irrefragable
********************************
X-325 stood in front of the Codex. The towering pillar of black metal and shimmering lights could make even the bravest nervous, and he was not the bravest. But, he had to be there. The Codex let out a low, rumbling chime. Its translator, a man designated A-4829, spoke.
“The Great Codex, keeper of all knowledge, greets the supplicant.”
X-325 bowed. “It is an honor to be heard by the Great Codex.”
“Let your purpose be heard, to add to the Codex for all time.”
He took a deep breath. He knew this was probably not going to work, but he had to try. “I wish the Codex’s permission to search for Earth.”
A-4829 recoiled in shock. X-325 was glad there was nobody else present. He probably would have died of embarrassment from even mentioning that legendary planet in front of the Codex. The Codex let out a series of beeps and whirrs. The translator spoke.
“The Great Codex denies your request, on the grounds that Earth does not, nor ever has, existed.”
“Great Codex, please reconsider. I have found proof that it does, or did, exist, and have a rough idea where to look.”
More sounds from the pillar. “The Great Codex denies your proof. For the Great Codex has all proof with it. If such evidence existed, the Great Codex would surly know of it, and have already sent an expedition.”
“But I—”
“Enough! The Great Codex has spoken! Its words will not be denied by one such as you. Or do you presume to know more than that which holds all human knowledge with it?”
“Uh, of…of course not. I would never presume to—”
“Then you will stop your pointless search for a fictional planet.”
“But my evidence!”
The Codex spoke, louder. X-325 thought it sounded angry. That was not a good sign. “Your evidence has been misinterpreted. In this, the Great Codex is certain. And furthermore, you—”
“The evidence isn’t in the Great Codex!” X-325 regretted those words the moment he said it.
The room seemed to shake. The lights on the Codex started turning red.
“You would dare claim that the Great Codex does not know something?” A-4829 said slowly. “You will be killed for such blasphemy!”
X-325 had one chance and one chance only to not be killed. “It was on an abandoned planet! A dead world that nobody has gone to for centuries. I…I was there as part of a mining expedition and found an old data storage unit. It…it was buried in a deep cave, and had no signs that the Great Codex had accessed it. I…I brought it with me, to…to add to the Great Codex…” His heart beat so fast and loud that he could hear it in his ears.
The change was immediate. The Codex’s lights returned to their normal color and it let out a long string of electronic noises. He still thought they sounded annoyed though.
A-4829 sighed. “Very well. The Great Codex will accept your offering. It will then be magnanimous enough to review your evidence. If the Great Codex deems it sufficient, it will reconsider your proposal.”
“Th-thank you. Thank you, Great Codex.”
He fished through his suit pockets and found the device. It was an ancient data disk, with a single access port that he had painstakingly cleaned, and triple checked to make sure it worked. He had gone over every bit of the data, ensuring he was not misreading it. And now, it was out of his hands.
A compartment on the Codex’s side opened and a cable with a connector matching the drive popped out. The two connected and there was the sound of a computer working. Then it stopped. It was silent for several seconds before retracting the cable and letting out a flurry of sounds.
“Are you sure, Great Codex?” A-4829 asked. More computer noises. “Very well then. The Great Codex has reviewed this new evidence, and has deemed there to be merit in it. It has authorized an initial, unmanned preliminary expedition to further test the value. Should this yield positive results, you will be granted permission to undergo a full expedition.”
“Thank you. Thank you. I promise I will not let you down, Great Codex. I will find Earth. And if it no longer exists, I will do my best to find what happened to it.”
Soft sounds came from the vast tower. “The Codex acknowledges your oath, and your addition to its stores of knowledge. You will now leave to prepare for the initial voyage.”
X-325 bowed and left the room. He had done it. He had gotten the expedition, and kept his head. Now he just had to make sure it all went well. If it did, he would get a name. A proper name. And, if he was lucky and he really did well, maybe upon his death, his mind would be added to the Great Codex.
******************************
Not much to say today. I'm just tired, so I'll leave it be for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment