The Alien Artifact

THE ALIEN ARTIFACT

Clarke’s Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic. --Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the Future, 1961

I threw my spear. It disappeared from sight!
It missed the darting deer and landed near
a perfectly round ribbon, black as night,
unnatural, unknown a thing to fear.
I tried to nudge it with my finger, but
it moved away and sang the melody
of some unknown and lonely creature shut
within, so desperately calling me.
My soul responded singing just the same.
The scary ribbon floated over my
advanced forehead, and softly spoke my name.
It settled down around my neck. I pry
and yell and pull up, but the thing is frozen.
I, Tan Nigontig, had become “The Chosen.”

The Voice in the Well

THE VOICE IN THE WELL

Her water broke. She lay beside the well.
her people dug so many years ago.
The pains were starting. She began to yell
the words heard when the winds began to blow
across the well, the source of health and life.
The winds were rising. Labor pains were rising
in a tremendous crescendo of strife.
The voice of life became so tranquilizing.
The howling wind, the howling hollow words,
the same two soothing words, to help the strain
of birth, that calmed the nervous flocks and herds,
the same two words she howled to ease the pain.
So out of labor pains and blood he came,
and "Tan Nigontig" had become his name.

LONELINESS

LONELINESS

They saw how often the first faint sparks of intelligence
flickered and died in the cosmic night. And because, in all
the galaxy, they had found nothing more precious than Mind,
they encouraged its dawning everywhere. --ARTHUR C. CLARKE

ALONE! A billion miles form Earth. His crew
Was dead. His main computer, HAL, was dead.
The ships sound system blared Bach's music through
His brain, and Saturn filled the sky ahead.
A hundred thousand generations had
Passed while the Star Gate waited for mankind,
But now the precious passenger was clad
By stasis field and death was far behind.
His memories, all he had ever been,
Were stored in frozen latices. He was
Intelligent, pure energy and when
He cried They soon applied a mental gauze.
Now he was light, not blood and flesh and bone,
And he knew he would never be ALONE.

GUILT

GUILT

It's enough to say that there's a drive-generator on board this ship
which is the complete and final justification of all the hell you people
on the Bridge have been put through. --James Blish

Their minds are small. They never dream huge dreams.
Inertia, Cynicism have captured all.
I dream of moving faster than light beams
And looking in Death's face and standing tall.
I reached for interstellar flight, and then
For immortality--not for myself
But for the West, for mankind. Only when
I knew the price, my conscience shook itself.
Two hundred thirty-one brave, young dead men
Invade my mind at night and babies cry
On laboratory tables for my sin
And their friend Justice shouts that I must die.
He chose sweet death to heal his mental scars
Bliss Wagoner--the gateway to the stars.

FEAR

FEAR

In simpler terms, what they sought was a human with
mental powers permitting him to understand and use
higher order dimensions. -- Frank Herbert

The poisoned needle tip was poised so near
His nervous neck. The strange metallic green
Box had engulfed his strong right hand. A queer
Sensation started from the pain machine.
A tingling, itching--then a burning pain
Grew hotter, hotter, flames! His high forehead
Was beaded with sweat. The rule was very plain.
"Withdraw your hand and die!" the witch had said.
Paul felt the flesh decay. The hand was charred,
His strong young muscles tried to flex and squirm.
His mind was stronger. Nothing was too hard.
And mental powers held his body firm.
His mother knew that he would pass the test
And end the Bene Gesserit's long quest.

EMOTIONS

EMOTIONS

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
-- ABC's Wide World of Sports

"Why did she do it? Why?" "We found around
Her wrist a bracelet with this gold visplate."
The screen was filled with darkness. The faint sound
Of slowly rising cadence so sedate.
"She was the greatest mind in space research.
The infant state of interstellar drive
Equipment might permit a fatal lurch.
Of forty-two, one only could survive."
The image, my face, filled one wall of her
Small quarters. Then a panoramic view
Showed delicate artistic taste. A blur
Contained data--work notes. "She loved you."
"Why wouldn't she let her emotions show?"
"Professionalism." "I . . . I didn't know."

DECISIONS

DECISIONS

And what he saw was a time nexus within this cave, a boiling of
possibilities focused here, wherein the most minute action--the
wink of an eye, a careless word, a misplaced grain of sand--moved
a gigantic lever across the known universe. --Frank Herbert

Paul saw the pathways winding through the future
In vision after vision. However,
No matter which was chosen; sorrow, censure,
Or death stalked Chani, his fierce, faithful lover.
Their only son, his heir, had just been slain.
Paul held her close, to comfort her, and wept.
He chose a path that would delay their pain
And give a few clam years before they slept.
Tears fell upon her naked breast. He made
Wise choices day after day after day,
For Chani, friends, disciples, clan; and played
His sad roll striving for the best pathway.
He chose their death, instead of constant strife,
Dishonor, and poor quality of life.

The Benefactors of Mankind

THE BENEFACTORS OF MANKIND

There was a time when humanity faced the universe alone and
without a friend. Now he has creatures to help him; stronger
creatures than himself, more faithful, more useful, and absolutely
devoted to him. Mankind is no longer alone. --ASIMOV

The universe was shrunk by them. They made
The interstellar drive. They came in all
Assorted shapes and sizes. They had bade
Mankind to colonize some stars--to crawl.
Now machines even looked like humans. They
Could work and live long lives and calculate
And think, and they run and laugh and play
With children. They could also make plans and wait.
They could know destiny. A man could see
His life was short and isolated, so
He could but dream of what mankind would be.

ALTRUISM

ALTRUISM

Let me rest my eyes on fleecy skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.--Heinlein

The Hawk-class spaceship's power room soon fills
With Rhysling's songs, with verses never taught
In school--the real, live words of The Green Hills
Of Earth, and new exciting verses brought
To life before my eyes! . . . The loud alarm
Brings Rhysling rushing to the control board.
Soon Death will flood the power room and harm
Someone so universally adored.
Blind eyes do not see the swift knockout blow
I give the beloved troubadour of space.
I drag him from the radiation's glow.
You must not die, for who could take your place?
We love the songs, with realistic ring,
Of space and Earth that only you can sing.

The Soul

THE SOUL

"You're in a bad way! Apparently, you have developed a soul."
--WE, Yevgeny Zamyatin

I was the Builder of the Integral,
The first true interplanetary ship.
I was a logical machine, so full
Of facts. The planets were within my grip.
So young! So young and yet a true expert
In ancient tools of sexual seduction--
Black stockings, alcohol, the thin short skirt,
Wild music and theatrical production.
She called to the wild beast in me and he
Snarled, turned, leaped out, and grabbed her by the leg.
An impasse. He had her and she had me.
He kissed her calf, her knee--began to bbbeh...
A traitor to the One State, not a hero,
All for the love of my I-330.