The Edge of the Universe

Untitled Part 1

"Are you sure about this, sir?" Garret looked to his assistant, his emotions of fear and excitement battling fiercely for control of his will, "This is an opportunity no man has ever had before. It's an opportunity I am willing to die for." Garret's assistant looked down, "I, and everyone else on earth, will die long before you do."

Ignoring the discouragement, Garret stepped onto the platform. "Food supply prepared?" "Yes, sir." "Final systems check cleared?" "Yes, sir." "Atmospheric recycler online?" "Yes, sir." "Waste containment operational?" "Yes, sir." "Then clear for launch." A tear made its way down the assistant's cheek, "Goodbye... Sir."

Garret had devoted his life to his work after inventing a source of unlimited power. At only 70 years of age, he had many inventions to his credit, each of which he held secret from all but his assistant. Garret feared what the world would do with unlimited energy sources, complete control over electromagnetic forces from every range of the spectrum, and the ability to travel far, far faster than light.

All of his inventions were with him now, on his ultimate space ship. A life support and propulsion system encased in a metal box, enough food for several weeks on earth in another, a control panel, and a couch that folded into a bed were all that occupied the thick metal platform. Garret pressed a button on the control panel, and to the uninformed observer, nothing happened. The assistant stayed clear, for fear of being dissolved by the powerful and destructive sphere of energy that encased Garret's platform.

With one hand on a slide control, and the other waving at his assistant, Garret engaged the drive system leaving only a scorched crater where his platform was. In an instant he was leaving the Milky Way galaxy. Inside the sphere was exactly as it was when Garret activated the field, and nothing outside the field could influence what was inside. From a stand still to the speed of light, no forces of acceleration could be felt inside the sphere.

The external side of the sphere was a solid force field which not even atoms could penetrate, as the field was not electromagnetic. Rather, any atom that touched the exterior of the field would simply dissolve instantly, affecting the spheres travel less than a raindrop slows a Boeing 747.

Garrets craft traveled in a straight path, effortlessly penetrating anything in his path. He took off straight up into the night sky. He stood alone in his craft, contemplating the consequences of his choice while he tore through asteroids, stars and planets faster than he could see them.

Within minutes he was so far from the earth that times effect on him was drastically different than those on earth. His assistant had passed away thousands of earth years ago by now. Were Garret to turn back now, the earth would be nothing like it was when he left, perhaps no longer even there. In a matter of what Garret could perceive as a couple hours, the earth would have aged millions of years.

It was too late now. He could not turn back. He could only continue in hopes of finding the edge of the universe. He could not calculate the maximum speed of his craft, the speed control on his craft was maxed, and he was tearing through galaxies in less than a minute. If his food and water supply ran out before he found the true edge of the universe, he would simply die of thirst, his craft carrying his carcass through space for eternity.

He needed no entertainment, nothing to keep himself amused on his journey. He could see space as no man had ever before, galaxies an immeasurable distance away swept quickly past him on all sides. He sat in a stupor of awe until his stomach demanded nourishment. Garret rose from his couch, and marked on a note pad what he called an eat cycle. He was measuring his travel in sleep and eat cycles.

It wasn't until his first meal aboard his craft he realized something he'd never noticed before. He shut the food cabinet. Then opened it, and shut it again a bit harder. He opened it again, and then slammed it shut. His eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth, inhaled deeply the recycled atmosphere he had left the earth with, and yelled with all his might.