Emmy on Earth. Rogeh

to the opinion of the Mephius’s authorities, 500 people armed with their civilization’s knowledge and technologies are able to ensure the rapid development and complete control of the planet and its surrounding system.

      Specialized robots equipped with huge number of study programs took over the education and development of the new Earth-born children and members of the clan. These programs were preselected for the initial five hundred children, while for following generations, the robots would be programmed based on the current demand for specific specialists. Although parents participated in their children’s upbringing, their contribution was minimal; mostly everything was handled by these robots, so much resembling real people.

      Robots capable of completely replacing parents and teachers have existed and been utilized for centuries on Mephius, the home planet of four groups sent on a saving mission. Certainly, this fact – among others – made the highly advanced humans really similar to their robotic mentors. The former, possessing astonishing technologies and absolute knowledge in nearly all scientific domains, had long ago lost the capacity for deep feelings and emotions. In other words, it is safe to say that they were always driven by reason and cold calculation. Though rare, exceptions did exist. As our narrative unfolds, we shall encounter these anomalies.

      The Flight

      Earth-4 is the farthest planet from Mephius. Therefore, the crew heading there was the first to start their two-millennia-long journey. Other crews departed later, so that all would reach their destination at the same time and would have an equal chance of winning the race to create the most comfortable future home.

      Their starship, the size of several soccer fields, was equipped with the latest technology. It had seven small spacecraft for swift and free transportation across the planet and within the Solar System. These spacecraft could land on any surface, had silent gravity engines and an «invisibility mode», that the crew was supposed to use on Earth at all times, since the emergence of Human-E.

      The crew of young specialists was fully prepared for the launch. They were given a week to say goodbyes to their friends and relatives, as this would be the last time they would see their loved ones. A year of stasis on Mephius was expensive, and only a few could afford millennial cryosleep. Those who could did not rush to use it, planning instead to enter their capsules in the three hundredth year of their lives and wait for the X-day – the moment when they could relocate to a new, uncharted planet and say farewell to their dying home world.

      The launch was successful. After reaching the required speed and flight trajectory, the crew prepared to enter cryosleep. Ron and Leo, the male members of the crew, created a schedule for the so-called «awakenings». Every hundred years, they had to wake up from cryosleep to control and check all systems and the course of their flight. Ron and Leo agreed to do this one by one, with Ron, as the starship commander, taking the first turn.

      Meanwhile, Mia and Olivia were explaining to Emmy why she and all female part of their group had no rights to wake up for checking the flight course.

      «I don’t understand,» Emmy wondered, «why have the men been given such a great opportunity to stay awake for about a fortnight every two hundred years, while we, the women, have been denied it? I desperately want to emerge from cryosleep during the flight, see the new uncharted worlds, planets and stars, read, drink coffee and pursue my hobbies in my free time.»

      «It’s quite simple,» Olivia replied, «we, the women, have to spend the first 15 years on Earth without stasis to give birth and nurture our children. The men won’t need to do this. A year after we arrive on Earth-4, they’ll enter cryosleep for the next 99 Earth years, if I understood everything correctly during our individual briefings.»

      «You got it right, Olivia, I was told the same at my briefing, word-for-word,» Mia confirmed,

      «Well, well, that’s very interesting,» Emmy asked, raising her eyebrow slightly, «how come both of you know about these plans on child-birth and child-raising, but I wasn’t informed of this at my training and preparation for this mission?»

      Two young women at a nearby table were chatting but as they heard the last sentence, they stood up and approached to help Mia and Olivia.

      «Yes, not only them, but Tina and I are also well aware of this task,» said one of them, Jessica. «We were asked not to discuss it with any crew members until we left our planet. It’s strange you weren’t informed at your individual briefing like the rest of us. Perhaps the project leaders assumed you might abandon the mission if you found out about the task. That’s why they decided not to reveal everything and pin you down to the facts later.»

      «I accidentally overheard a conversation among the leaders,» Tina added. «They referred to you, Emmy, as the most creative and innovative member of the team. They said that with your help, it would be much easier to achieve our common goal. Apparently, they value you highly and didn’t want to scare you off with this task. However, in my opinion, withholding such important assignments is unacceptable.»

      Olivia and Mia smirked at Emmy after they heard that she was called the most creative and innovative member of the team. Jessica noticed this and said sincerely, «I agree. I believe we’re very fortunate to have Emmy on our team.»

      «If I wasn’t informed or prepared for this during my training, I suppose this task isn’t part of my mission, is it?» Emmy wondered aloud.

      «You should talk to Ron. As commander, he might have all the information on this and other matters,» Jessica replied.

      Emmy did just that – she went to find the man, leaving her colleagues to discuss other topics without her.

      She entered the compartment where Ron and Leo were talking and asked Ron to spare some time for her after his discussion. She said she would wait for him in the next section, where they stored seeds of all kinds of trees, flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, herbs… In general, everything capable of growing from the ground. They had brought all of this from their home planet, and according to the plan, ninety percent of these plants were expected to adapt and thrive in the new conditions.

      She paced among the numerous boxes with seeds, unable to settle, contemplating all possible explanations Ron might give her regarding the task. When she was on her fourteenth imagined scenario, Ron arrived, and soon the situation began to clarify.

      «I suppose, Emmy, you want to know why you weren’t informed about a certain mission assigned to you, young women?» Ron beat her to it.

      «That’s right,» Emmy said.

      «You see, Emm, the computer testing we all did showed a thirty-two percent probability you might refuse the mission if you knew about this task,» Ron began explaining. «For the other women the probability of refusal was only between two and five percent. Therefore, the leaders decided not to inform you. They asked me to tell you that if you decide to refuse the task you weren’t aware of after considering everything, it won’t be a problem. They are prepared to make an exception for you. Apparently, the leaders value your presence and contribution to our mission very highly.»

      Emmy didn’t have to think long about her answer; she always preferred to resolve issues and tasks as quickly as possible, without postponing them.

      «In that case, I refuse this assignment,» she declared. «And since I won’t have to spend the first fifteen years upon arrival without cryosleep, I would like to participate in the awakenings during our flight to Earth.»

      «That’s a reasonable proposal,» said Ron. «I really like it. You’ll be the third assistant in flight, and your first shift will begin in three hundred years. I’ll bring you the instructions and tasks for your two weeks awake. Study them carefully, then take the test, and the matter will be settled.»

      «Excellent,» Emmy rejoiced. «Thank you, Ron. I wish you success in your first awakening.»

      Emmy was thrilled with this new opportunity. After studying all