Encounters 1: The Spiral Slayers (37 page)

Leewood cleared his throat and said softly, “Please, get on
with it, Bugs.”

The robot’s head slowly turned toward Leewood. Its shoulders
seemed to slump. The words came slowly. “Yes, well then...we call them the
Spiral Slayers.”

---

 Early in the day, Evelyn had tried to reach the Secretary of
Defense – they had planned to go over how best to get the other shipyards up to
speed. However, Thornton’s communicator had been set to unavailable. She tried
to reach him through President Wicker as he had been the one to task them with
this endeavor the day before…but the President was also unavailable. With
today’s meeting canceled, it would have been an ideal day to get through this.

Likewise, upon hearing of the cancelation, Brandon had wanted
to take the opportunity to take Bugs on a tour of the battleship’s cannons as
well as the fighter’s guns and cannons. But all his attempts to reach Bugs or Adamarus
had come to not.

---

Adamarus asked, "Where are they from, Bugs?"

The avatar turned from Leewood to Adamarus, "We don't
know."

Leewood jumped in. "Well then, where have you
encountered them?"

"Until this one showed up, the closest one we'd detected
was located 1.8 million light years from here and..."

"Wait, wait..." Van Loader yelled standing up and
shaking his head, "that's ridiculous! That's outside our galaxy!" he
said in a mocking tone.

"Yes," Bugs acknowledged.

Leewood asked in disbelief, "This alien is from another
galaxy?"

 Bugs stared at the group for many seconds, then
"Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning."

---

As the morning wore on, it had become evident to Evelyn and
Brandon that Leewood, Harrington, Adamarus, Radin, Dr. Donnelly and Dr. Van
Loader had all vanished into thin air and all had their communicators set to “unavailable.” 
Also, President Wicker as well as the Secretary of Defense could not be
reached.

Brandon had shrugged it all off and decided to get some of
the paperwork cleared off his desk. He had told Evelyn that perhaps most of
them were down in the Atrium helping with the weather problem and Evelyn had
nodded and gone to her office.

She was uneasy and a little angry.
Was there some party
they'd not been invited to?
She tried to focus on her own stack of
paperwork and put the situation out of her mind.

---

"Exactly 827 years ago, our astronomers conducted a
survey called OU Active Distribution -- the ‘OU’ standing for Observable
Universe. A simple endeavor. They would choose 24 small areas distributed
evenly within the sphere of the observable universe, and in each of those areas,
they would count the number of galaxies and then note how many were active.
This would determine a rough percentage for active galaxies within the observable
universe. However, an odd thing was discovered. Two survey areas in the extreme
galactic Northwest had a much higher percentage of active galaxies -- roughly 160
percent.

"Everything we knew about the universe said this had to
be some fluke related to the sample areas that were chosen. So new sample areas
were selected, but we found the same anomaly. This wasn't a fluke. Something
was seriously wrong. Does everyone understand what I've told you so far?"

President Wicker, who was the only person without much
science, said, "I'm not sure I understand why something was seriously
wrong."

Bugs faced him. "Everything we know about the universe
says that every part of it, especially over large areas, should be about the
same. For a rather large area of the observable universe to differ so much is pretty
much impossible under current theories."

"I see," Wicker said nodding.

"This anomaly became the focus of all our research for
it challenged all that we thought we knew.  Systematic surveys continued --
understand, we're talking about a huge area. It would take a very long time to
actually check the entire area. Extrapolating from the data we had from over
700 years of widespread sampling, we mapped out what we believed the visible
portion of the anomalous area looked like. The results were shocking. The area
encompassed about 6 percent of the observable universe. It stretched from the
edge of the observable universe to the center...where we are...where it pointed
at us."

Everyone was stunned.

However, President Wicker was astounded by the wrong thing. He
asked, "Out of the entire universe, why...how could we be the ones pointed
at?!"

Adamarus explained to him that this was only due to the way
light traveled. "Because of the distances involved, anywhere in front of
the affected area would see the area in this shape and pointed right at them."

The President asked a second question, "Bugs, you
emphasized 'the visible portion.’ What did you mean?" 

Bugs replied, "Optically we can only see a very small
portion of the affected area because light from the vast majority of surrounding
space has not yet had enough time to reach us."

Adamarus asked, "What about the Tachyon scope?"

Bugs nodded. "Active galaxies can release vast amounts
of energy and so the Tachyon scope can reveal these at great distances. Still,
these distances are tiny next to the size of the affected area. When the data
from the Tachyon scope was analyzed for traces of these distant active galaxies,
what emerged was predictable though still shocking. Instead of the point, it
showed that the forward edge of the anomalous area was pretty much a flat
plane.

"When we factored in all this data plus, when the
galaxies went active, variations in the number of active galaxies, and how the
universe is expanding, we could extrapolate the probable shape and size of the
affected area and how it was spreading."

Everyone in the room leaned forward completely engrossed in
what the Loud was telling them. At this moment no one was thinking of the huge
black hole coming at them.

At this point, Bugs set a small cube on the conference table
and a large hologram appeared over its head.

Immediately there were gasps and exclamations of
"Fuck!" and "Holy shit!" It showed a sphere representing
the observable universe with the “area” shown in red.

Bugs said, "Yes, it is quite unbelievable. Absolutely
astonishing really. As you can see, the anomalous area resembles an incredibly
large cone which is progressing through the expanse of the universe observable
to us. It is expanding as it goes and is moving forward at roughly 98 percent
of light speed. As shown, one side of this cone extends beyond the edge of the
observable universe. Working backwards we surmise that this construct first came
into existence about 20 billion light years outside the observable universe
around 200 million years after the formation of galaxies. Where it enters our
observable portion of the universe, its diameter is about 22 billion light
years. It has proceeded to a point halfway through the observable universe and
now has a diameter of about 60 billion light years. Our galaxy is getting caught
by the forward edge of this expanding cone."

Bugs paused to let all of this sink in.

"It is important to note that this area is not a cloud,
that is, the additional active galaxies only come into existence when the
leading edge passes over the area. After the leading edge has passed, the number
of new active galaxies returns to normal. The forward edge creating the
anomalous area seemed to have no width and whatever was there affecting the
galaxies was not visible. It was like a flat, dark rounded veil 60 billion
light years in diameter creeping through the universe causing random spiral galaxies
to become active."

The assembly was speechless. The implications were so
overwhelming that it seemed to fill a person up like a flask of water that had
already started overflowing. The faucet stayed on, the water kept coming, but
it no longer had an effect because a person had already taken in all that they
could.

The president, due to his lack of scientific education, did
not yet realize the magnitude of the Louds' discovery and was not as stunned as
the rest. He asked, "When will this...dark veil reach us?"

Bugs moved closer to the screen Wicker was on. "The veil
is just passing over us now."

Everyone started talking in low voices.

Van Loader was asking Donnelly, "Why haven't we noticed
something this significant?"

"I can't really see a way we could notice it without
doing the same survey, and we haven't."

Bugs paused, checking the vital signs and emotional
indicators he was monitoring. As he suspected, the two scientists were in a
state of shock. The rest would be there soon.

Bugs interrupted the chatter. "We discovered more."
Instantly there was silence. "The active galaxies this creeping dark veil
was creating were very different from the standard types. The giant black hole
at the center of these galaxies was not just brimming with increased energy, it
had actually exploded. Most or perhaps all the matter it contained had been
released and was spreading outward through the galaxy's spiral arms."

Bugs looked at Wicker, "Understand, Mr. President, when
I say exploded, I speak of an explosion that takes an average of about 300,000
years to expand from the galactic center to the rim."

Bugs spread his arms out, "Please try to understand, Mr.
President, that the size and scope of all we've been discussing is...beyond
anything that any of us can appreciate or grasp."

Adamarus felt a dizziness ripple through him. He was reminded
of driving an automobile which was stopped at an intersection -- suddenly the
vehicle next to you rolls backwards and, for a second, you experience a strange
sensation and think you are moving forward. He shook his head to clear it --
remembered their original purpose.
How did all of this relate to the black
hole coming at them?

Bugs was still talking to Wicker, "The anomalous area
first entered our observable universe over 12 billion years ago." Bugs
paused to let that sink in. "The age of the universe is only 13.75 billion
years. Whatever it is, Mr. President, it's been coming at us since the dawn of
time."

Adamarus felt his hand slip off the table. The room seemed to
tilt.
Did Bugs just say what he think he said?
He had to focus. He
forced himself to concentrate on the four-foot robot's words.

Unfortunately, that was the moment when the other shoe fell.

"It was only about 250 years ago that we detected the
first black hole leaving one of the exploding galaxies."

Everyone stared blankly at the avatar, not yet catching on. The
alien had just sealed the top of the flask.

"Then about 200 years ago, we discovered a second black
hole traveling towards the center of a nearby galaxy." 

Everyone sat up a little straighter, their eyes a little
wider. Somehow water continued to flow into the sealed flask, but now it had
nowhere to go.

"We have found and are now tracking over 100 of these
objects -- they're rather hard to detect at the distances involved. All of them
are located at the leading edge of the affected area within this dark veil.
They are traveling just below the speed of light in the direction of the
spreading anomalous area. All of them are leaving clusters with newly exploding
galaxies and are headed for the next galactic cluster. Obviously these black
holes are the dark veil. And all of them are identical to the one approaching
us now."

Water cannot be compressed regardless of how much pressure is
applied. Therefore, despite the strength of the container, it must give.

For a full minute there was silence. Again everyone was
speechless. Then people started talking in awed, shocked voices. The words were
staggered and laced with hysteria. Bugs just watched. The voices became louder
and more panicked until the room was in chaos. Everyone was yelling at the same
time...at each other...at Bugs...at the President. The bedlam increased until
Van Loader exploded from his seat, causing both the conference table and his
chair to issue a loud screeching sound as they slid apart.

He shrieked above the uproar, silencing the room. "What
you are telling us is...just...not...possible!" He slammed his fists on
the table. "It is not possible..." he flung his arms in the air, his
voice now hysterical, "...for
anything
to destroy an entire
galaxy!" He took a deep breath, regaining some composure, then squinting
at the robot with a knowing smirk, he started wagging a finger and shaking his
head. The tone of his panic-stricken words rose and fell. "None of this is
possible! This is because, my fine metal robot," he spread his arms wide
and jumped backward knocking over his chair, "the universe is expanding...and
it is expanding
faster
than the speed of light!
And therefore...
nothing
traveling at less than light speed can ever transverse the universe as you
suggest!”

There was complete silence. Most realized that Van Loader was
correct.

Bugs had turned to him. It calmly replied, "Yes. You are
correct and that is still one of the many mysteries we are pondering, Dr. Van
Loader. But, that is what the data shows. And, I fear, we have more
unexplainable data for your...consideration...much more."

---

Three hours later…

The double doors opened and Dr. Van Loader walked hurriedly out
of the conference room, hands over his mouth, his eyes closed. He proceeded straight
across the hall and banged into the opposite wall. Then he slid down the wall to
the floor and started throwing up.

Dr. Bradford Donnelly burst through the doors, looked around,
saw him then rushed over and kneeled beside him.

Next, Radin came out. His eyes were red and it was obvious he
was in a barely contained rage. He paused and absently watched Donnelly help
Van Loader up.