The Gate

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Of course, most people in space wear helmets and keep their comms on. The Gate Tender had his comms on when Arc 42 was streaking toward the gate for its first snap just outside of Mercury.

The modified, Mods, had assembled the gate near the end of the climate wars for an exodus to Proxima Centauri. The climate wars had moved body modification from what had been an aesthetic form of self-expression and scientific speculation to a reality essential for adaptation. Cybernetic and genetic enhancements were critical for not only winning the war but adapting to the new scorched and flooded world.

Ciudad Céntrica, as one of the last remaining cities had become the global capital for Mods who had centralized technology to balance the climate and protect the unmodified in survivable zones across the planet. Efficient DNA storage technology was used to create the Archivist and the Reader to protect both the history of humanity and an original copy of the code to ensure that if there were future errors in replication the code could be accessed and used to correct any loss of humanity. No matter how much alteration had been done, keeping human at the core was the difference between man, machine and monster. While the Reader remained in Ciudad Céntrica, the Archivist was hidden in the human settlements.

As the earth had begun to develop uninhabitable regions, it was clear to the Mods that there should be an effort to colonize other worlds. So began the effort to take to the stars. While interstellar arcs were being assembled, the undertaking of building the gate began near Mercury.

The gate was designed to draw power from the sun to establish an energy field that would initially envelop an arc at speed, elongate and then snap in on itself just in front of the arc to create a bow wave that folds space, shortening interstellar travel.

The Gate Tender was the third generation and had known only life at the gate. For over a hundred years, arcs had been starting their journeys from this gate whether it be to Proxima Centaury or Gliese 667C. Nora, his AI on station had likened him to an old earth piano tuner. He liked the comparison and had taken upon himself to perfect all 27 of Chopin’s Études to play on his keyboard for her. She called him GT for short in their many off hours together. “Good Time,” he would joke.

Arc 42 was due in seven hours. GT had read reports that arc drives had been improved and now were more efficient than the old Bussard RAM drives. Greater speed, greater reliability. “We adapt,” was the Mod mantra. He was looking forward to actually seeing the profile of the new ship in flight. He was finishing adjustments to the gate according to the specs he had received about the new ships.

He was listening to Opus 10: number 4 in c sharp on his helmet comm when Nora politely interrupted. “GT?” He took the spanner into his second right hand while he adjusted the music volume with the first. His left hands clung to the gate.

“Yes Nora,” he replied.

“It appears that either a special anomaly is quickly approaching, or the arc has achieved far greater velocity than theorized.” GT scanned the distance toward earth and noticed a new light glistening like a star but blinking.

“Indeed,” he answered, “This adds some challenge. Can you recalculate for me Nora, so I can make adjustments?”

“I’ve already begun the calculations GT. Also have just been given access to their manifest, It says they’re headed to Kepler.”

“Kepler? That’s much further than Gliese. I don’t understand why we didn’t get this information sooner,”

“You’re correct GT. You need to recalibrate and reangle the snap.”

“Nora, I will need to draw in more power.”

“I’m aware GT and on it.”

“Thank you, Nora. I’ll reinforce the clamps while you finish calculations. Please fill me in when you’re ready.” GT quickly made his way along the rim of the gate, using all four arms in his scramble as well as timed releases of propellent in his pack to cover the distance to the nearest clamp. He looked upon arrival to see the light had grown larger. “Nora?”

“Yes GT?”

“Can you contact the pilot and request she take a lap around the sun to give us time to adjust the gate?”

“Attempting contact GT.” GT could see the ceramic metal of the gate beginning to change to a red color indicating the powering up of the gate and refocused his attention to his task, clinging with one arm to the structure while the other three worked furious to put bands in place and make adjustments to the surrounding structure.”

“GT?”

“Yes Nora?”

“The captain reports that she is trying to regain control of the drive and doesn’t believe she can recalibrate at the moment.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Yes.’

“Nora, how many people are on this arc?”

“There are 50,000 passengers, both human and Mod on Arc 42.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Suggestion?”

“Yes Nora?”

“Maintain focus. I have estimated the possible velocity and mass and am calibrating the envelope as well as adjusting for the new distance to get them as close as this gate can snap them to.”

“Thank you on all counts, Nora. I’m scrambling to number three now. The gate is visibly warming up.” GT didn’t say what Nora already knew, the gate is old and has never made a snap this large. Looking up, the light had grown larger still. He arrived and began his frantic work again.

“Nora?”

“Yes GT?”

“Nora, have you read the old earth Heart Sutra?”

“Please focus GT.”

“It helps me focus Nora.” The gate color had escalated from red-orange to yellow-green. A spanner flew from his first left hand and he caught it with his second right.

“Okay GT, focus. What does it mean to you?”

“I’m not sure I know, Nora but we’ve never been anywhere but here. We’ve had the honor of humility as we have had nothing but the vast before us. There’s a line that keeps going through my head right now.”

“GT, please move now.”

“Yes Nora. On it. ‘…the material form is no different from the void of shapeless emptiness; the material form is the same as emptiness and emptiness the same as material form.’ “

“I’ve never had material form GT.”

“I know Nora, which is why I thought this may interest you.”

“Look up GT, keep moving, but look up.” GT looked up and could begin to distinguish a spot in the light.

“Nora, I am simply going to have to reposition unless you tell me otherwise.”

“You’re correct GT. Even the repositioning is going to be close. It also seems that the ship has already begun to create its own bow wave.”

“On it. ‘…within the void there is no material form, no sensation, discrimination, no thinking, no consciousness..’ I can see I am not going to be able to leave the gate before the arc enters for the snap.”

“GT, please focus so that we can at least avoid snapping then into the sun.”

“Yes Nora, entering the tug house.’…having unworried hearts, being without hindrance, we have no fear.” GT could now see ARC 42 approaching and apparently the captain could see the gate. The color had moved to a shinning deep blue, trending toward a never-before-seen indigo. GT worked the tug to the angle of Nora’s coordinates.

“GT?”

“Yes Nora?” His hands were flying across instruments as he locked the gate in place.

“The captain wishes to speak with you.”

“Thank you, Nora, please patch her through.”

“Gate Tender 3? This is captain Dawa. I’m sorry that I have not been able to fully regain control of the drive.”

“Yes, this is unfortunate. You’re human? Not Mod?”

“I am. There have been some issues in Ciudad Céntrica. They have lost the Archivist. They trained me to take this arc forward. I see the Gate, are you able to get clear.”

“It appears I will not be able to do so. I have however been able to maneuver the gate so you won’t be snapped into the sun. I did not have the time to properly reinforce it to ensure that it will not crash in on you. This is unfortunate.”

“Gate Tender, I will get us through. I know I will.”

“Nora, that is human faith. Don’t try to understand it.”

“GT?” Nora responded, “I think I may be feeling sadness or pain.”

“Nora, I love you too. You have been a true friend and confidant. I am certain I could not have had a finer companion than you.”

“Preparing to enter the gate,” buzzed Dawa.

GT could clearly see the ship, a minor distortion of space in front of it. The gate glowed a bright indigo.

“Go! Go! Go beyond! Go completely beyond!” shouted GT as the ship was caught in the envelope. The tug shook violently as the envelope expanded and the snap tore the gate into pieces. GT found himself flung into space, hurtling toward the sun, and just before he lost consciousness, he heard Nora scream.