500 Years [Series - Pt. 3-4]

EDIT: Please go here for everything you need to know about 500 Years.

Hey all! I updated the first 500 Years post to include both Part 1 and 2, and today, I am going to post Part 3 and 4 right here.

Right now, I'm in the process of writing a Part 5, but as I said yesterday I may very well rewrite the entire series from the start. Don't worry, this sub will be the first to see anything new I write. If you all would like me to continue the series I'm currently writing (AKA the one you're about to read), I'll gladly try and give you some closure on that. If not, I'm going to reboot it and go for that book so many of you are telling me to write.

Anyway, here's Part 3 and 4. Also, I'm going to be posting some more of my prompts on the site here, along with a post (that I will sticky) that has some longer ones. Thanks for stopping by!

Part 3

---

Lillian is dead. Cancer, got her a few years ago while I was still in the freezer. They tried to use some of my DNA, find the strands that attributed to my rapid immune system and healing, it gave her a few extra years, enough to leave me a very heartfelt message, but not enough to save her life. Gregory died about a dozen years ago. But Leonard and Jacob are both still kicking; Leonard took over for Lillian after she died. He's kept me updated with world events for the most part, but nothing major has changed. Surprising for the world I used to live in.

The ship is in perfect condition, Janet kept her up to speed while I was asleep, and Janet's carbon copy has done just the same. I've gone through two versions of Janet already, both of which did their job tremendously. The third version seems to be decaying at a much more rapid rate, which could spell some errors down the line, but for now it's nothing to worry about. She's running the ship, and I'm running maintenance.

The robotics are also in top shape, they upgrade themselves every five or so years with available parts to keep their processor's and rotaries in good condition. I see one of them almost everywhere I go, like it's following me around this ship, I've started to call him Praet, my own little bodyguard so to speak. I've also decided to hold off on conversations with them, not until I really need them. Not until the people I remember on Earth are all dust and echoes.

Lately, I've been spending time in the "library," or what you'd consider that. It's where most of the arts and books are being stored, and it's been a joy to read through some of history's finest authors again. I've tried my hand at both before, but neither of them were my forte, I stuck to what I knew as a Roman, that was war. You'd be surprised to know how much the history books got wrong about us. I often find myself thinking of Rome, of my home and my family, those thousands of years ago. There's nothing I can do for them now, I can simply read of them, and remember them in the only way I know how.

Right, you're probably wondering why I'm up and about in the first. You're probably asking "Why are you awake?" There are few reasons for that. The first is to make sure the ship is in working order; to check on my water and food, life support systems, the cold storage tanks, fuel, all those things that are keeping myself, and this ship, functional. Generally speaking, the first run back on Earth took me six weeks to do it all by myself, and that was without the robotics getting in the way. I've been awake for about three weeks and I'm a little bit behind schedule. I'd like to blame it on Praet, everywhere I turn he's there, working on another pipe, or fixing a leak. He's a good robot, I'm not doubting that, he's just getting in my way.

We're also about to hit the satellite that will get me a faster throughput to Earth. Although the delay will still be days, I'll at least be able to send a video to everyone. That's the second reason, I'm going to be broadcasting to some of the major cities in the world; again, to keep up appearances. I get to say hello, talk about my mission and why it's important, then I am going to have a quick little chat with the President (not the one from when I left, he's long gone), that one will be via text, can't stare at a viewscreen for days on end waiting for replies.

"Imperator. We are approaching Satellite Alpha."

Well, I guess that's my cue. It's been thirty-two years.

"Connection secured. Begin broadcast."

"Salve!" I had rehearsed this speech for days, "Dux here, speaking to you from the far reaches of space, a mere twenty-seven and a half lightyears from home. I have got to say, it's quite something. I'd like to report that space is as peaceful as ever, and from what I hear, you all have kept Earth safe while I've been gone. Thanks for keeping that promise." I smiled into the camera, my mind drifting of Earth and her beautiful blue oceans. "I do miss her, Earth of course, and I am sure I will always miss her, but I am honored to be leading this mission towards our new home. It is quite extraordinary to image what the future holds for all of us." I continued to smile, making sure it never faltered, "From what they've told me, you have all been working on a pretty big space project of your own and I'm excited to hear of the progress that's being made."

"Ninety minutes until we are clear of the satellite, wrap it up, Imperator."

"That's Janet, version three, giving me the cue to stop jabbering and get online with the President. I think we have a lot to talk about. I'll talk to you all in a few dozen years, and it was good to see Earth again." Yeah, I lied, but I had to. "Momento nomen meum." I saluted the view screen, "Ego tamen non obliviscar tui."

Then the video was cut, and a message from the President appeared on my screen, most likely sent a few days prior to my arrival at the satellite.

Dux, Satellite Bravo is waiting for you. Eighty-six years away. Must wake four times between then and now for maintenance. Tensions rise here at home, but we believe your broadcast will add fuel to our cause, to leave Earth behind. Jacob and Leonard are here, both wish you luck, will not talk to you again; they are sending code updates for Janet and some of the robotics. Keep up the good work, do not falter. How is the ship?

I nodded. Eighty-six years away until I spoke to someone again. Then another three hundred and eighty-two until I reach New Rome.

Let's hope Janet's new code update comes with some talking points.

---

Part 4

Praet was there when I woke up again. He seemed as if he was sitting in the room, just watching me. I don't know what to think about him, as soon as I was up, he began to move about acting as if he was doing something, but I know he wasn't. I know he was just waiting for me to begin the check-up. I've started to carry around my sword again, I brought it with me. True, Roman steel, could slice through Praet's hull like butter knife. I'm hoping.

"Imperator."

"What is it Janet?"

"It is my time to sleep."

This is the fifth version of Janet, they start decaying a bit more rapidly now. I talked to her about it last time I was awake, asked her to give me a full explanation of why she decays in the first place. As an AI they can never achieve true sentience, one of the major programming elements included in Janet, humans have had a bad history with robots. But, AI's are aware of their own self-existence and their eventual "death."

"Goodnight Janet."

As Janet runs the ship, part of her software is eaten away by the ship's computers; diverting her mind to things like the engine, life support, gravity, etc. Her mind cannot be replaced, it can only be rebuilt, hence why she is able to build more copies of herself. As the ship decays, Janet decays much faster Janet and the ship are one in the same. Think of it it like this, as a human, your mind controls what your body does and your body constantly needs to be replenished. If you work a muscle, that muscle breaks and you need protein to rebuild it; if you need oxygen, you just breath to get more. Janet is the life source of the ship, as the ship's "muscles break," as they need "more oxygen," Janet's artificial mind is sacrificed to maintain it. She is a power source in and of herself. But, she can always rebuild herself, just as a human can still reproduce. At our core, we are always dying, from the moment we are born; the same is true for Janet.

"Goodnight Imperator."

From what she tells me, it's not a painful process, she simply feels part of herself go every now and then. We even had a good conversation about it for a few days, talking about life; mainly my life. My life, the one that has lasted for thousands of years and somehow hasn't eaten itself up. My mind often wanders to this place now, thinking about my life and what I've done. And it is the reason I have kept the Library shut off, that part of the ship only reminds me of a home I may never see again. But Janet usually draws me back in to reality, reminding me of what I am supposed to be doing while I am awake.

"Imperator, Janet Six, at your service."

She's often the only reason I talk, too.

"Janet, where's Praet?"

"Robotic Unit, designation A-259, commonly referred to as Praet, is located on Deck Six, in the Library."

"What's he doing there?"

"Praet is fixing a faulty leak in the Library."

Praet is often fixing a faulty leak, makes me wonder about the security of this ship, and my own life. I may be immortal, but I've never tried to be in space without a suit, I'm not crazy. Unlike what the world may be thinking of me right now. From what they send me, I'm gathering this much.

In the ninety-three years that I've been away from Earth, a lot has changed. The United States of America, China, a Federation of Countries in Europe, Russia, and a Coalition of Countries in Africa and South America now dominate the entire world. They've also been on the brink of war for the last sixteen years. And every one, except for the people at NASA (they're now called the Global Space Organization, but I like NASA), have seemed to forget about me. They're too concerned with their dying planet to worry about me.

Which makes no sense, you'd think that since I'm going to a brand new planet with brand new resources that they'd like me to make the trip there safely, so I don't know, they can come to me and live on a brand new planet? It just doesn't make any sense to me, and it doesn't make sense to Janet either, we've talked about this.

But what can I do? I'm ninety-three years away if I decided to turn the ship around, and that's not even an option. By the time I reach this new planet, where will the nations of Earth be? Where will NASA be? Where will humanity be? If they blow themselves up on that rock, what am I do to do?

Blame myself for one. My hand in that goddamn Manhattan Project set them on this course. But what did you expect me to do, sit idly by and watch the world I loved destroy itself? No, I gave them the tools to destroy the evil that plagued the world, not to destroy each other, that was thanks to the World of Spies and their "Cold War." This never would have happened in Rome.

What else can I do? Nothing, and that has dawned on me as of late. I can't do anything, I am utterly powerless in this situation. My entire life, the thousands of years I have been alive, I have always been in a position to help my world. I have always had the wealth, the experience, or the ability to do something that could put my world on a path to greatness, that is if you don't include the last hundred and fifty years I spent on Earth, they had me in a lab for most of that, but even then I still had some way to get my opinion across.

I find myself at a loss for knowing the future, at a loss for knowing whether this expedition will work or end in failure. I find myself desperately trying to think of way to help them, when I can do nothing but send messages hoping they will listen. I find myself hoping that the people of my world would rather leave it, than be destroyed upon it. It is what the President mentioned sixty-one years ago, "to leave Earth behind." She's dying, not even I could have stopped that. And I was sent ahead of everyone else to make a colony, to begin our new home, to begin New Rome and set humanity on a course for survival.

I only hope that they will remember me. I only hope that they will follow. I only hope that I will not be forgotten, that I will not be alone. Forever.