The Drake Equasion

Stars ignited as the universe closed in around us. “What the hell?” I cried.

An image appeared on the bridge in the shape of a woman. I felt my head spin and looked at the other two members of my crew Lyle and Monica. They were apparently unaware of what was going on as they concentrated on their consoles.

A voice in my head said. “Don’t be afraid. We are only reconstructing certain pathway in your brain so that you may understand us.”

It was like being ordered to count the stars. I don’t have time for this I thought.

She continued. “Your species has two-hundred and six –bones and thirty trillion cells, and each cell has one-hundred trillion atoms. You are a biological machine with many working parts. What is time?”

“I don’t know,” I replied.

I said that out loud because both Lyle and Monica looked up. “What was that?” Monica asked.

“It is where you live,” the woman in my head told me. “And you don’t know what it is? Creation fires your tongue, yet your species have no idea what that is either. Such ignorance does not support arrogance.”

I looked away out the portal and the stars were distant and cold. “Your spirit is free, but your mind is not. Were you surprised to find us out here?

“No,” I said. “You are a mathematical probity that we call, “The Drake Equation.” I replied.

Again, Monica and Lyle looked up. “Are you talking to us?” Lyle asked.

“No,” I snapped, “them. I’m talking to them.”

That got things going. “Who?” They both asked at the same time.

I shushed them and then asked mentally. “Are you still there?”

Her electronic wave-like face appeared again in my cerebral cortex. “

“You are thinking of sonnet 14 and the name William Shakespeare.” She was right I was.

“When I heard the learn’ d astronomer. When the proof, the figures, were ranged in columns before me. When I was shown the charts and diagrams. To add, divide, and measure them.

“Stop! You’re freaking me out.” I cried.

“I’m just trying to get to know your species,’ she replied.

Monica grabbed my shoulder and gently turned me around.

I pulled away from her and she threw her hands in the air in a gesture of hopelessness and walked away.

Suddenly the image in my head just went out like turning off a light. “Hello?” I thought but there was nothing. I knew our connection had been broken I felt it. Stars framed the portal, but they were empty. “She’s gone,” I whispered.

Monica said. “As we well know the universe is made up of 5% ordinary matter, 27% dark matter and 68% dark energy. This is registering in the 68 percentiles.”

“So, this is something in the category of dark energy?” Asked Lyle.

“Not meaning to freak anybody out but, yes.”

“I don’t like this,” groaned Lyle.

“It doesn’t change anything,” I interrupted.

“Yes, skipper, it does. We’ve got fourteen more days up here at the station and then we’re rotated out. As soon as you report first contact, we’re here indefinitely, and you know it. I got to get home my wife gives birth next month.”

“Relax,” I said.

“I don’t mean to change the subject,” said Monica, “but she told you that they were altering your brain. I need to examine you. Really, skipper I’m worried.”

“I don’t feel any different.” I told her.

Later there was a perfect silence to the stars as I looked out. Something was different but I couldn’t place just what it was. There was a certain infinity within. “If you wanted to drown in them, you could.” Monica said as she floated up next to me and slipped her feet into the straps.

“But we don’t because this is what we’ve been looking for all these years.” I replied.

“We have only been limited up to now by our imagination.” She countered.

“It was weird though. Really weird it was like they were inside me.”

“They were skipper,” she replied.

For almost an hour we just stood there staring out in silence and then she was back in my head or maybe she had never left I couldn’t be sure. “Welcome to infinite space,” she said.

“We know,” I replied, my gaze returning to the portal. That’s why we’re here.”

“She’s back?” mouthed Monica.

I nodded my head.

“Humans have sought out life, but it’s not out there,” she insisted. It’s in your mind. Come with me now through the pink nebula of your wants and desires.”

How could I resist such a gracious invitation, I thought, and then I let myself go and followed her through the beautiful pink clouds of my mind. In the background somewhere in infinity Monica’s voice kept

. “Skipper, come Back! Please come back to us. Skipper! Skipper! Skipper.” Her voice kept fading until there was really nothing but the cold, cold, stars.

THE END

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E-mail: Timothy Wilkie

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