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Back Eternity
Chapters (90)
  1. Eternity
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. EPILOGUE
  90. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Maybe we both need memories refreshed,” Lanier said. “I wanted to tell you how tired I was, but I don’t feel very tired now.”

Mirsky waved his hand nonchalantly. “Old warriors always chew the bull long after.”

“Chew the fat,” Lanier said, smiling. It seemed very unlikely Mirsky made an unconscious error. “I’d like that.”

“Tell me what happened after I defected.”

“First, I’d like to ask a question…A thousand questions.”

“I cannot answer a thousand questions,” Mirsky said.

“Then one or two.”

Mirsky nodded skeptically.

“Your presentation…there was so much power there. You tell us they’ll take—they are taking—whole galaxies and converting them, destroying them…. Lifeless galaxies?”

Mirsky grinned. “Wise question. Yes. Stillborn, you might say…Huge, full of too much energy, burning themselves out anyway, or quickly falling into frozen stars at their center…You call them black holes. No life, no order in those galaxies will survive. The Final Mind accelerates and controls their death.”

Lanier nodded stupidly, caught himself, and licked his dry lips. “With so much power, why not just force us? Send a kind of army of people like yourself, or…something stronger.”

“Not subtle. Not the right way.”

“What if you fail?”

Mirsky shrugged. “Even so.”

“What will happen…between now and the end of time?” There it was, bald; he had had his interest in the future renewed, and with that came curiosity.

“I remember only what I need to remember. If I remembered more, I would not be allowed to tell you…not everything.”

“How long will it be—until the end?”

“Time means less and less in that region of history,” Mirsky said. “But an estimate—a ballpark figure—is not too misleading. About seventy-five billion years.”

Lanier blinked, trying to absorb such a span.

Mirsky shook his head sadly. “Sorry. I am not trying to be evasive, but there can only be so much revelation now. Perhaps later…much later, when humans join the communities…”

Lanier shivered and nodded. “All right,” he said. “But I’m still curious. Others are probably more curious than I am…The very people you have to convince.”

Mirsky agreed with a wry expression. “Now, Garry, I have my own questions. Can we talk about what happened after the Geshel precincts left?”

“Starting from when?”

“From the return to Earth.”

Lanier thought, found a starting point, and began his confession, after the need for it had finally passed.

26

Gaia