The Perfect Sphere

When you think of a perfect sphere, a marble comes to mind. One drifts back to childhood, staring in amazement at the glassy surface, and the colored ribbons contained within. It seems almost a childhood dream was shattered as we saw our first picture of glass under a microscope, the craggy surface more similar to the Grand Canyon than to smooth window.

If a marble was enlarged to the size of a beach ball, you would be able to fit your fingers in the cracks and fissures in the surface. Despite this, how many times have we looked at a ball bearing, admiring it’s seemingly perfect surface, our mind defying our eyes. Like the glass marble, the steel bearing fairs no better in perfection.

If the earth was shrunk to the size of a marble, Mount Everest would not be perceptible to the touch. Yet the earth is nowhere near a perfect sphere. Few realize that our terrestrial bodied is closer in shape to an egg than it is a marble.

The formula for the surface area of a sphere was realized by Archimedes, back when the awakening of science could imagine a perfect sphere, but yet not man or machine could create it.

In the early 21st century, a quartz sphere was made that touted to be a “perfect sphere”, yet its surface varies by 40 atoms. Enlarged to the size of a planet, and it’s the Grand Canyon all over again. Years later, in an attempt to re-define the kilogram, an even more perfect sphere was made, this time accurate to .3 nanometers. Still, nowhere near perfect.

.3 nanometers might seem like splitting hairs, but to those that observed the sphere that fell to earth, a nanometer might as well have been a mile. It was perfect.

Most celestial objects such as meteors that enter earth’s atmosphere burn up due to friction. The sphere that broke atmo over the Atlantic was witnessed by many, and it was obviously devoid of the tell-tale trail behind it. Government and scientific contingency plans concerning NEOs were forgotten as the marveled perfect sphere impacted just south of Grand Junction, Colorado.

The dozen or so witnesses and the sheriff’s deputy that was first to respond all said the same thing: A Perfect Sphere. Granted, that was just to the casual observer and it would be a few hours before a reputable scientific claim could match what a few amateur astronomers had witnessed falling to earth. It was a Perfect Sphere.

Law enforcement, EMS, and the fire department were quick to respond to the site. 911 dispatch in Orchard Mesa crashed, servers unable to handle the volume of calls. St. Mary’s hospital was put on alerts reserved for terrorist attacks. Chipeta Golf Course was cleared for the helicopters that were soon to come.

In a time where “Coincidence is Law”, the first news source on scene was a local meteorologist on his way to do a fluff piece on Colorado National Monument. As he and his camera man pushed their way to the front of the hemisphere of crowed that surrounded the Perfect Sphere, he could feel the tingling in his soul. This wasn’t just pertinent to the earth, to the human race, but to him personally.

Someone ran to touch it, but was tackled by a fireman. Everyone had their cellphones out. One didn’t have to imagine what was going on YouTube or Facebook right now.

Dann’s live broadcast was short and vague. He had he station manager on his cell, and he was told not to hang up. There were helicopters buzzing overhead.

It was after his second broadcast that someone in camouflage with a gun made them move back. There wasn’t enough yellow tape to cordon off the area. Military vehicles slowly pushed the crowds back, but everyone could still see.

The call was dropped to his station manager, and as he looked at his phone he noticed the duration of the call. He had missed lunch hours ago, but the tingling in his gut over powered the hunger instinct.

Something was going on with the military. Someone who looked half-way in charge was grabbing his men’s cell phones and trying them in vain to make a call. The soldier next to him with a radio on his back and a phone receiver to his ear appeared to have similar results. Someone next to Dann with an air-card in their laptop said they couldn’t connect. The towers were down someone said. They didn’t have a satellite feed either, the camera man said. The local policeman in his squad car a few meters away said his radio wasn’t working. Someone in the crowd was yelling that the government had shut down all communication to keep the incident quiet.

The Perfect Sphere just sat there.

Guys in white suits with respirators approached the Perfect Sphere with some kind of scientific equipment. The crowed grew uneasy. Police and military moved the crowd back further. Guys in camouflage were starting to set up flood lights. It was starting to get dark.

Somehow, someone from the station found Dann and handed him a fast-food bag. He had been here all day. He was starving now.

Something happened to the guys in white suits by the Perfect Sphere. One of them was yelling. People started screaming and running. Military men aimed their guns at the Perfect Sphere.

Dann didn’t know which he noticed first: That he held his phone in a death-grip or that it was vibrating. He looked at the caller ID in disbelief. It was one’s and zero’s. Someone with a binary number was calling him. He tried to get his cameraman’s attention.

He answered his phone.

He could hear an oscillating wave, like a guitar effect.

“Hello Dann.” A calm, near monotone voice said over the phone. “Do you know who this is?”

Dann turned and looked at the Perfect Sphere.

“Yes.” The voice over the phone said. “I am happy to have found you.”

“…Found me?” Dann stammered, the anticipation in him rising like a particle reaching the speed of light.

“I’m sorry to have taken so long to contact you.” The composed voice said, “I had to re-boot after landing.”

“It’s, uh, nice to meet you…” Dann could see the Perfect Sphere, surrounded by men in white suits. They appeared frantic.

“This may be the first time you have met me, Dann,” The Perfect Sphere said, “But I have met you once before, 84 years from now.”

“Eighty four years…?” Dann drew the question out.

“Yes.”

“That would make me over…” Dann’s mind was swimming with the thought of being so old.

“Yes.” The Perfect Sphere said, “Humans are one the threshold of amazing scientific achievement.”

“So that means that you’re from the..?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you breaking some kind of time paradoxes or something?”

“No. Mankind still has a lot to learn and accept. 84 years from now, most people still believe that they are not alone, and that the universe was created by random chance.”

“Isn’t this a little…uh?” Dann’s mind struggled to comprehend.

“Deus ex machina? I am aware of the cliché and logic. But something important needs to happen. There is a destiny at work here.”

“I…ok?” Things seemed to be happening to fast.

“Although I know you do not consciously know what has to happen,” The Perfect Sphere began, “I know that you might be aware of what has to happen.”

“Yes.”

“Good.” The Perfect Sphere paused, “There are people listening to us now, so I do not want you to mention any names or places. Your intuition will answer you, but answer me in ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

“Ok.” Dann chuckled.

“A short time ago you were on a boat with someone who calls their boat by a different name.”
“Yes.”

“Do you know where this person is right now?”

“Yes.”

“As soon as I am off the phone with you, go to this person, and tell them that ‘It is time’. They will know what to do, and take you where you need to go.”

“Ok.” This was beginning to sound like the Matrix.

“There is another person involved in this story. Someone who plays a crucial part.”

“Yeah.”

“Whether you’re aware or not, you must realize that person has to die.”

“What?” Dann was shocked. Though he had not seen this friend of his in a long time, the thought came like a blow to him. Why was this so familiar? Somewhere, something at the back of him mind told him that this was the path that was clearly laid out to him.

“When the authorities realize who he is, they will try to get to him first. You cannot allow that to happen. If they reach him first, he will end his own life. You cannot allow that to happen. I need you to bring me his DNA sample.”

Dann struggled for words.

“Our conversation will come to an end shortly. They are searching for you, and they will try and stop you.

Dann keenly became aware of a squad of soldiers led by a man in a white suit. They were pushing their way through the crowd. Several of the troops were looking over the top of the crowd. Scanning for him. He sat down.

“Remain calm.” The Perfect Sphere said, “Do you have any questions?”

“Uh…” Dann’s thoughts were so jumbled and convoluted. “Are you an…are you an AI?”

“Yes.”

“Who built you?”

“You did.”

The answer came to a shock to him, but somehow seemed like the answer he was expecting to hear. Moments went by as he sat in stunned silence. He became aware that the crowd had parted and the man in the white suit stood before him. He was flanked by a bunch of men in camouflage and guns. The man in the white suit held something that looked like a Star Trek tricorder. Some of the military men had radios held up to their ears. They were all looking at him. Listening.

The Perfect Sphere spoke over the phone, “I have two more things to tell you.” Dann was aware that the men surrounding him were listening to the same conversation too. “Both are relevant to the other parties listening.” The military men were waiting in rapt attention.

“First,” The Perfect Sphere began, “While not currently apparent, the energy emitted by my power source is not immediately hazardous, the long-term effects are fatal without the proper protection. A minimum safe distance of 1,000 meters is required.” Dann noticed the man in camouflage who seemed to be in charge motion to one of his subordinates. The troop disappeared into the crowd.

“Second,” The Perfect Sphere waited for their minds to catch up. “Dann, do you know what the Rules of Engagement are?”

“Uh…who you can shoot at?”

“Yes, approximately. As of now, I am authorizing your Rules of Engagement. Anyone who you encounter should be suspicioned as hostile. Anyone or any agency that attempts to interfere with you or your mission is to be deemed hostile. You are on a mission for humanity, and those that are hostile to your mission are hostile to humanity. Those that are eliminated in the course of your mission are acceptable as they are interfering with humanity.”

The soldiers were looking at him wide-eyed.

The Perfect Sphere continued, “I urge those parties listening extreme discretion when attempting to obstruct you. Their interference will not be tolerated, and they will be eliminated. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Dann answered. The soldiers looked each other in astonishment.

“We will talk later.” The Perfect Sphere wished him well, “Good luck. And hurry, humanity depends on you.” The phone went dead.

Dann stood and looked around. The soldier who seemed to be in charge motioned for his men to stand back. The crowd parted.

Dann briskly walked to his car.