familiar to all sentient species on their own worlds. The resulting
belief system encouraged a multicultural, multispecies vision of the future. And it was so evident that this system was
right
that its main objective naturally became its own propagation and expansion.
“The many shall become the One,” the blimp intoned solemnly. “The ways of the many shall become the way of the One.”
The assembled creatures all performed one of the few motions that most of them had in common, a brief ducking movement. The
Wymokh acolyte flattened slightly and then returned to its normal, slightly oblate spheroidal shape. The metallomorphs on
the wall twitched. Sam bowed his head momentarily. He understood the meaning of the words: that every species should recognize
the existence of every other and respect its ways. That was the entire basis of Cosmic Unity: mutual respect and tolerance.
“This is the inevitable course of the Lifesoul-Giver, and none shall be excluded from the Fellowship of the All,” said the
high acolyte. “The Memeplex of the One is all, and the Memeplex of the One shall be conveyed to all. And all shall receive
the Memeplex, and believe, and obey.”
Sam translated this as “Every sentient species must be persuaded to adopt the beliefs and ways of Cosmic Unity. It is the
duty of every servant to ensure that no species fails to be converted to the sole true religion, with its morally uplifting
focus on mutual tolerance. It is the duty of every servant to promote the pan-specific symbiosis.”
And the servants had not flinched in their duty. From Cosmic Unity’s early beginnings, with the conversion of a few solar
systems in one remote corner of the Galaxy, it had spread like wildfire. The Memeplex of the One had succeeded beyond the
Founders’ wildest dreams. The evangelists had expected resistance, possibly violent resistance. It had not materialized, not
then, back when it all started. There had been dissenters, of course—there are always dissenters. But they were few and easily
overcome. The Memeplex was so strong, so sensible, so self-evidently
right
. Who could argue against tolerance and respect? Who could support intolerance or non- cooperation?
The Memeplex had been partly designed, had partly evolved. At first by accident, later by intent, Cosmic Unity’s Founders
had laid down a collection of memes—concepts that could propagate themselves in the medium of intelligent minds—so attractive
that it traveled between stellar systems like a celestial gale. The more sophisticated designer memes of the Church’s main
expansion phase were proof against the commonest antimemetics, and only very unusual cultures could resist them. Paramount
among these were the wandering Neanderthals, whose lack of any spiritual dimension rendered them immune to all religions.
Instead of wasteful, terrible interstellar wars, the priesthood of Cosmic Unity preached the word of peace. And that made
sense, because any intelligent organism can understand that there is no way to protect a planet. A single large asteroid,
set on a rough collision course, could destroy a world. And it could come from any direction, anywhere in the celestial sphere.
Once diverted into a planet-bound orbit, an asteroid would be virtually unstoppable, especially one protected by an armed
escort. Attempts to change its trajectory could be wrecked by a hundred easy tactics—biological weapons, booby traps, or merely
surrounding the weapon with a cloud of smaller rocks and gravel so that nothing could approach it. Even if the planet possessed
gravitic repulsors, these clumsy, slow-moving devices could be overwhelmed, taken out, or sabotaged. And defending against
such an attack by preventing the enemy from gaining control of an asteroid was almost impossible. Most solar systems had their
own version of an asteroid belt, and if necessary the invaders could bring their own rocks with them.
And
belief system encouraged a multicultural, multispecies vision of the future. And it was so evident that this system was
right
that its main objective naturally became its own propagation and expansion.
“The many shall become the One,” the blimp intoned solemnly. “The ways of the many shall become the way of the One.”
The assembled creatures all performed one of the few motions that most of them had in common, a brief ducking movement. The
Wymokh acolyte flattened slightly and then returned to its normal, slightly oblate spheroidal shape. The metallomorphs on
the wall twitched. Sam bowed his head momentarily. He understood the meaning of the words: that every species should recognize
the existence of every other and respect its ways. That was the entire basis of Cosmic Unity: mutual respect and tolerance.
“This is the inevitable course of the Lifesoul-Giver, and none shall be excluded from the Fellowship of the All,” said the
high acolyte. “The Memeplex of the One is all, and the Memeplex of the One shall be conveyed to all. And all shall receive
the Memeplex, and believe, and obey.”
Sam translated this as “Every sentient species must be persuaded to adopt the beliefs and ways of Cosmic Unity. It is the
duty of every servant to ensure that no species fails to be converted to the sole true religion, with its morally uplifting
focus on mutual tolerance. It is the duty of every servant to promote the pan-specific symbiosis.”
And the servants had not flinched in their duty. From Cosmic Unity’s early beginnings, with the conversion of a few solar
systems in one remote corner of the Galaxy, it had spread like wildfire. The Memeplex of the One had succeeded beyond the
Founders’ wildest dreams. The evangelists had expected resistance, possibly violent resistance. It had not materialized, not
then, back when it all started. There had been dissenters, of course—there are always dissenters. But they were few and easily
overcome. The Memeplex was so strong, so sensible, so self-evidently
right
. Who could argue against tolerance and respect? Who could support intolerance or non- cooperation?
The Memeplex had been partly designed, had partly evolved. At first by accident, later by intent, Cosmic Unity’s Founders
had laid down a collection of memes—concepts that could propagate themselves in the medium of intelligent minds—so attractive
that it traveled between stellar systems like a celestial gale. The more sophisticated designer memes of the Church’s main
expansion phase were proof against the commonest antimemetics, and only very unusual cultures could resist them. Paramount
among these were the wandering Neanderthals, whose lack of any spiritual dimension rendered them immune to all religions.
Instead of wasteful, terrible interstellar wars, the priesthood of Cosmic Unity preached the word of peace. And that made
sense, because any intelligent organism can understand that there is no way to protect a planet. A single large asteroid,
set on a rough collision course, could destroy a world. And it could come from any direction, anywhere in the celestial sphere.
Once diverted into a planet-bound orbit, an asteroid would be virtually unstoppable, especially one protected by an armed
escort. Attempts to change its trajectory could be wrecked by a hundred easy tactics—biological weapons, booby traps, or merely
surrounding the weapon with a cloud of smaller rocks and gravel so that nothing could approach it. Even if the planet possessed
gravitic repulsors, these clumsy, slow-moving devices could be overwhelmed, taken out, or sabotaged. And defending against
such an attack by preventing the enemy from gaining control of an asteroid was almost impossible. Most solar systems had their
own version of an asteroid belt, and if necessary the invaders could bring their own rocks with them.
And
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