Then one of the scientists had the bright idea of posing the questions to the crystal in mathematical form…which the crystal then answered in mathematical format.
I don’t think I had ever seen anyone so excited as those scientists.
The first set of equations that the crystal solved for us allowed the creation of the first fusion reactor. I didn’t understand it at the time, since I thought it was just a fancy nuclear plant, but that was a big deal.
Then the scientists started asking about specific equations by scientists with names like Hendrik Casimir and van der Waal and some guy named Alcubierre. That last one was an even bigger deal than the fusion plant. When the crystal produced the results of some of those equations, the scientists almost had a spontaneous celebration right there in the laboratory. One of them actually fainted.
Eventually, they bothered to explain the cause of the excitement to me.
Using the equations from the crystal, they could build a hyperdrive. An actual, working hyperdrive that through some trick of physics let a ship travel way faster than the speed of light. And not in a hundred years or some distant future, but they could build it here and now. President Culver authorized the funds for the program, and the military of Pacifica started building its first hyperdrive-capable starship.
I requested permission to join the exploration program, and the President personally approved it in his role as commander of the armed forces.
“You know,” Jack told me at the reception at the legislature, “I don’t want to leave, but I’m jealous of you.”
I had been invited to the official start of the project as Pacifica’s capital, which for reasons of political compromise was located in Grand Junction, Colorado. President Culver hosted the party. A lot of veterans were there, most of whom I knew. Maggie and Kyle and their kids as come as well. Even Rigger and his girlfriend had come, though I suspect they mostly wanted the free food and drink.
“Alpha Centauri first,” I said. “Nine days to get there. The chief scientist thinks they’ll even be able to work out the equation for artificial gravity by then.”
“I wouldn’t want to leave,” said Jack, “but…that will be something, won’t it? The first one to see a thousand different worlds.”
“A thousand worlds,” said Rigger around a mouthful of egg rolls.
“Eh?” I said.
“See, maybe that’s what they’ll call it,” said Rigger. “They keep calling it the galaxy or unexplored space or whatever. Maybe they’ll call it the Thousand Worlds someday.”
“Heck of a thought,” I said.
“Eh,” said Rigger. “Too bad old Gregor didn’t live to see it.” He guffawed. “He would have been ticked.”
“Yeah,” I said.
Jack snorted. “You’re turning into a philosopher in your old age, Nate. Gregor wanted to turn Earth into a prison that he and his friends could rule for themselves. Instead, he accidentally gave humanity a way to the stars.”
“Eh,” said Rigger. “Too poetic for me. I’m just glad I got to shoot him myself.”
“The thousand worlds,” I said, mulling the thought over.
I did like the thought of that. One thousand worlds, and I wanted to see as many of them as I could before I died.
It was time to get started.
THE END
Science Fiction
Awake in the Night Land by John C. Wright
City Beyond Time: Tales of the Fall of Metachronopolis by John C. Wright
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm by John C. Wright
The Corroding Empire 1: Corrosion by Johan Kalsi
Back From the Dead by Rolf Nelson
Hyperspace Demons by Jonathan Moeller
No Gods, Only Daimons by Cheah Kai Wai
The Thousand Worlds: Mutiny in Space by Rod Walker
The Thousand Worlds: Young Man's War by Rod Walker
QUANTUM MORTIS A Man Disrupted by Steve Rzasa and Vox Day
QUANTUM MORTIS Gravity Kills by Steve Rzasa and Vox Day
QUANTUM MORTIS A Mind Programmed by Jeff Sutton, Jean Sutton, and Vox Day
Victoria: A Novel of Fourth Generation War by Thomas Hobbes
Fantasy
One Bright Star to Guide Them by John C. Wright
The Book of Feasts & Seasons by John C. Wright
Iron Chamber of Memory by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 1: Swan Knight's Son by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 2: Feast of the Elfs by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 3: Swan Knight's Sword by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 4: Daughter of Danger by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 5: City of Corpses by John C. Wright
Moth & Cobweb 6: Tithe to Tartarus by John C. Wright
Arts of Dark and Light 0: Summa Elvetica: A Casuistry of the Elvish Controversy by Vox Day
Arts of Dark and Light 1: A Throne of Bones by Vox Day
Arts of Dark and Light 2: A Sea of Skulls by Vox Day
A Magic Broken by Vox Day
The Wardog's Coin by Vox Day
The Last Witchking by Vox Day
The Altar of Hate by Vox Day
The War in Heaven by Vox Day
The World in Shadow by Vox Day
The Wrath of Angels by Vox Day
Military Science Fiction
There Will Be War Vol. I ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. II ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. III ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. IV ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. V ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. IX ed. Jerry Pournelle
There Will Be War Vol. X ed. Jerry Pournelle
Plague Wars 0: The Eden Plague by David VanDyke
Plague Wars 1: Reaper's Run by David VanDyke
Plague Wars 2: Skull's Shadows by David VanDyke
Galactic Liberation 1: Starship Liberator by David VanDyke and B.V. Larson
Galactic Liberation 2: Battleship Indomitable by David VanDyke and B.V. Larson
Riding the Red Horse Vol. 1 ed. Tom Kratman and Vox Day
Fiction
An Equation of Almost Infinite Complexity by J. Mulrooney
Hitler in Hell by Martin van Creveld
Loki's Child by Fenris Wulf
The Ames Archives 1: Brings the Lightning by Peter Grant
The Ames Archives 2: Rocky Mountain Retribution by Peter Grant
The Missionaries by Owen Stanley
The Promethean by Owen Stanley
Non-Fiction
4th Generation Warfare Handbook by William S. Lind and LtCol Gregory A. Thiele, USMC
A History of Strategy: From Sun Tzu to William S. Lind by Martin van Creveld
Equality: The Impossible Quest by Martin van Creveld
Clio & Me: An Intellectual Autobiography by Martin van Creveld
Four Generations of Modern War by William S. Lind
On War: The Collected Columns of William S. Lind 2003-2009 by William S. Lind
MAGA Mindset: Making YOU and America Great Again by Mike Cernovich
The Nine Laws by Ivan Throne
Appendix N: A Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons by Jeffro Johnson
Transhuman and Subhuman: Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth by John C. Wright
Astronomy and Astrophysics by Dr. Sarah Salviander
Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting by David the Good
Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening by David the Good
Push the Zone: The Good Guide to Growing Tropical Plants Beyond the Tropics by David the Good
Collected Columns, Vol. I: Innocence & Intellect, 2001—2005 by Vox Day
Collected Columns, Vol. II: Conceit & Crisis, 2006�
��2009 by Vox Day
Collected Columns, Vol. III: Failure & Freedom, 2010—2012 by Vox Day
Cuckservative: How “Conservatives” Betrayed America by John Red Eagle and Vox Day
On the Existence of Gods by Dominic Saltarelli and Vox Day
On the Question of Free Trade by James D. Miller and Vox Day
Do We Need God To Be Good? by C.R. Hallpike
The LawDog Files by LawDog
The LawDog Files: African Adventures by LawDog
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Invasion Day
Chapter 2: The Coming of the Dark
Chapter 3: The Drive
Chapter 4: Castle Base
Chapter 5: Training
Chapter 6: First Mission
Chapter 7: Spokane
Chapter 8: Recovery
Chapter 9: Rescue
Chapter 10: Old Wars
Chapter 11: Interface
Chapter 12: Diaspora
Mutiny in Space
Swan Knight's Son
Castalia House