Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse Read online

  Janus interrupted her. “So you allowed Architect Hades to create a warehouse on a planetary scale. Based on the manifests of terraform equipment and fission producers, there is more than enough power to simply heat a contained environment along the terminal line rather than create a habitable world. Am I right?”

  “Yes. But Junior Architect Hades is young and ambitious. He did, in fact, keep your ideas as a backup plan should things go awry. However, like many his age, he prefers to dream big and take risks.”

  “And he took the rodents and their favorite mushrooms to Terra? Was this part of an experiment or does he have a fondness for fanged, long-scaled, tailed omnivores and fungi?” He watched the rodents methodically ravage the unattended garden.

  “Architect Hades has taken a number of species, animal and vegetable, to see which species could exist underground in harsh conditions and darkness. He believes he can orchestrate an ecosystem where he can create a source of food, the omnivorous rodents, for higher order species should the proposed food chains collapse, such as a planetary disruption to food transports, supplies and commerce.”

  “Smart for sure but dangerous—the fungi and rodents will multiply and live anywhere. He would be better served to focus on transforming and let those species die out.” Janus found it difficult to conceal his natural dislike for both species. He cringed at the thought of needing to eat either one if necessary.

  “I suppose there’s also a good reason why Hades collected every large scale holographic emitter on our planet? Does he have any idea how the public would’ve responded if they were here to witness this act? They are difficult to construct and more difficult to move. I suppose I should be grateful he left mine alone.”

  “Architect Hades is convinced that with a continuous supply of energy the holographic emitters will bend light just beyond our visual range.”

  Janus calculated the creativity required and the probability of success in converting holographic emitters from projecting light particles to bending them and pushing them to either end of the light spectrum. After a moment, he chuckled.

  “Once again, creative. He would need to utilize a power source as great as the terraform equipment, but he could do it. Risky, but he could cloak physical objects on a planetary scale, especially with Terra’s dark side of ice as a reflector. Provided he doesn’t blow up the planet. Very risky.”

  “Yes.”

  But why he would want to do this? Because he can? Was I that foolish when I was young?

  “Speaking of taking risks, please remind Architect Iris to slow down her titration of the Venetian atmosphere. I am concerned she’s moving too quickly and could inadvertently create a runaway greenhouse effect. That would be bad.”

  He stood, taking in the sight of his Martian home, and thought of something else to convey to Iris, about another young ambitious Junior Architect.

  “She has been warned repeatedly on this matter … Wait. Wait. Architect Janus, please look …” Janus heard the Keeper speak, but the sky already drew his attention. A brilliant light filled the Martian twilight and, as it faded, a few lights flickered on in the empty cityscape—the homes of those citizens who had decided to stay. Janus took a deep breath, and his shoulders and the top of his back relaxed as if they’d been waiting for this moment, this catastrophic, extinction-level event.

  “I take it the dwarf planets Gemini Alpha and Beta finally collided. I expected it to happen next month. I hoped their gravity wells might survive this pass. How their orbits became suddenly destabilized in the first place is beyond me, just as it was to my predecessors.” Janus calmly continued to watch the light fade and the sky return to its darkening reddish blue tint.

  “Not all the predecessors. Master Architect Guiana believed that it was ’the will and hand of the Originators,’ though she lacked scientific support,” the master computer said.

  “It was her faith, Master Computer, not science that provided her answer, the answer that satisfied her to the last days of her life. Still, I thought there might be a little more time …”

  “Your assessment is accurate. In regards to the early destruction of the planets, it was the extreme gravitational pull of the twin planets’ close proximity that ripped their cores apart. Our sensors have captured dramatic images of each planet’s final moments. I will forward these events and recordings to the Keepers. The others will appreciate the scientific significance of this rare occurrence.”

  Though the Master Keeper’s artificial intelligence often precluded emotion, Janus thought he detected emotion in her voice—sadness. Our time is close to an end and another story is about to begin without us.

  “Even with all our advanced technology, we could not keep the planets from destroying themselves.”

  “It was not through lack of trying,” she said.

  Janus smiled and started to take another sip of wine but stopped with a sigh at the compassion in her voice.

  If only there was more time …

  “I’m guessing that extinction level debris will hit us in three days.” He wasn’t afraid. He, like everyone else, knew the end was coming. They’d had years to choose whether to leave or stay, and he’d decided, like Hades, the junior architects, all of them, to witness this phenomenon and see if they could save the viable worlds. Most left, few stayed. He’d made peace with his decision years ago.

  “Unknown. It will take less than a minute to determine a timetable and where we will be hit. The impact craters will be impressive. Even with the debris on the other side of the Jovian planets, I speculate, based on their size and number of strikes, that nothing will survive on our planet’s surface. I am also concerned based on the timing of this collision that Earth may be in the line of impact. Venus should be clear and the Sun will easily protect Terra,” the Keeper said.

  “That’s ironic. The least habitable planet is safely protected behind the sun while Earth’s monsters rule the planet, but … if a series of meteors large enough to wipe out the species but not destroy the atmosphere struck … it would give a narrow opening to transport mammalian life to Earth after the initial fallout.”

  “The gravitational disturbances could affect Terra’s orbit as well as ours. They could alter the planetary axis as well, changing the climates and biosphere of each planet in unique ways.”

  “Yes … the effects of a massive impact may eliminate the dinosaurs and provide an opportunity for new, more viable sapient life similar to our own,” Janus said.

  “Architect Iris will take full advantage of that,” the master computer added.

  “But no rodents or fungi … please tell Hades to spare the planet.” He turned from the balcony and marched to the center of his office, wondering if his sarcasm would be lost on the computer. “If your data collection is complete, please simulate the destruction of the Gemini planets with a projection of debris field, trajectory and the inner and outer planets’ orbits,” he said.

  Within seconds, the architect’s simple office mutated into a star field with the planetary bodies of Earth, Mars and Venus in position around the sun while images of the Jovian planets, Jupiter and Saturn with all of their moons, hovered in front of him. Just beyond them, two small planets close in mass to Mercury and in different orbital planes looked as if they would miss a collision. A sudden explosion of light sent a shock wave of debris in all directions.

  “The energy released from their collision is impressive,” Janus said.

  “Yes.”

  “And based on the positioning of the Jovian planets, most of the debris will strike Jupiter and Saturn.”

  “But not all of the debris. Those planets’ mass will pull in a substantial portion, but Earth, Venus and our world are exposed.”

  “And Terra is behind the sun.” “Yes.”

  “Maybe just enough debris … end simulation,” Janus said. The solar system dissolved around him and, once again, he stood in a simple office. After a moment of reflection, he strode to one of the desks.

  “
Based on your rate of walking and accelerated heart rate and blood pressure, I am guessing that you are revisiting transforming Earth based on the possibility that its life might be destroyed?” the Keeper asked.

  “Yes.”

  “It is possible that should the dinosaurs survive, they might evolve into sapience, similar to mammals.”

  “Possible. But, based on computer projections, I believe Earth’s atmosphere is slowly choking them into extinction. This cataclysmic event could clear the planet for another attempt for another species,” he said as ideas flooded his mind.

  When Janus stepped in front of his workstation, four monitors emerged from below the desk: and two keyboards and two stacked tablets appeared from a concealed drawer.

  Simultaneously, the other desks revealed various sized monitors, elaborate displays of key tasks and holographic images suspended in space. He looked at each screen in turn. They recognized his retina and gaze, and started sorting through various programs.

  “Right now those carnivorous monsters will destroy everything that is smaller and unarmed. And while Terra might be out of harm's way from asteroids and the debris field, the heliosynchronous orbit that keeps it out of Earth’s view might change in the course of millions of years. But that’s for you to see should you and the other Keepers survive,” he said absently as numbers and equations flooded his head.

  “Sadly, unless I am able to perfectly titrate the cryogenic plasma solution, preserving you and the others for that long will be impossible. I will need a DNA sample when you have a chance. You do not much care for these dinosaurs, especially the carnivorous ones. You know they did not evolve from our rodents?” the Keeper said with more than an inflection of humor; something Janus would have considered thoroughly had he more time.

  But why does she need a DNA sample?

  “Yes, I don’t care much for dinosaurs or rodents. And we only have three days before we’re destroyed, so we’d better get started.”

  His hands flew between the keyboards and the monitors flashed with different graphs, equations, columns of numbers and maps. Images changed with a look at the monitor and a gesture of his eyes.

  “Of course, if you leave now, you would be able to see the project through after our demise and keep the novice architects focused on their duties for years to come,” the Keeper said.

  “I’m impressed with your persistence.” Though not surprised, Janus smiled at the fact that his master computer said nothing in response.

  “If the stasis chamber works, I might be revived someday to see the results first hand,” Janus said to fill the void, while considering the material he needed to figure out his ecological problem.

  “Perhaps, should the stasis chambers, underground power sources, control mechanisms, and the planet’s crust survive the impacts.”

  Janus began to draw up plans for a Keeper on Earth.

  “I will leave if you do, Keeper.”

  “You know I am unable to leave this world; I am a part of it. While there can be records and images of me, I cannot be removed and relocated due to my connection to Mars.”

  “And that’s the same reason I will stay. My roots are here, on Mars, in this room, with you, doing my work. Even in certain death there is hope for new life.”

  “I assume your response is an emotional construct that is not amenable to logical debate,” the Keeper said.

  “You are accurate.” The Master Architect thought of yet another opportunity that could spring from the approaching disaster.

  Present Day – A Few Years Ago

  Chapter One

  Fact is Stranger than Fiction - Earth

  Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated- Confucius

  This is such bullshit! Andrea Perez thought. Arms and legs folded, Perez had spent two hours sitting in a twelve by twelve spartan interview room with two silent federal agents. The growls of her hunger pangs pierced the silence, and she regretted not eating her chocolate glazed donut or the cinnamon muffin before she’d set her experiment. The simple experiment had involved light beams, prisms, ice, and new experimental holographic equipment sent by MIT. While it had taken hours to set up, the test would have taken only twenty seconds to complete had the school’s dean not shown up with the department chair and three agents flashing badges and spewing the words ‘national security.’ She hadn’t thought to take her food on the way out. It didn’t seem like a viable option at the time, and it wasn’t as if she were in any danger of starvation.

  At least she had her good lab coat on; the others were too small and stained with everything from grit and oil to pizza sauce.

  The doorknob turned for the first time in two hours, and Perez spun around, eager to hear a voice, any voice, but preferably one that would tell her what was going on. So far, she’d only had the sound of the fluorescent lights and her stomach to keep her company. An older man in full military dress entered the room.

  “Dr. Perez? Thank you for waiting. I know this is a little out of the ordinary, but I think after the meeting you’ll understand the necessity.”

  Tall, physically fit and with very nice blue eyes, ‘older’ may have been too much. Seasoned maybe; mature.

  “Let me guess: national security reasons.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What’s really going on here?” Perez demanded as she stood.

  “You don’t have the right to hold me. Why did these guys take me out of my lab?”

  “I know it must seem odd to you.”

  “No … why would it be odd? Three FBI dudes show up at my lab, flash their badges and whisk me away. And the dean and department head just keep saying ‘don’t worry,’ as they wave me off. Who are you people, and what do you want?”

  “Please, Dr. Perez…”

  “I’m not a doctor! I’m a doctoral student. What the hell?”

  The soldier held up his hands as if surrendering.

  “Okay. Please sit down, Ms. Perez, and I’ll explain everything.”

  Perez stopped and consciously unclenched her fists and jaw. She took a deep breath and sat. Another loud, protracted hunger pain broke the silence. After two hours of sitting in a small, blank office with two silent FBI men who were totally unresponsive to any questions, her blood was boiling. An image of her dad flashed in her mind along with a sudden sense of concern. He was a military man who practiced clinical work with the Veterans Administration.

  “Does this have something to do with my dad? What do you want from him? He’s had enough shit happen and doesn’t need to be pulled into anything you people have to offer.”

  Perez sat away from the small table with her arms folded and her legs crossed; her body language made it clear she was not happy to be in the room. The officer shook his head and sat on the chair opposite her, then took off his cap and pulled his seat into the desk. He made eye contact with the FBI agents and they moved towards the door. Perez locked her eyes on the new arrival and spoke in an even, sarcastic tone.

  “Hey, guys? Thanks for the conversation. Let’s do it again soon.”

  To their credit, they left the room as silent as they had been for hours.

  Who the hell are these people? Tension tightened her shoulders, neck and arms. Even her face felt tight.

  “Again, I apologize for the secrecy and the strange way we had to move, but it was necessary to ensure that we secure your work so you can continue …” the man said.

  “I’m not talking to you or anyone until I have a name and a clear explanation of why I was brought here against my will and without reason. I want to know, right now.” She kept her tone low and calm, but anger laced every word.

  “I will explain everything, Ms. Perez. As crazy as it will sound, I’ll tell you everything, but please let me finish before you ask any questions. Once you hear everything, you’ll have to figure out what questions to ask, because once you find out what’s going on, you’ll grab your balls.”

  Perez’s eyes widened at the mention of what she
would grab, and she fought to keep a smirk off her face.

  The officer’s face flushed and he spoke quickly to recover his equanimity.

  “My name is Lieutenant Colonel David Farrell. I run the communication, spectrographic analysis and guidance division of NASA’s space exploration and the search for intelligent life. My job covers a lot of areas, and I work with a lot of brilliant scientists around the world—China, Russia, India, and any other country, no matter how small, that has a telescope, computer and bright people.”

  Spectrographic analysis? There’s a whole department that looks at light? And here I thought I was the only nut looking at it.

  “As you can imagine, working on such areas with different governments can be difficult, but in this case it’s necessary.” Farrell broke eye contact and looked at his hands. Perez noticed the change, something her father always told her to look for when people were talking.

  Was it a mark of anxiety, or an indication that he was hiding something?

  “You know, Ms. Perez, we live in a world of dualities. On one hand, we have technology that can pick up chemical compositions of planets outside our solar system, and we can now grow and transplant human organs. There are space probes in deep, interstellar space, and we can tell when and how many times our planet wobbles on its axis,” he said, still looking at his hands.

  “At the same time,” he continued, “there’s a cult in Ireland who believe there are aliens living among us. In another part of the world, we have a madman who’s president of a powerful country looking to retake former territories in an effort to rebuild an empire. Finally, we have a pandemic of religious violence to determine once and for all whose god is the most just and benevolent.”

  Perez frowned. Confusion, a feeling she loathed, and frustration at his digression replaced her anger.