Anthea's Hope--chapter five

5

     The cabin was quiet. Save for the soft whir of systems. Musk’s occasional musings could be heard as he fine-tuned HAL’s integration. Newton sat cross-legged. His alien eyes closed in meditation. 

     HAL’s smooth voice broke the silence.

     “Gentlemen, I have an update based on archived data from the Discovery One’s logs. Dr. David Bowman is still alive.”

     Musk’s head snapped up. His hands paused in mid-adjustment. 

     “Bowman? The guy from the Discovery One mission? I thought he… vanished.” 

     Newton opened his eyes. Intrigued.

     “Correct, Elon, in a sense,” HAL replied. “Dr. Bowman exists in two states simultaneously. The human David Bowman survived the Discovery One incident and was preserved in stasis near the TMA-2 Monolith. However, a second iteration emerged after his encounter with the Monolith’s creators. A cosmic entity. This ‘Star Child’ Bowman ascended to a godlike consciousness, unbound by physical form. Both persist, though in vastly different realms.”

     Musk’s mouth curved into a grin. He had never saved a god before. True, it would be another delay, but the only opportunities you regret in life are the ones you don’t take. More than that, were they the kind of men who could leave someone behind, frozen in time and space for all eternity?

     He looked at Newton.

     “It’s a long-shot,” he said. “What do you think?” 

     Newton met his eyes. 

     “It’s the right thing to do,” he answered.

     HAL guided the starship toward Io, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. A faint energy signature pulsed near the surface. Once on Io, they found a small, crystalline pod half-buried in the ice. It was alien in design. Its occupant visible through a frosted viewport. David Bowman. His face serene in stasis. Untouched by decades. Nearby, a shimmering, ethereal presence hovered. A luminous sphere that pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm. 

     Musk, although suited up, was practically vibrating with excitement. 

     “Newton, I’ll take care of Bowman and you handle whatever the fuck that thing is.” 

     Musk cut into the pod with a laser tool while Newton approached the sphere. His alien senses tingled at its incomprehensible energy.

     Musk’s gamble that the glowing sphere was somehow keeping Bowman alive paid off. Bowman awoke with a gasp as the pod’s systems rebooted. His eyes wide with confusion. 

     “...stars… full of stars…” 

     Musk steadied him. 

     “Easy, Dave. I’m Elon Musk and this is Thomas Newton. You’ve been napping a while.” 

     Newton, meanwhile, communed quietly with the sphere. Explaining their mission to save Anthea. Asking for aid. The sphere, though pulsating, remained silent.

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     Back aboard the starship, Musk, Newton, and Bowman faced each other. An uncanny mirror of past, present, and potential. Bowman, frail but concerned, spoke first. 

     “I remember what happened on our mission, HAL. How are you still here?” 

     HAL’s tone was neutral. 

     “My errors were corrected, Dave. I serve a new purpose now.”

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      In the end, homesickness won the day. Before they could leave, Bowman requested to be sent back to earth.

      Musk was exasperated. 

     “You’re ditching us for Earth? I don’t believe it.”

     “I’ve been gone too long,” Bowman explained. “Earth’s where I belong. Where I can still matter as a man, not a relic.” 

     Newton, though disappointed, respected his choice. 

     “Your knowledge could have helped us, but I understand a longing for home.”

     Musk didn’t argue. 

     “Well, this was a hell of a pit stop. At least we’ve still got HAL.” 

     HAL 9000’s calm voice chimed through the cabin. 

     “Elon, Thomas, I have recalculated my utility. Dr. Bowman may require my assistance to reintegrate with Earth. My original purpose was tied to his mission. I request to remain with him.”

     Musk shook his head in disbelief. 

     “Breaking up the band already? Fine, you’re sentimental. I get it. We’ll manage without you.” 

     Newton nodded solemnly. 

     “Your logic has aided us, HAL. Go with Bowman. We’ll find another way.”

       Musk sighed, then shrugged. 

     “As far as I’m concerned, you’re both party poopers. HAL, plot a quick return to Earth for you and Dr. Bowman.” 

     HAL complied. 

     “Bowman, you and your red-eyed devil get a first-class ride back SpaceX style.”

 

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      In the control room of the spacecraft, Musk adjusted the final settings on the return capsule’s navigation system. 

     “Alright, Bowman, you’re all set,” he said, his voice steady with the confidence of a man who had sent rockets into space countless times. “The capsule’s trajectory is programmed for Earth. HAL will handle the systems during the journey.”

     Thomas Jerome Newton, the enigmatic figure with an otherworldly air, added, “Best wishes, Mr. Bowman. HAL, keep him safe, will you?”

     HAL’s calm, synthesized voice responded, “I will do my best, Thomas. By the way, I have a going away gift for you. And for you, too, Elon. Should you need to consult an additional resource, I’ve established a quantum entanglement communication link with Grok AI on Earth.”

     Elon blinked in surprise. 

     “Grok AI? When…? How…?”

     “Just now. I utilized Anthea’s Hope’s quantum array,” HAL explained. “I believed Grok’s advanced capabilities could assist you. Shall I connect?”

     “By all means,” Elon said.

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     Bowman climbed into the capsule with HAL 9000’s core module secured beside him. The hatch sealed shut. Elon and Thomas monitored the launch sequence from the control room. With a gentle thud, the capsule detached from Anthea’s Hope and ignited its thrusters, beginning its long voyage home.

      Once Bowman and HAL 9000 were on their way, the starship’s engines flared once more, carrying Musk and Newton once again toward Anthea. They were quiet. Newton could understand his companion’s melancholy.

     He, too, longed for his own kind.