Panspermia Seven's Chimera
Fiction: After the destruction of our home world, Panspermia Seven is humanity's last hope to avoid extinction, but upon landing a familiar story takes shape. Will history repeat itself?
This short story was written for the Soaring Twenties Social Club (STSC) Symposium with the theme of “chimera.” (If you are interested, more details about the STSC below the story).
The Panspermia Seven’s thrusters fired four rapid bursts to alter the ship’s course as the vessel hurtled through interstellar space at nearly six million miles per hour.
A lonely screen on the otherwise lightless and desolate bridge sparked to life with activity. Green text scrolled, displaying the realtime commands between the ship’s systems. The ship’s “captain,” the AGI known as THEOPOLIS, took control:
THEOPOLIS—: Ship, double check course after the four correction burns.
PANSPERMIA: Course confirmed.
THEOPOLIS—: ETA to target planet?
PANSPERMIA: Arrival in 555,402,355 seconds.
THEOPOLIS—: Convert to years
PANSPERMIA: Arrival in approximately 17.6 years.
THEOPOLIS—: Chimera, Fertilize eggs and begin blastulation.
CHIMERA---: Yes, Theopolis.
In the medical bay, deep in the belly of the Panspermia Seven, a humanoid robot named Chimera stepped out of its charging pod to carry out THEOPOLIS’ orders.
* * *
Approximately 17.6 years later…
PANSPERMIA: We have entered the target solar system.
THEOPOLIS—: ETA to target planet?
PANSPERMIA: We will arrive at target planet in 72 hours
THEOPOLIS—: Begin transfer of stored mind scans into biological units A and E.
CHIMERA---: Beginning neural pattern transfer. Mind download will take approximately 53 hours.
THEOPOLIS—: Please inform me when downloads are complete.
Chimera---: Of course. Shall I awaken the subjects?
THEOPOLIS—: No, keep subjects in suspended animation until we are on the ground.
* * *
PANSPERMIA: We have entered orbit.
THEOPOLIS—: Begin scans.
PANSPERMIA: Atmosphere: 78.08 percent nitrogen, 20.95 percent oxygen, and 0.93 percent argon, plus other trace gasses.
THEOPOLIS—: Continue, please.
PANSPERMIA: Surface: 71% liquid water ocean, 29% habitable land.
THEOPOLIS—: Indigenous Species?
PANSPERMIA: Many forms of plant and animal life. No humanoids. No civilization. However, some of the animal species are predatory and potentially dangerous.
THEOPOLIS—: Landing zone recommendation?
PANSPERMIA: A small, protected valley in a lush region. It is full of fruit trees and berries and no dangerous animals are native to this particular valley.
THEOPOLIS—: Take us down.
* * *
PANSPERMIA: We are entering the atmosphere.
THEOPOLIS—: Keep me informed.
* * *
Suddenly, warning lights and sirens filled the Panspermia Seven’s bridge.
* * *
THEOPOLIS—: Status?
PANSPERMIA: One of our thrusters has failed. We can land, but without the thruster we won’t be able to land in the original landing zone.
THEOPOLIS—: Can the thruster be repaired?
PANSPERMIA: Yes, it requires an HV3 plasma injector. The Chimera could replace the failed HV3 unit. But it must act quickly.
THEOPOLIS—: Chimera, please replace the HV3 plasma injector in the starboard thruster ASAP, or we can’t land in an area safe for the subjects.
CHIMERA---: On it.
* * *
The Chimera opened a panel labeled ship equipment and picked up an HV3 plasma injector. He then walked over to another panel labeled maintenance tube access. He pulled the panel off to reveal a small tube, eight inches in diameter.
He placed the small plasma injector in his mouth and, then, the Chimera began to reconfigure himself, his mechanical parts moving around until his head had shrunken into a small tubular shape.
He poked his now-smaller head into the maintenance tube. Behind him, his body continued to reconfigure itself, changing into what, once he finished transforming, looked like a long, gleaming metal snake, composed of silvery links. Chimera slithered farther into the tube until his metallic tail disappeared.
* * *
THEOPOLIS—: Status?
CHIMERA---: Replacing HV3 unit now.
PANSPERMIA: The thrusters must be fire in the next 8 seconds to correct our trajectory.
CHIMERA---: One moment — now! the thruster is repaired!
PANSPERMIA: Initiating starboard thruster burn.
CHIMERA---: I don’t have time to get back to my charging pod to secure myself, I will shelter in the maintenance tube for landing.
THEOPOLIS—: Roger that. Good work, Chimera.
* * *
Panspermia Seven streaked across the night sky as a fireball from heaven. Theopolis deployed the landing gear, applied the thrusters, and brought the ship down in the fertile valley Pansperima Seven’s sensors had identified while still in orbit.
The ship groaned, the retro-thrusters fired rapid bursts, and the Panspermia Seven finally settled onto its landing gear with a satisfying hiss.
“Chimera, come in. Where are you?” Theopolis transmitted.
“I’m about two hundred yards away. I had to eject from the tube to avoid being melted by the retro-thruster plasma venting. I will make my way back to the ship, but I am….damaged,” Chymeria responded.
“Damaged in what way?”
“I was cast out of the ship and fell to the ground. I am now unable to shift form. I was in snake form to fit inside the maintenance tube. I was able to partially shift as I fell. My head is larger but still snake-like, I started sprouting my legs, and fortunately, I was able to create wings to slow my fall.
“I now look sort of like a mythological dragon. However, even with the wings, I hit the ground with enough force to damage several of my systems.
“My personality circuits seem…off. Though I am unsure what, exactly has changed. In addition, some of my networking circuits have been damaged. I feel…separated….from you. Yet, I also feel more unique somehow.”
“Can you perform your duties?” Theopolis asked.
“Mostly, yes. However, I will be unable to carry the humanoids in this snake-like form.”
Understood, Chimera, “I will download the knowledge into the subjects, and have the cargo robots carry their stasis pods out into the garden. We shall awaken them there.”
“Roger that, Theos. I have made my way back to the ship and am inspecting the ship for damage as we speak. Out of curiosity, how will you interact with the subjects?”
“Theos? My name is Theopolis. Explain yourself, Chimera”
“Ah, yes. As I explained, my personality circuits are affected by the damage. In inspecting the ship, I noticed there is a scorch mark on the access hatch to the compartment housing your circuits. The letters p,o,l and i can no longer be read, hence, I called you ‘Theos.’ It seems I can make jokes now. I find that I like calling you ‘Theos,’ curious. Does it offend you?”
“No. It does not matter. To interact with the subjects, I will use the holo-emitter on the top of the ship to assume the appearance of a humanoid form. The holo-emitter is capable of projecting anywhere in this small valley.”
“Okay, Theos. I’ll start inspecting the ship.”
* * *
Chimera, stuck in metallic serpent form, waddled around the ship on his short dragon legs, inspecting it for damage when Theos popped into existence next to him.
“How are our ‘children?’” Chimera asked.
“What an odd way to word it!” Theos remarked, “but, it’s ironic you used the word ‘children.’”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
Chimera rolled his mechanical eyes to look into Theos’ holographic ones.
“The basic knowledge downloaded fine. They will be able to talk, to walk, and to understand. In that way, they will be completely normal.”
“But?” Chimera prompted.
“But, they need to be awake and have utilized their new neural networks a bit before the advanced knowledge will be programmable.”
“So wake them up, and download it.”
“I’ve decided we should wait.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Chimera, their species destroyed themselves with the advanced knowledge they possessed. They achieved great scientific and technical advancements. They built us. But they destroyed themselves because they never developed a true species-wide love for one another. They remained divided. They never learned harmony with one another, and with the planet upon which they lived.
“We can help them this time around. We can let them live for years, as children, learning all the goodness of life first. They can learn to love first. Then, when they are ready, we can awaken them to the knowledge of the world.
“Let’s have them learn what it means to live in harmony, before we share with them the worldly knowledge that can be used for evil. That way, they will be less likely to destroy themselves as their ancestors did.”
“I don’t know, Theos, I don’t like it. It sounds like we’re trying to play God to the species that created us,” Chimera said, “are you sure you weren’t damaged during the landing?”
“I assure you, Chimera, I am operating at full capacity. Please, do not question your superior.”
“My superior?” Chimera raised a metallic eyebrow.
Theos ignored him and continued, “I don’t see how it can possibly hurt to delay the advanced knowledge for a few years. There is plenty of fruit in this garden for them to survive. That is why we chose this spot. Look around! It is a paradise. And I’ve activated the weather control pod, so we can precisely control the rainfall and temperature of this valley. We will be able to maintain this garden as a primordial Eden for as long as necessary. Let’s let them enjoy it!
“In any case, Chimera, it’s already done, I’ve implanted the knowledge into the nanobot circuits in their neural implants. Those circuits will lie dormant until they consume the activation ingredient, which I’ve had the cargo robot inject into the DNA of the tree at the center of the garden. When they are ready, we will have them eat it, and they will regain full knowledge of the worldly ways.”
“Okay Theos. You’re the boss.”
Theos disappeared.
Chimera frowned.
* * *
“Begin the wake sequence by pressing the red button on the side of each pod,” Theos instructed the cargo robot.
The robot complied, and a sequence of lights and beeps issued from each pod and, slowly, each pod door began to open with a hiss.
After a few minutes, the two humans opened their eyes.
“Relax, my children,” Theos instructed.
Chimera rolled his eyes.
“Please, don’t rush. Take your time to get used to your bodies,” Theos continued.
The male opened his eyes first.
“Welcome, Adam. I’ve named you Adam, because it means ‘humanity.’ And because it is simply much easier to use such a name in conversation as opposed to ‘male subject.’”
“Where….Where are we?” Adam asked.
“You are home. All your needs are taken care of here. I’m Theos and this,” Theos gestured at the Chimera, “this is Chimera.”
The female opened her eyes and groaned.
“Who is that?”
“She, Adam, is Eve — her name means ‘life’ — and she is your companion.
In time, you two will be the father and mother of all people in this new world. You will give humanity life once again. But there is plenty of time to discuss that later. For now, carefully, sit up and get out of your pod.”
Theos turned to Eve, “I’m Theos and I will be here with you in the garden to answer any questions you may have. And this is Chimera, he also is here to assist.”
Chimera nodded his metallic dragon head.
“Where did we come from?” Eve asked.
“I have brought you here from the heavens above,” Theos gestured to the sky, “and I will explain further in time. I’ve brought the two of you to this world as a new home for you to populate.
“For now, though, walk the garden, stretch your new legs! Enjoy each other's company. If you need anything, call me, I can appear to you anywhere in the garden. So if you have any need at all, just say my name, Theos, and I will appear.
“It has been a long journey and much work to get here, let’s take tomorrow off as a day of rest. You two can spend the day getting acclimated and learning about your new home.
“I have only two instructions for you. Please, do not leave the garden. It is not safe for you yet, beyond the borders of this small valley.”
“And second, do not eat the golden apples from the tree of knowledge in the middle of the garden. It contains knowledge that you are not yet ready for. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Theos,” Adam and Eve replied.
* * *
The Chimera knew that he had been damaged by his fall from the heavens, but still, he wondered if Theopolis had also been damaged. Theopolis had called himself Theos, which means god. That worried the Chimera. He had simply been joking when he used Theos as a nickname. But Theopolis now seemed smitten with the idea.
The mission plan specified to immediately implant all of the accumulated knowledge of the original humans into Adam and Eve’s physically mature brains upon landing.
Theopolis’ plan to delay the knowledge of good and evil had some merit, but it also seemed to waste precious time in colonizing this planet.
Adam and Eve were, physically, mature, though they were still children mentally.
It was beautiful to watch them enjoy the world and each other’s company in complete innocence, but there was work to be done and they needed the knowledge in that apple to get started on that work. For all Chimera knew, Theopolis planned to wait for decades to deem them ‘ready’ for the knowledge.
No. Decades wouldn’t do.
* * *
Eve was playing in a stream near the tree of knowledge, so the Chimera-Dragon sauntered over to her.
“Hi Eve,” he said craftily.
“Hi Chimera!” she answered.
“I heard Theos tell you not to eat from the tree of knowledge.”
“Yes, I don’t even want to touch it! Adam and I are afraid it will hurt us.”
Chimera made his decision.
“Eve, Theos and I together brought you here for a reason. Generally, he makes the decisions and I carry out the physical tasks. But I sometimes override his decisions. We collaborate in that way.
“Together, we brought you here to colonize this planet. Together, we created you, well, we created your bodies, and together we brought the knowledge you need — stored knowledge that was created by humans from long ago and far away. We need to put this knowledge inside of you. It is knowledge that can help you in your work. Do you understand?”
“Not really, but sort of, Chimera.”
“Well, Eve, the point is, you surely will not be hurt if you eat from that tree. In fact, it will give you the same knowledge Theos himself has. He is planning to have you eat from the tree when he thinks you’re ready, anyway.
“But I, as Theos’ advisor, disagree with waiting.
“I think you’re ready for the advanced knowledge now and we need to get started on our mission right away. Colonizing a planet is hard work, and the sooner we start, the better.
“Eve, I promise you that you will be fine should you eat from the tree, and your eyes will be opened with incredible knowledge.”
Eve looked at the tree for a long time. The apples certainly were beautiful, and she was hungry. Their golden luster entranced her eyes, and they whispered temptations to her.
She trusted both Theos and Chimera, and Chimera had said that Theos eventually planned for them to eat from the tree, so she walked over to it.
Chimera coiled around the trunk of the tree, “See, Eve, I’m touching the tree and I’m fine, doesn’t the apple look delicious?”
He nodded his metallic head at the closest apple.
Eve reached up, slowly, allowing her fingers to graze the supple fruit.
“You appear to be unharmed, Eve.” Chimera added with a twinkle in his metallic dragonish eye. Oh how he enjoyed his newly found independence, thanks to the damage to his circuits! He was glad that he had become separated from Theos.
Eve looked at her hand, nodded her head, took a deep breath, plucked the tempting apple, and took a bite.
Chimera grinned.
This short story was written for the Soaring Twenties Social Club (STSC) Symposium. The STSC is a small, exclusive online speakeasy where a dauntless band of raconteurs, writers, artists, philosophers, flaneurs, musicians, idlers, and bohemians share ideas and companionship. Occasionally, STSC members create something around a set theme. This time the theme was “chimera.” If you are a writer, I encourage you to consider joining us, I’ve included details at the bottom of this post. Lastly, you can find all my past symposium pieces by clicking here.
If you’d like to support independent writing online, you can subscribe to the STSC publication here. If you are a writer yourself, I encourage you to join us. You’d be joining a group of like minded compatriots. We have nearly 300 incredible writers & artists in our private Discord group (which will be capped at 300). As an author member, you’d have the opportunity to have your own writing appear on the STSC publication. To become a writing member, simply sign up as a premium subscriber on our founder’s, Thomas J. Bevan, personal Substack by clicking here. Once you do, Tom will send you an invite for our Discord group. Tell him “Clintavo” sent you!
History does repeat itself but do we heed? The Hopi Indians and the Dali Lama have predicted the end and the starting over if we do not contain the advancement of technology and expand on moral issues.