The Life of the Universe/ Goren Gordon
"Tonight, Wednesday, 4.11.54 (the year is 3054), my crew and I arrived at the Skalara system. The sight we encountered was amazing. There were so many of them, we couldn't see the end of it. The spaceships flew from planet to planet. We were awestruck. My lieutenant informed me that the sensors showed that all of these spaceships carried huge moon-sized objects. Some were of an unknown substance, which our computer analysis showed had no electrons, no neutrons and even no protons. Others were composed of known materials like iron, ice and amazingly - gold. We had never seen this quantity of gold before, even though we had traveled through many star systems.
"A spaceship approached us. A voice was heard: 'Welcome, neighbors. We are happy to meet you. Have you brought us any special materials?' I was speechless. Even though this wasn't my first encounter with a life form, even an intelligent one, I was shocked by the spaceship itself. It was HUGE. It was about ten times the size of our own ship, and believe me, our ship is BIG. Finally I answered the voice, according to inter-stellar convention: 'Hello, I'm the Captain of this ship, 'The Scanner', and we are in peace. We come from the Human race and we wish to maintain contact with you. Please respond!'
"A picture appeared on our screen. We all stood there shocked - this cannot be. Our history never told us about that. Our laws of biology and physics cannot allow it. But yet, this is no illusion. This is true. It looks just like us - It/He/She is Human ... "
"Today, Vierday (the tenth day of the week), 52.15.54, by the power invested in me as the representative of the Human race, I signed a trade agreement with the Skalarians. Within an hour , hundreds of their spaceships were launched toward the Beta-Oasis system, the nearest one in the Inter-Galactic Union's territory. The amount, again, the amount is amazing. The only analogy I can think of is a flush of electrons or photons. There is a kind of imaginary line of transport, like a highway, an inter-galactic highway. The ships were carrying, mostly iron and oxygen, since I told the Skalarians we were in need of them. I already sent a message to the head of the system notifying him of the arrival of the cargo. The head of the Skalarian convoy (This is their formal racial name) asked if we could send them hydrogen and nitrogen because they, also, have a shortage. The ships from Beta-Oasis have been launched, too. This trade contract is going to be beneficial to both of the races."
"This cannot be. I'm sorry I am not following the official protocol procedure, but this discovery is outstanding. We've investigated it over and over again and all the studies indicate the same thing: All of the planets in this system are identical! Perfectly identical! In every substance composing them. It's amazing. We discovered this after, with our own eyes, we witnessed the transformation of an entire planet. The planet was at the far end of this system. The sight was spectacular. It changed from an earth like planet to a planet like all the rest in this system - purple. We asked the Skalarian councilor who was with us on the ship and he answered that now the planet was part of the system and he made a strange remark: 'Now it has become part of the body, like they're all going to become'"
"When I look today, Tuesday, 5.4.3504, at the catalogues of our ancestors, 500 years ago, I'm stunned. I understand that to meeting the 'System' for the first time is exciting but what was the this 'fuss'. Today it's an integral part of all our lives. When I look at the trade map I don't see planets or ships or trade routes. I see the 'System', functioning perfectly. Earth, today, has doubled its mass since the year 2000. It became purple 100 years ago. Each day, hundreds of planets are added to the 'System', but , of course, some die.
"No, this cannot happen. Is it the end? Is it the final limit? Can't we grow any further? Has the 'System' reached its maximum size? The scientists have handed in the report about the 'Border'. It is so large that we cannot grasp it's size. The atoms in it are so enormous we cannot understand them. Today, the scientists have finally handed in the sketch of the 'Border'. It is unbelievable. It looks like a body. Here are it's 6 tentacles."
"The 'Border' is moving. It's changing. Tentacle - I and Tentacle - III have touched one another. The planets in the tips are almost crushed. the whole 'System' is changing, moving. The planets moving towards each other and away from one another. We don't know how but they say that there is something in the black hole in the center of the 'System'..."
"Tell tentacle - I that it must move. Here is the message. Send it to Gamma-Yeralius and tell her to move faster. Send Uranium and Xenon to Vetkora. Hurry, we cannot stand a delay..."
And so the Body was born, grew, evolved and ... Died.