Union's End
by
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Earl slowly removed his helmet remembering his last visit to Canada, as soon as he stepped off the plane he went into anaphylactic shock from one or more of the pollens that were prevalently floating in the air at that time of the season. He hesitated, holding his breath, then took a deep breath saying to himself ‘If I’m going to die in here lets make it fast’. The air was fresh and had no smell at all, almost as if it were totally sterile. They both froze "Welcome home sir." The voice came out of the very air around them, from somewhere in the room they were in. Charlie said as he looked around "Who are you?" There was no response, so he said it again "Who are you?" still no response. "What the hell is going on here?" Earl said as he pulled at Charlie’s arm. The voice said "It has been a long time sir, and there has been a development in the core that needs immediate attention. It will go critical unless we can get some more water into the field tanks soon." They both stared at each other for a moment then Charlie said, "Why do you need water in the core?" They waited for a response but none came. Earl looked at Charlie and made a motion with his hand to keep quiet. Then he motioned that he was going to talk. "Why do you need water in the core?" "Because the water level has fallen much lower than the safety margin allows, the core will collapse in on itself. We will ceases to exist if the water dissipation continues without check." The voice was smooth and sounded like a normal human. Earl motioned for Charlie to ask something "What kind of core is it that would need water?" They waited for a response again and none came. Earl motioned again to Charlie to be quiet. "Who are you and where are you?" The voice answered almost immediately "I am Hooper, the controller and if you are asking where my main frame is, it is located on level one hundred thirty six, in section twelve." "So you are a computer that controls this place, and what is this place called?" Earl asked looking around the room and to another doorway that had to lead further inside. "That is correct, and the place you are currently in, is air lock seven assembly room, if that is what you are asking." This time Charlie asked another question "What about my people outside?" There was no response again. "Why is it that you will not answer my friend here?" Earl said towards the ceiling "I was unaware that the being with you was a sentient. My sensors said that you were the only sentient being on the outside and that you entered accompanied by a worker of some sort." Charlie said "That must be why we couldn’t open the door from the outside, it didn’t know we were there until you showed up, it must have automatically opened for you. I wonder how it works," Charlie was babbling and scratching his head. "How it knew you where there, some kind of motion type sensor, maybe. Maybe it looks into you mind to see if you fit a mental image programmed into it." Earl asked "Hooper, is that your name or some kind of designation" "Name, designation, same thing, it was what your predecessor’s called me." "Well, Hooper, how could you tell that I was outside?" "My sensors." "But how do your sensors detect me?" "Your brain patterns are a match to the perimeters that were set forth by those who created me." Earl scratched his head when Charlie slapped him on the shoulder and gave him a grin with a thumbs up that meant to say ‘told you so’ "What about my communications link, why did it go blank when the airlock door closed?" Earl asked. "All outside communications are required to go through central communications, as per my last instructions to a communications blackout." Earl didn’t want the guys outside to blow the door open now and possible cause irreparable damage to this place now that they knew how to get in and out. "Can you reset to accept the brain patterns of all the others outside and to my friend here with me?" Charlie grabbed Earl by the arm and said "Don’t, it might be able to read our minds and you know we can’t let that happen, we’re military men." Earl slapped his hand away, "If it could do that it would all ready be too late, think about it man." As soon as he finished his comments to Charlie, Hooper’s voice continued "It will take a short time to make the adjustments to the systems sensors, but yes, I can if that is what you wish." "Are you able to read my mind, Hooper?" Earl asked. "No. My capabilities are limited to reading the patterns which make up the thought processes in you mind, I can read levels of stress and pain as well as joy and happiness. But that is all, privacy is very important to your people and I have very strict controls on that matter."
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About the Book
Unions End
Through a series of events Earl Donahee finds that he is the only one able to take control of a Generation ship, built millions of years earlier, that holds a power so strong that it could destroy the entire solar system in the blink of an eye. The water that is needed to prevent the disaster is so close and abundant on Earth but getting it to where he needs it will take too much time using conventional ships that it seems there is little hope of success until Sam steps in with a plan that works. Only after the local danger is over, Earl finds out about an outside danger that had never been thought possible or even considered a danger. The massive singularity is returning to destroy the human race again and there is only one option for him to take, one that will lead him into controversy and lead the human race on an adventure some can only dream about.
About the Author
I was born in California in 1960, raised with a military background, and started reading SciFi books at the age of nine. Science has been my passion since then and continues to be a driving force for me. I live to read about what could be not what is "impossible." I watch the Discovery channel and any science channels that cover new developments in technology. It is there that gives me ideas to write, writing is more a hobby for me than a life, but without it life would be boring, nothing to add to dreams of people that love adventure and stories. I retired from the military after twenty plus years of service to our country and enjoyed it for the most part. That was where I was able to see the governmental controls firsthand and to see that the individual person was not important to the overgrown government of today. Opportunities and advancement was only afforded to those that were "in favor" of the current leaders' or supervisors' views. One person can make a difference today, but that one must be heard and books are a way to open up our minds to the possibilities of the future. I see the future, or at least what I would like to see, one without wars and power plays to gain positions in life. Governments have too much power today and control a lot of our lives with little concern for the individuals that have thoughts, imaginations, and dreams that will form the future of mankind. I wrote Unions End with a dream that one-day we could venture to the stars. I feel that the current events with the International Space Station are steps in the right direction, but we are moving much too slow. I believe we need to move faster towards the stars! It is out there that we will find a better life.