A Stitch in Time Saves Nine Ch. 01

"Wow you really weren't joking were you?" he chuckled and continued. "That is too detailed a memory to be false. What happened, huh? To answer that I'll need to tell you a story, parts of which you'll know already, but you need to keep listening irrespective of what you know and what you don't if you want to get it all."

"Now I am curious! What was in that truck?"

"What? How? How did you know...?"

I cut him off. "I know it was the truck, or rather the contents of the trailer it was transporting, and that played a role in my survival. How do I know that? Well, I couldn't have survived falling off the mountain. It was the river that broke my fall. Thanks to the torrential rains there was a river there instead of a dry rocky graveyard. The truck did not sink, or at least the trailer did not sink, because if it had then the landslide would have buried me. That would have made my survival impossible. That means that the trailer..... Did the trailer contain some sort of mechanism that turned it into a raft of sorts?"

"Yes it did but......"

I cut him off once more continuing with my hypothesis, which was probably what actually happened and not simply a hypothesis. "So the trailer might have separated as soon as the water broke its fall and probably released an inflatable raft or other flotation device which would have supported it as the river carried it downstream. Because of the shape of the mountain it couldn't have gone anywhere else, so it went downwards through the mountain range that divides the peninsula into two parts. It crashed onto the banks somewhere, or otherwise I would have ended in the ocean falling over that waterfall that drains the river into the ocean, and I doubt I could have been rescued from that. But what I don't understand is how I stuck to the trailer through this rough ride. Any explanation for that?"

"Your leg got stuck in the mechanism that attached it to the cab of the semi. You're lucky you didn't lose your leg. We are assuming that it got stuck in the way it did while you and the trailer were falling off the hill. But that isn't how you survived, well it is, but it isn't the whole story. Despite being so perceptive you can't deduce what you have no facts to base your deduction on, can you?"

Who knew the memory of my reply to Mr. Haydron would eventually become an ironic one!

"You are right, Mr. Haydron, deducing something without having any knowledge that is anyhow related to it is unheard-of."

"Well then, allow me to begin with the story," said Mr. Haydron, cutting off eye contact with me. He got up and faced the wall that displayed a painting of the ripples that were generated in a lake when a stone was thrown in. The painting clearly conveyed its message: "Disturb the peace, and chaos is the result," a message the artist had written just below his painting.

"You remember when the Ignosians first established contact with humanity?"

"Yes I do, but how is that relevant?"

"The Ignosians' ship couldn't be detected because of its advanced cloaking technology, or not until it was in orbit around the Earth and they turned off whatever they were using to hide themselves. It was debated for a whole day whether to attack or to attempt to establish contact, but there was no consensus. Just when agreement was about to be reached on trying to establish contact, they contacted us."

"Wait! How you know what the decision was going to be? I mean, it's obvious that our leaders were debating what to do, because no action was taken. So how do you know what decision was close to being made, or for that matter whether one was even about to be made? And how is that connected to me?"

"I was in the room when it all happened. Back then I was a scientist at NASA and I had a high enough clearance to be there. So I know what happened. As for how it's connected to you, we'll get there eventually, maybe faster with fewer interruptions."

"I get your point. Please continue with your story, Mr. Haydron."

"When the Ignosians first established contact, they explained who they are and where they are from, a galaxy our science couldn't see back then. Then without any warning they demonstrated how strong their technological prowess was in comparison to ours. They destroyed a fucking asteroid with their weapons. NASA had a probe there so we could get telemetry to prove it happened the way they said, and the even more shocking part is the power it should have taken them when compared to the actual surge of electricity they used, determined through some readings the probe was able to take. There was a huge difference in what should have been and what was. And that scared us shitless. They announced that they would give us time to take in what had just happened and then they would put forward a deal and open negotiations. They told us they were a peace loving race and would rather sort out any differences through discussion, but that they wouldn't hesitate to use force if they feel that we are taking undue advantage of their love for peace by refusing a fair deal. They went silent for a week after that."

"Wait a second. How did they know English?" I asked, cutting off Mr. Haydron.

"Good question! I was just getting there. The answer to your question is, they didn't, not exactly, they....." he tailed off, seeming frustrated.

"Then how were we able to understand them?" I asked.

"They had an artificial intelligence on board that hacked our networks, scanned all the data on the internet and prepared translation software that could interpret their language, translate, and transmit to us in English. Other languages, too, I think."

I opened my mouth to ask something but decided against interrupting and gestured him to continue.

"We tested and tested and tested after they removed that asteroid. Nothing was left! The destruction of the asteroid, the size of our moon, was real. And the impossibly low amount of energy it seemingly took for them to do that. All Scary! We were so severely outclassed that we didn't even consider planning for a battle; instead, we assembled Earth's best diplomats. Thank the Ex-President of USA and the Indian Prime Minister who insisted on preparing us if we found that the evidence of the aliens' demonstration was real. The last day spent in choosing exactly who would represent humanity was extremely tense. The world leaders questioned and thinned out the group of diplomats, and when the Ignosians reestablished contact only the cream of the crop remained. "

He got up, took the glass of water and drank it in a huge gulp. He refilled it from the pitcher, covered it again and left it on the table. Then he continued.

"They offered us an arrangement. They would share some of their technology in exchange for humanity's mining capabilities. Apparently they are not so skilled when it comes to mining. At first it looked as if they were asking for slaves, but thanks to the presence of the diplomats it eventually became clear that we'd be paying our people to work at their home world, while they'll be paying us back via barter, by giving us technology to reverse engineer. It seemed like a good deal."

"A huge alien spaceship in Earth's orbit can't stay hidden for long, So NASA established a cover story, I assume. Are you telling me that the Ignosians' story that they came here in search of alien life because language barriers would hinder any communication attempts from a distance was all a lie? That they had actually been monitoring us for a lot longer and were preparing their negotiations while in transit to our planet? And all this was to maintain order while some solution was found? Which they themselves gave to us, right? I mean, they gave us some blueprints which could easily be understood for simple technology improvements but they did not give us the blueprints for anything that would allow us to be equals to them, because they did not trust us enough. Instead, they gave us the machines themselves and threatened us if we tried to strip them down to reverse engineer them. Why should they have trusted us? Back then we were a world divided, warring against each other. Things may be very different today; we may be united as a Terran race, but we can't go and ask them to give us those blueprints, because we haven't done anything to really gain their trust. Am I correct?"

"How intriguing! But it seems that you know a little more than this, so go on."

"Yes there is more to what I have been able to analyze. From what you told me, the blueprints they gifted us solved the minor problems we had been having with things like free and clean electricity, transport, water, and maybe even terraforming. But no matter how useful we would have found them, they wouldn't give us any spaceship, at least not one that could defend itself from hostile attack. They went as far as creating a bridge wormhole just above Earth's gravity well. Despite their reluctance they had to provide some trading vessels, which of course were needed for mining in our solar system and for travelling through the worm hole, but they were basically gargantuan versions of our interstellar travel technology before those extraterrestrials showed up. I think that the reason you aren't asking them for help in a breakthrough in interstellar travel tech is because we are close to a breakthrough in creating such technology by ourselves, right?"

"Yes, you are perfectly right, although our initial simulations show that our tech will be primitive in comparison to that of the Ignosians'. So we really don't know how much of a difference it'll make. Yes, this is as good a start as we could have had considering we can just see the photos of their ships to estimate the science behind them if we had some help in gaining the required scientific knowledge things would certainly have been different."

"So that's why it took so long to build something. The gap filling is tougher than inventing something totally new," I said to Mr. Haydron and pondered for a while over a nagging feeling at the back of my mind; focusing on it, I felt my horizons expand and suddenly something struck me. "I think we can make a deal with the Ignosians regarding scanning technology. They'll immediately recognize what we are trying, though, so we need to have a set of designs ready to show them, and then we can ask them about just explaining the science. Those blueprints can even be rip-offs of some sci-fi movie that comes close to reality without actually being real."

"Won't they recognize it for being a fake? Even if they don't, it doesn't seem to be enough to make a fair deal. Hell, I doubt they'll even go for a deal."

"Seems a little fishy, I mean, these guys never behaved like they just stumbled upon us, they weren't awestruck by this new discovery they made. This can only mean one thing: considering all our circumstances, they observed us for a while, since to generalize behavior patterns of all humanity would take a lot of observations, considering they couldn't infiltrate us using spies, which would mean they'd have to use technology. That way would take decades at the very least. Also, their lack of mining tech doesn't fit in the equation for the need for such drastic observations. So there must be something else they want from us. Since taking by force is the absolute last option for them, and might destroy whatever they're looking for, it seems like we are caught in some sort of manipulation game they started."

"Wait a second, something else like what? And what kind of game are they playing?"

"They used destruction to plant fear in our hearts so all the diplomats and world leaders discussing the situation did not pay any heed to their behavior patterns. Moreover their description of the severity of their need for miners and the reason for the severity of their situation seemed plausible enough unless you observe and consider the weirdness in their behavior patterns and think on why such behavior doesn't make sense."

"You still haven't answered me. What they could possibly want to have played such a long game with us? The way you have analyzed the situation says that you know more than the general public does."

"I honestly have no idea what they could want. I was just telling you my deductions from me finally being able to point to what was weird about the parts of the arrangement that were made public. I mean, by negotiating for trade they made it look like we are giving them something they desperately need in exchange for something that would be far from equaling it in value. That's not all that fair to us, of course. But of course it will be worse if we have already made a trade agreement for whatever it is they actually want. I don't know, maybe I'd be able to see more clearly if I knew more," I said, my reference being to the redacted portions of the documents that were released under Right to Information.

"So far we haven't made any such deal. We can go and reveal your deductions to them. Revealing that their manipulations have been exposed would provide cover, thereby creating a situation in which their first glance won't be enough for them to realize that the blueprints are fake. And we can ask them for a fair deal, I mean depending on what it is and what could probably be the reasons for their desperation to get hold of it, we could ask for more than just a simple science lecture. Am I right, Jake?"

"Yes you are, Mr. Haydron, although I don't think their desperation is severe enough for them to give us anything more than 'just a simple science lecture'."

Mr. Haydron chuckled at the way I said things and continued, "We'll see about that when we know enough to pass a judgment. For now let's classify your thoughts as a mere possibility and leave it at that. But IF your hypothesis is correct, are you sure the Ignoosians will go for this?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'll put in a suggestion with the Terran government; they aren't likely to accept that we have been played for fools by the damned Ignosians, and thus might not believe the truth, so we might have to find another way of getting you to 'Know More'."

"So, that aside, you still haven't reached the point where all this is connected to me."

"I am almost there. You see, the breakthrough that we have made has the capability to not just match Ignosian technology, but to surpass it. The breakthrough came from an experiment gone horribly wrong and yet it produced stupendous results. How much do you know about the current affairs of the human race?"

"Are you talking about the particle accelerator incident your company was involved in? If so, how do you call a destroyed facility a 'Stupendous result'?"

"It wasn't the facility itself, Jake; it was what we found inside it. Jake Bathsheba Solomon, I would prefer no interruptions beyond this point. You'll know when to speak!" said Mr. Haydron with excitement written all over his face, mixed with sadness to form a bizarre expression. "When the investigations team reached the collision chamber they found something remarkably peculiar. Tests revealed it to be a new element. It had an extremely high atomic number and was viciously heavy and I am talking not just in terms of its atomic weight. What surprised us even more was its unusually high number of neutrons and this left us extremely perplexed. When the analysis of what went wrong came in, what we saw, what it showed was extremely bizarre because what the recordings of sensors inside the collision chamber indicated was the ripping of a hole in space time. We had no way to confirm it but it seemed as if we had opened a small wormhole that was extremely unstable. It appeared that this rock was zooming towards the location of the wormhole just before it opened and its close proximity is what kept the wormhole open for as long as it stayed open. As soon as the rock passed through the wormhole imploded releasing a shockwave that caused the explosion of the facility."

It seemed as if all the excitement on his face had subsided so I interrupted, "This still doesn't connect to what I am doing here."

"Wrong again, Mr. Solomon. The connection has already been made. Please allow me to continue." He got up and drank the glass of water and refilled it again then replaced the cover over the glass and returned to his seat. For a moment it seemed as if he was mentally bracing himself for what he was about to reveal. He opened his mouth as uncertainty clouded his face and then shut it tight. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it he began the tale of what gave me the power to deny death another addition to its collection.

"Mr. Solomon, the element was extraordinary. Its qualities are unparalleled by anything in the periodic table. We haven't yet been able to see how it could do it, but the element has the ability to absorb quantum charged particulate. It has an especially peculiar pull towards the particles that we have found to make up the matter that is being added to keep this universe ever expanding, energeon antimatter, hyper-charged dark matter and even tachyons."

"But tachyons are fictional, aren't they?"

"The particle accelerator, before its destruction, had been activated just twice. The first time it had proven to us that dark matter exists and that it's not just of three kinds as previously theorized, but of five kinds, and that its building blocks are energeon antimatter. What we discovered the second time was that the energeon antimatter absorbs cosmic energy, and when the absorbed energy grows beyond a certain point it can no longer be contained inside the particles in their original form, so they may get fused with each other or release all the energy that they have absorbed. If they fuse with each other they form the fourth kind of dark matter. When the dark matter particles absorb more of those anti-particles they get charged; with enough absorption they reach a peak absorption point and we can now call them hyper-charged dark matter particles. Now if these particles were to collide with each other they'd release tachyons. What we had theorized about tachyons is different from some things we were able to observe during the experiment. So they aren't fictional anymore," he sighed, seemingly at the end of his explanation.

He suddenly continued. "However, a lot of what I told you was just theoretical until we activated the particle accelerator for the third time. For safety reasons I was never onsite when the particle accelerator was turned on. Although I always made sure to be there for the safety checks beforehand, and if it wasn't for the god damned scientist in charge of the facility I would be there when it was activated, but that bastard always refused to start it until I was safe back home in the command center at my HQ. I just can't seem to rid myself of the guilt I feel, I mean I could have asked the government to back off and not push us too hard....."

"Wait, the government?"

"Yes, I told you that I had a very high clearance at NASA, right?"

"Yes, you did."

"So, when the Ignosians left after making the deal, the government assessed the situation we were in and became extremely paranoid, worrying about what would happen if they changed their mind and decided to just capture us and throw the deal out of the window. It hasn't happened yet but the government still hasn't stopped pushing us. They want answers before it can all go bad. Before you ask, I don't know why their paranoia hasn't subsided yet. Surely it couldn't be just paranoia, but with what little information I have that is the only explanation."

"Okay, but you still haven't got to what was in the truck."

"I thought you might have understood by now, the element, we were transporting the element."

"I had an idea, but I was dreading acknowledging it, that's what it was," I sighed, succumbing to a heavy realization.

"When you were knocked out, your body landed on the roof of the truck in such a way that your leg got stuck in the ladder at the foreside of the trailer, and it got stuck so bad that though the explosion separated the ladder from the truck, your leg did not separate from the ladder. When the truck fell off the cliff, its trailer separated and fell further away from the truck. The safety mechanism recognized its proximity to a water body and, as you know, the raft mode was switched on. The trailer carried you for a distance downstream but then at a narrow bend in the river the trailer crashed on the bank.