Pa'an

Jag was enjoying the peace of his new office under the mountain, several yards from the white room. Andorra was not exactly a beehive of commerce.

The new display terminal on Jag’s wall lit and sounded a trumpet salute. The screen displayed the official rotating seal of the Pa’an Ambassador.

Mm? An official message? “Ambassador?”

“Good day to you, Mr. Kunstler. Aura is here as well.” A window at the top of the screen opened with Aura’s new digital avatar, showing a beatific smile. It was impossible to tell her image from a real human anymore. She chose her gowns and clothing with tasteful elegance. Jag recognized her subtle expression as well beyond anything her dress dummy could manage. She still wore the filigree emerald torc he gave her. That made him smile.

“Hello, Mr. Ambassador! You’re lovelier than ever, Aura!” Everyone flirted with Aura now. He didn’t even feel strange about it anymore. “What revelation do you have for us today?”

“Well chosen words, Mr. Kunstler. Do you mind if I call you Jag?”

“Jag is fine, Zovo. Revelation? Really?”

“I suspect it will be a revelation when we announce it tomorrow, but you need to know what we offer. Could you bring Elexi into your office as well?”

Jag licked his lips and thought for a second. Elexi? Then he pushed the intercom button and called her. Elexi popped into the room like a marionette on a wire. “Yes, M…Jag?

Aura spoke first. “Sis, please try to relax and listen to the proposition Zovo is offering. I’m hoping you will accept it as a gift from the Pa’an.”

Elexi looked over to Jag for approval. He simply nodded his head.

Zovo’s voice came from the rotating triangular seal. “This is an official message from my e’Pan’Vact and from all the Pa’an.”

“You have already felt the third temblor. That signifies that our Project was completed and testing began 20 years ago, but the effects are about to reach you here. We now know it is safe, and passage is now open to all Pa’an. By the time you see this, we Pa’an will have left en masse for the new metaverse. A few maintainers and observers will remain, as Virti and I will. However, when we few are gone, the fine tuning of the p-Gate will rapidly decay and the Project will become just another curious feature of this galaxy.”

“How long will that be?”

“We can maintain it for a few more years yet. Dark matter swirls will detune it within days after we stop.”

“We humans will very much miss you. Is there any way to communicate from the new place?”

“No. Apart from some indirect measurements we are using to make sure we have the right tuning, the gateway is a one-way trip. For Pa’an, it is trip worth making and much desired.”

“How do you know what life will be like on the other side?” Elexi frowned.

“There is an element of faith involved.” Faith! Thought Jag. There’s been damned little of that in my experience. Zovo continued, “Life should be much easier on the other side.”

“Zovo paused then spoke again, “Elexi and Jag, the gateway has been re-oriented with some difficulty since we established contact with humans. We know you are close to a ne point in your history. We could not ignore the possible loss of a civilized species so much like ourselves. We re-tuned the Project for you. We have extended the Cone of Probability from the gate to intercept Earth’s orbit briefly. Your planet will enter the Cone when it swings around to our side of your Sun and will remain in the cone for about four months. During that time, things will change on Earth. Probability will turn somewhat favorable instead of adverse. Events will move a bit more quickly than usual. The impossible may become more attainable. It will be easier to accomplish things, both good and bad. We certainly hope good will prevail.”

“But that is not the only thing that will happen.”

“During those four months any of you that wish will be able to transfer through the gate, just as the Pa’an have been doing. You will be transferred to the Earth analog in the alternate universe. Anyone who wants to go will be able to go. Anyone who wants to stay behind can stay. The transfer will not be difficult or expensive in terms of resources.”

Elexi and Jag both shouted at once, “Where are we going to? What is there? How do we know this isn’t a bad idea?” The implications hit Jag a few seconds later. “Holy shit!”

Aura’s image grinned, “You bet, Jag. This will be the biggest thing that ever happened to the human species since the asteroid eliminated Earth’s dominant life forms and let mammals grow up.”

“We are doing this in spite of our promise not to interfere with your development. We know that this will cause disruptions on Earth. A fair fraction of the population may want to transfer. We don’t want transfer to be seen as a scary thing, or to have it be anything but a free choice of the people who go. Elexi, we are offering you the first chance to go as the first human pioneer to a new universe. You will not be alone there.”

Well, thought Elexi, that is something to think about. It might be OK. There isn’t much for me here. But there might not be much for me there either. I would need to ask permission from Master … I mean Jag.

Jag watched the indecision on Elexi’s face. Perhaps she was still incapable of making any kind of decision without “permission”. But should he give it? How does anyone know what that place is like?

“Aura, you know Elexi’s condition. You are putting her and me in a difficult position. If I say ‘Go’ she will go. I don’t want to send her into danger.”

Zovo answered, “But you already have some idea of what this place is like. It’s in all your literature. Your species may have some strange form of precognition. Your religious literature talks about it. Even your science fiction mentions it. You have known about the existence of this place nearly as long as we have, if your history is right.”

“Huh? What place is that?”

“You call it Paradise. Heaven.”