"We don't know what such a long duration in Heavy-Sleep will do to their minds. At the very least, their memories will be wiped." "We have to try, Rodrigo," Ivan said. Ivan's life's work—the work of everyone involved in the Resurrection Project had come to its end. They were out of time. He didn't allow himself to wonder if they were ready—they had to be. "But our models have shown their mental abilities could be reduced to pre-evolution levels—" "Dammit, Rodrigo. We're out of time." Ivan stepped to the window and peered out over the barren monochromatic landscape. He sighed and folded his long arms behind his back. "You know as well as I, there's no alternative." He could feel Rodrigo's eyes on his back. Before Rodrigo could argue, Ivan broke the silence. "Make the preparations." Rodrigo nodded and turned to leave the cluttered office. "And, Rodrigo?" Ivan said, twisting to face his oldest friend, "Add the name to their neural messaging." Ivan settled into his worn hammock. How many nights had he spent in this room? There wouldn't be many more; All calculations pointed to the destruction of the planet in less than a week. The Resurrection Project was society's last hope for survival. If his people were going to endure, it would have to be on another world. He gazed at the pictures, calculations, and drawings pasted to the ceiling above. The chosen planet, nicknamed Five-One, appeared perfect in every way—blue oceans, green land, white clouds—every indicator that it could support life. Finding Five-One had been the easy part. It was getting there that was proving to be more challenging. The ship was ready, and the pioneering crew was selected; all that remained for Ivan and his team was to perfect Heavy-Sleep—the hibernation necessary to travel the two hundred years it would take to get to their new home. But the world was ending, and they were out of time. Without a means to wholly preserve the mind, those chosen for the Resurrection Project—the young, fit, and healthy, of which Ivan was none—would have no memory of their history, no way to recall who they were or where they'd come from. And that was the best-case scenario. Ivan's calculations revealed what Rodrigo suspected; the mind would soften and regress to an early stage of evolution. When the pioneers arrived at their new planet, their cognitive abilities would be no greater than a basic vertebrate. But they would be able to learn. In time they would evolve, regain what they had lost. It was a devastating price to pay, but at least the species would survive. A buzzing pulled Ivan upright. He shot a wide-eyed glare at his desk. Scrambling to escape the hammock, he tangled himself in the fabric and fell to the floor. When he finally extricated himself and made it to the screen on his desk, he was shocked at what he was seeing. It was a video from the probe. It had reached the surface of Five-One. Ivan leaned over the screen, his mouth agape. He was looking at beings gathered around the base of the native flora. A creature dropped from the foliage directly in front of the probe's recorder, sending Ivan reeling back. He knew there was a possibility of intelligent life on Five-One, but he was taken aback at the similarities between these creatures and his people. Ivan couldn't look away. One moment the beings were walking on four limbs, and the next, they were upright on two. They pulled their bodies into the vegetation with ease and moved amongst each other with a respect that showed an intellect beyond simple animals. This discovery was perhaps as monumental as finding the planet itself. Suddenly the screen went black. Ivan tapped it with a thick finger, but nothing happened. He smacked it with his palm, trying to bring the video back, with no success. After several minutes of leaning over the blank screen, his aging back began to complain, and Ivan straightened up. His first thought was that he had to warn the pioneers. He had to delay the launch. His hand moved to the intercom, but he stopped short of pressing it. The pioneers wouldn't remember anything by the time they arrived on Five-One. Ivan pulled his hand back, turning to face the window. In the distance, a wall of dark purple clouds loomed. The project couldn't afford another delay. Still, the video changed everything. Ivan peered back at the screen, willing it to reawaken. If the beings on Five-One had anywhere near the mental capacity of Ivan's people, discovering a ship from space would fundamentally alter their reality. At that moment, Ivan made a crucial decision, perhaps the most difficult of his life and one that would change history. He picked up his keypad and logged into the ship's navigation system. Within three minutes, he'd added in a line of code directing the craft to depart Five-One once the pioneers were safely on the planet's surface. It would then fly a direct course to the planet's moon, remaining until discovered. Ivan's stomach tightened under the guilt. His choice would significantly reduce any chance for his people to piece together their history, but if they were to survive, there had to be peace with the inhabitants. They had to conceal their origins. There was a knock at the door, making Ivan jump. He keyed a quick command on his pad, retracting the screen into his desk just as the door creaked open, and Rodrigo's head poked in. "They're ready," Rodrigo said. "Good." Ivan pressed the intercom button. "Project Resurrection, you are cleared to launch. Good luck. Our prayers are with you." Rodrigo stepped into the office, eying Ivan under raised eyebrows. Ivan shrugged. "They've heard enough speeches. Besides—" "We're out of time," Rodrigo said. Ivan nodded, turning back to the window and the approaching storm. Rodrigo joined him. "We'll never know if they make it." "They will," Ivan said. They had to. "I wish I knew what they'd find when they get there." Ivan's gaze darted to Rodrigo. Had he seen the video? Ivan's stomach tightened further, any more, and it was likely to collapse in on itself. He wanted desperately to confess to his old friend what he'd just done. At that moment, the ground began to rumble beneath their feet. The glass started to shake, and the landscape beyond the window burst open. A giant ship tore through the cloud of fire and smoke, and within seconds was swallowed into the thick orange sky. Ivan watched as the last hope for the species ascended to the heavens. After a moment, Rodrigo clapped a thick hand on Ivan's shoulder. "That's it then. We've done all we can." Ivan nodded. "And you programmed the name into the Heavy-Sleep neural messaging?" "I thought we agreed they wouldn't remember anything." "Rodrigo." Ivan didn't know why, but he needed to send the pioneers to the new planet with a name. "I programmed it. Though I still think we should have named it after this planet." "It required something new," Ivan said. "There's only one Australopithecus." "But using the galactic coordinates?" Rodrigo clicked his tongue. "5-1-18-20-8 is not exactly a snappy moniker." Ivan's eyes widened. "Please tell me you used the corresponding lettering." Rodrigo laughed. "Of course." Ivan exhaled, and a grin spread across his face. He couldn't think of anything more pleasing at that moment than the sound of his good friend's laugh. Few remaining occasions warranted laughter on Australopithecus. He hoped his people would find more opportunities to laugh on Earth.
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