Destiny Among The Stars - Chapter 2
July 13, 1990 - Houston, TX.
With the revelation that the universe I was in might possibly be a mix between "For All of Mankind" and "Stargate", I started to look for any possible proof of that fact. One of my first attempts was trying to find some traces of the dig at Gaza that Doctor Langford had initiated and discovered the Stargate in 1928.
There were no public records of such a thing, not that I thought it possible for there to be, because if they had indeed found the Stargate I doubt I would find proof in the library's computer.
That was something I disliked immensely about this reality. The lack of widespread internet, sure my d-mails to some of the famous archaeologists were sent successfully and received answers, but I would rather be able to access more thorough records from where I was personally than ask someone on the other side of the continent to check his books.
Rants aside, I had to use some of my personal assets to extend my search to the local government in Egypt, which was way harder than I initially thought considering the country was stuck between both sides of the Cold War but was currently leaning East.
I would get my answer soon, or so they said. Which means I would get my answer in months. At least I knew the Stargate program most likely did not exist because there was no way they would have been able to hide a Goa'uld attack, but considering I had no way to take a look inside the complex in Cheyenne Mountain I couldn't be absolutely sure.
Beyond that I had been able to make some more sense of the memories of my first life, it was strange remembering people and faces and yet the emotions associated with them felt distant, foreign. Which was why it felt easier to accept my situation, my father was still my father despite the memories I had.
Speaking of my father.
"How is your thesis going?" He asked, sitting behind his desk, tinkering with his computer and looking at me long enough to make me straighten my spin unconsciously.
My father and I shared the same brown hair but whereas he was a dark shade, mine had taken the lighter brown bordering on blonde my deceased mother favoured - a familiar pang of sadness echoed in my chest at that reminder, I had lost her young but it nevertheless still hurt.
"I am almost done," I said with a brief smile, proud of myself, something that my father did not outwardly show, but I knew in some way he felt the same, it was in the way his eyes crinkled slightly and the corner of his mouth upturned. "Sam offered to help me, but I refused her."
"Ah, the Brigadier General's daughter," My father taped on his mahogany desk thoughtfully. "The one you met at that gala at Camp Stanley, pretty enough lass, you say she offered to help you?"
"She is brilliant," I said honestly, a smile unbidden coming onto my face. "She has been working on her own thesis."
"And how could she help you on your own?"
That question I knew my father wasn't truly asking it to know the answer, this was in the way he stopped looking at me to stare back at his computer, the conversation had ended, this was merely small talk meant to foster friendly terms between us, my father was cold like that, I did not dislike him for it, he had raised me alone for many years before his invention.
"My thesis offered the possibility of using quantum physics to improve communication methods with interstellar missions, our talks together helped quite a lot in contextualising the possibilities therein even if I admit preferring laser communication as the former seems more than unlikely with our current capabilities."
"Quantum physics?" My father lifted his eyes to me again surprise clear in his tone. "She studies quantum physics? Are we still talking about Carter's daughter?"
"Yes." I let out an exasperated sigh. "I would prefer if you called her Samantha though."
"Oh," Richard's lips curled into a rare, teasing smile. "Protecting your girl, are you? Good on you. Invite her over one of these days. I would like to see my future daughter-in-law."
"As long as you deal with her father," I said with a smirk. "Otherwise, I doubt this future will manifest itself, old man."
"Old, am I?" He laughed, standing up and stretching his neck. "Come, let me take a look at your thesis and show you what this old man can do."
We moved to my study, just two rooms down the hall. Our house was large, larger than it had any right to be for just the two of us, not counting the staff. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with volumes on science, engineering, and history. My desk was cluttered with papers, drafts, and models of spacecraft.
Richard sat behind my desk as I handed him the draft, watching as he scanned the pages with a critical eye. Despite his tough exterior, I knew he cared deeply about my success. Part of me suspected he wanted a victory over his old partner, but I knew his concern for me was genuine.
"You've done well," he finally said, looking up at me. "This is impressive work, Adam. Keep pushing yourself. Don't settle for anything less than your best."
"Thanks, Dad," I said, feeling a surge of pride and relief. It might have been the son in me, but my father wasn't just anyone; he was Richard Hillard. "I won't let you down."
He clapped a hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "I know you won't. Now, let's refine this thesis of yours. We've got work to do." He pointed at a page. "Your idea of using lasers for data transmission in deep space is solid, but you need to address the environmental challenges. Space isn't empty, and particles can interfere with the laser's path."
"Wouldn't matter much, the speed of the exchange would make the loss of data insignificant."
"If it reached its target," my father pointed out calmly. "If the data is to be exchanged between fixed points, then it's no problem. But your thesis is about interstellar craft. A ship on the Moon will struggle to send back a message to us if we have rotated far enough."
The solution came to me readily enough. "An array of satellites can be arranged, acting as relays."
"And if we go even further? For example, Mars? The window where we would be in range for any laser to be caught would be slim and unique. There would be a need for another relay there."
I nodded, jotting down some notes. We continued like that for a while, sitting together and reviewing my work. It felt nostalgic like I was back in second grade before he invented the fusion reactors when he was a struggling single father. The memories of those simpler times mingled with the present, grounding me in this strange new reality.
At the end of the day, as he left my room, he told me that it was promising.
"If you want to make it a reality, I am sure Dev would love you to do so at our company."
My eyes widened. "Really?"
He laughed, his expression softening. "Whatever our differences, we are still friends son."
And that was that. The days blended together as I immersed myself in the finishing touches of my thesis. The study became my sanctuary, filled with the quiet hum of the piece of crap that passed as personal computers in this reality and the soft rustling of papers. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting shifting patterns on the walls as hours turned into days. Occasionally, my father would drop by, offering a word of advice or a critical eye, pushing me to refine my work to perfection.
Each night, I collapsed into bed, my mind buzzing with equations and theories and feasible ways to make reliable satellite relays, only to rise the next morning and dive back into the possibility of using quantum mechanics instead of laser communication systems. The house felt like my personal workshop during those days, the few times my father dropped by he would help and swiftly move out of my way.
He jokingly called it the Hilliard's haze striking again.
Finally, after countless revisions and a few sleepless nights, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the finished thesis, hitting the printing button, smiling with relief at the printer's whirling. It was more than good enough. The fact it was surely going to attract interest from Nasa and Dev Ayesa was the cherry on top.
"Wonder if Dad will feel more enthusiasm about the mission if my work is the key to linking the ship and Earth?"
I laughed at the thought.
"Probably not."
It was never personal, father just disliked being thrown into a venture so outside the initial desire that had driven them to found Helios Aerospace. Moving my feet away from the desk toward the phone, I dialled Sam's number, feeling a familiar rush of excitement at the idea of hearing her voice. The phone rang a few times before she picked up, her voice widening the smile on my face.
"Hey, Sam! I finished my thesis," I announced, the words tumbling out in a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
"Really? That's amazing, Adam!" she replied, her voice warm and enthusiastic.
"What's amazing is the fact you finished yours so quickly,"
"It was never a race," she paused for a moment. "Though if it was you lost from the start."
I huffed in good humour. "I am sure I will get you next time."
"Dream on, dear."
Suddenly, my father's joking words about meeting my future daughter-in-law echoed in my mind. I hesitated for a moment, then decided to take the plunge.
"...say, Sam, are you free this Saturday?" I asked, glancing at my father's calendar to make sure there were no conflicting plans.
"Mister Hillard, is that a date?" She asked in a playful, faux-shocked tone that made me chuckle.
"Something like that," I said, smiling. "I met your father, so it's only fair you meet mine. If that's alright with you?"
There was a long, pregnant pause on the other end of the line. My heart froze, and I found myself clenching and unclenching my fists nervously. The silence stretched until I heard a faint sound, too low to catch clearly.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"I said YES!" she exclaimed, her voice suddenly loud and clear.
I quickly moved the phone away from my ear, wincing slightly at the volume, but a bright smile spread across my face. I felt a warm, almost feverish excitement bubbling up inside me.
"See you then?"
"Yes, yes, see you Saturday, Adam," she replied, her voice filled with happiness.
As I hung up, the reality of what I had just done settled in. The upcoming meeting felt like a significant step for our relationship, I closed my eyes and could vividly remember our first meeting at Camp Stanley, her standing to the side looking bored out of her mind and me feeling curious about the girl I had heard so much about.
Sam was famous in Texas, mostly in scholarly circles, she was the girl who devoured knowledge faster than it could be taught, Rice University could only seal her so long. Out of curiosity, I talked to her, and one thing led to another and I ended up having to show her around the University of Texas at Austin.
She was like a storm coming unbidden into my life and I couldn't imagine it without her.
I dialled another number, feeling surer than I ever did as my father picked up.
"Dad? Yeah it's me, sorry to interrupt your work, it's about Saturday, yeah, no I still want to do something together to celebrate my thesis but would it be alright if we-"
Even as we talked the printer finished its work, and my thesis title stared me right in the face as my destiny drew itself before my very eyes.
"From Photons to Qubits: Enhancing Deep Space Communication Through Laser and Quantum Technologies."