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Raman lay in his bunk with his eyes closed trying to remember home. The voyage was in its eighth year but it was only his twenty seventh day awake. The rest of the time he had been in stasis. The ships complex biomechanical computer woke him, and the other relevant members of the crew, when the ship came across something that needed investigating. He had been woken early that morning. They kept a twenty four clock because that is what they were used to, applying a framework to the complexities of a process they did still not fully understand.
He rubbed his eyes. Stasis sleep was not like real sleep. One never felt rested on waking. The whole procedure was based on the use of steroids designed to achieve maximum effectiveness in the shortest time possible. One did not enjoy the reward of waking up from a really good night's sleep. It was like not having been to sleep at all. That was why Raman had taken to the bunk - to get an old fashioned forty winks. But he couldn't sleep. Instead he thought about home.
The bunk room was not the sole domain of any of the individuals on board but was communal. That was why there was no warning knock when the door slid open.
Johan strolled in.
"I don't mean to cramp your style but Vet wants to see you."
Raman looked up from his bunk. "That's OK", he said "I couldn't get any sleep anyway." He got up from the bunk, stretched and yawned.
"Where is she?"
"She's in the sauna."
Vet was not her real name but it was what everyone called her. It was short for Veteran. Along with three others she was a survivor of the Tinamanen massacre. She had been offered promotion in the military but, without explanation to anyone but herself, had turned it down. Seventeen years later she led the Cook project.
As Raman headed towards the sauna he reflected on the demise of the bridge. Some ships still kept one although technology made it possible for the ship to be run from anywhere within its four walls. Immediate visual displays were available as well as a database of precedent and information. Quick thinking and original thought were still needed though for what had become a mostly automated task.
He reached the changing room, stripped down to shorts and knocked on the sauna door.
A curt "come in" was the response. It was hot in the sauna. Raman found it stifling. Vet was sat on the only seat opposite him. She was wrapped in towelling.
"Hello Doctor", she said, "I'm trying to get rid of some stasis grime. Won't you join me?"
Raman sat alongside her on the wooden bench. He was used to Vet's informal methods . He passed his eyes over Vet's figure with no reaction. Repression of the libido was a common side effect of stasis sleep. He would have been surprised if he had felt any stirring in his loins.
"So," he began, "is someone ill?"
"Not exactly", replied Vet. "We do need you awake though."
"It's nice to be up and about. What's the problem?"
"We've come across an object." Vet stood up sweat pouring form her face. "Visual, exterior." She said. A 3-d projection of the ship in space appeared in the middle of the room. "Aft 180 degrees."
The view changed .
"I don't recognise the system." Said Raman.
"Unexplored." Responded Vet. "Magnify 400%." This time something was visible that wasn't a star or an asteroid..
"What is it?" said Raman.
"We don't know, we have no idea."
"Can I ask you why you took me out of stasis."
Vet turned to look at him, then she picked up a small towel from the bench and wiped her face.
"Well Doc", she said, "we sent out long range scans. We've analysed the results."
"And." Said Raman.
"And the things inactive." Vet turned to the sauna door. Over her shoulder she added. " But we think it's organic."
They met in the Tech suite. As well as Raman and Vet there were six others: Johan, system analyst,; Stirkov, psychologist; Salmon, strategist; Bethany, psychic; Murtov alien artefacts expert and Wincott, engineer. There were in total 26 people aboard the Asimov and those present had been awoken by the ships computer to investigate the situation.
After a brief introduction Vet asked for reports from her seconds. Johan went first. A shy man he coughed to clear his throat and spoke quietly, looking at his notes.
"I'm afraid there's not much to report at the moment. Long range scans have indicated the object has no activity. It's a carcass, dead and useless. No computer activity at all."
"Why do you think BIOTECH awoke you?" Asked Vet.
"I've no idea." Said Johan, pressing his spectacles back to the bridge of his nose.
Bethany interrupted. She was younger than any of the others. Although not a classic beauty she was attractive. "Although scans report inactivity I have picked up indications that the object is on-line in some way.
"How do you mean?" Asked Raman.
"Well, there is an intermittent Hiroshio signature emitting from that direction."
"A Hiroshio signature?"
"Yes. Only emitted when intelligent activity is underway. Like a brain wave."
"Why wouldn't the scans have picked it up?"
It's intermittent. I only vaguely received it myself but it is there."
Vet ran her fingers through her hair. "Let's take a different line." She said. "what about you Murtov, Wincott?"
Wincott spoke first. Raman liked him. As well as being down to earth he was a good communicator. He knew his field.
"Its about fifteen kilometres by three, although that's difficult to measure because it appears to be changing shape. Generally it's oval and we haven't yet been able to penetrate its outer surface with scans. There is no indication of power source, although there must be one because it has made three small adjustments in direction since we came across it. "
"Where is it heading?" Asked Vet.
"That's easy." Said Wincott. "It's heading straight for us. It's made adjustments in direction every time we have. BIOTECH has analysed them The object is on an intercept course with us."
"How long?"
"At present speeds about thirty two hours. If we make full stop then a little longer but not much. It can outrun us.
"One thing is for certain. This isn't a piece of salvage or space wreckage. Every indication suggests control, conscious decisions of direction."
"So at the moment," said Vet, " we have contradictory evidence. An inactive object that is making active decisions. Neat.
"What about you Murtov. Anyone ever seen anything like this before?"
"Short answer. No, no-ones ever seen anything like it before." He looked at each of his colleagues. "In 2062 the Pegasus, an industry ship, disappeared somewhere in the Otagus Sector. The ship, which did have a crew of 268, also had a emergency Recall Pod, to record events during a disaster. It was found fifteen years later. There was no trace of the ship. It was a big mystery that no-one ever solved."
"What," interrupted Wincott, "has a three hundred year old mystery got to do with us.?"
Murtov addressed Vet, there had always been some friction between himself and Wincott.
"It would seem nothing. I only mention it because of the last entry in the Recall Pod."
"And what, pray tell, was that?"
"An intermittent Hiroshio signature."
Each member of the team was asked to maintain a current report on the situation that fell into their sphere of expertise. Any information requiring immediate action was to be reported to Vet straight away. Otherwise there would be a meeting every eight hours. Salmon was to liaise with all of them to produce a package of alternate actions.
Raman had little to do, mainly because the object was not near enough to give a clear analysis of any organic content. BIOTECH insisted that 5-15% of the object was organic material. Raman had done his specialisation in genetic mutations. He had joined the Cook project with the intention of studying any alien genes encountered, hoping to complete a second thesis on comparative genetics. After three hundred years of space exploration no alien contact had ever been made., although much evidence of alien civilisation had been gathered. Raman suspected more evidence awaited them on the object.
Stirkov came into the lounge which was otherwise empty.
"Raman," he said by way of greeting, "mind if I join you?"
Raman didn't answer but just nodded. He didn't know Strikov very well, just that he was a north European, who had studied at Helsinki. He had only spoken to the man twice.
"Everyone else is too busy for a drink." Said Stirkov. He had a heavy European accent.
"I've little to do at the moment, not for another eight hours, and even then I might not have anything to work on."
"I know the feeling." Said Stirkov. "Whenever BIOTECH wakes anyone I am automatically woken too. My job to predict psychological reaction to the events taking place, whatever they are. At the moment I predict uneasiness and fear. And for that they pay me vast sums of money. Everyone is too busy too speak too so mostly I observe."
"Everyone except me." Said Raman.
"Does that bother you?"
"It means I have more time to think?"
"And what is it that you think?"
Raman sipped his drink.
"It's an artefact, floating in space from a dead world, with a couple of dead aliens on it."
"What about the activity?" Asked Stirkov.
"A computer flickering on and of. A navigating system."
"But there's no recordable source of power."
"There's no source of power we haven't recorded before. That doesn't mean there isn't one."
"That simple."
"That simple." Agreed Raman.
The second meeting took place in the recreation lounge. The object was now 26 hours from the ship but already tension was building.
"We'll report one by one." Said Vet. "Johan."
"Nothing further to add. Scans have now picked up the intermittent Hiroshio signature."
"Bethany?"
"A slight increase in activity, not much."
"Raman?"
"Nothing."
"Murtov?"
"I've been looking at the Pegasus records. The Hiroshio signature was recorded on short range scans so whatever was emitting it must have got fairly close. Long range scans were still in their infancy then and the Pegasus had none. Whatever it was took them out at close range."
"We have no evidence that these two events are connected. All we have in common is an intermittent Hiroshio signature."
"That's true." Said Murtov, looking at his notes.
Vet moved on. "Wincott."
"Little to add. Structural scan is unclear. There are unknown compounds present. Something odd though appears to be happening to the scans. All quantum material at a certain distance past the object is no longer detectable. I'm working on it."
"What does that actually mean?" Asked Raman.
"Only that the scans are malfunctioning."
"Couldn't they be fine?"
"But that would mean there is no quantum material to be detected." Wincott grinned. "That's impossible. Lindaur's fifth rule."
"Which is?"
Wincott tutted. "Space is not the nothing that people first assumed it was. It's made of building blocks. They are part of space itself."
Raman looked at Wincott steadily and Wincott shifted uneasily.
"Look, it's easy," Said Wincott, "no building blocks, no space. Impossible."
Raman didn't look convinced. "Nothing beside remains." He said.
"What are you talking about?" Said Vet.
"It's a line from a poem by Shelley. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, look on my works Ye mighty and despair. Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away."
"I still don't get it" said Vet.
Raman looked up, towards the Observation window. "That thing out there." He Said. "It's Ozymandias. It's all that is left. Everything it passes is gone."
Raman's comments caused some disruption, but people shortly settled down What he had suggested was impossible and unimaginable.
Vet turned to Salmon next.
"Have you any recommendations?" she asked.
"As far as I can see there are three courses of action. The first is to wait it out and see what happens when the object reaches us. In the meantime we could try and contact Dryad base, although by the time they reply, if at all, the moment will be upon us."
"I don't like the idea of sitting here doing nothing. What else?"
"We send a passenger craft over to the object, to Ozymandias," she said looking up at Raman. "We try to dock and find out what it is."
"And the last option?"
"There wasn't a last option until I listened to this conversation. We try to destroy Ozymandias."
"What bought you to that recommendation?"
" What if Ozymandias really is destroying all matter it is passing, what if the scans are correct. That means it's all over." She looked at her watch. "In twenty five hours time we'll be dead."
"We are an exploration ship. A discoverer of things, not a destroyer. We are only authorised to use force if we are under direct threat. As far as I can see no threat has been made. We'll go for option number two. Wincott, Raman and Murtov stay. Everyone else dismissed."
The equipment on board a passenger craft was technologically up to date but offered none of the luxuries of the mother ship. Raman was cold. The environment stabiliser was malfunctioning. As a backup Raman was wearing an environment suit. He didn't know how people managed before the stabilisers came along.
"How far now?" He asked.
"Well after the next hyper jump we'll be two hours away from the object. At first we're going to keep our distance, see if we can spot a way in. I don't suppose it's got any docking gates." Answered Wincott.
Murtov was taking no part in the conversation. Instead he was listening to something in his head phones. Raman didn't know what.
There were just the three of them on board. Vet had gone for a minimum crew. Raman didn't really understand why he was there, except perhaps because he was expendable.
"You think the scans were malfunctioning?" He asked Wincott.
"It's like I said no building blocks, no space."
"But what if their right. What if Ozymandias is destroying everything it passes?"
"Something would be left to pick up. You can't just destroy things without a trace."
It was at this point that Murtov removed his headphones. "It's not destroying anything, it's converting it."
"What the hell do you know Murtov. You're a building's man not a physicist."
"I've been catching up on my basic science."
"What do you mean it's converting it?" Interjected Raman.
"Well, when any kind of energy is destroyed it doesn't just become nothing it turns into something else. An explosion becomes heat, light and sound. It's the same with the energy trapped in the building blocks Wincott was talking about earlier. Right?"
Wincott nodded his head reluctantly.
"Will knowing what it's converting space into help us stop it?" Asked Raman.
"Understanding is the key to controlling anything. Ask Stirkov." Replied Murtov.
A yellow light on the key pad in front of Wincott started flashing. "What does that mean?" Asked Raman.
"Strange." Said Wincott. "It means that the scanners on board this craft are able to penetrate the outer layer of the object. I've got no idea why."
"Perhaps it has something to do with distance." suggested Murtov.
"Perhaps."
"What do the scans show.?" Murtov continued.
"I haven't got the least idea. Nothing that makes any sense to me. I'll send them back to the Asuimov for analysis."
For the next hour there was little conversation between the three men. Each had their own thoughts. Wincott concentrated on flying the craft while both Murtov and Raman were trying to make some pre-emptive guesses as to what they would find on Ozymandias.
After the hyper jump, an uncomfortable experience, Wincott spoke up. "We'll be within visibility range shortly."
"What light source is available?" asked Raman.
"Well scans are picking up some radiation so I guess it's got its own. It won't be lit up like a Christmas tree but it'll be enough to make an outline of it. It'll appear in that porthole in about twenty minutes time."
Raman and Murtov watched for the appearance of Ozymandias. It reminded Raman of the times he used to sit and wait for the sunrise as a boy. The same excitement.
It wasn't what either of the men expected. Instead of a faint outline they were met by the view of a shimmering object, that somehow seemed to be pulsating. It was like a window pane, with a blue hue, complemented by rain trickling down it.
"There she blows." Muttered Raman to himself.
A voice from the communications set broke the silence.
"Passenger craft, this is Asimov, respond please."
Wincott replied. "Asimov this is engineer Wincott. We've just made visual contact with Ozymandias." He had stopped calling it the object. On seeing it the title of king of kings did seem fitting.
"Jordan needs to talk to you about those scans." The voice on the other end changed to the recognisable tones of Jordan. "I've looked at the data from the scans."
"What have you got?" Asked Wincott.
"It's difficult." said Jordan. "But there seems to be a pattern. On breaking the scans down I've found a kind of jigsaw of fractals. Eventually I'll be able to give you a picture of what they actually mean. I've found something else in the background though."
"What exactly?"
"It seems to be a mathematical countdown. That's not it precisely. More of a count up. Let me see. The closest analogy would be an egg timer."
"And when's the egg boiled?" Asked a smiling Wincott.
"Well it's been running for god knows how long, so I can't be exact."
"When?"
"Well, give or take a few centuries, about now."
On getting closer to Ozymandias it was found there was no obvious way in. Jointly they made the decision to use EVA suits to propel an individual over for a closer look. The question of who would go was decided by the pulling of straws. Somewhat anachronistic and ominous. Wincott lost, or won, and was suiting up.
He had a jovial expression on his face as if this was the kind of activity he did every day.
"How many times have you done this?" Asked Raman.
"Gone outside you mean? Twice, both times I've stayed close to the ship, this'll be a bit different, but you can use the external magnetron to make sure you don't lose me." He grinned. "Well, ready or not."
Raman was surprised at how little time it took from the time the decision was made to send someone out there to the time he could see the silhouette of Wincott through the porthole. They were in radio communication. Wincott was describing what he could see as his EVA gently propelled him in the direction of Ozymandias.
The voice was clear, as befitted the advanced communications system. Cameras were available to transmit a picture of what Wincott was himself seeing but the little light available would make for a poor picture. Raman preferred Wincott's words to the alternative of infrared.
"It's like a tapestry of blue shades. No, that's not what I mean, more a kaleidoscope, forever changing."
It became quiet for a while. Then Wincott spoke again. "The closer I get the more compelled I feel. As if I'm meant to be here."
"Are you feeling OK?" asked Raman.
"Ever heard of the divine calculator. Probably not. It's an idea based upon a Newtonian view of the world. An atom, particle, whatever once in motion can only be stopped or make a change in direction if an external force acts upon it." Wincott went quiet again.
"What's he talking about?" Raman asked Murtov.
"Search me." Replied Murtov who was now piloting the ship.
The radio started up once more. "Some French guy argued that if this was accepted then the position and place of every atom at an future time could be predicted. All it would take would be a knowledge of the forces at work in the universe. Take it up a level. You could predict where the atoms in my body would be at any given time. Of course that kind of information would only be available to a divine being, hence divine calculator."
"What's the point you're trying to make Wincott?"
"I'm meant to be here. It's destiny."
"There's no such thing as a divine calculator. It's just an idea."
"Maybe not, but there's Ozy..."
The radio went dead.
At the same time the Asimov made contact on the main system. The voice was weak. "Come in Wincott."
It was Jordan again.
"Raman here. Wincott's outside. We've just lost contact with him. What have you got."
"I've an idea what the fractals mean."
Raman waited.
"They indicate a vast quantity of a helium like substance, only it's not helium."
"I don't quite understand."
"Well it's not helium in a recognisable form. It's a new element."
"Have you ever seen anything like it before?"
"No." There was a reluctance to the answer.
"But?"
"But I can make an educated guess. I would say it is similar to the elements found at the creation of the universe."
"I know a little science," answered Raman, "the big bang left pure helium and hydrogen."
There was a distinct silence. "I'm talking about just before the big bang."
Raman was slow to catch on, "Then you're talking about the birth of a universe within a universe." He said eventually.
"I think Ozymandias is in labour."
On the panel in front of him the lights that indicated the state of Wincott's life support systems on his EVA blinked out.
There was a chill silence in the cabin.
"Then we're at an end." Said Raman, looking through the porthole at the growing view of Ozymandias. He shivered, knowing the environmental stabilisers were now back on line.
"Maybe a beginning." Said Murtov quietly. As they spoke Ozymandias continued its journey, blinking out the stars it passed..
