practically massless? No. The human brain was the
only instrument for the job. Madeleine
had seen the answer, and that meant others had too. The fact that it had come and gone so quickly, that it was
impossible to describe, was a hurdle that would have to be overcome. But, above all this, there was the
terrifying knowledge that it was too late. Something was coming. Of this,
she was certain. Something that the
planet, even the solar system, would not survive.
What had she got? Strings. Coils of elementary particles (as yet, unseen, unproven) lit (yes, that
was the right word), lit with apertures, infinite in number, which led (led – was there a pathway?) to an infinite
number of universes. From the
unimaginably tiny, right back to the unimaginably large. Coil upon coil. Apertures. Portals to
worlds so different from the one human beings were familiar with. Unimaginably different.
Even in the known universe there
were objects so miraculous as to be beyond belief. There were suns hundreds of times bigger than the earth’s star,
some so massive they could contain the solar system and all that was in it,
from the centre to as far as Jupiter or beyond.
Maddy thought about her
dream. Of the strange shapes of one
kind or another, which travelled at impossible speeds and filled the sky in a
final flash that woke her. If, in known
universes, scales could vary so much, who knew what could happen in so-called
parallel universes? The possibilities
were limitless. Maddy shuddered.
*****
They didn’t exactly run, it was
more of a freefall, curling and zipping like birds, chasing after each
other. The boosters they used to change
direction left trails, so they wrote messages across the sky to each
other.
In space there is no sound, but
inside their protective forcefields, music played. They had no need of radios, as thoughts passed between them more
easily than words. Ti selected a
hologram and played her favourite game. La bombed into it and a new chase began. Rim and Lon laughed and joined the battle, until Sim alerted
them, with important news.
“System choice update. Approaching small collection. One hot, four solid, four gas. All require
enhanced magnification.”
The players viewed the screen that
Sim had illuminated, zooming in and out at various magnifications, to reveal
the next solar system along their route.
“The blue one is pretty,” Ti
communicated.
“Granted,” the others agreed. “But
you’ll never catch it.”
“Why not? Are you forgetting we have the new
equipment, numbskulls?”
“How many hots do we need?” asked
Rim.
Sim put up the targets: one hot,
two gas, one solid.
“Distance to system?”
“Nine blips.”
The players checked their nets and
made their choices.
*****
“Tell me about your visions,” said
Doctor Fielding.
Madeleine had only agreed to the
visit to satisfy Hugh. Perhaps, if she went
along with the consultation, he would leave her to finish her work in
peace. If there were time.
“What do you want to know,
doctor?”
“You could tell me when they
started.” He crossed his legs and took
off his glasses.
“Around a month ago.”
“I see.” He waited.
Madeleine saw what was
happening. If she didn’t speak up, they
would be there all day.
“I’m a physicist. My research has been focused on string
theory. My vision, if you want to call
it that, provides a glimpse of the things that science cannot yet reveal.”
“What would you call it, if
not a vision?”
Maddy thought for a moment,
wondering why this mattered, and hoping that the doctor would not pick on every
detail, arguing semantics, to extend the visit.
“I have thought of it in many
ways: an insight, a recognition, a truth. Surely it happens in your area of expertise, Doctor Fielding?”
“Certainly.”
“And what would you call it?”
The doctor
only instrument for the job. Madeleine
had seen the answer, and that meant others had too. The fact that it had come and gone so quickly, that it was
impossible to describe, was a hurdle that would have to be overcome. But, above all this, there was the
terrifying knowledge that it was too late. Something was coming. Of this,
she was certain. Something that the
planet, even the solar system, would not survive.
What had she got? Strings. Coils of elementary particles (as yet, unseen, unproven) lit (yes, that
was the right word), lit with apertures, infinite in number, which led (led – was there a pathway?) to an infinite
number of universes. From the
unimaginably tiny, right back to the unimaginably large. Coil upon coil. Apertures. Portals to
worlds so different from the one human beings were familiar with. Unimaginably different.
Even in the known universe there
were objects so miraculous as to be beyond belief. There were suns hundreds of times bigger than the earth’s star,
some so massive they could contain the solar system and all that was in it,
from the centre to as far as Jupiter or beyond.
Maddy thought about her
dream. Of the strange shapes of one
kind or another, which travelled at impossible speeds and filled the sky in a
final flash that woke her. If, in known
universes, scales could vary so much, who knew what could happen in so-called
parallel universes? The possibilities
were limitless. Maddy shuddered.
*****
They didn’t exactly run, it was
more of a freefall, curling and zipping like birds, chasing after each
other. The boosters they used to change
direction left trails, so they wrote messages across the sky to each
other.
In space there is no sound, but
inside their protective forcefields, music played. They had no need of radios, as thoughts passed between them more
easily than words. Ti selected a
hologram and played her favourite game. La bombed into it and a new chase began. Rim and Lon laughed and joined the battle, until Sim alerted
them, with important news.
“System choice update. Approaching small collection. One hot, four solid, four gas. All require
enhanced magnification.”
The players viewed the screen that
Sim had illuminated, zooming in and out at various magnifications, to reveal
the next solar system along their route.
“The blue one is pretty,” Ti
communicated.
“Granted,” the others agreed. “But
you’ll never catch it.”
“Why not? Are you forgetting we have the new
equipment, numbskulls?”
“How many hots do we need?” asked
Rim.
Sim put up the targets: one hot,
two gas, one solid.
“Distance to system?”
“Nine blips.”
The players checked their nets and
made their choices.
*****
“Tell me about your visions,” said
Doctor Fielding.
Madeleine had only agreed to the
visit to satisfy Hugh. Perhaps, if she went
along with the consultation, he would leave her to finish her work in
peace. If there were time.
“What do you want to know,
doctor?”
“You could tell me when they
started.” He crossed his legs and took
off his glasses.
“Around a month ago.”
“I see.” He waited.
Madeleine saw what was
happening. If she didn’t speak up, they
would be there all day.
“I’m a physicist. My research has been focused on string
theory. My vision, if you want to call
it that, provides a glimpse of the things that science cannot yet reveal.”
“What would you call it, if
not a vision?”
Maddy thought for a moment,
wondering why this mattered, and hoping that the doctor would not pick on every
detail, arguing semantics, to extend the visit.
“I have thought of it in many
ways: an insight, a recognition, a truth. Surely it happens in your area of expertise, Doctor Fielding?”
“Certainly.”
“And what would you call it?”
The doctor
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