BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

“How would you know that?”

He shook his head a few times and pushed the pizza away. He was finished. “It’s your call.” He sounded as if he was bestowing the privilege.

•  •  •

She called the White House from the car. “This is Priscilla Hutchins. Is President Proctor by any chance available?”

A female voice responded. “Ms. Hutchins, I’m sorry but she’s in conference at the moment. Do you wish to leave a message?”

“Yes. Would you please tell her I wish I could help. But I can’t manage it. I’m sorry.”

Derek Blanchard, Extract from Notebook, Intended for Autobiography

The argument that the Calliope project presents an existential danger isn’t absurd, but it’s unlikely anything like that could happen. In any case, it’s a step we’re going to have to take eventually. Developing a society with technology sufficiently advanced to provide FTL travel requires cooperation on a level far beyond any that can be achieved in the presence of a primitive mind-set. Its members have to be smart enough to get along. Ultimately, a talent for cooperation may be the definition of intelligent life.

Burke, Unterkoefler, Nakata, and the others who are maintaining the position are pointing at the fact that savagery still exists across our world. And they are correct to the degree that we have not yet established a completely peaceful planet. But it might be helpful to point out that we no longer have governments threatening world order. Yes, there are small groups of hostile lunatics killing themselves periodically in the name of religion or politics. But all they can do is create havoc. They have no capability to design new technology, and we no longer have outlaw governments willing to deliver technology into their hands.

A bright future awaits us. But we have to possess the courage to move forward into it.

—Sunday, February 24, 2256

7.

Point me out the way

To any one particular beauteous star,

And I will flit into it with my lyre,

And make its silvery splendor pant with bliss.

—John Keats, “Hyperion III,” 1819

Hutch put on a pair of sunglasses and her Washington Hawks baseball cap. Then she picked up her luggage, climbed into the car, and directed it to take her to the DC spaceport. People with signs were gathered around the entrance, apparently waiting for her.

STAY HOME AND BE SAFE

KEEP OUT OF THE HORNET’S NEST

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

THEY’RE OUT THERE

DON’T BE CRAZY

YOU’LL KILL US ALL

They flew the blue-and-white banners of the recently organized Save the Earth Foundation. “What do you want to do?” asked the car, whose name was Molly.

“Pull up in front of them,” she said.

“You sure, Priscilla? They look disorderly.”