Halley

"I love Abuela," Halley sighed as she reclined her seat and looked up to the sky. "She's the real deal, as Justin would say."

"Yes, she certainly is," said Phil. He was still ruminating on the thing's the old woman had said to him.

"Halley," he said, after several minutes of silence. "Would you like to know why I dropped out of astronomy?"

"Yes," she said, taking his free hand. "I'd like that very much."

"It's because I got into all of this hoping to talk to someone else. I wanted to reach out and talk to someone from out there; from another planet or another star. But the more I learned, the more I realized that even if we heard from them -- the people or things who sent the messages would be long gone. It would never be a mutual conversation. I was good at the science, but the science is also what dashed my hopes."

"But that's not true," said Halley, moving her seat back up. "There are things. You can talk. You just aren't that good at listening.."

"How do you know?" said Phil, humoring her.

"I just do," she said adamantly. "I'm as sure of this as I am of anything."

Phil contemplated this, then tapped his earpiece.

"Call Rigsby," he said clearly. "Rigs! It's Bensen. Yeah, yeah -- making the big bucks. Sold my soul to the man. Well, it doesn't suck. Listen, I know this is last minute, but is there any chance I could get some time on the Shane tonight? Who's got it? Isaacs huh. Well listen, I'm a couple of hours out. Tell Isaacs to have his jobs done by three o'clock. He owes me. If he pushes back at all, just tell him these two words - 'Endza, Armenia'. No, no -- if I told you I wouldn't have any more leverage. Just tell him. See you at three."

Phil had a curious sense of peace as he drove. He couldn't explain why he had been reluctant to share this largest part of his life with Halley. However, now that he was about to, a huge weight was lifted off his chest.

August 9, 2010 -- 3:14 AM

The Lick Observatory

37 20 34.77N 121 38 13.90W

They walked into the observatory to a rather grumpy team of astronomers who were packing up. However, Halley's luminous presence soon made them forget any ill feelings.

"Are you Isaacs?" she asked the lead astronomer.

"Yes," he said.

He was absolutely captivated by the exotic beauty in a summer dress.

"Thank you so much for letting us have some of your time."

He would have said something about blackmail, but the true gratitude in her eyes made him forget any ill feelings.

"It's my pleasure. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Isaac's team soon vacated the premises, leaving Halley, Phil, and the Phil's friend alone in the observatory.

"Rigs, give me Right ascension 5 hours, 14 minutes, 32.272 seconds. Declination minus oh-eight degrees..."

"Just say "Rigel," interrupted Rigsby. "I've got it programmed in."

Gone were the days of the tiny eyepiece one thought of with telescopes. In front of Rigsby's console was a gorgeous forty-eight inch screen with stunning resolution.

"Is that OLED?" asked Phil, eyeing the screen.

"Oh yeah," said Rigsby. "A donation from Sony -- not even in production yet."

The star in question came up on the screen and Halley looked to it with great interest.

"He's not much of a talker," she said, softly. "But when he does talk, he has much to say."

Phil and Rigsby weren't sure how to respond.

"Switch us over to the Orion Nebula," suggested Phil.

Halley watched Rigsby's fingers fly over the keyboard and pull the nebula into focus. She smiled at seeing the image.

"They are great singers. Great parents too -- so many new stars and bodies. Tell me, what are these coordinates you are using?"

Phil and Rigsby walked her through the coordinate system. She grasped the idea surprisingly quickly, but still needed a little help.

"Could you show me other stars, please?"

They brought up other stars, telling her the name and coordinates of each. There was an odd look of recognition on her face with each one. Knowing where each one was helped her get a better fix on how to use the system.

"Oh!" she said suddenly. "Would you like to say goodbye?"

"Goodbye to what?" asked Rigsby.

"To an old friend," she said, "I think there's still time."

She typed some figures into the keyboard and brought the telescope into focus on a dim, lonely star.

"Of course, she was gone a long time ago -- but now we get to see her farewell."

They watched for two, maybe three minutes and then the star flared a bit brighter. One, two, three pulses -- and it was gone.

"How the hell did you do that?" asked Rigsby.

"Please say you were running tape on that," said Phil.

"Oh yeah."

Neither one of them could quite believe what they'd just seen. Many people knew of dying stars -- but to witness the actual death, and for Halley to pinpoint it -- that was, well, the odds against such a thing were astronomical.

"I just knew," said Halley.

She clearly had no idea of the magnitude of what she'd just done. She was about to type in new coordinates when Rigsby stopped her so he could back up the data and video feed.

While the technician was working, Phil took Halley's hand and led her to where they wouldn't be overheard.

"Halley, how do you know all of this?"

"I just do," she said, simply. "I always have."

"Wow," said Phil, blowing out a stunned breath. "I wish I knew how. I wish I could understand what's happening here."

"Maybe you can," said Halley.

She put her hand on his cheek and pulled him in close. Parting her lips softly, she kissed him and opened her soul entirely to him.

Phil saw stars. He saw planets. He saw vast expanses of darkness and eons of time merge into a singular locus of consciousness. He could barely stand when she broke off the kiss.

"Do you understand now, my love?" she asked.

"Almost," he whispered.

When they returned home, Phil pulled up one of his favorite videos on his laptop. The two of them sat next to each other naked.

"It was the dimmest pass in several centuries," he said to her. "But it was still amazing. This is the footage from the Giotto fly-by of Halley's Comet. I've watched it more times than I can count."

Halley watched the blurry footage intensely and tears formed in her eyes.

"There are nine of us," she said. "Nine forms of consciousness, you might say. When I heard your signal, I was fascinated to find out what all of it meant. When the Giotto passed through our cloud I took advantage of the disturbance and spun away. It took me a while to make it to this planet, but I didn't give up. I had to find you. Now I have, and I'm so glad I did."

"Halley, can I ask you an important question?"

"Anything, Phil."

September 4, 2010 -- 11:55 PM

The Calistoga Ranch

38 34 54.57N 122 30 34.65 W

It had been the loveliest wedding anyone could remember.

The guests had ranged from Justin (who Halley had shown her breasts to), to Sergeant Melanie Starostka of the Glendale Police Department, to a variety of scientists, and of course Abuela and many members of her family. Carrie was there with Moira and her husband. Much wine had been drunk and people had danced to the point of exhaustion.

Speaking of exhaustion, shortly before midnight Phil and Halley lay gasping beside each other in bed, absolutely breathless

"Phil, I have to correct you on something."

"What's that, Halley?"

"You were wrong. This is much better than kissing and holding."

"I can't argue with you," he said, lifting her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

"That was amazing, Phil. It was like... it was like when the stars talk."

"The stars talk?" he said, turning to her in excitement.

"Of course, all of the time, silly."

She kissed him again.

"Is it with light?" asked Phil. "Is that their way of talking? Do all of those scintillations mean something?"

"Well, yes and no. It's like if someone claps their hands across a big canyon. You see them clap their hands and then the sound reaches you. The stars; their light echoes what they said, but to talk only with light would be much too slow. Their talking takes almost no time at all. To wait millions of years to talk to each other -- where is the sense in that? They have all of that power for a reason."

"I see," said Phil. "Halley, are there other planets with people around them? People like us?"

"Dozens with people like earth. Hundreds if you mean other life forms."

"I see. And you say the stars can talk?"

"Mm hmm."

Halley was a bit distracted and started to kiss Phil's chest.

"Do you think our sun would help us talk to someone else?"

"I suppose."

Halley was working her way lower with her kisses.

Phil would have to wait to finish this line of discussion. Halley was very interested in other things.

July 14, 2047 -- 3:13 AM

Humphrey's Peak, Arizona

35 20 47.03N 111 40 42.03W

No one knew exactly what went on up on the mountain. The locals in Winona had heard strange tales of reflector dishes and huge telescopes, and strangest of all, of a statuesque woman who was prone to walking around with no clothes on.

It was certainly a government operation and was more secure than any other site in the world. What went on there, no one knew, but representatives from nearly every nation passed through their little town.

Up on the mountain, activity had increased tremendously in the past year. Many speculated about the goings-on, but nobody really knew.

In the main building this early morning, the buzz in the air was palpable. Halley had aged more than gracefully. She did not look twenty, but there was a timeless beauty about her that still made men stop in their tracks. Phil was certainly grey, but it seemed being with Halley had kept him younger as well.

"Alright people. Listen up," said the communications manager. "The time is near and we've got a good feeling this time. Let's focus.

The designated time drew near and Halley and Phil moved to the communications console.

"Are you sure you don't want to speak first?" asked Phil.

"For the last time, darling, this is the first communication between the citizens of two planets. I don't exactly fit into that category."

"Well, at least stand beside me."

Phil sat at the console and activated the controls.

"Hello out there. This is Phil Bensen of planet Earth. Can you hear me? Can you see me?"

A few moments later, the screen in front of him started fuzzing in and out. There was an audible gasp from all assembled as a face came into view. It was not exactly human -- but also not so foreign as to be entirely alien.

"Hello Phil Bensen, this is Tangelis of Dintam 5. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

What had started as a sad plea of loneliness to the universe had ended in something no one (especially not Phil Bensen) could have imagined. At his side stood proof that love conquers all: time; space; and certainly distance.

The universe was suddenly a much smaller place.