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“I am Sheri Langstone of the W.N.N. coming to you live on this, perhaps one of the most momentous events in the history of our race.” Sheri took a dramatic pause and looked around the massive vessel. “Here, on board the only Trans-Universal ship in existence, The Quest, we shall attempt to do what none has done before. I, along with the brave crew of this craft, will pass beyond ‘The Wall’ and enter a completely new cosmos.”
Pause for the hover cam to pan around the Quest, showing the crisp people in their even crisper uniforms.
Sheri started for the bridge before continuing her monologue. “As you all know, scientists puzzled for centuries over the mysterious ‘Dark Matter’ that could have explained why the universe did not have as much mass as they had calculated it to have. Later we found that beyond all the planets, beyond the stars, even beyond all the galaxies; there lays a great barrier that no being has ever breached.”
As she stepped through the bridge door, Sheri continued, “Now here is the Captain of this gallant vessel. Captain Stillburr please tell us what we are in store for.”
“Well Sheri,” said the Captain in his best authoritative tones, “we are here at the edge of the universe; readying the Gravo-Magnetic engines for the break through. The shields have been fine tuned and we are in the final stages before we try to break that wall.”
“That is extremely exciting Captain,” Sheri stated, “but what is most on my mind, and on the minds of our viewers is what will we find on the other side?”
The Captain replied, “Frankly Sheri, no one knows the answer to that question. There is lots of conjecture and very few facts. I am sure that you have heard some of it.
Some authorities feel that we will find another dimension, or series of dimensions. Others follow that we will find a different dimension all right, but one that goes beyond the three dimensions we live in. One small faction argues that the ‘breakout’ will disrupt the fabric of space and time, though most of the experts do not follow this theory. Still others believe that beyond ‘The Wall’ is nothing, a complete emptiness.”
“Yes,” agreed Sheri, “there are so many different theories. Personally I think that we will find a universe much the same as ours, but with a few minor differences.”
“Well Sheri,” Captain Stillburr interjected, “now is our chance to find out. The Engineering Officers report everything green and we are ready to bust down ‘The Wall.’"
“Wonderful,” Sheri enthused,” do you have any last minute words for prosperity?”
“Yes Sheri, I do,” Stillburr drawled in his best down-to-earth tones.”In the name of knowledge, we now step where all others must follow.”
Captain Stillburr turned to initiate the final launch sequences; while Sheri addressed the audience.
“All of you who are viewing us; even those who are not, are about to enter a new era, for good or ill, nothing will ever be the same. We are carrying the most advanced communications devices known to science. It is not known whether this will allow us to stay in contact on the other side. It should not matter, even so. We are only going for a few hours. Long enough to make a few observations and then return to pass on what we have been able to learn.”
This last was timed to allow one more dramatic pan by the hover cam, capturing the exact moment when Captain Stillburr gave the command for launch.
“This is it folks,” shouted Sheri, “See you on the other side.”
The Quest leaped forward and collided with “The Wall”...
“Overlooking the rolling hills of Livermore, lies Cal-Physics laboratories. We are here to view some of the most intriguing works in science today. This is Thui Vu, for “Science 2175.” I am here to interview Dr. Cindy Goldstein, engineer in charge of Project Creation. Dr. Goldstein could you please show us around your lab.”
“Certainly M. Vu,” answered Dr. Goldstein, as she walked over to some large viewing ports. “as you can see, in this room is fifty of what we call ‘magnetic bottles’. These ‘bottles’ are reinforced, so to speak, with the cutting edge of gravidic technology.
Inside is a minute amount of hydrogen, pressurized to the point of a spontaneous explosion. By controlling the results we get sort of a ‘little Big Bang.’ We then utilize the gravidic equipment to speed up the process of galaxy formations.”
“Dr. Goldstein,” asked M. Vu, “what is it that you are going to so much trouble to find out and why?”
“Well, mostly we are studying the formation of planets and stars. As to the why of your question; our race has always gone to much trouble in the name of knowledge.”
As M. Vu looked upon the blue glowing spheres, that were the “bottles,” one flashed and disappeared with the quick brilliance of a bulb burning out.
“Dr. Goldstein,” asked Thui, “could you tell me why that one ‘bottle’ did what it did?”
Dr. Goldstein looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, “We are still studying that effect, all we know is that for some reason the structural integrity of the ‘bottle’ will eventually fail. Of course this means that the one experiment is completely ruined...”
