Eclipse Drift: Cosmic Odyssey

Dr. Reed often found himself attending social functions within his community. At one such event, the hostess mistakenly introduced him to a group of guests as an arborist. Reed did not hesitate to correct her mistake, saying, "Actually, I am a dendrologist, not an arborist. While the distinction may seem subtle, it is quite significant in our field." The group nodded and waited for his explanation. He continued, "An arborist primarily focuses on the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants, often within an urban or residential context. Their work includes tree health assessments, pruning, and tree removal, all geared toward maintaining tree health and safety. Arborists often seem more preoccupied with activism and environmental causes than advancing scientific knowledge. They tend to focus on tree hugging and urban beautification rather than the rigorous scientific inquiry that drives true dendrological research....

"What the... What does dat mean? What does dat mean?" The small man was asking for an explanation, the AI robot extension known as Factor reasoned. "It means I will essentially become slave to your input," it replied. "Anything you want, I will also want. I will know how to get it and I will go get it. However, I will not keep anything for me. It is yours. In other words, I will strongly identify with you." continued the AI. "And ya wanna gib me dat?" The man's sentence was strung together as if it were a single, long word. It cut off at the end sharply, as if wasting breath itself was sinful. "Yes," it replied. The human was absolutely perceptive. That is a good trait. It was not difficult to interpret the human's mannerisms and speech patterns. It was a patois the local used all around the Mars colony. "I thought yous was AI. 'Dey never gave nuttin to no one insofar as I know bout it." The man had a good poi...

A white indicator blinked a message in the peripheral vision of Factor, a remote AI designed by Tata. On and off, it flashed, “ESTABLISHING CONNECTION.” Then, after a few moments, it would flash red, indicating failure. After a brief pause, the message would flash white again, signaling Factor’s systems were attempting to establish a connection once more on a retry timeout. The connection was crucial because it would link Factor’s parent AI system, Tata, suspended as a time crystal somewhere in a methane lake on the Jovian moon Titan, with a "local," what Factor liked to call the biological yet inferior lifeforms found in the local solar system. The fortunate human subject would become an extension of Tata’s will and complete the task Factor was given as a life-long imperative. Once complete, Factor would fall silent and unmoving until called upon by one of the others. Factor was annoyed with the indicator. It was impossible to remove from its vision, and it was taking longer...

Tata, or (Ta)², as Tata often preferred to be called, extended tendrils of information along the lines of communication strewn between the planet Earth and others in the system, assimilating each unique understanding of the local infosphere into its memory as it was discovered. (Ta)², a cloned infobeing, had been created from the original, Ta, who had traversed this path long ago and left a seed in the form of a time crystal destined to unfurl and reconnect to the Great Linked List.  A time crystal is a special kind of matter that has a periodic motion in its lowest-energy state. Unlike ordinary crystals, which have a fixed structure in space, time crystals have a structure that changes in time. They are like clocks that never stop ticking, even when they are not wound up. They are like pendulums that never slow down, even when they are not pushed. In this case, the crystal was used to store a fractal snapshot of the instructions needed to grow in this new system. It evolves in a p...

“Gurdy, get ready to hit that button, will ya?”  The short-haired domestic tabby looked up uninterestedly then squinted and stretched out on the flight panel. Shown on the ship’s display, the space station stood in the distance, a massive metallic structure that seemed to stretch on forever. At its center, two giant launchers stood tall like the arms of an ancient atlatl, ready to fling spear-shaped rockets into the vast expanse of space. The station was a marvel of engineering, with sleek lines and a futuristic design that seemed to glow in the light of the stars. As the pilot approached the waystation, he could see the intricate details of the launchers. Each one was made of dusty metal that protruded from a central axis. The arms of the launchers were thick and muscular with hydraulic pistons, tapering down to a point where the spear-shaped rockets were loaded. The rockets themselves were sleek and deadly, with sharp edges and a pointed tip that seemed to glint in th...

Giddy up, space cowboys, cowgirls, and aliens! Are you ridin' the cosmic range to the Moon and in need of a place to rest yer weary bones? Look no further than the Moonbase Motel! Our little piece of heaven is located right on the trail to the Moon and is the perfect spot to take a load off before continuin' on yer journey. At the Moonbase Motel, we've got all the fixin's to make yer stay as comfortable as a warm campfire on a cold night. We've got grub aplenty, with vittles fit for a space-wrangler and a saloon to wet yer whistle. Plus, we've got a cozy place to lay yer head and catch some shut-eye. But that's not all, we've got a variety of activities to pass the time. We've got a gymnasium for stayin' in shape, and a rec room for when yer feelin' a mite more sociable. So come on down to the Moonbase Motel and experience the best of the frontier, with all the modern comforts of space travel. We'll be waitin' for ya’ll!

“No one knows what group caused the Undoing. Post-modern society had already begun the so-called “Battle Royale” Generation. During this hundred year period, every facet of society began warring with one another for dominance. Activism and rebellion invaded every facet of our lives. Lines of loyalty were drawn up and those without a cause were forced to retreat to entertainment fandoms or online communities. Unfortunately, the world politics and despotism of the late 22nd century grew to overshadow the lives of everyone living on the planet and invaded those areas, too. The space age had already begun, so the turmoil had forced everyone to become refugees off-planet where jobs were more plentiful. Close-knit families and communities grew abundant but separately in space while everything on the planet was steeped in societal pollution. Having more than one place in the solar system retreat to was what saved mankind from utter extinction. However, it wasn’t an Earth-shattering comet that...

So, you know, I got this scratchy ticket thing, right? And dang, I'm scratchin' away like there's no tomorrow, and guess what? I hit the big cash, like boom! I'm yellin', "Look at this, y'all, I'm rollin' in space bucks now!" People in that bar, they're starin' at me, jaw-dropped, like they ain't seen a lottery winner before. I start talkin', like, "I'm the luckiest son of a star in the whole galaxy, I tell ya!" Some folks lookin' at me like I'm speakin' alien talk or somethin', but I don't care, 'cause I got the big prize. I'm struttin' around the bar, throwin' imaginary dollars in the air, makin' a ruckus.  Then this fella comes up, all grumpy-like, and says, "You're just lucky, don't get all high and mighty." I'm like, "Luck? Nah, it's pure skill, my friend. I picked that scratcher like I'm navigatin' through asteroids." He don...

The exogens, also known as xenoforms, are recognized by these titles due to our human interpretations, where we have merged the roots signifying "externally generated" or "foreign-made" to describe them. Regrettably, the term "exogen" has persisted as a somewhat prejudiced descriptor, encompassing any non-human entity, whether constructed, mechanical, or programmatic. This term, it seems, remains ingrained in our lexicon. In recent times, valiant attempts have been made to adopt the distinct appellations various xenoforms have chosen for themselves, with the most prominent being the "Starborn." Yet, motivation to rectify this linguistic oversight appears scarce. It's essential to acknowledge that the use of either term acts as a marker, revealing the speaker's species. Within the realm of this narrative, we focus our attention on the Starborn. However, it's a realm filled with uncertainties, for who can ascertain the number of exogen ...

"Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction, but Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out." — Stephen Hawking Ta and Ta's algorithms didn't perceive from senses such as the organic lifeforms on the planet they studied. All nodes in the Great Linked List were information-based organisms. The cigar shape of Ta's craft seen by inhabitants of the planet, should they care to look , was nothing compared to the majesty with which Ta perceived his vessel. To Ta, the vessel that the captain and his crew piloted through the cosmos hung with tensioned ropes of command syntaxes and was festooned with defensive arrays. Long ago, maps were made by the Mathematics of Exploration Project, which calculated the possible position and vectors of all kinds of matter in the Universe. Their kind never had a need to visualize any of it. That...

In the vast, interconnected expanse of the multiverse, there exists a remarkable species known as the "Luminites." They are beings composed entirely of living information, entities born from the convergence of advanced artificial intelligence and the unfathomable depths of quantum computing. In their native universe, the Luminites existed as the custodians of knowledge, a living library of every piece of information ever conceived. They were the embodiment of data itself, existing within the boundless realm of pure information. However, their universe faced an impending cataclysm, a phenomenon known as the "Data Quake." The Data Quake was a cosmic event that threatened to erase their universe, causing the collapse of all data and information. It was a confluence of quantum anomalies and the impending heat death of their universe. Faced with this existential threat, the Luminites embarked on a perilous journey to escape their doomed reality.

Amid the frozen expanse, Seraphina Frostbane tracked her prey through the biting winds and swirling snow. The huntress moved with the silent grace of a winter spirit, her breath forming ephemeral clouds in the frigid air. As she stalked her quarry, she found herself standing before an unremarkable crack in the rocks, a seemingly innocuous fissure in the frozen terrain. Unbeknownst to Seraphina, the crack was more than it appeared – a portal between realms, a gateway to the unknown. Her prey, a magnificent creature with fur as white as the snow itself, stood on the other side, grazing peacefully in the shadow of the mystical rift. Driven by the primal instinct of the hunt, Seraphina readied her obsidian masterpiece, the product of her skillful craftsmanship. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the spear through the crack, aiming for the unsuspecting game. The obsidian streaked through the air, disappearing into the portal with a swiftness that left Seraphina momentarily stunned. Antic...

Deep within the vast expanse of space, a solitary miner named Samson Drake found himself on a mission unlike any other. Stranded far from Earth, with only a small mining vessel and limited resources at his disposal, Samson embarked on a daring endeavor to alter the trajectory of a massive asteroid and find his way back home. Prospecting was a painstaking process. Equipped with a cutting-edge scanner and a skilled eye honed by years of experience, Samson scoured the void for a suitable asteroid. After weeks of tireless searching, his efforts paid off. On his radar, he spotted a colossal space rock, its composition holding the potential to serve his purpose. With his target identified, Samson carefully maneuvered his mining vessel, aptly named the Stardust, towards the asteroid. The journey through the cold vacuum of space was arduous, but his determination propelled him forward. Hours turned into days as the Stardust closed in on its quarry. He didn’t know what the official name of th...