Counting Up To Infinity Read online

  “I refuse to play 20 questions.”

  “You spoke to God? The father of Jesus? Mohammed’s god? Gaia? Creator of the Universe? God?”

  “Yes, No, No, No, Yes, and Yes. Same spandex garb, but different mythology and no bible ever written by man. God. The creator of the Big Bang. All powerful, all knowing – God.”

  Hardesty put the frame down and returned to the chair opposite David, “You seem quite nonchalant about God.”

  “He doesn’t love us. He doesn’t even care about us.”

  “But he created the Sun and Earth. He seeded it with Adams and Eves, at least in a metaphoric sense.”

  David sighed, “A week ago, you believed that I was a pawn, and uninteresting guy. I was someone who could be used to get his father to break.” Hardesty nodded. David continued, “However, today that theory is non-productive and you have a different way of thinking.” Hardesty again nodded. David smiled, “OK, replace ‘you’ with ‘god’ and ‘theory’ with ‘mankind’ and you got it.”

  Hardesty mulled this over, “We’re a failed experiment.”

  “A dead end, Neanderthal man to homo sapiens to Him. At least most of humanity is. A few, in the future, will be worthy, but the rest of us are not worth a second’s thought to God.”

  “Why? What have we done?”

  David pursed his lips, “Done? Nothing? No, it has nothing to do with piety, or humility, or anything they taught you in Catholic school. It has to do with being intellectually interesting. Think about your reaction if you heard that in their crude way a bunch of algae realized that you are a GOD to them. Would you care for their ‘art’, their ‘philosophy’, what they produce? Remember they’re algae. Would you really care if they worshipped you, once you had a billion years to get over the novelty?”

  “I… I need to think about this.” Hardesty was lost in thought. Finally he said, “But what about the other two views on this frame of yours?”

  “As I said before, the second shows Cooper’s involvement, his very active involvement in initiating the bombing of C H Enterprises. The last is a personal present to you. Your father was on the Warren Commission. I thought you’d like to know who killed President Kennedy. I’m told you can follow the trajectory of each bullet.”

  “If I believe this gift is real, what is it you want?”

  David leaned back in his chair. “First, it is not a gift by me. That would be bribery and you are not allowed gifts. That frame was never touched by me, or any other human. You can classify it as an ‘Act of God’.” Both men smiled. David continued, “What do I want? Truth? Justice? The American Way? At a minimum, the resignation of Cooper and Chamberlain.”

  The reference to the old TV program was unavoidable.

  Hardesty said, “So now you want me to be a Superman?”

  David nodded, “I want you to do your job sir, just your job.”

  ***

  Hardesty sat in the meeting room, surrounded by a score of scientists and their underlings. It had been a five-hour presentation.

  “So let me summarize, metallurgy says the frame’s material is nothing manmade or even terrestrial. Physical chemistry said it has carbon-like chemical structures but, without destructive testing, can’t say anything more, except it is harder than diamonds. Physics says the one-way image is impossible, the same as the image itself. They further said there is no identifiable power source. Medical has confirmed the readings of both the President and Vice-President with x-rays and other medical records. Medical also pin-pointed a pre-cancerous tissue mass, which was heretofore unknown and confirmed it with the Vice President. Biometrics has confirmed the vocal frequencies, ear, facial, and retinal matches are exact. They are the President and Vice-President. Crypto-analysis has been unable to find any factual inconsistencies with any of the three recordings. And agents have detected the second bullet hole made by Lee Harvey Oswald.”

  The people squirmed in their seats, as Hardesty looked around to each. Hardesty then said, “Are there any disagreements?” He looked at each, in turn. They each shook their head no.

  “OK, the next logical question is? Are President Cooper and Vice President Franklin guilty of attempted murder and the destruction of C H Enterprises headquarters?”

  Hardesty slowly looked again at the red-faced men; many were facing downward when they all nodded agreement.

  Hardesty stood, “Thank you all. This was a hard one, the hardest one of your careers.”

  Hardesty left the meeting. He told his secretary to arrange a meeting with the Attorney General, and a second meeting with Vice President Franklin.

  ***

  This is a special news report, Donald Thorpe reporting. It was reported today that Department of Homeland Security Director Judge Hardesty went to speak to Vice-President Chamberlain today. He apparently spoke to him for three hours. The White House is not making any comments. Unnamed sources say that the interview is related to the recent attack on C H Electricity and Charlie Haines. The Speakers of the House and Senate have been at closed-door meetings all morning. Rumors are circulating that Mosley and Mitchell have both implicated the Vice-President.

  ***

  “My fellow Americans, rather than let this great country become embroiled with a lengthy investigation besmirching the name of the Vice President, I have decided to step down. I am positive I will be able to clear my name, but I shall do it as a private citizen. Mark Ogden, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, will be taking over as the Vice President. Thank you. It has been a great privilege. No further questions.”

  ***

  This is Dan Rather. As you are probably aware, a remarkable tape has just appeared on the Web. It actually has close up pictures of former Vice President Chamberlain talking on the phone to someone identified as Bobby. It must be Robert Mosley, the former president of Sunoco. It then shows the Vice-President talking to President Cooper. The tape clearly indicts the President as a knowing participant with the attempted murder of Charlie Haines, for the profit of the energy companies. The tape was released on the Web, with copies sent to various law enforcement agencies and the press. The FBI is not commenting on its authenticity. The President’s spokesman said this was an elaborate hoax.

  ***

  “I, Mark Ogden, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me god.”

 

  Year 24.4 Today’s Final Frontier

  David walked up to ring the bell of the Sarnofski residence. The home was one of many semi-attached brick townhouses in Kitchner Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. David waited by the door as he heard the muffled sound of two people running. Both Malcolm and Brenda opened the door to usher David in. David smelt a faint aroma of stuffed cabbage from the previous night.

  Malcolm smiled and extended his hand and warmly said, “David, David come in. I’m so glad you took the time to visit. Brenda, this is the guy who dug me up, after I was re-born. He’s my dad’s boss.”

  “Good to meet with you, sir”, said Brenda.

  Brenda was a short, somewhat plump woman, with neck length straight brown hair. Malcolm was wearing a T-shirt with the name of Pearson’s Department store. He was tall and gangly. Together they made a ‘cute’ couple.

  David shook his head, “Never ‘sir’, just David.”

  Brenda said, “Sorry, good to meet you David. Please come in.”

  David walked into a foyer, where they took his heavy winter coat. Brenda pointed at his feet.

  David looked confused.

  Brenda said, “My mom wants us to take off our shoes, so as not to track the dirt.”

  David smiled and removed his shoes. Brenda led the way into the living room. The room had 1970-style dark wood paneling. There were pictures of Brenda’s parents and many pictures of Brenda. David not
iced that there were few of Brenda past the age of ten, except for a large wedding picture of the couple and a few recent group shots.

  David was given the seat in a barco-lounger, a heavily stuffed chair with a fake leather fabric. David’s sweatshirt displayed the Enterprise from the TV show with the title ‘Today’s Final Frontier’. The couple sat on a sofa holding hands.

  Malcolm broached the silence that followed. “What brings you to Canada? Sightseeing? Business?”

  “Actually, you.” After an uncomfortable silence, David asked, “What are you doing now-a-days?”

  Malcolm looked uneasy, “I never thought about going to college. In fact, I never even expected to get a high school equivalency degree. So I, I mean we, never planned for what we were going to do afterwards. I got a job as a stock-boy at a department store. Brenda works at a fast food place. I was told I could be a cashier one day. And Brenda thinks she’d like to be a manager of the store.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  Brenda smiled, “Great. We’ve never felt better. It also helps that we’re together.” She gazed into Malcolm’s eyes as he looked into hers. They were still holding each other’s hand.

  David was beginning to feel uncomfortable by the shared intimacy. He cleared his throat. “Is that what you’d like to do? Work in a department store or fast food counter? What did you want to be when you were a child?”

  Malcolm said, “Before I knew I had the disease, you mean? I wanted to be a policeman. But that was when I was a young kid. Brenda always wanted to be a world famous chef.”

  “What would you say if I could hire you to do some very special work? Your pay would be at least twenty times what you’re making now. You’d each start at three-hundred thousand American dollars. The work would be challenging, and very rewarding.” David’s half-grin appeared. “On the negative side, you’d be forced to work together.”

  On hearing that, Brenda and Malcolm grinned at each other.

  Brenda looked at David, “What’s the catch? Why would you give us an opportunity like that?”

  “The catch is that the work is not local, it isn’t even on Earth, but in the asteroid belt past Mars. Charlie Haines wants to build human habitats off this single planet. You two would be the first of the farmers, in this case, farming large asteroids. Over time, you could have the choice of many jobs. Like the first restaurateur beyond the Mars orbit. It would also mean spending many years in outer space, before you get to return to Earth. All your income would be saved for your return to Earth, if you decide to return. Otherwise, you could import anything you want. The company would pay for your basic food, lodging, and transportation. Another half-catch is that you would get a computer-interface. You’ve heard of the InLife computer, that my friends Schwartzman and Fledger sell. You would get this interface, and be trained in how to be real astronauts. The computer could even teach you, step-by-step, how to be a professional cook.”

  Brenda looked at David, “Will it hurt?”

  “The operation is very simple. Given that you both received Panacea, you will be fine in a day. My father and stepmother both have them. They wouldn’t live without it. In fact they both lost the interface and couldn’t wait to get it back.”

  Brenda asked, “What happened to their old computer?”

  David said, “Both were given Panacea, and the interface was absorbed by their bodies. The current interface is auto-immune. With the interface, we will arrange for training by the best in the world. I’m going to get a real astronaut to give you your training. I’ll get you the web site for Dr. Schwartzman’s InLife computer. You can see some of its capabilities.”

  Malcolm said in his quiet voice, “We’re going to have to talk this over. But when? And who else will be involved with this project.”

  “Good question. You can start as soon as you want. Immediately, if it’s ok. We’d like you to help us speak to new volunteers. Who else? I’m going to try to get all of Dr. Brown’s Panacea patients, as well as new, very ill patients, who will be treated with Panacea.”

  Malcolm looked David in the eye. “Why?”

  David initially looked uncomfortable. “Three reasons. As I said, we want to move some of humanity off a single world. Second, the Earth, moon bases, and the new L2-Habitat will need an inexpensive source of metal, water, and other raw materials. Finally, did you ever think about what would happen if the press ever got wind of what changes you two have gone through? Don’t tell me that your bosses and colleagues haven’t said anything about your strength and reflexes? Once people start noticing things, they’d quickly put your new abilities and Panacea together. It would only take one smart reporter investigating Panacea. There would be rioting in the streets. Major sectors of the economy, like medical care, will die overnight. Before we administer it to everyone, we wanted to observe the long-term effects of Panacea. If you, Brenda, and most of the others agree, we can still monitor you, you’d be safe, but there would be much less chance of publicity. Oh, if you wanted, you could still exchange video mail with your parents, as often as you wanted. You could also arrange for any portion of your income to go to them as well.”

  David could see in their faces that they would agree.

  ***

  ‘Nifty’ Corrigan had been an astronaut. He was aboard one of the early space stations for eleven months. He is now 72. Unfortunately, there was no exercise room in those very cramped quarters. Due to his experience he had permanent calcium loss. He did regain some lost muscle mass, but was suffering the cumulative effects of many broken bones. His bones were never the same. For thirty years he only walked with a walker, recently he used a motorized chair.

  He was currently waiting in the hospital. He knew most of the staff at the emergency department by name. His wife, Marline was having another episode of her chronic emphysema. Earlier that evening, at 1 AM, she had trouble breathing. She couldn’t lie down and her oxygen didn’t help. At 2 AM, she was in the hospital. It was now 5 AM.

  She had stopped her three-pack addiction five years ago, but she was still living with the long-term effects of cigarettes. Perhaps it was the stress of his frequent absences on the lecture circuit after the space station, maybe she knew about his dallying, maybe it was the fact that he was just living in the past so much of the time. No, she was the one who smoked, not him. He never touched tobacco. She should have quit in the 1970s when they knew that it was poison. ‘Dumb broad’, he thought. ‘I tried to get her to stop then.’

  Despite all their illnesses, she still stuck with him and she was still a great lay. True, it was only once every other week now. He married her when she was 19 and he was 30 and still lecturing. Damn it, no matter how long he was away, or who he laid, he still loved her. He was slowly pacing the waiting room, well pacing was the wrong word, rolling back and forth was more accurate. He couldn’t stand being in the room when they were examining her. He had been in the hospital waiting room for the last three hours. Today he was lucky, there were no other major cases this morning, so she had seen someone almost immediately. It helped that he was a minor celebrity.

  A doctor walked in. ‘Nifty’ knew her by her first name. “So, what’s the story today Nandia?”

  In an Indian accent, the emergency department physician said, “She’s resting comfortably now. I gave her some more steroids and an increased dose of bronchodilators, but I’m hesitant to increase them any more. It doesn’t look good. What does her cardiologist advise?”

  “That quack. He had her kicking the bucket two months ago. But Marli will outlive us both.”

  The doctor smiled, “I’m also concerned about you. No running around the house? No heavy lifting? I don’t want another visit from you either.”

  “No problem doctor, I’m as healthy as a horse. Although based on your recommendation, I did bow out of the Boston Marathon. Those Kenyan wrote me a thank you note, no real competition for
them this year.”

  The doctor smiled, “OK, Marline will be out in about an hour. I just want her to rest and watch her a bit before I release her. Would you like to be taken to her now?”

  “Sure, doc.”

  ***

  Nifty sat, half dozing by his wife’s side for the next hour when the doctor entered.

  “Nifty, can you come with me; you got a special phone call.”

  “Who’s it from?”

  “Perhaps you should come with me first.”

  Nifty was concerned, ‘who would call him at the ER? Was it the hospital administrator about loss of coverage?’

  He was lead into an office, clearly not the ER’s doctor’s office, perhaps her supervisor’s office. The computer was on, and a familiar face appeared on the screen, although he could not place it. He was handed a phone, as the doctor exited.

  “Hello, who is this?”

  “Charlie Haines, who do you think?” Charlie said in a grumpy voice.

  Nifty cursed himself for not placing the name with the face on the computer screen faster. He had seen Dr. Haines’ face hundreds of times on TV. “Dr. Haines. It’s an honor to speak to you sir. This is Nathan Corrigan, who did you want to speak to?”

  “You.”

  Nifty had been tired, but this was big. He was instantly awake. Haines was the world’s richest and most powerful man. Perhaps he is the richest and most powerful in all of history. What did HE want with a has-been space jockey?

  “How can I help you sir?”

  “It’s Charlie, can I call you Nifty?”

  “Yes sir, I mean Charlie. How can I help you?”

  “Actually I have a question that I’d like to ask you first. If you could have or do anything what would it be?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a million dollars or more.”

  “Hmmm, I could do that, but I want you to think long and hard. Make believe I’m that Genie in Aladdin’s lamp. If I could grant you any wish, what would it be?”

  After a long few minutes, Nifty Corrigan answered, “I’d like to die in space.”

  “OK, better. Remember I’m a Genie, would you just want to die in space?”

  “Hell no. I’d love to live there, but I’d never survive the take-off. Hehe.”