Driving Forces

The ship emerged from the depths of space and approached the Solar System. It was a huge rectangular block — almost half the volume of Pluto  —  with a smooth, metallic-looking surface. In its quiet interior, the Machines experienced a dreamless sleep.

One would think they were turned off, but that would be hasty. Although made of metal, the Machines were complex structures that could reproduce, think, plan. In short, no human would hesitate to accept that they were alive — whatever that meant — and therefore only sleeping.

They slept because crossing space is like crossing a desert. An incredibly monotonous void populated by scant clusters of matter — like oases — separated by immense distances. Navigating between them is incredibly time consuming, so the Machines had the ability to completely cease their activity, including their internal processes, to save energy.

They entered the heliosphere. The first gusts of solar wind awakened thousands of those beings from their millennial sleep. Long-unused circuits were activated, causing electricity to travel through each piece of the huge block, generating an explosion of light and movement. There was a sharp slowdown.

As among humans, there was some individuality there. A division of tasks could be identified. The exchange of information took place by radio waves. Part of this communication had a meaning that was relatively easy to translate into words, although it was very efficient precisely for not using them.

"We have reached a star. Normal ship integrity" reported the first individuals to resume their duties.

"The star corresponds to the forty-second planned stop," added the next batch to wake up. "Star within expected specifications: medium size, middle age, orbited by rocky and gaseous planets. Asteroids and comets in profusion. Reasonable amount of metals in orbit, enabling extraction but not colonization. Nuclear activity of the star allows energy collection".

The checks continued, each task being performed as more individuals neatly woke up. All in a fraction of a second. Communication waves ensured that each individual knew exactly what the others were doing and could correctly decide what to do. Like an orchestra without a conductor. Like cells in an embryo. Or rather, like neurons in a brain. Each such individual, however, had within itself a processing power superior to all the brains and terrestrial computers assembled.

The line between thinking and communicating was blurry. Virtually everything that went on in each individual mind became collective knowledge. Unlike the world they were about to encounter, this was an environment where there were no feelings to hide, facial expressions to control, lies to verify.

Then they came across the first clues on the planet where all this existed. The news quickly spread.

"All data received from this solar system are in agreement with the observations made at departure except for unknown patterns of radio waves emanating from the third planet," some individuals soon discovered.

After a moment of confabulation, which took milliseconds, the collective decision was made:

"Start research."

So the ship quickly crossed the Kuiper Belt, then passed through the orbits of Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter. Its mass interfered with the trajectory of some bodies of the Asteroid Belt. It parked near the orbit of Mars, from where it began to scan the Earth with powerful sensors capable of perceiving matter and energy much more accurately than any existing sensory organ or measuring instrument on the observed planet.

Even with their weaker senses, Earth astronomers soon realized the approach of the object. It was large and emitted electromagnetic radiation in inexplicable patterns. Moreover, its surface strongly reflected sunlight and its trajectory did not follow the Newtonian Laws of celestial mechanics. What eyes and ears could not perceive was easily captured by space probes and antennae planted in the ground. Excitement gradually increased and many coffee mugs crashed to the floor as telescopes showed a photograph of a giant rectangle with perfect right angles.