Golden Gateways
by Sara
Thanks to Jerie for being an awesome beta and to James Cromwell for reminding me of my great-grandpa.
***
I know that today has been an important day, for my family and for the future. I hope I am able to capture it well and explain why it means so much to me.
I have lived in San Francisco my whole life. I remember it before the war, a place of many cultures, many lifestyles. All the colours and smells bewildered me as a child. I remember how we were all stuck together underground when they started the bombing. Those of us who knew were praying that an earthquake wouldn't collapse the caverns. I remember coming above ground again, my eyes hurt for days, but I knew it wasn't as bright as it used to be. The city had been levelled and then flooded by tsunamis. A doctor underground with us had a medicine that would hopefully prevent the radiation from killing us. We wouldn't be able to have children, but there were enough orphans around for everyone. The most shocking site, for me, was the empty harbour. The bridge that I marvelled at as a child was gone.
Slowly, we were able to find food as things began to grow back. We moved inland, away from the worst of the radiation. Communities were established where we could raise our children in comparative peace. Food was limited, and life was always a struggle. The three children I had come to call my own grew up and had children of their own, thanks to the doctor's medicine. Life got easier, but we always fought to keep what was ours. We started schools, hoping that education would eventually bring us peace. My first great-granddaughter, Morgan, was one of the top students in her year, excelling in particular at languages. She learned to speak all six tongues of our community. After she graduated, she travelled to other communities to learn their languages and to teach their children.
One day, about ten years ago now, she came home, talking a mile a minute. As she slowed down, I came to understand that someone out east had travelled faster than anyone had thought possible, and this had alerted aliens to our presence. They landed near this man's house to make first contact with humans. It took me a while to believe her. Who would ever even dream that extra-terrestrials existed, or that they were interested in us!
She said that day that she was going to be a translator for this new species, these Vulcans. I admired her dream, but privately wasn't sure how she could do such a thing. A few years later, though, we heard about a school someone was starting in San Francisco. They were going to teach people all sorts of new things, including this 'warp travel' and about these aliens. Morgan was so excited, a place for her to learn this new language. So she set out with the bit of money she had saved from teaching, a few new clothes we made her and some of the village's precious books. And, today, I saw her graduate from this school, fluent in Vulcan and well learned in many aspects of their culture. The man who made this all possible was even there to speak to them.
Once the applause subsided, he started, "Congratulations to the Class of 2073, the first to graduate from the Institute of Warp Design and Interstellar Exploration! I stand before you, glad that I had the opportunity to meet all of you during your years here, even work with many of you. It is with immense pride that I address you at your graduation."
The smile on his face was nearly bursting with fatherly delight.
"You have all accomplished tremendous things in your time here. You have been among the first humans to learn about life on other planets, to learn a completely new language, or to understand how it is possible to travel to these new places. I admire your courage, dedication, and spirit of adventure.
"Some people have asked me lately how I feel about the far-reaching consequences of my work. I really don't know how to respond to that. It's strange to think that way because it's not actually true. The so-called greatness that is resulting from the invention of warp drive and first contact is in fact due to the public's reaction to them. I set out to see if it was possible to travel faster than light, not to change the world. I wasn't expecting to achieve greatness, and I don't believe I have. The greatest thing anyone can hope to accomplish is to inspire others to achieve great things. I hope that, by example, I have inspired you. Know that your achievements and accomplishments have inspired me."
This heralded another round of applause, especially from families amazed that their children inspired this man.
"You're probably all expecting some golden piece of advice, which I don't think anyone, let alone I, can give you. But let me tell you something that has taken me more than ten years to understand the importance of. Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgments. I hope you learn to accept the truth of this, even if it takes you ten years or more.
"Congratulations to you all! Your futures are bright and your possibilities are unlimited."
As I stood to show my appreciation, I noticed that they were starting to rebuild my bridge, restoring part of the past for generations yet to come.
***
by Sara
Thanks to Jerie for being an awesome beta and to James Cromwell for reminding me of my great-grandpa.
***
I know that today has been an important day, for my family and for the future. I hope I am able to capture it well and explain why it means so much to me.
I have lived in San Francisco my whole life. I remember it before the war, a place of many cultures, many lifestyles. All the colours and smells bewildered me as a child. I remember how we were all stuck together underground when they started the bombing. Those of us who knew were praying that an earthquake wouldn't collapse the caverns. I remember coming above ground again, my eyes hurt for days, but I knew it wasn't as bright as it used to be. The city had been levelled and then flooded by tsunamis. A doctor underground with us had a medicine that would hopefully prevent the radiation from killing us. We wouldn't be able to have children, but there were enough orphans around for everyone. The most shocking site, for me, was the empty harbour. The bridge that I marvelled at as a child was gone.
Slowly, we were able to find food as things began to grow back. We moved inland, away from the worst of the radiation. Communities were established where we could raise our children in comparative peace. Food was limited, and life was always a struggle. The three children I had come to call my own grew up and had children of their own, thanks to the doctor's medicine. Life got easier, but we always fought to keep what was ours. We started schools, hoping that education would eventually bring us peace. My first great-granddaughter, Morgan, was one of the top students in her year, excelling in particular at languages. She learned to speak all six tongues of our community. After she graduated, she travelled to other communities to learn their languages and to teach their children.
One day, about ten years ago now, she came home, talking a mile a minute. As she slowed down, I came to understand that someone out east had travelled faster than anyone had thought possible, and this had alerted aliens to our presence. They landed near this man's house to make first contact with humans. It took me a while to believe her. Who would ever even dream that extra-terrestrials existed, or that they were interested in us!
She said that day that she was going to be a translator for this new species, these Vulcans. I admired her dream, but privately wasn't sure how she could do such a thing. A few years later, though, we heard about a school someone was starting in San Francisco. They were going to teach people all sorts of new things, including this 'warp travel' and about these aliens. Morgan was so excited, a place for her to learn this new language. So she set out with the bit of money she had saved from teaching, a few new clothes we made her and some of the village's precious books. And, today, I saw her graduate from this school, fluent in Vulcan and well learned in many aspects of their culture. The man who made this all possible was even there to speak to them.
Once the applause subsided, he started, "Congratulations to the Class of 2073, the first to graduate from the Institute of Warp Design and Interstellar Exploration! I stand before you, glad that I had the opportunity to meet all of you during your years here, even work with many of you. It is with immense pride that I address you at your graduation."
The smile on his face was nearly bursting with fatherly delight.
"You have all accomplished tremendous things in your time here. You have been among the first humans to learn about life on other planets, to learn a completely new language, or to understand how it is possible to travel to these new places. I admire your courage, dedication, and spirit of adventure.
"Some people have asked me lately how I feel about the far-reaching consequences of my work. I really don't know how to respond to that. It's strange to think that way because it's not actually true. The so-called greatness that is resulting from the invention of warp drive and first contact is in fact due to the public's reaction to them. I set out to see if it was possible to travel faster than light, not to change the world. I wasn't expecting to achieve greatness, and I don't believe I have. The greatest thing anyone can hope to accomplish is to inspire others to achieve great things. I hope that, by example, I have inspired you. Know that your achievements and accomplishments have inspired me."
This heralded another round of applause, especially from families amazed that their children inspired this man.
"You're probably all expecting some golden piece of advice, which I don't think anyone, let alone I, can give you. But let me tell you something that has taken me more than ten years to understand the importance of. Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgments. I hope you learn to accept the truth of this, even if it takes you ten years or more.
"Congratulations to you all! Your futures are bright and your possibilities are unlimited."
As I stood to show my appreciation, I noticed that they were starting to rebuild my bridge, restoring part of the past for generations yet to come.
***