Identity. Jeff MDiv Sieniewicz
of what’s out there, or maybe even anywhere close, yet still believe we have a good guess, conceptually at least, at what the universe holds.
Nevertheless, to take our current level of understanding from what we do know for certain to areas where we now can only imagine, there needs to be a bridge of knowledge allowing our passage. Considering the vastness of space and the possibilities of all that could exist throughout it, our bridge now is extremely limited. Therefore the odds that we would currently be able to guess accurately that which exists on the far side of the unfinished bridge are extremely low.
As of now, there are many events and entities that mankind is constantly seeking information about to strengthen that bridge of knowledge, boldly attempting to learn what is beyond our limited perception. From black holes to white dwarfs, the number of unusual events and phenomenon that we are aware of is astounding. Yet for much of this space phenomenon, we have little reliable information to go on and are left to hypothesize, theorize, and more than anything, dream.
Pulsars, comets, the big bang, quasars, and most of the contents of galaxies slightly outside our own are just some of the known unknowns: that which we know we don’t know entirely. Then there is the field of the theoretical known, such as wormholes, which we believe to be real, but presently exist only in theory. They still need proof of existence. Finally, there are all the unknown unknowns: that which we do not know enough to even begin to fathom. This is where it stands to reason that even the juiciest of our fantasies would fall astoundingly short of reality.
Building a comprehensive and passable bridge of knowledge in all of these fields surely will take some time. Especially considering the overwhelming size and nature of the universe.
For example, a quasar is an extremely bright object in between far off galaxies. Quasars are about the size of our solar system, but can be about one billion times brighter than the sun. Astronomers feel conclusively that these Quasars are the furthest objects from Earth detected in the universe; some are sixteen billion light years away from us. The light from them that we see today, was in fact given off from them billions of years ago, and thus it is believed quasars can provide information about early stages of the universe. In a way it’s like getting a letter that took billions of years to get to its recipient. The post office would be appalled.
So while what we do know about the universe we live in shouldn’t be discounted, it is fair to say we have only begun understanding all of what it truly holds.
Then there is the human factor.
Human perception is remarkably fallible. Whether it is our relative perception of time, color, shapes, distances, or even normality, we see things not necessarily as they are, but how they are to us. The universe that we interact with is extensively our own, since while the one we see might look one way to us; the one we touch, might feel one way to us; and the one we measure by a standard and move within to produce one result, might react and be judged differently in any other way besides our own.
It’s doubtful we will ever fully compensate for the human factor in universal equations. It is simply too difficult to bypass our own nature. Consequently, this will preserve our unique judgment of the universe for better and for worse. When weighing the benefits against the disadvantages of such preservation, arriving at a concrete conclusion becomes increasingly murky, because after all, perception is complicated.
_________
How far is it? Kilometers? Not just the odd one or two, but billions of them? Maybe even trillions?
Guesses had been being made for as long as there has been someone there to guess. Even, and possibly especially, if whoever was being asked did not want to hear about it.
The question of them all.
Now that people had reason to believe there was actually an answer, interest surrounding the question dramatically grew. But no matter what the answer was, all were in agreement it must be a very, very, very, very long way. A distance great enough to fit the unreal feeling associated with it.
Certainly, in such a mysteriously vague realm as the one in question, this was the one given.
Skepticism and wonder were growing as the word spread that the answer had been found.
Do they really know?
How can they?
Who or what is it?
What do they or it want?
How far exactly is it to them, or it?
How long would it take to drive that far in my BMW?
Those curious would not have to wait much longer. The day of measurement had come. None of the audience could wait any longer, and lucky for them they didn’t have to. Here they were, the great measurers themselves walking in with their answer, the answer, and they were about to release it to the world.
“We interrupt your regularly televised programming to bring you this special report” was heard as the world held their collective breath, put up their collective feet, and for once gathered their collective attention spans, to watch and listen.
The major networks picked up the announcement in progress, but lucky for them the answer had not been announced yet.
“Also we can assure you that only tools of the greatest precision in measurement were used, and resulted in an answer with the highest degree of accuracy. Upon close and thorough inspection of the distance in question, we, the people you appointed to these specific positions for exactly this sort of specific task, have--“
“Get on with it!” someone shouted from the crowd.
The microphone irritated in adjustment.
Shuffling of papers, “Okay, where was I? Oh yes, we have concluded with the greatest of conviction that the distance in such overwhelming question, in reality is--“ Dr. Klenzington paused and cleared his throat.
The world leaned toward their televisions, and the crowd leaned toward Dr. Klenzington as he continued.
“One millimeter.”
There was no sound. There was no movement.
Murmurs ensued.
“What?” “Who do they think we are?” echoed from the crowd.
“Come on let’s get out of here. I knew this would not be worth our time.”
“Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving the doctor alone at the microphone. His cohorts sat behind him. Their heads drooped, shaking at no one in particular, other than quite possibly themselves.
Hours later he was the last to leave the arena. Waking in someone’s small tent, he picked himself up in his full-length robe that was much more purposeful than fashionable, and corrected his ET helmet that he had bought from one of the venders after arrival and before the announcement. He took a moment and reflected on the day, then answered the never-ending ringing in his pocket.
“Yes, I’m leaving now . . . Milk? Sure, I need to stop off anyway . . . I need to purchase a ruler with millimeters on it.”
Chapter Five
Frank quickly moved up the steps to his apartment, holding the collar of his too thinly knitted jacket tightly to his neck. On one of his neighbor’s doorsteps he noticed a large stack of newspapers. The top few pages whipped back and forth in the wind and he could see the date on the top page. It showed that it was February tenth, and the weather certainly agreed.
Feeling the cool evening air on his face now, the majority of Frank went sweeping past the corner of his apartment building closest to his door. His foot meanwhile made an abrupt stop, slamming stiffly against an object rather more solid than itself.
Frank glanced down toward the unknown obstruction and his now numbed foot. The former appeared to be a rock roughly two feet in diameter that also had a yellowish tinge to it.
Quite an odd glowing quality Frank thought as he stared