universes. And the Realm arose in the same manner after the disruption of that network put an end to the Unity."
"Yeah," Sarnac grinned crookedly. "Founded by a Korvaash dissident who thought the Unity's problem was that it was being run by a bunch of bleeding-heart liberals. After the displacement points went blooey and his planet found itself cut off from its higher-ups, he and his disciples were in a position to step into the power vacuum. They may have heard, in our universe, the news that something funny was going on at Raehan; but that had nothing important to do with their takeover. It would have happened anyway."
"Precisely," Tylar affirmed. "Later, with no Solar Union to oppose them, the Korvaasha of the Realm expanded slowly along the displacement chains, taking until the twenty-sixth century to reach an Earth that could not hope to resist them."
"The generation ship's occupants could only listen in horror to the broadcasts from Sol," Andreas resumed. "They continued on their predetermined course to Alpha Centauri, constantly expecting the Korvaasha to pursue them using whatever mysterious space drive had brought them to Sol. After all, the Korvaasha must have learned about the expedition after occupying Earth, where it was common knowledge. But even after the ship arrived at
"Of course we knew nothing of these events beyond the Solar System. But in the subsequent five centuries, we mastered the scientific method and began to forge ahead technologically." His voice held a kind of forlorn, defensive pride. Sarnac belatedly understood that he was looking at a man who had been cast, all alone, among strangers whose kindliness only underlined the fact that they wielded powers beyond the dreams of gods. "By the twenty-sixth century," he continued, "we were ready to launch our first interstellar expedition, toward Alpha Centauri."
Tylar's face took on the abstracted expression that, Sarnac had come to realize, meant he was in whatever unimaginable linkage he maintained with his sentient machines. The image of a space vessel appeared in midair above the table around which they sat, although there was no apparent holo projection equipment nor any place for it to be concealed. Sarnac couldn't worry about that as he stared in fascination. It was like what Jules Verne might have visualized had the notion of an STL interstellar ship ever occurred to him.
Tylar seemed to read his thoughts. "Yes. The technology of the alternate Earth developed in ways that were idiosyncratic to say the least, from your standpoint or mine. Those divergences make a fascinating story in themselves."
"It looks big," was all Sarnac could say, even though he had no familiar objects to give a sense of scale.
"Indeed," Tylar affirmed. "It had to be, for it was what those science fiction writers of whom you're so fond called a 'generation ship.' It required a century to reach Alpha Centauri, and one of the things of which its builders were ignorant was cryogenic suspension. Given those builders' capabilities, it was really a technological tour de force , and like all such was incredibly expensive. I gather it was at least in part a symbol, carrying with it the prestige of the Empire—which included the Americas and large parts of Africa and Russia as well as all of Europe and the Near East, and was locked in rivalry with its Chinese counterpart."
"Sort of like the mid-twentieth-century space programs," Sarnac opined.
"It was expensive," Andreas acknowledged. "But it turned out to be a better investment than its builders imagined, for it put a small portion of the human race out of reach of what happened twenty-five years into its voyage. That was when the Korvaash ships inexplicably appeared in the outer Solar System and descended on Earth."
"The Realm of Tarzhgul?" Sarnac made it as much a statement as a question.
Tylar nodded. "Remember, the displacement network is the same in both universes. And the Realm arose in the same manner after the disruption of that network put an end to the Unity."
"Yeah," Sarnac grinned crookedly. "Founded by a Korvaash dissident who thought the Unity's problem was that it was being run by a bunch of bleeding-heart liberals. After the displacement points went blooey and his planet found itself cut off from its higher-ups, he and his disciples were in a position to step into the power vacuum. They may have heard, in our universe, the news that something funny was going on at Raehan; but that had nothing important to do with their takeover. It would have happened anyway."
"Precisely," Tylar affirmed. "Later, with no Solar Union to oppose them, the Korvaasha of the Realm expanded slowly along the displacement chains, taking until the twenty-sixth century to reach an Earth that could not hope to resist them."
"The generation ship's occupants could only listen in horror to the broadcasts from Sol," Andreas resumed. "They continued on their predetermined course to Alpha Centauri, constantly expecting the Korvaasha to pursue them using whatever mysterious space drive had brought them to Sol. After all, the Korvaasha must have learned about the expedition after occupying Earth, where it was common knowledge. But even after the ship arrived at
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