The Expansion

The Journey to the Earth

I couldn't fall asleep at night, but I knew I am under control through CCTV, so I closed my eyes. Although I knew it was wrong, I liked to think about Eve. My longing for Eve was not a whim. I hadn't fantasized about holding her hands, kissing or even hugging her. Apart from the day I arrived at the company and shook hands with her, we didn't have any physical contact. My problem was that I felt I had lost something when Eve was not present. It was a strange feeling. Although I didn't believe in soulmate and such bunches of crap, she was really my soulmate. By then, it was only Eve who pacified me. She was behaving in such a way that I couldn't guess what was in his mind. She probably noticed my feelings or the feelings of everybody who loved her, but she might prefer to be loved by all. Her behavior with boys and girls was similar. She behaved everybody nicely. Others loved her too.
There was another problem. I didn't know whether there was anybody among the boys who loved Eve more than I did.
The following morning, Dr. Johnson was waiting for us after breakfast. After the events of the previous day, I would be gripped by fear when I heard his name. He smiled after he saw us and said, “Today I want to make you familiar with the latest and most important invention of the human - the time machine!"
I used to watch science fiction a lot, but it was incredible.
He went on to say, “But not the time machine by the help of which we can move forward and backward in time. Our scientists have conducted a lot of research on the anatomy of the body to find the best conditions under which we can survive. Under these conditions, the body is under the least tension and internal or external pressure. The machine lowers the heart rate as much as possible with the body using the least amount of oxygen and nutrients it needs. It is a stage above sleep and before death!
What advantages does it have?
It prevents the body from aging. With this machine, we decrease wear and tear of the body. The people who have used the machine in Venus for roughly 10 years consumed an amount of energy equal to the amount consumed in 10 days and they were 10 years younger when they came out of the machine compared with the people who were out of the machine.
Noah Company has made great efforts to prepare Earth for survival and I should say that we have advanced well. As predicted, the release of dioxide carbon from beneath the oceans contributed to a rise in the Earth temperature. However, the temperature increases slowly and it is not clear how many decades must pass until the ideal condition prevails. Therefore, we have to put anybody who travels to Earth into this device for two reasons: First, if the temperature rise lasts for hundreds of years, people can survive until then. Second, transfer and storage of life necessities even for the long-term survival of one person requires a large storage space full of food and other stuffs, which is impossible. So, with this method, a small area is required to store the necessities of a single person. We’ve called it ‘the life storage’. In addition, we can send more Venus inhabitants to Earth.”
It was very exciting. We were about to spend a long period of time inside the time machine and, when we step out of it, several generations would have been born and have died.
I was thinking about these things when Sally asked, “What will happen should the machine break down? How can we go out of it? Can’t we reuse the machine if its problem isn't fixed?”
The Doctor said decisively and seriously, “Yes, You are right! This machine has been designed with the latest technology. If something goes wrong, it can be fixed automatically. Meanwhile, you should undergo courses in order to fix the problems which the machine is not able to fix. The machine makes you conscious so that you can solve the problem. If the problem was more complicated, your chance to stay alive is as much as your life storage!
Honestly, I was not going to open the issue here, yet I should explain it now that we opened the issue. The control system of the time machine checks all your physiological needs and satisfies them as required. Should any of you have a problem in his body or even get sick, the machine will deliver drugs without you noticing it. If the disease cannot be treated by drugs, experts from Venus can solve the problem. The machine can even make two other guys conscious to solve the problem of their friends. The guys should be aware of the fact that if everyone's health level is less that twenty percent, the probability of his survival is very low, and the machine will shut down its control system without causing pain to him and his life storage is divided between the survivors based on the priority. Indeed, it was the worst-case scenario. Most probably, nobody will suffer such a fate, and you will soon go out of the machine and continue to live on Earth. Hundreds of scientists have worked on this project so that no trivial problem will occur. So you don't need to worry about anything."
The Doctor left the room. The Doctor described the worst-case scenario, but as I always had an endless sense of adventure, I got surprised by his explanation and liked to enter the time machine very soon. It seemed that other guys’ morale had been improved and nobody was thinking about the likelihood of death.
The other day, the Doctor asked us to go to the workshop. When we enter workshop, we saw Doctor Johnson and some other guys. The whole room was full of strange devices.
As the Doctor saw me, he called on me to go close.
As we got closer, I saw the Doctor standing next to coffin-like boxes. They apparently were made of glass. With a smile on his face, he said, “These boxes are the time machines I talked about. Today, you are to try them for the first time. You will spend a few hours inside them so that the technical team can control the systems. In fact, you will have used these machines several times by the time you travel to Earth about 200 days later, and will get used to them.”
Six sets of garments that looked like diving suits had been taken to the room. Each garment had the name of each guy on it. Six time machines were placed in a row with out names written above them.
The Doctor said, “Why are you waiting? Put them on and get into your machines.”
I was filled with anxiety. My feeling was similar to the time I rode a new device in an amusement park. When I lay inside the machine, two women came over me and fitted some tubes and wires on my suites.
The Doctor said, “Learn how to do the installation. The next time you should do this on your own.”
It was not very complex. When the installation came to an end, the Doctor added, “Please close your eyes and relax. Do not think about anything.”
Then the doors closed. I turned my head to the right to look out of the glass box. I was fortunate that the box next to mine belonged to Eve. She took a glance at me too. In spite of the anxiety we were filled with, we smiled at each other. Meanwhile, a valve under the box opened and the box was quickly filled with water. I felt that the water was a little cold. Instinctively, the cold water prompted me to close my eyes. Immediately I heard a voice. I opened my eyes and saw the door was getting close. Water flew out of the box at the same time. The Doctor said, “Guys! Come out of your machines. Enough for the first time!” That sounded weird. What happened! I thought that the time machine was in trouble! It was unlikely that the test consisted of filling the machine with water and emptying it out!
Other guys felt the same. They asked each other what had happened!
I took a glance at the clock on the wall. As far as I could recalled, we entered the box at 10 in the morning. It was 4 in the afternoon. I shouted, “Wow! Sounds amazing! Guess what time is it?"
All the guys unintentionally turned their heads to sea the clock. We were overjoyed. William said, “I cannot believe a few moments in the machine have lasted six hours!"
Sally said, “Wow! I didn't feel even a second!"
Doctor came and said, “You are wrong because you have spent just ten days and six hours in the machine!"
My eyes popped out of my head!
It was incredible! Being speechless, we stood around the calender.
Indifferent about our excitement, the Doctor walked towards the door, saying, “Your training classes will start tomorrow covering all issues that you may encounter on the journey. From first aid to crisis management, and whatever you might imagine. I mean you'd better go and sleep.”
William said, “Buddies! I've had an interesting experience. After ten days, I’m not hungry at all. I can remember that I was hungry before I went into the machine!” I couldn't tell whether he was serious or joking, but everyone laughed. He was right though. I was not hungry at all too. As if I'd eaten a large food while I was asleep.
Eve said, “But I’m longing for a coffee, and I feel like watching TV a little.”
No one had a better idea. So we went to the hall and, instead of watching TV, we talked about our weird experience about the time machine.
As the Doctor's promised, our subsequent classes would start the other day. I thought all of them would be interesting and exciting. I remembered the university. After years of studying, not even a word came handy. But, whatever we learned there was completely practical and clearly some day would meet all our requirements.
We were serious during the courses, and the naughty guys were nowhere to be seen. Days were passing quickly. We were so busy attending the classes that we didn't realize the passage of time. We experienced the using of the time machine, but never did we feel the passage of time or the moment we fell asleep.
The classes fortunately were so intensive that I had no opportunity to think about Eve. Although we spent the whole day together and I would like to think about her at night, I quickly fell asleep due to tiredness.
One day, as we left the class and was walking towards our rooms, the Doctor appeared on our way. Breaking into a smile, he said, “Guys! I should give you a bit of good news. Soon you can start your journey and, in other words, you'll be on Earth 24 days later!"
Upon hearing the news, I was gripped by a strange feeling. If I hadn't been able to make it, I would have been at home, alone and depressed. So, naturally, I should have been optimistic, but then I was scared a bit.
I came to realize why it had been so hard to enter Noah Company. Even a person like me who had come with unflinching determination felt a tremor run down his leg, let alone the others. Taking this into account, we would be leaving in four days. Because we knew the destination from Venus to Earth was 42 million kilometers, we would be on the way for about 20 days.
There came the promised day. We left our rooms one hour earlier than usual. We first ate breakfast. Being accompanied by the Doctor and many of the company's staff, we went to the space station. On the way, nobody broke the silence. Once in a few minutes, the Doctor, who was riding the front seat, turned his head to take a look at us and creased into a smile. Probably, he knew that his smile in that heavy atmosphere would not be able to get us calm.
Little by little, we were getting closer to the Noah Space Station. The crowd of people, journalists and cars belonging to the TV networks could be easily seen from the distance. The bus entered the station, and we walked behind the Doctor. After taking the whole route, we entered a hallway that was attached to the shuttle. We entered the shuttle. The interior space of the shuttle didn’t feel alien to us. In the previous days, we got familiar with all its details. The Doctor said, “You have received the required training. Your schedule has been specified until the end of your life. Everyone knows what to do. I don't explain it anymore. I am sure the Venus inhabitants are not worried about your recruitment. You are the best choice for the journey with certitude. The world's hope rests on you from now on. You will leave Venus in less than two hours. Doctor Noah is waiting for you on Earth. Hope to see you again. Of course on Earth!” Then, he hugged us one after the other and left the spaceship.
As planned, everyone sat on their specified seat. In less than an hour, the countdown would begin. I closed my eyes and tried to abate my fear or perhaps my emotion. Although I'd taken several theoretical and practical courses on the aircraft and shuttle performance, and flight was a natural phenomenon, every time I got on a plane, I didn't understand why several tons of iron should defy gravity and move upward. I couldn’t have put trust in an aircraft, let alone then that we were leaving the Venus orbit on a shuttle.
The deafening roar of the propellers, launching of the shuttle, its irksome vibration, and first acceleration filled me with anxiety.
After a few minutes that we could leave the Venus orbit and the main fuel tank was separated from the shuttle, the noise was deadened and peace descended on us. By that time, nobody dared to confess how much they had scared. But, as I said, “Guys! The moment when the shuttle was being launched, I was worried a lot,” others confessed to their fear one after the other. It sounded that Tom and Sally had scared more than anybody. It would take some twenty days to reach Earth. Unfortunately, there was no time machine out there and all must wait for twenty days. I had acclimatized to the time machine. I would like to enter it and reach Earth in the blink of an eye. All systems were controlled by the company's operators. Along the way, we didn’t have anything special to do, except for talking and fantasizing.
After fourteen days, Earth could be seen easily. It was shimmering like a white ball in the blackness of space. A bitter reality was hidden behind all this beauty. We were trading a warm planet like Venus for a frozen, cold one forever. I didn't like coldness, being satisfied with the warm climate of Venus. But, we could not predict what future was in the making.
Little by little, I was doing away with my adventurous mood. First, I was thinking that I'd left the hell for the heaven, but as we were getting closer to the heaven, its real face was getting clearer. It seemed nothing but a limbo.
We should get ready. We were about to pass through the Earth's atmosphere and, a few minutes later, land on Earth. Fortunately, the only thing we had to do was to sit firmly. The system was on automatic pilot, and the shuttle entered the Earth's atmosphere without any problems. In less than an hour, the computer announced the spacecraft had attached the Noah Space Station.
We all stood up like a spring. Each of us looked out of a window. Everywhere was surrounded by a snow and ice-covered mountain.
It was hard to believe that Earth had been once home to living organisms. Once, there had been full of strange plants and animals. Apparently, it had left its orbit upon the impact of a planet. We were to restore it again by the use of force.
Sally said, “I hope the snow melt down soon and we can go out of the spaceship.”
Eve said, “Indeed, I want to go out now when it is covered by snow. I want to walk on the snow. The snow on which nobody has ever stepped.”
I said, “It is minus 60 degrees out there, sweetie. You'd better forget such desire.”
We were involved in fantasizing when we heard the door open and Professor Noah shouted, “Hello, the hopes of my life!"
We all encircled the Professor. He was really a lovely man.
He asked, “Didn't you have any problem on the trip?
I answered, “Yes we did. We got bored a little bit. Plan some recreational programs for the guys who will come here the next time.”
The Professor said, “You're right. We have always tried to cause no trouble for our passengers and make everything ready and trouble-free.
The Professor added, “Buddies, from now on, every second of your life should not be spent in vain. You must enter your time machines within an hour. Follow me.” We exited the shuttle and passed through a maze of corridors. Then, we entered a hall. It was completely similar to our hall in Venus, from the color of the wall to the layout of devices.
The Professor said, “Guys, you are familiar to this space and the systems. Here, the most important thing is time. Each second of your life might affect the future of the world.
The program is as follows: Now everyone shall enter their own time machine. The system is set up in such a way that, every ten years, one of you will the wake up. According to the checklist, he or she shall control all systems. Should there be a problem that the system has failed to realize or cannot be solved from Venus, the person shall fix it. Of course, if a serious problem occurs, the system will automatically will wake up one of you to fix it or all of you will be woken up to help solve it collaboratively.
Just remember, you are short of time and you should quickly get back to your machines. Tom is the first one to exit the time machine ten years later. Until that time, probably the second group will have joined us. They will go to their own time machines. Adam is the last one to exit the time machine about sixty years later. Everyone shall fill in the checklist in less than eight hours.
Adam, at your time, many things may have been added or deleted from the checklist. I am not sure, but many people may have joined or even left us. What matters to us is just the human survival in the world. Should you come out of the device and find you are the only survivor of Venus, you must clone a couple and reproduce by using the cloning system and available cells. I hope at least a pair of male and female survives to continue the human generation and the cloned sample does not inherit all our endeavor! But, do not worry, it was the worst case-scenario. As estimated by me, by the time Adam exits his time machine 60 years later, we would have transfered at least one hundred Venus inhabitants. The purpose of saying these things is to call on you to get ready to face any scenario. Your life storage is about two thousand years, if you don't get any disease or you don't have any problem. By my calculations, the whole patches of ice on Earth will have been melted down by then, but I cannot guess what scenarios or problems you’ll face."
My feeling was inexpressible. I began to imagine what scenes I would face sixty years later.
I was fortunate enough to suffer no pain in case I would die in the following sixty years. I had always been afraid of dying and the way I would die. I thought it was hard to depart this life.
I was wandering in such imagination when Noah said, “Guys, stand and go into your time machines.”
The glass door of the time machine closed. Concern and coldness were clear in the look of all guys. Again, the aperture opened and water flew in, and we felt the coldness of water...