Professor Thar Tegthar at a seminar at Yontah University
My name is Thar Pethar and I am 76 years old. As a retired journalist, I have passages through the main communication vehicles in Nopah on my resume. In 2972, dT, while interning at the Yontah Journal, I had the opportunity to interview the renowned scientist Thar Tegthar, the creator of The Hyperon Project. The previous month he had received the Thar Prize for the Advancement of Science, and because of that, his schedule was full. But the Professor managed to arrange a time for me on a Saturday afternoon, a hot day in the 5th month. I went to the University of Yontah and there he welcomed me into his room full of books and preprints. On the table, his pipe and a bottle of coffee, his fuel.
Professor Tegthar gripped my hand firmly. His eyes were distant, almost expressionless, and his face very serious. I never saw him smiling. I started trying to break the ice, without much success.
- The weather punishes us this year, Professor. No rain this month.
- I know this may sound like a form of selfishness, but I see it positively, young man. The building's sealing isn't the best and there's a leak in the ceiling, right above my desk.
I chuckled at his remark, but he remained impassive. So I decided to start the interview at once.
- What is The Hyperon Project, Professor?
He adjusted his glasses and began his explanation.
- The Hyperon Project is the greatest technological achievement of the Tharelian civilisation. Now we can leave our space-time "shell" and finally explore other Universes. It is a lifeboat for our exhausted and collapsing society.
- What will be the future developments of this Project?
- We are creating technologies to send probes to other stable Type I Universes. They will look for habitable planets with advanced humanoid civilisations. Unfortunately, these planets are extremely rare. This type of combination only occurs in one Universe in a billion.
- Why do we need a planet that already has an advanced civilization?
- Because we don't have time. We need ready-made and developed social structures. We don't want an untouched paradise that would take us back to the caves.
- But ethical questions are being raised...
- What questions?
- The elimination of local cultures, large-scale genocides...
- The Multiverse is infinite. So there are infinite planets suited to our needs. We just have to find one of them. Or maybe two. Tharelia's priorities are at the top of our list and warrant any action to be taken.
- And what is your position regarding the accusations of using slave labour and using terrorists from The Flock group as guinea pigs for experiments involving teleportation?
- The Flock activists serving time in Nopah had a choice: be part of this great moment in our history or return to our prison system to serve their time.
- Some of them got lost and couldn't be brought back...
- I'm sorry for these losses but your destiny had already been traced. The sacrifice of these men was not in vain. A new era has begun.
The interview was published in Yontah's Journal and it earned me praise and a promotion. Project Hyperon has become a reality, with all its consequences. In 3005 dT, as editor-in-chief of the Diary, I met Professor Tegthar again at the Center for Theoretical Physics, in honour of his 80th birthday. I approached him after the event and was taken aback by his comment.
- Yes, I remember you and your observation about the rain. The gutter was also repaired. Last week.
I laughed at that but he just noded. I asked, then:
- Professor, looking at the past, is there any regret left?
His answer chilled my spine.
- None. Would do it all over again. If I was prevented from using the activists, I would volunteer for the tests myself. Without any doubt.
Professor Thar Tegthar died the following year, aged 81. His legacy, The Hyperon Project, has become the most perfect translation of our civilisation: a story of great deeds and great tragedies.
--oOo--
BLUE ANGEL is a retrofuturistic fiction series. Anzhelika Volkova, a British Intelligence officer, journeys through the infinite aspects of reality.