Paradox Alley

5

I regarded our host. If there were any revealing emotions to be read in his face, they were encoded in expressions I couldn't scan. I recalled what he'd said concerning his humanity. At times I could see that spark, that small part of him, glinting somewhere within those purple-flecked eyes. I thought I could, anyway, now and then. Most of the time the mask covered everything, presenting its blandly pleasant face to us. I couldn't conceive of what was really behind it, the essential part of what he was. Something alien, surely; an impenetrably mysterious presence. The shadow of something vaguely frightening lurked behind the one-way window of his personality.

"Huh?" I replied to his last statement.

"I said, we don't have any technology. That is to say, the Culmination possesses no original technology. All that which we have at our disposal has been bequeathed to us by the great scientific and technology-creating cultures of the past." With a sweep of an arm he went on, "This edifice, for example. It's a technological wonder in itself-a self-maintaining, selfdefending fortress. It is at least a half-billion years old-"

"Half-billion," Yuri gasped, almost choking on his brandy. He cleared his throat and said, "Surely you're joking."

"Oh, I assure you I'm not. The dust of the race that built it lies compressed in geological strata, along with everything else they ever built or accomplished. They are but a memory a faint one at that. But this structure endures. This is not its original site, of course. It was relocated several times in its long history, until it was finally brought here to Microcosmos."

"For what purpose?" Sean asked. "What is Microcosmos?"

"An artificial world. Its original purpose was manyfold. I suppose a handy way to think of it would be-"

"Wait a minute," I broke in. "Are you saying that Microcosmos isn't yours either? The Culmination-whatever that is-didn't build it?"

"No. Microcosmos itself is a relic of a time long past." Prime refilled his wineglass as he continued: "As I was saying, it would be easy to think of it as, say, the site of a long defunct institution of higher learning-an amalgam of university, library, museum, research center, and so forth. This conveys at least part of its original function. The rest is not easy to grasp, since a distinct element of recreation went into the original conception behind it. Also, it served some sort of religious purpose, strangely enough. What that was would be hard to put into terms I could easily convey to you. You are free to research the history of this place, if you wish, though I must say I wouldn't place a high priority on it in terms of what you should be doing here-"

"Exactly what-excuse me for interrupting again," I said, "but…uh-"

"Quite all right," Prime said. "Please go on."

I had availed myself of the same bottle of brandy that Yuri had found among the half-dozen containers of spirits on the table. It was a quality product, and although I couldn't identify it, it wasn't especially exotic. Just good booze. I took a slurp from my snifter and said, "Exactly what are we supposed to be doing here? We've hauled from one end of the galaxy to the other, left Terran Maze far behind, and come to road's end. What next?"

Prime settled back in his chair, wineglass in hand, elbow balanced languidly on the armrest. He crossed his legs, and the act struck me as so humanly natural that it allayed my fears just a little.

"Doubtless this isn't the first time the question has occurred to you. In fact, you've probably been dying to ask it. And I will answer it, in time. This is but one of many opportunities we will have to sit together and talk. We have a great deal to talk about, believe me, and we won't cover it all in one session. What I want to do today is to sketch broad outlines for you. Provide a sweeping perspective. But I also want to

PARADOX ALLEY

39

give you some kind of preliminary answer to that overriding question. You are here because we want you to participate in an undertaking which very possibly may be the greatest, most momentous, most significant ever attempted… quite literally… in the history of the universe."

I said, "Yeah, but do you give green stamps?"

The overwhelming silence of the place hit me then. I cocked my ears. Nothing stirring. This place was dead, dead and old.

Prime laughed. "'Mat was a marvelously witty and very irreverent comment. I quite enjoyed it."

"Jake, really, " Susan admonished in a whisper.

"No, I did," Prime said, apparently having overheard. "And you might be surprised to know that I understood the reference."

I said, "You did? Explain it to me, then. Sam uses the expression all the time. I never understood it. In fact, Sam told me he didn't quite get it either. Picked it up from his dad."

"Sam is… your father?"

"Was. The on-board computer that runs my truck is programmed with some of his personality elements. I call him Sam, too."

"I see." Prime brought two fingers up to caress his cheek, and mused, "That might be a possible problem…."

"What might be?" I asked after a brief interval during which Prime had given the matter some thought.

"I beg your pardon? Oh, nothing. Artificial Intelligences are beings, you know. Depending, of course, on how advanced they are. There is a certain threshold of self awareness…… He trailed off again, then came back. "Excuse me. We seem to have gotten sidetracked."

"I suppose," Liam said, "the next obvious thing is to inquire as to the nature of this undertaking."

"That's what will take time to explain," Prime said. "I can only say that the concept, once you understand it, will thrill you-perhaps frighten you-to an extent to which you have never been thrilled or frightened before." He looked around. "Yes. If and when you come to understand what it is, you very well may want no part of it."

"Will we have a choice?" I asked.

"Yes. Most assuredly."

"And if we choose not to participate, will we be free to leave?"

"Absolutely. You are free to go at this moment, if that is what you wish."

"Fine," I said. "But we have a problem. Where the hell are we? And how do we get back to where we belong?"

"You will be guided back to your point and time of origin='

A look of shocked, fragile elation sprang to everybody's face.

Prime looked around and laughed. "I see that meets with your approval."

Susan gazed at him in unbelieving wonder, her mouth hanging open.

She swallowed and said, "You'd take us back? All the way back? I mean to where we live? Where we belong? We're lost, completely and totally, and if you mean only that-"

"I thought as much. Yes, back to wherever you want to go. That is no particular problem."

I thought Susan would faint. Instead she began sobbing quietly. I put my arm around her.

"Is she upset?" Prime asked.

"It's a long story," I said.

"I understand. What I was going to add was, as to the location of this place-this world-construct-I can only say that describing exactly where we are would be problematical with regard to finding some conventional frame of reference."

"When are we?" Yuri asked.

"Well, at this point, we are outside of time altogether. We are moving, though, with respect to the frame of reference of the universe at large."

"What is our velocity?"

"I'm afraid the notion of velocity here doesn't really apply."

"But, as you said, if we're moving with respect to the frame of reference of the universe-"

"I'm sorry. That phrase was an oversimplification."

"Are we moving faster than light?"

Prime frowned, then gave a short ironic laugh. "I don't seem to be much help. Do I? Forgive me. There seems to be a problem in expressing in concise terms some of things I want to relate. I do have things to do here and about, and I must leave you before long, so it's not really a problem in communication, but one of time. You will come to understand it eventually, I think, but we'd best delay any involved explanations for now. Let us merely say that this world is outside of space, outside of time, but is on a journey of some duration nevertheless."

"Another aspect of the time element interests me," Sean said. "Namely the perspective from which you're speaking. Your point of origin is obviously some time in our future. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Our remote future, I take it."

"Very remote. Some ten billion years."

I took a long swig of my brandy, then slowly reached for the bottle.

"You all look stunned," Prime said.

"I wouldn't say it's impossible," Yuri said quietly. "But I must say I can't believe it."

Roland, who had been listening impassively all the while, shook his head. "You simply don't look, act, or speak like a… like a man from ten billion years in the future. In fact, the very notion of the existence of human beings at that point-"

"But I'm not human," Prince said, "except in very small part. I will repeat, though, what I said to you earlier. It is a very active and vibrant part of what I am. Now. Here. When I am speaking with you. Otherwise, I would not be able to communicate with you at all."

I finished off another two or three fingers of brandy and set the snifter down. "Which brings us to another question. Just what are you? What is the Culmination?"

Prime drained his glass and sat forward. "Again we run into the problem of trying to do too much at one sitting-and again I will try to convey some general ideas. Let's begin by stating what the Culmination isn't. We are not a race, but are composed of many races. We are not a culture, but are beyond culture. We exist outside the stream of universal events-we stand, so to speak, on the shores of the river of time, looking out across the waters. Yet in another sense, we are at the mouth of that river as it spills into the sea of eternity. What we are is this: we are that toward which the consciousness of the universe has been tending."

The rock-walled silence fell again, but this time I thought I could hear faint stirrings beyond the dark archways. My imagination, probably. But I believe in ghosts Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I had no idea what day of the week it was.,

"Forgive the metaphors," Prime went on, "but they are sometimes useful. What we are speaking of here is the evolution and final culmination of consciousness in the universe. Think of each sapient race in the universe as a tributary to that great river of awareness, feeding into it, flowing on toward some distant ocean of fulfillment. To pose the ultimate questions… then, if possible, to answer them. We seek the ultimate limit of knowledge.. We seek the consummation of being."

Prime rose and swept his eyes around the table.

"What you see before you-this body, myself-is but an instrument by which it will be possible for you to communicate with the Culmination. You have been in contact with the Culmination since our first meeting, some few hours ago. We will talk again, but now I must leave you. You will be conducted to your quarters." The warmth of his smile was almost withering. "I have enjoyed our luncheon together. Forgive my being abrupt, but I have pressing matters to attend to. I hope you will be comfortable during your stay here, however long you choose to make it."

"I thought you said we could go now if we wanted to?" I reminded him. "Anytime, you said."

"And so you may. Do you wish to leave now?"

I glanced around the table and got looks of varying degrees of befuddlement. "I think we have to take a meeting on that," I said to Prime. "Can we get back to you?"

"I'm afraid I will be occupied for some time," Prime told me. "I had hoped you would at least stay the night. However, I can return in a few hours to hear your decision, if that is what you wish. You may remain here, or if you like, you may retire to your quarters to rest It is up to you."

"Uh… um." Nobody seemed to want to take the lead. "Look, can we sit here for a little longer, then go to our quarters?"

"Certainly. I will send the guide to conduct you in, say, half an hour?"

"Uh, make it twenty minutes. Then how will we get in touch with you?"

"I will contact you again as soon as I can," Prime said. "You can then apprise me of your decision. If you choose, you may then leave."

"Well, that sounds okay. How long do you think you'll be? If you don't mind my asking."

"Certainly not. I don't think I will be occupied more than three hours:"

"Oh. Fine with us, I guess."

"Very good. Again, I want say that I have enjoyed our luncheon. Your company has given me great pleasure."

"Well… thank you. I think I can speak for all of us-it's been… interesting. To say the very least."

"'Thank you. A very good afternoon to you."

We all got up as he turned and strode away from the table. He passed through an archway and entered one of a number of corridors branching away from the dining hall. Nobody said a word. He receded from us, striding purposefully, gracefully, soft-soled boots padding over the polished onyx floor, green cape billowing in his wake. Without looking back, he turned a corner and went out of sight.

We sat.

"Anybody know what that joker was talking about?" Carl asked.

John cocked a sardonic eyebrow at him, then turned his head to me "We have a decision to reach, Jake."

I poured myself more brandy. These weighty matters call for inspired thinking. "I'm for getting the hell out of here, like, mucho fasto."

"I wish he could have stayed to answer more of our questions. So many of them still hanging." John shook his head slowly. "Absolutely astounding. Incredible."

"If he's telling the truth," I said.

"Well, I suppose he could be leading us on. I'm incapable of imagining why, though."

"Maybe he's got plans for us. The last survivor of a dead race. Alone, desperate. Or maybe he's just crazy, We don't know."

"I think we are all very weary," Yuri said.

"I'm sleepy as hell," Carl said. "I ate too much."

I realized that I was feeling pretty logy, too, what with the brandy and all. I set down my glass, resolved to drink no more. For now at least.

"Any other votes?" I asked. "Lori?"

"I think we should stay and find out if Prime needs us. I think we should help him."

"Why should we help him?" John asked.

Lori thought about it, then said, "I don't know if he's God or not. But he did build the Skyway."

"Remember what he said," Yuri reminded, "about the Culmination not possessing any technology."

John rubbed his chin. "Yes, he did say that, didn't he? Strange."

"Actually, he said that they didn't originate any," I put in. "Doesn't mean they don't use existing technology."

Yuri shook his head skeptically. "I don't know. Difficult to imagine all that miraculous Skyway technology just lying about, waiting to be used."

"Maybe the Culmination merely developed it, adapted it for the purpose," Roland speculated.

"Well, that makes them consummate engineers, at least."

I yawned. Recovering, I said, "I guess we really don't know yet who built the Skyway."

"If the Culmination didn't do it, who did?" Darla asked.

"I suppose we have to stick around to find out."

"Then we should stick around," she said firmly.

I turned to Carl. "What about it, kid?"

"I say let's get the hell out of here. I want to go home." John said, "Well, `home' is a separate problem for you."

Carl cocked his head toward the hallway down which Prime had made his exit. "He kidnapped me, he can take me back."

"You're still convinced Prime's responsible?"

"I sure am."

"Okay, that's one no vote so far. Any others? Ragna?"

"I am thinking-and so also is Oni-that we should be staying perhaps for the night, at least. Perhaps some further questions can be put to our host that he might be answering. Maybe?"

John glanced around the dining hall. "What about all this? And what we saw outside and in the basement?"

"Maybe the story about Microcosmos is true. It's a museum, a junkyard, a disneyworld, whatever. And he's the robot caretaker."

Yuri asked, "You think he's a machine?"

"Sure," I said, "or an android, something like that. He admitted as much himself."

Zoya said, "He's not human. I'm very sure of that."

"He sure puts on a good show," I said.

"Yes, he does."

Darla asked, "What about his saying that he was part human?"

"Don't know quite what to make of that," John said. "What could he possibly mean?"

"What do you make of this Culmination business?" Yuri said. "Any idea, Jake?"

"Nope. Sounded like a lot of bullshit to me. Actually, it sounded a little like what your Teleological Pantheism is all about." I took a sip and added, "No offense."

"Yeah, bullshit," Carl seconded. The Teelies looked at each other.

"Remind me to kill you later, Jake," Susan scowled. "But he's right, John. It does strike very close to home."

"Don't think I didn't notice," John said. "He sounded like a Teelie himself."

"I think he's telling the truth," Roland said. "And I think we should stay."

"Okay, that's one vote," I said. "Anybody else want to exercise his franchise. Or hers?"

"Well," Yuri said. "We…" He looked at Zoya, who returned a cool stare. "I think at least that it's my duty to stay. The opportunities for learning here… I can't begin to guess what secrets this place holds. The issue is clear. I must stay."

After a short silence, Zoya said, "I… think we should stay for a while at least. I…" She ran a hand through the tangles of her chestnut-brown hair, then heaved a sigh and rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes. "I just have a bad feeling about him." She lowered her head. "I'm so very tired."

"You should be," I said, "after running around the universe, lost for two years."

"Maybe. Anybody else? How 'bout you, Susan?"

"I'm intrigued, to say the least. I want to go home, but…"

"Should we stay the night, do you think?"

She nodded. "At least."

"John?"

John brooded for a long moment. Then: "I would… I would not think very highly of myself if I walked away from the chance to discover the answer to some very basic questions. If Prime is a man… or a being from ten billion years in the future, he could tell us things… Lord, what things he could tell us!" He looked around the table. "It seems as if my no vote would be in a distinct minority, wouldn't it? Therefore, I say we stay. I don't think we're in any danger."

"I wonder what became of our friend Mr. Moore and his lads," Sean said.

"No one thought to ask," I said.

"Maybe Prime doesn't know they're here," Liam said.

"He must. But he doesn't have to worry about them. We do. They could show up here. Anyone forget to bring his weapon?"

Shaking heads around the table. Everybody was armed except Lori, and that was because we were short a gun for her. "Well, we'll take turns on watch. We should be okay. What about you guys-Sean? Liam? Think we should stay?"

"Ah, it was high adventure we were wanting," Sean said, grinning. "I think we've got it."

"That we have," Liam seconded.

"Jake," Sean asked, "are you really voting no?"

"If I had any sense, I would. But…"

In my mind, the long string of events that had led to all of this played back like a recording on fast-forward. The universe and everything in it had conspired to get me here, it seemed. The Paradox Machine was still frantically spinning its wheels. I knew-I had known all along-that I would have to keep wrenching levers and pulling toggles until the damn thing either stopped or did what it was supposed to do, whatever that was. There was no avoiding it.

"I say we stay and get some answers." I looked at George and Winnie. "Those two look like they're at home here."

"Home!" Winnie said.

"Home!" George said.

"Home," I said, nodding.

"Here's the butler," Carl said, looking behind me.

The sphere was back, ghosting toward the table. It stopped a few meters away. Any time you're ready.

"Well," Liam said, "I could use a lie-down."

"So could I," I said, and yawned again. It had been a long trip here. A very, very long trip. Some ten or twelve billion light-years. "But," I went on, "somebody has to take first watch. I will."

We left the dining hall.