SuBBrilliant Blog

For the past several thousand years the stabilization of the aggregate has reigned. After centuries of unacknowledged anarchy and fears of world dictatorship, the aligned municipalities of the world agreed to direct relationships with each other for the purposes of solving global problems and coordinating worldwide efforts.

Some cities stayed members of ancient national entities, while others declared themselves autonomous. Smaller areas surrounding the main cities joined in looser sub-aggregations.

Eventually these arrangements were formalized in The Aggregate. And over time the members of the aggregate stabilized at 31. These cities now server as the points of focus on our planet. Wars are against the law. Disputes are adjudicated globally. No one region holds sway over another, but the 31 Cities of the Aggregate reign as equals without the anarchy of sovereign despotism.

Criticisms are not only tolerated but encouraged. Those who argue that the Aggregate has stifled innovation and frozen our ability to progress, disprove themselves by the very motivation they give to how such progress. In fact their critiques are necessary to insure the Aggregate does not stagnate.

31 Cities of the Aggregate

Artilect of Nippon – Tokyo, Osaka
The Empire of India – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata
Great Brazil – Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
Empire of Mexico – Mexico City
Free America – New York City
People’s Republic of China – Shanghai, Beijing, ,
Regionate of Panyu – Guangzhou, Tianjin
Artilect of Shenzhen
Autonomy of Dhaka
Autonomy of Karachi
Republic of Buenos Aires
Autonomy of Los Angeles
Autonomy of Manila
Independent Egypt – Cairo
Great Lagos
Muscovy Rus
Regionate of Istanbul
France – Paris
United Korea – Seoul
Sultanate of Jakarta
Autonomy of Lima
Regionate of Kinshasa
Great Britain – London
Autonomy of Bogota
Great Tehran

She was a princess of mud. But you’d never know it by asking her. She lorded it over her small pond as if it were an ocean. The kindly bullfrog tolerated her. He needed her for something or other, and who was too wrapped up in his own concerns to mind much what she did on her own time.

The mudpool had once been a shining clear pool. The Princess had promised the bullfrog she coudl tuen it into a large pond and even a lake and someday an ocean if he only trusted her. And so he did and she brought in gallons of water and plants and dirt and built up a arther impressive looking pond.

But she didn’t know much about ponds or pools. She had experience with puddles and while she made it sound slike puddles were some of th emost complex and difficult things ever, they still didn’t prepare you for the hot summer days in a pond.

And it showed. First she drove out some of the animals she didn’t like. Some of these were pests of course, and so nobody minded at first. Then she began to distract th ebullfrog from his duties overseeing the pond and took them for herself. As the water evaporated in the hot sun and more an dmore animals left, she declared that they were th wrong sort of animals, and began to blame those who were left for the evaporating water.

She hired outsiders to bring in small buckets of water and then claimed she had made the rain. Buit it still wasn’t enough. Eventually she blamed the frogs, who had largely kept to themselves, for using up too much water. She tried to get rid of one or two of the frogs, hoping that would ease the problem, but the frogs weren’t drinking the water. It was the sun. But she couldn’t admit it was the sun or she would have looked at fault.

So she ran off more animals, and began to declare the mud that was left a good thing. She said mud was always the goal and if you didn’t like mud, you were missing the point of life. The Bullfrog wallowed in the mud with her. The other animals who remained could barely watch.

Eventually even the patient frogs left, adn the bullfrog and the Princess were left alone in the mud which quickly began to turn to hard cracked earth. And as the bullfrog began to gasp and demand water, the Princess assured him that everything was exactly as she had planned. The bullfrog began to object but it was too late. There was nobody left to object to anymore.

This is the first in what I hope to be a monthly feature. The idea is to take that month’s Scientific American and use the ideas presented in the magazine as the basis for a Science Fiction Story. The story is presented as a summary. That’s as far as I plan to take the stories at this point. Just plot summaries. I’m publishing them under a Creative Commons attribution-share-alike license. Feel free to take them and turn them into longer stories, novels, spin-offs, movies, whatever you wish.

Listen to this story in MP3 form – http://www.archive.org/download/TomMerrittSciAmSciFi-October2008/SciAmscifi001.mp3

Marlin doesn’t have the genes to be a scientist. He knows that and the academic world he wants to break into very much knows it. While the law prevents them from outwardly discriminating and stopping him from trying, they certainly are far from encouraging. But Marlin won’t give up. He’s hit upon an amazing discovery that he thinks can solidify his position, genetic pre-disposition or no. In his research, he’s determined that the bell curve nature of space-time time could mean that existence bounces back and forth between identical mirror universes. Is the second time really farce? Marlin thinks he can prove it. But he’s been protecting a secret. He’s been using a precision brain helmet to aid his work. The helmet is outlawed altogether in many countries and only legal for medical diagnosis in others. Worse, someone is out to blackmail him and prevent him publishing his findings.

Meanwhile his ex-wife Margeruite works on the coast of the young Afarian ocean, cataloging insects. It’s a tedious job of scanning, searching a database and either cataloging or rejecting each specimen then moving on to the next candidate. She’s found over 40,000 new species but not the escape she hoped for. At least it was better than her last assignment in the dead zone. She lost her arm in a boating accident with Marlin three years ago, and part of her still blames him. She spends her evenings modding her open-source artificial arm and trawling message boards for newer cooler designs and occasionally contributing an idea or two.

Marlin makes a frantic call for help to Margeruite. He’s found some clues about his blackmailers he thinks can free him from their clutches. She agrees to help and calls her long-time friend Abe in Tokyo. His knowledge of Web science has always helped her with her mods and would be invaluable in tracking down the information Marlin needs.

The hunt leads Abe and Margeruite to a strange Icelandic research station, deep inside a glacier. Nowakian experiments creating self-replicating molecules in hundreds of beakers are littered throughout the lab. Like a million protean Earths. A smaller section aims to replicate the perchlorate-based conditions found on Mars. The Research director, Gertrude has been vague about the information but indicates some odd items left by some visiting investors may prove helpful. While in a storage room looking for the evidence, the light burns out. LED light bulbs were never supposed to burn out. Were they? The storage room door slams shut, locking them in. Abe, Gertrude and Margeruite are trapped with around 48 hours of air unless they can get a researcher working the weekend to hear their cries for help.

Marlin is supposed to meet them in Reykjavik. He looks for a place to eat while he waits. Outside a promising looking restaurant he holds up his phone. It comes alive, and a dancing Panda explains the menu for him. Distracted he never sees the shooter and all goes black. Thank god for his Eel-armour. Still, his chest would most likely be sore for days. He leaves the hospital and locates the others and rescues them from the storage room.

Finally after picking up more clues, Abe, Margeruite and Marlin are led to a lonely outpost where Margeruite’s estranged Father, Bob, conducts forest sound research, in an attempt to identify species identity and health. Margeruite and her father argue over the methodology of bar-code scanning vs. the more nuanced art of audio identification. Still, Bob’s gene therapy seems to be working. He doesn’t look like the 75-year-olds from the old movies Margeruite loves. He looks just like he did the last time she saw him 20 years ago. It urns out he holds the key to the mystery through his connections in the music industry.

Using the information obtained from Bob, Marlin is able to stop the blackmailers who were looking to get stricter genetic profession laws passed in order to tighten their control on the entertainment industry. If Marlin were to publish his paper it would have stood as an excellent case against stricter laws. It turns out the brain helmet he’s been using was a fake provided by the blackmailers in order to have leverage over him. A friend of Abe’s is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He proves the fakery by comparing scans from a legitimate brain helmet and Marlin’s. Turns out that despite his lack of genetic markers, Marlin has unusual cortex activity that has allowed him to make his discoveries. The doctor suspects the placebo effect of the fake brain helmet allowed him to unlock the talent. With the blackmailers exposed, Marlin publishes his paper and takes tenured position at Oxford. Margeruite leaves open the possibility she may visit him on her next break from the Afarian expedition.

SciAm SciFi Summary: October 2008 by Tom Merritt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

John Brau-in was simply referred to as Captain by most everyone he knew. To his few close friends he was called Jack. His fame meant little to him, but it stretched across the settled universe.
His ship, The Pegasus, was a typical Prometheus-class freighter. Like others of its kind, it had the ability to separate into smaller units, up to 10. Mostly this feature was used to efficiently deliver cargo to multiple nearby destinations at once. But that’s why John Brau-in was famous.
Captain Brau-in had mastered using the separation feature of the Pegasus as a defensive measure. His freighter was of course, outfitted with some weaponry. Truth be told, he probably had more than most freighters, and probably a tad more than the trade regulations allowed.
But he rarely used them. Captain Brau-in took pride in training his crew to efficiently separate the ship into 10 separate pieces in less than 20 seconds. He used this ability to great advantage and had not yet had to sacrifice one unit.
That’s why Captain Brau-in was willing to take the most dangerous delivery jobs available. That’s why Captain Brau-in was famous. And that’s why Captain Brau-in was rich.
Above all, that was why Doctor Rebecca Davis sat across from him attempting to engage his services for one of the stupidest ideas he’d ever heard.
“I’m pretty rich you know,” said the Captain.
“Yes, but you still take highly dangerous missions. You don’t seem to be slowing down towards retirement,” said Dr. Davis.
The Captain shifted in his chair. “Look lady—“
“Doctor Lady.”
“Of course. Doctor. I’m not scared of running guns to one side or the other of the Hugo Mafias. As long as the shipment is up front and legal, I know how to survive. But what you’re suggesting,” he shook his head. “Well I don’t even KNOW what dangers to look out for. And when would we come back?”
“You can’t mean you’d iss your home life. From what I hear—“
“I live on my ship. Yes, it’s mostly true. I have a family home on Terra. My second cousin lives in it and takes care of it for me. I don’t mean I’d miss a house I inherited and never see. I mean coming back to civilization. To music I like. Restaurants with food that tastes good. Beer. You’re mission is exile.”
Dr. Davis sighed. “While it is a ten-year mission, we would return every two years or so for maintenance and resupply. You could stock up on beer and food then.”
“How much? In ten years I can rake in a lot of good jobs. Even if I’m crazy enough to sign up for this, I can’t lose money on the deal.”
“We’re prepared to meet your rates if considered reasonable. Can you estimate how much you would make in a ten-year—“
“8,923.”
“Units?”
“Bars.”
He smirked. He’d shaken her resolve. He had a feeling his number might appear unreasonable suddenly.
“Done.”
Now she smirked.
“I didn’t agree—“
“Didn’t you? Well, we can always reverse charges if you change your mind. Credit will be made by mid-time. We’ll meet next day with your officers and a few of my team leaders. Say at 15? Same place?”
“Where do you get off Dr. Lady. I haven’t said yes.”
“But you haven’t said no. I can tell you want this mission. You crave this mission. You want to see what’s out there even more than we do. You’re bored evading mafia thugs. T’s lost its thrill. I can tell Captain Brau-in, you’re made for this mission. In ten years we’ll see it all. The desolation, the undiscovered life, and the best part? The unknown. And you won’t have to stand behind glass will you. You’ll touch it. You’ll smell it. You’ll feel it between your toes. I’ll see you at 15 Captain Brau-in.”
A damned psychologist as the Commander of his ship. What had gotten into him? And how did she know about the glass? He shook his head at his own foolishness. Bu still, he couldn’t wait to get underway.

The Prometheus-class freighters were designed during the period of stable galactic trade before the great expansion. They were used extensively throughout Alliance areas as a reliable and safe method of cargo delivery.

The most famous of the Prometheus-class was the Pegasus, which was used by a group of explorers to visit uncharted regions beyond the rim in the first 10-year mission that kicked off the great expansion. The Pegasus was a third-generation Promethus-class freighter with minor improvements but the same basic structure.

Because the Prometheus-class was developed during a period of great stability, it had limited weaponry, but could survive aggression through a unique built-in ten-fold redundancy that allowed the ship to break into up to 10 pieces. This would make it hard for a single aggressor to target the ship, and even if one or two of the pieces were destroyed, the majority of the ship could survive to reunite and continue the voyage.

It was this feature that prompted the explorers to choose the Pegasus for their exploratory mission.

Very few Prometheus-class vessels still survive. The Prometheus itself has eight of its ten units preserved in the Space Freighter Museum on Terra, though most engine parts and much of the guidance systems were scavenged for other ships before the museum took possession.

The Pegasus is the only completely intact freighter of its kind, still technically in service at the Ionian shipyards, but in essence, not more than a tourist destination. Its engines power up but it is no longer considered safe to fly.

Beyond these two vessels, five of the units of the Proteus, the first official first-generation ship (Prometheus considered a prototype) exist at the Centauri Station History Museum. Three units of the Palau (a third-generation ship) are preserved at the Smithsonian on Terra. An estimated 17 single units of various freighters still exist in smaller museums, or in some cases as operating local shuttles.

Prometheus-class architecture
The freighter strung together 10 separable units in series. From outside, the ship appeared as a long 10-segment single ship. A central unit (exact position depended on the generation and could be customised) served as the main bridge and command center. Two more units, usually at either side, served as barracks. The remaining units were devoted to cargo space, though the unused space in the Bridge and Habitation Units could also carry cargo.

Each non-bridge unit had a small command center with space for Navigation, Ops, Engineering, and Tactics. These would be used to fly the units when separated from the bridge unit. Each non-habitation unit had a compressed habitation area that could unfold to a larger habitation area. Each unit also had its own engine, life support, fluids, etc. The entire freighter was equipped with light weaponry, which could be customised to be distributed equally among the units, or concentrated in the bridge unit.

The engine crystals ran in series throughout the ship. Every unit could house both a central drive crystal and a smaller supplemental crystal. They all worked in series to relay propulsion through the ship until they vented out the aft unit. A freighter’s chief engineers could choose to put central drives in each unit, but few could afford the expense. More commonly, a central drive would be placed in a cargo unit dubbed the Engine unit. The other units would carry supplemental crystals. A unit with a supplemental crystal could fly for 4 months before needing replenishment. A central crystal could carry a single unit almost indefinitely.

Along with propulsion, fluids, other fuels, exhausts, and life support ran in a series of closeable piping throughout the ship. At the junctions between the units, all pipes could be matched to the next unit or redirected back through an auxiliary system within the unit. Each unit also had emergency stores, hydroponics capability and other essential life support.

Separation protocols
To be viable as a defense mechanism, separation had to be fast and flexible. On the mechanical side, a sheet-wall system could close off propulsion and fluids and redirect them within the units contained systems in less than 10 seconds. Electromagnets forced mechanical couplings aside in under 10 seconds. Generally given the command to separate, the units could disengage from one another and fly significant distances apart in under 30 seconds.

The more difficult part of separation was the personnel aspect. All units were connected by a five-lane conveyor. The lanes closest to the deck moved slowly but each lane closer to the hull moved twice as fast as the one before it. The fifth lane moved at a breakneck speed to provide fast transport. Protocol called for all units to have personnel trained in piloting and engineering stationed within them at all times. In addition, tactical and ops officers were to be no more than two units away from assigned units. They had less than 20 seconds after an alarm to whip down the conveyor to their unit before separation.

Captains of Prometheus-class freighters could choose to separate into all 10 units or smaller amounts of multiple units, known as segments. The most common use of this function was not in defense, but for delivery efficiency. When entering a system, the captain might order the freighter broken into three segments, with each segment delivering goods to a different destination. The segments would then return to an agreed on port to reunite after all deliveries were made.

Defensive moves
The most successful use of the Prometheus-class separation feature as a defense mechanism was by the Pegasus. Even before their famous ten-year mission, the Pegasus crew was well-known as the best-trained in separation protocol. They took pride in a 15-second separation time, even for crew. This high level was necessary because of the more dangerous deliveries the Pegasus took. During its ten-year mission, the Pegasus developed this protocol to an astounding efficiency. Between crew training and engineering improvements, the Pegasus achieved 10-second separation on a few occasions.

Most Prometheus-class freighters were not this well trained and separation was usually achieved in the 40-second range. This accounted for the high level of unit loss when freighters were attacked. While this may seem disappointing, before the Prometheus-class, freighters had a 10% survival rate after pirate attack. With the Prometheus-class freighter, you could sacrifice units and still deliver the majority of the cargo, which was a vast improvement over total loss of a ship. Survival rate of pirate attack improved to 70% overall and 90% among Prometheus-class vessels.

The decline of Prometheus-class
After the great expansion, freighter companies began to favor heavily armed, faster single freighters over the Prometheus-class. The separable unit feature still survives in some freighters ability to separate into three or four pieces on short notice, but the engine and armament requirements prevent modern freighters from having the flexibility and speed of separation the Prometheus-class had.

The last Prometheus-class vessel to engage in an actual cargo run is thought to be the Pegasus delivering medical supplies to Orgon VI.

More from Tales of The Grey. For those who’ve said they’re a bit confused by the whole thing, this piece introduces the world.

“There are those placed unknowingly in the world. Here and there without conscious knowledge of their charge they carry out the duties that carry the world. They are burdened and sometimes they break. They are mad. They are wise. They are genius. They are unknown protectors of our age. The wisdom they impart preserves the balance of the world and prevents its destruction. You will know them by the far off look in their grey eyes. Pity them for they know not what drives them. But only that it is hard and they are weary.” – The Book of the Grey

There are few of us left now. Empowered with our technology we don’t feel as alone as we are. Across the great continent we fly in minutes. To rest, we journey to Lune and often sit and listen for word from the others. It has been thousands of years since we heard from them. We hold little hope.

For adventure we visit the empty planets. The great mines of Martz and the outpost of Io memorialize the great ages of science long in the ancient past that teemed with men.

We fixate on history now. The sun will die soon and all those with the will to escape have left. Whether we claim a duty to history or lack the will, we stay on.

Legends of all levels of believability fascinate us. Especially those of the ‘Kindred.’

The tales come in various guises. The Kindred appear under many names, but always with certain hallmarks.

They resemble man in form but there is always something different about the eyes. Some are described as black almonds, some fiery orbs, some as sparkling. But it is always the eyes that distinguish them.

They appear ancient and wise originating from or inhabiting a world apart from men.

They cannot resist concern with man’s fate and wish to help without interfering. They work in secrecy, only revealing themselves to a few.

They appear in our most ancient histories and myths and we busy ourselves in these final days with our study and search for them. They may not exist at all. Which makes them perfect for our purposes. They fascinate enough to hold our interest with little promise that we’ll discover their secret and leave us with nothing to pass the time.

—-
And so it was that the remnant of man now wise and long-lived sought for the remnant of the Kindred who dwelled among them still, in the heart of the great forests.

As man had changed to sad and wise, so too the remnant of the Kindred had changed over their long existence. Many had departed. Those who remained had become forgetful and secretive. While they worked no evil, they no longer cared for men or history and had become rapt creatures of nature and the moment, wishing only not to be disturbed from their reverie. They were impatient and quickly angered at anyone or anything that needlessly kept them from their pursuits.

——

This is a short work in the universe of a book I’ve been working on called “Tales of the Grey.” I plan to post more from this work sporadically and eventually weave it into a whole collection.

“This is immortality,” Druren waved is arm at the room of suffering bodies.
People lay on 60 some beds in various states of distress. A man without legs sat quietly listening to music. Next to him a woman with an abscess on her neck moaned softly, occasionally rubbing at the wound. In a corner under a sound dampening field a man without any limbs and covered in sores sat screaming.
“The man in the dampening field is a candidate for euthanasia at this point,” Druren shook his head. “Sadly most all the rest are not.”
Firrenne ad asked to see the room in preparation of her defense. She would have to overcome this obstacle to the continued legalisation of the drug Methuselec.
“Where do they go from here?” she asked.
“They are evaluated, treated, and exported. Most to the moon, where the lower gravity can ease their suffering. Sometimes to family arrangements, whee a loved one can care for them. A small amount request suspended animation. The rest end up in Bangalore.”
Firrenne shook her head. She knew of the hospice in Bangalore that attended to the unwanted sick. It was the last great concentration of human suffering, populated heavily by those who sought immortality. “How many go there?”
“Less than five percent. I send no more than, oh.– I’d say – ten a year, tops.”
“Dr. Druren, may I ask you a question then?”
“Of course. Off the record?”
“Yes. Although I may wish to depose you on it later, your answer now is only for ,y background. Do you think Methuselec should no longer be manufactured?”
Druren let out a low sigh. “Yes and no. It is a drug with a false promise. One series of doses over three months has the permanent effect of making you immortal. But it can regenerate you or cure disease. It essentially only ensures brain function. That means the vast majority of those who take it will end up here. Instead of a natural death they will have untold prolonged suffering until they choose euthanasia. I do not think anyone shold ever take Methuselec. But if the manufacturer is ordered to cease making it, then it will be made anyway and made worse.”
“So what do you think the answer is?”
“Bureaucracy Ms. Firrenne. I think in this case paperwork could save many. Make the procedure laborious. Make it tedious. Make enough successful applications that a black market will not arise, but make it boring to try to get. That will cut the amount of users more effectively than any law.”

Jorreck saw smoke on the horizon and his heart leaped. He finally had made it to the Eastern Reaches. The thought of seeing another person filled him with relief and dread. His hope of finally ending his loneliness had been the only thing to keep him going in the last few weeks. However, he wondered if after months in the wilderness, whether he could even relate to another person.
The last time he had seen another was by the reflecting pools at the beginning of his wandering. She had been on Rambla for six weeks and fittingly, he was the first person she saw on her return. She shared some tips and tales of how she got by, but he did not let on that he planned to make, not just a normal Rambla in the wilderness, but a trek straight across the great continent from the Western to the Eastern Reaches. It was a journey of about an hour if flying by car, but interminable on foot. To his knowledge no one had done so. He had told no one he was going to try.
He equipped himself with only a spice stick. This would be sufficient to construct shelters, hunt for food, and in extreme cases turn organic material into constituent proteins necessary for survival. The only thing it couldn’t do really, was create water. For that he wore what was archaically called spacesuit. It had been designed for long trips when humans still plied their way through the stars. The suit covered the entire body and reclaimed all water, minerals, and other excrements, filtered them and returned them to the body.
The woman at the reflecting pools had preferred to call hers by the more poetic name of ‘stilsuit’ referring to the ancient tales of the poet Herbert who presaged such a device in his epics. Spacesuits were very popular amongst those heading out on a Rambla. Most ventured out alone for only a month or two. If one started out properly hydrated, a spacesuit could allow one to go for eight weeks without having to add water. The main water loss came from the thinner membrane across the eyes, and any time the mouth flap was opened to eat.
Since Jorreck planned to be gone for some time past eight weeks, he had also carried a repair kit and spare filters for the suit. This had made the woman at the reflecting pools think him paranoid, and laugh at him.
“Why not carry an emergency beacon instead?” she asked. He had agreed it was much more sensible and left it there himself.
Over the course of is trek Jorreck had to fix his spacesuit seven times and replace the filters five. He thought about the woman every time. He also recharged the water pockets directly from any natural water source he found. However since he passed through great deserts, he found that the suit could continue for as many as 12 weeks without a recharge if sensibly maintained and with some clever eating habits that minimized water loss.
At first the trek had provided him with exactly what he sought. He confronted a world of unknowns. Unknown dangers, strange animals, uncharted terrain all challenged him. But after several months even that became mundane. He first noticed his apathy against novelty when he was attacked by a tiger. Tigers were very rare, and mostly kept in museums. However he had reacted by simply shocking it with the spice stick as he did any other threatening animal. He wondered if the spice stick itself cheated him of his goal.
Still, a great surprise still awaited him and he relished it. He had no maps and had only kept his eastern course by reckoning against the sun. He had no idea what settlement he would come upon when got to the smoke. In a world where people had protected themselves against every danger, he relished this uncertainty. And that is why he had done this. To finally experience real uncertainty again. Uncertainty not only of location but of survival. He had to work to survive. And he didn’t know what was coming next.
The trail he was on opened into a clearing and his heart sunk. A camera.
A crowd let out a great cheer. Several of his good friends rushed towards him. And a camera recorded him.
“Jorreck! You made it. You’ve become quite a celebrity!”
Welcome banners lit up the air and soft celebratory music wafted in.
Journalists respectfully allowed his friends to welcome him while noting his every expression.
“A look of bewilderment crossed the mad trekkers face….”
“Overwhelmed by the joy and relief…”
After things settled down and Jorreck had half-heartedly granted some interviews he sat and enjoyed the luxury of disconnecting the head unit from his spacesuit and ate a hot meal.
One of his oldest friends, Armiel, asked him what he would do now.
“I think I’m going back the way I came.”
They laughed at his joke, but the laughter died off suddenly as they realized he was serious.
“What do you mean? After what you put us through? Tracking yo for months, watching you attacked by all manner of animals, including a tiger! You can’t put us through that again. It’s not fair. It won’t be taken well. You’ll be seen as selfish. Spotlight-hogging!”
“You’re right,” Jorreck said to their great relief. But he got up immediately and went off to confer with an engineer friend who had stayed quiet through the previous conversation.
“I think you understand me Halion,” said Jorreck.
“I do. I’ll have it to you by morning.”
The next day a great press brunch was set, after which Jorreck would make the one hour car flight back to a welcome celebration in the Western Reaches. Jorreck did not arrive for the brunch, and he could not be found anywhere.
Eventually Halion arrived at the brunch and after considerable trouble getting anyone to listen to him, delivered a recorded message from Jorreck.
The message was recorded life-size and so was positioned on the podium were he ad been expected to speak for real earlier. All broadcasts focused in on the recorded Jorreck.
“Thank you for your hospitality. I do mean that. But I must go. I left on this trek privately in order to be able to live my life on my own terms. I did that, until the end. When arrived I had hoped to surprise some small settlement and make my way back into society and build on what I had learned. What I found is that I had not accomplished anything. My spice stick had protected me from real experience on my trek, and the inability to hide from anyone on this planet, protected me from anonymity.
So I’m headed back into the wilderness without a spice stick, but with a life-signs cloak, a knife and a few more crude instruments. Please do not look for me unless you do it on foot and in person. I do not wish to be found again by technology. I aim to head back to the Western Reaches, but I will not go directly. This time I plan to stop along the way and enjoy the varied treasures of the wilderness. At different points, I will stop for weeks or months. Do not expect me back. I may die. But if I do, know that I died finding meaning in my life. Good-bye.”
And so began the legend of Jorreck the Wanderer. It is said that he still journeys, and many on Rambla claim to have encountered him, learned from his experiences, and benefited from his aid. All who claim so agree that his one message back to the rest of what’s left of the world is that he still aims to deliver one final surprise. But he will not let on what that may be.

In honor of the idea that copyright should expire after 14 years, I’ve dedicated the 1993 articles of the SuBBrilliant News archive into the public domain.

The 1993 issues were printed and distributed on paper, originally in Champaign-Urbana and then after July in Austin, Texas. They were also sold as a collection in the late 1990s at the FringeWare Book Store in Austin. (Ahh FringeWare. How I miss you.)

Anyway, 14 years is what the old copyright law used to be and what one study says the optimal term of copyright should be. In support of that notion, I’m making the text of the original 1993 issues public domain. I’d make the images PD too, except they were all clip artIstole, so I probably don’t have the right to do so.

You can find the archive here.

I probably won’t make 1994 Public Domain, as I can’t freakin’ find any of those stories. They were written up in email and distributed from my CCSI email account. That account is long gone as are the stories sent through it.But if you do find any of them, (One was about Santa and Jerry Garcia as I recall) by all means consider them yours to do with what you will. Just drop me a line if you would. I’d love to see them again.

The United Moon Colonies are a federation of 12 of the 13 moon colonies plus the two lunar research stations at Tranquility and Houston de la luna. It was founded in M90. Cana is not a member of the UMC but is listed here for completeness. Moon years are expressed as M and then the number of years since the founding of Tranquility. This system is used on the Moon to prevent confusion between Earth and Moon time. The years correspond approximately to a terrestrial year but may have different start and end dates. Also lunar days are 25 hours long.

Tranquility

The first Moon colony founded by an International effort led by NASA. The base was a proof that the concept of a Moon colony could work. It consisted of minimal research facilities and living quarters. It continues today as a museum and tourist attraction. It is considered a settlement rather than a full colony. It used to be goverened by Serenity but transfered to Avalon’s governance in M100. Only museum staff live in the settlement and many staff live in other colonies and commute. The foundation of Tranquility provides the start of Lunar calendar year M1. It is the only colony without a spaceport although if necessary, ships can land in a clearing near the site of the first moon landing in CE1969.

Houston de la luna (M6)

The second Moon colony was founded as a command center and space port. Several space agencies decided further exploration and colonization could only succeed if the Moon had its own version of Earth’s Houston. Houston de la luna was designed to provide that command presence. It still serves as the main space port for ships from Earth. Houston de la luna is also considered a settlement, not a full colony and is goverened by the colony of Armstrong.

Serenity (M13)
The first full-fledged colony on the Moon was built as a university. The University of Luna still operates there and is the major employer in Serenity. It is also the capital of the UMC. Representatives of the 12 colonies signed the Contract of Union here.

Clavius (M15)

The cultural center of the UMC was founded by the European Space Agency as the second full colony on the Moon. While it had been planned alongside Serenity, the success of the University drove many research scientists to Clavius to escape the restrictions of academia. It also provided a path for graduating students. Clavius is now the home of the Union theatre, balllet, opera, and symphony.

New Canaveral (M21)
Canaveral was meant to be a launching off point for Martian missions, and did fly several in its early years. It was the first colony to be planned and built using majority Moon resources. Some raw materials were shipped in from Earth but as much as possible was mined locally. The UMC Air Force is headquartered here rather than in the capital with other armed forces. New Canaveral is also home to the major military academies on the mooon.

Selene (M21)

The Japanese space agency officially founded Selene for additional research capacity.In reality a fight over the colony that became Septendecim led to a colonial race with the ESA that the Japanese won by one year. Selene has grown into the technological heart of the UMC. It is also home to the most-used space port outside of Houston de la luna.

Septendecim (M22)
When Japan left the Imbrium project, The ESA renamed it the latin word for 17. The number was steeped in Celtic mythology and was used for luck as well as to represent the number of countries still participating. Some say Septendecim needs all the luck it can get. The colony has often faced economic difficulties and has recently tried to promote itself as a vacation spot in competition with the very popular Avalon colony. Casinos and entertaining night spots have helped some. Septendecim is the only colony with any significant crime problem. It also has an incredibly vibrant independent music and literature scene.

Trudolubie (M25)
The manufacturing center of the UMC has grown well beyond its Russian roots but still retains a distinctively Russian flavour in architecture. It is often called by its nickname ‘Little Moscow’ which some resident find easier to pronounce than Trudolubie. The colony space port handles almost all direct freight and cargo flights to Earth.

Chang-Ngo (M25)
When China announced plans for Chang-Ngo in M3 they aimed to build the best and most self-sufficient colony on the Moon. They absolutely succeeded in building the most beautiful of the colonies. The colony dome is the only one on the moon that is entirely translucent. The city looks as if it was carved from ivory. Stunning views are around every corner. However, it does not promote itself as a tourist option. The colonial government has instead encouraged business and finance. Chang-Ngo is therfore called the second city as it’s number 2 in business and tourism.

Armstrong (M29)

The final NASA colony seems older than it is as it was originally planned along with
Serenity and New Canaveral. Moon colonization had succeeded far beyond expectations and Armstrong had to play catchup. However it has grown into the economic capital of the UMC. A far-sighted enterpeneur named Sally Floyd volunteered for colonization in the then relatively cheap Armstrong expedition and immediately started a stock exchange. The Floyd Center is now the heart of the UMC financial system and houses the UMC bank.

Ahsaas (M29)

Known as Hollywood on the Moon, Earth tourists make it a point to spend a few days in Ahsaas to see the stars under the stars. Few know that the colony was never expected to succeed. India planned and built it in four years. In addition to hit movies, Ahsaas also provides a remarkable 25 percent of the UMC’s natural foods.

Avalon (M30)

The top UMC vacation hotspot is often decried as shallow and crass, but the numbers say people love it there. Canada founded it with the intention of providing a great place for recreation. They haven’t failed. 9 lakes, 150 hotels, hundreds of restaurants and shops, and more, populate the seemingly endless Avalon complex. The colony’s slogan “You’ll get what you want” isn’t far off the mark.

Tollan (M35)

Mexico originally meant Tollan to be an additional vacation spot but it has since grown into the agriclutural center for the UMC, producing 40 percent of the Moon’s food. It is also acknowledged, logically enough, to be the home of the finest restaurants in the UMC.

Rafiki (M36)

The colonial government calls it the “Animal Colony”. Residents just call it home. The UMC National Zoo is here and it’s also home the highest concentration of pets and vets. But the most striking thing about Rafiki is how comfortable people look and act. Residents of Rafiki take the fewest trips out of town than any other UMC colony.

Cana (M40)

This is the only colony not a member of the UMC. It is however still a member of the MCA (Moon Colony Association) the predecessor of the UMC. Through that membership it maintains integration and coordination and trade with UMC colonies, while retaining its independence. Cana was founded as a religious utopia but has broadened out into a less singularly-focused colony. It still boasts the highest conecntration of churches on the Moon.

Minor settlements

From one day to the next, minor settlements start up and close down on the moon. There are an estimated average of 550 minor settlements in operation at any given time. These settlements engage in water and mineral mining, exploration, research, astronomy, and even some archaeology. Over 90 percent of these settlements are operated by the UMC, though some are operated by Terran nations and a handful are under Cana’s control.

New colonies
No new permanent colonies have been attempted since Ambrosius in both M45 by the ESA and the same site and name again in M100 by the UMC. Both times the colony never got past the temporary stage because of lack of interest. While Armstrong and other colonies complain of overcrowding, some colonies have plenty of space and handle overflow from these crowded colonies quite well. Within 200 years the UMC estimates two more colonies will become an imperative, but as yet demand remains low. Permanency of settlement at the Ambrosius site is considered a prerequiste for attempting new colonies again. While the settlement has experienced longer term settlements over the past few decades, the last run of six years just ended when the site was vacated by the Chicago Water Mining Company. No new tenants have yet been found.

Transit System

Colonies are connected by spaceport or train. Most colonies have a spaceport capable of handling lunar ships and in some cases ships from Earth, though most Terrestrial-originated ships land at Houston de la luna.

The two main transit links are the Moon Metro (MM) and Lunar Link (LL). Most UMC residents refer to them as M and L. The UMC is unusual in allowing two competing public transit systems to operate two independent rail systems.

The L system runs in a cross-hatch between all the colonies with only spur links to Cana and Tranquility. The M system uses a hub and spoke system with long haul direct lines between far points of the system including Tranquility but Cana is only on a spur.

If you ask two different UMC residents how to make sense of the transit system you’ll likely get two different answers. Only UMC natives seem to be able to make any sense out which system to take when and which ride is cheapest, however either one can get you reliably from one place to another.

The Moon Colony Association (MCA)
The MCA was founded to coordinate logistical needs between the different colonies to expedite cooperation between the parent government of the various settlements. Colonies were left to govern themselves accordingly, and the MCA resolved disputes between colonies and organised cooperation for transit, trade, and eventually currency.

MCA members developed a sense of unity in the forum that eventually led to a separation movement after the Armstrong incident.

When the colonies met in M90 to found the UMC they met as the MCA. Cana, Armstrong and Chang-Ngo voted against founding the union, fearing it would be bad for the lunar economy among other things. However Armstrong and Chang-Ngo agreed to honor the decision of the group, while Cana objected on moral grounds and refused to join the UMC. Armstrong, Chang-Ngo, and Cana continued to meet as the MCA, and the two UMC colonies acted as liasion to Cana during those tumultuous times. Eventually the UMC government agreed to send a representative to meet with Cana as the MCA and continue coordination between the lone colony and the united ones. Cana is now an independent colony with its own government, currency, and customs.