Read Online Whatever Gods May Be by George P. Saunders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: George P. Saunders
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was now as revolting as any one of the gas worlds could have been as a choice for a home base.
Once again, the Thelerick Ten took to the vacuum of space. The Stingers had been saddened by their discovery on the red world, but their souls were still filled with hope. Three more planets could be counted circling this pleasantly hot sun, and maybe one of them would be the answer to their dilemma.
As they drew nearer the orange star, the Stingers could determine that the innermost planet was a definite impossibility . The small, scathing world had a surface temperature capable of melting even the Thelerick's rough hide. And though the second planet out from the sun was of respectable dimensions, it was smothered in hot clouds, driving temperatures on the surface of the world thousands of degrees high.
The choices were rapidly whittled down to the last world ahead, and though they were only thirty million miles away from it, the Stingers were already confident that the third planet from the sun was an equally dismal improbability as its two predecessors had been. The major drawback against it was the fact that it boasted a surface which was two-thirds water -- an environment abhorrent and alien to the dust-loving Stingers. Secondly, there was evidence that the planet was already peopled sufficiently; bizarre waves of radiation tickled the Stingers antennae, which they guessed to be some form of artificially produced communication emanating from the blue world ahead.
Additionally, several non-moonlike objects were orbiting the planet under their own volition, which suggested to the Stingers that they were, in fact, spacecrafts housing residents of the world below them. As they drew nearer, their best guesses were confirmed. The blue-green planet was a crowded place, bustling with activity.
The Stingers were not disappointed, however; though they had still not found a new home, they were pleased that the universe was at least a more crowded place than they had originally believed it to be. Life was obviously abundant, and no doubt thrived around millions of star systems like this one.
For a little while, the Thelerick Stingers would visit the blue world ahead and greet the people who lived there. It would be the first of many they reasoned happily. Then, once again, they would continue their journey through the stars searching for the planet of their dreams.
None of the Ten noticed the black patch of space next to the blue planet's moon. Practically invisible, it was still in its early stages of formation. Fully matured, however, it would specialize in reshaping not only dreams -- but worlds as well.
EIGHT
Neither Voyager IV, nor those who had launched the space probe, had expected it to perform according to plan specifications so early in the mission. Three days out from Earth, however, and the ship was already hard at work initiating operations its programming insisted should not have taken place for another six years following its scheduled landing on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons.
But Voyager IV had been put to work early. Like an anxious tourist, it had seen something irresistible that could not be carelessly noted in the cold wasteland of memory; in the probe's case, a computer tape about two inches long and one inch wide. Voyager wanted it all on film. And unlike its three stalwart predecessors, it had taken such action without first conferring with those who had designed it.
Voyager IV was the most sophisticated probe in the series; it was to be the first to actually make a landing on one of the worlds it photographed. Voyager I, II and III had been denied such honors; after their picture-taking duties, they were put out to interstellar pasture, to float lifeless forever between the stars. They had also been machines incapable of arbitrary decision-making; subject to control from those on Earth, the earlier Voyager could not make a bleep or burn a booster
Once again, the Thelerick Ten took to the vacuum of space. The Stingers had been saddened by their discovery on the red world, but their souls were still filled with hope. Three more planets could be counted circling this pleasantly hot sun, and maybe one of them would be the answer to their dilemma.
As they drew nearer the orange star, the Stingers could determine that the innermost planet was a definite impossibility . The small, scathing world had a surface temperature capable of melting even the Thelerick's rough hide. And though the second planet out from the sun was of respectable dimensions, it was smothered in hot clouds, driving temperatures on the surface of the world thousands of degrees high.
The choices were rapidly whittled down to the last world ahead, and though they were only thirty million miles away from it, the Stingers were already confident that the third planet from the sun was an equally dismal improbability as its two predecessors had been. The major drawback against it was the fact that it boasted a surface which was two-thirds water -- an environment abhorrent and alien to the dust-loving Stingers. Secondly, there was evidence that the planet was already peopled sufficiently; bizarre waves of radiation tickled the Stingers antennae, which they guessed to be some form of artificially produced communication emanating from the blue world ahead.
Additionally, several non-moonlike objects were orbiting the planet under their own volition, which suggested to the Stingers that they were, in fact, spacecrafts housing residents of the world below them. As they drew nearer, their best guesses were confirmed. The blue-green planet was a crowded place, bustling with activity.
The Stingers were not disappointed, however; though they had still not found a new home, they were pleased that the universe was at least a more crowded place than they had originally believed it to be. Life was obviously abundant, and no doubt thrived around millions of star systems like this one.
For a little while, the Thelerick Stingers would visit the blue world ahead and greet the people who lived there. It would be the first of many they reasoned happily. Then, once again, they would continue their journey through the stars searching for the planet of their dreams.
None of the Ten noticed the black patch of space next to the blue planet's moon. Practically invisible, it was still in its early stages of formation. Fully matured, however, it would specialize in reshaping not only dreams -- but worlds as well.
EIGHT
Neither Voyager IV, nor those who had launched the space probe, had expected it to perform according to plan specifications so early in the mission. Three days out from Earth, however, and the ship was already hard at work initiating operations its programming insisted should not have taken place for another six years following its scheduled landing on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons.
But Voyager IV had been put to work early. Like an anxious tourist, it had seen something irresistible that could not be carelessly noted in the cold wasteland of memory; in the probe's case, a computer tape about two inches long and one inch wide. Voyager wanted it all on film. And unlike its three stalwart predecessors, it had taken such action without first conferring with those who had designed it.
Voyager IV was the most sophisticated probe in the series; it was to be the first to actually make a landing on one of the worlds it photographed. Voyager I, II and III had been denied such honors; after their picture-taking duties, they were put out to interstellar pasture, to float lifeless forever between the stars. They had also been machines incapable of arbitrary decision-making; subject to control from those on Earth, the earlier Voyager could not make a bleep or burn a booster
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